In a renovation, you’re usually giving a room cosmetic changes—like flooring, hardware, or appliance updates—while a remodel involves more extensive changes, like reconfiguring an entire room by adding or removing walls.
The home improvement terms “renovation” and “remodel” are often used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between the two.
Both renovations and remodels can give your home a fresh, updated feeling, but you’ll need to decide which one is right for your situation. (While you’re at it, consider updating your home
or car insurance
using Jerry
’s quote comparison tool!) Here, Jerry breaks down the difference between renovation and remodeling so you can update your home with confidence.
Renovations
Renovations typically involve surface-level, cosmetic changes to update a room’s aesthetic appeal. This doesn’t mean renovations aren’t time-intensive, though!
Refresh a room without changing its structure
For example, if your living room in your home needs just a little something more, the project you have in mind is probably a renovation. Said renovation might involve painting the walls new colors, removing or installing trim, or adding new shelving to certain walls.
In your kitchen, perhaps you’ve grown tired of your cupboards, so you give them a paint job and switch out their old hardware for something more modern. That, too, would be a renovation project.
More amenable to DIY projects
For the most part, updates that come with a renovation are projects that you could tackle yourself without needing a permit like you would for most remodeling work.
If you’re up for it, going the DIY route can also save you tons of money—but not all home renovations projects are beginner-friendly. You may want skilled assistance when it comes to things like updating a tile backsplash or installing new flooring, for example.
Remodels
Remodels involve more drastic, usually structural changes to one or multiple rooms.
Demolish structures and create something new
If you decided your living room was too small and you wanted to add an attached sunroom to create more space for entertainment, this would constitute a remodel.
Such a remodel involves considerably more expertise than a renovation—you’ll usually have to hire contractors to do the work and obtain permits certifying that the addition is structurally sound and elements like new wiring were safely installed.
If you’re demolishing something and/or constructing something new, it’s probably safe to call it a remodel.
Fix bad layout or designs
If the layout of a particular room—or even the entire house—just doesn’t make sense, a renovation alone is unlikely to fix what you don’t like.
A renovation that updates your kitchen cupboards and countertops, for example, could make the room more aesthetically appealing.
However, if what you detest most is the space’s cramped feeling and poor layout, you may want to plan a remodel that opens up a wall or two and reconfigures the placement of appliances. Opening up the walls is likely to create additional work, like having to reroute pipes or wiring.
Change the purpose of a room
Remodeling brings transformation, and few projects are more transformative than changing a room’s entire purpose.
For example, perhaps you’re planning to convert the unused bedroom on the other side of the wall from yours into a master bathroom and walk-in closet. At a minimum, that’s going to involve new plumbing, adding and removing walls, and probably a good deal of rewiring.
Pro Tip Renovations and especially remodels can be tricky if you live in a historic home, as designated by the National Register of Historic Places. Any projects that change the key characteristics of the home may not be permitted.
Which costs more: renovation or remodel?
Because renovations are more surface-level updates, they usually aren’t as costly as full-blown remodels. This doesn’t mean they’re cheap, though—and the more luxurious the updates, the more your renovation will cost.
Remodeling part or all of your home will be your most expensive option because it requires extensive structural changes and lots of professional work.
Pro Tip If you’re interested in making changes to help sell your home, renovations tend to give you a better return on investment (ROI).
Finding the right home insurance
If you’re going to spend time and money freshening up your home’s look and feel, you definitely want to make sure it’s adequately protected against a natural disaster or theft.
Jerry
makes it easy to compare competitive quotes and update your homeowners policy
. You can even use Jerry to bundle your home and auto insurance for a hefty discount on both!If you’re ready to shop for home insurance, go to getjerry.com, download the Jerry app, or call 1-833-445-3779 if you wish to speak with a service agent.
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