Remodel vs. Renovation: What’s The Difference and Why Does It Matter?

You may or may not know this, but there is a difference between remodeling and renovation, and it matters when you are both budgeting and when you are talking to a contractor. 

By definition, renovate means: to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), while remodeling means:  to alter the structure of. 

The big difference is that if you are renovating something, your bathroom for example, you are repairing or restoring it. If you were to remodel it, you would be demoing and rebuilding to change the appearance. 

A renovation changes the look of a room, without altering its layout or intended use. 

Renovating a room or rooms in your home can be a great way to refresh it with simple updates. It can be far more affordable and DIY-friendly than a remodel, and there are several ways to renovate a room that can make it look completely new. 

New Paint Job

It’s amazing what a new coat of paint can do to change the look of a room. It’s also an easy DIY project and sometimes doesn’t need much more done to the room than that. A few things to note is that you should protect your molding, especially original wood with lots of painting tape, so you don’t have to chip it off and scratch the molding. For darker colors, make sure to prime enough to ensure your new color can cover the existing paint. 

If you need to remove wallpaper or borders, follow the proper steps to avoid damaging the wall or ceiling. Soak it well and use the proper tools to remove it before beginning the prime and paint work. 

Sometimes choosing a color can be difficult, but it can be helpful to shop for linens or other decor before landing on a color. Also, know that you can take any number of paint samples home from the hardware store to take with you shopping, and even tape to the walls to get a good idea of what the color you want may look like in the light of the room. 

Swapping out Cabinet Hardware

One of the easiest things you can do to revamp your kitchen or bathroom is to update the cabinet hardware. Nothing can get outdated quicker than the drawer and cabinet handles. They simply unscrew and can be swapped out, no problem. You can often get lucky and find hardware secondhand from other people’s renovations that they’ve updated their hardware as well. Otherwise, they can run anywhere from $1 to $20 a piece. 

New Countertops and Backsplashes

Sometimes, you can find countertops and backsplashes secondhand as well, or in showrooms that hold hardware store overflow for lower prices. This will require some demo of your existing countertops, but can be a great weekend group project and can absolutely transform your kitchen or bathroom, without having to rip up cabinets. 

Backsplashes can be tiled the old fashioned way, which may require some expertise or experience to get right. You can also buy stick-on backsplash sheets that look a lot like real marble or stone but at a fraction of the price. 

New Flooring

Putting in a new floor, or refinishing existing can be an incredible update that can make a room look like it was fully updated. Something like new floors can end up being costly, and require some labor depending on what route is taken. Refinishing wood floors can be a major upgrade, and it is possible to do yourself, but takes time and may put a room out of commission for a while, as it gets done. 

Bathroom floors can be a great update and can be done over the weekend. Chances are, the existing tiles or laminate flooring can be relatively easy to pull up. New modern flooring for bathrooms can be laminate wood flooring that looks like the real thing but will resist rot and work with moisture. It can be easier to cut around baseboards and toilets as well. 

Updating Plumbing and Light Fixtures

Getting new light fixtures doesn’t require any extra electrical work or wiring for those DIYers. It can be an easy swap out between the ceiling lights or wall sconces by simply detaching from the wiring connections and plugging in a new, compatible fixture. 

Updating plumbing can include a new sink, dishwasher, laundry, or other appliance updates. A lot of places offer delivery and installation for an extra fee but can be just what a room needs to bring it up to that next level of style and functionality. 

Remodeling requires altering the structure, size, or layout of a room. 

Remodeling is much more invasive than a renovation and requires more materials and labor. It can be more costly because anything past demolition, may require hiring a professional team. 

Demolition and Removing Structures

The most fun part about remodeling your home can be demo day! You can take out those aggressions by swinging a sledgehammer into that ugly, cumbersome wall you always wanted to get rid of. Make a day of demoing walls or structures, because this is something you can do without hiring a team. Just ask your family or friends to help in exchange for pizza or beer. 

When removing cabinets, you can often pry it delicately enough to save countertops, cabinets, and built-ins and re-sell it or re-purpose it after the remodel. 

Make sure to turn off the electrical or plumbing in the demo areas to avoid any mishaps. Watch out for walls that have outlets and wiring that can be damaged by demoing the wall incorrectly. 

Layout Planning

Hire a professional to help you plan the construction and layout. We have a program that allows 3D renderings of your new space before doing one bit of demolition. Ensuring this is done, with proper measurements, materials planning, and budgeting can help the remodeling go as smoothly as possible, without any surprises. 

Framing and Drywall

After the demolition is done, all extra drywall bits and framing that is not supporting structures will be removed and the framing can be re-built. Reframing can be done in any room, whether you are tearing down a wall to make more room, or building up a wall to re-configure a room’s shape or for an addition. Drywall and insulation will be done last, followed by putty, primer, and paint. 

Rewiring  & Electrical Work

A lot of modern homes built in the last few years have a lot more outlets per wall, compared to older homes. Rewiring and adding more outlets can be a great way to remodel a room where you don’t have to rely on where power or light fixtures are, dictate the layout of your room. This is an opportunity to reconfigure the electrical work in your home to work for any furniture or design configuration. Plus, an outdated home could stand to have the electrical checked and updated to prevent any fires or other issues. 

New or Updated Plumbing

Updating the plumbing can be one of the more costly parts of remodeling your home. When reconfiguring a bathroom or kitchen, you don’t need to use the old plumbing or plumbing fixtures. A good plumber will be able to work with you throughout the entire process of remodeling to properly configure where and how the plumbing will go in to make it the most functional and stylish for your design. 

Ductwork 

Getting new ductwork installed isn’t always a necessity during a remodel; in fact, you can likely get away with getting your ducts and vents cleaned. Ductwork will be determined by foot and size when it comes to cost. The ductwork planning will also take place when the contractor works on layout planning. 

So remember, when it comes time to re-design a part of your home, you have a few options that don’t always require demoing walls or cabinets. A lot can be done with updates that don’t include invasive work. On the other hand, Treasured Spaces and local professional contractors can work through an entire beginning to end planning to remodel a room or multiple rooms in your home to give you the dream house you always wanted.