Home renovation is a world all its own. It increases function of a space while putting a personal touch on it that aptly reflects you as a family. The value added to your home from a renovation is almost always worth it. Regardless, they are an expensive endeavor. Sometimes you need more from your space as far as work flow and sometimes you just want something fresh and new. When trying to determine what to renovate in your home there are plenty of listicles which will give you an idea of what you can expect to spend and get back when you sell. One thing you'll notice, major vs. minor remodels. Say what?

There's A Difference?

You bet! It's probably pretty easy to guess what's what, but here's what to expect…

Major: What a great word, huh? You can really milk the ‘a' for as long as you like to convey precisely how major your thing is. Just like the word, this type of renovation milks it. There's time involved in a major renovation and it's more than just changing your wall color. If you want a new kitchen and you meet with a contractor and they ask “What do you like about your kitchen?” and you say “Absolutely nothing” then you're headed for a major renovation.

Knocking down walls, reconfiguring or installing new cabinets, moving utilities, or the layout of a room, adding or taking away windows. These all constitute a major home renovation. At the end of the day it's more than just cosmetics or numbers. Opening up that kitchen into the living room is a major renovation. You'll need to check and ensure structural support among other things. New everything is major.

Minor: Eh, it's just a minor little thing. If going in to get a new heart is major heart surgery, putting in a pacemaker is minor. Same for home updates. If you have to gut the whole thing and start fresh, you're in a major state. But if all you want is a new backsplash, updated cabinet facings, or tile in your bathroom these are all relatively minor operations, most of which fall into DIY territory. Whereas major renovations typically handle the integrity of your house, minor changes are mostly cosmetic. Though they're typically cheaper (by a lot) that doesn't always mean they won't cost around the same.

Opting for marble from floor to ceiling in your new spa-like bathroom will run up your tab (which could also run your home out of its own market). While you can expect around 85% on the return of a major kitchen or bathroom renovation, minor renovations can be recovered in full (if not a little more so) by the time you turn around and sell. Upgrading the flooring in your living room to an eco-friendly and sustainable bamboo click-lock choice might feel major, but the work can be done by you and accomplished fairly easily with few to no mistakes.

Major and Minor renovations both have their time and place. Whatever type of renovation project you choose to tackle, be sure it's hitting your demands on vision, efficiency, and value. You don't have to turn your house into The Money Pit to make it more valuable.