Should I Stay and Renovate, or Move and Renovate/Build?
“Should we stay and renovate?” or “Should we find another home to renovate—or build new?” These are questions we hear every year from homeowners who are bursting at the seams in their current house, but can’t find anything on the market that quite fits their needs. Think of it as our real-life version of Love It or List It. Rather than immediately recommending a move, we help our clients step back and evaluate all their options.
We start with the wish list: What isn’t working in the current home? What would make it work? Usually, clients need more bedrooms, a proper mudroom, a larger kitchen and some kind of office area. Then we evaluate whether renovating the existing home makes financial and practical sense. We consider the current mortgage, estimated renovation costs, the potential value after improvements and often-overlooked expenses such as temporary housing, moving and storing furniture, and living through a major construction project. Next, we compare that scenario with purchasing another property to renovate or finding a teardown and building new. We factor in acquisition costs, selling and buying expenses, construction budgets and timelines. Finally, we bring the right experts to the table—including trusted builders and construction-to-permanent lenders—to help determine the true financial picture of each option.
It’s a collaborative process between the homeowner, Realtor, builder and lender. Sometimes the answer is to stay. Sometimes it’s to move. Our job is to help clients understand the numbers, possibilities and trade-offs so they can confidently choose the option that gives them the home—and lifestyle—they really want.
Michelle Sagatov is a new construction expert with 35+ years of real estate and business experience. Through a close partnership with ODE Design, clients benefit from her knowledge of construction, lot acquisition, design, sales, inventory and the market. She’s accrued over $400 million in lifetime sales across all price ranges and delivers second-to-none customer service.
Awards & Honors:
– Arlington Magazine Top Producer, 2019-2026
– Arlington Magazine Winner, Best Real Estate Agent, 2024
– Real Trends Top 1% of agents in America
– Arlington Magazine Top Vote Getter, Best Real Estate Agent, 2020, 2022, 2026
– Washingtonian Magazine Top Agent 2018-2026