Renovate or sell: a way to decide
Helps you think through whether to renovate or move when your home no longer fits.
- Write down the actual problem you want to solve, such as no home office, rather than a general wish for more space.
- Get several written quotes and ask about consents, timing and where you will live during the work.
- Add up selling costs, buying costs and moving costs if you are thinking of moving, and compare with the quotes.
- Ask an engineer early if the change might be structural, because that can change the cost a lot.
- Consider how long you plan to stay, and how the move or the renovation fits your next few years.
Check the details. Check structural ideas with an engineer, consents with your council, and values with a registered valuer.
Official pages
Shortened from a Berry article first written 2026-05-16. Figures we could not check against a public source were taken out. This is general information, not advice.