You’ve outgrown your current home. Do you renovate to make it work, or knock it down and start again with a new build? It’s a question we hear often from homeowners in Solihull, Birmingham and Warwickshire. Here is how to think about it.
The case for renovation
Renovation almost always wins on cost. A well-planned refurbishment with a modest extension can transform a home for £100,000–£250,000 depending on scale, whereas a new-build detached family home in Solihull will typically cost £350,000–£700,000 for the build itself, before you add land value and demolition.
You also keep the character of the original home, avoid the planning risk of a full replacement (which is much harder than an extension), and can usually live in the property between phases.
The case for new build
Sometimes the existing house is fighting you at every turn. Poor insulation, no thermal mass, awkward layouts, low ceilings, non-compliant electrics and worn-out services can add up to a “refurbishment” that’s really a new build wearing an old skin. In those cases, a genuinely new home lets you:
- Design the layout you actually want
- Meet current Building Regulations without compromise
- Achieve modern energy performance (potentially net-zero-ready)
- Sidestep 40+ years of accumulated hidden issues
The middle path: substantial extension + selective refurbishment
Most of our Solihull clients end up here. Extend the areas that need extending, refurbish and reconfigure the existing spaces that work, and upgrade the services and thermal performance throughout. It’s the sweet spot on cost versus outcome for the majority of families.
How to decide
The right answer depends on:
- The existing structure’s condition (a survey helps)
- Ceiling heights and floor-to-floor depths
- Whether you like the current layout enough to work with it
- Local planning appetite for demolition and rebuild (varies significantly)
- Your budget ceiling and time horizon
We offer a free initial consultation across Solihull, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands to help you think through which route makes sense before you commit to a design.
Serving homeowners across Solihull, Birmingham, Worcester, Gloucester and the wider region.