At some point your present home may begin to feel cramped. You would like enough room to have an "adult haven", but you must weigh the price of a larger home over against the prospect of living with contractors and plaster dust for a long time. Is it better to remodel or to look for a new home?

Before you decide on a major home improvement project, talk with a real estate agent who knows your neighborhood. Will the changes you have in mind over-improve your home, making it difficult to re-sell? Will you be able to recover the cost of your investment? Find out how much your present home is currently worth, and how much home equity you have. You may be able to make a substantial down payment that lowers your mortgage payments on a larger home. It may be worth making a move to avoid the stress and inconvenience of remodeling, if you can find a new home with all the features you would like to add to your present home.

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