Should You Choose a Home Renovation or Custom Home?

It’s often tricky choosing between renovating  a home or building a custom home. Decisions usually rest on various considerations depending on the situation.

How far your existing home is from the dream, your feelings about the current location and available budget, timeline, type of home  and future plans — these are some of the various considerations to ponder before opting for either a home renovation or building a custom home. 

Perhaps you first chose to renovate, only to conclude the changes, or the cost of the changes, were not feasible.Or maybe you settled on a custom home, only to stumble upon a near replica of your dream abode already built. After a few touch ups, and it’ll be the picture of bliss. 

Between sprucing up your home or renovating from scratch, consider what each option has to offer, and how they fit in your unique situation.

Since 2008, Regal Construction & Remodeling has proudly provided Los Angeles county with renovation and design & build services. Learn more from our About Us page.

Choosing between renovating or starting from scratch: let’s get started.

Home Renovation and a Custom Home

A home renovation is when you make changes to your existing home. Renovating can encompass anything between a bathroom remodel to a complete interior gutting. These changes must adhere to a predefined space. 

A custom home, on the other hand, is built entirely from scratch. Fresh from design, everything is newly constructed per approved design. You work closely alongside an architect, builder and interior designer to make informed decisions about your new home, such as the architecture, how it’s situated on your lot, the style and aesthetic detail.

Benefits to Renovating Your Existing Home

Home renovation is an opportunity to restore your home’s condition, which you’ve likely developed a sentimental value for. Afterall, it’s a home you’ve lived in for years and where you’ve nurtured fond memories with family and friends. To an extent, it’s like “resetting” its clock.

If the renovation is smaller or focused in a single room or area of the house, you can avoid the hassle of temporarily moving. Some of the top benefits of renovating your home is it provides you with more space, a new floor plan or updates that replenish its style and functionality. Renovations are also an opportunity to make your home more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Our Renovations services ensure thoughtful innovations of modern design. Our network of architects, engineers, experts, suppliers and trade vendors will make renovating your home stress-free and exciting process.

Considerations for Renovating Your Home

There’s much to consider before embarking on a major home improvement project.. Done right, it can be a wonderful adventure. But it can also easily go off the rails: going over budget, hiring an inexperienced contractor, installing the wrong type of countertop, wrong paint color, and more. TO ensure a stress-free home renovation, it’s important for you to be prepared.Here are some of the things to consider before starting your home renovation to avoid headaches:

  • Are you happy with the location of your home?
  • What’s your budget to keep the total home value at a saleable level?
  • Do you have your home’s original building plans?
  • If you’re working with a historical structure, has it been renovated before? Why were the renovations done?
  • Are there any hazardous materials in your home?


You need to investigate the structural soundness and health of the foundation of your home. Cracks and compromised frames can indicate spending money on a renovation may not be worth it. Depending on the type and severity of the damage, opting for a custom home may be the more sound decision. 

Recruit a builder as early as you can in the renovation process. You need to understand the restrictions and building codes of the local area and, often, trusting an expert to study the restrictions helps make the process smoother and prevent the emergence of unforeseen issues down the road.  

You also need to consider future repairs and maintenance. Bringing in system upgrades to areas of the home not part of the renovation — but will eventually require maintenance — may reduce the number and extent of future repairs. 

Lastly, consider the ultimate goal from your home renovation. Perhaps you’re dreaming of hitting the refresh button with a newly glistening space. Maybe you want more room for entertaining, or having children or aging parents. Understanding your ultimate goal will make it easier to make crucial decisions during the renovation process. 

Benefits of a Custom Home

While a custom home requires extensive research and decisions to make, the landslide of long lasting benefits make it worthwhile. Here’s why.

  • Everything is shiny and new. Repairs are minimal, and it’s usually under warranty. 
  • Custom homes are an opportunity to use sustainable materials for an environmentally-friendly home.
  • You can plan ahead for new technology upgrades, like expanding the electrical system to accommodate new tech gadgets in your daily life. 
  • The layout and floor plan is yours for the choosing.
  • It’s a blank canvas. Your imagination and preferences aren’t tied down to an existing structure. 


Regal Construction and Remodeling provides top-tier Design & Build services. From consultation to construction management, our team assists you at every point of the design & build.

Considerations for Building Your Custom Home

Whether relocating to a different lot or demolishing your existing home for a new home construction, it’s strongly recommended you consult with a custom builder early in the process. 

Here are some of most important considerations to discuss with your builder prior to construction:  

  • What are the local building codes?
  • What’s the weather and climate? Does your build need to resist extreme temperature changes, or the potential of high winds and hail? Are you located on a flood plain? 
  • How will the soil impact your design?
  • Are there restrictions in the neighborhood, such as following a specific architectural style, roof type, or color scheme?


You need to assemble a team that includes an architect, builder and interior designer. Experts are trained and experienced in custom homes and provide you the breadth of knowledge you need to make the design & build process as smooth and easy as possible. 

As you design, consider your lifestyle, and the features of a living area that would best accommodate it. Consider whether you plan to age in the space, and the needs of potential children or aging parents. Consider your long-term goals, and how your custom home can be the best possible space for you to achieve those goals.

Your imagination isn’t tethered to an already existing structure, so have fun fleshing out your ideas and establishing the features of your home that’ll be the priority throughout the process. 

Be prepared to make a multitude of decisions. The glories of a custom home is that it’s built entirely from scratch, and so the decisions to be made along the way are as plentiful as they are exciting. Your design & build team will be there to guide you along the way.

Lastly, keep in mind the timeline to design and build a custom home is usually longer than for a renovation. Complex renovations can take several months, sure, but custom homes require time for approvals and permits, site preparation and construction. 

Comparison: Home Renovation vs Custom Home Construction

Choosing between renovating your home or building a new home is not easy. There are many factors to consider, and it depends on your unique situation. 

Home renovations limit the extent of your changes, while custom design & build services substantially broaden the scope of your freedom. Moreover, custom home builds are a much more involved and time-consuming process. Custom homes typically take longer than renovations.

If your renovation project is entirely interior, the weather and climate will not impact the process. But custom home projects depend significantly on the climate and time of year. These factors need to be factored into account to either ensure the building site is enclosed and weather proofed, or to schedule the design & build when weather won’t be a problem. 

Cost differences depend on the extent of the renovation. Unexpected obstacles and findings can also drastically increase costs. Remember a custom home won’t be hiding asbestos, black mold, rotted wood, or an electrical or plumbing system that doesn’t comply with local code restrictions.

The bigger the dream,
The More Important The Team!

With Regal Construction & Remodeling, it only takes a few minutes to start building your dream home! Give us a call today!

CALL (818) 340-1700

Hire the Best Build & Design Team in Los Angeles

Your decision ultimately rests on your needs, current home situation and budget. 

A beloved existing home that meets your needs may indicate a renovation is just what you need to spruce it up. But if you’re dreaming of an entirely different space, a custom home may be the best solution for you.

If you need help weighing your options, please reach out to our team. We are always here to help!

Need help weighing your options? Looking for an expert construction team for your home renovations or custom build? Contact Regal Construction and Renovation at (818) 214-7223 or email us at info@regalrenoation.com. You can also fill out our form here for a free consultation.

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