Published on : 30 September 20194 min reading time

Are you thinking about how to revalue your home before you sell it? We explain the difference between renovation and rehabilitation so you can decide which one you need.

When fixing a property, two terms are used a lot: reform and rehabilitation. They seem to mean the same thing, but in reality they are different. Do you want to sell your house and get more profit? We help you to distinguish both concepts and decide what suits you best.

Renovation and rehabilitation

A reform implies the change, modification or substitution of finishes, installations, partitions or other elements, responding to aesthetic reasons, almost never functional. If your house is well conserved, but for reasons of personal taste you want to renovate it, you will be carrying out a reform. This option can include the repair or relocation of certain partitions and walls. However, you should not touch the load-bearing wall, since it is a fundamental pillar of the building.

If your house is in bad condition and some elements have a real need for repair, you need rehabilitation. This is done for functional needs and implies a real risk for people. Therefore, the work is essential to eliminate the risk and ensure the life of the residents. In that case, it can transcend beyond the home and that your entire building is affected.

Another easy way to identify the difference is the size of the work. In the case of a renovation, it is almost always related to small rooms (living room, bathroom, and kitchen). When refurbishment is applied, the land involved is usually much larger (complete façade, building or even large constructions such as bridges or roads).

If you still have doubts, you can see the difference through the building permit used (minor or major). The first case is requested in reforms (tastings, small arrangements), which do not need a budget or require a high technical complexity. This authorization must be requested prior to the beginning of the works and it is an agile procedure with a time limit that expires (except in the case of an extension or postponement).

When these tasks affect common elements, a major work permit is required, specific to refurbishments. You must apply for it at the Town Hall of your locality and prior to the start of the works. In this case, the formalities will be more cumbersome. You will need an architect, a technical report, a health and safety study, fire prevention, etc.

Reform or rehabilitation: what should I apply to my property before selling it?

It is easier to make a house profitable if it is in perfect condition. It is clear that you must take steps to improve it if there is a problem, but before making these changes, it is advisable to contact a specialized company. Their professionals will know how to advise you and the first thing they will do, will be an analysis of the available space. In this way, they will try to find the ideal way to renovate your home, so that you can revalue it in the market.

Tips for successfully renovating a house

The only thing most properties need is a facelift. In this way, even the least graceful house will shine with its own light.

Redistribute: change the established order, move living rooms and furniture. You’ll see how you notice the difference.

Refurbish the bathrooms and kitchen: change the tiles, its decoration and turn your old toilet into a comfortable and cosy room. In addition, they are the least expensive rooms to change.

Optimize your resources: don’t spend more than you have and don’t throw the house out the window. A prior consultation with experts could save you several hundred euros.

Colourful: no one likes a house turned off. Colour conveys emotions and feelings – make it a central part of the house! Paint the walls and don’t leave a hole without a brushstroke.

Think before you do anything: think carefully about what you want to achieve and, if necessary, ask for advice. Don’t do it on the spur of the moment, it’s likely to go wrong.