Television is great. It can entertain and it can inform. TV programs may also, while attempting to inform the public, provide erroneous information. "Poetic Licence" allows many a program to gloss over certain salient points and emphasize others that are not as important.

One program presently making the rounds on TV pits a home renovator against a realtor. The home owners just cannot decide whether to renovate their home or to just sell it and buy one that meets their present needs. This program, while entertaining and also quite informative, does ignore most family's budget concerns. Many families cannot afford to totally renovate their home and then sell the property and move on.

To make the best remodel or move decision, it is important to understand all the reasons that you have to remodel and all the reasons that you have to move.

This article reviews common reasons to move. As you read each of these reasons, consider how much it applies to you and note how strongly you feel about each one.

1. The size of your family has changed. Of the many reasons to move, the size of your current home is the most common. Many young couples have purchased a cozy two- or three-bedroom starter home or condo that suits their situation perfectly. The home has a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and possibly a home office. A single living area with couches and an entertainment center provides the couple with ample space for the two of them and their visitors. As they start a family, the first child moves into the guest bedroom and toys take over the living area. The perfect house for two becomes too small for three or more.

2. You are looking for better schools. Unless your children attend private school, where you live usually dictates which school your children attend. This is great for building a sense of community in the neighborhood as children can walk or bike to school together. A school nearby can also cut down on travel time for dropping off and picking up your children.

3. Your commute to and from work is too long. A common reason to move is the change of a job. Be it out of state/province or in another community, most people will only commute so far. If you want to have a shorter commute, then moving may be the only answer. Some families decide on a longer commute for one of the parents once the children come along. Sometimes families decide to move into the Orangeville or Shelburne area from the city to provide the children with a better quality of life. Instead of walking inner city streets, or hanging out at the mall, the children can particpate in the many cultural and athletic activities offered at lower cost in small town Ontario.

4. You do not like remodeling. Remodeling is not for everyone. No matter how it is accomplished, two things are unavoidable: the inconvenience and the decision-making. The inconvenience can be as little as not using your kitchen for a day while it is being painted or as much as moving out for six months while some major work is done. For some, any inconvenience is too much, so a move may be the way to go.

5. You do not like your neighbourhood. Each neighborhood has its own characteristics. Some have big yards; some have small. Some have sidewalks and streetlights; some don't. Some have many rental homes, some have few. Some are full of 1,000-square foot houses; some only have 3,000-square foot houses. Some neighborhoods have kids playing on the street all day long and friendly neighbors stopping by to chat every day. In other neighborhoods, people keep to themselves and rarely wave as they drive by each other on the way to work. In the Orangeville area, many people feel they want to move from town into the country and buy that pony the children desire; and others decide to move from the country into the town. As much as we all would like to change some features of our neighborhood, many are out of our control. If the neighborhood doesn't meet your needs, a move may be the only solution.

6. Your current home has a poor floor plan. You may not be able to remodel the house you live in. It may be too costly to make it what you want. If you want a kitchen in front and the family room facing south, but your home has the kitchen in back and the family room facing north, a remodel may be too expensive to be practical. Due to lot size, building codes, or physical barriers, some homes may not lend themselves to remodeling the way you want. Building codes can limit the type and size of additions as well as their appearance. You may wish to live in a newer, more energy efficient home rather than the older, drafty house built in another era. Or you may crave a heritage home with character rather than a subdivision model.

7. Your yard is too big/too small. For many, the yard is an integral part of a house. A yard is land to call your own, a place to plant flowers or vegetables or an expanse of grass that you take pride in keeping green and manicured all summer long. Depending on your lifestyle the yard can also be too large and actually create more upkeep than you need or want. The question is how big of a yard do you want? Or do you want one at all? Condo living is popular with many people and the Orangeville area is providing more choices all the time. There can be good reasons for wanting a smaller yard as well as a larger yard.

8. Remodeling is too expensive. You can profit from an intelligent remodel, but in reality, some remodeling projects are not worth the investment or effort. If your dream is to live in an affluent neighborhood with large lawns and 4,000-square foot homes, and your neighborhood is full of bungalows with single car garages, the chance of getting what you want by remodeling for a reasonable amount of money is unlikely. If you really want a swimming pool, and your yard will accomodate the pool, you must also decide if your Shelburne neighbourhood will pay back some of the cost of the pool when you move. Sometimes moving to a home that already has a pool is a better choice. Remember you never want to be the best home on a street of lesser value homes. The reverse is much better.

9. Your home is already the largest and nicest on the street. You may have remodeled your home before and now your home is the largest and nicest in the neighborhood. This is great if you love the neighborhood and plan to stay in the home for years to come. However, if you have been remodeling your home because it needs updating and you still have to add additional space or amenities, then a move may be a good idea financially.

10. You will likely move in the next few years. If there were a wrong time to remodel, it would be right before you move. Don't go through the expense and the inconvenience of remodeling and then put the house up for sale the next month or the next year. Moving right after a remodel can be costly unless you managed your remodel project very carefully to minimize the cost and maximize the market appeal of the work that was done. I've been in to price many a home where the owners spent a great deal of money putting in upgrades they loved, only to find that today's buyers would not pay extra for someone else's taste. Also, moving immediately takes away one of the biggest benefits of remodeling: enjoying the results. If there is a reasonable chance of your moving in the next 24 months, it may be better to move now to get the house you want rather than to remodel.

As always, ask your real estate professional for advice if you are not quite sure of the answers to some of the questions above. I'll be happy to help.