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For Immediate Release
03/28/2005
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For a review copy of the book
or an interview with the author,
please contact Dottie DeHart,
Rocks-DeHart Public Relations,
at (828) 459-9637 or DSDeHart@aol.com |
Remodel or Move? Which Is Best for Your Empty Nest?
Author and homeowner advocate Dan Fritschen says at this time of life it's all too easy to
make a hasty decision you'll regret. Take your time and think it through before "refeathering your nest" . . . or moving to a whole new tree.
Sunnyvale, CA (April 2005)—It finally happened. Your youngest child has
flown the coop. Whether you are mourning or celebrating (or both), house-wise, you need
a change. Perhaps you want to "downsize" now that your family is smaller. Conversely,
now that you have more disposable income, visions of your dream home—complete with
sun porch and a luxury bathroom—may be dancing in your head. Yes, empty nesters long
for a change of scenery. Question is, what form should that change take? Should you
remodel? Move? Stay put for a while? It's a tough question with financial and emotional
implications . . . and you should carefully consider both aspects before you jump in.
"It's a big shock to the system when kids move out," says Dan Fritschen, author
of Remodel or Move?™ Make the Right Decision (ABCD Publishing LLC, 2005, ISBN:
1-933007-69-9, $15.95) and founder of www.remodelormove.com. "The very concept of
‘home' changes practically overnight. And too many parents, battered by a sea of
conflicting emotions, make a knee-jerk decision that really isn't in their best financial or
emotional interest."
Natalie Caine, founder of www.emptynestsupport.com, agrees wholeheartedly.
"In a way you are grieving," she explains. "When kids move away, your very identity
changes. And like all grieving people, you should hold off on major life decisions until
you have a chance to adjust to your new reality. When you regain your emotional footing,
you'll be better equipped to determine what ‘home' means to the ‘new you.'"
Once the initial "shock" wears off, Fritschen suggests you use the Remodel-or-Move
Calculator on his website, an online "haven" meant to provide unbiased advice and guidance to
homeowners considering a change. This free analysis tool helps to determine what's financially
best for you by calculating the cost of your hypothetical remodeling project versus the cost to
move. Then, it helps you determine your "gut feeling" about the decision based on your feelings
about your neighborhood, your home, and the remodeling process. Taking all of these factors
into account, the calculator makes a recommendation geared specifically to you, your lifestyle,
and your unique needs.
Here are a few of the questions Fritschen says empty nesters should consider when they
make their decision.
- Are the kids really gone? Many parents are familiar with the "boomerang" child phenomenon.
Kids move out for a while and then, suddenly, they're baaaaccckkkk! "Perhaps your child loses
his job," says Fritschen. "Perhaps he wants to move back in with you to save money for his own
home. Sometimes, young adults go through one or more ‘false starts' before they really find their
wings. You may want to postpone converting your child's bedroom to a home office or moving a
thousand miles across country until you're sure he isn't coming back."
- Do you like your neighborhood? This one is a biggie. It may be that you chose your current
home only because of its school district. Now that schools are no longer a factor, maybe you're
itching to leave the dull suburbs and settle downtown, or in a mountain cabin, or in a seaside
cottage. On the other hand, if you really love your neighborhood, you have a strong reason to
stay put. A great neighborhood is hard to replicate. Remodeling is a way to keep what you
already love and make it even better.
- Will you have plenty of space for houseguests or visiting grandkids? Now that the kids are
gone, you have more time to reconnect with long-lost friends. If you're in "downsizing" mode,
be sure to allow plenty of space for houseguests in your new home. And don't forget about the
"g" word—grandchildren! Whether you relish the thought or not, grandparenthood may loom in
the not-so-distant future. Keep in mind that, eventually, some of your overnight guests may be of
the pint-sized variety. If you decide to go the remodeling route, consider finally finishing the
basement and transforming it into a "guest suite" for old college pals and visiting kids and their
future brood.
- Will your floor plan be easy to navigate in your golden years? "Chances are, slowing down
is the last thing on your mind," says Fritschen. "And rightly so. Most empty nesters have plenty
of vital years still ahead of them. But, if you're like many of your newly-childless peers making
the ‘remodel or move' decision, you must consider the future. The day may come when climbing
stairs isn't as easy as it is now. Whichever choice you make, you might want to settle on a home
with a spacious, single-level floor plan. If you or your spouse should become incapacitated,
you'll be glad you were practical in this regard."
- Have you considered the real cost of each choice? Both choices—remodeling and moving—can be expensive. For novices, seduced by the glamour of gleaming new refrigerators and
whirlpool tubs, a remodeling project can quickly become a money pit. On the other hand,
moving is far from "free": it can cost up to 15 percent of your home's value ($30,000 for a
typical $200,000 home) for expenses associated with getting your home ready for sale, real estate
sales commission, closing costs, moving expenses, and the cost of decorating your new home.
The key is to do your homework up front so that you can make an educated decision. Fritschen's
free Remodel-or-Move Calculator (www.remodelormove.com) can be a great starting point.
Of course, these are just a few of the issues you'll need to think about before you decide
whether to call the realtor or the contractor. Fritschen's book and website will pinpoint others,
many of which you may never have considered. And he suggests that you explore two additional
Internet sites—the aforementioned www.emptynestsupport.com as well as
www.emptynestmoms.com—in order to make a more informed "big picture" decision.
"The beauty of being ‘empty nesters' is getting to determine precisely what your ‘nest'
looks like," says Jeanine Herrin, founder of www.emptynestmoms.com. "No longer having to
base your home decisions on the wants and needs of kids can be an incredibly liberating
experience. I agree with Dan: the best course of action is to educate yourself, taking into account
all the financial, emotional, and lifestyle factors. Then, make your decision and have fun with it.
This can be the richest, most rewarding time of your life. Make sure the home you live in is
worthy of the honor."
Remodel or Move™ is an independent organization whose mission is to empower consumers to
make the best remodel and move decision. To achieve this mission, Remodel or Move provides
reference materials, evaluation tools, and no-nonsense advice to all consumers. Remodel or
Move promotes no agenda other than the interests of consumers.
The organization's reference materials and educational components include:
- The website: www.remodelormove.com
- The Remodel-or-Move Calculator: an online analysis tool that provides homeowners with
a specific recommendation: to remodel or move
- Private consultations
- Group seminars
- The book: Remodel or Move?™ Make the Right Decision, in bookstores nationwide
About the Book:
Remodel or Move?™ Make the Right Decision (ABCD Publishing LLC, 2005, ISBN: 1-933007-
69-9, $15.95), distributed by IPG, is available at bookstores nationwide and major online
booksellers.
About Dan Fritschen:
Dan Fritschen is the creator of remodelormove.com, a homeowner support organization that
helps homeowners become better informed so that they can make the right decision on whether
to remodel or move.
He started his company after twenty years of remodeling his own homes and helping others
make "remodel or move" decisions for themselves. Because he is neither a realtor nor a
remodeler, he is qualified to offer pragmatic, unbiased advice. Fritschen's goal is to make
homeowners aware of three important messages:
- Selling your house COSTS money.
- There are MANY right ways to remodel, some expensive and some cheap.
- It is better to move than to over-improve or do an "ugly" remodel.
To help homeowners make these remodel or move decisions, Fritschen employs some of the
same methods that he has learned during the past fifteen years while helping some of the world's
leading high-technology companies.
About Jeanine Herrin:
Jeanine Herrin is the founder of www.emptynestmagazine.com, an online magazine for empty
nesters, full of information dealing with that time of your life when all or most of the kids have
left home, and also www.emptynestmoms.com, a website designed especially for moms going
through the empty nest phase. Jeanine has been married for forty years and is the mom of two
grown sons. After having gone through the empty nest phase herself and talking with and
observing how other moms were dealing with that time of their lives, she realized that there was
a great need for these moms to be able to communicate with each other so that they knew they
were not alone with these feelings. So www.emptynestmoms.com was born.
Jeanine says, "Sometimes all it takes is to know that you aren't really going crazy and that there
are many other moms out there having the same feelings as you. Being able to communicate with
others and to know at what point they may need to seek outside counseling seems to be a great
relief to most of these moms. It's been very rewarding reading and hearing how a lot of the
moms have been coming out of the ‘empty nest blues' phase and realizing that there is still ‘life
after the nest empties.'"
About Natalie Caine:
Natalie Caine, the founder of www.emptynestsupport.com, has been involved in consciousness
work for over twenty-five years. She created and facilitates Empty Nest groups, as well as
teaches a class to parents at a private school in Los Angeles called "Empty Nesters—What to
expect and how to cope and transform during this challenging transition."
For two decades, Natalie has been facilitating women's groups, exploring issues such as cycles
of life, life changes, relationships, children, career, and spirituality, all with the simple yet
powerful practice of learning to be present and being on a journey versus focusing on an end
result. She is a speech and language therapist with a master's degree and license. She began her
work with the L.A. school district and then developed her own private practice for children and
adults.
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