Berkshire Hathaway HomeService’s recently launched the “Love Your Home $50,000 Sweepstakes”, which is sponsored by HGTV’s popular TV show, Love It or List It.

As the title of the show suggests, you have two options when your house no longer feels like home: renovate it into a space you can love, or list it for sale and find someone else who will love it. Whether you feel you have outgrown your home, are looking to downsize or add some upgrades, keep in mind these four factors before you make a final decision.

How Much Time Do You Have?
Keep in mind that renovations typically take a few months to complete, as well as require a great deal of time and money. They could also take longer than scheduled, but can also be well worth the wait. If you don’t think you would be comfortable with living in a construction zone for x amount of months, the other alternative would be to move. Moving can typically be accomplished within a shorter time period. If you are thinking about moving into a new home as soon as possible, search for new homes at www.homesale.com.

How Do You Feel About Your Neighborhood?
Do you live in an area you love? If you value the location of your current home due to its close vicinity of your children’s school or your workplace, remodeling your home is most likely your best option. However, if you feel the opposite about your currents home’s location, and have been dreaming of living in another area, choosing to move is something you should consider. When you first purchased your home, it was ideal for that specific time in your life, but when events occur such as a new job, additions to your family size,…..etc., your original image of your ideal home will take a left turn. On Homesale.com you can map out area locations, as well as search for homes based on school district.

What Added Space(s) Would Make You Love Your Home?
Before you knock down any walls or begin packing up your belongings, take a moment (or a few days…) to truly consider what you could do to make your current home ideal once again. Would you be happier with an addition to the kitchen or a finished basement? If so, then renovating your home would make the most sense. But if you need a considerable increase in square footage due to a growing family and envisioning long term needs, it would be in your favor to move.

Seek Professional Opinions
When deciding whether to renovate, so you can love your home, or to list it, it is a wise idea to seek a professionals opinion, whether it be a Real Estate Agent or a Contractor. A Real Estate Agent can give you an idea of what your home would be priced at and how much your ideal home would cost. A contractor will let you know if your renovations are practical for your home’s structure and neighborhood affordability threshold, as well as a price estimate and time frame. Also, before you start renovating, make sure you contact your local HOA and township/state authorities for zoning restrictions, as well as find out about obtaining building permits.

Whether you decide to fall back in love with your home by renovating it or you decide to list it, you still have the opportunity to win $50,000! You can enter to win up until June 17th. Go to http://homesale.com/loveyourhome to learn more about the latest Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Sweepstakes.

AskHomesale.com provides real estate advice and information for home buyers, home sellers, and homeowners alike. Askhomesale.com is part of the Homesale Realty Family. The Homesale Family of Companies is the leading real estate company serving the Baltimore, Maryland, South Central and Southeastern PA real estate markets.  Homesale Realty has more than 27 offices with over 1,200 REALTORS®. Homesale Realty’s footprint includes Maryland real estate offices in Baltimore Metro, Federal Hill,  Harbor East, Phoenix,Timonium, and Westminster. Pennsylvania real estate offices include Lancaster, Ephrata, Elizabethtown, Mt Joy, Quarryville, Camp Hill,  Carlisle, Chambersburg, Harrisburg, Hershey, Lebanon, Schuylkill Haven, Wyomissing, York, Dallastown, Gettysburg, Hanover, and Shrewsbury.