Visit the schools, and talk to parents and friends. Some areas of the country have schools that are all similar, some have a wide variety of quality. And by "quality" I mean "percentage of poor people".
Our district has School A. It scores a 10/10. Everyone wants to go to that school. Their PTO raises $600,000 a year. $125,000 in the first month. Their kids get EVERYTHING. They also have the gate magnet program for the district for 3rd-6th. So 25 kids 3rd, 4th and 30 5th, 6th. Meaning of all 10 elementary attendance areas, any child identified as GATE can elect to try and transfer there. About 75 kids are identified at end of 2nd grade, but many parents don't want to transfer. Still it's a lottery for those 25 spots.
All of this is important because test scores, which is how you come up with that 10/10, are based on the entire student body, INCLUDING the magnet program, which pulls kids from ALL areas.
There are 3 schools within 0.5 to 1.0
School B scores a 3/10. High percentage of poor students and English learners.
School C scores a 2/10. Even higher percentages.
School D scores a 5/10. This is the school we are attending. Our school has the developmentally disabled magnet program. Like GATE, it doesn't mean you HAVE to come to our school (you can stay in your home school), but we *do* offer many more services than the other schools. Because we have two full classrooms of disabled kids. (And yes, even kids who cannot hold a mouse have to go through state testing...um...is it any wonder that our scores are lower on average?)
If the schools that you are looking at are all similar, I probably wouldn't worry. IF you have the option to transfer, I might not worry. (We transferred from School C to School D.)
I hear you on the remodel though. I've got a small, old (1947) house. Oh, I dream of adding a second toilet, or a couple hundred more square feet. I think about moving to the city near where we work. Better schools, more space, an HOA that has a pool and a gym. Ahhh... I'm probably too lazy to move though.