When it comes to having the home of your dreams, there are many different roads to travel. One option is, of course, renovating. Another option is buying a new house. Additionally, homeowners have the choice to knock down and rebuild.
As daunting as this may sound, it’s good to know that with the help of an experienced home builder, knocking down an existing house and building your dream home can be a hassle-free journey.
This is especially prudent when you consider the benefits of knockdown and rebuild projects. A more cost-effective alternative, you also get the benefit of designing your dream home in a location that you already know and love.
So, what is a knock down and rebuild project?
A knock down and rebuild project involves multiple steps. Firstly, your current house is demolished. Secondly, a new home is built on the same land to your exact design requirements and specifications.
Different to a renovation, a knock down and rebuild project essentially means starting again. While you retain the same block of land and location, your house is no longer. This means that you can make more informed decisions when it comes to designing a house that suits your lifestyle and aesthetic tastes.
The knock down and rebuild process explained
As the knock down and rebuild process involves permanently demolishing your existing home in order to build a new dwelling, homeowners need to take the time to research a variety of different factors.
1. Make sure you’re in good hands
Before jumping headfirst into a knock down and rebuild project, look into your preferred home builder to make sure they have the experience to see you right through from the demolition stages to the completion stages of your new home build.
At Plunkett Homes, we have successfully completed many knock down and rebuild projects for clients who love the suburb they live in but want a new home. In fact, Renee and Andrew recently completed a demolish and build project in Carlisle.
With the option to knock down and rebuild, Renee and Andrew were able to design everything exactly the way they wanted. This meant having a real family home where there was more room for the kids to have their own spaces.
When working with Andrew and Renee and over the course of our 120 years as one of Perth’s most trusted home builders, we’ve learnt that communication is key. As such, we communicate with our clients at every stage of the process.
Our expert team has the skills and experience needed to deliver outstanding results. So, whether it’s your first, second or third knock down and rebuild project, you can be sure that you’ll receive the same level of quality customer service.
2. First steps
Once you’ve found the right builder, the knock down and rebuild process isn’t as simple as phoning someone and asking them to send in the bulldozer. Before anything else happens, a site assessment needs to be conducted to ensure that the house can be demolished safely.
From there, it’s important to seek approval from the council. There are local planning laws that need to be taken into consideration and adhered to. This is imperative because without council approval, works cannot commence.
Once approval has been granted, the site will undergo a final assessment to ensure that possible limitations are charted. Limitations could include discovering that the block of land slopes in some parts. It’s important to chart this early as it has the potential to increase costs.
3. Getting started
This is where the fun begins. Armed with the right information about your block of land, a new home design can be carefully considered and appointed. Meanwhile, once the building permit is approved and council gives the ok, demolition can start.
While demolition sounds simple, it’s actually an involved process. You will need to organise somewhere else to live. Services to the home need to be disconnected and site materials such as vegetation, sheds, septic tanks and swimming pools may need to be disposed of. Luckily, a good home builder like Plunkett Homes can help organise all of this for you.
Once the demolition process is completed, attention can turn to rebuilding the new home. With a knock down and rebuild, you have the ability to choose everything from tapware and tiles to bricks, paving, lights and much more. All of which helps bring your home vision to life.
4. Project completion
Upon completion of the new home rebuild, homeowners will have the opportunity to conduct a final inspection. This way, you can ensure that everything is to standard before you’re handed the keys to your new dream home.
The benefits of knocking a home down and starting from scratch
There are so many benefits to enjoy when you choose to embark on a knock down and rebuild project. One of the biggest benefits is the fact that you get to stay in a neighbourhood where you have an established life, relationships and connections.
In terms of costs, it’s worth noting that knocking down a home and starting from scratch is typically more cost-effective than renovating. With renovating, it’s hard to settle on a fixed cost because issues with a house’s structure or plumbing may be exposed along the way.
With a knock down and rebuild project, you’ll save on these costs as the existing structure has been demolished. Further savings can be enjoyed because there is no stamp duty to pay as you’re using land you already own.
A further benefit of a knock down and rebuild project centres around the fact that you’re able to design a home that suits your lifestyle and needs. You cannot overestimate how great it is to be able to choose where powerpoints are or what size your master bedroom is.
The challenges of knock down and rebuild projects
As with anything in life, there are positives and negatives to consider in terms of knock down and rebuild projects. The main challenge is the fact that you will have to seek alternative living arrangements for a period of time as, when demolition happens, you effectively have no home.
Further considerations of knock down and rebuild projects include:
1. Time consuming
House design doesn’t happen overnight. You will need to research and make informed decisions about materials used and floorplan design, with the help of Plunkett Homes of course.
2. A financial investment
While knocking down and rebuilding is more cost effective than buying a new house or renovating, there is still a financial outlay that may not suit people operating on a small budget.
3. Gaining approval
When knocking down a home and starting again, you will need to obtain council approval all while making sure you adhere to zoning regulations.
How do knock down and rebuilds compare to buying an established house and renovating?
When it comes to designing your dream home there are two distinct options. Renovating your existing house in order to make the desired changes or knocking it down altogether and building your dream home. With this in mind, choosing between the two options can feel quite overwhelming.
The best way to approach the situation is by being informed. As such, it’s important to compare the two projects. With a knock down and rebuild project, you will need to move out of your house and find temporary accommodation while the structure is rebuilt.
With a renovation project, you can often stay in the home while work continues around you. However, this can be very disruptive to your routine. With workers starting early in the morning and carrying on well into the afternoon, your house will rarely be quiet. Making it difficult to work from home or stay at home with a baby.
When deciding between the two projects, it’s also important to think about project duration. A knock down and rebuild is generally completed quicker. On the other hand, a renovation has the potential to take extra time if your home is in a worse condition than previously thought.
Finally, with a knock down and rebuild project, the sky’s the limit. You can make changes to landscaping, the size of the house, the number of rooms and the fixtures and fittings used. With a renovation, you are limited to the existing structure of the house. As such, rebuilding is typically considered to be a better option.
Your next step
While knocking down and rebuilding can be an involved process, it’s important to take each phase step by step. By being informed in regards to the different stages, you are better placed to make sound decisions.
These sound decisions will impact everything from the size of home you build and the colour palette to the fixture and fittings utilised throughout. If you’re ready to get involved in building the home of your dreams, look through our designs and get in touch with Plunkett Homes today to start this exciting journey.
