Do you have the worst house in the best street?
So you have the worst house on the best street.
It is actually now becoming a common practice . A growing number of home buyers are knocking down existing homes and replacing with new.
The neighbourhood is ideal, you love it
But, that house is run-down and neglected.
Maybe it’s too small.
It may have that unattractive Sixties or Seventies box look?
And the energy efficiency of these homes, it cost a fortune to heat and cool.
Has your growing family outgrown your existing home but the land and location are perfect, after all you cant get block sizes like you use to?
Do you lack the time and cash-flow for a major renovation and refurbishment?
Here’s a few of the benefits to knocking down a house and rebuilding a home:
You can design your dream home to suit your family lifestyle.
You can have an energy efficient home.
It is cost-effective – It may Sound odd, but it is usually cheaper to demolish and rebuild than do a whole house renovation.
Don’t underestimate the amount of work needed to do a full house renovation. Often, small fixes become big fixes.
When renovating, you may negotiate a fixed-price contract with your builder. However, this doesn’t account for unforeseen costs that can arise during renovations. For example; when renovating, it is only when you start taking plasterboard off walls, or pulling up floors that you discover issues such as asbestos, termite damage or damp areas.
During a renovation, these kinds of unforeseen issues often turn into ‘variations’, whereby you are required to pay extra (additional to your fixed-price sum) to rectify the problems, before your build can continue.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START A REBUILD
A knockdown/rebuild is a big project, but you can build your dream home with minimal stress by following the correct procedures.
You need to investigate regulations and legalities pertaining to demolishing and rebuilding, including local council regulations or planning restrictions that may influence what you can do.
You will also need to get building approval for your intended works.
You may also need to consider traffic management plans for the duration of your build. Your local council can help you with this.
The demolition of a home itself can occur relatively quickly, but there are a few things you need to know before the wrecking ball begins.
First, you will require a permit, and all services to the home such as electricity, gas and telephone will need to be disconnected.
The homeowner can organise a demolition permit but the builder, if you’ve engaged one, is usually able to co-ordinate the knockdown process on your behalf.
Demolition costs vary depending on the size of the house, access to the site, hazardous materials/asbestos removal, neighbouring structures, established trees and temporary fencing.
As a rough guide, a standard house knock-down/demolition can cost you around $15,000 – $30,000.
The design’s size and complexity – as well as things like adverse weather, site issues and other challenges – will dictate the length of time for your project.
For a knockdown and rebuild you would generally allow around six to twelve months.
The very first thing you should do is contact your local council to establish if there are any protections to the existing house or property e.g. heritage or vegetation.
You need to consider the size of your block when choosing a new home design. Generally in established areas, Council requires the setback of the principal frontage of your home to be the average of both of your neighbours.
Setbacks – All new dwellings must comply with building regulations where minimum front, side and rear setbacks need to be met. Also ensure you take your existing driveway position into account. Should you wish to change the existing location of your crossover (driveway) you will then need to obtain approval directly from your Council.
Easements – Does your block of land have any easements? Easements can impact which designs will work on your block. This information can be obtained by contacting the owners of the easement (ie: council, water authorities).
All sites require adequate water disposal new regulations mean that the old systems no longer apply this is the same with sewer and septic if you had intended to reuse a existing septic it may no longer be fit for purpose and you may need to replace the whole system. Take into consideration if you do not have access to sewer your block may not be big enough for a septic system this is one unfortunate trap we have seen people fall into.
You will need to take into account how accessible your block is for both demolition and construction. Size of roads, schools in the area, overhead power lines and the requirement for traffic management (if you are on a busy road or in a difficult to access area) will need to be factored in. Please be aware that restricted access blocks may incur additional charges due to management of traffic and manual unloading of materials.
As your existing dwelling will have overhead power which will be abolished prior to your demolition, you will need to arrange the installation of an underground electricity pit through your provider. This process can be commenced prior to the demolition of your home and can be lengthy. Contact your provider for an application form.
Neighbours can play a part in assisting with the approval of your design. Should your proposed build fall outside of the standard building regulations, you should gain consent from your neighbours upfront as any objections they may have can affect the design of your home (ceiling heights and windows etc), and this can delay your build time. Neighbours also need to be engaged regarding shared fencing as depending on your build, fencing may need to be removed prior to site start.
Do you intend to put in a new pool or keep an old one? Ensure you discuss this with your builder upfront as this can have a bearing on which house plan you proceed with, and may impact on the cost of your slab design (foundations of your new home) and construction.
Your demolition contractor will need to apply for a Demolition Permit from your Council. Once an application is made this can take up to 28 days to issue. Should your existing dwelling or the overall site contain asbestos, your demolition contractor will be required to remove this and provide you with a Proof of Removal certificate.
Water meters can easily be damaged during the demolition period and they are expensive to replace. We highly recommend you talk to your demolition contractor and ask them to take steps to guarantee the protection of your meter during demolition
Some trees and vegetation are protected, in this instance your Council may require an Arborist Report which they can arrange on your behalf or alternatively, you can arrange for your own arborist and supply their report with your application.
Check with your council if there is a local law in place protecting any trees.
Before any demolition can commence, you need to:
Ensure all existing services are disconnected.
Contact your utility supplier to have the Gas disconnected and capped.
Contact your utility supplier to have the Electricity disconnected and removed back to the feeder pole.
Contact a registered plumber to remove the sewer back to the tie locations and cap.
New sewer points may be required during construction.
Contact a registered plumber to remove all storm water drains back to the legal point of discharge, or to the title boundary if they are outside the property.