The Knockdown Rebuild Process: Your Ultimate Guide

Whether you’re just buying your first home, or have been in the property game for a while, engaging in a knockdown-rebuild of an old home to put a new one in it’s place is no small feat. If you’ve just bought a home with the full intention of doing a knockdown and rebuild, then you’ll need to know exactly what goes into the knockdown rebuild process before you just start swinging a sledgehammer, or calling in a wrecking crew.

Or, maybe you’re looking for an answer to the question of whether it’s better to knock down and rebuild or to renovate your existing property! There are several factors that go into the decision to knockdown and rebuild versus renovating, we’ll discuss these later in the article.

Read on to learn more about the knockdown rebuild process, including how much a knockdown and rebuild costs, the best practices of knockdown and rebuild builders and what to expect from companies you hire to do a knockdown and rebuild in Sydney!

Understanding the Knockdown Rebuild Process

Before you start the wrecking ball, you should understand the entire process of a knockdown and rebuild. This will help you to determine if a knockdown and rebuild is the right thing for you to do for your haggard, old property. Or, if you’ve already made up your mind, you’ll have a better idea of the average cost of a knockdown and rebuild in Sydney.

Is it better to knockdown and rebuild or renovate?

Before you start down the path of a knockdown rebuild, you may not actually need to knockdown the existing structure that sits on the house and land package that you’ve just bought. Or, if you’re looking to keep the character of your existing home and don’t want to build brand new, then a renovation may be just what you need.

If your home has a solid foundation, is structurally sound (i.e: has passed a structural integrity test by a certified structural engineer) and your desire to revamp it is purely cosmetic or aesthetic, you may be able to spend less money on a renovation project, rather than committing to a knockdown and rebuild.

However, if your home has several key points of structural failure, or foundation cracking or is leaning to one side, or has damage that is simply too great a financial burden to bear, then a knockdown and rebuild may be your only option.

What is the Knockdown Rebuild Process?

There are several steps to the knockdown rebuild process. These include various bureaucratic hoops that you’ll have to jump through before the demolition can begin, regardless of the size of building you’re tearing down!

Site Assessment

The first step in any knockdown and rebuild process is a site assessment. Our assessors will come to your property and inspect the existing structure and get the lay of the land as to how tearing it down will work. This site assessment will be in consultation with you and our team.

This will include soil testing, bore hole testing, and site classification. This documentation helps you to gain council approval for the project, as well as secure a loan.

Choosing a New Design

Once you’ve committed to a knockdown and rebuild, you’ll need to choose your new custom home design, or from a pre-determined plan of a duplex house, single or double-storey options.

Getting a Loan

Unless you’re personally financing your knockdown and rebuild project, then it’s important that you obtain financing for your home upfront. To better understand the average cost of a knockdown rebuild, you could use a knockdown rebuild calculator. Once you’ve got your hands on the necessary funds, it’s time to move onto the specifics of the design phase.

Contracts Exchanged

Following councillory approval, our building contract for a knockdown and rebuild will be signed by us and yourself, as well as any financial contracts you need with your bank. Once these have been exchanged, demolition (the fun bit) can begin.

Internal and External Selections

The next phase of this process involves making more acute design choices, such as internal layout, colour and finish selections, flooring choices, etc. On the exterior, you’ll need to choose cladding options, roofing type, decking additions and so on.

Council Approvals

One of the most important parts of any knockdown and rebuild is acquiring council approval for the demolition. A good builder wil take care of all  council fees, levies, and other associated fees. Meanwhile, we’ll take care of the Development Application and Complying Development Checklist paperwork that must be submitted and approved by your local council in order for the project to move forward.

Knock It Down and Rebuild!

Our team of demolition experts will begin dismantling the existing structure that’s on-site. Following this demolition process, which usually takes a few days, our team will begin building your brand new home!

What Are the Benefits of a Knockdown-Rebuild?

There are several benefits to performing a knockdown and rebuild. These include some of the following:

You Love the Location of Your New Land

Maybe you’ve found a fantastic deal on a parcel of land, but don’t love the older house that’s sitting on it! If this piece of land is in your ideal location, then a knockdown and rebuild may well be worth your while, as the value of the property (in it’s current state) is in the land that it sits on.

Build Your Dream Home

Acquiring a knockdown and rebuild home is a great way to get out with the old and in with the new. Starting fresh on a parcel of land without the baggage of an older, dilapidated dwelling that’s beyond all repair.

No Surprises!

If you’re considering renovating an older home, you may encounter more problems than you initially anticipated. Particularly if you acquired the property cheaply, in comparison to the rest of the homes in that area of that age, there may be a reason why it was sold cheap. By using a knockdown and rebuild in Sydney, there’ll be no hidden surprises with your new home, that you may discover during an attempted renovation.

It’s Cheaper

Compared with an expensive renovation, the average cost of a knockdown and rebuild will likely be cheaper than trying to salvage the unsalvageable.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been searching for a solution to an old, falling-down house on your beautiful parcel of coastal property, consider a knockdown and rebuild rather than a renovation. At Worthington Homes, our professional builders with years of experience in knockdown and rebuild construction will be happy to consult with you and make your dream home a reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

When it comes to customers wanting to know if a knockdown-rebuild is in their best interests, or would be their best option given the state of their older, recently-purchased that simply requires too much work to be considered viable, we get a lot of questions!

What does the knockdown-rebuild process entail?

There are multiple steps to a knockdown and rebuild, including site assessments, acquiring the requisite finances, choosing a new design, obtaining councillory approvals, payment of required monies and finally the knockdown rebuild!

How long does the knockdown-rebuild process typically take?

While this number varies greatly depending on the project, a typical knockdown and rebuild will take between 6 and 12 months. The actual knocking down of the existing structure may only take a few days, but expect your rebuild to take several months, notwithstanding unexpected delays.

What are the key considerations before embarking on a knockdown-rebuild project?

The key considerations to make before embarking on a knockdown and rebuild are:

• Is it the best option for your circumstances, or would you be able to live happily in a renovated home?
• Do you have the funds to perform the entire knockdown and rebuild?
• Is the project likely to be approved by the council? Or will revisions need to be made to the plans? Sometimes, outlandish knockdown and rebuild plans are outright rejected by local councils for reasons of safety to the surrounding neighbourhood, aesthetic denegration of the area, or because they could cause environmental damage.
• You must ensure that you have a long-term rental in place before committing to a knockdown and rebuild on your existing home. As the knockdown and rebuild process takes several months to a year or more, ensure you have a long-term rental or other living arrangements for at least 12 months.