Knock down & rebuild is the new catch phrase in the building industry. More and more people are building their dream homes without leaving their current neighbourhood. In fact, while some industries struggled through the pandemic, the building industry had a record-breaking year in 2021 with Australians spending over $1 billion on redoing their own homes instead of moving somewhere new.
As the name suggests, a knock down rebuild is where you knock down the current house on a property and rebuild a new one in its place. It's different from building a new home because of the demolition process that's involved, and it's one step further than simply doing a renovation.
If you have been thinking of moving into a new home but love where you live, need something bigger to accommodate your growing family or have been considering major home renovations, a knock down rebuild might be the best option for you.
Knock down rebuilds are becoming more and more popular as people rediscover how important WHERE they live is. As land values rise, the idea of what a 'perfect house' is has changed to include more than just the house itself. Your dream house should be more than a series of building features and designs, and with a knock down rebuild, you can add other important things like 'close to work', 'in a quiet neighbourhood', or 'near friends and family' to the list.
If you have the perfect location and love where you live, but don't love your house, then a knock down rebuild gives you the chance to build a new home while keeping your current address and all the perks that come with your location.
What if you're moving house anyway? You'll likely have heard it from a real estate agent before - location, location, location!
Real estate agents will tell you that a great way to make a good investment is to buy the worst house on the best street. Rather than trying to find a spare block of land wherever you can to build your dream house, find a run-down property in the perfect suburb, close to the areas that you want, and put your dream house there instead. That way there is no compromising on either the house or its location.
The beauty of a knock down rebuild is that you can design your home exactly how you want it. You aren't restrained by what's already there and having to adapt your plans to existing buildings. You get to start fresh with a completely blank canvas.
If you’re trying to work out how to extend an area for another bedroom, or how to move the plumbing from the kitchen to your new bathroom, a knock down rebuild gives you full freedom to design rooms exactly where you want them.
If you're in the property market shopping for a home that fits specific criteria, choosing to do a knock down rebuild instead will give you a solution that ticks everything off your list.
You won't have to compromise on anything to find something that is on the market and currently available; you get to custom design it yourself, exactly the way you want it. Pulling down an old house and starting again gives you a great sense of freedom and the opportunity to design the house of your dreams.
Home renovations can be a budget-friendly way to re-do an area of your home that you or your family have grown out of.
For example, if all that's standing in the way of your house being your dream home is a coat of paint and some new floors, then a home renovation may be more practical than a full knock down rebuild.
Renovations can also be perfect if you are redesigning a single space in your home. Creating a new bathroom interior or adding a kitchen island to your serving area are great renovation options.
However, if you’ve just purchased a less-than suitable house in an area that you love but are now struggling with mould, insect infestations, or crumbling interiors- knocking down and rebuilding may be worth every penny.
In situations like these, a home renovation may uncover more structural damage than you are willing to deal with or have budget allocated towards. Although a total knock down may sound daunting, it is an option that completely frees you to redesign your house as you like.
By doing away with the old and starting fresh with the new, you will know exactly what to expect from your budget and can plan with confidence in what lies ahead.
Knocking down a house and building a new home from scratch may sound like a complex operation but it is incredibly rewarding once the job is complete.
Expert home builders like A Class take care of everything involved with the demolition phase, while you get the freedom to plan your dream home unrestrained by the limits of an old house. Then it's just a matter of building from the ground up, rather than working around an existing house.
If you're on the hunt for your dream home, designing it yourself instead of trying to renovate something to fit your needs is often a simpler, and far more stress free solution.
Knocking down and rebuilding opens up all the potential of your existing land. You could be sitting on everything you need for your dream home and not even know it.
More than redesigning the house, you can redesign the whole property, making space for a swimming pool, gardens, lawns, entertaining area, or whatever else your heart desires.
The advantage of knocking down and rebuilding where you already live is that you will likely know exactly what underutilised features of your land to address. This might be as simple as knowing where the sun rises and sets and knowing where to put your windows to make the most of the light at different times of the day, or knowing how noisy the street noise is in one area versus another.
This 'insider knowledge' gives you an edge in designing your new home that you wouldn't get building anywhere else.
A key benefit of starting from again with a rebuild is the chance to address any outdated technology or old building standards.
Your old house may have complied to all the codes when it was built years ago, but those building codes have changed over time to reflect what is now best practice for your home and the environment.
For example, a new house will be built to meet new fire safety standards that previously didn’t exist and be able to address sustainability requirements, including technology for energy efficiency and water saving designs.
An essential key to a successful knock down rebuild project is finding the right builder. Having the right builder is critical to seeing your dream home come to life. You need a builder who understands the knock down rebuild process, has experience doing it well and can make it an easy and exciting experience for you.
If you are wondering about the cost of a knock down rebuild, what it involves and if it's right for you, our friendly team of builders at A Class can help answer all your questions. Get in touch!
Or, if you'd like to learn more about house knock down rebuilds, check out our blog on everything you need to know about a knock down rebuild.
