Are you unhappy with the home you are currently in and cannot find anything else that meets your eye? Are you worried about the price or availability of vacant land, and do you think that you have few available options? Maybe you should stay where you are and take an entirely different approach. So should you consider a knock down rebuild instead as you plan your future home?
Pressures on Land
Population growth is strong in the Sydney metropolitan area. While the rest of the state only grew at a rate of 0.8%, Greater Sydney’s population increased by 1.1% (or 57,100 people) in the 2019 to 2020 financial year. This growth has led to a shortage of land for sale, especially in prime locations. In turn, the cost of available vacant land has increased, and individual lots now tend to be smaller due to issues over affordability. This has led to Sydney becoming the most expensive city in the country – where the median price is $435,000 for a single lot.
Little surprise that many people decide to stay put and address the issue from a different angle. If they are unhappy with their current property’s look, feel, shape, or practicality, they can always demolish and start again. But what’s involved in a knock down rebuild in Sydney?
Simpler Than You May Think
It’s easy to talk yourself out of a knock down rebuild. You may imagine that it would be far too complex, lead to tremendous disruption, and cost way more than a fresh build elsewhere. But you should, at the very least, look at this option carefully and see if it would give you exactly what you’re looking for in your desired location.
Where Should You Start?
Begin by having a close look at your home and making a list of everything you are not happy with. You can work with your builder and architect to come up with some solutions, and these experts will be able to tell you whether your goal is practical or not during that discussion.
For example, you may want to introduce a second master bedroom downstairs with a full ensuite. In this case, you may need to invite ageing parents to live with you, and the downstairs room would be a far better solution than what you currently have. Or, you may want to expand your living area to include a home theatre for your extended family. Alternatively, you could make a brand-new kitchen the centre of family activities and craft a more practical and bigger solution.
Take into account all the available land surrounding your current property. You may be able to change the building’s orientation or make better use of the natural lay of the land. You might want to build a patio with a brand-new swimming pool, which may not currently be possible due to the home’s configuration. While it’s important to understand what you want from your new house you then need to understand the knock down rebuild process.
What Is the Knock Down Rebuild Process?
Once you have completed your initial brainstorm, you will need to ensure that your local council is happy with your knock down rebuild plan. You should check regulations or restrictions carefully, and these rules will give you the correct parameters prior to the building approval process.
When it is time to get underway, you may be surprised how quickly the job can unfold. It will not take long to demolish the current home once all the permits are in place, utility services have been disconnected, and the experts get to work.
From there, the timeline will depend on the complexity of the rebuild, taking into account the variables you discussed at the outset. Your builder will tell you how long everything should take and keep you up to date with progress at every step of the way. Once the actual build is underway, the project won’t take any longer than the average time it takes to build a brand new home.
Your Brand-New Home
Once all is complete, you will enjoy a walk-through inspection with the builder, who will answer any questions and attend to any issues you may raise. When you’re happy, you will receive the keys to your brand-new home.
Get in touch with Meridian Homes for further information.