There are many advantages to knocking down and rebuilding a new home on your existing block of land. One of the main ones that Kurmond Homes’ customers mention is the chance to stay in the same neighbourhood that their family knows and loves while living in a brand new home.
We’ve put together a knockdown and rebuild checklist to follow to see if this kind of project will work for you:
Evaluate your needs
Before you start to build any new home, you need to evaluate your needs and those of your family. It helps to answer a few questions like:
- How many bedrooms do you need? How many bathrooms and so on?
- Do you need space to entertain?
- Do you want a large kitchen?
- Will your needs change over time?
- Do you need to accommodate several generations?
- Do your family members work from home?
- Do you need workshop space?
- What size alfresco area and garden do you desire?
- Will you be installing a swimming pool?
This will help determine the details of your new home and confirm if your current home does not meet your needs.
Get to know your block of land for a knock down rebuild in Sydney
Understanding the restrictions of your block of land upfront is extremely important. Every block is subject to planning regulations and restrictions like setbacks and easements, so you need to know what you’re working with before you book the wrecking crew.
At Kurmond Homes, we can help with these early steps and provide invaluable advice.
Understand building regulations for knock down rebuilds
Determining what is allowed on your unique block of land is essential. Not every situation is suitable for knock down rebuilds.
Begin by checking if your existing house can be demolished and replaced, as some properties may have heritage listings or overlays that prevent demolition.
Understanding the zoning regulations for your area is also crucial, especially if you’re considering building a duplex on a lot currently occupied by a single dwelling. Contacting your local council is an excellent place to start, followed by the relevant state authorities, such as Services NSW to ensure you are complying with building regulations.
Two critical measurements to consider are the depth and frontage of your block, as these will influence the size and layout of any new construction.
Learn about setbacks and easements before you knockdown and rebuild
During your research, you’ll discover restrictions on how close you can build to the boundary, the portion of land used for buildings, and the required setbacks. In many established areas, local councils often require the setback of your home’s principal frontage to align with the average setbacks of your neighbours’ houses. Additionally, minimum side and rear setbacks are usually required.
Easements on your land may also affect where you can build. This typically means you cannot build over an easement, as it often contains essential services such as water or electricity infrastructure.
Alongside easements and setbacks, you’ll also need to consider site access. This can be affected by things like overhead powerlines, narrow streets, steep slopes, and more.
Choose a design for your knock down rebuild project
Once you’ve established that you can demolish and rebuild your house and know what your requirements include, you can start the fun stuff – choosing a design.
This will be partly driven by budget and partly by your requirements. Either way, a great place to start is to visit display homes that are principally located on the outskirts of Sydney, like Homeworld Box Hill, Homeworld Marsden Park and Homeworld Leppington, where Kurmond has homes on display.You might find an existing home design that suits your needs without much modification, or you might want to build a full custom home. As knock down rebuild specialists, Kurmond Homes can accommodate both options and anything in between with double-storey house plans, single-storey home plans, or even duplex designs.
Demolish your existing home
Unlike buying a greenfield block of land, you need to demolish your existing home before you can begin building.
At Kurmond Homes, we can arrange and include the demolition in your contract, or you can organise this step yourself.
You’ll also need to arrange temporary accommodation for you and your family while your new home is under construction.
Cut off the services
Before you tear down and rebuild your home, you’ll need to arrange to have all services cut off well in advance. This includes electricity, gas, water, internet, telephone and any other services connected to your existing home. This will often include all pipes and meters, so you’re starting with a blank canvas with your new home.
Experienced knock down rebuild specialists
At Kurmond Homes, we can guide you through the knock down rebuild process from start to finish.To discover more about building with Kurmond Homes, please contact us today or visit one of our display homes.
