What is Knockdown Rebuild?
As the name suggests, knockdown rebuilding (KDR) simply means demolishing your current home to build a new one. Suppose you’re wondering why homeowners go for demolishing to build a new house in its place. In that case, it is because it’s often an excellent alternative to leaving your home and the neighbourhood and going through the hassle of finding a new place for yourself.
In fact, many people in Australia are opting for a knockdown rebuild because they don’t have to move away from their familiar area.
Pros of a Knockdown Rebuild
Full customisation:
It’s no secret that a knockdown rebuild gives you complete control over your home rebuild project. Everything is in your hands, from layout to material selection and paint colours. With a knockdown rebuild, you can now enjoy the contemporary, modern new house of your dreams.
Another aspect of those knockdown rebuild projects is that a reputable custom builder will collaborate directly with you to design the house of your dreams. Collaborating with a rebuilding specialist can enhance your decision-making process, significant renovations, and any change you want in your new home. For example, maybe your old house was not appropriately aligned with the natural sunlight and fresh air in the area, so with a complete knockdown and a new rebuilding process, you can rebuild a brand new home that suits your family’s needs in the long run.
Latest trends
With a knockdown rebuild, you can create your dream home that reflects modern architectural trends, such as energy-efficient features, spacious rooms(especially the lounge or living area), and smooth indoor-outdoor transitions.
Knockdown can be positive in the long run, as you can install sustainable and energy-efficient systems in your home. This is a popular trend in new luxurious yet contemporary home designs. Looking at the older houses’ designs, we see that many lacked systems that could have strengthened their resale value. Knockdown is an excellent way to incorporate these trends into your new home.
By incorporating new trends in your home design, such as solar panels and open spaces, you can create a home out of your existing house that not only improves your new home’s market value but is also cost-effective and saves time.
Cons of a Knockdown Rebuild
High cost
The cost of building a new home can be high and can rise rapidly as you add more structure to your house. Due to the high cost of knockdown rebuilds, site preparation, and construction, building a new home is more expensive than opting for an existing home renovation.
Having a clear budget and funding plan in place is essential because this will allow you to add only features that are essential to your lifestyle and will show any hidden costs involved.
Time consuming
Knockdown rebuilding takes time. It can take months to finish your house construction and involves meticulous planning and due diligence, and while your house is under construction, you might have to find a temporary place to live. It’s also important to remember that knockdown and major renovation projects involve a lot of careful consideration, organisation, hidden costs, and other factors (things you may not have anticipated at first), which might increase the project’s total stress level.
This adds to your mental capacity and annoyance, so it is best to engage an expert who understands the process and can guide you through it seamlessly.
More disruption
As we’ve discussed before, disruption in the form of temporary relocation is part of a knockdown rebuild. It is not only an inconvenience phase but also adds to your expenses.
Another downside to the knockdown rebuild is the construction noise and the constant disruption it causes in the neighbourhood. Your neighbours might get a little annoyed, so make sure you follow construction regulations.
If you are located near a busy area or on a main road, you may have to consult the local council to manage the flow of traffic, which can increase your expenditure.
What is a Renovation?
Renovation means the changes homeowners make in their house or a commercial building. Renovation often involves changing your building structures and foundation, or anything else, and turning it into a better condition. In essence, it consists in renovating anything into a better state.
Renovation is usually done to give your house a new look and change outdated things that no longer serve a purpose.
Pros of Renovation
Can live at home while renovating
The biggest advantage of renovation over knockdown rebuild is that it eliminates the need to relocate and change your life. This can be especially tiring and annoying if you have children enrolled in local schools, have developed close relationships with the community, or just love your neighbourhood. But with the renovation, you don’t have to move away and leave your neighbourhood. This is because renovation is done step by step or in phases. You renovate one aspect of the house and move to the other when the former is finished. You’ll read more about it later on in the article.
Generally more cost-effective
In many cases, renovation is less expensive than a knockdown rebuild. By keeping the framework, some of the existing functionality, and other factors, people can renovate and add enhancements to their existing homes.
The thing here is that you’re basically working with an existing building, which, in many cases, leads to low expenditures, even though your renovation specialist fees can still be high.
Faster completion time
The completion time for renovation projects is often shorter than that of a knockdown rebuild. This is because, with renovation, you don’t have to change everything in the house. For example, many people don’t renovate the ceilings, floors, or even walls to begin with. Similarly, plumbing and electrical work are seldom touched, which saves time.
Cons of Renovation
Limited customisation
Your renovation project may not go according to your customisation because of some existing issues, such as budget restraints and structural limitations. For example, whatever design you have in mind may be limited by issues like old electricity work and plumbing infrastructure.
Unforeseen issues
Many old houses have hidden issues that are only discovered when they are renovated. These could be anything from rusted piping or electrical wiring to structural issues or even dangerous substances like mould growing behind paint and furniture etc. Such discoveries can potentially raise the project’s overall budget and schedule immensely.
Requires permit application and council approval
The scope or type of your renovation or refurbishment may require you to comply with several building rules and council approval. These could make your job more complicated and may cause delays.
This means your design plans or layout may not pass council approval, and you’ll have to go back and forth with the council for these permits. This hassle can make it difficult for you to work on your intended designs.
How to Decide Between Rebuilding or Renovating a Home?
Understanding the Costs Involved
Cost is the game changer for any renovation or rebuild. To put this into perspective, it will cost you more if you demolish a single-story, two-bedroom, and bathroom house to make a two-story, three-bedroom, and two-bathroom out of it.
The takeaway here is that you need to understand what you need, work out the cost involved, and evaluate the best situation for you. You may find a house that serves your needs elsewhere at a reasonable price.
The Condition and Age of Home
Your property’s age must be taken into consideration when going for a knockdown rebuild vs renovation.
Modern, contemporary construction has come a long way. However, there is a chance that you cannot incorporate old techniques and practices into your new home. In this case, it’s better if you go for renovation.
If your house is outdated and unappealing, particularly if the land is the only asset worth renovating, it is an excellent candidate for a knockdown rebuild.
Timeframe
The timeline of completion has a big impact on whether you decide to renovate or do a knockdown rebuild. In this regard, renovations are perfect for people who have busy schedules because renovations usually take less time and are done in phases. This means even if you leave your house temporarily, you can be back as soon as possible.
Compared to this, a knockdown rebuild takes much longer and requires demolition and rebuilding. When it comes to knockdown, you’ll need temporary accommodation, which can be prolonged if the construction process stretches.
For example, renovating bathrooms generally takes 3-4 weeks. Rebuilding a house, however, will take at least 6 months. It’s better to do these calculations before jumping to a decision.
Summary
So, in conclusion, if you are undecided about whether to go for a renovation or a knock-down rebuild project, keep the above factors in mind in order to make the best decision. Also, keep in mind the resale value of your house. Which choice will improve the resale value?
With a knockdown rebuild project, many homeowners can design a home that is future-proof and meets their present needs while also enhancing their property’s resale value. For any new builds, contact the specialists at Groove Properties.
On the other hand, renovations are ideal for those who want to keep certain features of their house. It works well in sought-after suburbs where keeping the neighbourhood charm is a priority for many. For any Brisbane kitchen and bathroom renovation projects, contact Brisbane Bathrooms and Kitchens.
