Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Feb 25, 2013 10:05 am Hi I am totally clueless so please don't laugh at me I have found a small house on my dream block of land in outer Eastern Melbourne. The plan would be (if we can secure the property at the right price) to knock down the old residence and build a new house. The block is about 900sq/m and the house is a tiny 2 bedroom brick home. I have no idea where to even start with this. What do I need to do to get the ball rolling? Is there stuff I need to get approved by the council first before I even think about putting in an offer? Basically I need to know the steps required, and if possible, the approximate costs. I have built a house before but did so through an estate so all the approvals and sites plans were sorted so all we had to do was pick a builder. Any information or a point in the right direction is appreciated so thanks in advance Re: Knock down and re-build... Where do I start? 2Feb 25, 2013 10:20 am There isn't really much you need to organise prior to your purchase. Depending on the property and how much work is required will determine how much it will cost to demolish. Budget yourself between 10k and 20k for the demolition and clearing of the site. A good demolition contractor will organise all the permits you need with the council for the demolition. Depending on the state of the house you could actually sell it for removal and save some big $$$ for getting the site cleared (or come out ahead!). You'll need to take care of abolishment of all services (except water which should be retained to the water meter.) Of course your biggest challenge will be designing and building your new home - and the budget will vary wildly! Set yourself a budget for construction and stick to it. You'll want to decide whether you'll engage an architect and builder or a custom builder who offer a design service or whether to act as owner builder or whether you want to go through a volume builder with one of their designs. Price will vary considerably so do your homework! Lots of decisions to make. You could of course buy it, and rent it out for 12 months while you organise the new home design and get all your ducks in a row before you commence with demolition Completed a knock down and rebuild in northern Melbourne. Handover completed 27/09/2013 and now moved in. Re: Knock down and re-build... Where do I start? 3Feb 25, 2013 11:04 am I would agree with Bluesuede. You can lease it out and take your time to find the perfect house for yourself. We demolished ours as well and it cost around 9k for a 3 bedroom weatherboard house. The demolishing company organised all permits and did a good job. Before demolishing you may need to organise asset protection for the foot path and I assume you are in an old area? You may need to organise things like underground electrical pit as well. Good Luck =) Re: Knock down and re-build... Where do I start? 4Feb 25, 2013 12:18 pm Hi housemouse, We did exactly this, rented the old house out for 12 months whilst we decided on a builder. If its your 'perfect block' like you said, sounds like you'll be fine to go ahead and purchase it without determining the builder first. What's the fall like on the block, or is it relatively flat? Just check if there are any overlays on the block though, depending on where in the Eastern suburbs you should be ok (that should be in the section 32). 900sqm is a great size, you'll have room for a large house with a great yard too. Our house is demolished now with the build due to start this week, so let me know if you have any specific questions... My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Re: Knock down and re-build... Where do I start? 5Feb 25, 2013 1:14 pm Oh and a few things about demolition - get lots of quotes! Make sure you compare all their conditions, inclusions and exclusions. We had five quotes and they were all around the same ballpark (14.5k for a 1970's brick veneer 3 bedroom on a sloping block with asbestos in the eaves and carport ceiling lining) but they didn't all offer the same level of inclusions. It sounds obvious but make sure you compare. eg will they include asbestos removal, will they remove all vegetation, how far down will they remove footings, will they guarantee removal and come back to rectify if the builder finds something left behind, etc etc. Also be careful of the overly cheap ones! There are some fly by nighters that can end up with you having to engage someone else to come and finish up what they did poorly. Get a proper contract. Get some recommendations. The builder you end up choosing may have a preferred or recommended demolition contractor so it's worth asking them. Also it's good to word up your neighbours and get on their good side before it all starts. Let them know to contact you if they have issues with your contractor(s). You're going to be living next door to these people and you're about to put them through potentially a year of demolition and construction works. Completed a knock down and rebuild in northern Melbourne. Handover completed 27/09/2013 and now moved in. Re: Knock down and re-build... Where do I start? 6Feb 25, 2013 2:04 pm I would also check that you are able to demolish the original residence in the first place. Not always a given that you would be given DA to do so. Depending on the age of the residence there may be heritage restrictions in place limiting what you can and can't do. Hi I live in a 100yr old semi and my neighbour added an additional floor last yr and our architect has advised that we can knock down our semi and build a free-standing… 0 37693 We've had the offer of a short term tenant whilst waiting for CDC/DA home approval and demolition for our knock down rebuild. It would achieve a pretty low rent as it's… 0 13750 How long is a "long period"? For a few weeks, it should be ok. It also depends on the area you live in...I would let your neighbours know that you will be away too and… 1 28565 |