Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 2Dec 29, 2013 9:03 pm My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 6Dec 30, 2013 7:51 am buildingdilemma No Mike, we would be over capitalising with $800K. Places around here dont go for that much and if they do they have a lot more land attached than 80 acres.. Have you seen other work by this person. They may be very good. But - go and see their work and ask the owners what they think. But I'd always go for the 3 quotes and see their work. Don't take cheapest quote etc. Have you seen someone's place you like the look of - maybe ask them who did it - even if you don't know them. Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 7Dec 30, 2013 8:03 am Not much up here in the way of "new" weatherboards, the builders here do bveneer. Only weatherboards seem to be Harkaway and they are not flexible with design. We have constraints with a knockdown with a concrete water tank one end and trees the other which is why we opted for a custom build. Anyway your advice is sound. The issue is getting something in draft design for builders to quote on so we can then modify. As said we have already paid out $1500 and now need to go back to square one and redesign completely something which is smaller. Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 8Dec 30, 2013 10:56 am Ask the builder where most of the money is being spent and see if you can maybe work something out. Sometimes it not size but the layout, maybe they could make some other suggestions to reduce the cost. As mentioned get some other builders to quote and ask the same thing. Also if there are any volume builders just give them a copy of your plans and ask them if they can do it or modify one of theirs to make it similar. http://camdenbuild.blogspot.com.au/ by invite only please pm me Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 9Dec 30, 2013 11:11 am buildingdilemma A couple of questions if you could help.. 1. Do they require an upfront fee for design stage and give a price guideline? 2. Can you give me a price guide on your property and squarage? 3. Did you get 9' ceilings and timber flooring, these are on my wishlist? I am pleased they will alter the finish from brick to "weatherboard". look forward to hearing from you. I'll PM you. My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 10Dec 31, 2013 7:42 am There has got to be more then one custom builder around surely! I live in a country town and there are at least 5 custom builders and 3 volume. Have you looked to see if there are other custom builders who could give you a quote? Looked on true local at all? Blog http://tobuildahomeimprobable.blogspot.com.au/ Settlement Apr Council Jul Contracts Dec Earthworks Dec Frames Jan Trusses Feb Roof Feb Windows Mar Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 11Jan 13, 2014 3:50 pm Hi buildingdilemma I don't know if this helps but we're in a very similar situation. We bought a place and were planning to do a Knock down rebuild and for most of 2013 were talking to an architect to get a design done based on our shoestring budget. Long story but basically in December it was confirmed that it was going to be way over our budget to build even after some variations. The architect did come up with a pretty good design that should be in budget but by then we had started investigating volume builders. So now we've paid for an architect to come up with a design, we've paid a volume builder for tender stage... but we're not 'sold' on the volume builder... so now circling back to an original idea of doing a gut the ground floor, leave most window openings to save on costs, build up one floor to add a couple of rooms and take advantage of a view and then render/clad to make things look consistent. I suspect it's still going to be more than the volume builder but at this stage we're still waiting for the tender to come back (and suspect it will be a lot more than the original estimate as we're now going bearers and joists rather than a concrete slab). So... I don't know and am in a similar situation as you are. We're now talking to a couple of builders, one of whom came around today and will now be pricing up the upstairs component so we can do a rough guesstimate to see if we're in the right budget ballpark before we go and spend more money to design things up with either an architect or draughtsperson. So if I were to advise you on what we would do... 1. get a quote or estimate from a builder based on some rough sketches you do on a renovation based on the existing structure -- the less structure you change the chances are the less it will cost (btw we have built in the country before and the build cost is a lot less than in Sydney or so it seems!) 2. Get a high level (free) estimate by a couple of volume builders. Surely some of them build your way? 3. Some of the franchised kit home/custom builders may be able to help like Storybook and Hotondo? Let us know how you go... I'd be keen to find out Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 12Jan 16, 2014 9:22 pm We're building on a smallish block in Sydney, so quite a different situation, but found it would be about 20% more to renovate rather than knockdown/rebuild with a volume builder. And that's 20% on an already quite big number. Thinking about building Rawson's Huntley 27 Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 13Jan 17, 2014 7:26 am Do you own the plans, so you can pimp them around a few builders? To be honest, $800k doesn't sound massively expensive for a custom designed 40sq house. The reason we went Project Home was because we were quoted (well - estimated really, it wasn't a solid quote) $1m for a smaller 2-storey house. Actually it was ~$1.15m more but we had heaps of exxy louvre windows and hydronic solar under-floor heating so I've removed the cost of those to make the statement. Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 14Jan 17, 2014 9:46 pm We did a half knockdown half renovation. What saved us money was by not significantly changing the footprint of the house so we had minimum ground works. We also managed to get all our quotes in a bit of a down period for building industry so that saved us money. Is it possible that rather than adding a 2nd storey you do a ground floor extension or maybe add a pavilion design etc. Re: Knockdown and rebuild or renovate? 15Sep 24, 2014 12:24 pm In most cases renovation will be well over the cost of rebuilding a new home. The problem with renovating is that there are so many unknown factors like what’s behind that wall? what’s under that flooring? what’s causing them cracks? Why is that door not closing? As a builder it is very difficult to estimate the cost for all the unknowns and that is one of the reasons the costs are so high to renovate. if the original house is in good condition most of what you listed could be added in stages without the need for KDR and costs and disruption of having to live elsewhere… 1 13731 the step up is 30mm and wanting it to be flat . how much does the concrete have to be lowered .we plan on removing bath and lenghten shower and adding seat. the old bath… 0 11892 Hi We have finally decided to complete a KDR on our corner plot in NE Melbourne suburbs. Given its a corner plot approx. 400 sqm just a standard design may not fit the… 0 8687 |