If you’re finding that your current property can no longer suit your needs but you don’t want to move, there are generally two options–a full build or a renovation. Both will result in a space that looks and feels like new, but how do you actually decide which is the best one for your needs?
When it’s time to make a decision, it’s important to weigh up all the factors. This blog will compare a knock down and rebuild with a renovation, as well as help you choose which is best for your situation.
Let’s begin!
When we refer to a rebuild, we mean the process of knocking down your old home completely and building a new one in its place. Rebuilds are perfect if you love the area you are currently living in, but not the home itself. You can build the new property in whatever style you like–you may even choose to subdivide!
Let’s go through all the things you need to know about home rebuilds.
There are many great things about building a new home on the site of your old one.
Have you fallen in love with the area you live in? Whether it’s the nature surrounding your property, your neighbours or nearby amenities like shops, schools or public transport, moving out of the perfect area when you need a new home can be quite the headache.
If you choose to rebuild your property, you get to keep all your connections and favourite facilities nearby, while also creating the perfect home for your current needs.
This is particularly handy if you know the nearby amenities will help your home fetch a great price when it’s time to sell. By creating a modern home in an excellent area, you can be sure to make a great profit when the time comes.
While older homes can have style and charm, they can lack up-to-date designs, systems and materials, which can mean constant repairs, upgrading and niggles you have to deal with. Some of these things cannot be integrated even with the most in-depth of refurbishments, and the level of renovating you’d need to do may mean a total rebuild is actually the easier option.
Modernisations you can look forward to enjoying in a rebuild include a property resistant to termites, renewable-powered and more efficient energy options like solar power and heat pump water heaters, smartly-orientated windows and double glazing for temperature control, and an outer facade that doesn’t require constant upkeep.
You may think that rebuilding your home is one of the most expensive choices you can make, but this isn’t always the case. Here are a few factors that can swing the price in your favour:
The cost of a full knock down and rebuild will depend on your own circumstances, of course! Make sure to get some professional expertise and estimations on how much your rebuild will cost you.
Rebuilding your home is no easy choice, so it figures it won’t be right for everyone. Here are some times when rebuilding won’t be your best option.
While your new home is being built, you obviously won’t be able to live in the old one. Builds can take up quite a lot of time depending on the needs of your property. Trees and vegetation may need to be cleared, electric, water and gas systems need to be disconnected, and hazardous materials like asbestos need to be safely removed and disposed of. Combine these with the building time of the new house, and you can be out of your home for many months, even a year or more!
You’ll need somewhere stable to stay in the meantime. This might mean moving back in with family, staying with friends or, if you’re lucky enough, temporarily residing at a second residence you already own. If you don’t have a reliable secondary living space, then rebuilding might not be the right option for you.
Knocking down a house and building a bigger and better one will usually require the permission of your local council, as such extensive construction can impact the others living around your property. If your street is going to be impacted, you might even need to organise traffic control. And if your new home is going to be looking over the backyards of your neighbours, it may also not be allowed.
If you live in an area with a heritage overlay, you may not be permitted to alter your home beyond minor renovations anyway. This is to preserve the historical significance of your property–read more about heritage homes and areas here.
A renovation refers to altering the insides and sometimes the outer facade of a home while leaving the majority of the structure intact. Renovations can be as small as new cabinetry in the kitchen, or as large as adding an extra level to your home–which can also be called a home extension. You can usually live inside your home while renovations occur.
DPV Construction can perform home renovations in Mont Albert, Surrey Hills or Hawthorn. Get in touch to learn more!
Renovating is an exciting process! Here are some of the great things about them.
This can depend on the type of renovation you need, but a small or medium-sized renovation will usually be faster to complete than a full knock-down and rebuild. This can change if you’re performing more widespread extensions, but even these may be faster depending on the size of your property and whether you are building up (slower) or out (faster).
A reno that is finished sooner is one you can get to enjoying! They’re also great if you want to increase the value of the house and sell it quickly.
You’ll often hear the phrase ‘they just don’t build them like they used to!’ when you drive through suburbs with many new or old houses, and it’s true, modern homes are built with much less detail than older ones were. This clean and sleek look is great for low-upkeep living, but it does mean newer homes can lack some of the charm older ones can boast.
Renovating your home means your house gets to keep its lovely outer looks, while getting a modern upgrade on the inside. This may also be a necessity in certain council areas, who will allow minor renovations on the inside of homes but won’t want the outside designs of properties to be touched.
Old properties can come with their niggles, but older homes were usually built with long-lasting, high-quality materials that have seen them well into modern times. This, combined with the charming looks we discussed above, means that older homes are actually preferred on the housing market–as long as they have been well-maintained, of course.
If you have an older home you would like to sell, renovating the inside to bring it up to speed with other modern homes is an excellent way to increase its value and make sure you get a great price when the time comes.
Renovating isn’t the silver bullet to all your home’s problems; here are some times when a renovation isn’t always the best option.
Renovating one or two rooms is one thing–but do you want to refresh multiple spaces in your property? Renovating the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms and laundry can take a very long time and mean a whole lot of work for your contractors, who, if they encounter any unexpected problems, can be stuck doing the work for extended time periods.
A blow out in time and costs may mean it’s easier just to knock down your house and start again. If there isn’t anything you really want to salvage out of your old property, then a rebuild may be the smarter option!
Renovate the inside of your house all you like, but if the outer facade isn’t appealing, then you may struggle to generate interest if you’re looking for a buyer. Curb appeal plays a strong role in how much value your home has, and if your home doesn’t look nice from the street, then it’s not going to look great when advertised.
If you live in a council area that won’t let you touch the outer shell of your home, then all the renovations in the world won’t help you generate foot traffic through your front door. In these cases, selling as is and moving into a new home may be the better option.
Are you interested in home renovations in Armadale or Burwood? DPV Construction can help!
If you have decided to go down the renovation route, then we may be able to help you. At DPV Construction, we are proud to offer bespoke home renovations in Melbourne for clients across the city. With a passion for elegant and timeless designs and a ‘yes, absolutely!’ attitude, we are excited to help transform your property with one of our incredible renovations.
Please leave us a message online if you are interested in any of our services. We can transform your home with a bathroom, kitchen or laundry renovation we know you’ll love!
