Knockdown rebuilds allow you to stay in the suburb you love – close to schools, gyms and freeways – all while building a brand-new home you love. What’s more, knocking down your current home and creating a new build can often be less expensive (and less stressful) than renovating. Plus, your brand new home will usually require less maintenance and provide better energy economy that the original homestead.
The cost of your knockdown rebuild will vary greatly depending on a range of factors, including location, the size of your property, the floorplan and facade you choose and the condition of your site.
The important thing is to find a builder who provides a comprehensive and transparent quote up front.
‘Many builders will drip feed additional costs rather than providing an upfront cost before you sign your contract. Sometimes, they’ll even take your deposit and take months before they realise that a knockdown rebuild isn’t viable on your block,’ says Boutique Homes Knockdown Rebuild Specialist, David Kelada.
At Boutique Homes, we offer a complimentary design consultation and site assessment up front, so you know what to expect from the start.
Boutique Homes is a full-service knockdown rebuild builder, meaning we can manage the entire knockdown process for you. This also means we have a good understanding of the costs involved in your knockdown rebuild and can provide a comprehensive and transparent quote up front. This includes:
Your experienced Knockdown Rebuild Specialist will firstly work with you to understand the goals for your property and talk through your ideal design options. ‘I’ve seen many people come into these design consultations with a specific home design in mind, that doesn’t necessarily suit their block,’ explains David.
‘The best Knockdown Rebuild Specialists will help you find a design that ticks all of your wants and needs, but still suits your lot’s orientation and slope, the neighbouring property and other factors.’ This avoids expensive potential site works, building costs and disappointment down the track.
Many unforeseen knockdown rebuild costs are caused by a builder not doing their research. At Boutique Homes, a qualified Site Assessor completes a thorough investigation of your particular block to help identify any potential hazards or issues up front. ‘They’ll take into account powerlines, street access, trees and vegetation – anything that may impact your site works or build,’ explains David.
‘They’ll then work with our in-house team to create an accurate allowance for site costs.’ This means you can work with your bank to ensure your loan amount is accurate, rather than covering unforeseen costs from your own pocket down the track.
After Site Assessment, your Knockdown Rebuild Specialist will present your Preliminary Works Contract (PWC) which contains all the information relating to your build. Once signed, this gives the team the go ahead to obtain all the preliminary reports needed to inform your demolition costs.
By the time you reach HIA contract stage, Boutique Homes has gathered all the information needed to convert your allowance figures into a fixed figure. ‘Many builders don’t provide a fixed figure at HIA – their loose wording allows for a bunch of additional costs, sometimes after the original home has already been demolished,’ says David.
Boutique Homes works with experienced and trusted third parties to manage the entire demolition process and understand the costs involved at depth. Demolition isn’t just removing the existing dwelling, you also need to consider traffic management, rubbish removal, permits and temporary fencing.
‘Most build companies don’t offer the demolition, forcing you to outsource,’ says David. ‘Not only do you risk the contractor doing a poor job and the stress of managing the process, it also means you need to pay for the service separately.’
‘Cheaper is not always better when it comes to demolition, you may end up paying extra down the track.’
Too often, builders will deliver a quote that looks reasonable, but requires a wealth of expensive upgrades. Boutique Homes proudly includes premium brands and suppliers as standard, including European ILVE appliances, Dulux paint, Caroma tapwear, Caesarstone benchtops and 2550m high ceilings to the ground floor just to name a few.
In the end, a high-quality build is what ensures you don't have unforeseen maintenance and repair costs further down the track. So, make sure you do your due diligence when researching your builder.
Your knockdown rebuild contract doesn’t just include the build – it also includes the styling! Boutique Homes’ qualified and dedicated Interior Designers can help bring your vision to life, advising on colour palettes, finishes and products.
‘Your interior and exterior colour selections are one of the most exciting and important parts of your entire build, so it’s really important you build a rapport and trust with your designer,’ says David. ‘Unlike many builders who require you to engage an external provider, Boutique Homes have a dedicated Interior Design team that will guide you throughout the entire process, at no additional cost.’
Another cost to consider is once the build is complete. Many builders offer just 90 days, but the problem with such a short service warranty period is that your new home doesn’t experience the temperature changes of all four seasons before your cover ends.
‘At Boutique Homes, we offer an industry-leading 12-month service period, so you know any potential issues will be rectified without additional costs to you,’ says David. On top of that, Boutique Homes offers 25-year structural guarantee with every build to provide ultimate peace of mind.
Reach out to one of our Knockdown Rebuild Specialists today, who can walk you through your expected knockdown rebuild costs.
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