The idea of building your own home is not new or unique. In fact, it’s estimated that 20% of newly built homes are custom. It’s an enticing idea, you get to choose the number of rooms, the layout, whether to incorporate environmental features, and you’ll get to select the style of your home. Add to that the location options and landscaping and you’ll find it hard to see why more people don’t do it.
But what if you already have the perfect spot, just not the perfect home? That’s when it’s time to start thinking about knocking the house down and rebuilding it. It’s worth noting that purchasing a plot just to knock a house down and build a new one is a great way to get your perfect location.
Of course, before you knock down you’re existing home there are a few steps you should take.
Talk To A professional
Talk to a specialist in custom-built homes. They will give you an independent perspective. It may be possible to achieve your dreams by remodelling or extending your existing property. That’s usually a significantly cheaper option.
The specialists will also be able to help you with designing your custom home. They have experience and will be able to point out the things that most people miss, as well as advising regarding viability.
It will help you to design a practical and feasible house.
Check Local Regulations
Before you invest too much time into your project, take your design in principle and check with your local planning office. You need to know if your idea is permittable and any restrictions or regulations that may apply to the knockdown and rebuild.
This will allow you to incorporate their advice into your build plan before you ask for planning permission.
It’s worth noting that if your build will cause traffic disruption you’ll need to devise a plan to deal with this.
Living Arrangements
A house can be demolished in a day but it will take a little more time to build the new one. In other words, if you’re going to do this you need to have somewhere else to stay for a few months. Make sure you locate somewhere with space, a custom-build can be stressful, you’ll need somewhere to vent.
It is usually possible to put a static caravan on your land, allowing you to monitor the build and minimize living costs. However, it will be chaotic, noisy, and potentially messy. You’ll have to decide the best option for you.
Don’t Forget Utilities
Before a house can be demolished the utilities will need to be disconnected. Make sure you arrange this with the utility company beforehand, you don’t want that holding up the demolition.
Supervision
For the build to be successful it will need to be supervised. That means either you check progress daily and catch any issues before they are hidden, or you nominate someone to do this. It helps to keep the project on schedule.
