Knock Down Rebuild Sydney

A knockdown rebuild is when you demolish your existing house and build a brand new home on the same block of land. You keep your property and location but replace the old structure with a modern home designed to suit how you live. It’s an alternative to renovating an outdated house or selling up and moving to a different suburb.

Renovations often uncover problems you couldn’t see, such as asbestos, structural issues, and outdated wiring that blow your budget and timeline. What starts as one price can escalate significantly once you’re mid-project. With a knockdown rebuild, you get a fixed price, everything built to current standards, and a 6-year warranty for major defects under NSW law.

For minor cosmetic updates, renovating is generally cheaper. However, for major layout changes or structural work, renovation costs can quickly rival a new build without the benefits of modern energy efficiency or starting fresh. A knockdown rebuild gives you a brand-new custom home with cost certainty, avoiding the unexpected issues and escalating expenses common in older renovations. Plus, rebuilding on land you already own saves you thousands in stamp duty, agent fees, and moving costs, allowing you to stay in the neighbourhood you love.

Most Sydney blocks are suitable, but we need to check your council’s zoning rules, minimum lot size, setbacks, height restrictions, and any heritage or environmental overlays. We also assess site access, soil conditions, and title restrictions.

Start by booking a free design and site consultation with our team. We’ll assess your block, discuss your budget, and explore floor plan possibilities. From there, a small preliminary agreement allows us to conduct your site survey, geotechnical soil test, and concept designs to prepare a detailed, fixed-price tender. Once your contract is finalised, we take care of the entire planning and approval process (whether via CDC or DA) before proceeding to demolition and construction.

Timeframes depend on your site, design, approval pathway and home size. All up, a knockdown rebuild typically takes 12 to 18 months from decision to keys. As a guide:

• Design, documentation and approvals: around 10 to 12 months via CDC (including approximately 6 to 8 weeks for the CDC assessment), or 13 to 15 months via DA. Allow an extra month for heritage-affected sites.
• Demolition: typically 1 to 3 weeks once approval is in place.
• Construction: approximately 9 to 14 months.

Many of these stages overlap. We’ll confirm a project-specific program with you before you commit to a moving date.

You can comfortably remain in your home throughout the design, documentation, and approval stages. You will only need to vacate once your building approval (CDC or DA) is issued and your construction finance is unconditionally approved, just prior to demolition starting. If your property is tenanted, keep in mind that NSW tenancy regulations generally require at least 90 days’ written notice for demolition, so we recommend planning your timing with your managing agent once approvals are underway.

Yes, you can remain in your home during design and DA approval. You only need to move out before demolition begins.

Site costs cover the essential earthworks, foundations, and utility connections needed to prepare your block for construction. They vary from property to property depending on factors like soil reactivity, site slope and fall, rock excavation, the need for retaining walls, and the distance to council connection points. We conduct preliminary site investigations and soil tests to assess these conditions and provide accurate allowances in your tender.

Every site is unique, so extra costs are project-specific. Common items to consider include demolition and asbestos removal, tree removal permits, council contributions and asset protection bonds, utility upgrades (water, sewer, power, stormwater), traffic control or work zone permits, and retaining walls where site levels require them. All anticipated costs are clearly detailed in your tender.

Yes, we manage the entire approval process—DA submission, responding to council requests, construction certificate, and all required inspections. You don’t need to deal with the council directly.

Yes, sloping blocks are common in Sydney’s Hills District and require additional engineering and excavation, which increases costs. However, slopes can create design opportunities like split-level layouts or under-house storage. We’ll assess your site’s slope during the initial consultation.

Protected trees (typically based on height, trunk size, or species) require council approval for removal. We assess tree protection requirements during the DA process. If removal isn’t permitted, we can often design around significant trees. Requirements vary by council and location.

Yes, most clients customise layouts to suit their blocks and lifestyles. We can modify room sizes, flip layouts, or make other changes. Customisation affects pricing and timing, depending on complexity, but we work with you to achieve what you need.

Yes, all NSW residential building work over $20,000 requires Home Building Compensation insurance. You receive a 6-year warranty on structural defects and 2 years on non-structural defects. We also provide our workmanship warranty and address any issues during the defects liability period.

We carry comprehensive public liability insurance covering accidental damage to neighbouring properties. If damage occurs, our insurance handles repairs. We accept full responsibility when problems occur, even though they haven’t happened.

Yes, we conduct a preliminary site assessment before you commit. For detailed soil information, we arrange a geotechnical report after you’ve decided to proceed but before finalising the construction contract. This provides accurate information before you’re contractually committed.