Knockdown Rebuild Hills District

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 It’s an alternative to renovating an outdated house or selling up and moving to a different suburb.

Renovations often uncover problems you couldn’t see, such as asbestos, structural issues, and outdated wiring that blow your budget and timeline.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 structural warranty under NSW law.

For cosmetic updates, renovation is cheaper. For major work, such as structural changes, layout modifications, and services replacement, renovation costs can become nearly as high as rebuild costs, but without the advantage of starting fresh. The real advantage of rebuilding is cost certainty. You get a contract price with no mid-project surprises, versus a renovation where costs often escalate once work begins.

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.

Contact us to discuss your vision and budget. We’ll arrange a site visit to assess feasibility and talk through possibilities. From there, we create preliminary designs and cost estimates. If you If you want to proceed, we will move into detailed design and submit your Development Application (DA) to the council. You’re not committed until you sign the building contract after DA approval.

The timeline varies based on design complexity, council processing times, and house size. Design and DA approval take several months depending on your council. Demolition is quick, usually a few weeks. Construction time depends on the size and finish level of your home. We’ll provide a realistic timeline once we understand your project scope.

You’ll need to vacate before demolition, which occurs after DA approval and once your construction finance is finalised. This gives you time to arrange temporary accommodation once DA is granted.

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

Site costs cover unknowns we can’t identify until excavation: rock removal, poor soil requiring engineering solutions, unexpected services, or high water tables. Sydney’s geology varies significantly even within the same suburb. Before demolition, we conduct a geotechnical assessment to minimise surprises, but we can’t lock in these costs until we dig. We’ll provide an estimate based on local conditions and similar projects in your area.

Beyond site costs, you’ll need to cover temporary accommodation during construction, storage, and moving costs. Sometimes utility connections require upgrades at your expense. Landscaping and fencing may be additional depending on your contract scope. We outline all likely costs upfront.

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.