To Renovate or Rebuild?

Thinking about upgrading your home but unsure whether to renovate or rebuild? It can be a tough call, but here are our top tips for making the right decision for you and your family.

In a nutshell, renovating works best when your home has a solid structure, straight frames and you’re happy with the general layout and ceiling height. Figuring out the condition of your structure is usually the hardest part, unless you start tearing your walls apart it’s hard to say, but there will be signs of a poorly built home. Some things we look out for are how level the floor and walls are, pretty simple task with a level. Another way to get an indication of this is by either getting into the ceiling cavity or underneath the home if it’s been built on piers. To the untrained eye, your ceiling cavity might just look like a heap of timber, but if you do find any evidence or termites then you are on your way to figuring out your best options for moving forward.

If you’re reading this thinking that your house is giving a whole bunch of green flags, renovating is probably your best and most budget friendly approach. Renovating on good bones will give you the same high-end finish as a new home, without having to start from scratch and the added bonus that this option generally comes at a cheaper price point.

In a nutshell, rebuilding is your best option if you want to change more than you want to keep. Rebuilding is the better option if you want to raise or re-pitch the ceilings, if your frames aren’t straight or you have any termite damage or rot. A full knockdown speeds up the process as there’s no need for careful demolition and everything will be built straight, leading to smoother sailing come plaster board time. If you want to start fresh and create a home thats truly yours, rebuilding is a great option for you.