One positive thing about lockdown is that you get to work on what you had put aside for a long time, like house projects. As you get creative, construct vision boards and find inspiration, the next step is to take action!
To make a decision on whether to knock down your existing property or renovate is a long process and can be time-consuming. Looking at the pros and cons based on essential parameters may be the guidance you need. The following information will hopefully help you in making your final decision. Renovation is good if you want to keep your withstanding structure, and are just looking for a new home design.
RENOVATING
Living in a country where heritage is of utmost importance, renovation seems to be the more convenient option, however, it is still not easy. You need to be prepared for months of work, commitment, and persistence. Remember, the reward once the house is complete will be indescribable!
- Preservation
In terms of the interior design complementing an exterior façade, it is hard to let go of something iconic in terms of authenticity, age, and location. There’s something about antiques and buildings that are able to stand the test of time. Most people ponder deeply on this before demolishing it down in the first place.
- Cost
Both processes would require a decent amount of money. Depending on how much you want to tweak, the bigger the renovation, the higher the outgoing expenses. The more you preserve, the more you need to plan. Determining how old the piping system is, the electrical wiring, and how much initial foundation can be kept.
- Environmental Impact
Renovating reuses a lot of materials from the original building. From that perspective, generated rubbish in the process is minimal compared to rebuilding. However, if preserving old electrical wires require more energy than sustainable new kinds, the long-term effect might exceed the harmful meter more than the one-time high-energy requirement for building a new project from the ground up.
KNOCKDOWN REBUILD
It is always exciting to own and feel something new. However, there are considerations that you must consider as you weigh up which is the better option between rebuilding and what is more suitable to your current situation.
- Preservation
The beauty of rebuilding is starting from the ground up and having control. You won’t be able to keep the initial house structure and vintage feel if you are knocking down. Whether your goal is to widen a steep stairway, to be able to give space to a landscape, to let go of an impractical drainage system, or to avoid having unused corners, sometimes to knockdown rebuild entirely is a much easier option when there are already too many withstanding issues. - Cost
Renovations are subject to VAT because technically, they are modifications done to an existing building. Compared to projects that are yet to get built. After gauging whether more than 80% of the building is worth letting go, it would be more practical to just start again. The cost can be more than renovation as builders can be quite expensive. However, you will encounter fewer maintenance issues in the long term. - Environmental Impact
If properly dismantled, certain parts of a building can be reused such as accordion, doors, cabinets, closets, ceiling fans, and many more. Going green means minimizing rubbish and energy usage overall. Therefore, if there are smart appliances, building strategies, and new structures like timber cladding that could be re-used, this is great for the environment.
Builders should consider both processes and overall costs. Planning is a huge part of making a final decision. The materials needed for the whole project and also depending on the location, all add up. For example, if you wanted to rebuild the house but retain the garage or if you wanted to knock down the upstairs level of a home. Further, both knocking down and renovation can work well together if thought out well.