Same Site, New Home

As good homes in desirable areas get harder to come by, more and more people are opting to wipe the slate clean on their existing section, and start again with a knock down and rebuild approach.

David Reid Homes in Auckland director Martin Wiltshire says he has noticed an increase in the number of people opting for our Knock Down and Rebuild service in recent months.

“It’s been a reasonably popular way of building in the last five to seven years and I think it’s going to get more popular as time goes on,” he says.

“Under [Auckland’s] Unitary plan, some restrictions around building in certain areas have been relaxed, so people can achieve a bit more with their build.”

The Unitary Plan replaces the district plans of the eight old Auckland councils, and is now the rulebook for zoning, heritage protection and the metropolitan urban limit, among other things.

“Good areas are hard to come by nowadays so a lot of people do want to stay where they are.

“The value of property has gone up so much that to inject $1 million into a property now is no longer unviable,” Martin says.

While many are choosing to knock down, subdivide and rebuild, others were choosing a complete rebuild over extensive renovations, decreasing the likelihood of hidden costs.

“There are many aspects of a renovation that can’t be fixed [price wise]; and you’re always going to be governed by what is existing there,” Martin says.

“If you have got a new house, you can fix the price much easier than you can with a renovation.”

The David Reid Homes team can help clients with the decision on whether to renovate or do a knock down and rebuild.

“It all comes down to the cost versus the benefits to the client personally,” Martin says.

Contact your nearest David Reid Homes franchise to find out how they can help you with your renovation or new build goals.