House demolition Brisbane to rebuild or to clear away old unusable buildings is a great option for many Brisbanites who find themselves with a building where they don’t want it.
If you are planning on rebuilding on the same site, there’s a fair bit to think through before you start. Services, regulations, heritage values, vegetation overlays, drainage, noise and more. It can be very overwhelming and hard to know what you can and can’t do.
But before you call in the wrecking crew, you’ve seen that there are a few things to consider. Let’s look at those before we put on a hard hat and pick up a sledgehammer!
Council and their rules and regulations
Before you pick up the sledgehammer, pick up the phone. Give your local council a call and talk to the building and planning department in person. Have a chat with them about what you propose to do and check the following requirements.
- Heritage value. Some homes can’t be demolished due to their age and heritage value. Does your house fall into that category?
- Vegetation overlays. Do you have any trees that will need to be taken out for either the demolition or the construction of the new place? Are they your trees? Can you remove them?
- Noise. Do you know what the noise restrictions are in your area? What time can you start and finish each day? How many trucks and what size can be idling in the street at any one time?
- Bush fires. Are you in a bushfire zone with special requirements for clearing and access?
- Wildlife habitat and corridors. Will these overlays impact your plans in any way?
- Character requirements. Does your new home fit with the vision that the council has for the area?
- Zones and Overlays. Do you know what they are? Will they affect your plans?
- Asbestos removal. Do you have asbestos? Will you need that removed as well?
- Noise and Dust emissions. How loud will your demolition be? What hours can you demolish? How will the dust be controlled? Can you contain any run off if it rains?
- Do you have building approval for the new house you are planning? It’s best to have that before you demolish!
Site access and size
It’s always good to check with the contractors on how they need to access your property to carry out the demolition work. Will you need a footpath permit for trucks to enter and exit? Is your block down an easement? Is the house in the far corner of a large block? Is there enough room on site for the excavator and a truck?
Demolition Quotes
These can vary widely. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not worth pursuing. Do your due diligence and get a few quotes so you get a much better idea of how much a good, safe, fast house demolition Brisbane should cost.
The differences can be whether it’s a mechanical or hand demolition or maybe you’ll need a combination of both. If you are hoping to recycle parts like windows, steps, posts etc for your new home, that too will drive up the cost of the demolition but may reduce your reconstruction bill in the long run. Check with both the demo and rebuild companies as to their cost and requirements before you start.
Asbestos removal is going to drive the price up, and it’s a tricky thing to remove safely in older homes. Make sure you know if you do or don’t have asbestos in the house. It will make a big difference to the time and price of your demolition as well.
Drainage and Flood Zones
Do you know if you’re in a flood zone? Whether you are or not will make a difference to what you can rebuild on the block, so it’s always good to know that before you start. Check this link to get a flood report for your address.
If your property floods or has water issues, you might need a hydraulic report as well. These things are good to know well before you start putting your hand in your pocket!
Disconnections
Before any house demolition Brisbane can commence, you need to disconnect the water, sewerage, power, NBN, gas and any other utilities that are connected to your property.
Here in Queensland, it pays to contact Queensland Urban Utilities to get a full report on what services are connected to your property so you don’t forget them and there is a hold-up while they are disconnected after the job has started.
Your Swimming Pool
Remember to include your current or proposed pool in the plans that you present to the demolisher and the rebuilder. They need to know that it’s there or going to be there to quote you appropriately and prepare the ground properly.
Find alternative accommodation
You’ll need to make sure that you have somewhere to live as soon as the site is handed over to the demolisher. Rentals can be hard to find, and relatives hard to live with, so this is something that you need to think about quite early in the process.
The accommodation that you choose needs to be a bit flexible so that if the weather doesn’t play ball or an unexpected issue crops up, you won’t suddenly find yourself homeless.
You’ll also need to find somewhere for all your possessions to live while you’re living in your alternative accommodation if you can’t take it with you. A local storage facility is usually a good idea.
Neighbours
Tell your neighbours your plans as soon as you have something concrete to tell them. If they’ve planned a backyard wedding for the day you start the house demolition Brisbane, things could go pear-shaped for everyone.
Keep your neighbours in the loop and maintain good relationships with them. Provide them with your number and the contractors’ number so they can contact someone if they have any concerns. You never know what you might need help with during the demolition and rebuild!
Pests
Before you start the demolition process, you want to get rid of any pests you might have, like rats, possums and termites, so they don’t spread to neighbouring properties once their home is destroyed. The neighbours won’t thank you for the unwelcome visitors that appear on their doorstep once the demolition begins…
There are lots of things to consider before you demolish a house. If you are in any doubt about the process or are looking for a quote, give us a call here at Next Gen today for a friendly professional chat about house demolition by a professional team!