House Demolition | 3 Preparatory Tricks To Preserve Cost Sanity When You Demolish Your Old House
People build houses for different reasons — they want their own designs or they love the location. If you've decided to demolish your old house in order to build a new one, you've got to really prepare well because demolition is a mammoth task that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and ill-equipped. Moreover, the costs can really add up when you don't prepare well. These preparatory tricks will help you preserve cost sanity when you demolish your old house.
Get Your Demolition Permit
Getting a demolition permit is based on a number of factors. For instance, if you are demolishing a part or your entire home or if you're demolishing a heritage structure. Every local council has their own regulations with regard to demolition permits, so your best option is to check with them to avoid hefty fines later for not complying with rules. For a demolition permit, you will need 3 site plan copies with clear details of areas to be demolished. You will also need to provide your land title certificate, details of the demolisher, public liability insurance, plans to protect other properties and description of your waste disposal process.
Plan Protection Of Adjacent Properties
Under the Building Regulations 2006 and the Building Act 1993, property owners are obligated to ensure that adjacent properties are protected from damage that could be caused because of the demolition work. Your application for a permit goes to a building surveyor who must then assess what protection is needed for adjacent properties. Once the surveyor offers solutions, a notice covering details regarding protection of the adjoining property will be served to your neighbour. Your neighbour typically has 14 days to disagree or agree with the protection details proposed. Always make sure you have proper measures in place for protecting adjacent properties or you will end up paying significant sums of money for damages.
Find Good Condition Items That Can Be Reused
Before letting the demolition team get to work, consider some items that you can reuse to bring down your overall new home building costs. For instance, perhaps your windowsill is made of strong teak wood. You can reuse the wood in the windows of your new home to avoid paying for the cost of new wood. If you wish to retain your granite kitchen benchtop, make sure it is removed before demolition. If you have wainscot wooden panelling, you may want to hold on to them to add some period charm to your new home. Saving a few of your old items can save you from spending thousands of dollars on new materials.
