If you happen to live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, you might find bad-looking houses that need rebuilding. According to the Housing Institute of Australia, one-third of the places are rebuilt to be at par with modern houses. People in Australia lack the land to build houses.
Before thinking about rebuilding a house, you must know how much it could cost you from start to end. Additionally, you must know all the demolition or knock-down process costs. Here, we will discuss what you must know before demolishing a house in Australia.
What Does It Mean To Demolish A House?
The process of destroying or tearing down an existing house is called home demolition. Demolition can be done with both human resources and machine power. Using human resources is a slower process, whereas demolishing a place with mechanical equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, or cranes is faster. After the required demolition permission is achieved, these processes are conducted under a licensed demolition contract.
Demolishing a house lets the homeowner refresh his property and make it a new and exciting place. After the demolition process, the house can be rebuilt with all modern fixtures and equipment.
How Much Does It Actually Cost To Demolish A House?
Knowing all of the demolition processes, you will see that the prices can vary significantly. In Australia, you need at least $12,000 to $40,000 to demolish your home. However, if your home is situated in an accessible location, not made with hazardous materials like asbestos, and is small, your demolition cost should be between $12,000 and $20,000.
Things To Consider When Demolishing A House
There are some essential things to consider when demolishing a house; some are too important to be left out. Here is a list of things you need to consider when you are planning to demolish your home,
- The total size of your house
- Access to a demolition site
- Materials to build the house
- Hazardous/Risky materials (Asbestos)
- Extra structures
- Shrubbery or tree cleaning
- Total distance to the recycling centre
The Size of Your House
The total size of your house will greatly impact the cost of the demolition process. Many contractors provide an estimate based on charging for every square meter of the house. In some cases, demolition costs can be more than $40 per square meter. However, all of these depend on many factors of the property, which we will discuss in other points.
Access To Demolition Site
Your property’s access and inclination for demolition equipment can be a bearing factor in the costs of demolition. If the home is situated in a complicated location, the demolition equipment’s overall transportation will cost much more. It will be hard to transport the necessary things and dispose of unwanted materials from the site, increasing the total costs of demolition.
Materials To Build The House
You might question whether the materials of a house increase the price of its demolition. It depends on the raw materials used to build the house initially. All those materials can have a great impact on the total demolition price of your home.
A house constructed with timber is cheaper to demolish than a home built with bricks or concrete because those houses need special machinery, but the wood can be restored and recycled. Many demolition costs are cut for timber houses because you can reuse timber for other purposes.
Hazardous/Risky Materials
If the house you want to rebuild via demolition process was made back in the 20th century (1920-1990), it has a high chance of containing asbestos as its construction material. Asbestos is tough to remove; thus, it will increase your demolition costs. Asbestos is known to increase demolition costs three times more than other materials, such as brick or concrete. Different treatments and extra labour are required to remove asbestos altogether.
Mold is the same, as it is also a hazardous material used to make houses in the past. Expert and experienced removalists are required during the demolition process, or else you might not be able to complete the rebuilding process of your home. Set a time for experts before demolition to determine whether your house has those hazardous materials.
Extra Structures
Your old house might have different structures, such as an old pool or shed, which should be removed to rebuild the house completely. You do not want an old shed and old pool to destroy your new house’s overall look.
Tree Cleaning
You have to clean trees or shrubs that might get in the way of demolition, but you must also make sure you plant more trees after the demolition is done. You just cannot ignore the importance of planting trees and their effects on nature.
Total Distance To Recycling Center
Keep in mind that the more distant the recycling center, the higher the demolition costs. Recycling centres are vital for disposing of or recycling items, but be ready for the added transportation costs.
Know The Demolition Process
Before you decide, you have to have a good idea of how the demolition process works. Even if the supplier tells you they will look after everything, there are some things which you have to look after all by yourself.
Permit of Demolition
It would help if you had legal paperwork done before starting the demolition of your house. This will involve lodging forms, paying the necessary fees, and working with a private certifier. All of those processes can take up to several weeks, so you have to have these extra weeks ready to prepare the legal paperwork for the demolition. Additionally, check if there are any restrictions in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, related to the demolition of a house.
Disconnection of Usual Services
The demolition contractor has to work collaboratively on this task. Before beginning the demolition, You must disconnect the property from any services, such as electricity, gas, internet, telecommunications, water, sewers, etc.. You need to know if you require a water supply to remove the asbestos from the older building. If you are building your home quickly after demolition, the electricity supplier should not cut the service. Instead, they should relocate the wire to a nearby electricity pole.
Baiting
Baiting is a local council requirement for every home to stop the pests from spreading to nearby neighbours’ homes. You do not want to hear your neighbours’ complaints saying their houses are packed with problems that came from your house. Some neighbours might even file a complaint about your property regarding pests.
Selecting a Demolition Contractor
You cannot go wrong with a good demolition contractor for this task. It is essential to select a company that will provide all the necessary licenses, modern equipment, and best procedures to complete the demolition. That company will also know how to properly dispose of or recycle your building debris.
The Estimated Length Of Demolition Process
In some cases, the whole demolition process of a house can be completed within one day. This depends on the overall structure of the house and its materials. If the house size is enormous and the materials are tough to break, demolishing will take longer. You have to have about two months to complete all of the processes mentioned above before starting the actual demolition.
Cleanup and Disposal
After you have completed your demolition process, it is time for you to clean up and dispose of the remains of the old house. Most contractors will ensure that they clean up and dispose of the remains. If so, a fee of $300 to $1,800 should be added to the contract with your contractor.
On the other hand, some contractors will let you know if you have to hire an additional cleanup crew for the job, and their cost will be about $400 to $800 for every truck full of waste materials.
Conclusion
When all demolition processes are completed, you can finally start to rebuild your home. You will freely design every part of your property. As mentioned before, Australia has some restrictions regarding the demolition of a house. Ensure you are clear about any conditions for completing the demolition. After demolition, you can quickly remake the home of your dreams and live there peacefully.
