Knocking down a dated dwelling and replacing it with a modern modular home gets you into your ideal location sooner
Both the Central Coast and Hunter regions have long been popular with Sydneysiders looking to make either a seachange or treechange. The pandemic, however, intensified interest in these areas as more and more people decided to flee the congestion and hustle and bustle of city life.
This coincided with a massive upswing in people working from home, making such a major lifestyle transition much easier. If you no longer needed to be within commuting distance of your workplace, you could choose to live wherever you wanted — by the coast, in the bush or in a rural or mountain-side locale.
This major migration led to a big uptick in the number of singles, couples and families looking for knockdown-rebuild opportunities. While that is by no means a new concept for the Hunter or Central Coast — after all, people have been knocking down dilapidated old homes, rural cottages and beach shacks to make way for contemporary holiday homes in these areas for years — there has been a substantial rise in the number of folk looking for opportunities to build permanent homes and, typically, they are looking in highly sought-after locations.
Why a knockdown-rebuild?
Whether you’re relocating to establish a new life by the coast or give country living a try, or you’re a local looking to upgrade, embarking on a knockdown-rebuild project rather than buying a new home or renovating an existing home has benefits. To begin with, building a new home, as opposed to renovating an old one, will ensure a better resale value — and you can create a more energy efficient home and enjoy the savings it affords.
According to a study by the Housing Industry of Australia, nearly a third of all new detached homes are knockdown-rebuilds. The popularity of this approach is about location, but it’s also driven by the fact that a knockdown-rebuild can be more cost-efficient than a large-scale home renovation.
All new homes have to be built to the required current standards, which are not met by many older homes and can be costly and problematic to achieve with a renovation. The other benefit of a new home is you can choose from the newest appliances, materials and finishes. And, importantly, a new home comes with new warranties for the appliances inside as well the residence itself.
A modular build, from an experienced local company such as Manor Homes, is perfect for virtually any knockdown-rebuild project. You get a high quality home in a fraction of the time it would take for a traditional build, the cost is less and the whole process is easier.
Benefits of modular
A modular home is built off-site in a factory setting and the modules are then transported to your site where they are connected. Because the majority of the build is done off-site, it is not affected by weather, design complexity and land gradients, meaning a much quicker build time compared to a traditional build.
A traditional build will typically have to deal with rain, heat, humidity and frosts that may delay or compromise the construction process, while the factory-built home is safe in its controlled environment. This means increased quality control as well as a reduced build time. With Modular Homes, for example, the construction process is generally less than 20 weeks where with a traditional build, it could be from 12 to 18 months.
Another plus is that as the majority of the modular build occurs off-site, construction can begin on your new home well before the old one needs to be demolished. Also, there is minimal site disruption (for example, extensive cut and fill earthworks are not needed). The modular builder simply prepares your site with engineered piers, ready for the home to be craned in and installed before the finishing touches are applied.
Basically, the land will only be worked for three short periods: for the demolition of the old home; the placing of piers; and, finally, the placement of modules and finishing of site works such as verandahs, decks and pergolas.
Customised solutions
Many people don’t realise that a modern modular home can come in a wide range of designs. Nor do many know that some companies, such as Manor Homes, can adapt plans to meet their needs. If you can’t find a standard plan that suits your lifestyle requirements or the specifics of your site, Manor Homes can have a design tailored to your needs.
An important part of tailoring your home design is taking into account the type of land you are building on. You need to get the best out of your landscape, including the use of views, aspects, and natural features, such as light and wind. The customisation process also includes adjusting plans to accommodate other requirements, such as the regulations pertaining to bushfire- or flood-prone areas.
People might also not be aware of how well-suited a modern modular home is to tricky sites. In regions such as the Central Coast and Hunter, knockdown-rebuild sites are often in great locations with spectacular views, but these sites can sometimes come with added challenges. Don’t let that put you off. Modular builds are perfect for sloping and difficult sites, as well as remote locations.
The unique construction process negates the biggest issue of all — accessibility. A traditional builder would need to navigate a difficult site daily, but because the majority of a modular build happens in a purpose-built facility, the building of the home is the same as any other in the factory setting.
Experience counts
As with any home building project, experience counts and Manor Homes offers a complete knockdown-rebuild service. Manor has been building high-quality modern modular homes for over 30 years, focusing on the Hunter Valley and Central Coast, and has a wide range of designs which can be individually tailored. At Manor, the team is passionate about creating quality homes and bringing each client’s vision to life.
With a modern modular home you can be assured of three things. Your home will be built quickly and on time; it will be defect-free upon completion; and the entire process will be easy for you. So don’t waste time looking for the ideal house or piece of vacant land. Choose a knockdown-rebuild and you can be living in your dream home in a matter of months.
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