Renovate, or remove and build?

What lurks underneath?

You may have heard the phrase “Expect the unexpected”. The Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise used this as a marketing slogan back in the ’90s and with good reason - you never knew what was going to happen - except that 80 minutes of watching would leave you bewildered and ultimately let down.

Ask anyone who has renovated a home and they will tell a similar story, unexpected costs, lengthy delays, rot hiding under rot, sunken piles and dodgy compliance. Bringing an existing home up to code, strengthening sunken structures whilst trying to fit to an existing floor plan based on a lifestyle of 30-80 years ago will generally mean overcapitalising on your initial idea of your home renovation. You will get there in the end, but many will have thrown their hands in the air at some point and yelled, “we may as well have built new”.

Considering the value in the land that you already own and the considerable difficulties described above, removing your existing home and building new on your existing land suddenly sounds like a very attractive option, doesn’t it?

Latitude Homes have helped many in this space, and removing a home to leave a valuable piece of land a blank canvas, suddenly opens up many more opportunities for your home design.

Being able to reconfigure the floor plan to suit the sun or the prevailing winds, adding a garage where you once had to park on the street and redefining the outdoor living areas are all bonuses to working without the constraints of your old home's position on the land.

You will not have to deal with the hidden surprises hiding behind rotting weatherboards or sunken piles but start fresh with a home that is substantially warmer, drier, and more energy-efficient. 

It is also likely that you brought the home initially because you liked the area, the schools were suitable for your kids or that you were close to transport or your place of employment. None of this changes when you build on your existing land, you remain in touch with neighbours and friends nearby and there is no settling into new schools.

The 159sqm Whakamaru or the larger 189 sqm Lowburn (below) are both designed to suit narrow sections. 

1. Remove or knock down the existing home.
   The first thing we need to do is a site assessment - this will allow us to understand the logistics of removing your home, whether it can be removed for relocation or sale or if not, then the safe demolition of the home and removal of materials. We need to think about any hazardous materials, access, and the safety of transporting your house to another location. The costs for this process vary but are not a large portion of your total rebuild.
2. Planning for your site.
   Now that we have a blank canvas to work from we are able to work with you to make the best use of your site to suit how you live your life at home. We get to understand any local covenants and apply for any permits associated with building in your area.
3. Designing your plan.
   The dream phase. Here you get to either select from our existing range, adapt the plan to suit or have us design a bespoke home unique to you and your family.
4. Build.
   The time has come for your new home to take shape as our builders commence a brand new home suited to your lifestyle making better use of your existing land and improving the value immensely.