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Demolition specialists - what you need to know

Once you’ve taken the decision to demolish an existing structure, there is a process that needs to be followed to ensure the correct permission is granted and all health and safety legislation has been followed. A demolition specialist can help advise on what is (and isn’t) required, as well as timelines, and permissions for what you intend to use the land for after. Once all the paperwork is taken care of, they’ll bring in a team of people to carry out the demolition safely.

Costs for demolition

Costs vary depending on a number of factors, with £60-80 per square metre as a starting point. Demolishing semi-detached or terraced houses will incur additional costs as the adjoining properties will need structural support work after demolition. Ease of access and the volume of waste / hazardous waste disposal required will also affect the costs.

Renovating vs. demolition: some considerations

Considerations for demolition

• Building a brand new home is subject to a zero percent VAT rate. That means demolishing a building and starting from scratch can often be cheaper than building on top of the existing shell of a property (which is subject to VAT). This will typically depend on the amount of work required on what’s left of the existing property.
• Building from the foundations up means you’re in full control. This gives you peace of mind that everything’s been built securely and you’re not relying on the integrity of old walls.

Considerations for renovation

• There may be parts of the existing building that have features you’d like to work into your newly designed home. It’s a popular technique on TV shows like Grand Designs, and can help give your new home real character, while preserving some of the heritage of the existing site.
• Depending on exactly how much of the property could be saved, and your plans for the future size of the property (of which there are likely to be restrictions), it may be more cost effective to work with existing walls and structures.<
• Making alterations to an existing building can be much easier to get planning permission for. While demolition itself doesn’t often need planning permission, the details may need to be agreed with the local council, and a prior approval application will be needed for the new home you plan to build.

Guidance on planning policies

Planning policies will vary depending on where you are in the UK, but generally speaking, planning permission will be granted if you intend to replace an existing structure. It’s important to get planning permission before the demolition of the existing structure – if you remove the existing building, technically there’s nothing to replace, and your case for planning permission becomes weaker.

Whichever option you pursue, and wherever your plot is situated, planning policy is likely to have some of the same considerations such as:

• whether the building of the new property is in keeping with the character of the immediate area
• the size of the new property and/or its location
• services and amenities to neighbouring properties not being adversely affected.

There are the usual caveats here about listed properties or homes in national parks or conservation areas. For further details, check out the Planning Portal website.

Questions to ask a demolition specialist

• What are the pros and cons of demolition specific to your property?
• What advice would they offer regarding planning permission and demolition consent, and to what extent will they help you through this process?
• How long do they expect demolition to take?
• Can they break down the costs between demolition and waste disposal?
• What complications do they foresee and are there any cost implications?
• Will you be able to reuse the existing amenities into the building for your new property?