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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?
Fast, professional job was undertaken for a reasonable price. We are very happy with the end result, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Terry's services.
We are a small Bedford based Building Company who prides itself on both quality and attention to detail from the ground up !
Ryan and the team at FL Build did a fantastic job for us. Our project involved demolition work, extension and a complex refurbishment of our house over 6 months. Ryan delivered the project on time and in budget and built us an amazing family home. I would thoroughly recommend Ryan to anybody considering his company.
All carpentry work undertaken .door hanging.internal& external. Firedoors . Cut&pitch roofing. All makes of kitchens fitted wren magnets&howdens etc.bespoke wall panelling to suit any room.complete bathroom/wetrooms including plumbing& tiling..flooring enginered or laminate fitted ..all building work undertaken from extensions to rooms in roof supplying all other trades needed ..over 35yrs experiance..always polite and friendly .no job to big or small ..covering all over essex
Andy arrived bang on time having kept in touch between booking the job and actually doing the work. He was thorough, professional and pleasant. He took the time needed to do the job well and made any adjustments requested as he went along. I would certainly use him again and would recommend him to anyone.
P&B Interiors
I requested a painting job with a number of different colours, and other extra requests. They did a great job, they were very swift, and they left the place immaculately tidy. Can really recommend them
We are a professional, trustworthy, friendly and reliable team who pride on delivering high standards of all Gardening services. All Private and Commercial work Undertaken. Contact Us Now For free estimates and competitive rates with a 1st class service !
I received a fast response to my advertisement. This was backed up with a reliable and efficient service.
We believe that the level of service you will receive from us is second to none. We are really passionate about customer satisfaction. Our staff are trained, experienced, insured and hard working!
Did Exactly what we discussed and at the agreed price was quick and efficient
CARPENTRY & JOINERY, PAINTING & DECORATING, ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING, KITCHEN & BATHROOM INSTALLATION, MINOR EXTENSION & CONVERSION PROJECTS, INTERIOR & EXTERIOR, DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL. FULLY QUALIFIED IN MULTIPLE TRADES. FULLY COMPREHENSIVELY INSURED.
I would highly recommend A J Beardmore property care. Mr Beardmore came promptly to give me a quote which I was happy to accept. He fitted my job in to suit me and his work was to a very high standard. I have no hesitation in recommending him at all.
i recently used loft logic to fit an internal oak door and hinges. i needed the door fitted asap,mr woolfe,arrived promtly,the following day after making contact. he fitted the door and hinges,exactly as required, the final price for the job was exactly as quoted. i would not hesitate to use loft logic for any future carpentry,and will be recommending them to friends and family.
Wise property service is a business which we have years of experience. We specialise in internal and external work like carpentry, kitchen fitting, timber flooring, tiling, bathroom fitting, painting, fencing, decking, maintenance, roofing and more.
One of the best trades people ive come across, honest, reliable, well priced. Would definitely recommend hiring him.
Absolutely Wasted Ltd provide Waste clearance & collection services in Northamptonshire & The Midlands. Our services cover all aspects of waste management, see our dedicated web pages for more information.
Excellent service. Adam knew I was busy and managed to squeeze me in a day earlier than planned when he had a slot open up. Very friendly and helpful, walked around house and took exactly what I wanted. They even swept my garden when finished. A+ recommended, will be using again when I have my bathroom and kitchen ripped out.
Professional and efficient Property Maintenance Services, tailor made approach & inspections on a regular basis. Our business is fully insured and all of our personal are experienced, checked and vetted. If you are not happy - we are not happy either!
Highly recommended
we are a family run business whom have been in the trade for over 25 years, we pride ourselves on customer service and doing the job right. we cover all aspects of building work from full house build to putting up a shelf. .
James was fantastic, we brought him in to decorate our new house, he did a brilliant job, and also helped out on some other problems we had with the house. Would highly recommend, reliable professional and a nice bloke as well.
Your Local Mainteance Team Ltd based in Horley , Surrey. We are a small but friendly team who will come out and give you a free quote. No job to small! Repairs, Drains, Concreting, fencing, brick work Gardening etc. And all roofing new and Repairs
Top draw
At Custom Carpentry & Construction we offer all aspects of carpentry and refurbishment services from Kitchen installations to full refurbishments we cover it all. what sets us off from the rest is our bespoke carpentry services that can be tailored to suit any need. we pride ourselves on our professional approach and customer satisfaction is a priority.
Fantastic job done by Joe and the team. Reliable, quality work. Having major building work and having a new kitchen fitted can be really stressful but Joe's professional approach made it much less so. Our Kitchen looks fantastic. Highly recommended.
Experienced builder NEW TO RATED PEOPLE ???? Hi everyone. I’m Mitch, I’ve been in the trade since leaving school. I am a general builder that specialises in timber work. I do most jobs from small jobs like laminate flooring all the way upto 2 storey extensions. For the larger jobs I have a reliable team of builders including electricians, plumbers and bricklayers. We are happy to quote anything, bespoke is my passion. If you can’t get someone to build it, we can! Please feel free to browse photos of my work, I will try upload a little bit of everything. If you don’t see a photo of a job your asking for, feel free to contact me and I’m sure I will be able to show you examples of my work in that area. Friendly team of lads aging between 18 and 66! We look forward to working with you. P.s as mention above we are new to rated trades and as such have decades of experience, thousands of builds under our belts but alas, no rating on here. Any and all feedback will be most welcome. Stay safe everyone and see you on the job!
Mitch did an amazing job would definitely employ him again
I have over 15 years experience in the building trade. I am a damp proof specialist covering rising damp, penetration damp, condensation and mould control. I offer a 10 year guarentee for all damp work and will provide a certificate. I am a approved contractor in EWI insulated render and krend. I cover most trades using honest and reliable tradesman. I take great pride in my work and will always make sure your left 100% satisfied with the work.
Jay is such a breath of fresh air! 5 star communication and 5 star know-how and work quality. Do yourself a favour and if you are unsure who to offer your job to, choose him!! I came to RatedPeople after trying a few other sites and having had a number of people come to quote. Some wanted to turn a straight-forward job into a major task and others didn’t inspire me with confidence. Jay has a down-to-earth, flexible and honest approach and we are beyond happy we found him ????
The business offers a wide range of construction and renovation services for residential and commercial properties. With more than 10 years experience we offer a reliable and friendly service. We specialise in, but are not limited to: Metal staircases Cavity wall insulation Cellar and basement conversions Cladding Conservatory construction, Garage conversions Garden office and studio construction Groundwork and foundations Home improvements House extensions Loft conversions We also do log cabins and timber framed building, partition wall installation, porch and canopy construction, steel fabrication and structural steelwork, suspended ceiling installation, underfloor insulation, underpinning, piling and foundation work, and wooden staircase construction. Overall we provide full range of construction services for the needs of any customer. Please contact us for a free quotation.
Good work, clean and efficient.
MH Landscapes cover all aspects of landscape and design no matter how big or small, we do it all , Artificial Turf, Real Turf, Block Paving, Driveways, flagging, decking,Fencing,brick work, Natural stone cladding , all quotes are free. We are wirral based and cover 60 mile radius. We can supply our customers with a plan hand drawn to scale once booked in for works.
Ian at MH Landscapes offered a very competitive quote for a garden landscaping job. Not the cheapest quote I received, but felt he understood best the work required & would finish the job to the highest standard. 100% the right decision. The paving itself looks superb, the cleanup and general level of care was good and the attention to detail fantastic. The whole job only took 2 days. Completely hassle free- highly recommended A*****
Excellent work...would highly reccomend
Hello and welcome to Right time paving with our team and years of experience you can be confident we can handle your project efficiently and at value for money prices..contact for Free now MY ADVICE:if a job is worth doing get us! if not.get someone else.
Patio and fencing, Wayne was very contentious of our requirements, work was completed quickly and professionally to a high standard. Snagging was handled sympathetically. Highly recommended.
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