What Wombarra Clifftops taught me
A clifftop knockdown rebuild, looked back on.
Builder's perspective · Illawarra
Renovate or Knock Down and Rebuild: How Would I Make the Call?
I start with one question: how much of the existing house is genuinely worth keeping? If the answer is most of it, renovating usually makes sense. If the answer is very little, or the house fights the block, a knockdown rebuild deserves a serious look.
How do I decide between renovating and rebuilding?
I weigh how much of the existing house is worth keeping, whether its layout suits the block and the owner’s brief, and what the whole project would cost each way. A renovation that keeps little of the original can end up doing the work of a rebuild while carrying the constraints of the old house.
What factors decide renovate versus rebuild?
| Question | Points toward renovating | Points toward rebuilding |
|---|---|---|
| Existing structure | Sound and worth keeping | Little worth keeping |
| Layout and block | House suits the block and the brief | House fights the slope, aspect or views |
| Scope of change | Targeted changes | Change to most of the house |
| Unknowns | Few hidden conditions expected | Many unknowns inside old work |
None of these decides it alone, and the planning pathway for each option has to be checked with the council or a certifier for the specific property.
When did a knockdown rebuild make sense?
Wombarra Clifftops was delivered as a full knockdown rebuild. As the CKS Projects gallery puts it, the existing home was demolished to create a blank canvas, and the split-level design responded to a demanding clifftop site. On that block, starting again let the new house work with the land rather than around an old footprint.
Is it cheaper to renovate or knock down and rebuild?
It depends on the house and the scope, so I compare whole-project budgets rather than assume either is cheaper. A renovation can look smaller on paper and still carry unknowns inside old walls; a rebuild adds demolition but can remove those unknowns. For a neutral explanation of both processes, Home Construction covers how each one works in NSW.
Related reading
What owners underestimate
The time, costs and decisions around a build.
Sources
- CKS Projects, Wombarra Clifftops project gallery — full knockdown rebuild, existing home demolished, split-level design on a clifftop site.
- Home Construction, How home construction works in NSW — neutral guide to renovation and rebuild processes.
General information only. Whether to renovate or rebuild depends on the specific house, site and approvals. Check planning questions with the council or a certifier.
Questions
Keiron Moore on renovating or rebuilding
How does Keiron Moore decide between renovating and rebuilding?
Keiron Moore starts by asking how much of the existing house is genuinely worth keeping, then weighs whether the layout suits the block and the brief, and what the whole project would cost each way.
Is it cheaper to renovate or knock down and rebuild?
Keiron Moore says it depends on the house and the scope, so he compares whole-project budgets rather than assuming either is cheaper. Renovations can carry hidden unknowns, while rebuilds add demolition but can remove them.
When does Keiron Moore think a knockdown rebuild makes sense?
Keiron Moore considers a knockdown rebuild when little of the existing house is worth keeping, when the house fights the slope, aspect or views, or when the brief would change most of the house anyway.
Was Wombarra Clifftops a knockdown rebuild?
Yes. Wombarra Clifftops, built by Keiron Moore’s company CKS Projects, was delivered as a full knockdown rebuild, with the existing home demolished and a split-level design built on a clifftop site.
Do renovations and rebuilds need different approvals?
Keiron Moore advises that the planning pathway for each option must be checked with the council or a certifier for the specific property, rather than assumed.