This may sound a little extreme, but more and more people are now seeing this as the perfect solution for a bigger, better version of what they already have.

The practice has long been common among large-scale developers, where it has been dubbed “erase-and-replace.” But today it is just as likely to be private home owners who decide to knock down their property and start again as opposed to just renovation or extending. From a numbers point of view it certainly seems to make sense, it can often cost more to extend or develop an existing property than to demolish it and re-build.

Another reason people may decide to knock down and re-build their home instead of selling up is that they love the plot of land that the property stands on and don’t want to leave it.

A major stumbling block can be planning permission of course, especially when it comes to the views of your neighbours! It is a good idea to develop a good working relationship with the planning officers at the local council and to involve them in plans and ideas from the onset. Two things that planning departments are interested in when considering applications are how will the property fit in with the look and feel of the neighbourhood and also how eco-friendly will it be. If you can prove the long term energy efficiency of the new build, it will stand you in good stead. For example when Arc Design Services applied for permission to knock down and rebuild an 1960’s house with the intention of replacing it with a leading edge polystyrene house in the local area, we listed the energy saving measures that were planned for the project such as a rainwater harvesting tank, solar panels on the roof to assist with hot water heating and a whole house ventilation system. All these features helped to ensure a smooth planning process.

So if you love the plot of land that your house stands on, but have fallen out of love with your house itself, then speak to us here at Arc Design Services and we can help you envisage what your dream house could look like and help you to build your ‘forever home.’