ᐅ Demolition: Are there any considerations regarding new construction?

Hello!

We currently have a small, fully basemented house from the 1960s standing on about 800 m² (8,600 sq ft) of land. We are in the process of clearing it out and have scheduled meetings with demolition contractors in the next few days to get an idea of what preparations are needed and an estimate of the costs. The house will be completely demolished, and a new build will follow.

We have not yet decided on a final architect, but we are considering going ahead with the demolition first and starting the planning of the new build afterwards.

Questions:
1) Is this approach sensible?
2) Is there anything related to the demolition that should be considered, which might be relevant for the new build or the architect?
3) Should I involve the architect already during the demolition phase?

Thank you.

You need a building permit / planning permission.
Find a reliable demolition contractor who separates materials carefully. If this is not done properly, disposal costs will be significantly higher.
Have all utility connections canceled and disconnected.
Ideally, the plan and permit for the new construction should already be in place. This way, the earthworks can be carried out in one go.

Thank you! The permit is clear, and proper disposal is also arranged. I was more concerned about the process. It would definitely make sense to clarify first whether a basement will be included or not. Then the demolition contractor could also possibly handle filling the excavation.

I would involve an architect at this point. Do you want to keep the basement or fill it in?

Get some quotes; shredding debris can end up being more expensive than disposal and filling with imported material.

haydee schrieb:

Do you want to keep the basement or fill it in?

Either it will be filled in, or we will use the void. None of the old structure will be reused.

haydee schrieb:

Get quotes for shredding rubble; it can end up being more expensive than disposal and filling with imported material.

That's true. Processing on site is often a messy task and usually only pays off at an industrial scale.

What could be worthwhile, however, is transporting the rubble away and bringing building materials back on the return trip. That saves a few hours of truck time.