Hello.
I am new to this forum and need help with a rough estimate.
I have been looking for a house for quite some time, but most plots were too small or the houses too expensive, as almost all would have required extensive repairs that would exceed our budget.
Now, I have found a large, affordable plot with a small house on it (5 rooms, 115m² (1237 ft²), one and a half stories, built in 1963). It is in need of major renovation. Since the house is too small for our family anyway (we need 6 rooms and at least 140m² (1507 ft²)), we are considering demolishing the house and building a new one.
The issue is, first, that the house has a basement. If the new house is also supposed to have a basement, can the old basement be reused in some way, provided it is structurally sound? Or at least partially? Most model homes usually don’t have basements, and since we need to watch the costs, it would be practical if the existing basement could still be used.
What does demolition usually cost?
How much of the demolition work can you do yourself before a professional company is needed?
Regards,
Pollux
I am new to this forum and need help with a rough estimate.
I have been looking for a house for quite some time, but most plots were too small or the houses too expensive, as almost all would have required extensive repairs that would exceed our budget.
Now, I have found a large, affordable plot with a small house on it (5 rooms, 115m² (1237 ft²), one and a half stories, built in 1963). It is in need of major renovation. Since the house is too small for our family anyway (we need 6 rooms and at least 140m² (1507 ft²)), we are considering demolishing the house and building a new one.
The issue is, first, that the house has a basement. If the new house is also supposed to have a basement, can the old basement be reused in some way, provided it is structurally sound? Or at least partially? Most model homes usually don’t have basements, and since we need to watch the costs, it would be practical if the existing basement could still be used.
What does demolition usually cost?
How much of the demolition work can you do yourself before a professional company is needed?
Regards,
Pollux
D
Doc.Schnaggls17 Jan 2014 14:28Hello Pollux,
We were in the same situation last year, but we’ve made some progress since then – the demolition of “our” little house from 1953 is scheduled for the end of February.
We also considered either doing a complete renovation (which would have cost about the same as building new, since we would have added an extension) or at least keeping the basement.
Keeping the basement and building a new structure on top sounds appealing at first, but we quickly realized that our dream house doesn’t fit on the typical square basement (8 x 8m (26 x 26 ft)).
Additionally, we were advised by several sources against such a “patchwork” solution, because in case of moisture damage or cracks in the house, it would be quite difficult to prove to the builder that the basement isn’t to blame. Another factor is that the basement would have needed insulation to meet today’s energy standards.
Long story short: we decided to demolish completely and build brand new.
The cost of demolition is hard to estimate. We got various quotes and for a similarly sized house were between EUR 9,000.00 and EUR 32,000.00. These were all total prices including disposal. I think the only way to get a clear idea is to request individual offers in your area as well.
We didn’t choose the cheapest provider, but a company from the neighboring town – they are known to us and have a good reputation. We thought it was worth paying a bit more for that. It was very important to us that they gave us a fixed price quote. Many companies don’t do this; you get an offer, but somewhere in the fine print it says waste disposal costs are only estimated...
Doing some work yourself can be helpful, but it can also increase costs. For example, I was told that many materials generated during demolition can be reused and the demolition company can handle that. If these materials are removed by yourself, it will naturally get more expensive...
Where about is the house you want to demolish? Maybe I can help you with some concrete company recommendations.
Regards,
Dirk
We were in the same situation last year, but we’ve made some progress since then – the demolition of “our” little house from 1953 is scheduled for the end of February.
We also considered either doing a complete renovation (which would have cost about the same as building new, since we would have added an extension) or at least keeping the basement.
Keeping the basement and building a new structure on top sounds appealing at first, but we quickly realized that our dream house doesn’t fit on the typical square basement (8 x 8m (26 x 26 ft)).
Additionally, we were advised by several sources against such a “patchwork” solution, because in case of moisture damage or cracks in the house, it would be quite difficult to prove to the builder that the basement isn’t to blame. Another factor is that the basement would have needed insulation to meet today’s energy standards.
Long story short: we decided to demolish completely and build brand new.
The cost of demolition is hard to estimate. We got various quotes and for a similarly sized house were between EUR 9,000.00 and EUR 32,000.00. These were all total prices including disposal. I think the only way to get a clear idea is to request individual offers in your area as well.
We didn’t choose the cheapest provider, but a company from the neighboring town – they are known to us and have a good reputation. We thought it was worth paying a bit more for that. It was very important to us that they gave us a fixed price quote. Many companies don’t do this; you get an offer, but somewhere in the fine print it says waste disposal costs are only estimated...
Doing some work yourself can be helpful, but it can also increase costs. For example, I was told that many materials generated during demolition can be reused and the demolition company can handle that. If these materials are removed by yourself, it will naturally get more expensive...
Where about is the house you want to demolish? Maybe I can help you with some concrete company recommendations.
Regards,
Dirk
Thank you for the detailed response.
I had already assumed the basement wouldn’t be possible, but I was at least hoping to use a partial basement. Oh well. I just hope there won’t be any problems with the complete new construction since the lot is on a slope.
The house to be demolished is located in the Lippe district, in the very southwestern corner.
I had already assumed the basement wouldn’t be possible, but I was at least hoping to use a partial basement. Oh well. I just hope there won’t be any problems with the complete new construction since the lot is on a slope.
The house to be demolished is located in the Lippe district, in the very southwestern corner.
B
Bauexperte18 Jan 2014 00:06Pollux schrieb:
The issue is, first, that the house has a basement. Since the new house will ideally also have a basement, is it possible to somehow continue using the old basement (if it is structurally sound)? Or at least partially? Because most model homes usually don’t have basements, and since we need to watch costs, it would be really practical to be able to keep using the old basement. Do you have the structural report?
Whether you can use the existing basement fully or partly should be determined by a trusted building inspector or structural engineer; a documentation of condition procedure (Beweissicherungsverfahren) will also need to be initiated, otherwise no contractor will take on the job. If the existing basement is usable, don’t underestimate the connection costs to the new building as well!
Pollux schrieb:
How much does demolition usually cost? That’s difficult to estimate since no one knows what materials were used in the original structure.
Pollux schrieb:
How much of the demolition could I realistically do myself before needing a company? Every demolition contractor tries to salvage part of the demolition materials. If they can reuse or resell a lot with profit, the price for you as the client may decrease. Conversely, if you do a lot of the work yourself, you will likely end up paying more overall.
Regards, Bauexperte
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