Why the order matters
A knockdown rebuild has more moving parts than building on a vacant lot. You are living somewhere else for part of it, an old house has to come down safely, services have to be disconnected and reconnected, and the new home has to fit the planning controls of an established street. Knowing the sequence helps you line up finance, rent and your move at the right time.
This is the order most projects follow in NSW. How long each stage takes depends on the approval path, the season, the size of the home and how quickly selections are made — so we describe the steps rather than promise durations.
Step 1: Check the block
Start with a section 10.7 planning certificate from council. It shows the zoning and constraints such as flood or bush fire mapping, and it decides whether complying development is possible. Add a contour survey and a geotechnical (soil) report so the design and the price are based on the real site rather than assumptions.
At this stage it is also worth checking the title for easements and covenants, and finding out where the sewer and stormwater connections are. These details can decide where the new house can sit.
Step 2: Brief and concept design
Agree what you need: bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, storeys, garage and outdoor space, and how the home should face the sun and the street. Bring a realistic budget into the conversation now, not after the plans are drawn.
A concept plan tests whether the brief fits the block and the planning controls. This is also when to decide whether you want one home, or a duplex or a home plus granny flat if the block allows it.
Step 3: Price, inclusions and contract
Once the design is developed and the site investigations are done, the builder prices the home with site costs included. Review the inclusions list, every prime cost and provisional sum allowance, the exclusions and the progress payment schedule.
For work over $20,000 NSW requires a written contract, a deposit of no more than 10 percent, the Home Building Compensation Fund certificate before any payment, and a cooling-off period of five clear business days.
Step 4: Approval — CDC or DA
The plans, engineering and reports are lodged either as a complying development certificate with a certifier or council, or as a development application with council. NSW Planning says complying development approvals can be issued in as little as 20 days and cites an average of 70 days to determine a DA. Demolition is usually included in the same approval.
Selections — tiles, joinery, colours, appliances — are often finalised during approval so construction isn’t held up later.
Step 5: Move out and disconnect services
Arrange somewhere to live for the build and plan your move around the approval date rather than the contract date. Before demolition, electricity, gas, water and sewer are disconnected and capped through the network operators and Sydney Water. These are separate applications, and their timing can affect the start date.
Step 6: Asbestos removal and demolition
Many older Sydney homes contain asbestos-cement products. SafeWork NSW requires a licensed asbestos removalist for friable asbestos and for more than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos, and recommends a licensed professional for any amount. A hazardous materials inspection before demolition tells you what is there.
Once any asbestos is removed, the house, slab, driveways and outbuildings are demolished and the site is cleared and levelled for the new build.
Step 7: Construction
Building follows a set sequence, usually with a progress payment at the end of each stage: site set-out, piers and slab; frame, inspected before it is covered; lock-up, with roof, windows and external doors; fixing, with internal linings, joinery, tiling and fit-off; then practical completion and final inspections.
Weather affects the early stages most. Variations made during construction can extend the build, so lock in decisions before work starts where you can.
Step 8: Handover and warranty
At handover you receive the keys, the occupation certificate, warranty and insurance documents, and manuals for appliances and systems. Walk the home with the builder beforehand and agree a written defects list.
Under NSW home building compensation cover, icare lists up to six years from completion for major defects and up to two years for other defects, if the builder can’t rectify them because they are insolvent, deceased, have disappeared or have had their licence suspended for not complying with a money order.
Sources
NSW Planning Portal — Section 10.7 planning certificates: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/development-and-assessment/post-consent-certificates/online-section-107-planning-certificate-service
NSW Planning — Complying development: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/assess-and-regulate/development-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/complying-development
NSW Government — Contracts for residential building work: https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/building-or-renovating-a-home/preparing/contracts
SafeWork NSW — Asbestos: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/asbestos
icare — Home Building Compensation Fund, what we do: https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au/builders-and-homeowners/homeowners/what-we-do