If you want to create your ideal home, the first thing you need to do is find a plot. Sometimes you may get lucky and find the perfect piece of land ready to develop. In some cases though, there may already be a structure on it. These are known as replacement plots. Before you can proceed, you may need to demolish the current structure. As some of the top architects London has, we want to take a closer look at what to do here.

Is demolition necessary?

The best option with any plot is to minimise demolition and save as much of the building as possible. It is better for the environment because you can save resources and won’t release the stored carbon. Your bank balance will also thank you.

However, there are many situations where demolition is the only option. For example, the current structure may be beyond the point where it is safe or economical to improve it. Or it could be that it is too small, has the wrong placement, or has a very bad design.

Costs

The first thing to look at here is the cost. This will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of the property, the type of materials, waste disposal and transport, accessibility, and the plant/labour needs.

However, there are several things you can do to reduce the cost. One of them is to salvage as many materials as possible. A lot of the resources will have salvage value, so you can sell them to offset some of the cost. This can also save items from landfill. If you can resuse materials on your own development, it can save you money too. You can do this by reusing existing service connections too.

Timeframe

Demolishing an existing structure can add a lot of time to a project. The exact number of days will depend on things like the scale and complexity of the property.

There can also be a number of things that add to the timeframe. For example, a project can take much longer if you need to support other structures during the work. This could be a neighbouring building if it is a semi-detached home.

Any specialist work can also add considerable time to a job. One of the worst is asbestos removal. If it is present in the property, you will likely not be able to proceed until there has been a full risk assessment and survey. Even then, you need to arrange professional removal and disposal of the material before anything else.

Talk to the most reliable architects in London

Coffey Architects is a great team to work with regardless of the type of project you have in mind. We can oversee everything and provide the best designs for any kind of plot. Most importantly, you can rely on us to provide ideas if you need to demolish any part of a property.

So, get in touch today and go over your plans with some of the best architects London can offer. We are the perfect people to entrust your project to.