Knockdown Rebuild Canberra

A knockdown rebuild lets you demolish your existing Canberra home and build a custom new dwelling on the same block. You keep your land, your street and your suburb. You replace the house with one designed precisely for how you live.

For many Canberra homeowners, it is the option that makes the most sense. The inner suburbs have outstanding land. The houses on that land are often 40 to 60 years old, poorly insulated, badly oriented and expensive to renovate well. A knockdown rebuild resolves all of that in one project.

What is a knockdown rebuild?

Knockdown rebuild is exactly what it sounds like. The existing dwelling is demolished. A new custom home is built on the same block. You deal with one builder from demolition planning through to handover.

You do not change land title. You do not move suburbs. You do not pay stamp duty on a new property. The block is yours. You simply replace what sits on it.

This is different from buying a house-and-land package, where a developer picks the block and a standard design goes on top. With a knockdown rebuild, the design is built around your specific block - its orientation, its setbacks, its existing trees and slope, and the character of the street.

Their work ethic, the trust they foster, and their thorough understanding of what makes a house a home, sets them apart.

Adam, Holder

Is a knockdown rebuild right for you?

A knockdown rebuild is not right for every property or every situation. Here are the four scenarios where it makes the most sense.

Your home has serious structural issues. Reactive clay movement, failing footings, widespread asbestos, or a roof that needs full replacement can push renovation costs past the point of good return. When the remediation bill approaches the cost of a new build, starting fresh delivers a better result for similar money.

Your land value has grown past your house value. In suburbs like Ainslie, Griffith, Dickson, O'Connor and Yarralumla, residential blocks routinely sell for $700,000 to well over a million dollars. When the land is worth that much and the house adds little to the equation, a knockdown rebuild makes clear financial sense.

You love the suburb but not the house. Moving would cost stamp duty, agent fees and the loss of the community you have built your life in. A knockdown rebuild lets you stay exactly where you want to be.

Renovation costs are approaching rebuild costs. A thorough renovation of an older Canberra home - structural work, asbestos removal, full re-wiring, new plumbing, new finishes throughout - can easily reach $400,000 to $600,000 or more. At that level, a new build can deliver a superior result with no compromises on layout, orientation or energy performance.

What we build

Rentoule Projects builds custom homes on your existing block. We do not sell catalogue designs. Your home is designed around your specific site, your family's daily patterns and the character of your street.

That means thinking carefully about sun access in winter, how the kitchen opens to the outdoor area, where bedrooms sit relative to the street, and how the facade responds to the neighbourhood. Every design decision gets made with purpose before a slab is poured.

We work with architects and building designers to get documentation right before construction starts. Matt Ivanoff, our site manager, manages day-to-day construction progress and is your primary contact on site. Alex Edwards, our project coordinator, handles scheduling, approvals and client communication throughout the build. Jeff Rentoule oversees every project at the contract level and is available for any issue that requires his direct involvement.

The knockdown rebuild process

A knockdown rebuild follows a clear sequence. Here is how a project runs when you build with Rentoule Projects.

1. Initial consultation. We walk the block together, talk through your brief and give you an honest view of what is achievable and what it is likely to cost. No obligations at this stage.
2. Design and documentation. Working with your chosen architect or building designer, we develop plans that meet ACT planning requirements and are priced accurately before lodgement. We review documentation throughout this phase to ensure buildability.
3. Development Application. Most knockdown rebuilds require a DA lodged with ACT Planning. We advise on what is needed, review the application before lodgement, and manage queries from the planning authority. Separate demolition approval is also required before the existing home can be removed.
4. Demolition. Once approvals are in place, the existing home is demolished and all waste is removed from site. For homes built before 1985, a licensed asbestos assessor must inspect the property before demolition begins. Any asbestos-containing materials are removed by a licensed removalist before general demolition proceeds.
5. Construction. Your new home is built under a fixed-price contract. The price you sign is the price you pay, subject only to variations you choose to make during the build.
6. Handover. We complete a thorough defects inspection before keys are handed over. Your new home comes with full builder's warranty under ACT legislation.

They finished on time and within budget. We highly recommend Jeff for any renovation project.

Mark, Griffith

Knockdown rebuild costs in Canberra

A quality custom home in Canberra typically costs between $3,500 and $5,500 or more per square metre, depending on size, specification and site conditions. A compact two-storey home sits toward the lower end of that range. A larger home with high-end finishes, a challenging block or significant site works will sit higher.

On top of build cost, allow for demolition, asbestos testing and removal where required, design and documentation fees, DA application fees, site works, and temporary accommodation during the build. A rough guide: total project costs across all these items typically fall in the range of 15 to 25 per cent above the base build cost, depending on your site and design complexity.

Fixed-price contracts matter here. When total project investment runs into the high hundreds of thousands or more, an open-ended cost estimate creates real financial exposure. Rentoule Projects provides fixed-price building contracts that set every construction cost before work begins. We do not use loose provisional sums or vague allowances to make initial quotes look more attractive.

ACT planning considerations

Development Application

Most knockdown rebuilds in Canberra require a Development Application lodged with ACT Planning. The new dwelling is treated as new development on your Crown Lease block, not as exempt or complying development. Processing times vary but typically run three to six months for a straightforward residential DA. Complex sites, heritage precincts or non-standard designs may take longer.

A pre-DA meeting with ACT Planning is strongly recommended before finalising your design. This is a formal consultation where you can confirm requirements, identify potential issues, and get written advice on what the planning authority expects to see in the application. It costs a modest fee and can save significant time and expense in the DA process.

Demolition approval

A separate demolition approval is required before any demolition work can begin. This is distinct from the building approval for the new home. The demolition approval confirms that site conditions, including asbestos management, tree protection and waste disposal, will be handled according to ACT requirements.

Build approval

Once the DA is approved, a Building Approval (also called a Construction Certificate in some jurisdictions) is required before construction can begin. This confirms that the proposed building complies with the National Construction Code and relevant ACT standards. The building surveyor who issues this approval also conducts mandatory inspections at key stages during construction.

Crown Lease conditions

Your ACT Crown Lease sets out what can be built on your block. Most residential leases allow a single dwelling, which suits a standard knockdown rebuild. If you are considering a dual occupancy or secondary residence as part of your rebuild, the Crown Lease may need to be varied first. We advise on this during the initial consultation.

Heritage and character areas

Portions of inner Canberra suburbs including Griffith, Yarralumla, Red Hill and parts of the inner north fall under heritage or character overlay zones. If your block sits within one of these areas, additional planning controls apply. Material choices, setbacks, building height and facade design may be subject to specific requirements. Demolition of a heritage-listed individual dwelling is generally not permitted. A heritage consultant assessment may be required as part of the DA.

The project was completed on time and the final result exceeded all my expectations. The quality of the work was top-notch, and the entire team was a pleasure to work with - friendly, transparent, and on site when they said they would be.

Penny, Weetangera

Suburbs we work in

Rentoule Projects works across Canberra's inner suburbs and surrounds. Knockdown rebuild projects are most common in established suburbs where land is valuable and housing stock is ageing. We regularly work in:

Ainslie, Braddon, Bruce, Campbell, Curtin, Deakin, Dickson, Downer, Garran, Griffith, Holder, Hughes, Holt, Isaacs, Kaleen, Kambah, Kingsford Smith, Latham, Lyneham, Macgregor, Macquarie, Monash, O'Connor, Page, Pearce, Red Hill, Reid, Rivett, Scullin, Spence, Theodore, Turner, Watson, Weetangera, Weston, Yarralumla.

If your suburb is not on that list, get in touch. We assess projects on their merits and work across the ACT.