Rebuilds in vogue Trend of starting afresh trumping lengthy renos

BURLEIGH Waters, Miami, Mermaid Waters and Sanctuary Cove are among Gold Coast suburbs where homebuyers are bulldozing rundown dwellings in favour of flash new builds.

A “knockdown rebuild” is often more cost effective than a complicated and lengthy renovation, according to Porter Davis Homes consultant Allyson Lente.

“Knockdown rebuilds allow you to keep equity in your land without having to pay stamp duty or other associated selling costs,” she said.

“We see a number of current residents in these areas looking to upgrade on the plot of land they already own but also new buyers moving into the area by purchasing older homes to rebuild their dream home on the land.

“They offer residents the chance to live close to beautiful Gold Coast beaches and a number of local amenities.”

Ms Lente said buyers should consider how close the block was to water and the slope before embarking on a knockdown rebuild.

She said an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living was a popular design trend, with large entertaining areas to enjoy the Coast’s weather all year round.

Gold Coast golden girl and popular TV presenter Liz Cantor recently moved into her new build at Miami.

The Channel 7 presenter and her husband Ryan Lysaught had to go to extraordinary lengths to find the perfect block to build their family house.

After struggling to find a vacant block to build on, they decided to buy an older home at Miami to knock down.

“I remember saying to Ryan, ‘I’m no mathematician and I’m sure there must be a catch, but I’ve been looking at the Metricon new home prices and I actually think it would be cheaper to buy an old home, knock it down and build new’,” she said.

Paul Harms, a builder who runs Gold Coast business PJH Constructions, has extensive experience in new builds around Burleigh Heads and Burleigh Waters.

As well as building for clients, he has built houses for his own family in both suburbs.

One was in Burleigh Heads’ Koala Park, where Mr Harms and wife Nicky (right) bought a rundown house in 2016 with a plan to knock down the house and subdivide the block.

The pair sold their first Koala Park build in 2017 and are now in the process of selling their second – named the Loft House – at 9 Guyra Dve.

“It’s all about the location,” Mr Harms said. “You’re close to Burleigh Heads, you have the beautiful walk that wraps around the headland and there’s one of the best surf beaches in Queensland.”

The house, designed by Bianca Gemmill of BCG Building Design, has an array of luxury features including a loft bedroom, timber staircase, butler’s pantry and pool .

For more on the Loft House, see the Real Estate magazine in today’s Gold Coast Bulletin.