Rebuilding after demolishing question

[dustyb]

We've just had a look at a house which needs a full renovation but was thinking, maybe, it might be better to demolish it and start again. This will be my first question on the forum so be gentle🙂. If you wanted to actually build the property yourself and time wasn't a problem but price would be, which method would you look at. There seems to be 6 different ways on this forum (sips,blockwork,timberframe,steelframe etc) so any advice from anyone who has built one way but regretted it would be interested.

[Post and beam]

Depends on your skill level, physical ability to climb heights etc, attitude to risk. Also the size of building and the space/layout of the plot. Loads of other variables i'm sure but a little more detail would be good.

I didn't build mine, but i am very experienced at hitting 'buy now' . 

[dustyb]

Thank you for your reply. 

Skill level- jack of all trades, master of none. I don't mean that to sound flippant but have done a few small renovations in the past. Not scared to have a go, have always had a problem letting someone else do a job for me, cause I can't justify the cost.

Will probably want to replace the house (bungalow) with another bungalow or maybe chalet bungalow due to height of neighbouring properties.

Will probably be the start of a long journey but at the moment I'm wanting to do some research on construction methods used by self builders who actually did build it themselves

[G and J]

Not me, but G, and not finished, but have a look at our blog......demolished bungalow and timber frame build

[jack]

Welcome to the forum.

 

In your situation, I'd consider insulated concrete formwork (ICF). Excellent structural and thermal performance, and good results are possible even with minimal building experience (although I'm sure it helps a lot if you're generally "handy"). Many of the big formwork suppliers run training programmes for self builders.

Google search of BuildHub for 'ICF': https://www.google.com/search?q=icf+site%3Abuildhub.org.uk

 

Personally, I'd stay away from SIPs. No-one ever posts about how great their experience was building with them, and plenty have had serious problems.  

[Nestor]

39 minutes ago, dustyb said:

Not scared to have a go, have always had a problem letting someone else do a job for me, cause I can't justify the cost.

Had some very minor domestic renovation experience but achieved possibly 90% of our self build.

Paid professionals for electrics, plaster skimming, ASHP, window installation and screed.

It is doable, time, money, quality consideration.

3 years before we moved in and 6 years later fitting final architrave ready for repainting!!

Has been an amazing experience, learnt so much and the amazing contributions from Buildhub.

My Dad, 75 years at the time helped me with the stick build.

Would look at other build methods in the future.

Edited yesterday at 10:01 by Nestor

[Russell griffiths]

If you want to do as much as possible yourself then I think there’s a few options. 
icf you can do everything yourself 

timber kit, get that put up and then finish it yourself 

timber built on site, you will probably need a couple of carpenters to help

brick block cavity you will need a bricklaying gang. 
 

will also depend if you have a large chunk of cash up front, timber frame erected on site will probably be the heaviest up front cost. 
 

icf has a large up front cost, but probably 20% of a timberframe then you can drip feed cash into it. 
 

brick n block lowest up front cost but large weekly payments for labour. 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, jack said:

Welcome to the forum.

 

In your situation, I'd consider insulated concrete formwork (ICF). Excellent structural and thermal performance, and good results are possible even with minimal building experience (although I'm sure it helps a lot if you're generally "handy"). Many of the big formwork suppliers run training programmes for self builders.

Google search of BuildHub for 'ICF': https://www.google.com/search?q=icf+site%3Abuildhub.org.uk

 

Personally, I'd stay away from SIPs. No-one ever posts about how great their experience was building with them, and plenty have had serious problems.  

Ditto. SIPS would be my last choice, but then I’d just go masonry and simplify.

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, dustyb said:

Not scared to have a go, have always had a problem letting someone else do a job for me, cause I can't justify the cost.

You’ll need to get over this aversion, but directing the right funds to the right people, at an appropriate and controlled time.
 

1 hour ago, dustyb said:

Will probably want to replace the house (bungalow) with another bungalow or maybe chalet bungalow due to height of neighbouring properties.

Look to go 1.5 storeys as to build a bungalow is just such a waste of the same footprint. It’s not much more cost to put rooms in a roof, 2 birds with 1 stone afaic, so look at costing out both options. But for planning I’d go for the 1.5 storey first and see if it gets passed, as the long term resale value for an extra bedroom with ensuite upstairs would be significant, and may be somewhere where you can recover part of the overall investment (in equity).

 

Bungalows suck imo lol. Why use up a good piece of land to only utilise half the potentially habitable space??

[Roger440]

11 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

 

 

Bungalows suck imo lol. Why use up a good piece of land to only utilise half the potentially habitable space??

 

Depends if the land is valuable.

 

Id build a bungalow tommorow if i could. But my land is near worthless...........

 

Oh, and one day we will be old and infirm

[Roger440]

12 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

If you want to do as much as possible yourself then I think there’s a few options. 
icf you can do everything yourself 

timber kit, get that put up and then finish it yourself 

timber built on site, you will probably need a couple of carpenters to help

brick block cavity you will need a bricklaying gang. 
 

will also depend if you have a large chunk of cash up front, timber frame erected on site will probably be the heaviest up front cost. 
 

icf has a large up front cost, but probably 20% of a timberframe then you can drip feed cash into it. 
 

brick n block lowest up front cost but large weekly payments for labour. 

 

How can you do ICF yourself. Not going to do the concrete!

[Roger440]

On 06/01/2026 at 15:02, dustyb said:

We've just had a look at a house which needs a full renovation but was thinking, maybe, it might be better to demolish it and start again. This will be my first question on the forum so be gentle🙂. If you wanted to actually build the property yourself and time wasn't a problem but price would be, which method would you look at. There seems to be 6 different ways on this forum (sips,blockwork,timberframe,steelframe etc) so any advice from anyone who has built one way but regretted it would be interested.

 

Though ive abandoned my self build aspirations, i spent a lot of time pondering.

 

If you are actually going to do it yourself, masonary or timber frame. That was my conclusion.

 

Does knocking down and rebuilding make economic sense? Id do it tommorow if i could, but the "non-building costs" and planning issues kill it completely.

[dustyb]

Thanks for all your replies so far. You've surprised me about sips but interesting that icf seems a popular choice as that has been recommended from elsewhere. Nestor, that is one beautiful home, you must be really proud.

Nickfromwales- I guess we are all getting older so there will always be a market for a bungalow, in my opinion, but understand your reasoning

G&J- will have a read of your blog

Roger440- I'm sure there are better people to answer the knocking down and starting again reason on here, which is why I've joined this forum

[Nick Laslett]

On 06/01/2026 at 15:02, dustyb said:

We've just had a look at a house which needs a full renovation but was thinking, maybe, it might be better to demolish it and start again. This will be my first question on the forum so be gentle🙂. If you wanted to actually build the property yourself and time wasn't a problem but price would be, which method would you look at. There seems to be 6 different ways on this forum (sips,blockwork,timberframe,steelframe etc) so any advice from anyone who has built one way but regretted it would be interested.

If price is your primary concern. Take a look at this channel doing an ICF Ecobrix build. 
 

https://www.youtube.com/@TurningRosemountUpsideDown

[Russell griffiths]

9 hours ago, Roger440 said:

 

How can you do ICF yourself. Not going to do the concrete!

Well the concrete comes in a ready mix truck, and you need to hire a pump to get it up to the top of the wall, but that’s about it. 
 

like saying you can’t put a timberframe up yourself because you haven’t got a crane. 

[Post and beam]

Our new house is a SIPs construction and i am very happy with it. This the only house i have ever had built or will ever build so have nothing to compare it against.

It is warm, draught free, straight square and true to dimensions.

 

There have been issues, mostly with Potton Homes but i do not regard these as related to the basic construction method.

 

On the subject of knock down & rebuild, there is a bungalow next door to us that is up for sale @ £500k for 662 square metres. It is non standard construction, single skin walls, tiny and poorly made. The foundations are not up to the job of adding a second floor.

All of the people that i have talked to that have come to view it have said that the only thing to do with it would be to remove it and build new. But, the asking price makes this non viable.

I guess this is likely to be the case with a lot of houses around the country.

[Roger440]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Well the concrete comes in a ready mix truck, and you need to hire a pump to get it up to the top of the wall, but that’s about it. 
 

like saying you can’t put a timberframe up yourself because you haven’t got a crane. 

 

Not really. Concrete work on that scale means a team of people and equipment. Thats not what id call DIY, though perfectly acceptable if you want to pay.

 

DIY concrete has many pitfalls for the unwary, and re-work is rather harder than with timber frame. I can do most things, but id not tackle ICF on a DIY basis.

[Roger440]

11 hours ago, dustyb said:

Thanks for all your replies so far. You've surprised me about sips but interesting that icf seems a popular choice as that has been recommended from elsewhere. Nestor, that is one beautiful home, you must be really proud.

Nickfromwales- I guess we are all getting older so there will always be a market for a bungalow, in my opinion, but understand your reasoning

G&J- will have a read of your blog

Roger440- I'm sure there are better people to answer the knocking down and starting again reason on here, which is why I've joined this forum

 

Indeed there are. Which is why when you suggested it, i took an interest, as, in my expeience its rare that it can fly financially.

 

Do keep us posted if you go down that route.

[Russell griffiths]

2 hours ago, Roger440 said:

 

Not really. Concrete work on that scale means a team of people and equipment. Thats not what id call DIY, though perfectly acceptable if you want to pay.

 

DIY concrete has many pitfalls for the unwary, and re-work is rather harder than with timber frame. I can do most things, but id not tackle ICF on a DIY basis.

Nope. 
I poured 27 cubic metres on our first pour with me and one helper. 
there was the owner operator of the pump working that, then just two of us using the vibrator and checking it was all plumb. 
 

Icf is very diy friendly 

your not pouring a flat house floor that needs to be within 3-5 mm tolerance 

 

your pouring wet concrete inside form work that you have already plumbed up

 

theres a good few on this forum that have done their own icf including the pours. 

[Roger440]

7 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Nope. 
I poured 27 cubic metres on our first pour with me and one helper. 
there was the owner operator of the pump working that, then just two of us using the vibrator and checking it was all plumb. 
 

Icf is very diy friendly 

your not pouring a flat house floor that needs to be within 3-5 mm tolerance 

 

your pouring wet concrete inside form work that you have already plumbed up

 

theres a good few on this forum that have done their own icf including the pours. 

 

Good work. Dont think i would try it.