Why Epping suits a rebuild
Epping is one of the better connected suburbs in northern Sydney. Heavy rail, the Metro, the motorway and some of the most sought after schools in the city, which is why families arrive and then do not leave.
The houses have not kept pace with that. A large share of Epping’s stock was built well before any of this infrastructure existed, on blocks that are now worth considerably more than the buildings sitting on them. That gap between what the land is worth and what the house is worth is the whole reason knockdown rebuilds dominate activity here.
The rebuild question, answered honestly
Past a certain scope, renovating stops being better value than starting again. A useful rule of thumb: once a major structural renovation approaches 60 percent of the cost of building new, rebuilding usually wins, and you end up with a home engineered for the next thirty years instead of a compromise built around walls you could not afford to move.
Older homes also carry the risks you cannot see until you open them up. Asbestos, wiring, plumbing, footings and frames that were fine in their day. On a rebuild those unknowns leave the project entirely.
We will price both paths if it helps you decide. A builder who only renovates will always recommend renovating.
What we build in Epping
Knockdown rebuilds
Demolition, site preparation, construction and the landscaping that finishes the block, managed by one team. You keep the street, the schools and the neighbours, and replace the house.
Custom homes
New homes designed around how your household actually lives rather than a display village floor plan. We limit how many projects we take on each year so each one gets our director’s attention from first quote through to handover.
Pools
Designed with the house rather than squeezed in afterwards, so levels, drainage and the outlook from the living areas resolve together. See how we design and build concrete pools.
Gardens and outdoor living
Structural landscaping is the work this business was built on, and it is what stops a new home sitting in dirt for a year after handover. Gardens, retaining and outdoor rooms under the same contract.
Blocks around here are rarely flat
Plenty of Epping blocks have fall, established trees, or a battleaxe approach that decides what machinery can reach the back. Those are the things that move a budget, and they are far better understood before a design is locked than after.
Our nearest completed work is the Pennant Hills pool, a job where access was the entire problem: the pool shell went in before the house was built because getting machinery in afterwards would not have been possible. That is the kind of thinking a constrained block needs early rather than late.
How a build works with us
Start with a conversation. An intro call, then a site visit. We look at your block, listen to the brief and give you a straight early read on scope and budget.
Design and approvals. We do not draw the plans or lodge the approvals, but we stay involved through that stage so what comes out of it is something we can actually build to budget.
A detailed, fixed quote. Inclusions spelt out line by line. We price what is documented and flag the gaps other builders price around, so the number you sign is the number you build to.
The build. Our director runs the site from start to handover, and you deal with him throughout. We limit how many projects we take on each year, which is why we can promise that.
Why a director led boutique builder?
- The person who quoted your project is the person running the site
- Home, pool and landscaping under one contract, one point of responsibility
- HIA NSW Finalists 2018, 2019 & 2023
- 20+ years building across Sydney, with a 5 star Google rating
Common questions
How long does the whole process take?
The front end depends on design and approvals. We do not draw the plans or lodge the approvals, but we stay involved through that stage so what comes out of it is something we can actually build to budget. Once there are approved plans you get a construction program with the quote, and we tell you early if something starts tracking off it rather than at the end.
Do we need to move out?
For a knockdown rebuild, yes, from demolition through to handover. It is worth putting rent in the budget from the start, and it is one of the numbers we raise in the first conversation rather than letting it surface once you are committed.
Should we rebuild or renovate?
Once a major structural renovation approaches 60 percent of the cost of building new, rebuilding usually wins. Older homes also carry hidden risks that a rebuild removes entirely. We build new homes for a living, so ask us for both numbers and make the call with real figures rather than a guess.
Do you build on battleaxe and sloping blocks?
Regularly. Slope, tight access and awkward geometry are problems to plan around rather than dealbreakers, and they are the projects we tend to enjoy most. Bring us the block other builders have been vague about.
Get in touch
Call 02 8014 8962 or email enquiry@refinedgroup.com.au. Or start with a no pressure intro call with our director.
