Drafting in Sydney: Should I renovate or demolish Part 4 - Regulations

Have the boundary regulations changed?

Within Sydney, the regulations can varied a lot depending on which region you are in. Some councils provide more flexibility than others depending on the nature of the local area, the demand and supply, the populations, the overall space. In some instances, you can’t knock a house down and build afresh in the exact same position.

The regulations that determine how far from the boundary of a property you can build may have changed since the original house went up many years ago. While it might have originally been acceptable to build a house right up close to any given boundary of the property, however this is now very rare to many council's regulations. Setbacks played an important role to many design (both extensions, renovation and rebuild). Floor space ratio (the amount of habitual space you can build) and Landscape ratio (the amount of landscape you required) also become part of the "building game" for many new building work. 

If for instance, your local council has a relatively strict control over what you can/cannot do, it may be worth to retain the existing footprint of the building building and do a "renovation" instead of a complete rebuild. Check with the local council, and with your residential drafting service team to see the potentials and limitations.