Covering Comber
Alongside Comber, we also cover Newtownards, Holywood (7 miles to the north-west) and Belfast.
Homes in County Down
Across Northern Ireland you find city terraces, suburban semis and rural bungalows and farmhouses, so the right approach depends on the plot and the planning history.
What do you get with a knock down and rebuild?
We assess whether rebuilding is better value than extending and renovating, prepare the planning application for the replacement dwelling, manage the demolition notice and asbestos survey, then build the new home. The process runs much like a new build once the old house is cleared.
- Planning and building control applications to the council
- New foundations, structure and full fit-out
- Reconnection of services and landscaping
What will a knock down and rebuild cost?
Use these ranges to budget for knock down and rebuild; the survey turns them into a fixed price for the agreed specification.
| Knock down and rebuild | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Demolition and site clearance (total) | £15,000 to £35,000 |
| Rebuild, standard specification (per m²) | £2,100 to £2,600 per m² |
| Rebuild, good specification (per m²) | £2,600 to £3,100 per m² |
| Rebuild, high specification (per m²) | £3,100 to £3,700 per m² |
Do you need permission for a knock down and rebuild in Comber?
Projects in Northern Ireland need planning clearance from one of the eleven councils and building control approval, also from the council. The Party Wall etc. Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, so work near neighbours is agreed directly and documented carefully.
This needs full planning permission from the council in Northern Ireland, plus building control approval.
What should Comber homeowners check first?
- A replacement dwelling is usually zero-rated for VAT where the old house is demolished completely to ground level.
- You will need somewhere to live for most of a year.
What are the steps?
- Send us the details. Give us a postcode, a rough idea of size and some photos, by phone, form or the guide price tool.
- Site visit. We walk the plot or existing house, look at access, levels, services and boundaries, and talk through what could be built.
- Price and paperwork. The design is priced line by line, and we submit the planning and building control applications.
- Construction and completion. One site lead co-ordinates every trade through to the building control certificate.
Knock down and rebuild: common questions
Is it cheaper to knock down and rebuild or renovate?
It depends on the existing house. Where a house needs major structural work and a large extension, rebuilding can be similar cost and gives a better result. We compare both at feasibility.
Is VAT charged on a knock down and rebuild?
Usually not on the new house, if the old one is demolished completely and the new building is a qualifying dwelling.
Can you visit a house in Comber to quote?
Yes. After a short call we arrange a site visit to measure up and agree what the design needs to do, then send a written price.
Knock down and rebuild in nearby towns
- Knock down and rebuild in Newtownards
- Knock down and rebuild in Holywood
- Knock down and rebuild in Belfast
- Knock down and rebuild in Bangor
Learn more about knock down and rebuild, or see every project we cover in Comber.

