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then you need to ask yourself what is deemed by "attractive". your 2M estimate based on less than $400psf is because of the calculation of 3.5 storey. based on 2000sqf foot print, the potential built up for 3.5 storey is almost 7000 sqf hence the cost. I think most design and build contractors will exclude all those items. But if you go through an architect to project manage for you, these items can all be part of the tender requirements so contractors will have to quote for them as well. whether a semi-d or detached will be of higher value will depends on your location. you can do a quick search for any properties currently being sold around your area and see how much they are being sold for. comparison criteria would be houses with same number of storey with similar land size and age. construction cost is always going to go up due to inflation and such. So if there is a compelling reason now for you to rebuild and this reason will still be there 5 or 10 years down the road, then you might as well do it now rather than later. at least you will have more years to enjoy the house by doing it earlier. I would suggest you discuss with your partner on what are your long term plans esp the lifestyle after retirement. I think most of us who have kids would like to have at least one kid eventually staying with us even after they get married even though the kids may think otherwise. So if you rebuilt your house to a 7000 sqf house but end up only 2 pax staying there, would you want to stay in an empty house? or are you contented with the size of the current house which may still be big for 2 pax but still manageable. But if the house is going to be your home till you grow old, does the infrastructure allow you to move around easily? we all will grow old and if unfortunately if our legs decided not to work well in future, will we be able to climb up and down the stairs daily if there's no lift in the house? There can be 1001 questions to be asked but these can only be asked and answered by you and your partner. In short, the answers to your plans 15 or 20 years down the road will give you the answer to whether to take the plunge today to rebuilt the house.

if there is an intention to flip, then you need to plan out your timeline. landed houses prices will usually go up in the long run. back in late 2000s, an inter-terrace can be bought for 700k+. When the property prices spikes through to 2014, inter-terrace prices were averaging for around 2M. Even though prices came down by about 10% (experts were harping 20% drops) after 2014 till 1st quarter 2017, the prices are still way higher than late 2000s. Today, an inter-terrace starting price is from 2.5M up. My reference is around where I'm currently staying and all based on old inter-terrace houses which are at least 30-40 years old. Also remember that if you sell high, you will also need to buy high if you plan to buy another landed house after you sell your current one. Of cos there's always the option of downgrading to a condo in future if your kids decide not to stay with you and your spouse after they get married. at this point, tender prices are about 30 percent higher than back in 2019. you can see the cost of raw materials (BCA data) from the table below. if you are planning to have a house with 2000sqf foot print, potentially you can have about 5000+sqf built up for a 2.5 storey house. assuming 5000sqf at $400 per sqf, you are looking at a construction cost of about $2M. don't worry too much about what you neighbour might do in future as that is beyond your control. design and build your house to your own personal requirements and preferences. nowadays developers usually max out the entire site to build huge houses and if yours has lots of greenery, it can become a unique selling point also. Do note that if you are intending to convert to a detached house, you are also bound by a site coverage ratio of 50% (40% if within GCB areas). So if you detached your house from your neighbour, your neighbour if he choose to rebuilt will also need to redevelop into a detached house and thus will be bound by this site coverage ratio. As such, you are unlikely to have the huge house and mickey mouse house issue. I think what Pete is trying to say is that if you are planning to flip in the near future, don't spend too much on doing renovations (A&A) as it doesn't add much value to the existing house. rebuilt is another thing on its own

You'll need to share more on your budget, number of family members, intended stay etc etc Eg, someone intending to flip should not do too much. Renovations don't add as much value as the owner may perceive.. But if it's your forever home, then a rebuild will make more sense, especially if there are many inhabitants. Talk it through with your spouse, your wallet and then your head... good luck

I’ve also been stuck in this zone too ..

@leechaorui, I typed a long reply to you but need moderator to approve. so just have to wait