Renovating a Queenslander or older bayside home

Updated 19 Aug 2026/9 min read/By Manttan Construction · QBCC 15030266

Older Queensland homes — the due-diligence list

Overlays	Check the property against the planning scheme mapping — character, heritage, flood, coastal hazard, bushfire and vegetation overlays all change what you can do.
1946 and earlier	In some mapped areas, houses built in or before 1946 have demolition and character controls that affect street-facing changes and removal of original fabric.
Stumps and subfloor	Timber stumps, ant caps, bearers and joists — the most common hidden cost in a Queenslander renovation.
Asbestos	Homes built before the late 1980s can contain asbestos sheeting, eaves, vinyl and insulation. Testing first, licensed removal second.
Lead paint	Paint in homes from before the 1970s can contain lead — sanding it needs proper containment.
Wiring	Old rubber or cloth-insulated wiring, no earth, and undersized switchboards are common. Budget for a rewire and RCB upgrade.
Termites	A building and pest inspection before you commit is the cheapest money you will spend on the project.

01 — Start here

What planning controls apply to older homes?

Queensland councils protect older housing stock through mapped overlays. In parts of Brisbane, houses built in 1946 or earlier within a traditional building character area are subject to demolition control and rules about what can change at the front of the house. Redland City has its own overlay set under the Redland City Plan.

The practical test is not how the house looks — it is whether the property is mapped. Two identical houses on the same street can sit under different controls.

02 — The fabric

What is usually hiding behind the walls?

• Stumps and subfloor. Rot at ground contact, previous partial re-stumping, uneven levels that telegraph into every new floor and door.
• Termite history. Old damage that was never repaired, hidden behind sheeting or in the bearer ends.
• Asbestos. Wall and ceiling sheeting, eaves lining, backing to vinyl, sometimes insulation. Test before demolition, and use a licensed removalist.
• Wiring and switchboard. Degraded insulation, no earthing, ceramic fuses. Usually a rewire once walls are open.
• Plumbing. Galvanised supply lines, old earthenware sewer, undersized drainage.
• Roof and gutters. Rusted valleys and box gutters that have been leaking quietly for years.

None of this is a reason to walk away. It is a reason to have it inspected before you set a budget, so the contingency is real rather than hopeful.

03 — Space

Is raising the house worth it?

Raising and building in underneath is often the cheapest way to double usable floor area on a small block, because you already own the footprint and the roof. It also triggers the most paperwork: planning assessment where overlays apply, engineering, new footings, and height and setback compliance.

The alternatives are worth pricing side by side: a rear extension at ground level, opening up the existing floor plan and enclosing an existing under-house area, or reworking the layout without adding area at all. On many bayside blocks a rear deck and a reworked kitchen and living zone deliver more day-to-day benefit per dollar than a full lift.

04 — Character

What should you keep, and what should you let go?

Worth saving

• VJ walls and original hardwood floors — both sand back beautifully and cannot be bought new for the money.
• Casement and sash windows where the frames are sound; repair beats replacement for character and often for cost.
• High ceilings, fretwork, breezeways and the cross-ventilation the house was designed around.

Usually better replaced

• Wet areas. Old bathrooms and laundries rarely have compliant waterproofing — see our waterproofing guide.
• Kitchens built into odd rooms with no relationship to the living space.
• 1970s and 80s additions with low ceilings and flat roofs that fight the original house.

The best older-home renovations keep the front rooms honest and put the modern living, kitchen and outdoor connection at the back. Character at the street, function at the rear.

05 — Sequence

What order should the work happen in?

• Inspections and mapping checks — building and pest, overlays, asbestos.
• Design and documentation, with a realistic contingency for the unknowns.
• Approvals: planning where required, then building approval and plumbing approval.
• Structure first — stumps, levelling, framing, roof and drainage.
• Services rough-in: electrical, plumbing, data.
• Wet areas: waterproofing, then tiling.
• Linings, joinery, floors, paint.
• Outdoor connection: deck, stairs, landscaping.

Doing finishes before structure is the classic older-home mistake. Sanding floors before the roof is watertight or the walls are opened means doing it twice.

06 — Living through it

Can we live in the house during the work?

Sometimes, with a plan. A staged renovation with dust screens, a temporary kitchen and one usable bathroom is workable for many families and saves rent. A full lift, a rewire or a whole-of-house re-stump usually is not.

We are direct about this at quoting stage, because a program built around you staying in the house looks different from one that assumes an empty site — and pretending otherwise costs everyone time.

Questions

Older homes FAQ

Still unsure how it applies to your place? Call 0402 847 873 and we will tell you straight.

Do I need approval to renovate a character home?+

It depends on whether the property is mapped in a character or heritage overlay. Where it is, demolition and changes to the street-facing part of the house typically need planning approval as well as building approval. Check the mapping before you design.

Does my old house contain asbestos?+

Homes built before the late 1980s may contain asbestos in sheeting, eaves, vinyl backing and insulation. The only way to know is testing, and removal must be done by a licensed removalist under the correct controls.

Is it cheaper to renovate or knock down and rebuild?+

It depends on the fabric and the overlays. A sound frame with good bones almost always favours renovation; extensive termite damage, unfixable levels or a poor layout can tip the numbers the other way. We give you an honest read rather than the answer that suits us.

How long does a whole-house renovation take?+

A staged cosmetic renovation can be weeks. A structural renovation with approvals, re-stumping and new wet areas is measured in months, and approvals are usually the longest single lead time.

Home renovations→ Council approvals explained→ Bathroom waterproofing→ All guides→

Get advice & a quote → 0402 847 873