Maroubra 2035 · Randwick City Council
Builders in Maroubra: Post-War Brick Home Renovations
The renovation starts when the old kitchen comes out.
Maroubra is full of solid brick homes from the 1940s to the 1960s. Good bones, mostly. But nobody really knows what's behind the tiles and cupboards until the strip-out begins, and that first week decides whether your budget holds. I plan for it before the first bench is pulled.
Short answer
What does renovating a post-war brick home in Maroubra cost?
On Rawlinsons Sydney rates, a mid-range kitchen is about $19,500 to $22,000 and a bathroom $23,500 to $26,500, before whatever the strip-out reveals. Test for asbestos before demolition starts. Taking out a solid brick wall to open the kitchen needs an engineer and a steel beam. New extension space in Maroubra runs about $2,420 to $2,915 per m².
Written and reviewed by Oliver Alameri
Licensed builder, NSW Contractor Licence 487805C · Founder, Buildana
Fact-checked
What a post-war strip-out finds
Pull out a 1950s Maroubra bathroom and you rarely find just tiles. Thick mortar beds. Old galvanised water pipes, often corroded inside. Cast iron waste lines. Sometimes a floor that was never waterproofed at all, only relying on the tiles and luck for sixty years.
Kitchens hide their own problems. Wiring added in stages by different electricians. No dedicated circuits for the oven. Gas lines that need replacing. Borer damage in timber floors near the old sink.
Expect it and it's manageable. It becomes a disaster when the quote assumed nothing would be found.
- Mortar-bed tiling and missing waterproofing
- Galvanised and cast iron plumbing near end of life
- Mixed-era wiring, often without safety switches
- Asbestos-containing sheeting or vinyl in older linings
The quote should assume the pipes are old, because in Maroubra they usually are.
Asbestos: test first, then demolish
Homes built before 1990 can contain asbestos in wet-area sheeting, eaves, vinyl floor tiles and the glue under them. Post-war Maroubra houses tick most of those boxes.
Before demolition, we get suspect materials sampled and tested. Under NSW work health and safety rules, removing more than 10m² of non-friable asbestos needs a licensed removalist, and friable material always does. A clearance certificate follows. Then the real demolition starts.
Pulling out a kitchen or bathroom in Maroubra?
Describe the house, its age and the rooms you want redone. I'll list the likely surprises, the testing we'd do first, and give you a price that allows for them honestly.
0476 300 300Solid brick walls and bigger openings
Most Maroubra houses of this age are double brick, two leaves of masonry with a cavity. It's quiet, stable and cool in summer. Opening up a kitchen into the living room means a new steel lintel or beam, sized by an engineer, and temporary propping while the brick comes out.
Running new services is slower too. Every power point in a solid brick wall means chasing the masonry. We plan cable and pipe routes early so walls get cut once.
Sydney Rawlinsons figures put a mid-range kitchen around $19,500–$22,000 and a bathroom around $23,500–$26,500, before local adjustment and before whatever the strip-out reveals. For new extension space, Maroubra runs about $2,420–$2,915/m² mid-spec.
Before strip-out day
Get these sorted and the first week goes to plan.
- 01
Asbestos testing on suspect sheeting, vinyl and eaves
- 02
Plumber's check of pipe condition and drainage
- 03
Electrician's check of switchboard and circuits
- 04
Engineer's sizing for any beam in a brick wall
- 05
A contingency line in the budget for hidden damage
- 06
A plan for living arrangements while the kitchen's gone
Maroubra renovation questions
Do I need an asbestos test before renovating?
For any home built before 1990, it's the sensible first step. Testing tells you whether licensed removal is needed before demolition begins.
Can I remove a brick wall to open my kitchen?
Usually yes, with an engineer-designed steel beam or lintel and temporary propping. Some changes may need approval depending on the work.
How long does a bathroom strip-out take?
Demolition itself is often a few days. Add time for asbestos testing and removal if needed, plus the rough-in of new plumbing and waterproofing.
Which council approves renovations in Maroubra?
Randwick City Council handles Maroubra, 2035. Many internal works need no DA, but check before changing structure or the street face.
Sources and references
Costs are from the Rawlinsons handbook with the local cost index applied; rules and timeframes are checked against the sources below.
Good bones deserve a proper strip-out.
Kitchen, bathroom and whole-home renovations for Maroubra's post-war brick houses, priced for what's really behind the walls.