If you are in the market for a Queenslander, chances are you will be buying with the idea of doing renovations or improvements in the future. Let’s face it – unrenovated Queenslanders are not exactly the most practical houses to live in, with small internal rooms, no insulation, and ancient kitchens and bathrooms. They are however astoundingly beautiful, and with a sensitive renovation can retain all their old world charm while being compatible with the needs of a modern family. Of course, you should always get building and pest inspections on any house you buy, but with Queenslanders there are a few more things to keep in mind.
The first thing you should ask yourself is whether you are going to be wanting to subdivide the block. Many people wrongly assume that an 810 square metre block means the house can be moved to one side, leaving enough room for a 405 square metre block to be subdivided and sold off. Not so fast! In many of Brisbane’s older suburbs the minimum block size is 450 square metres. Even if you can subdivide, chances are you will be up for the costs of upgrading water and sewerage infrastructure to service the property, which can be quite expensive.
Secondly, you should check what the neighbours are up to. Just because you want to protect a beatiful piece of history does not mean that everyone in the street is thinking the same way. Unless the whole area is protected under character zoning nearby development could be starting soon – in fact, it is a common reason for people to want to sell if they think their quiet leafy street is going to change.
Thirdly, just how old is the house? An experienced local town planner can probably pin down the decade just by looking at your house, but you might need to do a bit more searching. The information is always there but sometimes the answer will take a bit of digging to find. And dates are important. A house built before 1946 is protected much more than one built in 1952, and your options for removal or major changes are limited. Old again, houses built before 1911 are subject to even greater restrictions, to protect their ‘timber and tin’ character. Expect major challenges before being able to demolish, raise or move any part of the structure that old.
Finally, think about what you want the house to look like from the street. If you want to change the roof line compared to all the other houses in the street, that might be a problem in character areas. If the house does not currently have sufficient parking space you might want to check out the difference between a carport and a garage – one is open and easier to get approved, the other is fully enclosed and rightfully frowned upon by Council if you are going to be blocking the view of the Queenslander.
Many people wrongly assume that an 810 square metre block means the house can be moved to one side, leaving enough room for a 405 square metre block to be subdivided and sold off. Not so fast! In many of Brisbane’s older suburbs the minimum block size is 450 square metres.