Heritage Home Renovations in Fremantle
Crest Renovations completes heritage home renovations in Fremantle, from old limestone workers' cottages to Federation houses and post-war homes. Our Fremantle contractors are experts in restoring old buildings. Get a free quote today.
- We keep the original featuresFloors, fireplaces, ceilings
- We plan for old wallsOut of square and uneven
- We put new rooms in old housesKitchens and bathrooms
Older homes in Fremantle
Book a measure-up at your place
Tell us about the house and the rooms you'd like done. We'll ring you back to arrange a visit.
By era
Character home renovations by house type
A character home is an older house that still has the features of its era, like jarrah floorboards, fireplaces, decorative ceilings and timber sash windows that slide up and down. A heritage home is one that's on a council or state heritage list, which can limit what you change.
- Colonial
Limestone workers' cottages
Small houses with thick limestone walls, built close to the street. Many have a lean-to, a low add-on at the back with a sloping roof, where the kitchen, bathroom and laundry were added later.
- Federation
Federation homes
Brick or limestone houses with high ceilings, ornate plasterwork, leadlight glass and a front verandah. Generous rooms, but small, dated bathrooms and laundries.
- Between the wars
Bungalows
Wide, low houses with deep verandahs, big front rooms and timber floors sitting on stumps. The floor is often the first thing that needs attention.
- After the war
Post-war homes
Plain brick houses with smaller rooms and lower ceilings, often with the original kitchen and bathroom still in place and ready for an update.
Old and new
What to keep and what to update
Some things in an old house can't be bought new, and others have simply worn out. Sorting one from the other comes first, before any plans are drawn up.
Worth keeping
- Jarrah floorboards, sanded back and re-oiled instead of covered up
- Fireplaces and mantelpieces, even if they'll never be lit again
- Ceiling roses, the round plaster decoration around a light, and cornices, the moulding where the wall meets the ceiling
- Timber sash windows, repaired and fitted with new cords
- Leadlight glass in the front door and windows
- Exposed limestone, cleaned and with its joints refilled in lime mortar
Usually due for an update
- Old wiring, checked by a licensed electrician before walls are opened
- A bathroom and laundry squeezed into the back lean-to
- A kitchen that hasn't been touched in a generation
- Bathrooms and laundries with nothing waterproof under the tiles
- A roof space with no insulation
Under the paint
Old-house problems we plan for
Most old houses have a few of these. Finding them at the measure-up is far better than finding them halfway through the job.
Walls that aren't square
What turns upWalls lean and corners are out, sometimes by a little and sometimes by a lot.
What we do about itTiles and cabinets are lined up with the room's real lines, so the joints look straight even when the walls aren't.
Damp in limestone
What turns upLimestone draws moisture up from the ground, so paint bubbles and render crumbles near the floor.
What we do about itLimestone has to breathe, and cement traps the water in it. The cause gets fixed first, then repairs use lime render, a plaster coat that lets moisture out.
Old pipes
What turns upGalvanised water pipes rust inside, and old clay sewer pipes crack where tree roots get in.
What we do about itPipes in the room being renovated are replaced while the walls and floor are open.
Uneven floors
What turns upTimber floors sag where stumps have sunk or the bearers, the beams under the boards, have rotted.
What we do about itThe floor is packed level or the rotten timber replaced before tiles or cabinets go on top, otherwise they crack.
Paperwork first
Heritage listings and approvals
Many older Fremantle houses are on a heritage list, or sit in a street that's part of a heritage area. If yours is, some work may need council approval before it starts.
Check with your council first, because a listing may only apply to parts of the house.
- Find out whether the house is listed, and what the listing covers
- Ask the council which parts of your plans need approval
- Bring their answer to the measure-up, and we'll plan the job around it
Questions
Heritage home renovation FAQs
Every old house is different. Tell us about yours in the form and we'll answer your questions when we call.
Still deciding? Read our guide to renovating an older Fremantle home.
Or browse all of our renovation guides.
(08) 6275 6588In what order should you renovate an old house?
Fix what's underneath first: the roof, damp, stumps and floors, wiring and pipes. Then do the kitchen and bathroom, and leave floors and paint until last so the heavy work doesn't damage new finishes.
Does an old house cost more to renovate?
It can, because some problems only show once things are opened up. We look for the usual ones at the measure-up, so as much as possible is in the price from the start.
Do you renovate newer homes too?
Yes. Older homes are only part of the work. We renovate bathrooms, kitchens and laundries in houses of any age.
Can damaged cornices and ceiling roses be repaired?
Usually, yes. Cracked runs can be patched, and missing lengths can be remade by a plasterer from a mould taken off the original, so the new piece matches the old.
Should I renovate my old house or knock it down?
It depends on the listing, the state of the frame and walls, and what you love about the house. A heritage-listed house usually can't be demolished without approval, so check with your council before you plan either way.
How do I find out how old my house is?
Your council's heritage list, or the State's inHerit database, may have an entry for your street. Old titles, the style of the windows and ceilings, and the building materials are all clues too.
Could my old house have asbestos in it?
It might. Many older Australian houses used asbestos sheeting in eaves, bathroom and laundry walls and under floor coverings. It has to be tested before anything is cut or removed, and taken out by a licensed asbestos removalist where the rules require it.
Is old lead paint a problem when renovating?
It can be. Older houses often have lead paint under newer layers, and sanding or scraping it releases toxic dust. Have it tested before any paint is sanded back, especially with children in the house.
Where we work
Older homes around Fremantle
Cottages, Federation houses and bungalows in Fremantle and the older suburbs around it. Further out? Send your suburb and we'll let you know.
- Fremantle
- East Fremantle
- South Fremantle
- Mosman Park
- Cottesloe
- North Fremantle
- Beaconsfield
- White Gum Valley
- Hilton
- Bicton
- Palmyra
- Attadale
Old house, new rooms
Book a measure-up at your place
Send a few details about the house and a photo or two. We'll call to talk about what you'd like to keep and change, and set a time to come out.
Request a quote
Tell us about the house and we'll call you back.
- Call us(08) 6275 6588
- Email usinfo@crestrenovationsfremantle.com.au
- Send photos of the roomPhotos of the rooms you want done, plus any cracks or damp patches, help us plan the visit.
