Coorparoo, Brisbane — Owner-Builder Project

We raised our Queenslander and built underneath. Here's everything it actually cost.

Real figures, real decisions, and the things nobody warns you about — documented from an owner-builder project in Coorparoo, Brisbane.

We Raised Our Queenslander 11 Feet and Built Underneath

Why we went higher than most, what it cost us, and what it's like to build a full ground floor under a century-old house suspended in the air.

1 May 2025 11 min read

What you'll find here

No theoretical advice. Every article is drawn from decisions we actually made on site — including the expensive ones.

Actual quotes, actual invoices, actual blowouts. The numbers that are impossible to find anywhere else online.

Templates, inspection checklists, and spreadsheets built from the real admin of running an owner-builder project in Queensland.

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Stage-by-stage inspection prompts, trade sequencing notes, and the hold points that catch owner-builders off-guard. Free PDF.

We'll also send occasional articles as the build progresses. Unsubscribe any time. No third parties.

Costs & Budget Featured

Real figures from our Coorparoo build-under — slab, framing, wet areas, and fit-out — with notes on where costs blew out and where we saved.

20 April 2025 5 min read

Raising

From the first quote to the day the house lands on its new stumps — a practical guide to what a Queenslander raise actually involves.

15 March 2025 3 min read

Planning & Approvals

The QBCC owner-builder permit process explained — eligibility, the course, the application, and what the licence actually lets you do.

10 February 2025 4 min read