A Coorparoo case study
We raised a 1920s Queenslander in Coorparoo and built underneath it. Here is what we learned.
A first-hand record of one Brisbane owner-builder project: costs, approvals, trade sequencing and the things that did not go to plan. Historical figures, not current rates.
💰 The numbers
What our Coorparoo project actually cost
Project window: 2018-2020. Owner-builder procurement. 112.5 m² of habitable build-under under a 1920s Queenslander on Coorparoo shale. These are the historical figures: not current Brisbane market rates.
$331,510
Total build-under
2018-2020 dollars, 8 cost categories
$2,947
Per habitable m²
Owner-builder procurement
112.5 m²
Habitable build-under
New enclosed lower level
18 mo
From engineer to sign-off
Approvals + build window
Scope context
Included
- Raise, temporary works, subfloor framing
- Raft slab on shale (112.5 m²)
- External and internal frame, cladding, roof
- Services rough-in and fit-off
- Insulation, plasterboard, paint
- Bathroom, kitchen, laundry, polished concrete
- Permits, certifier inspections, owner-builder course
Excluded
- Upstairs renovation beyond existing
- Upstairs bathroom rebuild
- Fencing, landscaping, garden works
- Furniture, curtains, blinds
- Solar or battery systems
📚 Read the whole project
Hundreds of pages of free, first-hand renovation writing
Two libraries built from the Coorparoo build: in-depth articles on the decisions, costs and approvals, and step-by-step DIY guides for the work you'll do yourself.
19 articles · free
The articles library
Planning, raising, build-under, costs, approvals and project management — the full case study written up in depth, one decision at a time.
Browse all articles 11 guides · freeDIY advice
Practical, step-by-step technique for the jobs owner-builders take on themselves: wall prep and painting, flooring, retaining walls, paving and drainage.
See the DIY guidesNewsletter
Follow the build
One documented Coorparoo project - the costs, the approvals, the calls we would reverse. Lessons that translate, straight to your inbox.
📷 See it for yourself
The Coorparoo project in pictures
From the raise through to fit-out — galleries covering each stage of the build, before-and-after.
🧭 Where are you starting from?
Pick your pathway
🏗️ Skip the mistakes — buy the systems
The tools we built to keep a $331,510 project under control
Not generic spreadsheets. Operational systems built from the real Coorparoo records — the budget model, control templates and readiness checks that stopped a build-under from running away. From $79, one-time, instant download.
$79
Renovation Budget System
Get the budget system $149
Project Control System
Get the control system $99
Renovation Readiness Framework
Get the readiness pack
Browse all tools and templates
One-time payment · instant download · secure checkout via Lemon Squeezy
📖 Recent writing
From the project records
Free for subscribers
Get the 8-stage Owner-Builder Inspection Checklist
The owner-builder inspection checklist (PDF), free for subscribers. Plus short, irregular notes from the project records: a specific mistake, a sequencing call, a budget surprise. No marketing, no posting cadence, unsubscribe anytime.
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