Property refurbishments

A property refurbishment is a coordinated refresh of a home or investment property: plastering, painting, flooring and fixtures, planned and supervised as one project. Owners typically refurbish before leasing or selling, between tenancies, or alongside a renovation. Dwellix, a builder registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (CDB-U 102264), refurbishes properties in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.

Key facts

Building permit: like-for-like repairs, renewal or maintenance with no structural, safety or essential-safety-measure impact are generally exempt. (Building Regulations 2018)

Registration: not needed for a single-trade job; needed for combined trades over $10,000. (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Asbestos: in homes built before 1990, old vinyl flooring and wall sheeting may contain asbestos. (WorkSafe Victoria)

Rentals: from 25 November 2025, a rental must meet the minimum standards before it is advertised. (Consumer Affairs Victoria)

Heritage: a Heritage Overlay may mean a planning permit is needed; check with your council. (Victoria Planning Provisions)

Checked 8 October 2026.

What does a property refurbishment include?

A refurbishment brings a property, or several rooms of it, up to date in one planned project. Plastering, painting, floor coverings and fixtures are scoped together and carried out in sequence under our supervision, rather than booked as separate trades. Where the scope includes floor coverings, we supply and lay them, for example carpet and floor tiles, or we sand and refinish existing timber floors.

Refurbishing between tenancies? See investment property renovations. Refreshing the rest of the home alongside a renovation? See whole-home renovations.

Do I need a building permit for a refurbishment?

Generally not, for like-for-like work. Schedule 3 item 3 of the Building Regulations 2018 exempts repairs, renewal or maintenance that use commonly used materials and have no structural, safety or essential-safety-measure impact. That typically covers internal plastering, painting and floor coverings.

The answer can change when the job goes further, such as removing a wall before you replaster. Your building surveyor confirms whether a permit is needed: see our building permits guide and wall removal.

If your project needs a building permit, we handle the permit process for you. You formally appoint the building surveyor, and we can recommend one and manage everything with them.

Source: Building Regulations 2018. Checked 8 October 2026.

Does a refurbishment need a registered builder?

Yes, if the total is more than $10,000. A refurbishment combines trades, for example plastering and painting, and combined work over that amount must be done by a registered builder. A job involving only one listed trade, such as plastering, painting or floor coverings, doesn’t need a registered builder or a written major domestic building contract.

Dwellix is registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (CDB-U 102264), so we can take on combined work over that threshold.

Sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria; Building and Plumbing Commission; Engage Victoria. Checked 8 October 2026.

Painting in a Heritage Overlay

A Heritage Overlay or other overlay may mean a planning permit is needed; check with your council before you choose colours or materials.

Sources: Victoria Planning Provisions, clause 43.01; City of Melbourne. Checked 8 October 2026.

Could old flooring or sheeting contain asbestos?

It may, particularly in a home built before 1990. WorkSafe Victoria lists vinyl flooring, walls and splashbacks among common locations of asbestos-containing materials in buildings built before 1990, and only laboratory testing confirms asbestos. We engage licensed asbestos removalists where required.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria. Checked 8 October 2026.

Refurbishing an apartment

Owners corporation rules can restrict floor coverings to reduce noise, so check yours before you choose a new floor. In the City of Melbourne, building work hours are set by local law, and quiet internal work such as plastering, carpet laying or painting is more likely to be approved for an out-of-hours permit. See Melbourne CBD.

Sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria; City of Melbourne. Checked 8 October 2026.

How a Dwellix renovation runs

Initial enquiry and consultation.
Site inspection and assessment. As part of the assessment, we check for a Heritage Overlay, owners corporation rules and, in a home built before 1990, materials that may contain asbestos.
Detailed scope preparation.
Quotation and client approval.
Contracts, approvals and permits where required.
Trade scheduling and procurement.
Construction and project supervision.
Relevant inspections and quality checks.
Practical completion and handover. You receive the keys, the compliance certificates for any plumbing and electrical work, the certificate of final inspection where the work has a building permit, and the manufacturer warranties and manuals for what we install.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to replace flooring or repaint?

Generally not, if it’s like-for-like work using commonly used materials, with no structural, safety or essential-safety-measure impact. That typically covers internal plastering, painting and floor coverings. In a Heritage Overlay, painting an unpainted surface or changing a building’s appearance can need a planning permit. Your building surveyor confirms whether a building permit applies.

How much does a property refurbishment cost?

It depends on the rooms, the condition of the surfaces, the finish you want, access, and whether older materials need asbestos testing first. We don’t publish set prices. We quote after a site inspection and a detailed scope, so the price reflects your home.

Can my owners corporation restrict floor coverings?

Yes. Owners corporation rules can restrict floor coverings to reduce noise, and can require prior written approval to alter the structure, exteriors and balconies. Check your rules before you choose a new floor for an apartment.

Enquire about your refurbishment

We take on projects across Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. Send us your address and we’ll confirm whether we can take on your project. Enquire and tell us about the property and the rooms you’d like refreshed. Prefer email? Write to sales@dwellix.com.au.

General information only, checked 8 October 2026. Rules change; confirm requirements for your property with your building surveyor or council.