Unanderra's houses
Unanderra sits south-west of Wollongong's city centre, between Figtree and Berkeley, with the escarpment to the west and industrial areas nearby. Its housing is largely:
- Post-war fibro and weatherboard homes
- Brick and brick veneer houses from the sixties and seventies
- Some newer townhouses and villas on subdivided blocks
Many owners have updated these homes over the years, but a lot of bathrooms are original or were last touched decades ago.
What we usually find
In post-war fibro homes
- Fibro walls and ceilings in the bathroom, needing an asbestos test
- A timber floor, often soft under the bath or shower
- A bath with a shower over it and a curtain
- Galvanised pipes with low pressure
- No exhaust fan
- A separate toilet, sometimes out the back or in the laundry
In sixties and seventies brick homes
- Coloured tiles to around 1.5 metres with painted walls above
- A slab or timber floor, depending on the block
- A mortar-bed floor, often without a membrane
- A pedestal basin or basic vanity
- A small window as the only ventilation
The usual fixes
Asbestos testing first. Fibro in wet areas is common. Anything from before about 1990 is sampled, and a licensed removalist handles removal if needed.
New pipes. Galvanised supply lines get replaced while the walls are open. It's far cheaper now than cutting into new tiles later.
Floor repairs. On timber floors, soft joists under the old shower or bath get replaced and new structural sheeting goes down.
Proper waterproofing. A membrane, falls to the waste and a water stop at the door. See waterproofing and tiling.
A fan ducted outside. Unanderra's closeness to the escarpment means damp air and afternoon shade. A fan on a run-on timer keeps mould away.
A layout that suits now. Usually a walk-in shower where the bath was, a vanity with drawers, and tiles to the ceiling.
Keeping the separate toilet
Most Unanderra houses have one bathroom and a separate toilet. For a household of more than two, keeping them separate is usually better than knocking through, even though a combined room would be bigger. Updating the toilet room at the same time costs relatively little.
Practical, not flashy
Plenty of Unanderra owners want a bathroom that's solid, easy to clean and good value rather than a showpiece. That's a very sensible brief:
- Mid-range tapware from established suppliers
- Porcelain tiles in a simple layout
- A wall-hung or floor-standing vanity with a durable laminate or porcelain top
- Frameless fixed glass instead of a door
- Good lighting and a strong fan
Spending on what's behind the tiles — waterproofing, pipes and floor — matters more than an expensive tile.
Getting older in the house
Many long-term Unanderra residents want to stay in their homes. A step-free shower, grab-rail blocking, non-slip tiles and lever taps are easy to include in any renovation. See accessible bathrooms.
Rentals
Some Unanderra houses and townhouses are rented out. For those, durability and fast turnaround matter most. See rental bathrooms.
Laundries
Older laundries here are often at the back of the house or in an enclosed verandah, lined in fibro, with concrete tubs and no floor waste. Doing the laundry with the bathroom shares trades and costs. See laundries.
Costs in Unanderra
As a 2026 guide:
- Main bathroom: $20,000–$34,000
- Separate toilet update: $5,000–$9,000
- Bathroom and laundry together: $28,000–$48,000
- Townhouse bathroom: $17,000–$27,000
Asbestos removal and floor repairs are extra. See prices.
Nearby
We also work in Figtree, Dapto, Wollongong, Corrimal and Thirroul, plus Berkeley, Farmborough Heights, Mount Kembla and Cordeaux Heights.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder. Licence and insurance details are provided on request.
Call 02 4214 4073 or send the bathroom details through.
More suburbs
Questions people ask before they commit
What's a typical Unanderra bathroom like?
In post-war and sixties homes: a bath with a shower over, tiles to around head height, a separate toilet, a small window and often no fan. Many have fibro linings and galvanised pipes, and some sit on timber floors.
Is it worth renovating a bathroom in an older Unanderra house?
If the shower is leaking, the floor is soft or the pipes are failing, a full renovation is usually the sensible option rather than patching. If the room is just dated, a partial update can sometimes do the job for less.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Unanderra?
As a 2026 guide, a main bathroom usually runs $20,000 to $34,000. Asbestos removal and floor repairs, common in older homes, are extra where they're needed.