Local property context
Established Croydon homes on sloping blocks are usually renovated in stages
Croydon and the suburbs around it grew strongly in the decades after the Second World War, as orchards and bushland toward the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges were subdivided into house blocks. Much of the housing stock is weatherboard and brick-veneer homes from the 1950s to the 1980s, many of them sitting on stumps with a timber-framed floor.
The land rises toward the ranges, so a lot of blocks slope. That shapes how these houses get changed over time: the back of the house is often well above the garden, which is why rear decks, verandahs and steps are so common, and why the space under the floor matters when a house is altered.
An older home is rarely renovated in one go. One owner updates the bathroom, the next opens up the kitchen, someone re-stumps the floor after it starts to move, and a deck goes on years later. When the house is sold, it is the work done by the current owners in the last several years that may need to be looked at under Section 137B.
What owner-builders in the outer east usually change in an older house
In Croydon, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth and Ringwood, the work we are asked about is almost always an update to a house that is several decades old, rather than a new build. Typical examples include:
- A 1960s or 1970s bathroom stripped back to the frame and re-done, with new plumbing, waterproofing and tiling
- The wall between the kitchen and the dining or living room removed or altered to open up the space
- Re-stumping, or replacing bearers, joists or floorboards that had sagged or moved
- A raised deck or verandah built off the back of the house where the block falls away
- A rear extension, a converted sleep-out, or a carport or garage turned into living space
- Roof re-sheeting or re-tiling, and new windows or doors in altered openings
Work under the floor and behind the walls counts too
Sellers often think of a renovation as what you can see: the new tiles, the new kitchen, the new deck. In an older house on stumps, some of the most significant owner-builder work is out of sight. Re-stumping, packing the floor, replacing bearers and joists, or moving a load-bearing wall to open up a room are structural changes, even when the finished room looks much the same as before.
If that work was organised by the owner rather than contracted to a registered builder, it can form part of the owner-builder scope for the sale. Tell us about it when you request the quote, and say which parts of the house it affected, so the inspection covers the right areas and the subfloor can be accessed where that is safe.
Raised decks on sloping blocks deserve a separate line in the scope
Because so many outer-east blocks fall away at the back, a deck here is often a raised structure with posts, bracing, stairs and balustrades rather than a low platform on the ground. It may have been added long after the rest of the renovation, and sometimes by a different owner.
List the deck or verandah as its own item, with the year it was finished. The inspection looks at the visible condition of that structure as built, which is a different question from whether the bathroom or kitchen work inside the house has defects.
Only the recent owner-builder work matters, not the age of the house
A house built in 1968 does not need a 137B report because it is old. The question is whether the current owner carried out relevant domestic building work as an owner-builder within the period that applies, and whether that work is being disclosed in the sale. Work done by earlier owners decades ago is normally outside that window.
Before listing, write down each job done since you bought the property, roughly when it was finished, who did it and who organised it. Keep any quotes, invoices, plumbing or electrical compliance certificates and permits together. Your conveyancer or solicitor can then confirm whether Section 137B applies to the sale.
What the inspection covers in a Croydon home
A registered building inspector carries out a visual inspection of the owner-builder work you declare, including accessible subfloor areas where the work affected the floor structure. The report records defect observations for that work and is delivered digitally, usually on the day of the inspection. It is not a full pre-purchase building and pest inspection of the original house.
What can be included in the inspection?
We inspect the owner-builder work you tell us about. You can select more than one renovation area and, where relevant, tell us how many bathrooms or bedrooms were involved.
Local inspection scope
What to identify before requesting the report
- List structural work such as re-stumping, floor repairs and removed or altered walls separately from the finishes in the same rooms.
- Describe raised decks, verandahs and stairs as their own item, with the year they were completed.
- Only include work done since you bought the property; earlier owners’ renovations are usually outside the 137B period.
Area served
137B inspections around Croydon
The map shows the local area. Enter the exact property address in the quote form so the inspection scope, travel and availability can be assessed for that property.
Local permit information
Croydon and Ringwood are in the City of Maroondah, while Mooroolbark and much of Kilsyth fall under Yarra Ranges Council and Bayswater under Knox, so permit records sit with whichever council covers the property. Those records show what was approved; the Section 137B report is a separate inspection of the owner-builder work at the time of sale.
Permit information can be useful, but it is separate from the Section 137B requirements that may apply when the property is sold.
Maroondah City Council: owner builders →Get a quote for a Croydon property
Enter the property address and tell us what work was done. You’ll see the inspection price before payment. Some jobs need a quick price check first.
What happens after you book?
Work
Tell us what was built, renovated or changed.
Price
See the price before payment for standard jobs.
Inspection
A registered building inspector attends the property.
Frequently asked questions
137B reports in Croydon
Do I need a 137B report to sell my Croydon home?
Only if relevant owner-builder domestic building work was carried out within the period that applies and it is part of the sale disclosure. The free scope check gives a quick answer, and the conveyancer preparing the contract can confirm it.
My house is from the 1960s. Does its age matter?
No. The report is about recent owner-builder work, such as a bathroom, kitchen, re-stumping or deck you organised yourself. The age of the original house does not by itself trigger Section 137B.
Does re-stumping count as owner-builder work?
It can. Re-stumping and other floor structure repairs are structural building work. If you organised it yourself rather than contracting a registered builder for the job, include it in the scope you declare.
Will you go under the floor?
Where the declared work affected the floor structure and the subfloor can be entered safely, the inspector will look at the accessible areas related to that work. Tell us about any access hatch when you book.
Do you inspect in Mooroolbark, Kilsyth and Ringwood?
Yes. We cover Croydon and the surrounding outer-east suburbs, including Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Ringwood, Bayswater, Heathmont and Vermont.
How do I see the price for a Croydon inspection?
Enter the property address and the work completed in the quote form. Standard jobs show the price before payment; larger or unclear projects may need a quick manual price check first.
Selling a renovated home in Croydon or the outer east? Enter the property and the work completed to get started.
See the inspection price before payment for standard jobs. Not sure the report applies? Check first.