Local property context
Phillip Island houses are often holiday homes renovated from a distance
A large share of houses on Phillip Island are holiday homes owned by people who live in Melbourne or elsewhere. Alongside the permanent community in Cowes, Newhaven and San Remo, many streets in Ventnor, Smiths Beach, Surf Beach and Cape Woolamai fill up only in summer and on long weekends.
The housing ranges from small weatherboard and fibro beach houses built decades ago, through brick homes from the 1970s and 1980s, to newer houses designed for the view. Many have been changed over time to suit a family that kept coming back.
That shapes how renovations happen here. An owner who lives two hours away tends to organise the work in stages and manage local trades by phone, visiting when they can. When the house is later sold, that owner-managed work is what can matter under Section 137B.
Renovating a holiday house from Melbourne
Plenty of island renovations are run long distance. The owner finds a local plumber, tiler and carpenter, sends photos back and forth, and drives down on weekends to check progress. It works, but it means the owner, not a builder, was in charge of the job.
If that is how your bathroom, kitchen or extension was done, it may be treated as owner-builder work. Whether a 137B report is needed then depends on the type of work, when it was finished and the sale circumstances; your conveyancer or solicitor can confirm it.
From beach house to permanent home
Another common story is the old beach house turned into a home for retirement or a sea change. The work we are asked about usually includes:
- An extra bedroom, a bigger living area or a second bathroom added to a small holiday house
- An original bathroom or kitchen stripped out and replaced
- A bunkroom, sleep-out or garage turned into living space
- Larger windows or sliding doors to open the house to the view
- Re-roofing, re-cladding or insulation work to make the house comfortable year round
Decks and outdoor areas by the sea
Island houses live outdoors in summer, so decks, pergolas, outdoor showers and covered entertaining areas are among the most common additions. Many were added years after the house was built, sometimes by a later owner.
Salt air is hard on outdoor work. Where the declared work includes a deck or other outdoor structure, the inspector records its visible condition, including fixings and connections that can be seen. List each outdoor structure as its own item with the year it was finished.
How regional inspections are arranged
Phillip Island and the Bass Coast are priced by hand. Send us the address and the work through the quote form, and we email you the price and the likely inspection day before you pay anything. Inspections in the area are grouped onto set days.
If the house is a holiday home and you are not on the island, tell us who can give access on the day. If you have an auction or contract date, put it in the request so we can plan around it.
What the inspection covers
A registered building inspector carries out a visual inspection of the owner-builder work you declare, whether that is a new bathroom in Cowes or a deck and extension at Cape Woolamai. The report records defect observations for that work and is delivered digitally, usually on the day of the inspection. Earlier work by previous owners is normally outside the report.
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
- Note which jobs you organised yourself from a distance and which, if any, one business quoted for and managed.
- List decks, pergolas, outdoor showers and other outdoor structures separately, with the year each was finished.
- Tell us who will give access on inspection day if the house is a holiday home.
Area served
137B inspections around Phillip Island
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
Phillip Island, San Remo and the nearby coast are in the Bass Coast Shire, which keeps building permit records for the area. Those records help explain 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.
Bass Coast Shire Council building permits →Get a quote for a Phillip Island property
Enter the property address and tell us what work was done. Regional properties are priced by hand: we email you the price and the likely inspection day before you pay anything.
What happens after you book?
Work
Tell us what was built, renovated or changed.
Price
We email the price and inspection day before you pay.
Inspection
A registered building inspector attends the property.
Frequently asked questions
137B reports in Phillip Island
Do I need a 137B report to sell my Phillip Island holiday house?
Only if relevant owner-builder domestic building work was completed within the period that applies and it is part of the sale. Being a holiday home does not change that. The free scope check gives a quick answer, and your conveyancer can confirm it.
I managed the trades from Melbourne. Am I the owner-builder?
Possibly. If you engaged and coordinated the trades yourself rather than contracting one builder for the whole job, you may be treated as the builder of that work. Your conveyancer or solicitor can confirm how this applies to your sale.
Do I need to be there for the inspection?
No, as long as someone can give access to the house and the areas of work. Tell us who that will be when you request the quote.
Do you cover San Remo, Corinella and Grantville?
Yes. We cover Phillip Island and the nearby Bass Coast, including San Remo, Corinella and Grantville.
How is a Phillip Island inspection priced and scheduled?
Enter the Phillip Island property address and the work in the quote form. Regional properties are priced by hand: we email you the price and the likely inspection day before you pay anything. Inspections in the area are grouped onto set days, so tell us early if you have an auction or contract date.
Selling a renovated home or holiday house on Phillip Island? Send us the address and the work.
We email the price and the likely inspection day before you pay. Not sure the report applies? Check first.