Australia’s population is rapidly ageing. By 2050, one in four Australians will be over 65. You know what they want? To stay in their homes. You know what most homes can’t do? Keep them safe while they age. Here’s the disconnect: 90% of Australian homes lack the modifications needed to age in place safely, yet the vast majority of older Australians say they want exactly that. As a result, this gap represents the renovation opportunity of the decade. Your 70s or 80s brick veneer home sits right in the middle of this opportunity.
Why 70s-80s Brick Homes Are Prime Candidates
Houses from this era are hitting their fifties. That’s the age when everything needs attention: plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, windows, and insulation. On top of that, most 70s homes had minimal insulation (maybe some ceiling batts if you were lucky). Post-1980 homes have some, but nowhere near current standards. Either way, you’re looking at significant upgrades regardless. The good news? Markets with higher proportions of 1970s construction show greater average upside potential. In other words, your reno investment pays off.
Best Practices for Accessible Modernisation
Start with the exterior transformation. Modern cladding and rendering over existing brick gives you two wins: updated curb appeal and improved insulation. In doing so, you’re solving the energy efficiency problem while creating a contemporary aesthetic that appeals to buyers across generations. Once you’ve tackled the exterior, match those updates with these interior accessibility essentials: Install hobless showers. Grab bars remain the most requested ageing-in-place feature, but the shower hob matters more. Fortunately, modern waterproofing and drainage technology now allows completely flat entries that comply with AS 1428.1. Widen doorways to 850mm minimum. This accommodates wheelchairs, walkers, and future mobility needs without looking institutional and meets Australian accessibility standards.
Add blocking in bathroom walls during renovation. Even if you don’t install grab bars now, reinforced walls make future installation simple and damage-free.Lower light switches to 900-1100mm. Raise power points to 450-600mm. These heights work for everyone and cost nothing extra during electrical updates. Replace round doorknobs with lever handles. Arthritis affects grip strength. In contrast, levers work with elbows, forearms, or closed fists. Create one accessible bathroom and bedroom on the main floor. Stairs become the enemy as mobility decreases. As a result, ground-floor living spaces extend home viability by decades.
The Economics Make Sense
You’ll spend between $5,000-$20,000 on ageing-in-place modifications. That’s manageable compared to aged care costs (averaging $60,000+ annually) or selling and moving. Universal design adds 1-5% to construction costs when built from scratch. Retrofitting costs more, but here’s the thing: you’re already renovating those 70s-era systems. Therefore, bundle accessibility updates with necessary repairs, and you minimise the premium.
The value proposition is straightforward. Informed, architecturally sound accessibility modifications increase home value. Moreover, you expand your buyer pool to include multigenerational families, ageing boomers, and anyone who values future-proof design. In fact, Australian builders and renovators report increased requests for ageing-in-place features over the past five years. This trend accelerates as our population ages.
Avoid the Medical Ward Aesthetic
The fear is real: you don’t want your home looking like a hospital. Fortunately, modern accessible design solves this. Grab bars now come in brushed nickel, gunmetal, and matte black. They look like towel rails. Similarly, hobless showers with tile insert drains are luxury spa features that happen to be accessible. Wide doorways read as open and spacious, not institutional. Lever handles are contemporary design standards. Lower switches and higher outlets? Nobody notices unless you point them out. Ultimately, your exterior cladding and rendering update sets the tone. Choose materials and colours that reflect current design trends. Then, the accessibility features inside follow that modern aesthetic.
Act Now, Benefit Later
Your 70s brick veneer home needs system updates anyway. The plumbing, electrical, and climate control won’t last forever. Neither will the original insulation standards. So, combine those necessary renovations with accessibility modifications and modern exterior updates. In turn, you create a home that serves you now and adapts as your needs change. The demographic wave is here. The housing stock isn’t ready. However, your renovation can solve both problems while increasing your property value and extending how long you can stay in the home you know. Start with one room. The main-floor bathroom gives you the highest impact. Add the exterior update for curb appeal and energy efficiency. Build from there. You’re not just renovating. You’re future-proofing.
