What makes Paddington different
Old timber houses
Many of its Queenslanders date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, alongside plenty of workers cottages.
Steep and tight
The suburb sits across steep ridges in the foothills of Mount Coot-tha, on small blocks, with shops along Given and Latrobe Terraces.
Heritage houses
Drumtochty on Kennedy Terrace, built around 1887, and an interwar Queenslander at 42 Guthrie Street are both Brisbane local heritage places.
Character rules
Brisbane's planning scheme protects houses substantially built in 1946 or earlier and limits demolition of homes built before 1911.
Plenty of renters
At the 2021 Census, 42.8% of homes were rented and 21.7% were flats.
Electrical work in an old Paddington house
Finding what's left. A house wired in stages can still have old rubber or cloth-insulated cable live behind newer work. An electrician who works on old homes tests circuit by circuit before recommending a full or partial rewire.
The board. The Queensland Government says switchboards and meter boards made before 2004 may contain asbestos, and most installed before 1990 very likely do. Keep it closed and mention its age when you book.
Roof-space work. Much of a Queenslander's wiring runs through the roof. Queensland law says a business must make sure, as far as reasonably practicable, that the power is off before its worker goes up there, so expect stretches without power.
Under-house conversions. Each built-in downstairs room adds lights and circuits back to a board that was sized for a smaller house.
If it were our Paddington Queenslander
We'd book a proper inspection before asking for any renovation quotes. Knowing which circuits are original lets you fold the rewiring into the renovation, instead of cutting into finished walls later.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.