Fibro walls and an old meter board
Don't drill, cut or sand fibro sheeting or an old dark meter board. Homes built before 1990 have a good chance of containing asbestos, the QBCC says, and only a lab test can confirm it. When you book, tell the electrician the age of the house and what the walls are made of.
Currumbin's homes and water
Old and new on the hill
Housing runs from 1920s subdivisions and fibro beach houses to high-rise backing onto the hillside at Pacific Parade. At the 2021 Census, 45.8% of homes were separate houses and 41.2% flats or apartments.
Holiday places
19.8% of private dwellings were empty on census night, and 29.9% of homes were rented.
Creek on the doorstep
Currumbin Creek forms the northern boundary, and the council dredges its entrance every year, partly for flood mitigation. In early 2022, Currumbin and Tallebudgera creeks flash flooded to major levels, reaching homes in Currumbin Waters, Elanora and Tallebudgera.
Storms and supply
Currumbin was activated for disaster assistance after the Christmas 2023 storms. Energex: 13 62 62 for outages, 13 19 62 for lines down.
Wiring in a 1920s house
Houses from that era were wired for far fewer appliances than they run now, and the wiring has often been extended piece by piece. Warning signs include warm or discoloured power points, lights that dim when something else switches on, and a fuse that blows again soon after it's replaced.
An electrician who rewires older homes can test the insulation and tell you whether a partial rewire will do. Old wiring has the warning signs, and asbestos switchboards covers the meter board side.
In the hillside units
In the apartment buildings, shared boards and car parks belong to the body corporate, so check with the building manager first. Inside your unit, the common jobs are smoke alarms, safety switches and lighting.
Where we'd start in Currumbin
In an older house, we'd get the wiring tested and the meter board looked at before any renovation, so you know what you're dealing with before walls are opened up. If you're low-lying near the creek, ask which circuits would get wet first and whether they can be moved higher.
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.