Peninsula housing, street by street
Original cottages. Woy Woy, Blackwall, Booker Bay, Ettalong and the back streets of Umina Beach still hold plenty of 1940s to 60s fibro and weatherboard homes. Many started as weekenders for Sydney families. Bathrooms are small, sometimes tacked onto the back, and often share a wall with a laundry.
Post-war brick and 1970s–80s veneer. Scattered through Umina and Woy Woy, with a classic bath-over-shower, a separate toilet and pastel tiles.
Villas, townhouses and new duplexes. The peninsula has seen steady redevelopment, with older blocks replaced by pairs of modern homes. Those bathrooms are newer but often builder-grade, with framed screens and minimal storage.
Retirement and over-55s living. Plenty of peninsula locals have retired here, and level-entry showers are a common request.
What we look at first
- Asbestos in wall and ceiling linings, eaves and old vinyl flooring.
- The subfloor. Low-set timber homes on sandy soil can have limited crawl space, and old leaks under the shower cause rot.
- Plumbing age. Galvanised or mixed-material pipework is replaced while walls are open.
- Floor levels and drainage. Especially where a step-free shower is wanted on a timber floor.
- Ventilation. Homes near Brisbane Water and the ocean beaches deal with persistent damp.
Popular changes on the peninsula
- Combining a tiny bathroom and separate toilet into one usable room.
- Swapping the bath for a level walk-in shower, with walls reinforced for rails later.
- Wall-hung vanities and large tiles so small rooms feel open.
- A laundry and bathroom done together, sharing trades. See laundry renovations.
Commuter households
A fair few peninsula households commute to Sydney by train from Woy Woy station, which makes long days and early starts the norm. Keeping a working toilet and knowing exactly which days the shower is out matters. Where there is only one bathroom, we map the program so you can plan around it.
Nearby areas
We also cover Umina Beach, Ettalong Beach, Pearl Beach, Kariong and Gosford across the water. For compact rooms specifically, see small bathrooms, and for step-free designs see accessible bathrooms.
Costs
See the 2026 cost bands for the full breakdown.
Call 02 4307 5560 or pop your bathroom details in the form.
More of the Coast
Questions people ask before they commit
Are Woy Woy fibro cottages likely to contain asbestos?
Many peninsula cottages were built or extended before about 1990 using asbestos cement sheeting, including in bathrooms and laundries. A sample is tested before any demolition, and removal is carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist.
Does being low-lying affect a bathroom renovation?
It can. Some parts of the peninsula sit on low, flat land with flood planning controls, and a few older homes have tight subfloor clearance. For internal renovations this mainly affects floor levels and drainage, and it is checked at the site visit. External changes can bring planning controls into play.
Can a cottage bathroom be made bigger?
Often, by absorbing a separate toilet, an old linen cupboard or part of an enclosed back verandah. Whether the wall is structural, and what is under the floor, decides how straightforward that is.
What does a bathroom renovation cost in Woy Woy?
As a 2026 guide, a cottage or small bathroom is usually $14,000 to $24,000 and a full main bathroom in a family home $20,000 to $34,000. Asbestos removal and subfloor repairs are the most common extras in older homes.