If you’re building a home in Brisbane, it’s worth thinking about how your parents fit into the picture. Maybe they’re moving in with you or living nearby. Or you might just be thinking decades ahead to your own future needs. Either way, this is worth thinking about early, because the decisions you make at the design stage can have a big impact.
The good news is that building a home that works for everyone across every stage of life is simpler, and cheaper, than most people realise, especially when you do it from the start.
Most Australian Homes Aren’t Ready for Ageing in Place
Research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) shows that between 78 and 81% of Australians over 55 want to remain in their own home as they age. Yet the vast majority of Australia’s existing housing stock simply isn’t designed to support that.
That gap between what people want and what their homes can actually deliver is real, and it’s expensive to close after the fact. Queensland’s own Department of Housing has confirmed that retrofitting an existing home to meet the minimum Livable Housing Design Standard costs around $20,000. Building those same features in from the start? As little as one percent of your total construction cost. That’s the core case for planning ahead. A home built right today sidesteps tens of thousands in future modification costs, and keeps your family out of residential aged care for longer.
What Changed With the NCC 2022 and What It Means for Queensland Builders
Since 1 October 2023, new homes built in Queensland must comply with the Livable Housing Design Standard (LHDS) under the National Construction Code 2022.
This is the new baseline for families planning multigenerational living or future-proofing for their own needs, and going beyond the minimum makes a meaningful difference in how liveable a home really is over time.
The NCC 2022 Silver Standard requires:
- A step-free, continuous pathway from the street or parking area to the home’s entrance
- At least one level (step-free) entrance into the dwelling
- Internal doorways with a minimum clear opening of 820mm on the ground or entry level, connecting to habitable rooms, laundry, and the compliant bathroom
- Corridors and hallways connected to those doorways to have a minimum clear width of 1,000mm between finished wall surfaces
- An accessible toilet on the entry level.
- Reinforced bathroom walls adjacent to the toilet, shower, and bath to support future grab rail installation
Queensland also has specific exemptions, including for certain narrow lots and traditional Queenslander-style homes, so it’s worth discussing your specific block with your builder early.
Room by Room: What to Build In From the Start
Bathroom
The bathroom is where most falls happen and where you’re likely to spend the most on a painful retrofit if you don’t build things in from the start
Many of these will seem like common sense, but consider:
- Slip-resistant flooring. This is helpful for everyone in the household, not just older residents
- Comfort-height toilets (450–480mm from floor to seat) that are easier to sit down on and stand up from
- A shower large enough for a carer to assist, ideally 1,000mm x 1,000mm
- Good lighting, particularly over the shower, toilet, and vanity, with motion-sensor options for night-time trips
- Lever-style tapware and mixer handles, which are easier to operate with wet hands or limited grip strength
- At least 900mm of clear floor space in front of the toilet, free of door swing
The reinforced wall backing behind the shower, toilet, and bath is mandatory under NCC 2022, but the grab rails themselves can be added later. The smart move is to have your builder spec the wall reinforcement to support heavier rails if needed.
Kitchen
A kitchen designed with universal principles works better for everyone, not just your aging family members.
Things worth considering:
- Induction cooktop that stays cool to touch and has clear visual indicators when it’s active, reducing burn risk. This is standard in our builds.
- Microwave and appliances at bench height rather than overhead to avoid awkward reaching. We provide underbench microwave space in our builds
- Pull-out pantry shelves and corner carousel systems that keep items accessible without bending or stretching
- Good lighting under overhead cabinetry, not just ambient ceiling lights
If you’re planning a dedicated space for multigenerational living, a lowered bench section with knee clearance underneath can make a substantial difference for a seated user.
Bedroom and Living Areas
For a home where older parents might live full-time, the master bedroom and main living areas must all be on one level. This is the most fundamental principle of ageing-in-place design and the hardest thing to retrofit later.
Within the bedroom itself:
- Aim for at least 900mm of clear space around the sides and foot of the bed, enough for a walking frame or carer to assist
- Wardrobe rails slightly lower than the standard 1,800mm and pull-down mechanisms for high hanging space
Wide doorways throughout make a genuine quality-of-life difference. A wider doorway is noticeably more comfortable for everyday movement with any kind of aid.
Laundry
Front-loading machines are the obvious choice for anyone with mobility limitations. If the budget allows, use platforms that raise the appliances from the floor to reduce the need for bending.
Smart Features Worth Planning For
Lighting
Someone in their sixties typically needs around three times more light than someone in their twenties to see the same level of detail. During construction, it is more cost effective to run conduit or extra circuits that support motion-sensor lighting in hallways, the bathroom, and the path from bedroom to toilet. Installing that lighting during construction is straightforward. Adding it to a finished home is not.
Smart Home Systems
Voice-activated assistants, smart locks, and motion-activated pathway lighting can all meaningfully support independence for older occupants, and they’re much easier to integrate during construction than after. Plan for smart switches, and think about where a home monitoring system might connect if that becomes relevant down the track.
Outdoor Access
Queensland is the perfect place for outdoor living, and that shouldn’t change as people age. Path surfaces should be non-slip, well-drained, and lit from ground level rather than overhead. Make sure the paths are wide enough to accommodate a walking frame or wheelchair comfortably, and keep gradients to a minimum where possible.
The OJ Pippin Approach
At OJ Pippin Homes, we’ve been building across Brisbane and South East Queensland for over 30 years. We understand that when you build a home, you want it to last for decades after the day you move in.
Whether you’re planning a dual-living design that gives ageing parents their own space, or you’re thinking ahead to your own needs over time, we build those considerations in from the first conversation. We’re comfortable with meeting compliance standards, but we’re equally comfortable going beyond it when that’s what your family actually needs.
If you want to talk through what universal design looks like for your block, your family, and your budget, start with an obligation-free consultation. There’s no block too tricky and no brief too specific for our team to assess and provide advice.
