A town of different eras
Mittagong is the Highlands town with perhaps the broadest spread of housing ages. That is useful to understand, because a bathroom renovation in a 1975 brick veneer and one in a 2015 Renwick house are barely the same job.
Older cottages near the centre
The older houses near the main street share a lot with Bowral's character homes: timber floors, lath and plaster or masonry walls, and bathrooms that predate proper waterproofing. The renovation needs to allow for framing and subfloor repairs and for replacing old pipework. The Bowral page covers this stock in detail.
1960s to 1980s brick veneer and fibro
A large share of Mittagong's housing comes from this period, and it has its own typical bathroom: a bath with a shower over it, a small vanity, a separate toilet next door, and a window in the wet zone. Many have been partly updated since.
Asbestos. This is the era where asbestos cement sheeting was common — in fibro external walls, eaves and, relevantly here, in wet-area linings behind tiles. Where the house or its last bathroom renovation dates from before about 1990, sampling happens before the price is final. If positive, a separately licensed removalist handles it with clearance.
Combining rooms. The separate toilet beside the bathroom is often the key to a better layout. Removing the wall between them usually produces one good room from two poor ones.
Floors. Some of these houses are on timber, some on slab. That decides how easily plumbing can move.
1990s and 2000s estate houses
These are much closer to Sydney project homes — often slab-on-ground, with a main bathroom and an ensuite. The bathrooms are post-asbestos and generally structurally sound, but dated: a framed corner shower, tiles to two metres, a spa bath nobody uses, a laminate vanity.
The high-value changes are to replace the corner shower with a walk-in on the same wall, tile to the ceiling, remove the spa, and fit a wall-hung vanity with drawers. All of that can happen without cutting the slab.
New houses
Bathrooms in newer houses, including in Renwick, are often only a few years old. They rarely need a full renovation. Sometimes the right answer is a heated towel rail, better lighting and a new mirror, and nothing more. We are happy to say that.
Climate details, whatever the era
Mittagong is a little lower than Bowral but still gets cold winters. Underfloor heating under new tiles, a ducted exhaust fan vented outside, and a heated towel rail on a timer are the details that make the most difference to how a Highlands bathroom feels day to day.
What it costs
A main bathroom in a 1970s–80s house typically runs $26,000–$38,000 before any asbestos removal. A 2000s house with a sound slab sits a little lower. An older cottage with subfloor work sits higher. See the 2026 cost bands.
Nearby
We also work in Bowral, Moss Vale, Burradoo and Bundanoon, plus Colo Vale, Welby, Braemar and Renwick.
Call 02 4210 5289 or send the room details through.
Questions people ask before they commit
What sort of houses are in Mittagong?
A wide mix: older cottages near the town centre, a large amount of 1960s to 1980s brick veneer and fibro, 1990s and 2000s estate housing, and newer houses in developments such as Renwick. Each era has a typical bathroom and a typical set of problems.
Is asbestos likely in a Mittagong bathroom?
In houses built or renovated before about 1990, it is possible — particularly in fibro houses and in wet-area wall and ceiling linings of that period. It cannot be identified by looking. Where the age suggests it, a sample is tested before the renovation is priced.
My house is quite new. Is a full renovation necessary?
Often not. A bathroom from the 2010s is usually sound and simply dated in its finishes. New tapware, a frameless screen, a better vanity, improved lighting and a heated towel rail can change it significantly for much less than a full strip-out. We will say when that is the better option.
Is Mittagong on town sewer?
The town itself is on mains water and sewer. Some rural-residential properties on the fringes are on tank water and on-site sewage systems, which changes tapware selection and — if a bathroom is being added rather than renovated — can involve council.