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Melbourne's grand inner east. Renovation builders for Kew's Victorian mansions, Edwardian homes and period properties.
Kew is one of Melbourne's most prestigious inner-east suburbs, defined by grand period homes, tree-lined streets and one of the highest concentrations of independent schools in Australia. It sits in the City of Boroondara, about 6 kilometres east of the CBD, bordered by the Yarra River. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 24,499 across 10,625 dwellings (Australian Bureau of Statistics). For builders in Kew, the work is almost always period homes of real value on generous blocks.
Kew's housing tells the story of Melbourne's wealth from the 1850s onward. The suburb holds some of the city's most significant Victorian mansions, including the heritage-listed Villa Alba (1863), Studley House (1857) and Raheen (1870), alongside Edwardian and Federation homes, interwar houses and quality post-war family homes. Two of Kew's mansion precincts, Walmer Street (HO158) and Sackville Street (HO162), are protected in their own right under the Boroondara Planning Scheme. Many homes keep original brickwork, slate roofs, ornate ceilings and formal layouts built for another century.
Heritage shapes most projects here. Kew was a city in its own right from 1860 until 1994, when it joined Hawthorn and Camberwell to form the City of Boroondara, and its period streetscapes carry extensive Heritage Overlay protection under the Boroondara Planning Scheme. So the first step in any home renovation in Kew is to confirm the heritage controls on your property, before you set a scope or a budget.
Kew is built around Kew Junction, where High Street, Cotham Road and Studley Park Road meet. The junction has been the suburb's commercial heart for over a century, marked by its landmark 1888 post office, and carries the shopping strips, cafes and services that residents use daily.
The schools define the suburb as much as the houses. Kew holds one of the highest concentrations of independent schools in the country, including Xavier College, MLC, Trinity Grammar, Ruyton and Preshil, alongside Kew Primary School, established in 1870, and Kew High School. Families buy into Kew for the schools and stay for decades.
Kew has no railway station of its own. It is served by tram routes 16, 48 and 109, which connect Kew Junction and the suburb's main roads to the CBD.
Green space is one of Kew's quiet advantages. Studley Park and Yarra Bend Park run along the river at the suburb's edge, offering some of the largest natural bushland in inner Melbourne, with the Studley Park Boathouse as a long-standing local landmark. The result is a settled, affluent community that values heritage character and rewards renovation work done to the highest standard.
One licensed builder is accountable from start to finish. Zac Porter, BPC DB-U 100-151, personally manages every home renovation, extension, kitchen and bathroom project Lilac Constructions delivers in Kew. You deal with one person, and every trade, inspection and decision runs through a single point of accountability from the first conversation to handover.
The team behind each build is consistent. In-house carpenters work alongside a trusted network of trades who have delivered home renovations and extensions together across Melbourne. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, tiling, plastering and waterproofing come from the same team on every job, which is how quality holds from demolition to handover.
The work is built around what Kew homes require. The suburb runs from Victorian mansions and Edwardian homes to solid interwar and post-war houses, many within heritage precincts under the Boroondara Planning Scheme. These are homes that command premium value and reward quality renovation work. Understanding exactly what controls apply to your property comes before any design begins.
Communication matches the size of the investment. A home renovation in Kew is one of the larger financial decisions a family makes, so you always know where the project stands, what is next, and who is responsible. Fixed-price contracts mean the figure agreed at the start is the figure you pay at handover, with no variations introduced mid-build.
Do I need a planning permit to renovate in Kew?Often yes. A large part of Kew sits within a Heritage Overlay under the Boroondara Planning Scheme, including the Walmer Street and Sackville Street mansion precincts. If your property is covered, you generally need a planning permit to demolish or remove a building, alter the exterior, construct a new building, or make any change that is visible from the street.
What work does not need a planning permit in Kew?Internal work usually does not. Unless your Heritage Overlay schedule says otherwise, a planning permit is generally not required for internal alterations, repainting an already painted surface, or routine repairs and maintenance that do not change the look of the building. In practice, most kitchen renovations and bathroom renovations in Kew proceed under a building permit alone.
How does heritage grading work in Boroondara?Your grading sets how much you can change on the outside. Significant and Contributory properties hold the strongest protection, because they define the character of a heritage precinct. Non-contributory properties carry fewer external controls. The grading shapes what is realistic before design work begins.
Can I get a faster VicSmart permit in Kew?Sometimes. VicSmart is a streamlined state process, decided within 10 business days for certain simple works such as some external alterations and minor structures. Eligibility depends on your property's grading, and not all works qualify.
What is the difference between a planning permit and a building permit?They are two separate approvals. A planning permit deals with land use and design under the Boroondara Planning Scheme. A building permit deals with construction safety under the Building Act 1993. For home extensions and structural work in Kew you usually need both, and the planning permit must come before the building permit.
How do I check the heritage controls on my Kew property?You can check your Heritage Overlay status and grading on the Victorian Government's VicPlan map at mapshare.vic.gov.au, on the planning pages at boroondara.vic.gov.au, or on the Victorian Heritage Database at vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au. The City of Boroondara is based at 8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell, and can be reached on 03 9278 4444.
The brief for home renovations in Kew is usually a significant period home that needs to work for modern family life. A Victorian or Edwardian home often has grand proportions and original detail at the front, with a formal, closed layout that no longer suits how families live. Home renovations in Kew are mostly about restoring and preserving that period character while reworking the interior into open, light-filled living that connects to the garden. Heritage Overlay controls under the Boroondara Planning Scheme apply to much of the suburb and must be understood before any external work is designed.
Kitchen renovations in Kew carry a high standard, because the kitchen needs to match the quality of the home around it. In period homes the original kitchen usually sits at the rear, separated from living and outdoor space. The brief is to open it up, relocate plumbing and electrical, and create a large, family-focused kitchen with cabinetry, benchtops and appliances at the level the Kew market expects. Because internal work generally proceeds under a building permit alone, kitchen renovations in Kew are among the more straightforward upgrades in a heritage suburb.
Bathroom renovations in Kew often start with what is hidden. Period homes regularly have waterproofing that was never compliant and original plumbing that needs proper assessment before work begins. Adding a second bathroom or ensuite is a common brief in Kew's larger Victorian and Edwardian homes, where a single bathroom no longer suits the household. Internal bathroom work usually proceeds under a building permit alone. Every Lilac Constructions bathroom renovation in Kew is waterproofed to Australian Standard AS 3740, with full compliance documentation provided at handover.
Home extensions in Kew are some of the most rewarding in Melbourne, because the suburb's generous blocks give real scope for substantial additions. The approach approved most often keeps the original facade and front rooms intact and adds to the rear, opening the home to the garden, with second-storey additions possible where the streetscape allows. For properties under a Heritage Overlay within the Boroondara Planning Scheme, the planning permit must be obtained before the building permit can be issued. Lilac Constructions handles planning permits, building permits and construction under one fixed-price contract.
