# Forum More Stuff Go to Whoa!  Small start big ideas

## Scotty_K

Hi everyone.  Only new to the forum.  Been reading alot of threads and already learnt heaps. 
My fiance and I have just bought a house at Margate in Queensland.  We have already got some plans going on that the missus has already drawn up.  Well it's a floor plan anyway  :Redface: P   
The house is a post war 3 bedroom house on stumps.  The exterior is wood cladding and the interior would appear to be asbestos.  We are still trying to figure out what to do there???  
The biggest part of our plan is to raise the house and build in underneath and making most of the bedrooms downstairs and of course more living space.   
It's going to be a long road to the end.  Espeacially because we have never done anything like this before.  I'm not a builder or anything,  but I am a fast learner  :Redface: )   
So first things first any advice on house raising and dealing with asbestos??? lol 
Thanks and I'll keep you all up to date as best as I can!!!!

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## seriph1

Welcome! Nice corner of the earth, Margate... my fam lives on the peninsula. Get asking your questions and searching the forum...you'll find a great wealth of knowledge ... have fun on your reno journey

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## Oldsaltoz

I waterproofed a place last year that was much the same as the place you describe. The owner builder shifted the house into what was the front yard before doing any interior work apart from a bit of bracing for the lift. 
One moved he put down a new slab and included a steel support frame. The old house was then craned onto the new frame, power and water connected, steps fitted. 
New wall sheeting was applied over the old asbestos rather than removing it, but for a small area at the back that was the new ensuite to the master bedroom. 
Most of the original veranda was converted to room space and a new wider veranda built on 3 sides.
The steel upright supports were topped with RSJ's and more RSJ's supported the floor, the distance between slab and underside of the RSJ's was 2.6 metres. 
Under the house was enclosed and had the laundry, a double garage, and a huge rumpus room that faced the back yard with by-fold doors right across the back wall. 
The outside was clad with insulated alloy cladding, powder coated so low maintenance. 
All wet areas had the floor boards removed and fibre cement sheeting installed. 
Hope this helps. 
Good luck.  :Smilie:

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## Scotty_K

Wow that's pretty much what we want to do.  Any idea on the overall cost for all those improvements?  We have thought about just sheeting over the asdbestos that we don't have to remove.  Maybe we will go with that idea.  Thanks

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## Draffa

With Asbestos, my (laymans) opinion is that if you're not touching it and it's not broken, leave it. 
 My project has broken asbestos sheeting in the eaves, and the bathrooms both need to come out, so all the asbestos sheeting there is being removed (as well as a section of wall on the outside of the loungeroom, because it doesn't match the other 7/8ths of the house).  The majority of the internal roof is also asbestos sheet, but since it's neither broken nor having holes cut into it, it's staying.

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