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We repair and update North Geelong’s post-war houses, do repairs for the landlords who own a large share of them, and sort out the fences and screens when units go in next door. With the former saleyards now sold for housing, the suburb is about to change again.
North Geelong is mostly port and industry, with a pocket of houses built during Geelong’s manufacturing years.
From the 1950s to the early 1970s North Geelong saw a big rise in housing, fuelled by the growth of Geelong’s industries. Those homes are now 50 to 75 years old. Doors drop and stick, stumps and subfloors need checking, original windows wear out and verandahs added decades ago need rebuilding. Doors came up in 38 of our 107 North Geelong jobs, far more than anything else.
At the 2021 census about 41% of North Geelong’s homes were rented, well above the Victorian figure. That makes landlords and property managers a big part of the market here: repairs between tenants, the fix-it list from a routine inspection, and keeping an older house up to the rental minimum standards.
Almost 18% of North Geelong’s homes are semi-detached or townhouses, and much of the residential land is zoned for gradual change, which is how units end up behind older houses. That brings shared fences, small courtyards and new neighbours close to the boundary. Bigger change is coming: the old saleyards were rezoned in 2023 for about 660 homes and sold for development in April 2026. We have not seen a construction date yet.
Most of our North Geelong work has been on health, port and industrial sites. That side is on the commercial carpentry page for North Geelong.
Ordered by the work we have done in North Geelong, then what the rentals need.
Our most common North Geelong job, 38 of 107.
Original windows on post-war houses.
Rebuilding verandahs added decades ago.
For the four in ten North Geelong homes that are rented.
Plaster, paint and the ongoing list.
New boundary fences where units go in next door.
Leaning and worn paling fences.
A call or a message. Landlords can send the inspection report.
On a post-war house we check underneath as well as on top.
Itemised and free, split so a landlord can see what is urgent and what can wait.
The same crew start to finish, with photos for landlords who are not on site.
Michael worked with our budget and we were so impressed by their diligence and workmanship. They did not cut corners but went the extra mile. So impressed we engaged them again at another property.
Beyond our expectations, and it was great to work with people who could turn our ideas into something better than we imagined. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Prompt, great communication and a terrific job. Have used JF Maintenance for lots of work over the years and would recommend.
From 1858 to 1971 a gasworks ran on Victoria and Douro Streets, with its own rail link to the port. Osborne House went up on Corio Bay in 1858, and Target began in Geelong in 1925 as Lindsay’s, with its head office on Thompson Road. Federal Mills on Mackey Street dates from 1915.
Most of the houses arrived in the 1950s and 60s with Geelong’s factories. The 2021 census counted 3,225 residents, four in ten of them renting. An ageing post-war housing stock, a lot of landlords and a large new neighbourhood on the way is why the work here is repairs now and new building later.
North Shore • Corio • Geelong
North Geelong borders Geelong, Geelong West, Rippleside, Drumcondra, Hamlyn Heights, Bell Park, Norlane and North Shore.
Owner or landlord, tell us what you are dealing with and we will come back with a free estimate.