A suburb of strata
Dee Why has one of the densest concentrations of apartments on the Northern Beaches. Broadly:
Walk-up blocks from the 1960s and 1970s fill the streets between the beach, the lagoon and Pittwater Road — face brick, three or four storeys, no lifts, compact bathrooms.
Newer mid- and high-rise buildings in the Dee Why town centre along Pittwater Road and around Howard Avenue, with lifts, basement parking and detailed renovation rules.
Headland and cliff-edge units facing the ocean, exposed to wind-driven salt.
Up the hill in Narraweena and Dee Why's western streets, the stock shifts to 1950s–70s brick houses on sloping blocks, many with a single main bathroom that has served a family for decades.
Walk-up bathrooms: what to expect
Opening up a Dee Why walk-up bathroom commonly reveals:
- A bath-shower combination with no membrane behind the tiles, or one that failed long ago
- Evidence of past leaks — patched ceiling in the unit below, stained concrete
- Galvanised or old copper supply pipes
- A cast-iron or early PVC waste connection to the stack
- Asbestos-containing sheeting in some wall and ceiling linings, or under old floor coverings
The renovation replaces the membrane properly, updates supply pipes within the unit and tests suspect materials before demolition.
Working with the building
Every Dee Why strata scheme is a little different, but typical by-law conditions include:
- Approved working hours, often excluding weekends for noisy work
- Protection of stairwells, lifts and common areas
- Waste removal routes and no skip bins on common property without permission
- Certificates of insurance and licence details before work starts
- Waterproofing certification on completion
Approval timelines follow the scheme's meeting calendar. See small and apartment bathrooms.
Salt, sand and the ocean-facing unit
Units near the beach and on the headland get salt on every surface. Tapware finishes, screen hardware, towel rails, and the exhaust fan's external outlet are all chosen for corrosion resistance. Sand tracked in from the beach wears grout, so floor grout is epoxy or sealed and a slip-resistant, mid-tone tile disguises wear. See tiling.
Internal bathrooms and mould
Many Dee Why units have internal bathrooms or ones with tiny windows. With the lagoon and ocean close by, humidity is persistent. Where the building allows, the exhaust is upgraded and ducted outside or into an approved shared duct, with a run-on timer. Mould-resistant ceiling paint and wet-area plasterboard complete the picture.
Houses on the hill
Brick homes in Narraweena and the upper streets of Dee Why typically have one bathroom plus perhaps a later ensuite or laundry toilet. Renovating the main bathroom often pairs well with the laundry, since plumbing and waterproofing are being organised anyway. See laundry renovations.
Costs
Apartment bathrooms $22,000–$36,000; main bathrooms in houses $27,000–$45,000, as a 2026 guide. See the cost bands.
Nearby
Also serving Narraweena, Long Reef and Curl Curl. See Narrabeen and Collaroy to the north and Brookvale to the south-west.
Call 02 4705 5289 or send the bathroom details through.
Up and down the beaches
Questions people ask before they commit
Do Dee Why apartment bathroom renovations need strata approval?
In almost every case. Bathroom work in a strata building usually touches waterproofing, drainage and the slab, which are common property. Many schemes require a special resolution and a by-law, plus waterproofing documentation and insurance certificates. The strata manager will confirm the process for your building.
What is typical in a 1960s or 1970s Dee Why unit bathroom?
A small room with a bath and overhead shower, a pedestal basin, floor-to-shoulder tiles, a small high window or none, a weak exhaust fan and plumbing that may be original. Membranes were often absent or limited, so leaks into the unit below are a common reason for renovating.
How much does a Dee Why apartment bathroom cost to renovate?
As a 2026 guide, a small apartment bathroom commonly costs $22,000 to $36,000. Walk-up access, strata requirements, restricted hours and asbestos testing in older blocks are the main reasons units cost more than their size suggests.
Can I put a walk-in shower where the bath was?
Usually. The shower drains to the existing bath waste position, and the floor is built up or set down to give fall. Whether the shower can be step-free depends on slab depth, which varies building to building.