Renovating a 1970s house: what to watch for and what it costs

What will you find in a 1970s house?

Decorative plasters were popular in the 1970s: spachtelputz, granol and rustic plaster, in various coarse grains. Ceilings were often clad in timber panelling. Much of that finish is still there, sometimes under a few layers of paint or wallpaper.

Beyond the finish, this building period has its own typical points of attention: a cavity wall with little or no insulation, old electrics that may no longer meet the AREI rules and, in some homes from that period, floors where concrete rot can occur. One of our building teams covers these points in the advisory meeting.

Prices from our 2026/2027 price list, valid from 1 September 2026. Prices exclude VAT; renovation work on a home over 10 years old usually carries 6% VAT.

Skimming smooth has no fixed per-m² price with us, because the grain, the adhesion and old paint layers differ from wall to wall. Removing and re-plastering does. Whether a layer can stay is decided during the on-site survey with a tap test. That is also how it works if you have spachtelputz plastered smooth.

What do you do with spachtelputz and a timber panel ceiling?

Spachtelputz and decorative plaster. Paint and wallpaper do not remove the grain. Paint follows the texture exactly, and a coarse grain shows through wallpaper. If you want smooth walls, a new layer of plaster is the only route: over the existing layer if it is firmly attached, or after removal if it is coming loose.

On the ceiling, grain is more noticeable, because light falls across it at a low angle. According to the Knauf MP 75 technical data sheet, a layer on a ceiling of masonry material goes on in one pass, up to a maximum of 15 mm. With a coarse granol grain, removing decorative plaster or granol is therefore often the calmer choice.

Timber panel ceiling. If you want to keep the wood, the ceiling simply stays. If you want a smooth, white ceiling, the panels usually come off and a new ceiling goes in. Our building teams do that structural part, after which our plasterers finish the ceiling ready for painting at €23.99 per m².

What is behind the panels and what they are fixed to only becomes clear once they are off. That is why we put that item in the quote after the advisory meeting, rather than as a fixed per-m² price.

Asbestos. Asbestos may have been used in older homes, and a 1970s house certainly falls into that category. You cannot recognise asbestos with the naked eye. Before a renovation, an asbestos survey is sometimes advisable, so mention the year of construction in the advisory meeting.

What does it cost to renovate a 1970s house?

For a complete renovation of a 1970s terraced house, these typical market prices apply in 2026. They are indications; the exact price for your home follows after the advisory meeting and the quote.

Market indications: typical prices in Belgium in 2026. For a home over 10 years old, renovation usually carries 6% VAT, otherwise 21%.

For the finishing of walls and ceilings, we use our own fixed prices. A worked example: a 1970s house with 220 m² of wall. On 110 m² there is loose spachtelputz, on the other 110 m² a single layer of paper wallpaper. The 75 m² ceiling has a granol grain that has to go. The dimensions are an assumption, not an average.

Prices from our 2026/2027 price list, valid from 1 September 2026. Prices exclude VAT; renovation work on a home over 10 years old usually carries 6% VAT.

If the 110 m² of wall turns out to be flat enough under the wallpaper, renovation fleece can go on instead of plastering and painting. That costs 110 × €15.99 = €1,758.90, against €4,617.80 for plastering plus priming and painting. The house then comes to €14,472.23.

The biggest item is removing the loose spachtelputz. If that layer is firmly attached everywhere, it can be skimmed smooth and the €2,528.90 item falls away. You then receive the price for skimming after the on-site survey.

Does a 1970s house have to be stripped back completely first?

Not necessarily. The image of a 1970s house that has to be taken back to bare brick is only true if everything really is being replaced. For walls and ceilings, the rule is: only what is loose or what you want rid of comes off.

Spachtelputz that is firmly attached everywhere can stay and be skimmed smooth. That saves the removal item, and it saves dust and rubble in the house. The same goes for old plaster under the wallpaper: if it is firmly attached, it is a good base.

If the floors, the kitchen and the tiling also come out, it becomes a full house strip-out. That calls for its own assessment, such as the disposal of a lot of waste or the presence of asbestos. We cover this in the advisory meeting.

Got your eye on a house? Know the renovation cost before you offer

Anyone buying a 1970s house usually buys a renovation project too. If you know what it costs before you make an offer, you can factor that into your offer and your financing. Here is how it works:

1. Send us the property. The address, the floor area and what you want done. Photos from the estate agent’s listing help.
2. A price indication within 24 hours. Based on our fixed prices per m², with every item listed separately.
3. After the purchase, the survey. If you agree, we measure up and check the walls. The final price and the schedule are then fixed.
4. Between getting the keys and moving in. We start on the day we agree together, so the work is finished when you move in.

Many buyers include the cost in their home loan. Our quote lists every item separately, so you can hand it to your credit broker. We do not give advice on your financing ourselves; your broker does that. That is why we work with credit brokers. If you are buying in Flanders, also keep in mind the renovation obligation: you have to renovate the home to improve its energy performance within 5 years of purchase.

What do you gain from us doing everything from A to Z?

Doing up a 1970s house quickly means five tradespeople: someone for the electrics, a wallpaper stripper, a plasterer, a wallpaper hanger and a painter. If you arrange them yourself, you are the contractor. With us that is not necessary, because we are the contractor and take the whole process off your hands.

Prefer to talk it over first? Put your question directly to our contractor via our contact form or give us a call.

Our customers give us a 4.9 from more than 215 Google reviews, and we complete more than 600 homes every year. The texts on this site are checked by director Geert Jan Hendrik, who has worked in construction for 20 years.

How do you renovate a 1970s house with us?

Request a quote or call us on working days between 9:00 and 17:00. In a free advisory meeting we go through what needs to be done, from the textured walls to the floor and the kitchen. You then receive a plan and a quote.

If you agree, we measure up and tap-test the walls and ceilings. The final price and the schedule are then fixed, and we start on the day we agree together.

A plasterer plasters an average of 100 m² per day. The new layer then has to dry: gypsum plaster takes roughly four weeks under good conditions, according to Knauf. That drying time is built into our schedule before the painters or wallpaper hangers carry on.

The structural work is done by our four in-house building teams of four people each, and the finishing by our 97 in-house tradespeople. You pay 50% on the first working day, once all materials are on site and we have started, and 50% on handover.

That way you can have your whole home renovated by a single contractor, or have just the walls and ceilings plastered at the same fixed prices.