Redhead, Large-scale renovation2026
01
View projectAllard Street, Redhead
A complete coastal transformation — pale oak, travertine and brushed bronze under arched windows and skylights, five minutes from the beach.View project
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Luxury home builders — Newcastle & Lake Mac
Extraordinary Homes.Built by hand.
Start to finish,we have you sorted.
Every photo on this site is a project we built.
Finalist
HIA Housing Awards
Full-Home Renovation — Cooks Hill
- Licensed NSW builder — 267322C
- Custom homes, renovations & extensions
- Working with award-winning architects
Luxury home builders — Newcastle & Lake Macquarie
Extraordinary Homes.Built by hand.
Finalist
HIA Housing Awards
Full-Home Renovation
Cooks Hill
Owner & builderLic. 267322C
Why build with MBC
Craftsmanship, communication
and care.
A locally owned building company based in Redhead, delivering high-quality residential and commercial construction across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie — alongside award-winning architects and trusted local trades.
Michael, on the tools — every job, start to finish.
01
Craftsmanship
High-end finishes and quality workmanship at every stage of the build — spaces that are functional, refined and built to last.
02
Clear communication
Seamless, transparent and honest — it's the reason architects and clients keep coming back.
03
Attention to detail
From heritage cornices to mitred stone — the details are the difference, and they get obsessed over.
04
Locally owned
Based in Redhead, building across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie with trusted local trades and award-winning designers.
Michael, on the tools —
every job, start to finish.
Our work
Recent projects,
start to finish.
Three real projects in three real suburbs — no stock photos, no renders, all built by MBC. Open a project to see the full set.
Cooks Hill, Heritage renovationHIA Housing Awards finalist2025
02
View projectDawson Street, Cooks Hill
A century-old cottage restored to its former glory at the front, reborn as a modern home at the back — and named an HIA Housing Awards finalist.View project
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Newcastle, Commercial · heritage restoration2024
03
View projectBolton Street, Newcastle
A 140-year-old commercial building restored — ornate ceilings faithfully preserved — and fitted out as the Tatt Brat studio.View project
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What people say
Architects recommend us.
Clients keep us.
HIA Housing Awards finalist@michaelbell.construction“Michael and his team have always upheld a high standard of building professionalism and delivered our design projects to an excellent level of detail and finish. We would be more than happy to recommend Michael and his team as a preferred builder of Shade Architects for your upcoming project.”
“More than happy to recommend Michael and his team as a preferred builder of Shade Architects.”
“Their consistent excellence has been truly impressive. Whether it's a new build or alterations and additions, they consistently exceed expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking a high-quality builder with a proven track record of excellence.”
“A high-quality builder with a proven track record of excellence.”
“It wasn't just a project; it was a collaboration with friends who happen to be exceptional builders. If you want a seamless, friendly, and top-notch construction experience in Newcastle, Michael Bell is the perfect choice.”
“A collaboration with friends who happen to be exceptional builders.”
“I employed Michael to undertake a complex heritage restoration of a 140 year old ornate timber ceiling. Michael worked seamlessly with a specialist cabinet maker and suggested techniques that permitted a faithful and rarely preserved outcome. I expect to use Michael's services on other work I have coming up.”
“Techniques that permitted a faithful and rarely preserved outcome.”
“Throughout the whole process Michael was consultive and showed excellent time management and planning skills. He sets and meets deadlines resulting in continuous work flow for his excellent team of tradesmen and contractors who take immense pride in their work.”
“He sets and meets deadlines — his team take immense pride in their work.”
Verbatim from michaelbellconstruction.com — excerpted for length
michaelbell.construction
On site with the MBC crew — tap to open the feed
Mayfield — heritage renovation
Back to brick, then back to beautiful.
A period home in Mayfield stripped back to its bones — original brickwork and floor joists exposed — then rebuilt with the detail a house like this deserves.
Before
Linings off, floors up, structure exposed. This is the stage where you find out what you're really working with.
After
Dudley — new build
Framed in winter. Finished in oak.
From an open frame with the sky still showing through, to a raked ceiling, custom oak joinery and stone that stops you in the doorway.
Bombala Street — extension
An extension built to the view.
Scaffold up, frame in, and a lined ceiling that carries straight out over the deck — built to take in the trees behind the house.
Redhead — renovation
New cladding, line by line.
Weatherboards off, wrap on, and new cladding set out board by board — the kind of work that only looks easy when it's finished.
What we do
Five ways we build.
Custom homes
Ground-up new builds, designed around how you live — like the Rembrandt Drive home: timber battens, cathedral ceilings, lofted living.
- Working alongside award-winning architects
- Design practicality & budget guidance
- One crew from slab to handover
Renovations & extensions
Whole-home transformations and additions — including heritage homes, where the front is restored to its former glory and the back reborn.
- HIA Housing Awards finalist work
- Heritage restrictions handled
- Old and new blended seamlessly
Bathrooms & kitchens
The rooms where craftsmanship shows — stone, zellige, brass and joinery, detailed and waterproofed properly the first time.
- Custom joinery & stone benchtops
- Skylights & natural light designed in
- Quality fixtures, correctly installed
Outdoor living
Pergolas, decks and outdoor kitchens that turn the backyard into another room — built to take the coastal weather.
- Outdoor kitchens & alfresco areas
- Decks & pergolas
- Seamless flow from inside to out
Commercial
Fit-outs, refurbishments and renovations with the same attention to detail — including faithful heritage restoration work.
- Fit-outs & refurbishments
- Heritage restoration expertise
- Live-environment scheduling
Not sure where yours fits?
Tell us what you’re imagining.
Start the conversationThe process
You’ll always know what happens next.
Building shouldn’t feel like a black box. This is the path every MBC project follows — from the first conversation to the day you get your keys.
- 01
A conversation first
Bring plans, a concept or just an idea — we talk through what's feasible, and what it roughly involves.
- 02
Design & feasibility
If you need an architect, we can connect you with the award-winning designers we already build for — and keep the design buildable to budget.
- 03
Planning & approvals
For Michael, planning isn't the first step — it's the foundation. Approvals, engineering and selections handled before the tools come out.
- 04
A clear, documented price
Priced off proper documentation — scope, selections and finishes specified, so the number you sign is the number you build to.
- 05
The build
Deadlines set and met, continuous workflow for the crew, and honest communication the whole way — no surprises, no black box.
- 06
Handover & beyond
Walked through, detailed and stood behind — a home we hope you wake up loving every single day.
The builder
15 years on the tools.Every job, hands-on.
You deal with Michael from your first consult through to handover — backed on site by a trusted team of qualified trades he's built up over fifteen years.
15Years in the industry
Michael
Director
Started on the tools in 2010 and has built across NSW and New Zealand — beachfront homes in Byron Bay and Yamba, high-end builds in Queenstown. Brought it all home to Newcastle in 2015, where Michael Bell Construction began. Still hands-on on every job, balancing client consults and the tools.
About MBC
Fifteen years ofhigh-end homes.
Michael made his start in the building industry in 2010 and has worked across NSW and New Zealand — from beachfront properties in Byron Bay and Yamba to high-end homes in Queenstown. In 2015, he brought that expertise to Newcastle, and Michael Bell Construction began.
Michael values working closely with clients to deliver a personal and customised experience. He understands the uniqueness of each build in both design and budget — and leads a team of carefully selected, highly qualified tradesmen while staying hands-on through the build, balancing client consults and the tools.
Today MBC delivers custom homes, renovations, extensions and commercial builds across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie — working with clients, award-winning architects and trusted local trades to deliver exceptional results.
- Established
- 2015
- Based in
- Redhead
Start a project
Tell us about
your project.
Whether you’re ready to build, still weighing up a concept, or just want to understand the process — send through what you have. Plans, a Pinterest board or a rough idea is plenty. Michael will come back to organise a chat.
FAQ
Fair questions, straight answers.
Custom homes, whole-home renovations, extensions, bathrooms and kitchens, outdoor living, and commercial fit-outs — across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. From a century-old Cooks Hill cottage under heritage restrictions to a ground-up new build, the common thread is high-end finishes and craftsmanship.
With a conversation. Bring whatever you have — plans, a concept, a Pinterest board or just an idea — and we'll talk through what's feasible and what it roughly involves. Michael values working closely with clients to deliver a personal, customised experience, and understands every build is unique in both design and budget.
No. MBC work closely with award-winning architects and building designers — including practices who name them as a preferred builder — and can point you to the right design team for your project if you don't have one yet.
Michael stays hands-on through the build, backed by a carefully selected team of qualified tradesmen. You deal with the person actually running your job, from first consult to handover.
Yes — it's some of our proudest work. The Cooks Hill cottage renovation (an HIA Housing Awards finalist) restored the heritage front of a century-old home to its former glory, and the Bolton Street commercial project faithfully restored a 140-year-old ornate timber ceiling.
Yes — NSW builders licence 267322C, held by a locally owned company based in Redhead. Licence and insurance details are provided with every proposal.
The details
The parts you
live with daily.
Custom joinery, stone and the light that comes with it — drawn with the architect, built by the same hands that framed the house.
We love a chat
Let’s talk about
your home.
No pressure and no obligation — just a straight conversation about what you want to build and what it takes to get there.