Big Brother star Mike Goldman has taken matters into his own hands, obtaining his owner-builder qualifications after struggling to secure builders to rebuild his Brisbane home following a devastating fire.
The television personality, best known as the voice of Big Brother, is rebuilding the Bulimba home he shares with wife Bianca Zouppas, who also works in entertainment, and their young son, Jagger.
The voice of Big Brother, Mike Goldman, has become an owner/builder.
The family narrowly escaped the blaze about 12 months ago after being woken by a smoke alarm, fleeing the property with Jagger, who was just one year old at the time.
While fire investigators were unable to determine the cause, the experience has left a lasting impact on Goldman, who admits he still wakes in the middle of the night thinking he can smell smoke.
“I have smoke alarms on top of smoke alarms,” he said.
Initially, the couple had no intention of returning to the property, considering selling it or renting it out once repairs were completed.
“When it happened, my wife and I were like, we’re not going back there,” Goldman said.
The fire at the family home of radio and television personality Mike Goldman in 2025.
But after struggling to find builders willing to take on the project, the former television host decided to take matters into his own hands.
“I had a couple of builders fall through because they were being offered more money elsewhere,” he said.
Rather than continue waiting, Goldman enrolled in a Queensland Building and Construction Commission-approved training course, completing about a month of online study to obtain the qualifications needed to oversee the rebuild.
Having renovated four properties over the years, he said he already had some practical knowledge, although he was under no illusions about his abilities.
“I don’t for one minute pretend to know everything a plumber, builder or electrician does,” he said.
“I’m the little onsite grunt that has to run to Bunnings every five minutes and buy stuff.”
Mike Goldman and Bianca Zouppas are rebuilding their fire-ravaged home in Bulimba. Image supplied.
Goldman said his stepfather, a former builder who surrendered his licence several years ago, had also become a valuable source of advice.
And despite swapping television studios for construction sites, he said the two jobs had more in common than people might think.
“I look at it like I’m producing a TV show,” he said. “You’ve got organise the cameramen, the talent…”
In this case, the talent includes four electricians, two carpenters and a scaffolder, with Goldman coordinating the trades and tackling whatever jobs he can himself.
He said taking on the project as an owner-builder had also given him greater flexibility to navigate an industry grappling with rising costs, red tape and financial pressures.
“When you’re a builder, you have to have two or three jobs on the go to make money,” he said.
“With me as an owner-builder, no sweat. I don’t have people on wages. I can wait a week or two, so that is where you’re going to save thousands.”
Mike Goldman, just hours after escaping a house fire at his home in Bulimba last year. Picture: Tara Croser.
The new walls will soon go up on the house in Bulimba. Image supplied.
The project has now moved beyond demolition, with damaged roof joists and bearers replaced, walls erected and electrical rough-in underway.
Windows and external cladding are among the next major jobs.
The renovation will also dramatically transform the home’s layout. The former kitchen will become a sitting room connecting to a new master bedroom suite and deck overlooking the Brisbane River, while a spacious open-plan kitchen with a floating island bench will become the centrepiece of the redesigned home.
But Goldman admitted there had been moments when the scale of the project felt overwhelming.
“After we paid $15,000 to get asbestos removed, I thought, no, this is too hard. We can’t get this done,” he said.
“I’ve just wasted all this money getting rid of burnt wood.”
The burnt wood from the fire has been removed. Picture: Tara Croser.
Mike Goldman on the tools as he works to rebuild his Bulimba home. Image supplied.
Now, with the damaged timber removed, floors repaired and walls taking shape, he can finally see progress.
“Now we’ve got walls up, floor in, burnt wood removed,” he said.
For Goldman, property has long provided a degree of financial security in an entertainment industry where work can be unpredictable.
“I’ve always had an eye on property because my career is so up and down,” he said.
“One minute I’m hosting the biggest TV show in the country… next minute there’s nothing.”
His first property purchase was a four-bedroom home in Carina in 2000, which he bought for $160,000 and later sold for $190,000.
He used the proceeds to purchase the current property in Bulimba for $390,000.
Since then, he has continued renovating and investing in real estate, preferring to hold properties rather than flip them for a quick profit.
Mike Goldman and his family are slowly rebuilding the home that was gutted by fire a year ago.
“I just make sure I focus on renovating a property,” he said. “I don’t flip. I hold onto it and maximise my equity.”
He said the family’s vulnerability in the aftermath of the fire had also attracted opportunistic interest from prospective buyers.
“One guy stopped his car out the front and said, ‘Would you take $900,000?’” he said.
“People must think that I’m stupid. Honestly, I 100 per cent was vulnerable.”
Away from the renovation, Goldman is also working on a 12-part YouTube series with Queensland’s fire service, sharing the stories of firefighters and showcasing the latest fire safety technology.
And while there is still plenty of work ahead before the family can return home, he already knows how he wants to celebrate.
“Throw a party,” he said. “I’m going to invite the street because it was stressful for them as well.”