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Real reno: the tired rental in need of a massive facelift

By Olivia Shead โ€ข Leave a Comment

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Having bought herย three-bedroom brickย home in Eimeo, Queensland as an investment property, Debbie Goodwin had been renting it out for some 15 years. So when the idea to sell came to mind, it was time to get the hard hat on and the tool belt out, because it was in serious need of a revamp!

Before: bathroom
Before: bathroom
After: bathroom
After: bathroom

“It had good bonesย but itย had to have aย massive facelift on the interior. So we completely gutted the whole inside of the house and put in a brand new kitchen, bathroom, laundry, toilet, paintedย the whole interior, put in new blinds, fans and aircon, timber boards inย all the living spaces and tiles inย all the wet areas.”

Before: Living
Before: Living
After: living
After: living
lounge 1
After: living

Costing $50,000, it took approximatelyย 10 months, with Debbie and her husband doing a lot of the reno themselves, after work and on the weekend. “The biggest challenge was definitely the time factor as we have three small boys and a business that operates seven days a week.”

Before: kitchen
Before: kitchen
After: kitchen
After: kitchen
After: kitchen
After: kitchen

With the new kitchen, living and bathroom making the biggest difference to the home, as a seasoned renovator, Debbie made some smart moves, knowing when to spend big and when to rein it in.ย “The freestanding bath was the best bargain product that will really add value to the home. As was repainting, especially in the living room, as it is now so fresh and inviting. Definitely worth the money.”

Before: main bedroom
Before: main bedroom
After: main bedroom
After: main bedroom

As well as budgeting, another of Debbie key’s considerations is choosing the right people for the job, thinking it’s best to get the experts inย first time round andย save the time and money of re-do jobs “My advice for would-be renovators isย to source good tradies. Be organised and always beย prepared for unexpectedย costs to crop up.”

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November 23, 2015

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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarEmma says

    November 23, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    Great transformation! And I love the bathroom vanity and mirror – can you share where they are from?

    Reply
    • AvatarDebbie says

      November 23, 2015 at 11:22 pm

      Hi Emma, the mirror is from our store L’Amour Home, and we had the vanity custom made by our cabinet maker City Cabinetmakers Mackay

      Reply
  2. AvatarBelinda Smith says

    November 25, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    Very simply and nicely done Debbie. It must feel nice to come home to.

    Reply
  3. AvatarSandra says

    November 27, 2015 at 8:05 am

    Looks great! Just wondering how much this Reno improved the valuation by? And what was the rental increase?

    Reply
  4. AvatarWAM Home Decor says

    November 27, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Gorgeous reno! The bathroom is a big change and that mirror is amazing. Huge improvement.

    Reply
  5. AvatarMinne says

    November 30, 2015 at 9:55 am

    Fantastic! Love your style! I am looking for an interior decorator to help with my furniture. Do you have any suggestion?

    Reply
  6. AvatarAlix says

    December 16, 2015 at 6:47 am

    This renovation looks fabulous – amazing what a difference non-structural changes can make! Just wondering why you decided to spend 10 months doing it yourselves and miss out on rent during that time, rather than get tradies in to do it quickly and get it on the market? Were the savings of doing the work yourself worth it? Would love to hear your thoughts.

    Reply

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