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Serial renovators embark on 15th house and this one’s for keeps!

May 23, 2022 Leave a Comment

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Claire O’Connell and her now husband Derek have been renovating for profit for the last decade after meeting as backpackers in Canada. She was in HR and he was an electrician and when the recession hit, they decided to move to the UK (he’s Irish and she has dual citizenship).ย 

When they arrived in the UK, they had next to no money as Claireโ€™s bank account had been cleared out fraudulently. They started working traditional jobs but soon realised they shared a passion for property and were just able to buy an investment property. โ€œThe rent we were paying was less than the mortgage, so we rented out the first house and then bought our second fixer upper which we lived in during the renovations,โ€ explains Claire.

โ€œAfter turning a two-bed-one-bathroom Victorian house into a four-bed-two-bathroom, we had the opportunity to move to the US with my work, where Derek started renovating houses full-time. I stayed employed and then decided to take the plunge and leave my global role at eight months pregnant and join Derek renovating.โ€

Claire on the tools

Two years after they started flipping, they were able to pay off all their debt, including mortgages, and they’ve lived debt free ever since!

After continuing to flip houses full-time, fast forward five years and they’re back in Australia with three kids and three dogs. They’re now renovating their 15th property, a Queenslander, and plan to actually live in this one!

Derek and Claire with their kids

“This property we plan to keep, so we are going the extra mile from a design and floorplan perspective. We aim to DIY as much as we can physically (and that is allowed), and we are turning a two-bed-one-bath 100-year-old house into a seven-bedroom home. We are sensitive to the property’s age on the top floor and celebrate the Queenslander features throughout the old and the new extension. However, we are embracing an industrial design on the ground floor with some top secret projects that the kids will love!”

The latest project in Brisbane which they intend to keep

Before we talk more about the current project, here are some of Claire and Derek’s previous American ones (because we know how you love a good before and after!) to give you an idea of just what they’re capable of.

Edgewater

“This was a renovation for profit. It had been designed by an eccentric homeowner; the master bedroom had six levels! The layout was horrendous but we think it turned out beautifully.”

BEFORE exterior
AFTER exterior
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
BEFORE master bedroom
AFTER master bedroom

Bayshore

“This house was a complete rebuild from the inside out due to termite damage. We were too far into the renovation to turn, back so forged ahead!”

BEFORE exterior
AFTER exterior
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
BEFORE lounge
AFTER lounge

Kokomo beach house

“We bought this house as an Airbnb investment and it went from three-bed-two-bath to five-bed-4.5-bath and pool.”

BEFORE
AFTER with added pool!
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen

The current project

The Queenslander they’re currently transforming is in Brisbane’s western suburbs. After buying it a year ago, they started the planning process and commenced work, aiming to DIY as much as possible and going through the process of getting their owner builder license.

The house has been raised on stilts

“We worked hard to demo the existing ground floor before hiring in a company to raise the house and lay the new foundations. Since then, we have been framing ourselves. We have just completed the ground floor and brought a crew in for the top floor to tie the new roof into the old. I have my limits when it comes to heights,” Claire says.

“Next step is cladding and painting the exterior then we start to work on the internal spaces. We have a fairly advantageous plan as we intend to design and build all of the cabinetry and stairs ourselves as well as complete all the finishing work.”

As you can see, it was in pretty original condition!

We’ll be bringing you more on this reno as it evolves, as well as tips and advice from Claire and Derek, so watch this space!

Follow them on Instagram @renowayoflife

Check out their handy budget trackers, reno calculators and more for purchase


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Want to try a different tipple this weekend? Toda Want to try a different tipple this weekend?

Today's #iafoodiefriday recipe is a lemon and pink peppercorn spritz by our friends at @thewholefoodsrefillery ๐Ÿธ 

They'll give you 20% off your first order with our code. Find everything you need on the blog now via link in bio.

Cheers! 

#pinkpeppercorn #spritzlife
Those finishing touches make ALL the difference! Those finishing touches make ALL the difference! 

@kethy.australia, whose cabinet hardware I've used in my own kitchen, laundry and on my recent sideboard glow up, are passionate about bringing you the latest design and finishes from around the world!ย 

Their stunning timber knobs and handles from Denmark add texture, warmth and an organic feel to yourย projectsย that can only be achieved by using natural materials.

Whether you're embarking on a new build, renovating an existing kitchen, bathroom or laundry or updating a piece of furniture, Kethy have something for you in their huge range.

See it all online and find your local re-seller at their website via link in @kethy.australia bio.

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Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping ALL the character!

What a great example this is by @huntingforgeorge 

See all the details, and the laundry, on the blog now, via link in bio.
The patient has very much bounced back! Letterbox The patient has very much bounced back!

Letterbox kinder egg deliveries from a friend, dressing changes without a flinch and refusing to nap despite all the bribes (check the face on him in pic 3!).

Thanks for all your care and messages/comments for this tired and shaken up mama! Now very relieved and grateful ๐Ÿ™
Before & after It's not just the award winning de Before & after

It's not just the award winning designer houses that get us excited here. It's also the beloved family homes which are renovated and extended to make them fit for purpose so people can continue to live where they love ๐Ÿค—

@inspiredspacesaus helped her clients with teenage kids transform this house in Sydney's Hills District inside and out, making it their forever home. 

Due to the nature of the block they could only extend sideways and then gave it street appeal with render, new windows and doors.

See inside on the blog now, via link in bio. It was completely overhauled!
Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into tiled steps ๐Ÿค•

Oh what a night. Thankfully Hornsby Hospital were as amazing as always and we avoided stitches. All taped and glued  back together and now to keep him calm for the next few days (๐Ÿคช) and watch for signs of concussion. 

Bravest little patient ever. Yes I've had a ๐Ÿท

Funny how we go into super organised mama mode in times like these. Grabbed dinosaurs, textas and scrapbook on the way out in case we had a long wait!

UPDATE: thanks for all the love! Charlie is so well this morning after a big sleep!
Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
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#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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