Located on the NSW south coast in Jervis Bay, this home was purchased 20 years ago and tenanted until recently when the owners decided to give it a glow-up under the guidance of interior designer Joanne Yeomans, of Issy & H Creative. “My clients bought the house as a weekend getaway when their three girls were young, and they used to escape there from Sydney most weekends. They have some very happy memories of visits there,” says Joanne, who explains that the family decided to make use of it again, partly due to COVID-19 induced travel restrictions.
BEFORE kitchenAFTER kitchen
Having fallen into disrepair over the last decade, the home needed a lot of work, and this came primarily in the form of new flooring, paint, lighting, furniture and a new kitchen. “My client is a keen traveller and so wanted to create an eclectic twist on a coastal theme. So rather than adopting a more obvious neutral colour palette, we chose to incorporate some strong pops of colour and travel inspired pieces.”
BEFORE stairwell
AFTER stairwell
Paint proved integral to brightening up the home but one of Joanne’s paint plans was eschewed by the owners’ daughters out of pure nostalgia. “We planned to paint the existing raked timber ceiling in the living room. But my client’s daughters protested saying they remembered it fondly as a feature of the house,” says Joanne. The existing timber is now complemented by two Beacon Lighting capiz shell pendant lights which are Joanne’s favourite feature of the renovation. “They look absolutely beautiful and also have a lovely wind chime sound effect when the house is opened up and the breeze blows through.”
BEFORE living room
AFTER living room
The walls were freshened up with Dulux Natural White paint while the floors now sport a Blackbutt hybrid throughout. The home is peppered with interesting furniture and homewares including a rattan bar cart from Interiors Online, a large linen sofa from Uniqwa and many Etsy buys including a whale sculpture from Russia, a custom cushion from Budapest (made from a vintage Iranian kilim rug), and a large ombre wall hanging by Netherland artist Teddy and Wool.
“It was delightful to receive most of these packages with a special gift or note from the seller, even in the height of COVID when spirits must have been low,” says Joanne who also printed and framed a lot of the client’s travel photography for a personal touch.
BEFORE guest roomAFTER guest room
With Joanne located in Sydney, the renovation did prove challenging at times, but technology proved invaluable to the process – issues were resolved with Skype calls when the builder was on site. “Also, we faced some pretty long lead times with furniture procurement during COVID, but I’m happy to say that everything arrived eventually!” says Joanne.
BEFORE living room
AFTER living room
“Overall, I’m most proud of how happy the family are with the end result. And my client has been so generous and gracious in sharing it; I have been lucky enough to spend two long weekends there with my young family and they adored it.”
Before & after: 90’s kitchen renovated on a budget using DIY
Originally built in the 90’s, this home’s original kitchen was in dire need of some love when Melbourne’s Haus of Cruze design studio began overhauling it recently. Completed as part…
Couple with laptop having a break from renovating new home
By Laura Crowden
When renovating, plans, supplier choices, building works and selections obviously play a big part in the project management but another important necessity is ensuring you have suitable home and contents protection. Without it, you could be left with unnecessary costs should the unthinkable happen.
Understanding the terms and conditions of your policy is vital as not only could you be underinsured, a claim could be deemed ineligible if you don’t meet certain criteria outlined by your provider.
So as a renovator, what should you look for when it comes to insurance? Thanks to iSelect, we have a list of do’s and don’ts to ensure you aren’t caught out.
DO
Check your existing home insurance policy covers renovations. If it doesn’t, find out what policy or level of cover incorporates renovations. It’s also a good idea to do research into what other providers can offer to ensure you are getting the best value.
Verify the maximum cover available if you were to put in a claim during the period of renovations.
Make sure your builder has adequate work insurance cover (separate to home and contents insurance). For those planning to take on works themselves, make sure you take out domestic building insurance to cover yourself financially.
Keep your house protected during the period of renovations through general upkeep such as mowing the lawn, collecting the mail, leaving lights on and only having expensive fittings installed when the house is secure or someone is residing within it.
Post renovations, re-evaluate your sum insured as presumably the value of your home and contents is likely to have increased.
DON’T
Assume that your current house insurance covers all facets. As our circumstances change, certain amendments and inclusions can go unmissed if you don’t regularly review and update your cover.
Leave your home and contents unprotected during renovations through lack of security or exposed entrance ways – this too could hinder a claim should something be damaged or stolen.
Assume your existing home and contents provider will give you the best deal for a policy when renovations are finally completed. It pays to compare providers before locking in an agreement.
Move out for an extended period without checking your policy. There are some policies that consider cover redundant if you are living elsewhere for an extended period while works are underway.
Preparation is key – so for peace of mind, that extra bit of due diligence can certainly pay off to ensure your most valuable asset is protected. If you are planning a renovation and want to find a suitable insurance provider, visit iSelect for further information.
The holiday home of Bonnie Hindmarsh was once a humble beach shack in Pearl Bay on the NSW Central Coast. But then, Bonnie’s life changed. With best friends Erin Cayless and Lana Taylor, they started Three Birds Renovations, the now well-known team flipping uber stylish houses for insane profits. So it was decided, it was time for Bonnie’s home to get a makeover! Today, they’re sharing the living room.
The shack had been renovated over the years but was certainly not perfect! They’d ripped up the old carpets and painted the walls and ceilings white, white-washing the original pine flooring and adding a couple of French doors to the lounge area and dining. The deck was another new addition which they extended, as well as renovating the kitchen.
Three Birds teamed up with online retailer Zanui to finish the home off with beautiful furniture and homewares. With the brief to create a fresh and relaxing home with a distinctly beachy vibe, the interior decorating was made easy thanks to Zanui’s extensive options.
“I just love their wide range of choices and it’s really easy to shop,” says Bonnie. “Take their artwork for example, you can filter by colour, theme and price – and then you get a heap of options. Their products cover absolutely everything from sofas to beds to bar carts and crockery. I was like a kid in a candy shop! We loved the challenge of making over every single space with their range, it was like putting together a giant fun puzzle where everything fits seamlessly. We’re seriously thrilled with the results.”
In this video Bonnie, who is the styling queen of the trio, talks us through what she chose for the room and why:
When it comes to renovating a holiday home, Bonnie has a few tips for keeping it in tip-top shape. “Consider adding an outdoor shower and tap so you can wash yourself off after a beautiful day down at the shore! And consider light-coloured flooring to hide any sand that happens to sneak past the outdoor shower!”
Giving your home a makeover can quickly add up, so forget about any form of structural change if cash is tight. “If you can afford to, repaint the walls and floors as it’ll make a big difference,” explains Bonnie. “If that’s still a stretch, change the space using new furniture, homewares and artwork. As a last resort, a few new cushions on your couch is a step in the right direction for that extra pizazz.”
Dubbed their biggest renovation challenge ever, best friends turned expert renovators Lana Taylor, Erin Cayless and Bonnie Hindmarsh (of Three Birds Renovations) recently completed a three-storey, three-bedroom, three-bathroom, modern Mediterranean-style villa in Sydney’s north. But there was some added pressure, with the house being Lana’s family home! “It’s been a beautiful house and I love it to death but the floor plan wasn’t built for a growing family,” explains Lana. “Our main aim was to build a beautiful home to last a lifetime.”
The new design involved completely flipping the house layout on its head, by placing the kitchen and living areas downstairs and linking it to the garden. The middle level, aptly named ‘kid’s world,’ became the domain of Lana’s two young children; while the top floor was converted into the ultimate parents’ retreat for Lana and her husband Jason.
The parents’ retreat boasts a luxurious master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, ensuite, open-plan office space and a sunny terrace. Inspired by Greece, the ensuite is white with a turquoise fish-scale tiled feature wall and just like the beautiful white-washed Santorini homes, a skylight above the shower bathes the room in natural light.
On the middle level, each child has a large bedroom, plus there is mud room, a large bathroom and a media room with glass balustrade that overlooks a void into the family area below. “I’ve always wanted a well-fitted out mud room,” says Lana. “So I created an ‘urban mud room’ with floor-to-ceiling shoe shelves for my family to take shoes on and off and get rid of those bulky school bags.”
Once a self-contained granny flat, the bottom level is now home to an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area. Large windows, glass doors, high ceilings and white walls provide a light, fresh and welcoming space for the family to cook, eat, play and relax.
The all white kitchen is paired with neutral stone benchtops and a matching splashback. “I wanted the stone to be the hero of the kitchen,” explains Lana. Connecting the interior to the exterior is a large gas-strut window, allowing for easy al fresco dining all year round. And on the other side of the kitchen is not a butler’s pantry but a butler’s office! “The butler’s office was simply born out of the lifestyle that we lead,” says Lana. “I’m always on my laptop and I don’t want to be hidden away in a study when my kids are in the family space.”
The finished home is beautiful (what we’ve come to expert from the girls at Three Birds!) and Lana couldn’t be happier: “It’s not just the perfect family home, it’s also an expression of my style and showcases the expertise and attention to detail we have to all our projects.”
–The Birds used Gyprock in this renovation. To create a private oasis for Lana and Jason, Gyprock Soundchek™ plasterboard was used in the master suite. A high-density plasterboard with increased noise absorption properties, Soundchek has been specifically designed for internal walls and ceilings to reduce noise transfer. Gyprock Sensitive plasterboard was selected for the kids’ area. It’s a revolutionary hypoallergenic plasterboard that is the first and only residential plasterboard to be approved by the National Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice program as a better choice for asthma and allergy sufferers. Treated with a powerful but gentle anti-fungal agent, Sensitive is designed to resist mould growth.
I recently shared the pictures of our beautiful finished bathroom and WC with you. And while we’re delighted with it, you know I like to keep things real, and we all know that renos are rarely smooth-running and stress-free! So while there were some hiccups behind the scenes, I thought sharing what we learned from these might be useful information for anyone about to embark on their first reno too. So, read on for my top learnings from the experience, warts and all!
There is SO MUCH involved in a bathroom reno. From the amount of decisions to make (starting with who will do the work and ending with things like grout colour and whether or not you want a robe hook!). It is totally overwhelming. And by their very nature, bathrooms are pretty permanent so you want to get it right. Don’t rush anything!
The more planning you can do the better (see above!) to help you finalise your style, the practicalities and your fixtures and fittings. Plan, plan and plan some more to minimise the chances of things going wrong. Use Pinterest, rip things you like out of magazines, make lists, whatever works for you. The more you get down on paper, the better. Make sure you look carefully at any 3D renders or builders’ drawings you’re provided with where you can see it all come together in a more finalised way. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes (and more changes) to get what you want.
Get everything in writing. Make sure you have a contract, a scope of work, a cost, your builder’s licence details, every decision/change you make, all in black and white. This not only saves confusion but covers you if something goes wrong. Likewise, at the end, make sure you get the all-important waterproofing certificate and a certificate of completion (your statutory guarantee period starts from the date of this).
No matter how much you love interiors, you need expert advice with a bathroom. Listen to your trades, engage an interior designer (or be lucky enough to have them as friends!) and be open to their advice because they know what they’re talking about. I’m an interiors blogger, not an interior designer, and I know it, so I was always asking for a second opinion from someone who really knew their stuff.
Don’t choose fixtures and fittings online without seeing them in real life. We nearly did this with taps. When we saw them in the store, we changed our mind. If you’re getting a bath tub, actually get in it at a showroom to make sure it is big/comfortable enough. Things like the angle to lie back and read against are important!
Not all trades are created equally. Make sure you get three quotes (I think we got five!). Ask your friends for recommendations, use online services like HiPages and make sure you check licences. The company we went with were extremely professional in terms of the paperwork and managing our expectations which was important to us. Likewise, when you see a plumber spend hours making the plumbing fit in your tiny WC vanity you will have a new found respect for what they do. Seriously, it’s a work of art in there!
If, like us, you haven’t done a reno before and you don’t know any trades, it is a great idea to find a company who can manage the entire job for you. We wouldn’t have known where to start and I’m sure I would have had a nervous breakdown had we not gone down this route.
Try not to be too trend-driven. While there’s always something new and exciting out there, remember bathrooms are with you for years! I looked at so many great tiles, but when I kept coming back to to the white subway tile and marble penny round combo I’ve loved for years, I knew there was a reason for that. And I’m not sure I wouldn’t use the same tiles in my next bathroom too! The same goes for furniture; if you love something for years, you won’t regret investing in it.
Renos rarely finish on time. We were quoted four or five weeks and ours took eight. And even then there were a few outstanding things. Everyone (and their wife!) will say things to you like “Four weeks?! Really?!” and “We did in ours in three days and did it all ourselves,” and “But why does it take so long?!” and it wears really, really thin! Every reno is different but what they all involve, if done properly, is a lot of different tradespeople and processes, some of which need literally days of time (like waterproofing). Add to this the fact that everyone else’s jobs are also running over time and you’ll find the chances of your plumber, waterproofer and tiler all lining up perfectly are seriously unlikely, no matter how good the planning or project management.
You may well have to move out. We did, for four weeks, then lived through the last four weeks with a half-finished bathroom and WC. Be realistic about this from the outset. Can you live with your in-laws? Can you afford to rent an AirBnB? Even if you have a second bathroom, if you have small children, is it practical and safe for you to continue to live in your home during the reno (I work from home so the answer is no, definitely not during the noisy bit!).
You need to consider your neighbours. Renos are really noisy, messy things. There’s no getting around it. But you can’t never renovate because you’re worried about annoying the neighbours. It’s just one of those things. What you can do is make sure you, and your trades, are as considerate as possible. We put a note through every mailbox in our apartment building informing people when the renos were starting, when they were expected to end and a contact number to call if they had any concerns. You then need to make sure your trades (and there will likely be contractors involved so you might want to leave this information printed out in your home) know any building rules, where they can and can’t park, etc, etc.
In addition to the above, if you live in a strata building, like us, you will likely need to get a bylaw before you can commence work. Effectively, this means asking permission from the owners’ corporation. It is really just a piece of paper, but you have to have it. If you don’t, you could get in a lot of trouble, especially if, for example, your trades damage common property or, for example, there’s a leak into the apartment below you. You’ll need a strata lawyer and it costs around $1,000. Make sure you leave enough time for this to go through strata; I’d advise at least two months before you intend to start work.
Bathrooms renos are not pretty in the between stages, they’re actually quite brutal! As a total neat freak, I hated looking at our bathroom during demolition stage. Stripped back to bare brick, you soon realise there’s no going back and think: “God, I hope these guys know how to put it all back together again!”
Make sure what you ordered for your bathroom is actually delivered. Open boxes, check, check and check again. We learned this the hard way. Our bath arrived without a waste, we ordered one of our taps wrong and we didn’t realise our rain shower wouldn’t come with an arm to attach it to the ceiling. These were all small mistakes which led to delays. They all add up.
Think practically, not just about what will look nice. I wish, for example, we had not centred our bathroom basin. This would have given a large space to one side for hair straightener, hand soap etc, rather then two smaller benchtop spaces either side.
Make sure you consider the basin/vanity relationship. We slipped up twice here. Firstly, we left it to the last minute (because we were busy with other things and it seemed like it was a simple job) to source our WC basin and it proved to be pretty stressful because hardly any basins were small enough to fit it! We love the extra storage we have in the WC vanity (12 toilet rolls and counting, Toilet Duck and air freshener, compared to no storage at all before!) but finding the right basin? A nightmare! The one we got in the end is beautiful but let’s just say I wasn’t planning on having a $700 tiny basin in a room which is pretty much just a toilet! And did I mention we ordered the wrong tap so it wasn’t tall enough? Gah! Amateurs! When it came to the main bathroom vanity (also custom timber from Ingrain Designs), when it came to installing the original countertop basin it would have meant cutting so big a hole out of the top it would have damaged the integrity of this beautiful (and expensive) piece of furniture. Was it worth the risk? No way! So off we went (last minute again) to source a more suitable basin. Sigh.
There are some things you just can’t plan until the very end, like exactly where to put your towel hook. But that’s okay!
Sometimes you have to compromise on your dream bathroom as a sensible financial decision for the longer term. In our case, we knew we planned to sell our apartment in the next year, so I couldn’t have the brass tapware I wanted. I love our bathroom, don’t get me wrong, but I would have made some less safe choices if this was our forever home. And I don’t regret it. Bathrooms are expensive things and if they’re going to help you sell your home for the best price, you have to be smart about it.
Styling will make all the difference. A plant, great towels (a new bathroom demands brand new towels!), fancy soap (even my husband invested in new American Crew body wash, shampoo and conditioner!) and the odd brass crab (in my case) are the things which finish it all off nicely; the icing on the cake!
Communication is everything. With your trades, or whoever is managing your project. The fact that I could pick up the phone and speak to one really helpful and articulate person, kept me sane and calm (ok, most of the time!). It’s also smart, and just good life advice, to be friendly and respectful to your trades.
It will all be worth it in the end. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time!
I know I’ll feel a lot more confident going into our next bathroom reno thanks to taking on board all the learnings from this experience.
–Our bathroom and WC were renovated by Integriti Bathrooms. Their MD, Andrew Stenos, regularly shares his bathroom advice on our sister site Reno Addict. You can see the finished rooms here.
A bathroom can make or break a property sale. Make sure your bathroom renovation leaves the best impression on buyers with this guide.
Image: Kyal and Kara
A bathroom is never the biggest room in the house but it can make a significant difference to the way a buyer sees a property. While a bad bathroom may not kill a property sale, it will definitely dampen the price if buyers believe they will need a sizeable budget to fix or update it.
Here are some considerations for your next bathroom renovation.
1. Create space
Space is one of the first things buyers will notice about a bathroom. Cramped bathrooms won’t add value to your property so if you can make space by shifting fixtures towards the walls or slimming them down it will help to create more room.
If you don’t have the time or budget to replace fixtures there are design elements that will help make the bathroom feel more spacious. Consider light-coloured walls and fittings, large rather than small tiles and well-placed mirrors of a generous size.
2. Neutralise
While brightly coloured, boldly patterned or themed bathrooms often have a ‘wow’ factor on TV and in magazines, it’s best to go neutral if you want to appeal to a wider range of property buyers: you don’t want to stand out for the wrong reasons in a buyer’s mind.
Image: Caroma
This means finding a neutral colour for the walls and fixtures. I’d advise against anything too dark, which can be overly masculine and make the bathroom look smaller. Light and neutral is the way to go.
3. Let there be light
A well-lit bathroom helps this hard-surfaced space look welcoming. Natural light is always good, so make sure you maximise windows and skylights. Also look at where overhead lighting falls and whether you can add lighting options such as under mirrors or over the bath or shower. Take your cue from five-star hotels rather than nightclubs.
4. Favourable fixtures
The most popular bathroom features that buyers like include:
Dual vanity/double sinks
Separate bath and shower
Toilet separate from bathroom
Wall-hung or close-coupled toilet
Underfloor heating
Heated towel rails
Don’t go overboard, though. If installing a dual vanity or a separate bathtub will make the bathroom smaller, I’d recommend keeping the space instead.
Image: Caroma
5. Add another bathroom
If space and budget allows, adding a bathroom is a surefire way to add value to a property. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that builders started to add an extra bathroom to places, so if your property was built before that, chances are you can make it more appealing to buyers with another bathroom or an extra toilet.
Overall, the bathroom should fit with the rest of the home. If you’ve modernised other rooms but the bathroom hasn’t been updated, it will have an impact on how buyers view your property. Any way you can ensure your bathroom is in harmony with the rest of your property will benefit the sale.
By Lana Taylor (one-third of Three Birds Renovations)
You’ve all heard the cliché that “you don’t plan to fail, you fail to plan”. Well, in the world of property flipping that couldn’t be more accurate. And the most crucial thing to realise is that most of this planning has to take place before the house is even yours – in the settlement period (which usually takes about six weeks).
So for all you budding flippers out there, get your notepad and pencil out as I interview our Operations Guru-slash-Standover-Woman, Erin Cayless, to share the 10 steps to success when planning a 30-day flip. And even if you’re not flipping a house, just renovating your own home, you might pick up some tips on how to make your reno as fast and painless as possible. There’s nothing worse than a home reno that drags on ’til the cows come home — all that dust!!
Lana: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PLANNING STAGE OF A RENO?
Erin: In my opinion it is the most important part of a reno. Without thorough and detailed planning, the reno will fall apart and run over budget. This is especially important if you are running the reno yourself to maximise your profit rather than paying a builder to do it.
Lana: WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO PLANNING A 30-DAY FLIP?
Erin: I think there are 10 main steps:
Step 1. Before buying the house, contact a local certifier to get the 149 certificate checked. This will confirm that the renos you want to do at that property, can be done e.g – a 149 will tell you if you are in a flood zone which could mean you need to get a DA (Development Application) and that could take months. That would be a showstopper for us as we are only interested in doing renos that are either Exempt or Complying Development as a CDC can get passed through council much more quickly.
Step 2. Assuming you get past step 1 and have purchased the house ie – exchanged contracts, you need to spend time at the property to work out exactly what changes you want to make. This will include drawing up a new floor plan. We hand-draw our plans using a pencil, ruler and rubber (it’s easier and more enjoyable than you think). Remember, you don’t actually own the property yet, as it hasn’t settled, so you need to negotiate “access visits” with the agent. On one of our projects, the house was already vacant and the owners were happy for us to spend as much time in the house as we wanted. This is the ideal scenario as it gives you maximum time for planning. If the house is still occupied, you should still get at least 2 access visits and if that’s the case, try and stretch them out to be several hours in duration.
Step 3. If your reno plans extend beyond replacing just fixtures and finishes you may need to engage a structural engineer. If so, meet them onsite to discuss your hand-drawn plans and see if they are possible. The engineer will tell you how much significant structural work will be required to meet your reno vision.
Step 4. Meet a builder on site to run through your plans. Share with him any feedback your engineer may have given you. Give the builder a written scope of work (which you may have adjusted during his visit) and ask him to come back with a quote. You should repeat this step with a few builders to get comparative costs. Once you’ve received all the quotes from your builders, check to see if they are within your budget. Discuss with each builder if necessary – especially if you need to bring costs down. Appoint a builder.
Step 5. Engage a draftsman to draw up official plans for the certifier and ask your engineer to return to the site so he can prepare final drawings. Give the draftsman’s and engineer’s plans to the certifier for the CDC (Complying Development Certificate) application. The sooner you get the plans to your certifier the better. This also allows the certifier time to give you feedback on your plans if they think they need adjusting in order to get them through council.
A Three Birds reno BEFORE
Step 6. Choose a proposed start date for your reno. You can’t start your reno the day after settlement because you need to wait for council to issue the CDC, and that process can’t commence until they you are confirmed as the new owner. Get your solicitor to send a letter to your certifier confirming you as the new owners. How long the council will take to issue your CDC depends on the council and can take between 2-21 days. Ask your certifier to give their best estimate on how long approval will take based on the complexity of your plans and their experience with that council. Use that as your start date.
Step 7. Sit down with your builder and develop a week-by-week, day-by-day reno schedule with him. His work schedule will determine when other trades need to be onsite so it’s important to sort this out first before locking in other trades like plumbers and electricians.
Step 8. Co-ordinate all other trades (eg – tiler, plumber, electrician, landscaper, glazier, painter) to meet you on site and quote. Give them a written scope of work including the dates they are required on site (which you should have worked out with your builder prior). Get a few different companies to quote for the same scope of work so you can compare costs, then appoint your Tradies. This should ideally happen 2-3 weeks out from settlement.
Step 9. Determine what fixtures and fittings you want and can afford. You need to know this so you can order in advance and have them ready onsite when the Trades need them. Some things have long lead-times (eg window shutters) so you need to place orders in the pre-settlement planning phase.
Step 10. You’ve settled on the property and the house is yours. Get the letter from your solicitor (see step 8) and await your CDC. You may need to adjust your reno schedule based on exactly when the CDC comes through.
Lana: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’VE EVER FORGOTTEN TO DO?
Erin: Ordering the porta-loo and working out where to put the man-hole — gets me at every house.
