When Lyn put the family home of 38 years up for sale, Sydney’s market was just starting to level out and buyers were put off by a dilapidated dwelling, dedicated to cats. The kitchen was tiny, mismatched and original to the 1960’s house. The painting was different in every room and all the furniture and walls had been scratched and destroyed by the foster cats Lyn and her girls have looked after over the years.
If the house can be sold, Lyn will buy a house with her daughter, Jo; a little further out of Sydney. As the house wasn’t generating any interest, Jo suggested clearing it out, so people could see the potential, hidden by a lifetime of clutter. After ripping up the carpets and throwing away the furniture, Lyn is left with a couch, a bed and 3 cats. With 130 groups been shown the property in four months, clearly no-one wants to fork out an asking price of $1.2 million for this house in Sydney's northern suburbs. Can Shaynna bring the house into the 21st century, so this mum can move on?
Confronted with a poky layout, Shaynna decided some big changes were necessary to open the house up. She removed the old kitchen and added a wall between the old lounge/dining area, creating a large family space in the rear of the house. The front hallway was closed off and the linen cupboard and pantry were removed creating a larger hallway leading to the new kitchen.
The new kitchen includes a large island bench for inside eating and French doors leading to the back deck were added in place of the windows, allowing inside/outside flow.
The living rooms were given a big refresh, with modern flooring, furniture and window coverings installed, and the green walls repainted from the faded green to a clean grey.
Luxaflex® Roller Blinds with LiteRise operation were used to dress the windows in the main lounge room. This proved to be the perfect choice as they provide a practical and easy to use means of controlling the light and creating privacy. The chord free nature of LiteRise operation also adds to the clean appeal of the blinds, whilst creating the ultimate child and pet safe environment.
The two windows at the front of the house, the front sitting room and master bedroom, were fitted with Luxaflex® Silhouette® Shadings. The soft fabric and curved vanes of these innovative window coverings create a soft ambiance within the rooms, whilst adding a touch of elegance to the front façade of the house.
New doors and flooring were added throughout, with built in robes being added to the master bedroom. The window furnishings were updated to Silhouette® Shadings, adding a whole new level of luxury. The sheer vanes of the Silhouette® Shadings allow gentle light to filter through while blocking out harsh morning glare, improving the overall comfort of the room. The new blinds brought a touch of class to the space, while also being unobtrusive to blend discreetly with the freshly painted walls. New lighting was added to further modernise the building.
Charlie wanted to give the house some street appeal. By building a retaining wall alongside the driveway, he was able to level the sloping front yard; which was then turfed. He added a path from the driveway to the front door which has made the entry more inviting for visitors.
There was evidence of damp in the bricked garden bed that lines the front deck, so he emptied it and installed some drainage pipe to wick away moisture and strengthen the area.
In the back yard he tidied and removed the antique hills hoist that took central pride of place. The deck was oiled and balustrading painted, finally being dressed with furniture, plants and a barbecue.
After originally rejecting an offer of $1.115 million, Lynn realised her error and called in the Selling Houses Australia team. She invested almost $50,000 for the renovation, and for this money, Charlie and Shaynna were able to tidy up the backyard, create a defined, inviting path to the front of the home and create some gorgeous, light-filled open plan living.
Despite a slowing Sydney market, the property sold for $1.1 million only two weeks after being listed!
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The products in this episode were proudly supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Window Fashions Gallery dealer Shade Trendz, Pennant Hills NSW.
