SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA – S12 EP12 BENSVILLE NSW

It’s time to find a new home for the yoga mats and gongs that David and Margie Braunstein treasure. Their 4-bedroom Central Coast home is now too big and the couple wants to relocate to a larger block with a smaller house so they can live a more sustainable life.

Before listing the property they renovated the bathrooms, but unfortunately the 2nd hand kitchen (that Margie bought for $500 and David installed himself) is just one of a list of negatives potential buyers are noting as they inspect the property. Five different floor coverings are also not helping the sale.

The front and back yards are neglected and overgrown and there’s a dangerous limb of a tree that looks like it will drop on the roof at any moment. Both living areas look onto a courtyard that’s a little uninspiring.

Charlie and Shaynna need to update the house and gardens, prepping the house for buyers who want to simply move in and head to the beach on the weekend.

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Interior

Shaynna’s main mission was to fix up the confusing floor plan of the house, which had been added on over the years and had a rabbit warren feel about it. Her first task was to turn an ensuite size bathroom into something fit for a family. So she demolished a wall into an adjoining bedroom and made that one big bathroom.

BATHROOM

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Being a coastal location, the sea air had to be considered when choosing the window coverings. Shaynna picked out Luxaflex PolySatin Shutters for the majority of the house, especially in the bathroom, kitchen, and ocean-facing front living room where it mattered the most. PolySatin Shutters are made with a highly durable and long-lasting polyresin compound, making them impervious to moisture and consequently insusceptible towards warping, peeling or fading. Particularly in bathrooms, laundries or kitchens with high humidity levels,

PolySatin Shutters are the best choice where there will be contact with water or moisture.

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Shaynna talks through why she loves PolySatin Shutters and her reasons for selecting these window coverings for this renovation – take a look at her video!

KITCHEN

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DINING AREA

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Enlarging the cramped kitchen also took some creativity. Shaynna added walls to one of the temporary bedrooms in the middle of the house, and put in a proper door giving access to the new bathroom wing. The extra wall then gave the kitchen more space to add more cabinetry and help open it up. Speaking of walls, she also added one to the ensuite off the master, to give the toilet much needed privacy.

MASTER BEDROOM

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BEDROOM 2

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A grand house needs all the mod cons, so Shaynna added the same stylish PolySatin Shutters to the living room and front entry, complimenting the wide sea views to really wow buyers. The Shutters highlighted the airy coastal feel, modernising the entire room with a timeless look. The closed louvres helped to shut out a share of the cold sea air whilst giving much improved light control capabilities – a not only pretty, but highly practical upgrade. Shaynna also updated the weathered timber floor boards with more modern engineered timber in the main living areas. Pop art was an interesting addition for styling, replacing a more Balinese inspired décor.

LIVING ROOM

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Budget constraints meant Shaynna had to shut the door on the granny flat out the back which is in desperate need of an update. For buyers, it’s still an added bonus.

Exterior

First impressions are everything so the first thing Charlie did was replacing the old cracked discoloured driveway with a fancy new one to match next door. To further draw buyers into the property, Charlie added a stepping stone path leading to the front door. Fortunately the Blakey’s had built a nice deck at the front, so all Charlie had to do was add some nice big pots for interest. Charlie kept many plants out the front but cut back to show off more of the house. The front façade felt boxy as it was coloured differently to the rest of the house. Charlie ditched the off white and ended up going grey all over for a more modern look that appeals to a broader audience.

FRONT EXTERIOR

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Fortunately the backyard was tucked away – so he could focus the rest of his efforts on the courtyard visible in most of the living areas of the house. It looked very tired and a red block wall feature with Balinese masks on it wasn’t helping. Noticing a plentiful supply of fire wood, Charlie decided to make his own feature – a fancy outdoor fireplace with wooden slats on the side for privacy and stone cladding surrounding it. All natural materials which complement the surrounds.

Limestone pavers and groovy hanging pots helped brighten up the space and give it a cool coastal feel.

COURTYARD

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The verdict

Despite their agent suggesting an auction campaign, Serena and Steve were delighted to recieve multiple offers, finally settling on a sale price of $1.2 million before their second open home. Steve described the result as “life-changing” – and felt so grateful for everything the team had done to achieve a sale.

Liked what you saw in this home renovation? Shop the look with this episode’s shopping list of the suppliers trusted by Selling Houses Australia!

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The products in this episode were proudly supplied by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery dealer.