《澳大利亞房屋銷售 》第九季1-7集 P5 - Selling.Houses.Australia.S09E05.Stroud.NSW.1080p.WEB-DL2.0.H.264.UMMU.NET

The following program is classified G. It is suitable for all audiences. What could be more charming than a rural retreat? What's this doing here? Whoever designed this should be shot. Beautiful countryside. Why have you brought us here? Elegant decor. Dark, dirty, stuck on wood. And unexpected delights. There, there, there. Okay, you've proved your point. All rotten. Why did we buy it? Ariana Teraki and Melissa Pitfield swapped city smog for the sweet scent of country living. Just three hours north of Sydney in Stroud. It's not so much life in the slow lane as a complete standstill. But for Ariana and Melissa, it was a perfect antidote to the headaches of inner-city life. When I was growing up, I had lived on a farm. So I quite liked the quiet life. I hated the traffic in Sydney. So we thought it's a nice place to bring up a family. We've always wanted our own home. And that's what we wanted in Stroud. In November 2011, the girls realized their dream, buying a house in Stroud for $350,000. We were able to buy our house, which is on a quarter acre, two stories. Yeah. We wanted to fill the house up with kids. And that's exactly what they did. Show me. How many are there? We've got Zack, who's three, Eli, who's 18 months, and Tane, who's 12 weeks. They're beautiful, aren't they, buddy? But just months after moving to this beautiful town, Melissa and Ariana's plan for the good life... hit a rather large snag. It was only about three months that we were there before Ari got the job in tea gardens. Yeah. It all happened really quickly. Ariana was working at Stroud Ambulance as an emergency paramedic. But she was transferred to the town of Tea Gardens an hour away. Because she's constantly on call, they had to move. October 2012, we left Stroud and we put the house on the market then. And we haven't sold it since. Put it down. Kick it over to Mummy. Nice, buddy. They listed the house for offers over $300,000. That's 50 grand less than they paid for it. For three long years, they've been waiting for a buyer, renting out the Stroud house and paying rent themselves in their new town. The rent that we get from Stroud doesn't cover the mortgage. We're still putting money into it and feel like we're not gonna ever get that money back. This young family is treading water. We're stuck. We're stuck. We can't move forward. Yeah. Sadly, most things run at a glacial pace here in the country, including the real estate. The turnover of homes is tiny compared to city markets. But three years and still no sale? Something doesn't add up. What a gorgeous little town. This would be a tree-changer's dream. I can see why Melissa and Ariana wanted to settle here. It's got historic buildings, beautiful countryside, quaint cottages. It's got the lot. What a view. What's this doing here? It's like a 70s shocker from suburbia amidst this absolutely beautiful country town setting. Yuck. Hello there. I'm Andrew. Nice to meet you. Hello, Melissa. Ariana. Hello, Ariana. May I come in straight upstairs with this? To capitalise on the view, most of this home's living is upstairs. A bit dark and gloomy here, isn't it? Three bedrooms, two bathrooms and reasonable-sized kitchen and living area. Downstairs, a garage, large rumpus or fourth bedroom and another toilet, with a large deck out the back, all on a 1,010-square-metre block. Wow. This house and this location, you bought it, didn't you? We sure did. OK. I'm going to ask why. Well, we just fell in love with it and we could see its potential. So the facade didn't concern you? No. No, we liked more the space inside. So we liked, you know, the fact it had lots of bedrooms, had a big yard. We thought we'd fill it with children. Yeah, right in town. Beautiful view. We had plans. Still can't quite shake the feeling I'm in the burbs. And then we've got this. Yeah. Some time back when I was wearing short pants. This is probably my least favourite part of the house. I do hope it is your least favourite. This kitchen is actually almost completely original. Well, it's a new stove. Yeah, new-ish. And it's lovely that, obviously, this carpet continues in the meals area as well. Just adds to those colour tones, doesn't it? So if you drop food, just... Oh, yeah, you just rub it in, don't you? It's perfect. Yes, this has happened here, here and here. It's like kitchens like that. I can't wait to see the bathroom. Oh, I see we're getting dark again. The bathroom's quite modern and at least their tenants are keeping its spick and span. And the bedrooms are very spacious. Does this have an en-suite chamber, does it? Yeah. Is it? That's okay as well. Yes. Hmm. This is a bit of a house of surprises, really, because it looks really dated from the outside and this carpet ages it instantly. The one thing you did say to me, of course, was space and for a house of this type, actually, you're right. These rooms are oversized. They're really good-sized rooms. Even downstairs, space is no issue. Style, well, that's another matter. I love the way they laid the floor. It's not a bad floor, but it's not very well laid, is it? Yeah, that was us. Oh, you're joking. We've got... Yeah, a bit of separation. It was our first attempt at... Yeah, don't do it again. Outside, the wood theme continues. This is the biggest deck I've ever seen, ever. Yeah. Not looking in the best condition. And the interesting thing is that for such a big space, so little of it's covered. So I guess it's perfect for entertaining providing everybody's stood in a row like this. So it's quite large for an inside town block, but it's not big enough to come and do the tree change, self-sufficiency, grow your own, keep your chooks, that kind of stuff, really, is it? Well, that was our veggie patch. Oh, yes. That looks healthy, doesn't it? Yes. Nothing has really bloomed for these girls. In fact, they have learnt a harsh real estate lesson. Your first offer is sometimes the best. So during the three years, any offers? Right at the start, we got an offer of $350,000. $350,000? That's more than you're asking now. What happened? Yeah, well, they offered that as soon as the house went on the market. And because we'd put some money into it, we sort of thought... Oh, you did the classic. Yeah. So we lost that sale. And you knew because it's such a good-looking, handsome house that somebody else would come along. We thought someone else would see as much potential. I just can't imagine why someone hasn't driven past this and fallen in love with it. Melissa and Ariana's house sits like a fish out of water. It's certainly no cute country cottage. I just wish we could move it to the suburbs. Stroud sprang up as a farming hub in the 1820s, and it doesn't appear to have changed a great deal since. There's only 700 residents, and the visitors, well, they don't stay long. Now, you may have passed through it on your way to Barrington Tops or the Great Lakes, but it's not exactly a tourist hotspot. In fact, over 20% of the population earn their money from farming. You'd certainly have to go to Barrington Tops to have no beef with the real estate prices. Stroud's median house price fell to just $300,000 in the last year. That's not even a decent deposit in Sydney or Melbourne. And this place really plays on its past. Everything about Stroud says personality from its high street to its homes. Buyers move here for a slice of antique character and unique charm. If you're after suburbia, you just drive straight on by. Which is exactly what they're doing with Ariana Melissa's home. I'm hoping their agent, Denise Haynes, can tell me what does sell here. We just find that people are looking for that nice country-style home when they move to Stroud, because that's what it's all about, being in the country. And it's not exactly a massive market. Only 19 homes sold here last year. Mostly, you guessed it, quaint country cottages. This is a great comparison, because there's this. There, how big is this block? About 980 squares. How many bedrooms? This one's three-bedroom. Okay, and tell me the sale price. $275. Oh, great. You're supposed to be making me happy. This isn't making me happy, it's making me very worried. And anything else out of this lot that are sold recently, or...? This one on the opposite corner. Oh, this corner, yeah. That one sold a few months ago for $250. $250? Okay, so $275 for this one, $250 for this one, and over $300 for the really ugly one. Yes. Right. Okay, we need to get back in the car. Come on. Most buyers are tree-changers from the big smoke. Not just Sydney, but also Newcastle. Just an hour down the road. Please, please, Denise, do not tell me that this was on the market for in the low 300s. No, it wasn't.Oh, thank goodness. Okay, now you can tell me. What's the background with this one? Okay, so this one was on the market for offers over $520. Okay. It's just hit the market, and we've sold it. Was it a local buyer, or what was the profile of the buyer? No, these buyers are coming from Maitland area. Okay, so near Newcastle. Near Newcastle. So it's basically that demography, Newcastle, Sydney buyers wanting value for money. They come and get a house as beautiful as this for half the price. That's right. And this is our dilemma. This is what sells in Stroud, not this. After the break... Wow. Charlie and Shaina will really have to step up and dig deep. I'm taking all the money. Melissa and Ariana's dream of raising their family in the Stroud countryside came to an abrupt end when work forced them to move away and into a rental. They've been trying to sell for three years, but buyers are not singing the praises of their ugly yellow duckling. It's a dull brick outside, suburban humdrum inside, and about a century out of step with historic Stroud. I mean, it's a big brick house, isn't it? In a little country village, really. So it doesn't fit the country mold, really. Why did we buy it? Why indeed. They bought their home for $350,000 at the top of the market. Now they can't even sell it for 300 grand. We might do all those fantastic things to it, and we still may only get an offer below what we paid for it. It's just the way the market is at the moment. But, you know, fingers crossed. We're going to be in it to win it. Melissa and Ariana are desperate to buy a house closer to their work and family, so they really do need to sell. But if we're going to turn their bitter lemon into an apple pie house, I need to get a taste for the competition. I'm strangely relieved to learn theirs is not the only boring brick box in town. Seems Stroud homes are either old and beautiful or modern and not. This is no beauty, is it? Look, it's... Nicely defended. Yes, good start, good start. Agent Brooke Lloyd is showing me another of Stroud's dreary dwellings. So it's a freestanding home on over an acre of land close to the town centre. How many bedrooms do we have? We have four bedrooms. Okay, so it's a decent size, but it does need refurbishing. Yeah, a bit of an update. Okay, and price-wise? £350,000. Okay, all right. And we ought to go and have a look inside, then. So I would say this is an 80s shopper, doesn't it? Certainly. Look at that beautiful stained glass. Okay, let's go in and see what's inside. Oh, okay. I suppose this is sort of what I was expecting to see. Oh. Kitchen. Ah, okay. So somebody has put some money in that because that's quite a modernized kitchen. Trouble is, totally modern is not what buyers want in this market. So it's quite a tough market trying to get rid of this sort of era of housing. That's right. The town is predominantly weatherboard homes... Yes. ...which is the character of the town, and that's what they like. So something like this or Melissa and Ariana's that they don't have that instant buyer appeal that the more traditional homes would have. Let's carry on and have a look around, then. Not terribly encouraging. So four bedrooms. Okay. On the bright side, this home only has one bathroom, and the bedrooms aren't as big as Melissa and Ariana's. Compared to the one that I'm looking at, it does show me that theirs is actually quite a good-sized house. But this home has one advantage over ours. It's a big corner block with dual-road access, so it could be subdivided. I'm beginning to see that selling a house of this era in such a beautiful country town can be quite a challenge unless it's got something special or unique to offer. I think in this case, it could be the subdivision potential. But what has Melissa and Ariana's got to offer? They really have to sell. Every day it's on the market, this place is costing them money. The girls need to carefully consider their price, especially with the competition in town. So this is it. Yeah. Brick. Another stunning brick home, yes. And obviously right by the road. Exactly. Noisy trucks. Yes. So this would be... same era really as yours, I would say. Block size is bigger. It's over 1,600 square meters. All right. Three bedrooms as opposed to four, but still has two bathrooms and quite a lot of living space. Here we go. Off to you. Same sort of ceiling height, same feeling. Flooring's a little bit more modern. Yes, and they've got net curtains here, which are even... they're inexcusable. What do you think of it? I think the floors help it. Yes? Yeah. This one's been on the market for nine weeks with not a whiff of interest. I soon see why. Kitchen. It's a bit like ours. Yeah, it's old, isn't it? It's pretty old. I think the layout of ours is probably... I think yours is... It's a bit more space in ours. I think yours is probably 50% bigger, your kitchen. So this is obviously, I don't know, another family area. This is a decent-sized bedroom. This is all feeling horribly familiar. Look behind you. It's the same finish again. Yeah, maybe the same fella did do it. Yes. And then we've got a very decent-sized master bedroom in here. Yeah, it's a good size. Yeah. More wood. Yes, more wood. If you look through there, there's an en-suite shower room. Okay. Yeah, it's a good size. Yeah. Price? Probably similar to ours, I'd say. Maybe. Well, in fact, it's very similar to yours. It is the same as your current asking price. You're absolutely spot on. It's 300. Yeah, okay. This hasn't sold either. This is the whole thing. This has not sold. I think there's a definite problem with this age and style of property. We now know. Yes. This is a really strong, comparable property. It's even the same price. The trouble is, it hasn't sold either. So, can Charlie and Shana turn our mustard custard into liquid gold? The drive up here was stunning, and then you bring us to this. Out you come. Here we are. The contrast is obviously this architectural delight looking that way, that beautiful country view. Why have you brought us here? Because they can't sell it. Well, that's not a surprise, is it? No. What I need is this to look like a reason to move to Stroud. There's lots I could do. But you're not allowed to bring in a bulldozer. I've told you this before. Actually, it's not quite as bad or dated as you might think inside. I don't believe you. So, Charles, please feel free to roam around the 1,000 square metres at leisure. I will free-range myself. You free-range yourself. And the blaze and I will go and sink into the very thick pile carpet. Sounds delightful. Good luck. So, here we are, my dear. In you go. Whoever designed this should be shot. Yes, I know. Look, look. See? I can't get past that. That's ridiculous. How about the carpet? Awful. Oh, here we go. The charm. Yes, the country-style doors. You're right. I can always rely on Shana to find the good. That fireplace is divine. And the bat. But look at the air-conditioning right behind it. Like, that's... Okay. It's a big design no-no. Yes. Wow. And, uh... It's just nothing, isn't it? It's just nothing. So, the nothing continues. Oh, my God. Look at this. This feels like the 50s. Okay, I'm out of the kitchen. I'm in the dining room. Oh, wow. I don't know whether it's original. It might be. What on earth is that? Oh. That's not even a... Yes, it is. It's got a look. It's got a little pipe. Yeah, but there's no fan in it. It's just a little hole. It's just a hole. Oh, that's awesome. But it doesn't matter. There's a vent above you. Of course. And look how hard that's working. Yeah, so... It's one of those ones that's really hard to put country charm into. I know. That's my biggest worry. Eek. Eek. My biggest worry is spicing up the street appeal. Or so I thought till I ventured round the back. Think I've just dug up a way to outspend Shana. Thousand square meters of rural charm. Sloping block. Yeah, there is that, obviously. A very sloping block and a rotten deck. There, there, there, there, there, there. Okay, you've proved your point. All rotten. Right. And there's no way we could make it smaller and landscape what's remaining. That won't save any money, will it? Not really, cos you need to go to the length of the house and the layer of grass. And I bet there's just a sheer drop under there or something. Yeah. So, no. And there's a retaining issue. Oh. We'll all have to have a sit down and chat. We'll have to have a jolly good sit down and chat. So, Charlie, now... Yes. You can give Shana the bad news. I'm taking all the money. Break it to her gently, please. Since when does this happen? What are you doing with the money? I would love to make this house look more country and make it nice and flat and usable. However, the deck out the back is rotten. There's a deck? Yes, and it's big. Very big. Can't you just take it offand replace it with lawn? No, cos of the slope. So, that leaves Shana with the loose change. You don't have to do the bathrooms. Yes. Some of the window dressings here actually aren't too bad. Yeah. The kitchen's nice. That wasn't convincing. The kitchen... Lighting. The kitchen, lighting... Yeah. Carpet. Flooring, yeah, and dressing. And character. With lots of character. Lots of character, yes. Gord. Yeah. This is a tough one. It actually is a very tough one. Yeah. They paid 350, and what they're asking now... Already it offers over 300. Oh, so they're losing them. Yes. Grab a few pennies together. I don't think so. 30 is the absolute top you could risk. Right. So, we've got to do the best we can with the money we've not got. Can Melissa and Ariana even afford our petite price tag? Well, I know one way to sway them. Enjoy. It doesn't fit the historical area that we're in, so I don't know how they got it through council to start with. For me, downstairs doesn't really have a flow. There's floorboards in one section, and there's concrete in the other, and a laundry. There doesn't seem to be any continuity downstairs. The bathroom could use a good makeover. The kitchen, it's very... Yeah, outdated. I hate the kitchen cupboards. I hate them with a passion. They're like epitome of 1970s, just dark, dirty, stuck on wood. Kitchens do sell homes, and I think that, yeah, there can be a little bit of work done in there to make that very nice. Yeah, it's got potential. Potential. See, she can see it too. These girls are all sunshine and optimism. Time to rain on their parade. At the moment, I'd probably price it in the mid to high 200s. 280, 290. High 200s to low 300s. I wouldn't buy it the way it is now. Hmm. I think the main concern that I have is you bought the wrong house at the wrong time of the market. Sorry. So there's absolutely nothing I can do. I might as well go. I think the biggest thing we've got to focus on is just somehow, no money, creating character, you know. I think we're looking around $30,000. Now, you've got to be prepared to fund that, obviously, and you've got to be prepared to take the risk because I don't think Denise will guarantee that spending 30K will necessarily, in reality, get you 30K or more. Yeah, we'll entertain the gamble, I think. We need it sold. Yeah. The girls will have to remove their tenants to start the makeover. That means Agent Denise is on a tight deadline. Is there any kind of time parameter we could give the girls? Because obviously they're not going to be having rental income coming in. Look, once the property's had a makeover, I would suggest maybe, you know, a couple of months. We would be able to get a sale on it because, really, I feel that that's what's holding it back. People can see the potential, just like you girls did, but, you know, they just don't want to do the work. Yeah. Fortunately, I know someone who does. We'll have it done in half an hour, so, yeah. Half an hour? Maybe a day and a half. Up next, so much to lose. Precious little left to work with. I can't change the architecture, so it looks like colour will be my secret weapon. People move to Stroud for the quiet life and the beautiful countryside, whereas Melissa and Ariana's place makes you think of 70s suburbia. Charlie and Shayna have mere pennies to pretty it up, so I might leave them to it. There are some obvious things to change here, like the dated kitchen, the ugly carpet, but my biggest challenge from Andrew is trying to put in some country charm in this very 70s house. Now, I can't change the architecture, so it looks like colour will be my secret weapon. That doesn't mean going brash and bold. The key to creating a cottage feel is to use subtle tones to keep it warm and cosy. So I'll wage war on the walls and floors. While we're at it, this ugly air-con has to go. Now we've cleared the path for my new palette. Kiss? How are you? Can I do my choices? Come on. It's a lot of colour, isn't it? I wasn't expecting that. I thought it would be sort of plain and lighter, but I like colour. Well, my biggest brief on this was character, and sometimes you have to go the total opposite of what you imagine, so that will make it more vibrant and it'll actually make it feel quite cottage. I think, you know, that's what we had in mind. Oh, totally. You know, when I looked at you both, I thought that's what they would have done. I plan to freshen up the front of the house, but the biggest asset here is out the back. This is a great entertaining space. We just need to fix its rotten luck. The majority of my budget is going on replacing this deck because it's rotten and horrible. We're then going to screen in this carport, and then we're going to dress the whole area with pots, plants and furniture. Out the front, we're just doing a minor facelift, painting and then some nice new planting. The deck is massive, but reducing or demolishing it would create more headaches. The sloping land means I'd have to terrace the whole area outside the house, and that would cost even more. So we'll rip up the existing pine boards, but we'll keep the original joists so we don't have to start all over again. We will strengthen them with extra timber, and by using treated pine, it's going to make it quicker and easier to nail on our new decking boards. There's almost a kilometre of timber, so all hands on deck. These soft grey tones are really warming up our bedrooms. Well done. Look at that. Colour can add character to bedrooms and living spaces, but white gives a kitchen that fresh, crisp feeling. Under the floor, I uncover another nasty surprise from the 70s. Layers of lovely lino. So this is the glamorous side of selling houses in Australia. It's not just all about cushions and pretty colours. With the back deck well underway, I can attack the front. We can't afford to reclad the whole house in weatherboard, but I can lessen the impact of the modern metal railings with a little black magic. So what do you think of the black? I don't mind the black. Don't mind or like? I mean, you've obviously got great colour choice. Your shirt's perfect. True. No, I actually like the black. I was a bit... When I first saw it, I was like, oh, black. But, yeah, I do like it. It looks good on the railing. It's a tricky house to pick a colour for because of the bricks. Yep. You know, it would be a bit insipid if it was sort of white. Yeah. So I've picked out sort of these dark flecks. And then to tie it all together, we've got black pots. Yep. Black number. You are number four. Number four, yes. Good. And then black light to replace this as well. So it kind of ties it all together, makes it feel like it was done on purpose. Meant to be, yep. The monster deck is done. I don't have time or money to attack the yard. And country buyers always want a shed, even this plain, Jane. Unfortunately, it sits right on the edge of our big deck. So we'll smarten it up by relaying the pavers outside. I shall then perform a disappearing trick. Although I can't make the rain go away. This shed is a great selling point for this house. But it's pretty ugly, especially as you walk out the main doors from the kitchen. So we're putting up a screen, and I've gone for treated pine to match the new deck. We've gone for staggered sizes, so it's not big and blanded in your face. And then in front of it, we'll soften it further with pots, plants and furniture. The biggest flaw in this home was the floor. I've chosen a light grey carpet in the hallway and bedrooms to complement the wooden doors and trims. Downstairs, the girls gave an A for effort for attempting a floating floor in the rumpus room. But it was a bit lumpy. Large format tiles are more practical for a rumpus, easy to lay and easy to clean. Upstairs, floating floors will work to warm up the lounge and dining room and give this whole area cohesion. And I'll leave the installation to the experts. Pendant lights over a dining table are a great feature. But always make sure your dining table is in position while you're working out the placement so you get it right first time. Oh,perfect. What I need to do is make sure that we get the centre of the table from both angles, and we're going to do it in a triangle. OK. And then we'll just stagger them slightly, not a lot, but just coming up. All right. What height would you like the lowest one off the table? I always like to do it how I'm going to sit. So it's sitting on the chair. So it needs to be about there. OK. So the first one, the lowest, is about there. Righty-o. So I'll keep my hand here while you get the tape measure out. As for the daylight, I know a nifty way of cutting the glare without compromising the view. I didn't have a problem with the panel glides that were here before, but they were just a bit too modern. So for some country charm, I put in some Roman blinds and translucent here in the lounge room and blockouts in the bedroom. I'm continuing the black theme with classy pots at the front door. Mother-in-law's tongue, anybody? And there's nothing like a bit of mother-in-law's tongue to create a sharp sculptural statement. With the new black glossy colour scheme, the pots and light by the front door, this house is becoming very showy and I need to soften it. I'm doing that with this. This is a Fittinia. It can turn into quite a big hedge, but I'm going to keep it to about 1.2 metres tall. Really nice colour to the new growth and perfect for these climatic conditions which can get very hot, very dry, but very wet and also cold. The back deck also has to survive the extremes. We don't want it rotting all over again. So I'm giving it a couple of coats of acrylic-based finish, which is more durable than oil. Because this is such a big deck, I've gone for a treated pine decking board because really it's the only thing we could afford. To smarten it up, though, I've gone for a stain, which will also help make it last longer and fit perfectly with our new furniture and pots. I hope this is a Mary Poppins van because I know I need... Oh,OK. I know I need so much. Wow. OK. The house has nice big bedrooms, but they were pretty dark. You can create a more open feeling with your choice of beds. Now,the hardest thing is putting it together. Now,this is usually the part where we all enjoy watching the owners struggle. This is flatpacks. I love flatpacks. Believe it or not,I'm a flatpack lover. She is. I've never heard that before. Look,it's a little city. Oh,beautiful. We'll have it done in half an hour. Half an hour? Mate,half a day. Maybe a day and a half. Well,you can't beat Melissa's optimism, but the proof is in the putting up. Now,we only have a tiny budget, but you don't always need money. Just good sense. Yeah,there's four holes. Is that what you've got? Yeah. The bathrooms are okay, so modernizing the tapware is a simple way to update the look. Same goes with the kitchen. The devil's in the detail. It really hasn't taken much to make this a great-looking kitchen. Spread the bench tops,the doors, splash back,new taps and new handles. Easy. Meanwhile,the girls have been going great guns. Oh,look at you go. That's awesome. Yeah,getting there. Just the... I will be changing the fan, just so you know. Could be an issue. Yeah,could be. That's great. Yeah,just the trundle and the ladder to go. That's so big. It's awesome,huh? All right. Well,you know,it's all hard work and it's fun and all that sort of thing, but once you sell it, that's when you know how much in limbo you were. Yeah,for sure. The relief when the house sells, it'll be huge. It'll just be maxing for us as a family. Feeling a bit more confident and positive about it. Yeah. I'm now seeing some of the rainbows. Yeah. Oh,yeah. Guess we better get it finished then. Sadly,the rain has brought my staining to a grinding halt. So until it clears, I'll make myself useful preparing the finishing touches, the outdoor furniture. Let's do a bit of a dress rehearsal to see how it will all look. When you're dressing a large area like this, you need to zone it into a few different spaces so it doesn't feel too big. We've got a dining table which fits eight and then a lounge setting that will draw buyers out to see the whole deck. To tie the two together, we've got these same pots and this plant called Polygala Little Bebe. This just helps the whole deck feel like one. You might expect me to fill the place with country-style accessories, but I'm actually mixing it up with more contemporary furniture. This bed is perfect to fit three kids comfortably without taking up the whole bedroom. And this great trundle means you've got extra storage or pop in a mattress for sleepovers. These bedrooms were gloomy, but now they're brimming with personality thanks to an understated palette. In the main part of the house, I've gone for a paint colour called Winter Mist. In the bedroom, I've gone a bit darker with this colour called Platinum Grey to make it feel really cosy and then layered it with beautiful fabrics and textures. Andrew wanted country charm, but that doesn't have to be kitsch or old-fashioned. By adding subtle touches of character to every room, we've taken this house out of its suburban straitjacket. Now it feels right at home in the rolling hills of Stroud. Coming up... You creep! Wow! Have we turned suburbia into stylish sanctuary? This could be a rural regional property that actually sells. Charlie and Shaina had a minuscule budget to transform Melissa and Ariana's 70s shocker into a desirable family home. So, is there a rainbow at the end of this yellow brick home? This house had all the street appeal of a low-rent apartment block, but Charlie has run with the black from the window trims to create a classy new entrance. Well, subtle changes are making a dramatic impact. I like it. It's no country cottage and it won't win any design awards, but it's a whole lot better. Thank you. Have a look in downstairs. Oh, I can see a different carpet before I go through there. Let's have a look. Oh, you've changed the floor. The girls' lumpy DIY floor is no more. This rumpus positively glows with style and space. That was a very wise move, wasn't it? Upstairs, more surprises await. Okay, come through. Oh, wow, look at this. Shaina's given the daggy 70s living area a country cottage feel with a contemporary twist. The girls fell in love with this house before the makeover. Wonder what they think of it now. Do you agree? Wow, look at it all. It's reached its potential. Funny enough, I think it has, don't you? Yeah, it's awesome. And it continues. The kitchen you want to be in. The dark cupboards used to drag down this entire space, but a lick of paint has lifted it into real estate gold. Goodness me, what a dramatic difference. The tone of yellowy mustard has gone and now it looks like it does. I think the one key element that I get from this living area now is space. But I think that was one of the attractions when you bought it, wasn't it? No, we could see its potential. And, like, look at it now. It's better than we imagined, I guess. I think so. Yes, I would think it probably is, yes. Let's have a look at the bedrooms. Yep. Lovely. Thank you. Nothing reminds me more of the 70s than mottled brown and yellow carpet. So I'm pleased to see the back of it in these bedrooms. So we've got one of these. You'd get plenty of kids in that. Definitely, and we put this one together. You put it together, did you? We sure did. You want to test it out? See, if I'd built that and done that, the top would have fallen off. No, it looks great. The flooring makes a major difference, doesn't it? Running right through the hallway and everything like that. It even feels nice walking on it. It looks so nice. Oh, God, look at that. We didn't have a massive budget, but sometimes it's about keeping it simple. It's beautiful, isn't it? You know what that is? Furniture maketh the makeover. Yep. The master bedroom is always a selling point, so Shane has spent a bit more time and money in here to wipe out the walnut. Gosh, this could be a rural,regional property that actually sells. Okay, yeah, let's go and have a look outside. Wow, look at this. Doesn't this look fantastic? Yep, great. So this whole deck is new, isn't it? Yeah, the whole thing they did, they're amazing. The massive deck had no real purpose. These different living zones make it just right for a rural residence. With that paint color on the back of the house, the furniture, the planters, and this is great because it just covers up the shed. And to be honest, this is a country property. A shed in that kind of covered area is vital. Everybody will want one. Wow. It's good. Yeah, it does. It looks really good. Mind you, as nice as this place now is, the girls have well and truly turned from tree changers to sea changers. Now they're renting in tea gardens. You like the water, hey? Flesh, flesh, flesh. But they can only afford to buy in this paradise if they sell their house in Stroud. That one looks nice. That might suit us. Agent Denise has to work quickly, and she tells me she has a plan. So the place is looking good. The market's okay. Yes. You don't want this sitting empty for long, do you? Because you've got no tenant in here now. The tenant's gone, and this is costing you a lot of money. Obviously, we need to get a sale, so sticking out for a very high price, it might not be the time to be doing that. Obviously, we'd like, you know, more than just 300, especially with what's been done. How much more? We'd like to get at least 330 for it. How about 338? Yeah. That'd be good. Why 338? We've had an offer at 338. It's only just happened. Is that real? Yes. Are you serious? You really have got an offer of 338? Absolutely. That is seriously quick for this market. I mean, that's quick for a city, let alone out here. No doubt about Denise, she brought someone through the day after our makeover, and he made an offer on the spot. Paint wasn't even dry. Not even I saw this one coming. Yeah, as I predicted. As I was saying, this is a very fast-moving market, and 330-plus is a very reasonable expectation. Oh, wow. So... will you take the 338? Oh, yes. That was the correct answer, girls. $338,000. That's more than they were hoping for. Well, congratulations to you guys. Well done. And the financial pressure's off after three very long years. So you're done, and quickly. It's fantastic. Thank you very much, Denise. It's unreal. What an incredible result. This could be the fastest sale we have ever had in the history of Selling Houses Australia. So gold stuff for Charlie and Shana, and it's like a pot of gold for Melissa and Ariana. I like my job.