A first-time renovator has revealed how she turned the ‘ugliest house on the street’ into an elegant manor after her work life slowed down during the pandemic.
Sunshine Coast property developer and real estate agent, Tam Wrigley, 43, is still in awe of the incredible job she and her brother-in-law David did on their first full house renovation in Brisbane last year.
The Wrigleys wanted to be able to resuscitate the old home instead of tearing it down because they believe it important Queenslander style homes are not all lost, as they are an important part of the area’s heritage.
A first-time renovator has revealed how she turned the ‘ugliest house on the street’ into an elegant manor worthy of neighbourhood jealousy
The old Queenslander looked awful before the renovation, and was known as the ‘ugly duckling’ on the street
Tam Wrigley, pictured, is extremely proud of the finished product and overwhelmed with its popularity
The developers usually design and build new homes – but with Covid lockdowns they decided to bring two dying properties back to life.
‘We kept as much of the original house as possible, and used all the old windows where we could,’ Mrs Wrigley told Daily Mail Australia.
‘But we also modernised it, to make it a comfortable home to live in.
‘Instead of tearing them down it can be just as cost-effective to bring them back to life,’ Mrs Wrigley said.
The renovation took eight months and included lifting the home to make room for the new lower level, and moving it about three meters across as it was initially standing on two separate titles.
The inside of the home looked like it had not been attended to since the 1970s – strong, dark colours were staples throughout the house, and nothing flowed
The home was in dire need of some TLC which Mrs Wrigley and her brother-in-law David provided
The old layout was not made in the age of entertaining – and all of the rooms were closed off from each other
The pre-war home was always a four-bedroom Queenslander-style home, but now it features an open-plan living area downstairs.
The project has given the property developer the desire to restore old homes, to maintain the character and old-school charm of the outer Brisbane suburbs.
‘It was the first time i had ever gotten my hands dirty and renovated, and it was great fun,’ she said.
Now the home features a stunning modern design – and elegant nods back to its roots
The main house was elevated and now looks over the other homes on the street
The stunning kitchen downstairs is light, airy and open-plan. It is on the newer ground level
The family-run property development firm also restored a home on the Sunshine Coast at the same time.
‘A lot of the work done on this house was done by my brother-in-law David, he was here more than me – almost every day.
‘I tell him he needs to be very proud of what we have done,’ she said.
She said although it was worn out and had been neglected for quite some time the old home had ‘great bones’.
The home has four large bedrooms and utilises the stunning old windows from before the renovation
Mrs Wrigley says this home and the one the team renovated at the same time on the Sunshine Coast, were exciting projects
The property developer turned renovator was impressed with how she was able to modernise the home
‘There has been blood, sweat and tears but it was worth it. It has turned out beautifully.’
Mrs Wrigley says neighbours have been very supportive of the project, which saw work ongoing for most of 2020.
‘They no longer have to look at the ugly duckling house we had here before,’ she said.
It now features a second storey allowing for open-plan living, a tame garden and a swimming pool
Mrs Wrigley is selling the home off at auction on January 30 – and has seen a surge of interest in the property
And while the renovation was exciting and only came about because of the pandemic lockdowns also made things difficult.
‘There were times when we couldn’t get things in that we needed, or they were sitting on docks somewhere,’ she said.
‘Trades were slower and so were materials, but we got here.’
The home is on the market and will be sold by Ray White Annerley on January 30th at auction.
Source link