Anand moved his parents to Melbourne from Fiji to look after them. As the years have rolled by, the heating bills have sky rocketed; so Anand has worked night shift on a confectionery assembly line to pay the bills. If he can sell his Mulgrave house, they can all move to the warmth of Queensland and enjoy their time together.
Alas, Anand’s house is stuck in the seventies with the kitchen tucked away between a hallway and the dining table. The lounge room is miles away and sunken!
Andrew and the team feared the facade would scare off any potential buyers, not to mention the interior hadn't been modernised. Couple those design woes with a falling Melbourne market, this four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with an upstairs rumpus room was in need of the dream team.
Interior
The best way to open up this house was to remove the wall between the galley kitchen and the dining room. It needed a structural beam before Shaynna could turn the two old fashioned rooms into one larger modern space, in line with buyer expectations. The new kitchen includes a dining bench and there’s still room for a comfy lounge area.
The window dressings were updated, from orange striped roller blinds in the kitchen and cream drapes in the dining room, to sleek white Luxaflex Wood Essence Blinds. The new blinds were a much better match with the newly repainted walls and pelmets, providing a streamlined and uncluttered look at the windows. Wood Essence Blinds are the modern alternative to traditional timber Venetian blinds, and were chosen for the renovation for their durable and low-maintenance qualities. The slats are crafted from a robust polystyrene which resists cracking, warping, and discolouration, perfect for this home which will stand to serve many more families for years to come.
Shaynna also decided to leave some of the 1970’s features like the wood panelled wall and go for a chalet feel reminiscent of the era. She embraced the sunken lounge, giving it a décor makeover with new carpet, blinds, lighting and furniture.
The rumpus room was in good condition, so the only change required was to remove the dated curtains and put in fresh blinds. The simple translucent white Roller Blinds made a substantial difference to the room, adding a modern feel even with the very traditional wooden window frames.
Upstairs, the teenager or parents retreat was painted and styled, with new Wood Essence Blinds helping to blunt the heat in an otherwise uninsulated area.
Exterior
First up for Charlie was to paint the second story exterior in a complimentary colour to make it seem less obviously an extension. In an effort to increase street appeal and add some privacy, he installed a row of mature screening shrubs along the front and side boundary. He also planted tall feature foliage plants close to the house to soften the brick work and infilled the existing lawn where some plants had been removed.
With limited undercover entertaining space, he decided to tile the existing verandah along the side of the house, dressing it in the rear with casual seating and pot plants. To delineate the space more intently, he lined the verandah with foliage plants in trough pots.
The verdict
Anand put his home up for auction again - but this time enjoyed a favourable result. His magic number was $800,000 and was overjoyed to accept an offer on the day for $806,000.
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The products in this episode were proudly supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery dealer Olympic Blinds in Edithvale, VIC.