Transcript

Where do we start?

We bought our first house when we were 20.  We bought our first house many years ago. Essentially it was a little shack, and we just chipped away at it for the next three years.  That was where it really all started for us.

Then we saw ads for The Block and we thought that would be like doing what we had done for the last three years in three months.  And no one ever thinks they're actually gonna get on, so we still pinch ourselves to think that we actually did The Block.  We produced this amazing apartment and we thought this is what we love doing, let's just keep running with it, and the best thing is we get to work together all the time. Yay!!

We love renovating but we also love sharing the journey and we want other people to come on that journey with us.  And essentially we wanted our viewers and our audience to be inspired by what
we do so that they can take something and create it for themselves as well.  And that's how Toowoon Bay reno was born.

We've never really planned on living in Toowoon Bay.  We just fell in love with the area.  The beach at the end of the street, the cafes and restaurants across the road.  Yeah we ain't leaving -  we can't leave.

With Toowoon Bay reno done and dusted, and after the arrival of little Zoya we were ready for the next project.  The hunt for the next property began.

When thinking about where we were going to purchase the next renovation, we really didn't want to stray too far from home.  Our neighboring suburb Long Jetty is perfect because it's still so close to the beach, but the lake is at the end of the street and there's cafes and antique stores and other little cool things happening like pop-ups every week.  

Our first port of call was working out exactly how much we could borrow.  For our last home loan we refinanced our loan to RAMS, and in particular we had personal home loan specialist Greg and Lisa.  Greg and Lisa came to us, they met us at home and they took the time to understand our needs and the situation.  It's a no brainer to go with RAMS again this time around. I love the fact that we've got Greg and Lisa's personal mobile number which means we're not repeating ourselves to somebody in a call centre which really means a lot when you've got a quick question or need some guidance, especially outside business hours.  After a few meetings we sign the loan contracts and bam we're off and running.  

Once we had a clear idea of our budget we found the one.  It was in a great location, had a generous size block and was walking distance to the beach and shops.  And the other important thing was it was close to home, which was really important for me with little Ziya.

Starting out with our plans, essentially we wanted to create the ideal family home, and what does that mean for us?  We want a beautiful beach house with that Palm Springs vibe.  We're thinking a large single level home.  Our kitchen and living going out to a beautiful deck and a pool is a must.  Architecturally, we were thinking really high ceilings beautiful highlight windows all the way around the perimeter.  Big open spans sliding doors.  I'm thinking outdoor shower with some breeze blocks to incorporate that Palm Springs vibe and some beautiful landscaping with cactus and palms and lots of lush greenery. 

I have done the building timeline and I estimate we should be done in about seven months.  

Welcome to our home. Let me show you around.   The back half of the house is going anyway.  We have spent a lot of money on not much.  It overwhelms me at the moment.  It never has before but it does now because I have Ziya with me.  There are only so many productive hours in the day when you have a child.  We'll get him a little tool belt and some glasses and he can he can help.

Having a look around together we realised that there was actually a lot that was gonna be demolished.  There's lots of little garages and tack ons and awnings all over the place, so it meant that once we get the keys I could get straight into the demo.  Look it's just now that I'm here and I see how much of the house is staying and how we much we are building new, it is like 99% new house.

The boys are all up on the roof, stripping the old roof tiles.  They're going in this EBH bin and the great thing about these guys is they recycle everything that comes to their yard.  So these roof tiles will eventually get crushed up and we're going to reuse them for our guard slab and our driveway.  

With our plans approved, the boys are off and running.  We are bringing Palm Springs to Long Jetty.