Selling Houses Australia S15 Ep 8 – Como, NSW

Gareth and Esther, long-time owners of this 8-bedroom brick home set amongst lots of greenery, can’t understand why it hasn’t attracted a buyer.  To them it is faultless.  Having sold their amusement-ride business, they are keen to set off on their dream travel- adventure, in their converted bus. 

The property isn’t faultless.  It is dark, gloomy and run down.  The colour scheme, internally and externally, requires serious attention to make the home lighter and more inviting.  And buyers were very probably deterred by the high number of bedrooms.  So a considerable makeover is required, together with some thoughtful marketing, to create a property that is less daunting to prospective buyers. 

The interior colour scheme – red walls, white walls and dull, dark flooring – none of which worked together – made the home feel dark and dingy.  First stop was to sand back the timber flooring in the main living area, to remove its orange hue, and finish with a lighter polish.  This instantly lifted the entire space and made it feel more airy and bright.  Second stop was paint .  All walls were painted in a soft white, with just a hint of aqua – Wattyl I.D. Advanced Rainforest Cloud.   

Sadly ,the budget wouldn’t stretch to a new kitchen, so Wendy used ingenuity to modernise the space.  The gawdy, tropical splashback was replaced with a classic, marble-look tile in order to introduce a sense of luxury and refined style.  Cupboard handles were replaced, and a dishwasher installed. 

The big-ticket item of the entire project was the main bathroom.  Not only was it dated but it was also impractical.  An 8-bedroom home required a family bathroom on a much grander scale!  To increase the size, the separate toilet was incorporated into the main bathroom, creating a much larger space that was given an injection of pure glamour in the form of free-standing bath, double vanity and tiled feature wall.  The walls were finished in Wattyl I.D. Advanced low sheen in Wattyl White. 

Light-reflective colour was key to the entire transformation – so Wendy chose a palette of beautifully soft pastels, in blues and greens, for all walls.  Three of the bedrooms were finished in the celadon green of Wattyl Locust, two others in the aqua-kissed white of Wattyl Summer Bay and another in the deeper, more verdant green of Wattyl Burnt Butter Sage.  All ceilings were finished in Wattyl I.D. Advanced Ceiling Flat White, while trims created the perfect, crisp contrast, finished in Wattyl Aqua Trim Water Based Enamel in white. 

Many potential buyers had found the sheer number of bedrooms intimidating – so the floor plan was reconfigured, with the ground-floor bedrooms being reassigned to additional living spaces, including a dedicated study/home office and a gym.