Selling Houses Australia – The House by the Sea

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 13 Season 8

The Story: Angela Service always dreamed of a little holiday house by the sea. So when she saw a pint-sized ex motel unit at the bargain price $79,000, she snapped it up. For a while she made great use of the place, then life got in the way. Now she’s desperate to sell, but in 2 years hasn’t had a single offer. Can Charlie and Shaynna think outside the box and turn tiny into terrific?

The Problem:  The Batehaven home was a tiny home, full of little challenges. The entrance led straight into the lounge room, where the lounge room was enough to send buyers away because it was small, had no character and connected to the kitchen and dining room. The blue wall and cupboards just gave the room a tacky and run-down look.

The bathroom was literally a hole in the wall, where the water tank was smack bang right next to the sink, and not to mention the horrible bright blue walls. The outside of the home was not any better. It lacked character, was small and very bare. And then there was the very tiny courtyard screaming out for a transformation.

The Solution: For the interior, a lot had to be fitted into the tiny space. Smart hidden storage space was created throughout the home, as to not take up anymore room. Space efficient appliances were installed and a brand new coat of paint, and new floor boards in the lounge and kitchen area created that whole new difference to the lounge room. Grey, navy and cream tones were used in the lounge and kitchen area to give the room a sophisticated look. Complimented with Roller Blinds in the fabric Havana Blockout and colour Fog, the grey tones of the Roller Blinds was the perfect match for the navy wall, and the boat feel of the room.

The bathrooms were given new fittings to add a bit of bling, where cupboards were added for extra storage along with the Luxaflex® Roller Blinds to compliment the white-toned bathroom.

The master bedroom was given a brand new bed with under compartments of storage – perfect for a small space, which added great functionality. The bare sliding door window was given a revamp and replaced with Luxaflex® Roller Blinds.

The fabric Soltec and Silpcast Blockout in the colours White and Versailles were used throughout all the bedrooms and were the perfect match for the décor and colour tones, working with the white and neutral tones of the bedrooms, but also adding a pop of colour.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Platinum Blinds and Awnings.  

Watch Selling Houses Australia every Wednesday, 8.30pm AEDT on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel. 

Selling Houses Australia – The 70’s Spanish style hacienda

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 9 Season 8

The Story: Ross and Margot’s house is the odd one out; A 70’s Spanish style hacienda, nestled into quiet beachside suburbia. The exterior is more Costa del Sol than Aussie coast, but what lies beyond the doors is enough to send buyers running. Truckie Ross would love to retire, but with no buyer on the horizon, he’s stuck behind the wheel.

The Problem:  The interior of the home was full of mismatched furniture and mismatched designs. While Ross and Margot may have been happy to live in the odd architecture and feature designs, potential buyers were not.

The exterior of the home did not have any street appeal, where the pale blue paint looked cold and uninviting. The home did have a pool, a major positive, but the fencing around the pool was in bad shape and in the wrong position, where two small spaces were created from the fence, limiting the backyard entertaining area.

The rooms in the house all had dark coloured feature walls, which made the house look even smaller than what it was, and the colours were all mismatched – no consistency whatsoever.

The Solution: It was time to get rid of all the visual clutter, both inside and outside of the home.
The exterior of the home was given a new coat of paint. A warmer colour was used, but also keeping the Mediterranean feel of the house. The pool fence was also repositioned to create a bigger space in the backyard.

All the eclectic features inside the home were also dealt with. Instead of removing the hideous tiles in the bathroom, which is a major cost, the tiles were instead sprayed over. The new wall along with the new tap-wear helped to bring the bathroom back up to date.

The dark feature walls were replaced with a single colour coat of paint, which helped open up the smaller spaces, but at the same time created a better sense of continuity for the interior of the house. New carpet around the house helped to add a touch of luxury.

A mixture of Roller Blinds and Dual Roller Blinds (in the fabric Mauritius and colour Drizzle) were installed, and framed the windows perfectly, and added great functionality. The neutral tones of the blinds made it a very versatile look for the home, but was also the perfect for the décor and new colour scheme, and added that special modern touch.

Luxaflex® Dual Roller Blinds will allow the new owners of the home to combine the functionality of two different fabrics in the one roller blind system offering flexibility to adjust both light levels and night time privacy in the one application.

All the special touches made this house more modern, and now potential buyers could what a great house it actually was without being distracted by all the eclectic design features.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Mal Glanville & Co, NSW.

Watch Selling Houses Australia every Wednesday, 8.30pm AEDT on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel. 

Selling Houses Australia – Stuck in the 70s

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 6 Season 8

The Story - The Gentile’s are your typical close-knit Italian family. They all live in the same suburb and each week gather for dinner at Charlie and Silvia’s place. It’s the family home and Charlie built it with his own hands, but now the couple needs to sell up and downsize to fund their retirement. Tragically Charlie and Silvia can’t afford to stay in Reservoir, but the more money they get, the closer they can buy. Trouble is, the house has the street appeal of a loading dock and an interior straight from the 70’s - this is a tough challenge.

The Problem – Family buyers in today’s market no longer want a renovator that they can make their own, but instead want shiny and new homes. This 1970s solid but very outdated Reservoir home is therefore at the bottom of everyone’s list. Inside the home was like stepping back into time, to a place where disco and bad patterns ruled the world. The home had bad patterned floors, and the bedrooms were still stuck in the 70s. In today’s property market, bedrooms have become a real selling feature. The kitchen had good bones, but was in desperate need of a facelift, and the background was a concrete playground, not appropriate for young kids to play around.

The Solution – Take the outdated and ugly 1970s style and bring it into the next century. Street appeal was created by removing the carport and adding in some turf and plants. The turf and plants gave the exterior of the home a breath of fresh air, and made it look more inviting. The concrete background was also given a facelift. The concrete was removed and replaced with turf, making the backyard child and family friendly.

The bedrooms throughout the home were looking drab, so to give the bedrooms more appeal and selling power, a feeling of luxury in the bedrooms were created. New modern lights, beds and furniture were installed in each bedroom, along with Luxaflex® Roller Blinds in the fabrics Versailles (colour Ivory) and Calypso (colour White). Luxaflex® Roller Blinds helped to get rid of the 70s drab, and turn the home into fab. Roller Blinds were also installed in all the dining rooms to replace the old boring curtains.

The choice of the two fabrics in the colours Ivory and White make very versatile colour schemes for any home. The use of Roller Blinds creates a simple, yet aesthetically attractive choice for the Reservoir home. Because of the simplicity of Roller Blinds, it fits closely to the window, and so blends in well with the décor of the home – fashionable and functional.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Decorator Curtains & Blinds in Greensborough, VIC.

Watch Selling Houses Australia every Wednesday, 8.30pm AEDT on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel. 

Selling Houses Australia – Country Pub

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia season final episode 13 aired last night, and from what we saw, the team did an outstanding job renovating the run down pub in Alexandra.

The Story: Ever dreamed of owning a nice little pub in the country? Think again. Barney and Barb thought their country pub would give them an idyllic lifestyle where they could work and play together; the reality was a 24/7 commitment working 7 days a week, 14 hours a day.

The Problem: The couple purchased the leasehold on the run down pub in Alexandra, Victoria 3 years ago. They worked tirelessly to turn the place from bankrupt to the most popular pub in town. They’re pillars of the community raising thousands of dollars for charity, but their efforts have taken their toll, physically, emotionally and financially. Despite their hard work, the pub is struggling to make a profit and now they just want out.

Kids Play Area

The Solution: The Luxaflex Ventura Folding Arm Awning was installed as it offers the very best in the open style awning market. Available with a wide range of accessories, this model can be customised to suit almost any situation. The 6.5 metre motorised Ventura Awning featured Dickson fabric in colour silver pearl, and fit perfectly in the outside courtyard of the pub.

Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds in Prague Sunscreen fabric in colour Sheer Crepe and Plaza Plus Blockout fabric in colour White, were installed in the small bedrooms as it kept the room looking very streamlined and stopped it from having a bulky feel. By teaming a sunscreen and blockout fabric, you have the ability to adjust both light levels and night time privacy in the one application.

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery, Decorator Curtains and Blinds in Greensborough, New South Wales.

Selling Houses Australia – Thinking outside of the box

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 6 aired last night, watch how the team turns the box like home into a modern masterpiece.

The Story: People sell houses for many reasons, Shawnah and Frank want to sell their home to have a baby! The only way this couple can add to their family is through IVF, but without the money from the sale of their Mudgee investment property, their plans must be put on hold. The house is a pint size ex-milk bar. It is the cheapest house in Mudgee, on the market for just $180,000 but still nobody wants it.

*Mudgee Home - Backyard

Problem: One look at the outside of the home tells you why – it’s not a house, it’s a box without a single redeeming feature. The team will really had to think outside the box to fix this one!

Solution: As the house sits right on the footpath, Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds in Mauritius Blockout fabric in colour Champagne and Proscreen Sunscreen fabric in White were installed to give privacy whilst letting the natural light filter in during the day and to also give privacy during the evening.  Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds don’t have a lot of ‘bulk’ to them, so they are perfect for small windows and little houses.

Big doors in bedroom one would make the room feel too enclosed, so instead of having a wardrobe door, the team installed a Luxaflex Panel Glide Blind in Mauritius fabric in colour Champagne, to add an element of softness to the room.  

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex dealer, Material World, Mudgee, New South Wales

Selling Houses Australia airs every Wednesday, 8:30pm on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel.

Selling Houses Australia - '80s flash back

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 5 aired last night, see how the team transformed a dated 1980s style house into a modern and comfortable family home.

The Story: Greg Brooks lives for Ten-pin bowling. He was a champion of the sport and had dreams of training youngsters to follow in his footsteps. So when the old Bendigo bowling alley came up for sale, Greg jumped at the chance. He invested a million dollars into making the business work. But unfortunately bowling isn't the lucrative business it once was. Greg and his wife work crazy hours just trying to keep their heads above water. Greg even drives a taxi as a second job, but it’s simply not enough!

Problem: The bank is calling in the debts, so the only option is to sell their Gladstone Park home. They need as much money as they can get, but the home is so run down and badly presented. No buyer is prepared to take on the risk of this dated 80’s styled house.

Solution: A window covering had to be chosen that was going to modernise the dated house to give more buyer appeal. Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds were used as they matched the simple architecture and clean lines of the interior in the bedrooms, main dining room and lounge room. Sunscreen Caspien fabric in white was used to give privacy from the neighbours whilst still letting in natural light, and Blockout Calypso Plus fabric in Alpine Haze was used to block out harsh morning light and give ultimate privacy at night.

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery, O'Gormon's of North Coburg, Melbourne.

Selling Houses Australia airs every Wednesday, 8:30pm on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel.

Selling Houses Australia – Run down family home

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 3 aired last night, and from what we saw, a little inspiration is all that’s needed to refresh your home!

The Story: The Ellis’s old Queenslander home was once full of love and laughter, but now it’s just a sad reminder of the past. Originally it was home to Susan, Erroll and their 4 kids. But Susan and Erroll split, the kids grew up and moved out and the only ones left were Erroll and son Peter.  Tragically, Erroll died 2 years ago. The house holds too many bad memories, so the whole family agrees it’s time to sell and for Peter to leave his ghosts behind.

PROBLEM: The house was stuck in a time warp. It was more like walking onto a set from the Sullivans than a stylish Queenslander home. Could this run down family home be transformed into a modern and comfortable family home?

SOLUTION: The windows on the front of the house weren’t very big and didn’t add a lot to the character to the interior. Luxaflex Newstyle Polyresin Shutters in White were installed as the horizontal lines add width to the windows and perfectly suit the Queenslander look.  In the bedrooms Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds in Ultraweave (a Sunscreen fabric) in colour Midnight and Sunseeker (a Translucent fabric) in the colour Ice, were used to offer flexibility in the rooms to adjust both light levels and night-time privacy in the one application.

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery, CBD Blinds in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland.

Selling Houses Australia airs every Wednesday, 8:30pm on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel.

Selling Houses Australia – 70’s Penthouse

The Lifestyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 8

DARWIN - 70's Penthouse

OVERVIEW: A selfless act can sometimes get in the way of a smart one. Bob purchased properties to help his friends and family get out of debt, but ironically he became the one up to his eyeballs in mortgage bills. His solution - to sell his not-so-luxurious 70's style penthouse apartment.

PROBLEM: In order to bring the penthouse up to scratch, the interior needed a complete overhaul. The top-floor penthouse had no protection from the hot Darwin weather and bot the interiors and exteriors needed a 'wow' factor befitting its penthouse status.

SOLUTION: To protect the penthouse from heat and glare, Luxaflex Evo Awnings in Everscreen fabric in colour 'Shale' were installed outside to replace the old fashioned awnings. Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds in blockout Caspien fabric in colour 'Linen' and Greenscreen fabric in colour 'White' were used internally to further protect the home from heat and glare. The blinds used both Patented EDGE and Qmotion motorisation technology to give it a modern feel and add that extra 'wow' factor.




HOW IT WORKS: Luxaflex Evo Awnings are made specifically for  Australian weather conditions. The straight drop Evo Awning option can be used to shield the indoors from extreme heat and glare. Evo Awnings come in five different options, each available in various fabric options including the EverScreen External Screen Fabric, which provides heat and glare reduction as well as UV protection.

Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds work by mounting two blinds on one set of brackets, allowing you to combine the functionality of two different fabrics in the one roller blind. This not only offers flexible light adjustment, but also day and night time privacy in the one application.

Dual Roller Blinds are easy to operate and suitable for windows of all shapes and sizes. Availale with innovative Patented EDGE (Ergonomically Designed with Greater Efficiency) and Qmotion technology. Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds come in a range of operating systems, including chain, crank or motorised and can be operated with a remote device such as an iPhone or an iPad.

For this particular project, the revolutionary Roller Blinds with Omotion technology added the 'wow' factor to the windows. They system uses regular D cell batteries that last for five years, an industry first. As an added bonus, you won't find a blind with a smaller light gap. Operation is via remote control, or manual pull for when the remote is not within reach.

Selling Houses Australia airs every Wednesday, 8:30pm on The Lifestyle Channel, only on Foxtel.

Lounge Room Before

Lounge Room After