Selling Houses Australia: Trapped in the 1990s in Windsor Downs, NSW
One of Selling Houses Australia’s biggest ever renovations
Photography Melissa Heath/Selling Houses Australia
Windsor Downs was one of the biggest projects I’ve ever seen on Selling Houses Australia! When we arrived at the property I was shocked by the sheer scale of it – Andrew had dropped me and Dennis into it again!! Inside, a 1990s symphony of aubergine and pistachio greeted me, along with a lot of dim, dark rooms. So much… disconnect space. I could see why potential buyers weren’t loving it.
Brothers Dale and Wade lost their dad Ken just four months before we filmed the episode, so it was still pretty raw. They hadn’t fully processed it and moving on the property was stressful – they couldn’t afford to maintain it and they just felt overwhelmed by how much there was to do. It’s a pretty common story. So we decided to help out!
My focus was to bring light, warmth and purpose into the home, and to tackle the original bathrooms and kitchen.
A kitchen makeover on a budget
The kitchen was very well made, so I didn't want to throw it away. The profile of the original cabinetry was too fussy to work for a modern family, so I decided to replace the doors with a Shaker profile, which was custom fit at Customea in this style, a great midway between traditional and modern. The colour used is Wattyl in Serenity and I added beautiful contrasting hardware in Black Nickel from Kethy.
It also needed highly functional new appliances, supplied by Euromaid, and a sexy new black sink and mixer, both Blanco. Throw in a new splashback in Brickwall Perla Spanish porcelain subway wall tiles from Tile Factory Outlet; a fresh new benchtop in Bianco Carrara terrazzo from World Stone; Lighting Inspirations Raze Cord pendant lights in bronze from The Lighting Outlet and the kitchen was transformed into something very elegant, where people would love to have a cuppa and cook. Perfect.
The final touch was Elan blockout Duette shades in Daisy White from Luxaflex, which help light flow along with new Velux skylights in the pergola outside.
Simple changes in the Windsor Downs living room
This was actually a really simple room to update - it’s just paint, flooring, lighting and styling. Actually now that I write that down it’s actually quite a lot, isn’t it?? The floating timber floors are Integral Flint laminate floors from Flooring Xtra, paint is Wattyl Moody White and the lighting was found at Emac & Lawton. The art adds a special touch – all artwork featured in this home was supplied by Bison Art.
Adding beauty into the Windsor Downs master suite
While downstairs now features new timber-look floors, upstairs called for the elegance and warmth of carpet. I went with a textured 100% wool carpet from Flooring Xtra. The Elan blockout Duette shades in Daisy White with sheer curtains from the Maxwell range in colour Montreal Flint are both from Luxaflex. A practical touch overhead comes via a brand-new Eglo lighting 52" Waikiki AC ceiling fan from The Lighting Outlet. Then it was all down to styling, with hired furniture and pretty cushions from Rapee for added softness.
“This was another Andrew Winter special of a huge house that hasn't been touched for a long time. He just does this for fun: gives us these mammoth houses and of course he doesn't hang around to help us do it!”
~ interiors expert Wendy Moore
A master bathroom reinvented
All the bathrooms couldn’t be renovated, so we focussed on the master – the one buyers would most appreciate and which might inspire them to update the others! I took some space from the robe alongside to make the most of the floor plan and build in a luxurious shower, a must-have in a master suite.
The pièce de résistance is the bath, of course! I decided to be a bit unconventional and put the freestanding Luna bath from Caroma in at an angle, but doesn’t it look fab? The standing mixer becomes a feature in itself; this one is the Liano II Freestanding Bath Filler; from The Blue Space. The rest of the fittings and fixtures are in Chrome from the same Luna range as the bath - that’s the toilet, taps, hardware, you name it, and you can find them all at Caroma.
A statement tile for the floor – Tessellated honed Carrara marble mosaics from Tile Factory Outlet against a bevelled edge soft white subway tile.
The gorgeous Timberline Sutherland House Shaving Cabinet and vanity were both found at The Blue Space and really elevate the space into something special.
A connected dining area and entertaining space
The biggest changes in this area were the addition of VJ boards and a fresh lick of paint. There were so many angles but it was blank and boring, but now it ties into the kitchen, to help the entertaining areas feel like one big cohesive space. We used Easycraft 900 x 1200mm primed wall linings from Bunnings, and painted below the VJ line in Wattyl Westerly and above in Moody White.
Adding a bit of glamour is the Prescot chandelier in Dark Bronze from Emac & Lawton.
The new floating timber floors ground the look beautifully. Like the rest of the downstairs, these are Integral Flint laminate floors from Flooring Xtra.
The sales history of the Selling Houses Windsor Downs, NSW home
So, how did we end up in Windsor Downs? Ken, a retired cop, bought the property in 2005. He was very independent and lived alone, and his home was his pride and joy, along with his children (and his extensive collection of Egyptian-inspired paraphernalia!). He took great care of the home but as his health declined, so did the state of the property. He decided to sell it to be closer to the kids and grandkids, but the home just wouldn’t move, and soon after he passed away. It was then down to his sons to pick up the pieces and sell the property, and that was harder than it sounds.
Did Selling Houses Australia Windsor Downs sell?
The Selling Houses Windsor Downs house sold – we got a fantastic result for Dale and Wade. The house went to auction with a price guide of $2.25-2.45 million, and an offer was received before it went to auction for $2.3 million! An absolutely amazing result for these lovely brothers.
Who pays for the renovations on Selling Houses Australia?
Buyers who looked at the Windsor Down home were factoring costs of up to $300K just to make the necessary updates. Dennis and I agreed with Dale and Wade on a budget of $100,000, which they as the homeowners supplied. We knew we could make a big impact for that spend, but of course there’s a lot that goes into the budget that doesn’t factor into that $100K, including labour, which we provide, and anything supplied by our partners.
