Terry Biviano and Anthony Minichiello home renovation issues to carry into 2024

Terry Biviano and Anthony Minichiello’s Vaucluse house renovations continue to drag on although there has been a commitment as to when it will be finished.

If Terry Biviano was hoping to have her Vaucluse house finished by the time The Real Housewives of Sydney hit TV screens on October 10 – and perhaps even feature in the program, thereby putting the “house” into “housewife” – she’s fallen some way short.

Our Vaucluse spies wandered past the property last week and report that while at last the scaffolding has come down, sadly the portaloo and fencing remain in place and work on the home seems to continue at a snail’s pace.

There is little evidence much progress has been made in the year since we first learned of Biviano’s construction slowdown.

It’s nine years since Biviano and her husband, ex-Rooster Anthony Minichiello, bought a humble 1980s brick home in the suburb for $3.1m and lodged plans to partially renovate the house for a relatively meagre $560,000.

Terry Biviano who will be appearing on Real Housewives. Picture: Terry Biviano

In September 2022 Minichiello told this column the project was held up for four years after neighbours objected to the loss of their harbour views.

He added there had been myriad other issues, including supply chain delays that had held up construction during the pandemic.

Inquisitive and frustrated neighbours who wondered whether the couple had run out of money were rebuffed when a curt Biviano told this column in 2022: “If we couldn’t afford (the house), we’d have sold it.”

The scaffolding has come down from the house.

The one-time shoe designer pointed to a recent European holiday as evidence the couple weren’t financially under water.

Those same neighbours were thrilled when Biviano was cast this year in Foxtel’s forthcoming second series of The Real Housewives of Sydney.

Terry Biviano with Anthony Minichiello. Picture: Kai Godeck

Surely any income from that program would help the couple finally finish the house, they reasoned.

With Biviano’s rumoured payment from the TV show put at $25k, it’s doubtful one season of the program would help the couple finish the driveway let alone the house.

As the couple and their daughter have been living with her family, we hear producers hired a house to serve as Biviano’s “home” for the show.

Minichiello confirmed the couple – who initially hoped to be in by last Christmas, and then by last Easter – now hope to be in by next Easter.

“First quarter next year,” Mini said, pointing out that there has been some progress.

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