Australia’s most epic renovations of 2023
From “insensible wealth” to four generations of sweat equity, you won’t believe the transformations that were achieved in these six epic renovations from around the country.
Aussies love a good renovation – and this year there were plenty to marvel at.
Families across the country raked in millions of dollars in capital in 2023 after completing radical transformations that could only be described as epic.
From “insensible expense” to generational sweat equity, these six renovations prove there are several ways to skin a cat – or property, for that matter – with no less than stunning results.
2 Christa Way, Benowa Waters, QLD
There’s nothing like a pandemic to prompt some epic home improvement. This Hamptons style home started life as a brick lover’s dream before being transformed into the ultimate Gold Coast retreat.
Bianca and Jay Burnz purchased the house in November 2020 for $1.1m before embarking on a sweeping renovation that made it look like a completely different property.
The massive home was actually reduced in size as part of the renovation.
The six bedroom main house and its two-bedroom guesthouse became the most viewed property in the state on realestate.com.au when it was listed for sale in June 2023.
It came with a media room featuring a fireplace, a large covered alfresco area plus a large swimming pool.
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The Benowa Waters property sold under the hammer for $2.85m – the couple more than doubling their money in just three years.
Morningside rescue, QLD
It truly was a case of renovation rescue for this mid century built Morningside home. While the dilapidated house was judged a knock down job by most that saw it, purchasers Audra and Darryn Tracy had other ideas in mind.
“We’ve moved into an age of just throwing everything away and I think we need to do more to stand back and look and see what we can re-use,” Ms Tracy said.
It took the pair just five months to restore and renovate the c. 1955 built house, which they had purchased for $693,000 in 2022.
The renovated property sold in 2023 for $1.17m.
45 Gillies St, Alfredton, VIC
This weatherboard Ballarat house from c. 1950 was given special treatment by Janie McCrudden and her partner, Mitch Walton after they purchased it for $460,000 in 2020.
With a penchant for architecture and interior design, the pair wanted to bring the home into the modern age without forgetting its architectural past.
That they did by adding an open-plan extension with a chic kitchen featuring velour stone benchtops, Bosch appliances and a butler’s pantry.
The pair restored original cornices and added wool carpet and a built-in gas fireplace. They added luxuries like heated timber floorboards and an in-ground swimming pool plus an outdoor shower.
A covered outdoor entertainment area was created, complete with pizza oven, two wine fridges, a bluestone fireplace, an electric overhead heater and outdoor blinds.
The property has been listed for sale through Brooke Reynolds at Jellis Craig Ballarat with a price guide of $1,675,000 to $1,775,000.
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17 Burra St, Mintaro, SA
An 18 year renovation sounds like a lifetime of work – but when it’s done to a 165 year old property, it’s a mere page in the overall story of the building.
This c. 1858 house in Mintaro used to be a blacksmith house, a cobbler and a butcher.
Owner Denise Klemm purchased it and its surrounding estate after a chance sighting back in the nineties.
“I was on the back of a motorbike on my honeymoon in 1991 and we stayed in Mintaro at a bed and breakfast,” Ms Klemm said. “I saw this building, turned around and nearly fell off the back.”
“The blacksmith shop was a dirt floor and fundamentally a ruin.”
She spent the next 18 years slowly fixing it up to convert it into a four-bedroom house with exposed original stone and slate walls. The former blacksmith’s red gum bench was kept as a kitchen island and an extension was added onto the property.
The house has been listed for sale through Alison Ward at Elders Real Estate Clare Valley/ Burra without a price guide.
16 Rae St, Randwick, NSW
When it comes to epic renovations, it’s not always what is done or how much it costs that counts the most. The renovation of this three bedroom townhouse in Randwick was completed by four generations of one family after the owners purchased it from the estate of a beloved uncle in 2021.
Steven and Fiona Boersma were joined by their parents and their three grown up children as well as their one-year-old grandson in the restoration and renovation of Mr Boersma’s late uncle’s home, which was in much the same state as when he purchased it back in 1987.
“It was a massive task, a labour of love,” Mrs Boersma said. “We had the building report from 1987 and everything that was wrong with it then was still wrong with it – from lead paint on the walls to water damage to the plaster ceilings,”
It took three years to complete the renovation of the 100 year old house, which had a mix of Edwardian and Art Deco features.
The house sold under the hammer in May for $2,720,000.
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Encore, Surfers Paradise, QLD
This jaw-dropping property on the Gold Coast takes the cake when it comes to epic renovations. Culture Kings founders Simon and Tah-nee Beard recently completed a two year transformation of the waterfront mansion, now known as Encore, that included acquiring a neighbouring property and adding one of the largest residential pools in the country.
The result? The pictures speak for themselves.
“It’s like I’m living in a resort,” said Mr Beard, who recently gave The Oodie founder Davie Fogarty a grand tour.
Project manager Tony Parente of Clamroc Constructions said the renovation occurred during “massive price increases through the construction industry.”
“It was a massive challenge bringing this across the line at a sensible price,” he said.
Some of the mansion’s standout features include a gym, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, a cinema, a cryotherapy chamber, a tennis court and a dedicated room for Mr Beard’s shoe collection.
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Originally published as Australia’s most epic renovations of 2023
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