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The Block couple’s simple tip to save thousands on renovations

A couple who took home $170,000 for a few months’ work on The Block say one simple thing will save homeowners thousands on their renos.

Rachel and Ryan Carr now make thousands as renovators via their business The R&R Design Co which recently celebrated its third anniversary.
Rachel and Ryan Carr now make thousands as renovators via their business The R&R Design Co which recently celebrated its third anniversary.

A couple who took home $170,000 for a few months’ work on The Block say one simple thing will save home renovators time and thousands of dollars.

Rachel and Ryan Carr, who were pulled into The Block late as contestants with just two days’ notice two years ago – after a shock early departure of another couple (Joel and Elle) – now run The R&R Design Co, working with major brands such as Temple & Webster, helping others tackle renovations without breaking their hearts or the bank.

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Rachel and Ryan Carr made their debut on The Block in 2022 after a walk off by another couple. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan
Rachel and Ryan Carr made their debut on The Block in 2022 after a walk off by another couple. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan

Mrs Carr said their number one rule was to “plan, plan, plan” every aspect, mapping everything out before picking up the hammer.

“Going with the flow is such a beautiful and calming life concept, for everyone except those about to renovate,” Mrs Carr warned. “Having a detailed plan could be the difference between thousands of dollars and weeks of time during your reno.”

The couple are super busy, with a lot of their clients preferring to refresh their spaces over spring – and for many it did not take much to do so.

“Small home improvements go a long way in creating functional, sophisticated and luxurious spaces, for less,” Mrs Carr said.

The family recently bought a quirky Cape Cod style home “on a leafy corner block of a quiet cul-de-sac” that they plan to transform before Christmas saying “it really needs a lot of love … a new layout and A LOT of updating”. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan
The family recently bought a quirky Cape Cod style home “on a leafy corner block of a quiet cul-de-sac” that they plan to transform before Christmas saying “it really needs a lot of love … a new layout and A LOT of updating”. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan

“There are even more homeowners taking on the DIY challenge which is quickly becoming a part of the ‘Aussie dream’ story, especially with housing prices continuing to increase.”

Regardless of the approach, she insisted that “planning for all aspects of your renovation is key to keep you on track with both your schedule and budget, and to ensure you get the end result you’re hoping for”.

“Planning includes understanding your current floor plans and structural details, any council requirements and their processes for the work that you want to undertake plus lead times on your main renovation features versus building times.”

Mrs Carr shared her planning ideas for the kitchen renovation for their new Cape Cod style home with this image saying “I know I want it to be classic yet modern. Calming yet moody. Warm yet light. It’s all about finding the right balance and I think we’re so close." Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan.
Mrs Carr shared her planning ideas for the kitchen renovation for their new Cape Cod style home with this image saying “I know I want it to be classic yet modern. Calming yet moody. Warm yet light. It’s all about finding the right balance and I think we’re so close." Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan.

It was also knowing how long you may be without key areas in your home and what you plan to do during these times.

“For example, do you need to move out of your home while work happens or do you need a Portaloo for a couple of weeks.”

Another general tip the Carrs had – given the cost of living crisis was seeing people stretched for funds – was for renovators to know their overall style preference so they could space out renovations over several months or even years and still make it work.

“Not all renovations can be completed in one go – in a lot of cases, it takes years for us to get our homes to a point where we feel complete with our renovation journey.”

Rachel and Ryan Carr had two days’ notice to be on The Block after a spectacular walk off by another couple. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan
Rachel and Ryan Carr had two days’ notice to be on The Block after a spectacular walk off by another couple. Picture: Instagram/rachelandryan

“Knowing and understanding the overarching style of your home and sticking to this during any kind of home improvement or renovation is going to help you achieve the kind of home

that creates calmness and cohesiveness.”

“Using tools such as Pinterest is such an easy way to narrow down the style you want for your whole home, and make sure each space is complementary to the next.”

Mr Carr said “we’re passionate about tiles – so much so that if Rach could have chosen any trade, she’d be a tiler. We love helping our clients embrace bold tile choices and achieve their design goals.”

Their tip for smaller spaces was to go for larger format tiles with fewer grout lines to add a sense of space and make the room appear bigger.

And he said if you have a tile you love that might overwhelm the space, you could make it a feature tile on a vanity wall for example as one option.

A favourite element can incorporated into overall design by using it sparingly such as this chocolate tile with the Nomad vanity by Temple & Webster.
A favourite element can incorporated into overall design by using it sparingly such as this chocolate tile with the Nomad vanity by Temple & Webster.

Another pro-tip was to get the laundry off the ground to make it more ergonomic, boost convenience and comfort and save backs by eliminating the need for bending and crouching. It did have the advantage of opening up storage space underneath as well.

Another way to pay attention to detail while renovating, Mr Carr said was to “check your shirt size”.

“This may seem like a small detail, but we see it done incorrectly all too often. We love incorporating a hanging rail in a laundry, but it’s crucial to ensure that your shirts don’t end up draped over your benchspace. To avoid this issue, accurately measure the distance between your rail and the bench to accommodate the largest shirt you might hang, and don’t forget to account for the height of the hangers as well.”

Again, they said, that came down to proper planning.

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Originally published as The Block couple’s simple tip to save thousands on renovations

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/brisbane-qld/the-block-couples-simple-tip-to-save-thousands-on-renovations/news-story/7d34824ea37bf8d694ab79064eb72127