‘We lost it all’: How a 28yo went from Bunnings to business owner

A woman who worked at Bunnings, at 23 years old, has revealed how she lost all of her money and how turned it all around in just five years.

Just five years ago, Victoria Pinturut was 23 and working at Bunnings when the world went into lockdown.

A job loss, $100,000 down the drain in a failed subdivision project, 10 home renovations, and a lot of sheer determination later, she now runs a bar and a property business with her partner, Roger Garreau.

“I started working at Bunnings in 2019 while studying interior design and construction,” Ms Pinturut said.

Victoria Pinturut, when she was working at Bunnings in 2019. Image supplied.

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“From 2018 to 2020, I helped Roger with his renovation projects — a van, a tiny home, and an apartment.”

That year, they took the plunge and bought their first home together, renovated it, and sold it during the Covid pandemic.
“When Roger lost his job, we had to rent again,” she said.

“We invested $100,000 of the profit from that home into a promising subdivision project, but the developer went bankrupt and we lost it all.”

Victoria Pinturut and Roger Garreau of Urban Uplift. Image supplied.

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It was a tough time, but they didn’t give up.

“In 2021, we couldn’t afford to buy in Brisbane, so we looked regional and found our first proper flip in Ipswich,” Ms Pinturut said.

“We spent five months driving back and forth to renovate it.”

After building up their funds again, they bought their own home in Ipswich.

“It was a beautiful contrast to living on level 48 in Brisbane’s CBD!” she said.

“Ipswich has so many charming Queenslanders. It reminded us of heritage areas in Brisbane, but at half the price.

Victoria Pinturut and Roger Garreau at their wine bar, Monte Lane. Image supplied.

“We did a five-week flip during La Niña (wild timing), and just before it started, our offer was accepted on another cute Queenslander. The pressure was on to sell quickly!”

Momentum started to grow. They engaged in a joint venture project with friends — finding them the property, and managing the design and renovation process.

“Through a Facebook group, we met interstate investors who needed a renovation team for their property near us,” Ms Pinturut said.

“We believed it had more potential than what local agents told them, so we designed, renovated, staged, and chose the best agent, then split the uplift at settlement. It was exciting and exceeded expectations.

Victoria Pinturut styling a home for a client of Urban Uplift. Image supplied.

“Those same investors flew us to Melbourne to help spec their new build to maximise appeal.”

That’s when the couple realised they were on to something — and their business, Urban Uplift was born.

They also saw the need for more intimate hospitality venues in Ipswich and used their profits from property flipping to open a wine bar called Monte Lane.

“In 2024, Monte Lane was our main focus, but now we’re relaunching Urban Uplift with three offerings for sellers; renovation concierge, renovation blueprint, and full project management for pre-sale renovations,” she said.

“We’re currently working with clients across Brisbane and New South Wales, guiding them through pre-sale renovations to help them add real value before listing.”

Originally published as ‘We lost it all’: How a 28yo went from Bunnings to business owner