Meet 8 of South Australia’s DIY renovators reviving their homes on a budget

These homeowners took matters into their own hands and gave their homes a glow-up on a budget. See before and after pics and find out how they did it.

The South Australian reno community is fast growing with many homeowners looking for cost-effective hacks that will give their homes a dazzling new look.

From the Adelaide Hills to Kensington Park, these couples have delved head first into their newly found passion for renovating and are now bringing others along their journey.

Here’s how eight couples turned an ordinary house into their dream forever home.

Ashleigh and Jordan Pinto, Clarence Gardens

Instagram handle: place_journal

Ashleigh Pinto has renovated her first home. Picture: Supplied

And she did it with partner Jordan Pinto. Picture: Supplied

Young, ambitious and strapped with a ton of energy, Ashleigh and Jordan’s reno journey began when they bought a house that wasn’t quite their dream – but had the potential to become “something special”.

“Our first home was a 1960s double-brick house that had only ever had one owner. It was in good condition and the bones were strong, but it was outdated and cluttered, to say the least,” Mr Pinto, 34, said.

“There was a lot to look past, but we saw the potential when we first walked in – and knew the floorplan was going to work for us.

“We loved the idea of transforming spaces and giving the house a second lease on life.”

Inspired by a “light, bright and inviting” feel, the Clarence Gardens couple, who are both designers, set a flexible budget and got to work to complete a “deep cosmetic makeover”.

“The bones were there, and most of them are still in place today,” Mr Pinto said.

“They’re just not covered by butter cream-coloured paint or dark, overpowering timber.

Mr Pinto said they removed their floor-to-ceiling joinery, old carpet, the original kitchen, tiles, a wall and mirror cabinets, before renovating the kitchen, bedrooms, living and dining areas.

“We removed 20 tonne of excess dirt, an old greenhouse, pavers and at least 200 pieces of slate from the backyard and started fresh with a new deck and lawn,” he said.

“We finally got rid of the cream tiles, bath and vanity of the main bathroom. well, sort of … we changed things without having it rip it all out by spraying everything white to make it new again.”

Since they started, Mr Pinto said they’ve spent about $100,000 – having saved costs because most of the home’s structure was already in place.

“We looked at a lot of houses that had floor plans that would’ve required far too much work,” he explained.

“Avoiding significant building works is key to renovating on a budget.

“You don’t need to build new, or add new, to feel new. Paint can, literally, change everything. And you can do it yourself, like we did (but) we’re not rushing to paint another house again.

“But, of course, leave the things you can’t do to the professionals.”

Mr Pinto also suggested to “live in the house before renovating”, and getting a building inspection.

The couple has now launched their own website, Place Journal, to bring together SA’s reno community.

“People related to our journey and we’ve since related to many others,” Mr Pinto said.

“There are a lot of people like you and I out there doing some brilliant, inspiring things with their homes.

“We wanted to find these stories and share them. That’s why we are out to discover real stories about Australian people and their places.”

Shannon and Matthew Henderson, Sheidow Park

Instagram handle: ourhill.home.reno

Shan and Matthew Henderson outside their home. Picture: Supplied

After deciding to move to Adelaide from the country, Shannon, 29, and Matthew Henderson, 38, brought a property that needed a little TLC to turn it into the perfect family home.

“We have previously renovated properties in the country, so we had a little bit of experience in what the renovation process would be,” Ms Henderson said.

“Knowing all of this helped us see what potential the house had, as for us, being close to family and in a good school catchment zone was our top priority.”

The couple quickly got to work and gave the structure of the house a revamp.

“We removed walls to create an open plan concept and to create a fourth bedroom/additional lounge room,” she said.

“We installed a new kitchen and island. We also updated the flooring throughout, which included carpet in the bedrooms and hybrid flooring in the hall and living areas.”

Ms Henderson said they also fitted the bedroom with new carpets and wardrobes, updated the electrical in the house, and “installed reverse cycle ducted airconditioning”.

“While we were in the settlement process, we started approaching tradies to receive quotes to achieve our renovation goals,” she said.

Once they completed the ravishing facelift, Ms Henderson said they managed to keep within their budget of $60,000 – excluding furniture.

Claire and Josh Dowdy, Binnum

Instagram handle: our_forever_farmhouse_

Claire and Josh Dowdy. Picture: Supplied

In June 2022, Claire, 37, and Josh Dowdy, 35, moved into Josh’s family farm, owned by his parents since 1987.

This was despite the home – built in the 1950s “from local Mount Gambier stone” – undergoing extension and upgrades over preceding years.

The Dowdys were keen to make the space “feel like (their) own” and drew up inspirations from the “modern farmhouse vibe” that would be more suitable to their family.

“The stage one plan was to do new flooring throughout professionally and paint the interior ourselves,” Ms Dowdy said.

“But we made inquiries to remove a wall that opened up the living, dining and kitchen areas into one and building a walk-in pantry and to our surprise the builder was available to commence right away.

“We went ahead with this and it somehow turned into a new main bathroom and full kitchen refresh as well in this initial stage.”

Ms Dowdy said they’re now basking in their “fully refreshed home”, while preparing to “restore and repaint the stone exterior”.

“This I am doing all myself in any spare time I can find.”

Tahirih Mortal-Duff and Michael Duff, Kensington

Instagram handle: @designby_tahirih

Michael Duff and Tahirih Mortal-Duff. Picture: Supplied

Tahirih Mortal-Duff, 38, left the science field to purse an interior design course with the Interior Design Institute about a decade ago after having her first child.

Coupled with her love for real estate, along with her husband Michael, 40, the pair have gone on to renovate four homes in the last seven years.

“I think it’s safe to say we have the ‘renovators bug’,” Ms Mortal, from Kensington, said.

“In my spare time, I design and project manage all of our renovations.”

But when it came to renovating a house to create their “dream home”, the Duff’s spared no cost and set a budget of around $350k after finding a house “full of history and character”.

“As soon as this classic, circa 1912 character villa hit the market, in completely original condition, we knew this was the one,” she explained.

“This home is over 112 years old”.

After moving into the home, the couple planned their renovations over the span of two years.

“We did a quick paint and added built-in-robes and plantation shutters before moving in,” she said.

“Once in the house, the first big change was a brand new colour bond roof and a pool with outdoor shower.

“Next we added a second toilet and large outdoor pergola by the end of the first year, followed by all new landscaping.

“Finally we renovated the kitchen and added a new front fence and electric sliding gate by the end of the second year.”

Little Adelaide Bungalow

Instagram handle: @littleadelaidebungalow

The creative minds behind Little Adelaide Bungalow made the big move from Sydney to Adelaide over two years ago, and embarked on their second renovation together to revive a 1930s home.

From renovating their bathroom, hallway, garden beds, and a picture-perfect kitchen nook to planning and selecting their colour schemes, the couple has shared every step of their reno journey.

“We have some grand plans for our shed. Right now, it has lots of dead space behind it so eventually we’ll pull it down, salvage the sheet metal and use it,” they shared on Instagram, at the beginning of their renovation.

“Ideally, the shed will have a brew area and storage with an upstairs loft for an office.”

The couple are currently renovating their main bathroom, as they gear up to refurbish their eccentric hallway arch.

Our Heritage Villa, Adelaide

Instagram handle: @ourheritagevilla

After two years of searching high and wide, Julia and Sasha finally found their forever home.

The couple drafted their designs for about 18 months and sourced most of their inspiration online before they kicked off their reno.

Having taken a hands-on approach to their reno, Julia and Sasha share all of their newly found building and renovation tips and tricks to Instagram.

Now, their picturesque 1910s Edwardian house is in the final stages of completion with Julia and Sasha now dotting new features in their home including a butler’s pantry and a swimming pool.

Chloe Grayling, Adelaide Hills

Instagram: @lovechloejane and @stay.junipergrove

Chloe Grayling garnered a mass following while renovating a hand-built cabin built by her father and grandfather in 1970s.

She wrapped her renovation journey after finishing a budget-friendly renovation to the cabin’s entry way and dining, marking the “mad chapter” as “amazing (and) exhausting”.

Impressed by her set of skills and creative eye, Chloe said her friends set her the task of completing a “one day bungalow makeover” – showcasing just how much difference a coat of paint can make.

“If you put things off because you’re not sure you can do them perfectly, especially if neurodivergence has anything to do with that, my muddly little ADHD brain would get nothing at all done if she had her way,” Chloe said on a recent Instagram post.

“Please know you don’t owe anyone perfection.”

Chance and Spencer’s Oakbank Reno, Oakbank

Instagram: @oakbankreno

Content creators and DIY reno gurus, Chance and Spencer, have brought to life the perfect mix of vintage, modern and chic 90s elements to their “dream home”.

Nestled in the Adelaide Hills, Chance and Spencer’s renovation journey began in 2019.

“The amount of hours we put into this house, and at this time it can feel so gruelling, never-ending and tiring you seem to quickly forget when you get to enjoy what you’ve created,” mother-of-one Chance wrote on their Instagram last week.

Chance has now extended her brand after her new-found passion for renovating, including the launch of Oakbank Linen Curtains – affordable custom and easy to install blinds and curtains to ease the reno journey for others.

Originally published as Meet 8 of South Australia’s DIY renovators reviving their homes on a budget