How a former beauty star turned a ’70s cottage into a sea-change dream

When Jessie Byrne bought her 1970s cottage, it was one of the worst houses on the street.

The former reality television star, who won the second season of Beauty and the Geek in 2010, could not wait to renovate the Central Coast home.

Brad Cuthbert and Jessie Byrne in their Bateau Bay home, which they spent years transforming.Credit: James Brickwood

“We were just a young married couple,” said Byrne, who purchased the home with husband Brad Cuthbert.

Seven years and three children later, the weatherboard cottage has been transformed.

The couple initially spent $5000 making small upgrades to the home. Once they had given it a paint job, new carpet and air-conditioning, they set their sights on a bigger project.

As soon as they got their plans approved, Byrne attached them to the walls.

“We always had that vision there. I started printing out all the kitchens I liked and the finishings and the tapware,” she said.

Byrne’s vision of a modern four-bedroom home with a swimming pool has since come to life.

“I was the driver. My husband did all the hard work as far as the actual building.”

Cuthbert, a carpenter by trade, obtained an owner-builder permit and had help from external trades when needed.

Byrne, who runs a dance school, was six months pregnant with their second child when they started the renovation. They tried to live in the house as long as possible, boarding off the back of the home with plywood to create a barrier, but eventually moved in with family.

The weatherboard home before an extensive renovation.Credit: Domain

“That’s when things happened really quick,” Byrne said.“We pretty much gutted it. The old house is maybe two walls and a few of the floor joists are the originals. I would say 80 per cent of it is brand new.”

The renovation took careful planning, budgeting and required patience. The worst part for Byrne was managing a constantly moving timeline.

“Constantly trying to work out, OK, so what date or what month? What season are we going to be moving back in?”

The backyard has a pool, in-ground trampoline and impressive cubby house.Credit: Domain

Their budget did not allow them to complete everything at once, so they had to prioritise.

“We locked up the en suite for, I think it was 12 months, and it was just sitting as an empty wet area until we then had the cash flow ... and the same with our wardrobes.”

The biggest moment for Byrne was when the sheer white curtains were hung.

“It was tear-jerking. I don’t know what it is about white curtains ... it was like oh my god, it’s done.”

Byrne feels her vision of the home was completely met.

“We wanted something that was single-level. Because we have a young family, we didn’t want to be running up and down stairs,” she said.

“We wanted something where it was quite seamless, transitioning throughout the house. And we wanted the kitchen to be at the heart of the house.

“Anywhere you [are] standing in [the] house, you can see the pool, the backyard area, the trampoline, the ‘Taj Mahal’ of our cubby house.”

The couple wanted the kitchen to be the heart of the home. Credit: Domain

The home has now been listed for sale with a price guide of $2 million as they hope to move to an acreage.

Selling agent Paul Witney from LJ Hooker Bateau Bay said it was a good quality home in a good location.

“It’s got a really good indoor-outdoor flow to the living. It’s got a really nice sunny aspect, private outdoor entertaining,” he said.

Witney said Bateau Bay was popular with those looking to make a sea change.

“It’s a location where a lot of Sydneysiders or out-of-area [buyers] will come and choose it for the lifestyle that Bateau Bay offers, being right on the coastline. We’ve got a lot of cafes and golf courses and beautiful beaches and national parks.”