Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter says new season is most ‘unpredictable’ one yet

The renovations are next-level in the new season of Selling Houses Australia, which host Andrew Winter is calling the most “unpredictable” season yet.

There’s no such thing as renovation disasters in Andrew Winter’s property playbook. Because for this real estate guru, where there’s passion, there’s a path.

The 53-year-old returns as host of the award-winning Foxtel lifestyle series Selling Houses Australia, where he helps budget-conscious homeowners rejuvenate and renovate their properties in hopes of increasing the selling price.

And despite the challenges thrown at him and the show’s other experts, interior designer Wendy Moore and landscape gardener Dennis Scott, they are pros at taking homes from unsellable to sold.

“We don’t have disasters. If things go wrong, they are put right. They have to be, the house has to sell,” Winter tells news.com.au ahead of the Season 17 premiere on March 5.

The show is renowned for tackling diverse and challenging real estate issues. And this season is no different. If anything, it’s more “unpredictable” than ever, he says.

Selling Houses Australia experts (from left to right): Dennis Scott, Andrew Winter and Wendy Moore.

“[We used] more creative solutions to get a sale this season, for sure,” he reveals. “Noting our show is real [and] our homeowners really do need to sell, these homes do go on the market so we were battling a more complex market this season with huge regional variations.”

The trio tackle an array of properties, from an inner-city terrace to an overcrowded six-bedroom home in Sydney’s western suburbs. And in the Melbourne suburbs, they face the mammoth task of turning two houses into one.

Stream Selling Houses Australia Season 17 on Foxtel and BINGE, available on Hubbl.

Selling Houses Australia Season 17 returns on Foxtel and BINGE on March 5.

It’s clear a new level of stress is placed on the renovations amid the tough property market and the cost of living pressures, with the experts hustling twice as hard for that ‘sold’ sign.

“The practical and design challenges my co-hosts have are different to my challenges, which is reviewing marketing strategies, getting to the bottom of the market for that area right then, not basing it on generic data or media hype,” Winter explains.

“Then the biggest task I have is quite often convincing the homeowners that just because they love or loved their home, the sales figure they are chasing may just be a dream.”

Property expert Winter has been the host of the show since 2008.

So what tweaks should homeowners focus on to get more bang for their buck in today’s market?

For starters, “grey is gone”, says Winter, who adds that the all-white kitchen is also now seen as “dull and boring”.

“Colour, texture and character are back,” he predicts. “The separate study/work space is still a thing, and everything open plan is no longer the desired layout.”

On the other side of the coin are first homebuyers, whose great Australian dream of owning their own home is “achievable again”, Winter believes.

Wendy Moore is the resident interior design expert.

Dennis Scott is the show’s landscape designer.

“For many twenty- and thirty-somethings in many parts of Australia, getting their first home can be possible,” he says. “It is not easy, it won’t be a big house, it may not be in great condition, it may not be in the perfect suburb.”

“But Government and State incentives often mean zero stamp duty, no need for an unachievable 20 per cent deposit, 5 per cent is possible now. Wages are strong, employment is high.

“My advice is go for it, if you can. It beats renting, just having your own front door, even to a small apartment, is a fantastic feeling. Ignore all the negativity about unit buying. But do your research of the complex, get your lawyer on to it, it is called due diligence and it’s vital.”

Selling Houses Australia Season 17 premieres at 8:30pm on Wednesday, March 5 on Foxtel and available to stream on BINGE

Originally published as Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter says new season is most ‘unpredictable’ one yet