They’d previously relocated to Tasmania from Sydney, and had spent four years living happily in the small regional township of Mole Creek in the state’s North.

And while they had grown quite attached to their adopted home state, the couple decided that Mole Creek – which is known for its rolling hills, honey production and an extensive network of spectacular caves that form part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – was a bit too far inland as they wanted to be close to the beach.

However, they were undecided whether that beach should be in Tasmania, or whether they should instead return to Sydney. So, they put their Mole Creek property on the market.

And on the same day that they received an offer on that property, they embarked on a day trip along Tassie’s North-West Coast, where they made a life-changing discovery.

Because, while driving through the small and historic town of Forth – less than an hour from Mole Creek, and about 11km west of Devonport – Susan spotted what she could only describe as her “dream” home.

The white weatherboard cottage, built in 1872, appeared to have plenty of character and charm.

It also came with its own timber church, on the same block of land.

The surrounding township was equally charming, and the home was only 3km from the beach, so it ticked all the boxes in terms of location.

With a price tag of $550,000, the home was well within the couple’s budget.

But, there was one major hurdle – the heritage-listed home was in disrepair. It was not in a safe or liveable condition and it needed an extensive restoration.

Despite both being “total novices” with no renovation experience, Susan and Rod decided they were up for the challenge of breathing new life into the historic home, known as Lenna House.

So they purchased the property in December 2023, started working on it at the beginning of 2024, and invited a TV crew to come along for the ride, with their restoration project documented on the new season of ABC TV series Restoration Australia.

Filming for season seven of the popular series finished earlier this year, with the Tassie episode set to air on May 8.

Susan and Rod went into the experience hoping they would only need around $200,000-$250,000 for the renovation. However, they soon realised they were going to need a lot more money than that to make the project a reality.

Because, as host Anthony Burke says at the start of the episode, the couple took on a “complicated assignment”.

They often struggled to find suitable tradies. They carried out the bulk of the renovations during Tasmania’s wet winter and spring which posed plenty of additional challenges. And the heritage listing of the property meant there was a lot of extra work – and a lot of extra paperwork – required to ensure the restoration met the required standards.

In the early stages of the renovation, Rod described the house as a “shemozzle”.

“It was an absolute wreck when we saw it,’’ he recalls of when the couple first laid eyes on the house.

“It was completely derelict on the outside,’’ Susan adds. “It was quite unliveable. There was no bathroom or kitchen, there wasn’t even running water into the place. But it was just a beautiful house, we both love architecture and it was just gorgeous.’’

Always up for a new adventure, Susan and Rod were undeterred by the mammoth task ahead of them.

“We’re both very optimistic,’’ Susan says.

“And we’re both quite adventurous people. But we were really out of our depth, we thought we could do it, and as it turned out, we could. But it was a struggle.’’

Susan and Rod, who are both 61, both grew up in Sydney and met at high school.

They didn’t particularly like each other as teenagers, but reconnected at a high school reunion six years ago and hit it off.

They were both single, and both had adult children to previous relationships. And, about six months after they became a couple, they decided to holiday in Tasmania.

Susan, a former ABC journalist and academic turned yoga teacher, had always wanted to live in Tasmania and had recently sold a property she owned in Victoria.

Their Tassie holiday soon turned into a relocation, when the couple decided to buy a house at Mole Creek.

They initially split their time between Mole Creek and Sydney, as Rod, a musician, needed to return to Sydney regularly to play gigs with his pub-rock covers band.

However the couple got locked into Tasmania when the pandemic hit, which Susan says was an “absolute blessing”.

“It was just a beautiful time to be in Tassie,’’ she says.

“It worked for us and we really love Tassie – I’m just totally, madly in love with Tassie.”

However their desire to be closer to the beach almost pulled them away from Tasmania – until fate intervened.

“We were thinking of leaving Mole Creek to get closer to the beach, and maybe go back to the mainland,’’ Susan explains.

“But I didn’t want to leave Tassie. The day we got an offer on the place (at Mole Creek) we went for a drive because I said ‘I don’t think I can leave Tasmania’. And then we found the property at Forth on the same day, it was quite a fateful thing.’’

The bulk of the renovations were carried out in eight months, with the couple living onsite for much of that time in the separate church building. Although the church was also rundown, and had a number of broken windows – which the couple covered with carpet offcuts and electrical tape in an attempt to keep the weather – and the wildlife – out, the property was in much better condition than Lenna House and at least had a basic kitchen and bathroom.

Still, conditions were not ideal and Tasmania’s cool climate added to the challenge.

“This is the biggest thing we’ve done together,’’ Susan admits on the show.

“What can possibly go wrong?’’ Rod adds with a grin. Thankfully they had the help of their fellow school friend and bandmate Ned – who is also a builder – who project managed the restoration.

All the timber weatherboards had to be restored to their original condition, and original doors and windows repaired.

The grounds were also under a heritage order, which meant even the most basic excavation work needed full approval. The home also needed a new roof and two brick chimneys needed to be restored.

And, or course, once the exterior was up to scratch, the home’s interior needed a full restoration as well.

Susan says Heritage Tasmania was fantastic to deal with and the very active historical society in Forth also provided some great input, with locals excited to see the neglected property restored.

“Just about everyone in this town has a photo of this house – it’s such a landmark property for the community,’’ Susan says.

She says her interest in the property’s history is what prompted her to get in touch with the producers of Restoration Australia.

“I love those restoration shows – even though I thought we’d never do it ourselves,’’ she explains.

“But when I was talking to the real estate agent, about the history of the home, I said this would make a great Restoration Australia episode.’’

So, after they purchased the home, she wrote enthusiastically to Restoration Australia, but then had second thoughts about appearing on TV, so was relieved when she didn’t hear back straight away. However, a few months later, a producer from the show got in touch, and soon Susan and Rod were sharing their journey on camera.

Lenna House is one of six properties featuring on the new season of the show, as architecture expert and host, Anthony Burke, deep dives into a nerve-racking, awe-inspiring array of passion projects. There’s an abandoned schoolhouse in the Adelaide Hills that some empty nesters in Sydney stumble across on the internet and decide to transform; a Melbourne backpacker hostel receiving a new lease on life as a family home; an emergency-worker couple fleeing Sydney’s eye-watering house prices in favour of a dusty Edwardian gem in a more affordable regional city; an entertainment-loving husband and wife team turning a crumbling mansion in a small Victorian goldfields town into a country getaway; and a former international model and his partner aiming to save a huge country farmhouse in New South Wales by giving it a novel new purpose.

While they enjoyed the experience of filming a TV show, Susan and Rod admit it did add to the pressure of renovating at times.

“We were all under a lot of pressure, that part was pretty awful for everyone, there were a few frayed tempers and a few tears,’’ she says of the renovation journey.

“At times, right toward the end, we thought ‘are we going to pull this off?’. It really looked like it wasn’t going to happen. We were worried we were not going to make it.’’

They were also unsure if the finished product was going to live up to their vision.

“We didn’t even know exactly how it was going to turn out,’’ Rod says.

“Literally until the day of the reveal when we were moving furniture in, we didn’t have any idea how it was going to look,’’ Susan adds.

They ended up spending about double what they expected the renovation would cost, but are delighted with the end result – a two storey, two-bedroom home, with plenty of living space which is “modern”, “eclectic” and “energetic” while still being sympathetic to the property’s rich history.

“Oh my God, it’s so amazing,’’ Susan enthuses of the home.

“We’ve got a grown-up house now. Every room, to me, is a masterpiece.

“It was worth the pain. At the time, I thought nothing can be worth this stress and pain. But in the end it was worth all the pain.’’

The renovation has also given them a new respect for the house itself, as well as for others who carry out restoration projects.

“The house has so much more meaning,’’ Susan says.

“I have so much appreciation now, for people doing these kinds of things.’’

They hope to eventually restore the church as their next project – so friends and extended family can come and stay – but for now are just happy to enjoy Lenna House and take a well-earned break from renovating.

Susan visits the beach every day for a swim or a walk and although Rod still returns to Sydney once a month for a couple of gigs, he’s largely in Tasmania. One of Susan’s daughters has discovered how wonderful Tasmania is, and has settled in Hobart with her partner.

As mainlanders, cheaper property prices in Tasmania were definitely appealing to Susan and Rod, as they got a lot more for their money than they would have in Melbourne or Sydney.

But taking on such an ambitious project was about far more than money.

“It was our love for Tasmania itself – the clear, clean air, the clear, clean water and the lifestyle,’’ Susan explains. “The money part was on our minds of course – you can’t even buy a flat in Sydney for that sort of money.

“But ultimately it’s about where you want to live. It’s the most beautiful home I’ve ever lived in, and I’m really chuffed. I feel so fortunate to live somewhere that is so beautiful. The pain was worth it.’’•

The new season of Restoration Australia is now showing on ABC TV on Thursdays at 8pm. The Tasmanian episode, featuring Lenna House at Forth, will air on May 8. Episodes are also available to stream on iview. iview.abc.net