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00:05While building a dream house is for some,
00:08This is brilliant.
00:09This is where we're up to.
00:10Many others are transforming existing homes.
00:14Got it.
00:14Got it.
00:17Smashing down walls, ripping out kitchens and digging up gardens.
00:23Oh, there you go.
00:24As they reimagine their homes as places to live, work and thrive.
00:30It's going to be a bathhouse.
00:32Why not, eh?
00:32Bathrooms are the hardest thing to renovate.
00:35I'll go turn that off.
00:37No, Mum.
00:39I'm going to die before we move into this house.
00:43I'm Anthony Burke, a professor of architecture.
00:46And I'm interior designer Yasmeen Janine.
00:49And in each episode of this new series of brand designs transformations,
00:54Every single person has kind of said, you're crazy.
00:56We follow the makeover masterminds behind two very different projects.
01:02I do question the stupidity of doing something like this.
01:05Okay.
01:07This is good.
01:13In this episode, I'm in the Sydney suburb of Arncliffe.
01:18Lovely to meet your home.
01:19With Buddy.
01:20That black frame that goes inside the flat.
01:22The world's busiest builder.
01:24Take the burrow over there, spin that round, we'll six pack and quickly load him up.
01:28It's not only his business, he's transforming the family home too.
01:32And we've hit rock.
01:35It's not good.
01:36I was hoping to be up to the first floor by now.
01:39We need to start dedicating a lot of time here.
01:41Otherwise, we're just going to be here forever, so...
01:43Something's got to give.
01:45Hey, more work, more work.
01:48And I'm in Tookley, on the New South Wales central coast.
01:52Where a much loved aunt needs a home.
01:55I cannot remember how many times I have packed and unpacked.
01:59She is absolutely an angel.
02:03The family wants to build her one.
02:05It's something for me that I really wanted to do for her.
02:08But the budget?
02:09Well, that's going to be a challenge.
02:12Wow.
02:28All right, let's get the fish.
02:30You have to come on my hands.
02:32Ready?
02:33Who's going to catch a big fish today?
02:36Yellowtail.
02:37Yellowtail?
02:37You?
02:38Hopefully.
02:39I'm just going to say it right off the bat.
02:41Have you ever seen a more picture-perfect family?
02:45Where is it?
02:45There it is.
02:46Lock it in.
02:47Reel it up.
02:48Buddy and Deanne Sharble and their three kids, Jacob, Rose and Cara,
02:52living the life on Botany Bay in Sydney's southern suburbs.
02:57Oh, thank you!
02:58Oh, hey!
02:58You got it!
02:59Yay!
03:01No prizes for guessing how Deanne and Buddy met.
03:06We met at school.
03:08High school.
03:09High school sweethearts?
03:11Yep.
03:12A school dance.
03:16It wasn't on Facebook or anything.
03:20High school sweethearts because of course they were.
03:24They've got the kids.
03:25Oh, no!
03:25I got porn on me!
03:27Okay, go wash your hands in the bucket.
03:29Go.
03:29And now all they need to complete the picture is the dream home.
03:35And here it is.
03:37Deanne found it years ago.
03:39Just like with Buddy, it was love at first sight.
03:43The first time I saw the house, I was actually a young girl.
03:47So my father did maintenance across the road, so I used to always stare at it.
03:51It was old, it was a charming home, but it just always had a beautiful feeling about it, the house.
03:57There's a lot to love.
04:00130 years old, heritage listed, dripping in history, in the southern suburb of Arncliffe.
04:07It came on the market right when they were looking to buy.
04:11To be honest with you, it was like, I see Deanne, she was all like starstruck.
04:14And I was like, you know, I think just whatever we've got to do to buy the house, we've got
04:19to buy the house.
04:20Because I just knew that.
04:22She really loved it.
04:23I loved it as well.
04:24But I just, I knew it could be something special.
04:26And yeah, and then just sort of the rollercoaster started from that day, you know.
04:34Rollercoaster is right.
04:35The walls have already been stripped, but this place showed all the signs of its decline from a once stately
04:42home to a boarding house.
04:45But in amongst the rubble, Deanne can see potential.
04:49A heritage, family home mixed with a touch of her Italian roots.
04:54A little slice of clifftop Positano magic, no less, all arches and open air, right here in Arncliffe.
05:02It's quite the leap, but Buddy's a builder and he's got a fire in his belly.
05:08I see all the work and all the effort to restore a house and the skill required to do it.
05:15Once all those elements come together, it'll just, it'll be a fantastic place.
05:21So Buddy, when do you think you might finish to be able to move in there?
05:26Not that I'm pushing, because I'm not. I love it. I love you guys here.
05:30The family has moved in with Deanne's parents during the renovation.
05:33Oh, that's right.
05:35There's a lot of food and laughter and love and disbelief about the job ahead.
05:41What made you go into heritage?
05:43I've always liked old things, haven't I?
05:45Yes.
05:45But she's never liked modern architecture.
05:46And that particular house.
05:47She's never liked modern architecture.
05:48I remember, you remember.
05:49She loves this old furniture. I can't believe it.
05:52She wants old cupboards, old chairs, old tables. Why?
05:54She likes restoring.
05:56I think she's...
05:56She likes restoring.
05:58Oh, but she's crazy out of my three children. I've got a crazy one.
06:01Yeah.
06:18Wow. This is much bigger than I thought.
06:22Dan! Buddy!
06:24Anthony, how you going?
06:25How are you?
06:25How are you?
06:26Lovely to meet you.
06:27You too.
06:28Lovely to meet you.
06:29Your home.
06:29Yes.
06:30Well, your house, not your home yet.
06:31Until we move in, it's just a house.
06:33Just a house.
06:34Yeah.
06:34And what about...
06:35This is a family home.
06:36It feels really big on the street.
06:38Does it feel big to you?
06:40I don't...
06:41To me, it doesn't.
06:42I can see...
06:43I think it...
06:43I think it does, though, have a presence because it's on the hill.
06:46Yeah.
06:47You can see the airport.
06:48What else can you see?
06:49I guess the city's over there.
06:50City to the north.
06:51We've got the bay.
06:51Bay over there.
06:52On the south side.
06:53Yep.
06:53So you've basically got a 180 degree view right out there and just taking full advantage
06:57of the hill position.
07:00Yeah.
07:00So that's pretty special.
07:01Yeah, it's beautiful.
07:02Yeah.
07:02And we knew that this area had these kinds of homes.
07:06Yeah.
07:07Because my parents actually owned the house across the road and I used to stare at it.
07:12Dream about it.
07:12Dream about it.
07:13Visualise its future.
07:14Dream.
07:15So there's kind of a sense of destiny here, isn't there?
07:17Yeah.
07:17You've known the house for a long time.
07:19Yes.
07:19And you actually haven't moved too far from where you kind of...
07:22Well, you know, you're patched in a sense.
07:24Yeah.
07:24Pretty much, yeah.
07:25Can you take me in?
07:26Yes.
07:26Let's go.
07:26Let's go.
07:30Okay.
07:31Welcome to the dream house.
07:33The dream house.
07:35Wow.
07:35Actually, this is not what I expected.
07:38Very imposing out the front.
07:40It's actually quite modestly scaled in here.
07:42The back door, it's not very deep.
07:44No.
07:44It feels very short.
07:45Yeah, a little bit short.
07:47Having said that, give me a sense.
07:48What is it going to feel like when I come and visit you as a guest?
07:52What's this feel like to me?
07:54So we'd love to know that we're living in an old house, but we don't want it to feel...
08:00Old.
08:01Old.
08:02Are you sure you've got the right property?
08:04Yeah, I know.
08:07An old house that feels new?
08:10Okay.
08:12And out the back is where the Italian influence comes in.
08:16Just watch your step.
08:16With a brand new two-storey extension, Deanne hopes will transport her to the Mediterranean.
08:21Wow, you're really getting a head start out here, aren't you?
08:23Yeah, yeah.
08:25I would like it to feel a little bit...
08:28Positano.
08:30Positano-ish.
08:32It's a long way from Arncliffe to Positano, but they're giving it a crack.
08:38Heritage restrictions mean the existing house can't change much.
08:43Features like the front balcony will be restored.
08:46Inside, Buddy plans to repair and reuse the existing timber floors and skirting boards,
08:52but give the whole place a crisp new feel.
08:55On the ground floor, there's a large study, lounge and formal dining room.
09:00And upstairs, a bedroom each for the kids, with period features like fireplaces kept.
09:07Then, old meets new.
09:09Existing outhouses are demolished, and a bridge leads across to the very modern extension.
09:17Upstairs is a parents' retreat, deck, main bedroom, walk-in robe and ensuite.
09:24Downstairs, a large kitchen, pantry and living room.
09:29Then, outside to a pool, and Deanne's Italian-inspired alfresco,
09:33where they plan to entertain the whole extended family.
09:40So, got a bit of work to do then, really?
09:42Yes, we've got a bit of work ahead of us.
09:44How long do you think it's going to take you to do this build?
09:47I've always sort of wanted to be in, so early next year, so most likely like 10 months.
09:52Normally I'd sort of go, well, I don't know.
09:55But you're a builder, so if anyone can answer that question, you can.
09:57Adding on the pressure.
09:59That's right, more pressure.
10:00Yeah.
10:01And what about the budget?
10:02We'd like to be at half a million, to be honest, ideally.
10:06But I think most likely, I think we would be around 600.
10:08OK.
10:09And I guess your kids must be, they're only young, right?
10:12Yeah.
10:13But they must be kind of pretty excited by the prospect of what all this is.
10:17Like, you know, that too, like, adds a bit of pressure for me,
10:19because I'm just like, I really want to give them that experience, like, now sort of thing, you know?
10:23But, you know, you just have to be patient.
10:25I suppose.
10:25Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:33It's quite the challenge that Buddy and Deanne have set for themselves here.
10:37On the one hand, can they restore and update this wonderful old slice of Australian history?
10:42And on the other, create a brand new building with more than a passing nod to Deanne's Italian heritage.
10:48They have the skills, but they still seem unclear about the vision.
10:53And, usually, that uncertainty is where the problems begin.
11:04It's a chilly mid-winter's morning when Buddy breaks ground with the build's first major earthworks.
11:11Digging the pool.
11:13Exciting times, first bucket!
11:16Usually, like, excavation day is a big day.
11:19You see the machine on site and you see things happening.
11:22It just feels like a big relief, like, yep, we're going to get started.
11:25We're moving.
11:26And, hopefully, now it's just a smooth sailing to the end, so...
11:30Smooth sailing?
11:32I've got my doubts.
11:34Because, in addition to this house...
11:36Back, back.
11:36Lift the camera up.
11:38Buddy's business has several more under construction.
11:41He's being pulled every which way.
11:43Left, left.
11:44No, no, left.
11:45How's that product working?
11:46The calls are coming thick and fast.
11:49So, I end up with 2,700.
11:51Truth is, every site needs his full attention.
11:56Particularly this one.
12:00That's not a good sound.
12:02We've hit rock!
12:04We've hit rock!
12:09Sandstone.
12:10It looks like we've got a bit of salt cutting in here, and Jack coming to get the pool depth.
12:14Be a shallow pool!
12:21This is going to add days to the job.
12:23It's all wrong.
12:25Oh, well.
12:26It's all good.
12:34It's all good.
12:35It's far from smooth sailing.
12:38It's hard.
12:39Like, you're trying to put attention to everything, and, you know, you're investing your heart and your own money into
12:45this project.
12:49And, you know, the rock situation obviously puts a spanner in the works.
12:52But, like, it is what it is, I guess.
12:55There's nothing you can do about it.
12:56It's just, like, mixed emotions.
12:58It's part of the game, they say.
12:59Part of the building game.
13:07In Tookley, on the New South Wales central coast,
13:12a young family is about to start playing its own game.
13:20Priced out of Sydney, Danielle and her mob moved here just over a year ago.
13:26So, I guess there's four, but really five, in our immediate family,
13:31in that there's myself and Brian and our two beautiful little children,
13:36you know, who's two and a half, and Mikal, who's seven and a half.
13:40But then we've also got Aunty Carol, who helps take care of our children.
13:46Yeah, she is absolutely an angel.
13:50Come on, Mickey.
13:51I used to look after Danielle when she was younger than Ina,
13:56and my other nieces and nephews, and I feel privileged.
14:04For several years, Aunty Carol has lived a nomadic existence.
14:08No permanent home of her own, she's been staying with family members.
14:14I've been moving and living with my brother at his villa at Foster,
14:20and I've been coming back and forward, back and forward, back and forward.
14:25Go, Ina! Go!
14:27It's a tough way to live.
14:29As much as her helping with the kids is priceless,
14:33Aunty Carol really needs some help herself.
14:36I think a lot of women her age find themselves in that situation now
14:41where if they haven't had that big career,
14:44or they weren't, you know, they were never married,
14:46they find themselves in that position
14:48where they don't have a lot of money behind them
14:51and they don't have a way of giving themselves that security.
14:55Go, Micah!
14:57Brienne and Danielle reckon they found a solution for Aunty Carol
15:00when they bought their Tookley home.
15:02It's only got two bedrooms, but there's a granny flat out the back.
15:08Well, kind of.
15:10It's really just a shed and a pretty basic one at that.
15:14Happily though, Brienne is a carpenter
15:17and has grand plans to transform it and Aunty Carol's life.
15:22Good one, Micah!
15:24Family is life, family is love, family is enjoyment
15:27and Carol's part of our family and, yeah, we want to be able to enjoy our time together.
15:41This project sounds like it's got a lot of heart, but it's going to take more than that to make
15:47it work.
15:49Hi guys!
15:50Hi guys, Danielle and Brienne.
15:53So you've got this fibroshack in your backyard.
15:56Yeah.
15:56And your aunt is currently staying with her brother?
15:59Yep.
16:00And so this is going to be her house?
16:02It is.
16:03And what does that mean to her?
16:05Everything.
16:06This will be her very first home of her own.
16:10Well, you're rather nice, aren't you?
16:13Yeah, well, she's rather nice.
16:15Oh, that's incredible.
16:17The old shack looks pretty, pretty old.
16:20I've got to say, like, these things are so known for not having insulation.
16:25And the windows and doors are completely unsealed, I'd imagine.
16:30It might not look like much, but it actually had pretty good bones,
16:33some nice old Oregon timber in there.
16:35A lot of it was put together pretty well back in the day.
16:38All right.
16:38So it's not going to look like a fibroshack in the end?
16:41Oh, look, we've got plans and ideas.
16:43Definitely going to give it a facelift.
16:45Yeah, absolutely.
16:46We haven't convinced me entirely, so I want to see inside.
16:50Come this way. Let's go.
16:53Well, they won't be holding a cat-swinging competition in here.
16:56It's just eight by four metres.
16:59And that's a challenge.
17:01It was always our intention with this to make it as liveable as possible for her.
17:06It's going to be smart, make the best use out of the space,
17:09and just make life easier for her.
17:11So is Carol popping in from time to time and,
17:14hey, how's it going?
17:16We have mapped it all out for her.
17:17We've given her drawings and sketches and everything.
17:19So she's got a good impression.
17:20So she's got visuals.
17:21She knows what she's getting.
17:23Right.
17:25To make this tiny flat liveable will require a space-saving ninja.
17:31Straight in the front door, a galley kitchen and a study nook.
17:36Opposite, a TV and entertainment zone for Aunty Carol's rather large music collection.
17:42A partition wall gives separation between the living area and the bedroom.
17:47There's a custom-made single bed with clever storage underneath, next to a tidy ensuite.
17:54Although it's small, the plan is to generate a sense of space by creating a very neutral colour palette.
18:00And additional windows will draw in more natural light.
18:04There's a deck and timber cladding to lift the hard-to-love exterior.
18:09I'm getting the impression the budget's pretty tight.
18:13Yeah.
18:13Sub 10 grand.
18:15Around.
18:16Yeah, that face.
18:1710 grand.
18:18Yeah.
18:20Wow.
18:22For everything.
18:24For everything.
18:24That's not a lot of money.
18:26Yep.
18:28Let's focus on the positive.
18:29We've got 10k.
18:30Alright.
18:31That's what we do.
18:33What's the timing like to deliver this?
18:35There was no official kind of, let's put a pin in the calendar on it.
18:39But we gave ourselves a three-month window to get the inside livable and usable.
18:46Three months and 10 grand.
18:50That's ambitious.
18:51And it's not their only challenge.
18:55Extended family living is really great in theory.
18:58But it often falls apart in reality.
19:01When the spaces provided are functional, but not super comfortable.
19:06And that's the challenge they face here.
19:08Are they going to make that space feel homey enough for Aunty Carol to even want to hang out in?
19:14Successful family living isn't just about coming together.
19:18It's sometimes the time apart that's even more important.
19:24It's always the same.
19:28It's always the same.
19:28It's always the same.
19:29Dawn is not long cracked.
19:32And Brian is hard at work on his day job.
19:35Carpenter and foreman on a luxury home build.
19:38Building houses is really what I enjoy.
19:41Not so much just, you know, turning up and working away.
19:46It's actually seeing a house from start to finish is really, yeah, what I get my enjoyment from.
19:52Any chippy will tell you building is hard work, physically tiring, mentally taxing.
20:01The problem for Brian is come knock off, there's no putting his feet up.
20:09Nikki, did you put your things away properly?
20:11Or did you just leave them in a pile?
20:13One day of the day of the day of the day is a little bit more.
20:14While Danielle wrangles the kids, he gets down to the night shift on Aunty Carol's place.
20:21First job, installing extra windows to let more daylight into this dim shed.
20:26So, we've picked up this window from the local reclaim yard.
20:31Cut it to suit the opening, essentially.
20:35Length-wise, this window has worked out perfectly for our room size.
20:43Most of the tiny 10k budget will go on big ticket items like white goods and specialist trades like electricians.
20:50Nearly all the materials will be second hand and Brian's time is, well, free.
20:56To make this happen, the work's got to be done by someone.
20:59I'm capable and willing, so I guess that's me.
21:05I guess my hand's up for it.
21:06So, I just have to do what I have to do.
21:10Made to measure.
21:17Back in Sydney's Arncliffe,
21:20Buddy's also got his hands full trying to marry this heritage Victorian rambler
21:26with a slice of Italy.
21:31It cost an extra $13,000,
21:35but the pool's been dug.
21:40And now Buddy's turning his attention to the floors.
21:44They're a problem.
21:45The joists are rotten and have to go.
21:49But Buddy wants to salvage the history-soaked floorboards.
21:54I'm going to try to save as many,
21:55because we're thinking, like, if we can put them back into the hallway,
21:58we'll reuse them in the hallway, maybe just to, you know,
22:02have some type of connection, I don't know.
22:04So, we'll try to save as many as we can.
22:07On a normal house, stripping a room like this would take half an hour.
22:12Carefully rescuing those boards means Buddy will be here for days.
22:17I nearly got there.
22:19Can we still save it?
22:20It just, everything takes time.
22:22Do you know what I mean?
22:22And it's just like, you just want to live in here and it's just time-consuming, you know?
22:29You're trying to, you know, keep as much as you can and pay its respects, you know?
22:34But, it's hard. It takes a toll.
22:37Hey, more work, more work.
22:40So, anyway, it is what it is.
22:44It is what it is, is Buddy's motto.
22:48And, what it is out the back with the new extension, is a complete standstill.
22:55In part because Deanne's nervous about the look of her Positano-inspired alfresco.
23:02The way they're tied in the alfresco at the back.
23:04She's come to see designer Anthony, who's Buddy's brother, and architect friends Laura and Wally.
23:10What I'd like to sort out, or get final, is what the facade looks like.
23:15The back, the back of the, the house.
23:17Because it has kept me up all night, or multiple nights.
23:20Buddy and I have had many arguments about it.
23:22I just need someone to just kind of give me what it could look like, the finishes, and help with
23:29the interior.
23:30Deanne had been seeing this property or watching this property for years,
23:35because her parents own a property within the area.
23:37So she's been, and when it came up for sale, there was a lot of emotion, there was a lot
23:40of, uh, tied in with Deanne.
23:42That's what I would love to see, just for it to be softened a little bit.
23:46I, and I always say this, I've said this before, to give it a bit of a vibe.
23:50I don't like using that word, but to give it some kind of, some kind of feeling at the back.
23:55That's what I would like to see.
23:56It's taken on Dee's, uh, thoughts and opinion of, you know, having that arch colonnade to help tie into that
24:04whole Mediterranean vibe.
24:06I do love archers.
24:12You can't blame Deanne for wanting the house to be perfect.
24:16It's been her dream home forever.
24:21But it's six months into the ten month build, before the design vibe is right,
24:29and Buddy can pour the slab for the extension.
24:35You know, at this time now, we should, in my mind, I was hoping to have, be up to the
24:40first floor by now.
24:41But obviously, you know, a few elements in the building change that we wanted to do, so which delayed the,
24:46uh, process a bit, in that sense.
24:49It is what it is. Like, that's, that's how I live by. Like, can't change anything at the moment, so
24:55I just have to go through it and try not to get stressed too much.
25:03But as the slab is laid out, it becomes clear just how ambitious this build is.
25:10It's really two builds, with very different challenges. Restoring the old place and building the new extension.
25:21Frankly, it's hard to see how Deanne's dream home won't take twice as long as they planned.
25:27There you go.
25:29There's been a lot of worrying about how to get all the work done, with everything going on, with Buddy's
25:34business, with the kids.
25:36I don't know, I don't know what the answer is, but I just think we need to start dedicating a
25:39lot of time here.
25:40And I think once this back slab's done and the extension's done, I feel like we'll have more control back
25:46over the house.
25:47Otherwise, we're just going to be here forever.
25:56There were some worrying tidings at Tukli on the central coast as well.
26:01Three months into the shed transformation, the already stretched finish line just got even further away.
26:10Brie got a call from his sister. His dad's been really quite unwell in hospital,
26:17and he got told that things didn't look great for his dad.
26:22So he's gone back to hopefully spend some quality last moments with his dad.
26:34While Brienne's away in the UK, it's also going to be tough on Danielle.
26:39She works full-time. Managing that and the kids means she desperately needs help.
26:47Aunty Carol's coming to the rescue.
26:51I'm still between Tukli and Foster, Foster and Tukli.
26:55I haven't got much space at the moment, so I'm trying to squeeze everything in.
27:05It's not ideal, but her options are limited.
27:09Being single at this stage, rents is very expensive and you're okay for a couple of years
27:16and then they decide they want to put the rent up and you find that being a senior,
27:23it's a bit hard and a bit hard to manage.
27:27Home to me is family and the people that you love and the people that are kind to you and
27:37look after you.
27:38They're the people that you have time for.
27:45I do a lot of projects with the kids, noughts and crosses, colouring in, games.
27:53Cross it one more time, just brightly.
27:56Look out, look out.
27:58I love it. Yes, I do.
28:01And they love it too, actually.
28:05But loving the kids is one thing.
28:08Couch surfing is another thing altogether.
28:12I have to make the bed each night and come morning, it gets packed away and it gets a bit
28:23tedious.
28:26I'm hoping soon that I can move into my own space where I can make my bed and not put
28:38anybody else out.
28:43It's no surprise Brian and Danielle are trying to make the most of the space they've got.
28:50It's really the design challenge of the moment.
28:53But I've found an amazing little place in Sydney that offers more than a few brilliant solutions.
28:59Well, I sure hope you've brought me somewhere that is inspiring for maximising space.
29:06We're in Glebe and here space is at an absolute premium.
29:09And this is a beautiful example of how to do just that.
29:12A small footprint, a lot of usage and a great design outcome.
29:16Lead the way.
29:17Let me show you.
29:24This was a cramped dark terrace, but a transformation by architect David Boyle shows just what's possible.
29:35The old boards from the old house become this.
29:39I bet you didn't expect four metre height ceilings and that beautiful north facing window.
29:46Oh my God.
29:47Look at that. It's that amazing.
29:48The space is kind of like unfolds like this in front of you and the tree kind of grows in
29:52front of your eyes almost.
29:53All of that is north facing.
29:55So we're getting the best light all day coming into this glorious space here.
30:03Accessing light is at the heart of the design.
30:08Dappled sunshine on the neighbour's wall.
30:11The soaring bush-like view from the bay windows.
30:14The space the terrace lacks in width is made up for with height.
30:20There's room to breathe.
30:23And building in furniture around the walls creates more room to move about.
30:33And upstairs, massive light wells funnel in sunshine.
30:38The bright white palette reflecting it around the belly of the building.
30:45I want to show you the bathroom up here.
30:47Look at this.
30:48Yeah.
30:49So fresh.
30:50Yeah.
30:51Another tight little space that's been maximised by this beautiful light well.
30:55Wow.
30:56Yeah.
30:56I love this detail.
30:58The light.
30:59Look at this.
30:59Oh my God.
31:00Look at this.
31:00The light well all the way down to the bathroom below.
31:03Oh.
31:04Wow.
31:05Cut bricks.
31:05A nice little shelf to catch the light.
31:07I love it.
31:07That light.
31:08Yeah.
31:09Look at this.
31:10All these smaller spaces kind of nest together.
31:13This is the main bedroom.
31:18Every nook and cranny, there's storage.
31:21Everywhere.
31:22Like Tooglie, again.
31:23This is a great book storage that then turns into a sofa.
31:27Mhm.
31:28You know, this door sort of pulls right through.
31:30But look at this.
31:31Shut yourself off from the world.
31:33Yeah.
31:33Ah, so clever.
31:35Yeah.
31:35Even the wardrobe out here.
31:37Wow.
31:38The storage in here is great.
31:40Yeah.
31:41So the last surprise though is on the roof.
31:44Okay.
31:45Show me.
31:49That surprise...
31:51..is a rooftop garden.
31:55We're in a tiny terrace, but you'd swear we were in the bush
32:00with all the space and light that it brings.
32:04Every single inch of this house has been used to its full potential.
32:09Absolutely.
32:10And this is magnificent.
32:13Yeah.
32:13They've woven all these little intricate, you know, winds in terms of storage and space out
32:18of the whole design.
32:19And they've managed to sort of weave the garden into every single level.
32:22It's a real triumph.
32:31It's a real triumph.
32:32But they're a long way from any kind of triumph in Arncliffe.
32:36In fact, it's more of a mixed bag.
32:39The good news is Buddy's business is booming.
32:43The bad news is he's too busy to work on their own house.
32:47Looks like that lintel's just rusted a little bit.
32:49I'm a very hands-on sort of builder, so I'm very heavily involved in every project,
32:54whether it be framing, structural work, being on top of it.
32:59We've got a few projects running along Sydney at the moment now,
33:02and obviously they're sort of...
33:04I shouldn't put it in this way, but they're sort of prioritised at the moment
33:06in comparison to the restoration.
33:08The only reason is those jobs actually pay for the restoration.
33:11So, yeah, like, it is a bit stressful because when they're back on mind,
33:15the more they're thinking about the house and, you know, the next day,
33:19the kids are always like, you know,
33:20when's the house gonna get dumped, papa?
33:22When are we gonna move in?
33:23When are we gonna swim in the pool?
33:24You know, so all those factors play onto it.
33:26And then on top of that, you know,
33:27we're busy with all our other jobs at the moment now
33:29and trying to be everywhere.
33:30It's spread so thin, you know, like, it's stressful.
33:35At this rate, I'm worried Deanne will fall out of love
33:39with her second great romance, this house.
33:44Standing here with the roof open like that...
33:47Yeah.
33:48..you really kind of realise, wow, not much has happened, right?
33:50No, no.
33:52I know Buddy's all kind of like,
33:53don't worry, it'll all get done.
33:54Yes.
33:54But how are you feeling?
33:55Because this was sort of your dream in a way.
33:58You kind of grew up with this across the road.
34:00Yeah.
34:00Look, there's nothing really much I can do.
34:02I've...
34:03There's no point in arguing and, yeah, I just...
34:07And I know how hard he works.
34:08Yeah.
34:09And I know he's not doing nothing.
34:10I think it would be different if he was doing nothing or going out.
34:13But I know how hard he works.
34:14So for me, it's like, I respect that when he can, he will finish it.
34:20Yeah.
34:20You must be getting frustrated though.
34:21Yeah, I do.
34:22I do.
34:23There's a point where you're like, actually, you know,
34:24the family, we've got to get in.
34:26I do.
34:26Yeah, I do.
34:27And part of me is like, should we just move on from it
34:30or should we just draw the line?
34:31But...
34:31Have you thought about walking away?
34:33Uh, we've...
34:34I've talked...
34:34I've raced it with him.
34:35Yeah.
34:36Um, but then whenever we come back here, we're like,
34:38no, we've just got to finish it.
34:39And also, how can we sell it in this state?
34:41Sure.
34:42Yeah, that's true.
34:42So, um, no, we're in it now to finish it.
34:52In Tookley on the New South Wales central coast, after farewelling his late father,
34:58Brienne's back from the UK.
34:59Hello, Daddy.
35:01Hey, buddy.
35:01And hard at it.
35:06I do a lot of this.
35:08Thinking man pose.
35:11Started drawing some plans for what I want to do in the bedroom.
35:17The whole bed, everything's all built in.
35:19But, uh, intention is to make a couple of shoe drawers
35:22so that all our shoes can just go into one spot.
35:27With Brienne back on the job...
35:30What have we got?
35:32Oh, that's actually kind of cute.
35:34Danielle and the gang are scouring the local recycling yard for bargains.
35:39So cool.
35:41Induction cooktops.
35:42Really cool.
35:43Lots of cute, cool little mirrors.
35:46We've gotten some stuff for the bathroom, so all the taps and that kind of thing,
35:51like the mixers, all those things.
35:54Oh, splashbacks and stuff.
35:56Today, the mission is tiles.
35:59These are like $60, $70 a square metre, possibly more.
36:06And this is, like, you can get a whole box for, like, $50 or something.
36:12The big test is getting Aunty Carol on board with the design.
36:16That kind of thing.
36:17It's the only way she'll feel really connected to the space.
36:21Yeah, see, even those two together are nice.
36:24Yeah.
36:24And I'm partial to jade and green.
36:30It's a spiritual colour.
36:32What about my guitars?
36:34Is there going to be room for my babies?
36:38Yes, I've got a special plan for them.
36:39I think I had an idea.
36:43I cannot wait to have her in that space.
36:47It's something for me that I really wanted to do for her
36:50that's just going to be out of this world for her.
36:53It's just nothing she's ever really had before.
37:01Back in Arncliffe, Buddy's so busy,
37:05it's been three months since he's even been on site.
37:09It's been standing completely idle.
37:15But at last, there's some action.
37:19The rotten floor joists have been removed
37:21and a concrete slab is going down to replace them.
37:25The salvage boards will be laid on top.
37:29It's such a red-letter day, even the kids are here.
37:33Yeah, it's good to see them.
37:35Sort of lifts your spirits a little bit too, like, you know,
37:38because, you know, they know it's...
37:39Like, I'm doing it for them.
37:41I'm not doing it for me, it's more for them, so...
37:43Take the burrow over there, spin it around,
37:45we'll six-pack and quickly load him up.
37:47Buddy's making the most of his time on site.
37:51Out the back, the walls are going up on the new extension.
37:55No, no, no.
37:56It goes all the way up.
37:57Yeah.
37:57I think we're just all really eager to get in,
37:59and I just think, like, seeing progress
38:02just sort of re-energises the whole process.
38:05It feels like, in the last three days,
38:08I can see the whole structure of the house.
38:10Every day I come here, the walls are higher and higher.
38:14It's amazing.
38:15I don't... It's just awesome.
38:16It's awesome watching it.
38:19But this productive little window is closing fast.
38:23Buddy's attention is constantly being dragged away
38:26to other projects.
38:27So, cut it like that, we build the frame,
38:29and then we'll pack the top out to plumb it.
38:31You know what I'm trying to say?
38:32Just trying to, like anything, it's like a balancing act.
38:35Trying to balance my wife's expectations for you.
38:39Days go quick, and you can just sort of like,
38:41oh, I'll get to it next week, get to it next week,
38:43and then before you know it, you're in June, you know?
38:45Like, you're halfway through the year.
38:47Let's do one more double check.
38:52We'll be back on it.
38:53Forget June, it's now August.
38:56Four months past the ten-month deadline.
38:59And any momentum Buddy had built up is long gone.
39:10Just one brickie is left on site,
39:13with about 10,000 bricks to go.
39:16Well, he's going to be here well into the next century.
39:22And while Buddy spends his days building homes for other people,
39:26his own is grinding to a halt.
39:30Again.
39:36In better news, it's still full steam ahead with the Tookley granny flat.
39:41Bad news is, it's now six months into the build.
39:45Three months was the plan.
39:48But Brianne's been non-stop, racing from work to, well, work,
39:53desperate to get Aunty Carol into her first ever home.
39:57Pretty tired.
40:00I've obviously had to go away.
40:02And so when I came back, I set myself a pretty strict deadline,
40:07which I've been clawing away to try and meet.
40:11You can definitely see the end point.
40:15There's certainly been progress.
40:17There's now a sense of the different spaces.
40:21But working alone, everything takes longer than Brianne hoped.
40:27Quite a lot of work to create such a dainty little thing.
40:32But there are some clever ideas to make more space in the bathroom.
40:38And he's crafting a bed head to add a sense of comfort.
40:43Trying to bring in some soft edges and stuff like that to kind of make it comfortable,
40:47but also a little bit luxurious.
40:53So that's the actual bed head part.
40:58And we're going to give this some detail.
41:02So I'll be getting the router out and putting some kind of nice detail into that.
41:09But, yeah, that fits in there.
41:12Yeah, it's a good size.
41:13And then all this is storage, obviously, so we're going to have drawers in through under here.
41:20Aunty Carol is counting the days.
41:23She has been for months.
41:26Having her own place close to the family will be truly life changing.
41:32It's only a little granny flat and it's compact.
41:36And you have to think about what you want to take with you.
41:39The most important one is my photos.
41:42Because they've got a lot of memories in history.
41:45There, that's young Danielle and myself.
41:50God, I was so young there.
41:52Can you believe it?
41:57And then the music stuff.
42:01My beautiful vinyl.
42:03We've got the Rolling Stones.
42:05Congratulations.
42:06Time is on my side.
42:08Doesn't this bring back memories?
42:10I cannot remember how many times I have packed and unpacked it because I've moved a few times.
42:17Packed it up, unpacked it, packed it up, unpacked it.
42:20I can't really remember.
42:22Really looking forward to having all my important stuff in one place and in one abode where I don't have
42:31to move anymore.
42:44It's now three years since Buddy and Deanne set out to build their perfect home in Arncliffe.
42:52A whimsical blend of old and new with a dash of Positano style.
43:00The backbreaking job of dragging that into reality all fell to Buddy.
43:06Which is a problem because he's the busiest man on the planet.
43:14Builders, designers, architects and tradies, they all know the truth.
43:18Everyone else's house comes first.
43:20Pain projects are at the top of the list and yours at the bottom.
43:23And I get it, but in this case I fear Buddy is heading towards catastrophe.
43:29A family home languishing in construction purgatory indefinitely.
43:35Unless, of course, he's pulled off a miracle I don't know about.
43:49Ooh.
43:54Ah, no miracle.
43:59Just scaffolding, weeds, and a distinct lack of progress.
44:09I can't believe it, but here we are.
44:14Hello, hello, Deanne, Buddy.
44:17Hello.
44:18There they are.
44:19How are you?
44:20What is, what's going on?
44:23This place looks exactly the same as the last time I was here.
44:26You sound like Deanne.
44:28I'm sorry to say.
44:30Business has sort of just exploded in a way.
44:32Well, that's good news.
44:33Yeah, it's good news, but it's bad news for someone else.
44:36Good news for me.
44:37Not such good news.
44:38The house was on hold for about ten months.
44:41Whoa!
44:41So no one was on site.
44:43Right.
44:44It is hard, because, you know, the kids are always like, you know, when are we going to
44:46get to, you know, finish?
44:48I want to have people over.
44:49I want to use the pool, you know, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
44:51And I get it, you know.
44:52And it's hard to say to them, yeah, we're going to be there soon.
44:55And, you know, I think they've given up.
44:58They've given up on me as well.
45:00You know what I mean?
45:01Sorry.
45:02I've dropped the real life story.
45:04Yep.
45:04This is what happens all the time, right?
45:06Oh, all the time.
45:06It's on the call again.
45:07So you said the thing about sitting down and talking about the house?
45:10Yeah.
45:15So tell me again, why is it taking some of them?
45:17It's on other people's houses.
45:28In fairness, there has been progress on the new part of the house, its scale and shape
45:34emerging.
45:35This is where, one day, the whole extended family will come and enjoy the fruits of Buddy's
45:41labour, splash around in the pool, sip a drink in the cool shade of the pergola.
45:49One day.
45:51All right, I've got to have a look at the new section out the back here.
45:54Yeah.
45:55This is where the dream's coming true, right?
45:56This is where the living's going to be happening.
45:59Look at all of this.
46:01Yeah.
46:01It's pretty big.
46:02This is great.
46:03Yeah.
46:03Yeah?
46:04It is good.
46:05This was, I'm sort of thinking this is your space.
46:07This was my space.
46:08Yeah?
46:08Because we had, we are denied about what this should look like.
46:12Yeah.
46:12And I think it's come together.
46:14Okay.
46:15We wanted it to be, you know, reflect how we live.
46:17We wanted it to have a connection to outside.
46:19I wanted it a little bit of a European vibe.
46:22Yep.
46:22Hence the arches.
46:24And I'm thinking, you know, garden.
46:26So yeah, I think it has turned out how we thought.
46:29Well, I don't know.
46:30Let's see how we go.
46:31But it's getting there.
46:32Yeah.
46:32I said to Buddy this morning, what will we do when this house is finished?
46:35Yeah.
46:36It's like, I like it how it's going.
46:42What will they do?
46:44I'm guessing they'll take a well-earned rest.
46:47And when it's done, this will be just the place to do it.
46:53This is actually quite nice sitting here, isn't it?
46:56It is.
46:56I'm imagining the green vines above our heads.
46:59These arches all sort of finished and a nice render on it.
47:02Slabs done down here with some beautiful stone paving.
47:05Garden's finished.
47:07That's, that's my picture of your house.
47:09Yes.
47:09Okay.
47:10We can see the vision.
47:11We've just got to put it together.
47:13You've got to do the damn work.
47:15How many houses you finished this year while you've been doing this one?
47:18Four.
47:18Four houses.
47:19Okay.
47:19Yeah.
47:20So you've definitely not been slouching.
47:22No one can accuse you of laziness or anything like that.
47:25No, no, no.
47:26Just pretty, pretty naive in the sense that, you know, like, you know, I can do this.
47:29I can do that.
47:29We can do this.
47:30We can do that sort of thing.
47:31And then it just sort of blows out.
47:33Um, let's talk about when then you're actually going to finally get in here.
47:38Um, can you give me like a completion date?
47:43In my mind, like, I really want to be in before Deanne's birthday.
47:47Oh, really?
47:48Yes.
47:48That's good.
47:49Sorry, when is that?
47:50September.
47:50September next year.
47:51Yeah.
47:51Okay, so we're ten months.
47:53Ten months, yeah.
47:54From now.
47:54Um, so that would make the whole project from start to finish how long?
47:59Oh, I think from the moment you started, is that like maybe four years?
48:03Four years?
48:04Something like that, yeah.
48:05That's a long time.
48:06It is.
48:07To be hopeful.
48:09Yeah.
48:10Yeah.
48:10Yeah.
48:11So, I remember you talking about a budget of around $600,000 when we first spoke.
48:17Yep.
48:18What do you think you'll finish it for?
48:19Um, I think we'll be finished probably like early eights.
48:24Early $800,000?
48:26Yeah.
48:26For this?
48:28Yeah.
48:28There's a lot of house for $800,000.
48:31Yeah, I know, I know.
48:32That's a pretty low number.
48:33That's amazing.
48:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.
48:34How confident are you about that?
48:36I'm confident because I've done most of the work myself.
48:39Yeah, you know the building better than anyone.
48:41Yeah, so.
48:41I can't wait to see this place just full of people, full of laughs and smiles and all of
48:45that stuff that you're imagining in here, because I can imagine it too.
48:49I am going to come back though, and I'm going to visit when you're finished.
48:52Great.
48:53Can't wait.
48:53So that's my promise to you.
48:54Can't wait.
48:56I'll be here for the party.
48:57Look forward to it.
48:57Excellent.
48:57Yeah.
49:08Seems to me Deanne's been waiting for this dream home ever since she was a little girl.
49:14So maybe another 10 months is not so long.
49:18If it is only 10 months.
49:22Pressure's on, buddy.
49:40Meanwhile, in Tookley, it's more than a year since Brian and Danielle started converting
49:48their backyard into a home for their much loved Aunty Carol.
49:56But with virtually no budget and no help, this well-intentioned mission was always at risk
50:03of falling short and creating little more for Carol than a cramped shack.
50:07She deserves so much more.
50:17Oh, Kaz is going to be beside herself.
50:22It's so cute.
50:26Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?
50:30Look at me!
50:31It's lovely to see you!
50:32It's lovely to see you too.
50:34Kaz, I'm giving you a hug outside your own home.
50:39Welcome to the mini Taj Mahal.
50:42Why, thank you.
50:44Great!
50:44Look at this!
50:45Yeah.
50:46Danny, look what you guys have created!
50:47Yeah, we got that.
50:48Incredible!
50:49You've got to show me what's inside the Taj.
50:51Come.
50:52Let's get in there.
50:53Oh!
50:55It's finally finished.
50:57Look at our door.
50:58Wow!
50:59Wow!
51:00Finished product!
51:02Kaz!
51:03It really is the finished product!
51:05This is the finished product!
51:07I can't believe it!
51:08Yaz!
51:11This really, truly is magnificent.
51:13You've got a home!
51:17The granny flat feels twice the size of when I first saw it.
51:22For a start, there's no clutter, thanks to plenty of clever storage.
51:28Everything has its place and everything is in proportion.
51:34But it's more than just functional.
51:36There's craftsmanship and elegance I didn't expect.
51:42The patterned ceiling.
51:45The shell motif.
51:48And everywhere, Aunty Carol's things making the house hers.
51:57I am astounded at how spacious this feels.
52:01You've got a living room, a kitchen, a study, a bedroom and an ensuite.
52:07Like, how did you fit it all in?
52:09And have it look like it's not on top of one another.
52:12Exactly.
52:13It's amazing.
52:15Brienne, I've got to commend you on the joinery because the storage solutions for a really small space works so
52:22well.
52:23Yeah, me and Dani put our brains together and we managed to squeeze it in.
52:29You didn't have to go that far.
52:31You didn't have to do a beautiful coffered little ceiling.
52:34You didn't have to have the different panelling from here onto the bedroom.
52:38You didn't have to curve that detail on the corner there just to make it a little bit softer.
52:43Everything's got intention and that is so lovely to see.
52:47I think mostly for me it was just being able to translate the little things that she loves into a
52:54space that was just going to be beautiful for her.
52:57It was going to be modern but it was also going to be all the touches of the things that
53:02she really loves and know that it, you know, is going to be here tomorrow and for ten years to
53:07come.
53:08Yes, that's right.
53:09As long as she needs it.
53:10Yeah.
53:10And it's just perfect.
53:12It's actually too nice.
53:15Really.
53:16Oh.
53:18Oh.
53:19Oh, Kaz.
53:21Oh.
53:27To the flower bed, Indy.
53:30I am so thrilled for Aunty Carol.
53:35If nothing else, it must be such a relief.
53:41Carol, it's a big deal getting your own place.
53:45Right.
53:45Having a permanent home that you can call your own.
53:48How does that make you feel?
53:50It feels absolutely fantastic, Kaz.
53:53Yeah.
53:53And I never thought it would come to that point, fruition, but apparently it has and I'm over the moon.
54:00Have you found it more difficult or have you loved the independence?
54:05Oh, I love the independence.
54:06That was great.
54:08Did you stick to the 10K?
54:12No.
54:13We were a little bit over budget.
54:17About 14 and a half.
54:19Okay, that's nuts.
54:20That's nuts still.
54:2114 and a half.
54:22Yeah, it's relevant to the scale and relevant to the fact that we've done every single last scrap of the
54:28work ourselves.
54:29If you'd have got someone else to do it, I don't think it would have been as good.
54:33Oh, absolutely not.
54:34To be honest.
54:34It would not have.
54:35Because they would not have put the thought or the effort, the heart and soul, very good.
54:41Yeah.
54:42Heart and soul into it.
54:44Originally you guys had 12 weeks for this.
54:47How long did it end up taking?
54:48Yeah, you know, we've ended up 12 months.
54:51Mm-hmm.
54:52But if you were to actually take all of those hours and condense it, you're probably sitting up close to
54:58that three month timeframe.
54:59Yeah.
54:59So, yeah.
55:00Yeah.
55:01It was three months of solid work but stretched out over 12 months of actual work.
55:07Well, Dani, it was never about money though.
55:10No.
55:10About how much it was going to cost or how long it was going to take.
55:14It was really about providing her with a beautiful new permanent home.
55:18Mm-hmm.
55:18And you guys did that.
55:20Yeah.
55:21How do you, how does that make you feel?
55:24Amazing.
55:26Yeah.
55:27I always said I wanted to give her a home and I've done it.
55:30You have given Kaz purpose and she feels like a wanted part of the family.
55:36Yes.
55:36And good on you guys for doing that.
55:39Yeah.
55:39Congrats, congrats, congrats.
55:40Kaz, come on.
55:43Thank you, yes.
55:52Home to me is about family, friends, community.
55:56For others, it's about security, a safety net.
56:01So what Brianne and Danielle have given Kaz is truly, truly special.
56:07A sanctuary surrounded by those who care for her the most, providing stability, certainty
56:12and peace of mind.
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