Selling the dream
He makes his living reorganising other people’s homes, and next week on Foxtel you can see how Andrew Winter transformed a cluttered stone cottage into a slice of paradise
He’s helped to makeover and sell mansions worth millions of dollars in some of Australia’s most sought-after suburbs. But Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter says helping to sell smaller houses with far smaller renovation budgets was equally as challenging and “massively” rewarding. A “tiny stone cottage” in Turners Marsh, about 20km north of Launceston, is among the homes that will feature in Season 13 of the popular home makeover show, which starts on Foxtel’s LifeStyle Channel on Wednesday.
After arriving in Tasmania to film the episode, Winter discovered the Turners Marsh property had a beautiful outlook and was set on 50ha. But the house itself was a compact home covering only 94sq/m.
With a tight budget, his goal wasn’t to demolish and rebuild the kitchen or the bathroom or add an extension — as is the case for many other homes featured on the series — but rather to be smart with decluttering and styling the home to showcase the possibilities of the property for potential buyers.
“It just didn’t suit any demographic,’’ Winter reveals, adding that in its original state the property didn’t really appeal to holidaymakers or families, as it was just too cramped and cluttered, despite having three bedrooms.
“So we had to make it feel a bit bigger inside, and get rid of a lot of stuff to open the space and show the potential to extend,’’ he says. “We had to sell a dream. This was a real staging job.’’
The show follows the story of the home’s owners — Mary, Darren and their 12-year-old son, James.
Darren had been struggling to get permanent work as a trade assistant and money had been uncomfortably tight.
With job offers coming in from interstate, the family made a decision to move where the work was, and leave behind the 1950s stone cottage they had called home for 10 years.
They first listed the property for sale in December 2018. It did attract some interest but the offers coming in were quite low. The family knew their problem was their cluttered and cramped house and not their block or location.
So they called in Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter, interior designer Shaynna Blaze and landscape designer Charlie Albone to lift the property to a desirable level and help them move towards a more financially secure future.
Winter describes the property’s location as “absolutely beautiful”. “I could never live there because I like having a coffee shop at the end of the street,’’ the Gold Coaster laughs. “But there are a lot of people who would live there.
“I’m a real estate person, so I get it The house is elevated, it gets sun, and air, and it’s just totally private.
“And of course when you come from mainland Australia and look at the price tag in areas like that you think ‘goodness me. You’re getting a slice of paradise.’ The way the place looked at the end was amazing.’’
Winter loved the chance to return to Tasmania after previously filming a Season 10 episode of the show at New Norfolk in 2017.
“I love coming to Tassie and the crew always love coming to Tassie,’’ he says. “It’s probably because it’s a bit personal for me, the open fires, the sash windows, it has a bit of a British thing going on [Winter was born in England].
“I love the beach and the Gold Coast. But I also like the fact [Tasmania] does have that different climate. It’s different countryside as well in Tasmania, lots of old buildings.
“I just love it. I’m hoping for another [episode to be filmed in Tasmania] soon.’’
Season 13 features 10 properties in dire need of a facelift, including a classic Aussie pub in remote western Victoria and a huge resort-style home on Brisbane’s tropical outskirts.
Winter says unearthing exciting new properties had helped keep audiences interested in the show, which was launched in 2008.
He believes viewers are curious to see how other people live and can relate to the stories of the homeowners featured on the show.
“They say ‘oh my God that’s a bit like our situation’, or ‘that’s a bit like my brother’s place’,’’ he says.
Online streaming has also been great for the series, Winter says, as it’s the perfect show to sit down and watch on a rainy day, or when you’re away from home, armed with a smartphone or iPad and have a couple of hours to kill.
There are challenges to overcome in each episode, regardless of each home’s price tag or renovation budget, which is also part of the appeal for audiences and the show’s host.
“I adore every single thing about real estate so it’s all good fun,’’ Winter says.
Season 13 of Selling Houses Australia starts on Foxtel’s LifeStyle Channel on Wednesday at 8.30pm. The Turners Marsh house features in episode two on Wednesday April 1. More details at lifestyle.com.au/tv/selling-houses-australia