Charity benefits in house flip
A YEAR-long “house flip” project undertaken by a Toowoomba couple has finally been finished, with the home going under the hammer.
Jason and Leanne Burnett decided to transform a home in John St, East Toowoomba, to raise funds for the charity Leanne’s sister Ruth started 10 years ago, Bloom Asia.
Bloom Asia operates two vocational training centres in Cambodia, teaching cake artistry and hospitality to young women who have suffered serious human rights violations.
“They have done so well with the two centres they have in Cambodia that they were invited to start a new one in Cebu (Philippines),” Mrs Burnett said.
“(Ruth) had been over there, met the girls and told them she would be back to help them – but needed funding.”
Mrs Burnett said she was finally in a position to do something to help, and decided to do a house renovation and get the community on board to help. As Mr Burnett is a builder, they had done house flips before, but never like this.
The couple bought the house 12 months ago and in that time were able to get 60 businesses, 47 volunteers and 40 others to help with fundraising. They bought the house for $310,000 and predict the entire renovation would be worth a further $300,000.
“I have enjoyed it, but I love challenges and I love people,” Mrs Burnett said.
“We are so blessed in Australia, there are so many means of making money and people are so willing to help. Sometimes they don’t know how to, so this engaged good, willing people to contribute.”
The house flip was meant to last just 12 weeks but, with so many hard-working volunteers helping out in their spare time, it became 12 months.
However, Bloom Asia was desperate for the money and desperate to help the girls in Cebu, so they have already built a new centre and the first lot of girls have graduated.
Unfortunately the house was passed in at auction on Saturday but Mrs Burnett is hopeful it will be sold in the coming week.