BUDGET: $40,000

+ Roofing – $11,000; exterior painting – $16,500; kitchen – $1000; interior – $9000; pizza oven, top terrace and garden – $1000; miscellaneous – $1500.

+ How did your budget forecast compare to your actual spend? We didn’t plan a budget. We knew there would be bigger jobs, such as the roofing and exterior painting, that would need a budget, but the other jobs were quite minimal and we knew we’d just pay as we went. We didn’t get any nasty surprises, so it never felt like our budget was stretched.

+ What areas of your home do you save or splurge on? I love a good bargain yet I love quality, too, so I usually splurge (to a reasonable extent) on pure linen bedding. We also splurge when we ship furniture from France every now and again.

+ Do you tend to buy high-end homeware or seek out a bargain? Neither; we make considered choices. I recommend spending big on a sofa that will last and collecting tableware from op shops (our dinner set is Crown Lynn Apollo).

+ Best advice when it comes to spending money on a home? Do what makes you happy; do not think about resale too much. Create a home for you.

+ How did you keep track of costs during the makeover? We would look at our plan before starting a room, and ask ourselves what we really wanted in there. What should be the priority? This house only needed basic cosmetic work, so there was never anything that would break the bank. If there was something expensive we wanted to do, we just waited until we’d gathered the funds.