KYAL & KARA TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Kyal and Kara Demmrich need a car that can be versatile, much like the houses they renovate. The duo, who have been renovating houses for more than eight years, first shot to fame on the 2013 season of The Block: Sky High.

As Mazda Australia ambassadors, they are driving the new CX-8 seven-seat SUV which they reckon comes in handy with their growing family. Adding roof racks has allowed Kyal to lug his surfboard around, too.

The big SUV is a far cry from the pair’s previous car, a Mazda BT-50 that handled the worksite duties. Those tasks now fall to Kyal’s Hyundai iLoad, which he describes as “a toolbox on wheels”.

Their first cars were even further removed from the comfy surrounds of the CX-8.

“(The Mini Moke) was the best little car, it got me to and from school when I was in year 12. It was awesome, I could even throw my surfboards in the back of it,” says Kyal.

Kara’s first car, on the other hand, was actually Kyal’s second car.

“My first car was a hand-me down from Kyal,” says Kara. “It was a little Toyota Corona, rear-wheel drive, so you could have a lot of fun with it.” added Kyal.

The two concede what they look for in a car has changed dramatically in the past few years.

“When we were younger and didn’t have much money, it was just about getting from A to B,” says Kara.

“But now we have a family we are looking for all those extra things. Safety would obviously be the No.1 consideration but all those extras, we would never have thought about.”

On the top of that list for Kara is leather seats while Kyal is sold on heated seats.

“We never really thought about the luxury of the car but since we’ve had leather seats it has been awesome with the kids because you can spill anything and you can just wipe it off,” says Kara.

And when the pair aren’t renovating the latest project properties, they travel up and down the coast from Sydney to Queensland, stopping off at all the good surf breaks along the way.

Kyal’s favourite drive is one he hasn’t taken the family on yet.

“We travelled from Adelaide to the Eyre Peninsula,” he says. “It is pretty amazing coastline with the rugged coast and dirt roads, really beautiful waves and was a really good spot to put the BT-50 to the test.

“I haven’t taken Kara and the kids yet but we’ll do that when they are a bit older. It is definitely a good place for a boys’ trip away.”

And with all that travel up the east coast, they have a message for those driving on the M1: “Stay left unless overtaking.”

The common driving faux pas gets the Demmrich family’s blood boiling, especially Kara — she wants everyone not overtaking in the left lane, leaving the middle and right lanes for those wanting to pass.