The Block’s Caro and Kingi list NQ property
JUST six months ago, this Rasmussen rental could easily have been a project on reality television show The Block.
But after some “cosmetic work”, the green interior paint is gone, the exterior has been rendered, new bathrooms have been installed and the garden has been overhauled, with the Santal Drive house listed for sale for offers over $329,000.
“It would be a great house for a first homebuyer or family,” said Caroline “Caro” Tahana, who alongside husband Kingi starred on season 11 of The Block in 2015.
Caro said the Santal Drive house, on a 1331sq m block, was bought by Kingi and his best mate in 2006.
“They bought it as an investment and it has been rented out pretty much ever since,” she said.
“It helped us, and our friends, as it gave us equity to buy other properties.
“We had grand plans to subdivide the land but, you know, life, kids, work, got in the way, so it is time to just get on with it.”
But like most investments, the house was looking a bit tired, and as Caro put it, “it was green inside, had green walls, green!”.
She said that while the project was “not a major renovation, mostly cosmetic”, it still took about six months to complete due to work schedules.
“Really, there is a lot that you can do yourself … you can do so much DIY, go to Bunnings, paint does wonders,” she said.
“We put in a new fence, new toilets, vanities, cleaned out the garden, the gutters, got the tree-loppers in as there were a lot of big palms, put in split-system airconditioners because you just have to have those in Townsville.”
The couple also put their kids to work because “they need to know the value of hard work”.
“We did the renovation for the sale but Kingi works seven days, Daniel works away a lot, so we had to find a spare Saturday or Sunday here or there, and we dragged the kids along to help in the garden, to hose the driveway,” Caro laughed.
She said the house now looks completely different with the green paint gone, adding that was a “big tick off the list”, and the house styled for sale.
“If you are looking for an investment, you really need to be able to see beyond what is in front of you, the clutter, the mess that might be there, and really look at the size and design of the house, how much work you can do yourself if you have to,” she said.
“A bit of elbow grease goes a long way, and this one just needed some TLC.”
Caro said the yard was newly fully fenced, perfect for a family pet, and there were security screens throughout the house.
“You could just move straight in and be comfortable but there is also room to improve it, to add a pool, subdivide,” she said.
“There really is plenty of room for whatever the dream is.”
The property is listed with Craig Currie and Taylor Pearce of Ray White Kirwan.
It has three bedrooms, two updated bathrooms, a modern kitchen, a spacious living area with a formal dining space, a built-in study nook, two covered outdoor areas, a large shed, lush gardens and bore water.