On the edge of disaster

Greer and Roger copped their fair share of sleepless nights during this renovation. It was a difficult site to begin with. Windows were siliconed shut, it was damp and “grotty” and the site was so overgrown it took three days to clear.

The Claytons lived in the house for a year before renovations started. “We just gave it a quick lick of all-white paint so it was bearable,” says Greer, remembering the peeling wallpaper and rotten wood. “It was a bit like camping out.”

As soon as the house was jacked up and the basement dug out, the storms and heavy rains of March 2017 hit. “It was pretty terrifying for us and our builder; everything was collapsing.” They were on high alert as the bank their house was resting on began to crumble and their basement filled with water, ruining all the steelwork. “When the concrete finally went in and we could put the house back, it was a huge relief,” says Greer.