In this week’s episode, we meet Kylie and Andrew. Together with their two teenage children and dog Millie, they live in Black Rock, a beautiful bayside suburb of Melbourne with a median house price just north of $2M. With its stunning beachfront and low-key brand of affluence, Black Rock is the stuff family dreams are made of.

The family absolutely love the area, with the bay, shops, and restaurants all within 5 minutes walking distance. There really isn’t anywhere else they’d rather call home. The only problem – their house isn’t working for them anymore.

Built over 40 years ago, Kylie and Andrew have lived in the home for 16 years and raised their two children there. While it holds plenty of happy memories, the house is looking its age. Andrew explained that, while the front yard has recently been redone, the dated facade of the house itself is a stark contrast to the “nice and shiny” new houses in the neighbourhood.

Team Renovate: Jesse and Mel

First impressions were good for Jesse and Mel as they were greeted with the newly landscaped front yard. Jesse, however, decided that there needs to be “a bit more house”, hinting at the possibility of adding a second storey.

Their smiles continued as they stepped inside, loving the big central hallway. It wasn’t all roses and chocolates though, as they noticed the lack of natural light, cold colour palette, and mismatch of styles and influences throughout the house.

They commented that the house feels long but small, with too many large wasted living spaces in contrast to the small bedrooms.

They also weren’t fans of the kitchen layout, especially the pole in the middle.

While they acknowledged these issues, they agreed it was absolutely worth renovating this home, with a beautiful footprint to work with that can easily be adapted to suit the family’s current and future needs.

Team Rebuild: Bec and George

As Bec and George approached the property, the first thing that caught Bec’s eye was the weathered windows.

Entering the home, neither looked particularly impressed. “Straight away, it’s very dark”.

The tiny master bedroom left Bec in hysterics as she wondered how Kylie and Andrew manage to watch the TV without having to lie flat on their backs. As for the bathroom… “I don’t even have words”, said Bec.

They both agreed the house feels pokey, despite actually being quite large. Like Team Renovate, they noticed the pole in the middle of the kitchen, saying the owners surely wouldn’t want it there but probably can’t remove it for structural reasons.

Given the amount of work involved in a renovation, they decided it really wouldn’t be worth it. A rebuild, in their opinion, would allow them to take full advantage of the large block and design a house that’s “really special”.

Design Consultations

Assisting both teams with their designs is renowned architect Nathan Cagliarini from Adapt Architecture.

Nathan sat down with both teams to discuss their ideas.

Team Renovate

Jessie and Mel were bursting with ideas. They explained to Nathan that they would love to build up and add a master retreat on the second level. Not only do the owners want it, but Jessie believes it will add some much-needed street appeal.

Nathan gently pushed back, saying that the large block gives them plenty of space to work with and that building up is a costly way to approach the brief. He assured the team that they can still achieve something similar without having to go up and can improve the facade as a separate project.

Jessie and Mel were not easily convinced, however, with Jessie saying they “100%” are going to

Like Team incorporate a second level.

Team Rebuild

Renovate, Bec and George came to the consultation filled with ideas. Bec kicked off the discussion saying that the home is dark due to its orientation and suggested flipping the orientation so that the kitchen, living, and dining, are towards the back. They would also like to incorporate double-glazed windows to capture the northern light.

Nathan agreed with their ideas, saying the downfall with existing houses is usually their orientation.

While Nathan got started on the designs, the teams and homeowners visited several incredible properties for further inspiration.

Balwyn Beauty

Team Rebuild took Kylie and Andrew to visit a truly stunning home designed and owned by Bojan Gangur, Associate Director at Blue Cube Developments (who you might remember from episode 2). The home, located in Balwyn, is open and comfortable with lots of space and natural light – the exact opposite of Kylie and Andrew’s home in Black Rock.

The house has been specifically designed with large double-glazed windows to open up the space and capture natural light throughout the day. The construction utilises prefinished Bondor Insulated Panel cladding, which features an innovative click-in system that offers lightning-fast installation. Not only do they look great, but the panels have great thermal properties that make them highly energy efficient.

Port Arlington Masterpiece

Meanwhile, Jessie and Mel visited a striking property in the coastal town of Port Arlington. Owners Phil and Sally showed Jessie and Mel around their stunning home, featuring rammed earth walls that are constructed by ramming a mixture of gravel, sand, silt, and a small amount of clay into place between flat panels called formwork. Not only is it visually striking, but the rammed earth provides excellent thermal mass and a low environmental impact.

The home also features hydronically-heated polished concrete floors that are cool during summer and beautifully warm during winter – all powered by recycled water heated with rooftop solar panels. The home is kept comfortable year round thanks to Ultimate Windows’ uPVC double-glazed frames. The innovative windows not only look great but provide excellent thermal insulation.

The Verdict

The two different solutions were judged by an expert panel on style, sustainability, and cost. The judges are real estate expert, Rachel El Deir, building and property expert, Natalee Bowen, and interior designer, James Treble. Each judge will give a final score out of 10.

Ultimately the decision will come down to Kylie and Andrew — will they renovate or rebuild? Their decision will add an additional two points to the final tally.

If you want to watch this episode before seeing the scores you can watch on catch up TV on 9Now.

This week we meet Matt and Lynelle, a couple living out the Victorian coastal dream on Phillip Island, a 90-minute drive south-east of Melbourne.

With a median house price of $600,000, Phillip Island is truly a special part of Victoria with majestic bay beaches, great fishing, a family-friendly vibe, and some of the best surf beaches in Australia. As a family that loves sports, being outdoors, and doing things together, Matt and Lynelle couldn’t imagine a better location to raise their teenage boys and beautiful labrador.

Their family home was built as a spec home in the 1990s and was originally purchased by Matt’s parents. Matt, Lynelle, and their sons moved in 15 years ago and undertook extensive renovations and landscaping. After hosting many happy memories for the family, the house is now looking a bit dated and the family is facing a cross-generational living dilemma. Times are changing and they want to future-proof the house for the next phase of their lives.

When host, James Treble, asked the couple how the house isn’t working for them, Lynelle insisted they do love the house but as kids got older they needed more space and a practical solution to the living areas. Ideally, they need to create some separation for themselves from where the kids spend time with their friends and future partners.

In addition to the space and privacy issue, the house is oriented the wrong way, missing out on natural sunlight. The energy systems in place aren’t sustainable either. Phillip Island isn’t connected to natural gas, so their bottled gas solution is costing them dearly – especially with their heated swim spa. Matt and Lynelle are especially keen to achieve significant energy savings by switching to electric appliances and installing a rooftop solar panel system.

• New floorplan
• Two separate living areas
• Retain the landscaping if possible
• Bigger pool and better outside connection
• Utilise new technology
• Efficient, comfortable, and healthy home
• $1.5 million budget for a rebuild

Team Renovate: Jesse & Mel

As Jessie and Mel walked up to the home, they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. Mel was especially enthusiastic, exclaiming that the house is a “renovator’s dream” and gleefully declaring that Bec and George “have zero chance”.

Heading inside, they were slightly less enthralled with the dark entrance and old carpet in the master bedroom. They liked the size of the master and the fact it has a walk-in robe and ensuite. Jess wasn’t overly impressed with the bathroom styling, taking a particular dislike to the shower’s dated mosaic strip feature, something that was “never on-trend” in his opinion as a qualified tiler.

Moving further into the living, kitchen, and dining zones they immediately agreed they would be getting rid of the chandelier. They also weren’t fans of the yellow and brown colour palette and the “claustrophobic” dining room space. They did, however like the size of the kitchen.

Ending on a high note, Jessie and Mel were blown away by the backyard, with Jessie saying he would live out there. Mel agreed, saying it’s an entertainer’s dream. Jessie even went so far as to say that it would win landscape week on The Block! High praise indeed. The only change they would consider is making the pool a little bigger.

Team Rebuild: Bec & George

Strolling up the street, Bec mused that it’s “kinda the dream” to retire somewhere like there. Upon seeing the house for the first time, Bec had to admit that it isn’t that bad. George, however, wasn’t having a bar of it, declaring they should just “knock it down and build something new”.

George had to swallow his words a little bit after walking into the master bedroom and spying the outdoor area through the window. He conceded that the property is nice but “you can’t keep a house because of its landscaping”.

Entering the living, dining, and kitchen zone they gave a “no comment” on the chandelier. They agreed that the kitchen is nice and big. They even toyed with the idea of going double-height to try to get some beach views.

Like Team Renovate, they were stunned by the gorgeous outdoor area and its stark contrast to the interior of the house. They were clearly a bit worried about how a rebuild might impact the landscaping, particularly the mature hedging.

They also spotted the massive gas bottle in a fenced-off area of the backyard and wondered whether Matt and Lynelle are using gas to power everything.

Design Consultations

Assisting both teams with their designs is Madeline Sewell from Breathe, a Melbourne-based architect leading the way in sustainable architectural design.

Madeline’s initial observations are that heating and cooling will be a challenge for both designs. She would be looking at ways to improve the ‘thermal envelope’ with double-glazing and insulation. Another hurdle is that that the island has no natural gas, so she was keen to adopt an all-electric solution run on green power.

Madeline sat down with both teams to discuss their initial thoughts and ideas.

Team Renovate

Sitting down with Jessie and Mel, Madeline began by saying that the strength of a renovation is they are already working with the bones of the site and have a leg-up environmentally.

She suggested they could create thermal mass (the ability of a material to absorb, store and release heat) by doing a reverse brick veneer – peeling off the plaster inside and recladding the outside. When the sun hits the bricks it warms up and stabilises the temperature, ultimately requiring less energy to heat and cool.

She said another strength of the renovation is retaining the landscaping, which is both beautiful and sentimental for the family.

Team Rebuild

Bec and George were pleasantly surprised to hear Madeline’s opinion that a renovation would be harder than a rebuild.

When considering the existing property, Madeline said that the orientation and aspect are not its strengths. In particular, the garage being located to the north is blocking a lot of the amenity and making the house dark.

She suggested moving the living and dining closer to the front of property and bedrooms further to back, so the parent and teens have a bit more privacy and the living areas are capturing more light.

Despite Matt and Lynelle’s desire to have an ensuite in each bedroom, Madeline wanted to challenge that idea as bathrooms are very energy-intensive to produce.

While Madeline worked on the designs, the teams and homeowners visited a number of incredible properties for further inspiration.

Bec and George took Matt and Lynelle to visit a breath-taking new build that really encapsulates the modern, industrial design that they love.

Showing them around the property is Leigh Allchin, of Allchin Builders. The exterior showcased a multi-clad design with recycled red brick and Bondor panels. The interior shone with a classy industrial feel that was built for relaxing and entertaining, making the most of the swim spa and view.

Lynelle loved the kitchen with its long dark bench and spacious butler’s pantry. She also loved the expansive walk-in robe. Matt was impressed by the natural light-filled open-plan design and the array of finishes. The moment he and Lynelle walked in, they agreed this is type of place they want to end up with.

Meanwhile, Jesse and Mel toured an award winning home that captures the stunning views, and the external facades are striking, modern with a twist of mid-century and pleasing to the eye. The upper roof almost has the illusion of floating above the side wings. The Zero gutter feature was a work of art in itself; the balance of glass and wall works well with ample natural light to all areas. The design had to incorporate the client’s family life with the option to separate the living spaces for guests. The design means there is a self-contained home up and down with the option to zone all the heating and cooling. The working hub of the upstairs kitchen has also captured the views.

The expansive Deceuninck uPVC windows and doors manufactured by Ultimate Windows are a significant feature of the property. Widely used across Europe and UK, the uPVC products manufactured by Ultimate Windows are designed to withstand harsh climatic conditions, making them the ideal choice for coastal areas.

The Verdict

The two different solutions were judged by an expert panel on style, sustainability, and cost. The judges are real estate expert, Rachel El Deir, building and property expert, Natalee Bowen, and interior designer, James Treble. Each judge will give a final score out of 10.

Ultimately the decision will come down to Matt and Lynelle — will they renovate or rebuild? Their decision will add an additional two points to the final tally.

If you want to watch this episode before seeing the scores you can watch on catch up TV on 9Now.

In this week’s episode, we head to the picturesque Sunshine Coast suburb of Currimundi, a coastal region that has experienced its fair share of extreme weather events, from drought to bushfires and now floods.

Despite the temperamental climate, the location holds plenty of appeal. With a median house price of $630,000, the area offers an affordable coastal lifestyle with beautiful beaches and a cool, laidback vibe thanks to the hundreds of young families flocking to the area.

One of these families is Shaun, Maxine, and their energetic young son.

Shaun and Maxine grew up near Currimundi but moved and lived interstate for years. Now, with a growing family, they decided to escape city life and return to the area so they can raise their son close to the beach and all it has to offer.

While initially renting, the family has recently purchased a mid-century modern home that, like many other homes in the area, was built in the 70s. While the clean lines and low-pitched roof of the home are full of character, the orientation and floorplan aren’t suited to modern living, particularly with everything Mother Nature has been throwing at it over the years.

• Smarter floor plan
• Home office
• Set up for beach lifestyle
• Efficient, comfortable, and healthy home
• Budget: $400,000 – $600,000

Team Renovate: Michael and Carlene

Walking up to the property, Michael and Carlene were charmed by the character of the small but “cute” home. Heading inside, Charlene was surprised by the superficial renovation, having expected to see the original interior.

Both Michael and Carlene agreed that the compact, dark space would throw them a few challenges, but the property had great potential for a renovation. According to them, all the house needs is a smarter layout and a small extension.

“You would never demolish a solid brick home!”

They were firmly against knocking it down, concerned a new build would sacrifice character and clash with the streetscape, but also risk over-capitalising in the area.

Team Rebuild: Jimmy and Tam

Like Team Renovate, Jimmy and Tam thought the facade of the house was cute and has character. They did, however, point out the very small garage, agreeing they couldn’t do much with that.

Walking inside, both were immediately disappointed with the small interior and low ceilings. They felt the home’s design doesn’t take advantage of its Northerly aspect and hasn’t been zoned properly, missing out on natural light and sea breezes.

With plenty of land to work with, Team Rebuild is keen to start from scratch. They want to reorientate the whole design and build “something great”. Knowing it would be a sticking point, they agreed they will need to bring some of the mid-century modern character of the existing home into the new build.

Jimmy and Tam know a rebuild will cost more and need to convince Shaun and Maxine that it’s worth the investment. “If they’re going to be here a long time, they should spend more to get more in the future”.

Design Consultations

Assisting both teams with their designs is Matt Riley from architectural and design specialists, TONIC Design. With a passion for all things mid-century modern, he is undeniably the right man for the job.

Speaking to Team Renovate, Matt confessed he loved the classic facade of the existing house. He noted the small floorplan but also the opportunity to extend with some great spaces to build on. He assured Michael and Carlene that he can come up with a creative way to achieve the space and style you would expect from a mid-century modern home. He envisioned beautiful open lines expanding out to sky and high raked ceilings.

In his consultation with Team Rebuild, Matt was pleased to learn that they wanted to honour the style of the existing home and surrounding area. Tam was picturing a full Palm Springs vibe with breeze blocks and modern oak floors. Matt explained that mid-century modern is a free style that harks back to the heady days of the 40s, 50s, and 60s with Sinatra, Elvis, and endless parties. It’s also a style that is well-suited to resort family living.

Matt further explained that the backyard is key in a mid-century modern design, and one of the challenges of Shaun and Maxine’s block is that the backyard isn’t North-facing. He suggested a skillion roof with a nice overhang so they can get the sea breezes circulating.

When asked whether he thinks Shaun and Maxine should renovate or rebuild, Matt said that both options have their merits. At this stage he was leaning slightly towards a renovation, just because there’s so much they can do with the budget.

Proving his passion for not only the mid-century modern style but also sustainable design, Matt took Team Renovate and Shaun and Maxine to visit his own home in Cedar Creek.

The stunning property blew everyone away, with its soaring pitched ceilings, polished concrete floors, and smart indoor/outdoor living plan. Not only was the house aesthetically pleasing, but very comfortable with breezes flowing through the space. Matt explained that the house uses a lot of the Bondor products, insulation, a combination of openings and overhangs, and the right materials to encourage positive airflow and keep the summer heat outside where it belongs.

The home is completely off-grid with a solar power and battery storage system, sewerage reticulation system, and water tanks. The pitched ceilings utilise Bondor SolarSpan® Insulated Roof Panels that incorporate two layers of Colourbond steel sandwiching a fire-retardant insulated core.

Shaun was impressed with the use of a shipping container in the house design and suggested that he would like to achieve a similarly industrial feel for his own outdoor office.

In the meantime, Team Rebuild headed to Victoria’s South Coast to visit a property in Anglesea for ideas on how to climate-proof a house and still have plenty of style. Jamie Mills from JM Homes Surf Coast showed Jimmy and Tam around the unique home featuring a striking facade with corten rusted steel, tilt panels, concrete, and Japanese landscaping. One of the hero-features of the build is the air-tight Deceuninck uPVC Tilt Turn windows manufactured by Ultimate Windows, that are hinged on one side and open outwardly, maximising the fresh air that enters the room.

The Verdict

The two different solutions were judged by an expert panel on style, sustainability, and cost. The judges are real estate expert, Alex Jordan, building and property expert, Natalee Bowen and interior designer, James Treble. Each judge will give a final score out of 10.

Ultimately the decision will come down to Shaun and Maxine — will they renovate or rebuild? Their decision will add an additional two points to the final tally.

If you want to watch this episode before seeing the scores you can watch on catch up TV on 9Now.

In this episode we head to the south-eastern Sydney suburb of Malabar, 15kms from the CBD. Here we meet Carl, Kerensa, and their two active kids.

The young family moved to Malabar just under 5 years ago. Previously living on a busy main road in Randwick, they were not only looking for a new house but a new lifestyle offering peace and tranquillity.

Malabar delivers this in spades, with a picturesque 200 metre sandy beach framed with sandstone rocks and cliffs, calm swimming conditions, rock pools, and relatively few visitors. One of Sydney’s best kept secrets, Malabar is a top choice for young children and families.

“Driving around the corner you feel like you’re coming into a peaceful coastal town”, said Kerensa.

Like most suburbs in Sydney, the price of a great lifestyle doesn’t come cheap – the median house price range is $2.5M.

The family is at a crossroads – they need more space and they know the house really doesn’t take advantage of its incredible beachfront location. They question is, should they renovate or rebuild?

The block itself is long and narrow. They are restricted on the sides with neighbours, so would have to build up to achieve a larger footprint and see the full horizon of the ocean instead of just a snapshot.

In terms of design, they want a mid-century modern beach house, infused with colour and textures of wood, stone, and brass. If there was any feature from the existing property they would like to retain, it would be the classic breeze blocks at the front of the property.
As much as they like the existing property, Carl and Kerensa don’t feel there is much worth retaining and are leaning towards a rebuild.

Team Renovate: Andy and Deb

As our Team Renovate duo, Andy and Deb approached Carl and Kerensa’s home they were immediately drawn to the breeze block design. While they liked the ‘cute’ exterior, they couldn’t ignore how small and dark the entrance and lounge room is. They also decided the wall running through the front of the house needs to go.

Moving to the back of the house, they were wowed by the money-shot ocean views, and knew they needed to plan the renovation to maximise them. It wasn’t long, however, before they felt the impact of the sun through the windows. “You’d absolutely fry in summer”, exclaimed Andy.

Knowing they’d have a tough job on their hands, Andy and Deb still agreed that the house showed great potential for a renovation.

Team Rebuild: Norm and Jess

“Is this it?”

It was clear from the get-go that Norm and Jess weren’t fans of Carl and Kerena’s beachfront abode. Not even the breeze blocks could impress, with Norm commenting that they looked a bit dated.

Heading inside, their impression of the house only worsened. They joked that the lounge room was so small and dark that you could develop photos in there. Like Team Renovate, they could tell that the back of the house would get uncomfortably hot during summer.

The house reminded Jess of her old teeth – the dentist said they had no hope, so she got new ones! To them, the solution is obvious – knock it down and build a beautiful sustainable home. “You could make a fortune having a flash house in this area”, Jess added.

Design Consultations

Assisting both teams with their designs is Todd Small, a talented architect at award-winning Architectural Designer Arkhaus.

Team Renovate were left flabbergasted after their consultation with Todd, who told them in no uncertain terms that, from a practicality and cost perspective, the house should be knocked down.

“It isn’t cheaper to renovate”, said Todd. He explained that, given the logistics of a major renovation, particularly getting things in and out of the site, it would be cheaper to rebuild. Not only that, but a rebuild would leave the owners with a healthier, more practical product designed for 21st century living.

Although the news was both ‘brutal’ and ‘soul-crushing’ for Andy and Deb, they reassured us that they aren’t ‘Team Give Up’ and they don’t mind a challenge.

Norm and Jess were clearly thrilled to have Todd in their corner for a rebuild. When discussing the issue of climate control, Todd shared that one of the advantages of a rebuild is that you can implement a ‘passive design‘ which employs sensible measures and philosophies that allows a building to cool itself.

While the teams left Todd to work on their designs, they visited some incredible properties for inspiration and ideas.

Norm and Jess took Carl and Kerensa to visit a luxurious Penthouse in Bellevue Hill, Sydney. The gorgeous property was a hit with the couple. They loved the feeling of space that was achieved through lofty ceilings and big, open Deceuninck uPVC double-glazed windows manufactured by Integra Windows. The innovative windows not only looked great but provided excellent thermal insulation.

Meanwhile, Andy and Deb visited a stunning family home in Wollongong for some ideas on how to insulate and scale Carl and Kerensa’s existing home on a budget. The property owners had recently used Panelups prefabrication system together with prefabricated Bondor panels that not only provide insulation year around but also helped builder Unique Style Homes get from slab to lockup in only 7 days.

The Verdict

The two different solutions were judged by an expert panel on style, sustainability, and cost. The judges are real estate expert, Nick Papas, building and property expert, Natalee Bowen and interior designer, James Treble. Each judge will give a final score out of 10.

Ultimately the decision will come down to Carl and Kerensa — will they renovate or rebuild? Their decision will add an additional two points to the final tally.

If you want to watch this episode before seeing the scores you can watch on catch up TV on 9Now.