Season 2
House 2: From Beach Shack to Modern Home
A Dream Location and the Rundown Beach Shack
Greg and Suzanne purchased a home nestled amongst the trees in the picturesque area of Flinders Victoria
The median house price in Flinders is an astonishing $3 million dollars. However this is an area that boomed over lockdowns but has been slowly declining, so smart choices are a must.
Greg and Suzanne fell in love with the property which contains an old fisherman’s shack that is extremely small, but holds a lot of local history.
Its an ideal location, a close walk to the beach for their beloved Border collies and a very short drive to a stunning golf course, of which they are both avid players.
The question is all about whether they can revamp the old shack and keep the history of it. Or is it going to be more efficient, environmentally and monetarily, to knock it down and start again.
Greg and Suzanne love traveling around Australia in their Caravan and seeing everything this great country has to offer.
Greg is a retired fireman and loves doing everything he can with the local community.
They are both golf fanatics and enjoy this amazing coastal lifestyle.
They both love the history of the shack and would love to keep as much as possible, but it is way too small, lots of building issues due to the age and proximity to the ocean, it needs a complete revamp and extension, but are the bones of the home able to be saved?
The Team
Jesse and Mel
With the assistance of the expert team, Greg and Suzzanne delved into two compelling options: Renovating the old shack and saving the history or knocking the shack down and starting a new chapter with a Rebuild. Jesse thought that the shack held a lot of memories and that a renovation could retain the history and deliver the lifestyle Greg and Suzanne were after. Mel wasn’t convinced and thought it was time to “get rid of that shabby shack” and build something new that suited the location. With the help of Ashley Beaumont from Ecoliv both teams explored the Renovate or Rebuild options.
DESIGN OPTIONS
Team Renovate
The renovate design has opted to use more of the large block they are on and also go down the modular route by renovating the original Shack and adding two new modules.
There is a large driveway leading up to the home, however nowhere to park the caravan undercover.
The initial module is a large open plan living / kitchen / dining area with large windows leading on to an entertaining deck, this is everything Greg and Suzanne wanted from their living space with enough room to entertain friends and family.
Once you head down the hallway you reach a secondary living / rumpus room that gives an added space for guests to use – with 2 large bedrooms and a central bathroom between.
As you leave the modules you enter the renovated shack, Jesse has saved this wow factor for last, as the entire shack has been converted into a huge Master suite so Greg and Suzanne can live in luxury, with a massive ensuite and walk in robe.
They’ve also managed to restore the deck that they love, which is joined onto the now master ensuite.
A slightly lower energy rating of 6.9 stars means that the Renovate design may cost a little more to heat and cool but a slightly larger solar system helps keep the energy costs low.
The overall estimated cost has come in at $1.05 million.
DESIGN OPTIONS
Team Rebuild
Starting from the facade, the rebuild design is ticking all the boxes. It has that coastal feel and is nestled on the back end of the block giving much more room at the front of the home, very importantly it has undercover parking for their caravan.
The modular design comes with two separate wings that are joined by a third component, this design has an internal courtyard which will give amazing cross ventilation and air flow.
Essentially being split into a sleeping wing and a living wing, the sleeping quarters have 2 separate bathrooms, including the large and spacious master which Greg and Suzanne have been needing after living in the caravan for so long.
There is also a study.
All of these areas can be zoned off, meaning heating and cooling can be kept to a minimum when not in use.
The entire home is connected and you can enter the living wing from the master bedroom by following the external deck which is in a similar position to the existing deck so they can still have a cup of tea and watch the Rosellas in the morning.
The living wing is a large open plan Kitchen/ living / dining area which is exactly what Suzanne was after, and hidden behind a secret door in the kitchen is a tucked away laundry.
There is still plenty of lawn in front of the home, giving lots of space for the dogs to run around.
The rebuild design presents Greg and Suzanne with a stunning home. – that combined with clever zoning, a well insulated and airtight building envelope, and a 7 star energy rating, will mean that it will be both comfortable and economical to live in all year round.
The estimated cost of the Rebuild is $850,000.
The Big Decision
The Verdict
Greg had a dream about renovating the shack and keeping the history but after a nudge from Suzanne the Rebuild option won out. The parking space for the caravan plus the certainy of the cost and timeline for the prefab modular build of the rebuild option were deciding factors.
THE RESULT
A Modern Coastal Retreat
The rebuild design opted to utilize the block and work with the sloping site.
The sleek, dark colour toned palette complements the tree lined area making it one with the environment.
Standing back, it’s hard to believe this home was all created off site, on time and on budget while Greg and Suzanne were able to enjoy the time off.
The entrance is a stark difference from the shack that initially sat on site, complete with the coastal palette that Suzanne wished for.
The beautiful timber floorboards lead you up to a light and bright living space to a large kitchen area, perfect for entertaining.
The kitchen has been finished meticulously.
Another exciting aspect is the secret door that leads to the laundry, meaning it’s out of the way and doesn’t inhibit any of the other spaces.
The flow from inside to outside is achieved brilliantly with the wrap around deck that leads directly to the master suite.
The sleeping wing is filled with light due to the central courtyard area.
Their guests will be thankful too, as they will now have their own bedrooms to stay in.
Fair to say, their dogs will also love the added room!
Shop the look
Explore the brands featured in this episode
Ultimate Windows is Melbourne’s leading supplier of uPVC double glazed windows & doors.
Bondor® is Australia’s leader in complete thermal building solutions and lightweight architectural panels.
Energy Matters is an award-winning company dedicated to all things energy, with a passion for sustainability & clean energy. Get quotes for your solar and battery storage needs.
Fanco is Australian owned, creating quality ceiling fans and ventilation products, perfect for Australian homes and commercial projects.
Ecoliv have been building and designing award-winning prefab modular homes for Australian families for more than 13 years. They can create a custom modular home just for you.