Bay Builds: Kyal and Kara reveal 'dramatic' backyards

So far in the Bay Builds journey – Kyal and Kara Demmrich’s latest property adventure – the couple have revealed bedrooms, bathrooms and, most recently, the kitchens, living and dining rooms in two mirror-image new builds on the NSW Central Coast.

In the second-last episode of the series, the focus shifts to the exterior of the homes as the backyards are revealed, featuring pergolas, pools and plenty of greenery. 

The couple wanted these spaces to reflect the “ultimate Australian lifestyle”.

To Kara, this means “being able to open up the back doors and have that indoor-outdoor flow” and keep an eye on the kids from inside. 

The Bay Builds backyards tick these boxes and include quintessential Aussie barbecues and pools to boot. 

While the interiors of both homes share a mirrored layout, the backyards each tell their own story.

“Kyal really loved the layout that he nailed inside,” Kara says, “But in the backyard, we had Matt Leacy from Landart design them and we said to him, ‘Have a bit of fun. We’ve got two yards – let’s play on that.’”

House One’s backyard adheres to the sleek French-inspired finishes of the home’s interiors, with a lap pool running alongside the dividing property line to a spa at the far end of the yard. A large white pergola provides the ideal outdoor entertaining space and there is plenty of soft green grass for bare feet to run around on. 

House Two’s backyard, like its Spanish-inspired interior, does things a little differently. A round pool is nestled into the back corner, with tiered decking leading up to it. There’s ample lawn to play on and an integrated barbecue promises endless summer grilling. 

It’s these moments that the couple had in mind when deciding on the materials to use in these final stages of the builds. 

“These particular homes are so close to the beach and the cafes, and it’s a real lifestyle living at Toowoon Bay, so we didn’t want to create a yard that required too much maintenance,” Kara says. 

Timber deck maintenance can be a big weekend time-suck, so the couple chose a pre-finished millboard alternative with a natural oak look for the decking in both yards. 

“You don’t have to oil or sand it – this is the finished product,” Kyal says. 

The material is also mould-resistant and anti-slip, making it ideal to complement the pool areas. 

“It just suited these properties so much and knowing that the colour that it goes down is the colour that it’s going to be in 10 years was a big plus for us,” Kara says. “It’s nice to know that it will look the same for the new owners in five or 10 years.”

Another area that the couple invested in to create a wow factor for the new owners was the gardens.

Kara says prioritising plants in the budget makes “such a difference” because the impact is “so dramatic”.

“In an ideal world, you’d throw endless amounts of money at the plants but that’s not how most projects roll, particularly because the landscaping is the last thing you do,” she says. 

“Learning to allocate some funds to that is important. You need plants to be able to sell a home and create the impact that [you] started inside.”

Both gardens are stacked with lush layers of greenery, from strappy palms to soft ground-covers. A creeping ficus will gradually climb up the walls, softening the bright white on those sunny Toowoon Bay summer days and adding drama to the spaces. 

SOLD - $2,670,000

House 1/89a Eloora Road, Long Jetty NSW 2261

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Generous balconies off the main bedrooms also spill greenery overhead, providing both backyards with a lush view from every angle. 

Seeing these backyards come to life signals the approaching finish line for the couple’s biggest property challenge yet, and not even pouring rain could keep them from completion.

“We were battling the elements but the minute the plants arrive and the grass goes down, it’s the icing on the cake of the project,” Kara says.

SOLD - $2,640,000

House 2/89b Eloora Road, Long Jetty NSW 2261

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When it comes to picking which backyard is her favourite, she is torn. 

“Throughout the build, I always really loved the lap pool of House One – it’s so refined and sleek. But House Two just has this playfulness about it with the tired deck and round pool,” Kara says. 

“I really love them both.”

Bay Builds is Kyal and Kara’s latest property series, with new episodes and room reveals dropping weekly. We’ll be covering every room reveal and you can watch the episodes here.