A 12-week renovation for sale: How two friends completed their own mini version of The Block

When viewers sit down to watch the unfurling drama of The Block, the concept of a 12-week renovation can seem outrageous, if not impossible.

But good friends Christine Paterson and Emma Dixon decided to test the “reality” in the reality TV show, attacking their own “mini Block” by completing a full home renovation in just 12 weeks earlier this year.

Sylvia, as they have affectionately dubbed the Black Rock home they renovated to sell in record time, has hit the market only five months after Paterson and Dixon purchased her.

“We’ve been friends for a very long time, nearly 20 years I think, and we had always talked about doing a renovation together. Emma’s done a few in her time and I’ve done several. One day over a wine, we thought, let’s just do this,” Paterson says.

The two have shared a passion for interiors and design for some time, with Dixon having worked in fashion for many years and Paterson as an interior designer.

Sylvia was the first and only property they laid eyes on.

“She was the first one we saw, it was like the stars aligned. She came up after a couple of days of us talking about it. It was one of those things it was meant to be. We knew she was ours and had to be ours,” Paterson says.

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“There was nothing special about the house, but … she had a great feel about her and we felt a beautiful feeling in that home, some amazing light coming through the windows.

“We had the same vision of it having a Palm Springs and Byron Bay feel, and we just ran with it.”

In the 12 weeks between being given the keys and finishing the renovation, the duo knocked down “quite a few” walls, added an extra bathroom, pulled every ceiling down to be raised and re-plastered, re-wired and re-plumbed 95 per cent of the walls.

The house, Paterson notes, “is brand new” now.

So, how did they knock the project over in less than three months? Both Dixon and Paterson planned the renovation, booked their trades, had ideas for each room and knew the colours they were working with in May, all before they had been given the keys.

“The minute we got the keys, it was all systems go.

“We stuck to a very strict timeline, which helped. There were  some things we didn’t know so didn’t allow for — for example the whole heating and cooling system lived in the roof, where we wanted to raise the ceilings. We had great trades, which I had used before, and they knew how we worked and that I am a tough cookie. They were all great people to work with. We pushed them as much as we could and got it done.

“Was it stressful? Absolutely. But we knew how to work through it, and because of that, it was great.”

The toughest part, she says, was co-ordinating their trades to ensure the project could be done in the timeline they intended.

“Co-ordinating our trades was hard, because things happen that you don’t account for. You then need to fit them in and not delay the other trades coming behind them.”

Of all the rooms in the newly renovated beachside oasis, Paterson said she loves the outdoor areas the most.

“When you’re in the front garden, you just feel like you’re on holiday 24/7, especially when the sun is shining. It has the most relaxed feel about it, you never want to leave.

“The little courtyard at the back, also has real privacy about it and just has great vibe to it.”

More than anything, Paterson says the duo are proud that they were able to finish the project “in budget and time”.

“We have fallen in love with her and very attached to her. We are sad to see her go, actually. But we feel that someone is really going to love her.”