This first-home buyer renovated her Sunshine Coast house completely solo

Danielle Sidney finished 2020 with her Sunshine Coast home freshly renovated, and the 28-year-old first-home buyer did the work herself.

Just months after Sidney bought her place at Mountain Creek, COVID-19 restrictions meant the digital marketing professional was working from home – and looking at all the improvements she could make to her house.

She says the property was in “OK condition” when she bought it but hadn’t been renovated since it was built in the ’90s. “I obviously knew there were endless things I could do.”

With four bedrooms, two bathrooms and two living areas, it would have been a big reno project for any solo DIYer, but Sidney had no renovation experience.

Nonetheless, she was set on doing it herself.

“I wanted a space I loved, but I couldn’t believe how much renovating spaces could cost if you paid someone to do it all,” she says. “I would never get that money back, and I wasn’t prepared to take that risk.”

She went online for inspiration and technique – YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest were helpful – and sought advice from tradies and experienced friends before picking up the tools herself and starting in the kitchen.

Initially, Sidney made cosmetic changes, like adding MDF to the cabinetry for a shaker-style look, replacing the bench top, and adding tongue-and-groove painted in navy (Snapshot by Dulux) for a bit of pop. She retiled the splashback and added new shelving.

Moving on to the main bathroom, Sidney spent less than $1000 yet gave the room an individuality she loves, with more blue paint, an updated mirror, new cabinet handles, sink and taps.

“This was probably one of my favourite room flips to date,” she says. “It was all cosmetic changes and it made such a difference. It’s also a great example of what I love so much about renovating yourself. Spaces, particularly bathrooms, don’t end up looking like the same new bathroom you see in every new house. Instead, they take on their own character and style, and I love that.”

The biggest project for Sidney was her en suite. “The bones in this space were not good,” she says. “I ripped out everything and replaced it all – new cabinet, mirror, shower, tapware, tiles, shelves, toilet – everything.”

Using recycled materials where possible and her own labour, the en suite updates cost about $2000. She had a little help with the bigger parts of the room from someone who’d done a couple of bathroom renovations already – her now partner, whom she’d just met.

“It was our first month of dating and he spent it renovating my bathroom with me,” she says. “He clearly knew the way to my heart.”

Sidney found changing colour throughout the house was an effective way to modernise. She chose a dark green wall (Black Water by Dulux) for the laundry, which was “a bit out of my comfort zone” but really worked.

“I absolutely love it. The laundry sits as a little nook in the garage, so the colour really differentiates it from the rest of the space.”

She painted the patio concrete in a light grey, and outsourced the indoor flooring by having tradies update the tiled floor with hybrid vinyl planks that “refreshed the whole house”.

It was also a nice change from the very ’90s hue that graced the tiles, showers and patio concrete when she moved in. “Terracotta was everywhere in this house.”

Once all the larger areas were complete, Sidney “spruced up” each room by adding new shelves, curtains, paintings and some new furniture pieces. She even tried her hand at making her own furniture, building a standing desk for her home office, and a day bed for the outdoor area, made from free Bunnings pallets.

Throughout the process she learnt so much, but says the trickiest hurdle to overcome was herself. “My biggest challenge has been moments of self-doubt with some of my projects. Particularly because I don’t have a trade, I’ve questioned myself several times about whether I should have taken on a particular project because I made x number of mistakes.”

The mistakes have been invaluable in building her skills and confidence, and she encourages others to just go for it. Though emphasising tradies are indispensable when professional expertise is needed, “there are a lot of things you can do on your own. You just need a little bit of YouTube and confidence.”

Looking back over the year, she can see where taking risks has led to great personal growth.

“I still remember when I first moved in and was worried about how I would hang three large pictures on the wall. I look back now and can’t believe I wasn’t confident doing that. But you won’t learn or get better at things unless you give them a crack, and that’s pretty much been my motto for renovating and life.”

This story is part of a series that explores how different Australians have seen the possibilities along their own property journeys. For more property renovation advice, read Domain’s ultimate guide to renovating.