Carlene Duffy's picks of the best renovated Brisbane homes that need no improving

We are renovators so I don’t ever look for renovated homes when browsing the market.

It would be madness for us to even entertain buying a renovated home for both the fact that we are equipped to renovate for profit ourselves, and because if we did buy a renovated home we would be paying for the price of new kitchen, new bathrooms etc. Plus, the chance that I am 100 per cent satisfied with the finishes is very, very slim.

In saying this, I do appreciate the appeal of buying and living in a renovated home with absolutely no work required. I mean, I would have the time to take up golf if we didn’t insist on buying renovators (not that I like golf but you know what I mean).

So for this reason, I have rounded up three renovated Brisbane homes with finishes I could happily live with. And can I point out that this was no mean feat, as some of the homes with the most impressive street appeal are hiding some nasty finishes on closer inspection. These three are the exceptions.

89 Victoria Avenue, Chelmer

This Chelmer home is as pretty as a picture. I feel like I could just walk on in here, put on the kettle and feel right at home. It’s dripping in the character and personality that we expect from an old Queenslander.

I know many would want to modernise the floor tiles in the bathroom but I would implore you not to. These black and white diamond tiles aren’t dated, they are classical. There is a difference and they are perfect paired with the subway wall tiles.

Okay so I might eventually want to jazz up the pool area but it would be one of those things that I would take forever to get around to doing largely because I would be too busy sipping tea on that oh so welcoming front verandah, overlooking the beautifully manicured front garden, to care too much about my pool landscaping.

23 Doncaster Street, Hendra

This five bedroom, architecturally converted Queenslander in Hendra on Brisbane’s North side is ideal for those who love the idea of living in a Queenslander but with all the comforts of a new, modern home.

I personally prefer more rustic charm left in a renovated Queenslander but this renovation was more than a little overhaul. This is closer to a new house with the layout completely shaken up.

I would warm it up with my furniture and furnishings. I’m thankful though that the owners re-clad the walls and ceiling with VJ panelling and the addition of the high louvres in the kitchen area will facilitate breezes that will not be disappointing in a Brisbane summer.

Auchenflower

This huge, character-filled Queenslander in the affluent inner-city suburb of Auchenflower boasts a whopping seven bedrooms.

While I would never choose stainless steel kitchen surfaces, I don’t dislike it enough to change it. And in this case because the floor is timber there is enough warmth here to offset the industrial surface.

I love open shelving in kitchens especially ones filled with books. Original timber floors are always a bonus and I really like that they are carried through into the bathroom with only the shower recess tiled. Tiles are another hard, cold surface so the less tiled surfaces the better, in my books.