Why the renovations of our dreams are the houses of our nightmares

The first thing was the smell. An acrid odour mingled with a sickly tinge of something sweet, just enough to flip the stomach.

Second was the grime. Generations of sweat, excreted in the stifling humidity of Brisbane’s summer, now lay thick and grey on the walls, floors and every other surface in the house. To most, it was a nightmare – but to architect Rebekah Hurworth’s clients, it was an opportunity.

“It was the mankiest thing I have ever seen. It was so grubby everywhere, it was disgusting. But once the actual house was cleaned properly, once the walls were scrubbed, we could see the house underneath and what was there was beautiful,” she says.

Ms Hurworth, CEO of My Family Home Experts, says this is why the grossest and most original homes are the best to renovate.

“Not only does it cut out the competition because people are too scared to consider it, it also, would you believe, cuts down on renovation costs,” she says.

“The quality of the materials used in our older homes pre-1945 is generally excellent and they’re so worth preserving.

“Back then, labour was cheap, so the money was spent on materials. These days it’s the other way around – it’s the labour that costs so much, so that’s where so much of our money goes. So it makes sense to use as much of those old materials as possible.”

She says something as simple as reinstating timber windows in a house that has been renovated with aluminium ones costs around $40,000.

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“All of these things that people do to their houses over the years – replacing timber windows, putting in dodgy bathrooms, dodgy kitchens or building in underneath – often they just have to be demolished anyway because they’re now not up to [building] code,” she says.

“A house that is original is always better than a house that has been poorly renovated and will save you money and time down the line.”

Domain has rounded up some of the dreamiest houses that are up for sale and ripe for renovation in Brisbane:

35 Harrison Street, Bulimba

This Queenslander perched high on the hill at Bulimba is set on 809 square metres and boasts sweeping 270-degree views of the Brisbane River, Hamilton and the Gateway Bridge. It also offers a north-east aspect to the rear of the home.

Inside, the house is completely untouched. VJ walls, timber floorboards, casement windows and ornate fretwork feature throughout and expansive verandahs make the most of the surrounding views and cross-ventilation.

Agent James Curtain of Place Bulimba says it’s not a house for the faint-hearted. “It needs a lot of work. But I will say that assets like this are genuinely scarce: a big parcel of land with an untouched character property with these views in Bulimba,” he says.

“I sold a renovated house across the road recently, with lesser views, for $3.1 million. That puts the end value in context.”

Offers are invited over $1.7 million.

65 Sirius Street, Coorparoo

Like something out of a storybook, this substantial three-level residence is waiting for the next chapter to give it new life, agent Melanie Thomas says.

“I can tell you it simply has the most beautiful feel to it. It’s a real family home; it’s like stepping back in time,” she says.

Sitting on a prime 1002 square metres in a prestigious section of Coorparoo, the house is expansive – five bedrooms and three bathrooms, including a private master suite with dressing room, ensuite and balcony – and a garden with outdoor entertainment spaces and a swimming pool.

Ms Thomas, of Belle Coorparoo, says buyers generally prefer to buy homes as original as possible.

“Otherwise, they’re paying for someone else’s renovations, which may not be to their taste or, in some cases, wrecked the feeling of the house,” she says.

“Houses that have not been altered, like this one, allow the new owner to start from scratch and really put their own stamp on it.”

The house will go to auction on Saturday July 15, on site at 4pm.

10 Quinton Street, Kangaroo Point

There’s original and then there’s original. This house is so original, the owner has kindly started removing some of the shag carpet in the bedroom so the timber floorboards underneath are permanently on display.

But with weatherboards, high ceilings and original VJ walls, its charm is still apparent, says Karen Pierce, of Ray White South Brisbane.

“You can see they enclosed the front bullnose verandah, probably some time in the 1970s but that’s when everyone did it as a way to make more space,” Ms Pierce says.

“There’s huge potential here to transform this cottage back into something beautiful. And what a lot of people are doing now is keeping the front part of the house and extending out the back with something new and contemporary.”

There’s certainly room to do that here. The house sits on 567 square metres, which Ms Pierce described as “Kangaroo Point acreage”.

There’s also two-street frontage with fully approved plans to keep the original cottage and develop a second dwelling on a separate title.

For sale, offers over $800,000.

90 Toohey Road, Tarragindi

If mid-century is more your style, this architecturally designed house on Brisbane’s south side is ready to be transformed.

Agent Trent Thomas of McGrath Annerley/Yeronga says it was built in era where quality and workmanship mattered.

“People are really beginning to recognise how important this era is,” he says.

“There’s certainly been a movement towards mid-century furniture and it’s the same for houses of that vintage too. We get a lot of people who not only want to buy houses like this, they want the original furniture that’s still in there too.

“It’s a different feel to what you get in a Queenslander but I think it’s important these features are preserved – and we’re certainly seeing a lot of buyers who feel the same way.”

Featuring high ceilings, brick feature walls, original timber panelling and large glass sliding doors with original hardware, the house is far more open plan than most of its era.

It’s for sale by negotiation.

Main Avenue, Coorparoo

This 1920s house is a landmark to locals in the Coorparoo area, long admired for its grand proportions and private 1017 square metre allotment.

It’s so loved, it has been in the same family for more than 70 years and stands today in pristine, unspoilt condition, agent Tim Altass says.

“It really is a masterpiece. The sheer size of it is incredible, particularly the living area. It’s so rare,” Mr Altass says. “It’s still very original but also very liveable, so someone could live in it the way it is for a long time – but it could also handle a big renovation without the danger of overcapitalising.”

The house features stunning leadlights, archways, 3.6-metre ceilings, ornate plasterwork and beautiful timber panelling.

Set in a unique position with no neighbours, it has private leafy grounds and about 34 metres of road frontage.

The house is listed for $995,000.