Love It Or List It: Modernise or sell this Queenslander?

In the latest episode of Love It Or List It Australia, Jess and Chris have a common property dilemma – update their Coorparoo heritage home or sell it? 

Jess loves the character of this Queenslander and thinks a renovation could transform the house while Chris thinks it’s better to sell it.

What should they do? Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker hosts of Love It Or List It Australia take a look and offer their advice.

List it: Why now is a great time to sell

Updating a heritage home can be costly, particularly if you don’t have any industry contacts or aren’t particularly skilled at DIY, says Winter.

Labour costs can be high and renovations can sometimes reveal other structural issues that need to be fixed in older homes.

Jess and Chris have four children under the age of ten and the layout of this lovely Queenslander doesn’t work for them as a family as there is just one bathroom.

“Renovating is not going to solve their problems.  Jess and Chris live in a lovely but small Queenslander, and with four children they simply don’t have enough space.  They also need to be careful not to overcapitalise,” he says.

The house is located in Coorparoo where the median price for a three-bedroom home like this one is currently $748,000.

“Coorparoo has become a sought-after location, especially among professionals, and property is in high-demand.  Jess & Chris don’t have any specific ties to this area, so they could sell at a good price and buy something larger and more suitable in a nearby up and coming neighbourhood.

“A trade-up purchase is actually essential to this family and they really know this so holding off makes no sense. It is also a home that, due to a bus stop outside and an old unit block next door, will have a limited value over the long term so best to cash in now while the market is good,” Winter says.

Here’s a look at the new season of Love It Or List It Australia:

Love it: This could be their forever home

Yet Whitaker says this could easily be turned into the couple’s forever home, with the right kind of renovation.

“Chris was ambivalent but Jess had an emotional connection with their small Queenslander in Coorparoo.  And yes, I admit it was a small house. But I’ve always believed the emotional bond with your home is very important, so that was a valid reason for trying to make the house work better for them,” he says.

A new layout could create more space and give the family a home that suits their needs.

“My view was that through re-planning the space, I could provide them with everything they needed. Dividing rooms up seems counter-intuitive but in this case, it allowed me to create: an additional bedroom; ensuite bathroom and walk-in robe; internal laundry plus I could upgrade the main bathroom as well as the separate living/dining area and the kids’ playroom,” he says.

Heritage homes like this can be modernised and it needn’t cost a fortune.

“Single-storey period homes like this one, with the original features retained, lend themselves perfectly to the indoor/outdoor, Scandinavian style that is so popular in Australia today. Chris and Jess’s house was no exception,” he says.

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