AN INCREDIBLE FIBRO SHACK RENO ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET
When Reno Schooler Toni Mountford needed a home in a hurry, she bought a termite-infested 1950’s fibro shack and transformed it into a gorgeous river shack for herself, hubby Tony (yes, they have the same name! #cute) and 3-year-old daughter, Cora. And all on a $120k budget!
Toni shared her story (and budget!) with us…
how did you come to buy this property?
We moved to the Sunshine Coast from Northern NSW in January 2020, to be closer to our elderly parents. The plan was to be here for a year and then head back… then COVID hit.
We needed somewhere to live in a hurry but the real estate market was on fire! I had been speaking to an agent who had a property that was in a great location, but it was under contract. A few weeks later that contract fell over and after one inspection the deal was done. We settled on our little shack in Tewantin (close to Noosa) in mid-October.
The house was an old returned serviceman’s fibro shack circa 1950, shoebox-size (6 x 17 metres) and barely habitable. It had concrete floors, but not the polished type. The kitchen was a series of cupboards and benches not even attached to the walls. The best thing in the house was an air conditioner!
“It should have been knocked over but we needed somewhere to live by Christmas, a reno was the only option.”
tell us about the reno
Originally I was going to keep the floorplan as is, to save time and money, but we found termite damage (not in the building report) and several walls needed to be removed which allowed me to make the changes I really wanted to do.
The living area was in the middle of the house with the only door to the backyard being through the laundry - very 1950s! So, I rejigged the bedrooms, moved the main bedroom and added a walk-in robe.
The living area was then open to the east-facing backyard with a double sliding glass door. I wanted French doors, but the budget said no.
Like every good Reno Schooler, Toni started with a vision board
So, here’s what we did:
Installed a new kitchen and bought new appliances. I booked the cabinetmaker the day we signed the contract and promised to use standard finishes so we could get it done before Christmas. They were my resident heroes - they were amazing!
Split the laundry to make a laundry/bathroom and an ensuite which meant two new bathrooms and a new laundry. Because of Covid, there was a shortage of plumbing supplies so we had to work with what was in stock.
All new electrics and fittings, plumbing and additional aircon throughout.
The front windows were not matching so they were replaced. The bonus was all the other windows are gorgeous louvres.
New exterior cladding to front and back, where the new doors and windows were put in.
New back deck and fold-out awning.
Awnings for front of the house.
Paint inside and out.
New front picket fence and landscaping.
New blinds.
VJ and plastering of new walls.
Evened out the concrete flooring. We did a bit of jackhammering and a flow coat in areas that were low. The floor installer went above and beyond. Then we laid new ‘Fairhaven’ Savanah vinyl hybrid flooring. The spaces are not large and I wanted the flooring to flow to help it look a bit bigger, so we ran it through the bathrooms as well.
your best budget tip?
Have a budget! Have some not negotiable items and finishes, and compromise on others. Other people love to spend your money, ask the builder to be accountable. Without a fixed price you can end up with a hardware account that has new tools you paid for but never saw.
any challenges?
Finding a builder! We really needed to be in by Christmas and mid-October is usually the cut off for ordering important items to be delivered before Christmas.
It turned out that the builder didn’t like tools or a schedule so, I got out a whiteboard and managed the trades myself. I chose and ordered the products and was on site every day, even if he wasn’t.
Be gracious to your tradies and the work they do. If they are happy to come to work, they will go the extra mile.
what do you love most about your new home?
The end result. Because we didn’t knock it down, it’s a nod to the past. It is bright and airy with the original louvres running the whole length of the north wall, something not easily achieved in an older house. I love the dining room the most, we eat every meal there. I am so happy we moved the floorplan to open up the house to the large backyard.
was this your first reno?
No, I’ve renovated three times and done four new builds. It’s my hobby!
The last place I did while pregnant with Cora. Two new bathrooms, a new kitchen, additional study, deck and pool in done over an 8 month period. We lived in it while the work was being done - not recommended! The tiles in the ensuite were being grouted on a Friday, Cora was born on the Tuesday.
We have another project which is partway through. I am doing it in stages remotely as it's in Port Douglas. It's a fabulous Hacienda-style house with lots of arches. @hacienda_house
what made an experienced renovator choose to join reno school?
I am passionate about reno'ing, but it is not for the faint hearted. I was looking to formulate on paper all the knowledge I had in my head and to find out how successful people pulled it all together.
Three Birds Reno School helped me clarify what I knew and put it together on paper. There were plenty of new things to learn and the tools like Canva, and the budgeting excel sheet was excellent.
It was helpful to know the colour and product choices they had used on different houses and I loved the plethora of contacts to draw from.
