Season 18 of Selling Houses Australia is up and running, with hosts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott all back on board. This season is particularly special, as it features the 200th episode of Selling Houses Australia!
We recently caught up with the show’s resident interior designer, Wendy, on The Edit podcast, where she took a minute to rave about the cast and crew of the show.
“What I love about Selling Houses is that it’s so real. It’s so down to Earth, and it’s such a great team,” she said on the podcast. “They’re all there, and they all want the renovation to look great at the end.”
Wendy also revealed some behind-the-scenes tidbits from the Horrocks episode, in which the team ventured to remote Western Australia to makeover a beach shack. “[To get there, it was] two flights and an hour and a half drive or something. It was was so hot, and it was this little beach shack,” she began. “We painted the house and there was not a lot of trades [people], and there wasn’t a lot of money, and it was really hard to get people there. So, it was all hands on deck.”
However, things went awry after the team painted the home, and realised they hated the colour. Starting over again wasn’t an easy decision, but with all hands on deck, they completed the task against the odds.
“It was so hot that we had to kind of paint around the house and follow the shade because it was too hot to paint it in the sun.”
Wendy Moore
“I had all the runners, all the soundos [sound crew], all the camera guys, all the producers, some of the locals. Everyone was painting”, says Wendy. I took a little video — every single person had a paint brush in their hands. But you know what? It looked amazing. It was the right thing to do. It was community. That’s the kind of crew that it is.”
Below, we asked all three of the Selling Houses hosts for their highlights of season 18. Read on for more about this special season, and extra home tips from our experts.
Andrew Winter on 200 episodes of Selling Houses Australia
Eighteen seasons and 200 episodes, Andrew! What do you think has remained the same about the housing dilemmas Australians face? What has changed?
Australian housing dilemmas have not changed in the last few years. Affordability of buying and renting are serious issues for many Aussies. The 5 per cent deposit scheme has many critics, however, it has opened the market up to many first home buyers in the last year or so. That is a great thing.
The biggest change we are seeing with that sector is acceptance that your first home may not be a house, but a unit or townhouse.
Other than that, the government and states are continually saying what they are doing to add to the housing supply stock. All their claims are worthless until they tackle the true cost of building, so much of which is now literally government, state and council charges. This results in limited or no profit for builders and developers of smaller, lower value homes (exactly what we need), so they do not build them in any volume. A dilemma that is ongoing and unsolved. So, housing supply will remain tight.
What was your favourite house flip this season, and why?
Of course I love all episodes equally. However, the 200th is a bit of a special one, not for the house and real estate but for the story. Other than that how can I forget our regional WA story this season. It is so tiny, it is so basic, it is actually so horrible, it is so far away from anything really, except a beach. Is it really even a house?
Wendy Moore on reducing clutter, and her favourite season 18 house
Your top 3 clutter-busters that our homeowners can tackle themselves?
1. Use your ‘good’ things every day
Okay – this is a bit controversial, but I really don’t believe in having ‘good’ things, and ‘every day’ things – in tableware, linen, anything. You should use all of your ‘good’ things every day, enjoy them completely. It’s lovely to feel that you are enough to justify a ‘special occasion use’, and I also think it reduces how much we have in our homes. Just keep the beautiful things, and love them every day.
2. Clean your windows
The second one is a simple one, but it makes a huge difference – cleaning your windows inside and out. It has an instant impact: a better view of the outside, more natural light coming into the house, and that added sparkle makes everything feel cleaner. Try it, I promise you’ll be shocked at how you never noticed how much dirt is on your windows!
3. Invest in stylish storage
The third is another simple one: invest in some really simple storage boxes. Having the option of tucking your items away in an easy-access storage box makes all your spaces and surfaces feel calmer. Getting all the same colour or material adds consistency to a room, and we all have spaces we can tuck a few boxes in and under. It’s worth spending a little bit of money, but make sure you work out where the boxes will go, and measure the spaces so you know your choice will work before you get it home!
What was your favourite house flip this season, and why?
It’s so hard to choose a favourite! I love them all for so many reasons! I loved Edmondson Park (episode 3) because the family was so incredibly lovely, and had suffered such a huge loss that we all wanted to help them move forward, as well as set up their foundation for Mahi. I think that really motivated us all. I also loved the renovation because I felt it was really relatable. A lovely home with all the right spaces, but just needed an injection of warmth, softness and personality.
I also personally loved the beach shack at Horrocks (episode 6). I don’t know why I loved it so much, because it was so incredibly hard and had a tiny budget, but sometimes it’s the challenges we love! I also loved taking a risk with the exterior colour. I’m looking forward to St Huberts Island. Our 200th renovation was just an incredible experience. Such a beautiful family, such a great community, and a really fun design to do!
Dennis Scott on the season 18 garden tips you can try at home
What are three achievable things you did this season in gardens that our homeowners can try themselves?
Most things I do are achievable by homeowners, and I try to ensure that’s the case. I want people to enjoy their garden and not feel overwhelmed by it. Have a go! But if I was to choose three they would be:
1. Build an arbour
A simple timber arbour over an entry or as a feature. They can create interest and add height into your space by drawing the eye up.
2. Cut your concrete
Make a creative feature out of a large concreted area by cutting it into smaller sections and planting between them. Only limitation is your imagination. This gives it a designer feel and a fresh modern aesthetic. It’s a noisy job though!
3. Remove clutter
Pare things back. You are better to have a simple approach if you don’t know what you are doing. Don’t keep adding stuff into your garden. It will feel untidy and cramped. Let the plants, lawn and space be the hero. Pull your weeds, mow regularly, and don’t forget to mulch.
What was your favourite garden transformation this season, and why?
Loftus (Episode 4). This place went from ‘a ‘where is the front door?’ to ‘now that’s an entry!’ Throw in a fresh, modern paint scheme and oh my God. Seriously good transformation.
What was something new you tried this year that you’ve never before attempted?
Getting an entire two storey house painted in four days with bad weather, and concreting a huge entry stair feature. There are some serious works involved in both. This is where amazing tradesmen come into their own. I am happy to say I have been blessed to have met so many. Thank you!
Selling Houses Australia airs Wednesdays at 8:30 AEDT/AEST on Foxtel‘s LifeStyle Channel. You can also stream it on BINGE.
