WHAT I'VE LEARNT ABOUT...flipping houses

Does the phrase “renovate for resale” fill you with sadness and puzzlement? Or am I alone? It’s never made sense to me because it implies a total lack of care or thought. It indicates an “it’ll do” mentality.

- CHRISSIE SWAN

Recently, I made the mistake of walking through the vacant property I bought with a view to live in “down the track”. Because “down the track” wasn’t going to happen, I thought I’d do what sensible people would and sell the house to whoever wanted it.

As soon as I was reunited with the floorplan, I was a goner. The windows! The wood panelling! The 70-year-old bathroom tiles in mint condition!

My next mistake was to pull up the ancient carpet hoping to polish the boards “for a refresh”. Finding unusable timber with giant hole was the beginning of the end. Suddenly, I was looking down the barrel of a lot more than just a “trick up”.

Then, of course, the walls whispered to me. They told me the house’s name was Judy, and I fell in love all over again. I felt beholden to bring this house to life with my own bare hands and beating heart. And this isn’t the first time this has happened.