An Eye For A Bargain! Queen Of Op Shopping

Savvy Louise has kitted out her son’s entire house for $5000

- Karyn Henger

There are few things more rewarding than finding treasure when you least expect it, and no-one knows this better than keen op-shopper Louise Stobart.

Louise, 57, found her passion for op-shopping 17 years ago when she and her family moved to New Zealand from Zimbabwe to rebuild their lives.

“We didn’t have a lot to start with and had to buy everything second-hand, so we’ve always had an eye for it,” says Louise.

But the bargain hunter outdid herself when she took on the challenge of furnishing her son’s house, as well as a cottage on his property, with pre-loved goods – in just six days and with a budget of only $5000.

The Hawke’s Bay gallery owner explains, “My son Jack had come back from five years working on cruise ships and bought a house in Arrowtown. He didn’t have any belongings and was a bit overwhelmed, so I said, ‘Look, don’t worry. Dad and I will come down and help you.’ I gave myself a week and he said he’d give me $5000. It was the best project I’ve ever had! It was so much fun.”

While Louise’s husband Bruce helped Jack, 28, renovate his three-bedroom home and one-bedroom cottage, Louise scoured every thrift shop and market she could find, returning each evening with a truck piled high with treasures.