MARTINO COTTAGE 2 – The subdivided block
Having transformed the first cottage into a lovely coastal abode to live in, we were ready to tackle the rear block and bring in a relocatable property as a renovate for profit project. We purchased this 1940’s Queenslander from Brisbane to relocate to our block on the North Coast NSW. Unfortunately after we bought it, the Brisbane flood storms hit and the home became quiet damaged while it was being stored. So now we had another derelict house that needed lots of work – take 2.
The home was a long narrow cottage, as you can see above. We planned to turn it longways and make the front entrance on the existing side wall of the house to suit our block dimensions. With thoughtful renovation planning, we wanted to create a classic cottage with a modern interior. Now we had $10,000 worth of extra work to repair the damage, we needed to be careful not to blow our budget.
No problem travelling from Brisbane, but we knew it would be a delicate operation moving the house down the back lane as it was a tight fit.
We stripped out the kitchen and then reused the existing cupboards.
New plaster work, light fittings, sliding doors and windows made the family room work well. We reused the existing kitchen cupboards and appliances added a new stone benchtop and some new shelving. Opening up the kitchen to the family room allowed the rooms to have more light and create a feeling of space.
With new neutral toned paint, new railings and the conversion of a room into a garage, you wouldn’t recognise this coastal cottage as the original city house. The house sold in 2 weeks and we were thrilled with the result.
I feel we turned an ordinary home into something extraordinarily cute and so happy with how it turned out. Once the trees grow this little cottage will truly be beautiful. We sold the home quickly – yeh!