02-06-2025
Brunswick: Victorian-era house transforms after major reno
It was a very different world when Matt Smyth and his now wife Emma Rigby bought their first home, a heritage Victorian, in August, 2020.
'We bought the house on the day we went into the second lockdown. It was around the time when everyone was predicting prices would tank due to the 'mortgage cliff', so it felt quite risky at the time,' Smyth says.
The three-bedroom Brunswick home was also very different to what it is now.
'The house hadn't been touched since the 1950s but because of the significant work needed, it fell into our price range,' he says.
'With the deep block, we knew that eventually, with a lot of work, it would be a ripper house,' he adds.
And that is what the couple set out to achieve through their extensive renovations.
Due to the planning, the pandemic, and the shortage of materials, the extension took considerably more time to complete.
The extension features a large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living area built on a heated, polished concrete slab, as well as a double garage and the conversion of the old living room into an ensuite and main bathroom.
'The biggest difference from what it was before is the fact that it's warm in winter and cool in summer,' Smyth says.
'Putting in proper insulation, double-glazed windows in the extension, and providing the option of panel heaters, underfloor heating, split systems in all the major rooms and a wood-burning fire has completely changed the enjoyment of living in the classic, draughty Victorian weatherboard.'
