Selling Houses Australia 2025 comes out of the blocks strongly with a cracking episode in which hosts Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott create a stunning before and after renovation – morphing two houses into one – knocking down walls and dated outdoor structures to create light, bright living spaces and transform a souless “prison yard” into a welcoming alfresco zone.
This is just the beginning! In Season 17 host Andrew Winter steers the team through tough and unpredictable market conditions, to help homeowners deal with sky-high cost of living pressures to flip houses with all kinds of problems, unlocking their market potential and help them move on with their lives. From an overcrowded and unloved 6-bedroom home in Sydney’s western suburbs to a heritage home in the historical town of Camden, Andrew, Wendy and Dennis show us hundreds of great ways to help us reshape our own homes – indoors and out.
We chatted with Andrew, Wendy and Dennis about what inspired them this season, the ideas we can look forward to stealing and where to watch Selling Houses Australia.
Andrew Winter – real estate expert and host of Selling Houses Australia
1. What was your favourite house flip this season?
“That’s easy, Hastings [Episode 1]. The confusing multi household layout was completely off putting for the market. Homes that are successful as ‘dual’ living usually have the independent household areas designed to give privacy to both and generally favour a a larger and smaller combination. Rather than equal portions and a layout that made privacy more of a challenge which was the case in this quirky property. Plus for me I always love seeing young home owners grabbing the opportunity to buy their first home and then move up the ladder.”
2. Where are the most important places to spend money to ensure return on investment?
“If you are selling it is a challenge as you have to review the property as a whole. If you have a limited budget don’t spend it all in the kitchen, reduce the work there and spread the love. If it is your long term home, but you still are thinking ROI, it is kitchens and bathrooms as they are the big ticket items. But adding rooms, updating layouts etc can have equal if not more ROI.”
“The ideal time [to sell] is when homes like yours in your area are selling quickly and not many are on the market.”
Andrew Winter
3. How do you know when it’s time to sell up and walk away?
“Success selling is all about timing. Not the media hype about the market in general. It is about timing that suits your financial plans. You should always avoid distressed selling, such as falling behind with your home loan, or buying before you sell! Selling timing must suit you and ideally be at a point in the market cycle when your area and home type is in high demand with little stock.”
4. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the Australian housing market over your 13 years hosting SHA?
“Apart from huge price gains? Yes it’s data, every buyer now has easy access to market research, what homes sold for and when. That’s a positive. A huge negative is the increase in unpriced properties. A sale method that used to be reserved for the unusual and the high end. Now it is a sneaky, lazy sale tactic that has spread like Covid across so many market sectors. Occasionally I can accept the method but it is currently used too much and buyers hate it.”
5. What do you love most about the Real Estate game?
“That’s simple, it’s the combination of getting to see homes and the people who live in them. I still get excited about every home I get to see, why did the owners buy it, why do they want to sell it. Have they maintained it, have they renovated, well or badly? What would I do to make it better? I have been connected residential real estate across four decades.Not many can claim to have looked around probably in excess 10,000 houses and apartments all across Australia, the UK and many parts of Europe.”
Wendy Moore – interior designer and host of Selling Houses Australia
What’s your proudest design moment for this season?
“I think one of the proudest moments was working with the team to create a fund and child-safe space in the Annandale terrace. There was an attic that was really difficult to access – and definitely not safe or easy for kids, and we came up with a way of connecting that huge area to the kids’ room directly below it. It was such a great project and I hope it inspires others with similar unused space in their home. The team sent me footage of the moment the kids saw the room and I had a little tear to see their excitement. That was a family who have gone through so much, so to create a little bit of joy was a career highlight.”
What was the biggest renovating challenge you were faced with?
“Every house is a challenge! A few that spring to mind was solving the completely terrible floorplan for the Engadine house – and wrestling the budget back from Dennis to make it happen! The kitchen was tiny and in completely the wrong place, so it wasn’t an easy fix – or a cheap one! The house in Alice Springs was a huge challenge, getting everything we needed in time to get the best result, and SO much painting to be finished in the week – and I’ll tell you, that house needed paint like no other I have seen!”
“Kitchen makeovers are definitely in the spotlight this year, and I had a huge variety of budgets to work with, so there are loads of ideas on giving your kitchen a fresh look, no matter your wallet size.”
Wendy Moore
Which was your favourite colour scheme?
“Anyone who knows me will tell you that my favourite scheme will always feature green, green, green. I find it so calming, so easy to live with. So I particularly love the scheme we used in the Castle Hill home. The scheme suited the setting, and I could feel my shoulders relax as soon as I walked in the rooms. But this season, I found some beautiful tiles that I was just desperate to use when I found the right house – and the Harrington Park home was finally the perfect opportunity. The tiles are a modern terracotta shade, and it inspired a beautiful, earthy scheme underpinned by soft blush tones – not quite pink, but very close! I absolutely love it and it’s my new favourite kitchen!”
Your top 3 tips we can steal from your renovations this season?
“Kitchen makeovers are definitely in the spotlight this year, and I had a huge variety of budgets to work with, so there are loads of ideas on giving your kitchen a fresh look, no matter your wallet size. New benchtops and handles can make an instant difference, having your cabinetry completely resprayed for a colour refresh is a great way to give a boost to a kitchen showing its age, I also completely ‘refaced’ kitchens, with new doors and panels, transforming it so completely it looks like an entirely new kitchen – there are so many ways to recreate this space, and I loved being able to try so many different approaches. There’s something for everyone.”
What’s your secret weapon for transforming a home on a budget?
“For me, the first step is always to identify the biggest problems, and then prioritise them. Try to keep it to three issues that need to be solved, it helps focus your budget and your time on the things that will make the biggest impact, on either your lifestyle, or on the value of your home. Number one: does the layout make sense for your lifestyle? Number two: how are your surfaces working? Start with your flooring – we often overlook how flooring can drive our colour schemes, and mismatched flooring interrupts the flow of a home, and can make it feel smaller and more cluttered – new flooring can solve an array of problems in one swift movement – and it definitely adds value to your home.”
Dennis Scott – landscape designer and host of Selling Houses Australia
What’s your proudest landscaping design moment for this season?
“Turning a small narrow space, Annandale episode into a show stopper packed with features like tiled outdoor areas, feature circles of turf and one of the coolest outdoor kitchens you have ever seen. Talk about packing a punch, this has it all.”
What was the biggest challenge you were faced with this year?
“Every property is a challenge. We have such a limited time to design and create spaces that are aesthetically pleasing to potential buyers. The biggest challenge I find is where to stop, where to refine just enough so it isn’t over the top and feeling like it is trying too hard. We need to focus on spaces that complement the property and have function. A bloody hard thing to do!”
“The biggest challenge I find is where to stop, where to refine just enough so it isn’t over the top and feeling like it is trying too hard.”
Dennis Scott
What are your favourite feature plants to deliver bang for your buck?
“Too many to choose, each space will dictate what plants are to be used. Sometimes a structure or a pot can be a feature on its own and the plant simply enhances the space. You don’t have to follow trends. Remember, it’s your garden and if you like the plant and it’s suited to the conditions plant it!”
Your top 3 clever tips we can steal from your landscaping renovations this season?
“Keep things simple, mulch is the hero of the gardening world in my opinion and turf is the carpet of the outside world. These three things alone can transform a space into a great first impression.”
What’s your secret weapon for transforming a garden on a budget?
“Mulch, turf and some good old fashioned hard work and sweat.”
Where to watch Selling Houses Australia
Watch Selling Houses Australia season 17 at 8.30pm on Wednesdays on Foxtel or stream on BINGE.
