Selling Houses Australia celebrates 200 episodes with a deserving family in St Huberts Island
Our 200th episode on St Huberts Island was exactly that – a moment where the heart of Selling Houses Australia aligned perfectly with the heart of the family we were helping
Photography Selling Houses Australia/Lifestyle
Dennis Scott, Wendy Moore and Andrew Winter celebrate 200 episodes of Selling Houses Australia.
Amelia and James, two dedicated paramedics, bought their modest island home with every expectation of building a joyful, chaotic life here with their young son and soon‑to‑arrive twin baby boys. But life had other plans. One of their twins, baby Pat, was born with serious health challenges, and their weeks soon became filled with emergency trips, specialist consultations and long hospital stays in Sydney – 90 minutes away from their beloved Central Coast home. The emotional and financial pressure was relentless.
They needed to sell their home to move closer to lifesaving medical care. And the last thing they could afford time or money for was to focus on a home renovation. So this time, the makeover wasn’t about market strategy. It was about love, community, and hope – and we pulled out all the stops to give it to them.
“Every minute this family spends together is precious – and helping them get more of those minutes mattered more than any renovation” ~ Interior designer Wendy Moore, Selling Houses Australia
Parents Amelia and James wanted to stay in their home forever, but need to move for their sick child.
The most deserving family
Every family we meet on Selling Houses has a story, but Amelia and James’ story stayed with all of us long after filming wrapped. Two paramedics who spend their working lives saving others, while doing everything they can to care for three small boys.
Every hospital admission fractured the family – one parent in Sydney with Pat, the other on the Central Coast juggling twin duty and toddler chaos. It was beyond exhausting, and we knew we had to help them. Their goal was to sell the property, relieve financial stress and move closer to the hospital. The end game: more time together. Here’s what we did:
Kitchen St Huberts Island: reclaiming function, restoring calm
With three little boys and round‑the‑clock medical demands, the existing kitchen offered neither function nor calm. It was cramped, dark and lacking storage, with appliances squeezed in wherever they could fit. Amelia and James were doing the work of five people in a space built for one. The new kitchen needed room to breathe.
To achieve this, I replanned the entire floor layout, moving the kitchen into the oversized lounge area so it could become the heart of the home, open, spacious, and connected. We installed stunning Caesarstone Glacier Flow across the benchtops and splashback, chosen for its soothing wash of soft white and warm veining.
Cabinetry in Green Blue Supermatt, Blonde Ash Likewood, and Off‑White Matt from Tesrol layered subtle colour variation, while Blanco Lexa sinks and satin‑gold Linus‑S taps offered quiet luxury.
Practicality came through integrated appliances, a hidden laundry zone, and generous storage.
While some areas needed more space, the living room needed less!
The living room in St Huberts Island
The original lounge was huge but visually heavy, disconnected and cold. What Amelia and James needed was somewhere the boys could play safely, and where the two of them could sit for a rare quiet moment without the house reminding them of everything unfinished.
The living room and kitchen now form one open, cohesive area, much more functional for family living.
We softened the palette with Taubmans Alpine Snow and textural whites through Veneta sheers and blockout curtains. Timber‑look Mooloolaba Cove flooring from Flooring Xtra grounded the room, while Sierra and Encanto pendants from Beacon Lighting added a restful glow overhead.
Two large sofas, gentle coastal styling, and plants helped cut the scale into comforting zones. The entire space now feels cocooned, soothing, and gently coastal – just like the island outside.
A twin shower elevates this ensuite bathing zone to elite
Bathroom in St Huberts Island, Selling Houses: a true sanctuary
Originally, the home had only one very small bathroom, impossible for a family of five, especially one navigating medical complexities. So I reconfigured the floor plan to create a new master bedroom with ensuite, turning the old kitchen and laundry into a private retreat for Amelia and James. Bonus because the plumbing for the original kitchen was repurposed for the beautiful new ensuite!
The new main bathroom features:
Ingrain Ash 1200mm wall‑hung vanity from The Blue Space
Travertine‑look tiles and Chic travertine mosaics from National Tiles
A Bao 1700mm freestanding bath, also The Blue Space
Chrome Indigo tapware
The ensuite (pictured) introduces soft colour through a Saxby Blue vanity, brushed‑gold fixtures, and delicate London Sky mosaic tiles. Both bathrooms are warm, calm, and restorative, everything this family desperately needed.
Renovated bedrooms for rest and play
All three original bedrooms were cramped and tired. We recarpeted in Monteverde Meadow from Flooring Xtra, freshened walls with Alpine Snow by Taubmans and gentle feature colours, and added blockout curtains to help manage sleep for both kids and parents.
Staging ensured each room felt bright, safe, and welcoming, a place where a tired family could come home to rest.
Outdoors styling: Palm Springs meets practical parenting
The old facade was dark, brown, and uninviting, a house that hid rather than welcomed. And the backyard, despite its AstroTurf practicality, felt sterile and closed off. So Dennis created a modern‑coastal Palm Springs exterior, complete with:
A restored façade in crisp white
New window trims and a more open entry
Textured breeze‑block walls
A dramatic canary palm as a vertical focal point
A transformed driveway using PebbleCrete for instant street appeal
Out back, he established an inviting grassed area, a generous entertaining deck, bench seating and a true indoor–outdoor flow. A place for the boys to play, and for Amelia and James to reconnect; one that finally matched the island lifestyle.
Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter with homeowners Amelia and James.
The sales history of Selling Houses St Huberts Island
Before the renovation, the home struggled for three full months without a single offer. The layout was too compromised, the presentation too dated, and buyers couldn’t imagine themselves in the space, especially with only one bathroom.
Post‑renovation? The property became a four‑bedroom, two‑bathroom family home with a brand‑new identity, polished from façade to backyard. With the support of the incredible local community, trades, volunteers, and suppliers, the transformation was nothing short of extraordinary.
Within a month, Amelia and James accepted $1.4 million, allowing them to move back to Sydney, close to hospital care, and together as a family.
Who pays for the renovations on Selling Houses Australia?
On this occasion, our 200th episode celebration, the renovation was funded entirely through the production and the generosity of our partners and volunteers. Our lovely homeowners did not pay this time - which was absolutely life‑changing for Amelia and James. We wish them and the boys all the best of luck!
