Selling Houses Australia

I don’t know how they do it, but Pay TV’s Selling Houses Australia is far more entertaining than just about any of the local lifestyle shows on Free to Air telly.

In fact probably the only other show that gives it a run for its money is Grand Designs Australia -and both of them are brands belonging to the LifeStyle Channel.

Is it because they know how to string out a yarn without being over the top or manipulative? Is it because they unashamedly embrace the genre? Or is it because you actually learn something from the show?

It’s probably all three. Or it’s probably because of presenter Andrew Winter.

The former UK property expert just loves real estate and the people behind the front doors he meets. Now fronting his fifth season of SHA, Winter takes on unsellable houses and finds a way to spruce them up before auction. Having Winter on your side is like having a Real Estate angel looking over your shoulder.

The first episode of the new series takes on a mighty challenge: a home that was decimated by the Brisbane floods.

Yeronga residents Paul and Gloria Chapman were in the process of selling their home when the devastating floods of 2011 struck. The metre and a half of floodwaters engulfed two-thirds of their home, which had been expected to sell for $750,000.

So powerful were the waters that when Winters steps into what’s left of the house he can see all the way from one end of the house to the other. It’s just a stripped-bare shell. No walls, no wiring, no plumbing, no ceiling, bathroom or kitchen. At least there’s a pool intact outside. Ironic.

The Chapmans, so distraught by the floods, are desperate to move and leave bad memories behind. But the bank now values their home at just $440,000 and it can’t be insured. With no insurance, a potential buyer can’t get a mortgage. Making the situation even worse, there’s no yardstick in Yeronga. Nobody has sold a ‘flooded house’ in the area yet.

Winter -how did you get stuck with this one?

Assisting him are the show’s quiet achievers, Interior Designer Shaynna Blaze and Landscape Designer Charlie Albone. Blaze is especially daunted by the task ahead of her.

The budget for a rescue is just $50,000 – $60,000 (the owner’s own money). Chickenfeed given the size of the project.

“This would have to be the hardest challenge I’ve ever had to set Charlie and Shaynna, but we have to help Paul and Gloria,” Winter explains.

But even if it can be achieved -and it’s TV so you just know it will- can they be assured of a buyer?

It’s hard not to look at this case and realise there are homes like this facing the same recovery sagas across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. This gives the show a mission beyond one stand-alone dwelling.

Selling Houses Australia knows how to tell a yarn, even for those of us who aren’t in the game of renovation or selling property.

Its mix of personal stories, storytelling and DIY makes for an effortless entertainment.

No wonder it has swooped up so many ASTRA Awards and accrued so many lifestyle fans.

Selling Houses Australia returns 8:30pm Wednesday February 1st on LifeStyle