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Short Tales
  • 6/25/2025
#ShowFilm98
Transcript
00:01Tonight on House Hunters...
00:02Is this our street? Are we getting close?
00:04Claire's grabbed best mate Brie to help her find her new family home.
00:08Oh, wow.
00:09But will a friend's advice...
00:11It is original kitchen.
00:12It's an original mistake.
00:14Keep Claire from making a big mistake herself.
00:16I'm falling in love with it, honestly.
00:18I'm not sure.
00:1925 kilometres west of the heart of Sydney,
00:31you'll find the vibrant and bustling city of Parramatta,
00:35Western Sydney's CBD,
00:37and one of the fastest-growing areas in New South Wales,
00:41also where we find tonight's House Hunters.
00:44My name is Claire.
00:45I'm Breed.
00:46I'm Claire's friend.
00:47And I'm Claire's wingwoman.
00:49Breed is helping out,
00:50as Claire's hubby Nick is overseas for work,
00:53and they need to move ASAP,
00:55as they've already sold their current home.
00:57If you want to be the good cop or maybe the bad cop,
00:59that'll work really well for me.
01:00Well, that's good.
01:01I mean, I get carried away, so let's do it.
01:03Claire does see the best in everything,
01:05so I need to try and keep her grounded.
01:07And I really enjoy spending other people's money,
01:09so...
01:10Very excited.
01:11And we're going to get in the car,
01:13then we go to the playground.
01:14They plan to upsize
01:16from a tiny three-bedroom apartment
01:18to a four-bedroom family house.
01:20I've been living in Australia now for 11 years
01:22with my partner, Nick.
01:24He's a Kiwi too.
01:25We moved over here together,
01:26and now we have three little Aussies of our own.
01:28How do Kiwis feel about that?
01:30Aggressive.
01:32But those little Aussies don't stay small for long.
01:35We now both work from home all the time, pretty much,
01:38and the kids are just growing,
01:39so we need a bit more space.
01:41We need a lot more space, really.
01:43So, what does this optimist want from her new home?
01:46I'm looking for a mansion perfectly at the top of a mountain
01:49and a slide into my very own heated moat.
01:54Hmm, tricky.
01:55Maybe we start with your deal-breakers, then.
01:57Having two family areas so we can keep the toys
02:00and the grown-up stuff separate.
02:01Some room outside to play will be fantastic
02:03and is a non-negotiable.
02:05We need to have some room for the children outside
02:07to burn off some energy.
02:08Nick would love to have a pool as well,
02:10especially one where those kids can swim,
02:12we can swim with them and have a really fun time in the summer.
02:15On my list of requirements for Claire's house,
02:17for our house, is proper work from home space,
02:20good proximity to cafes and shops as well.
02:24And it's a house that's ready to move into
02:26and doesn't need very much work.
02:30Hi!
02:31Hi! Come in!
02:32Thank you, thank you.
02:33Come in.
02:34Thank you so much.
02:35So, how much can these two spend?
02:38How is your budget?
02:40We're looking at between 1.7 and 1.8.
02:42And have you thought about your monthly repayments?
02:44No, we haven't yet.
02:45I was thinking maybe we could have a look
02:46at the Aussie mortgage repayments calculator.
02:49Alright, let's check it out.
02:51Okay, so we put the loan amount in
02:53and that tells us what the repayments are
02:55and if we make additional payments then the loan comes down.
02:58Okay, that's good.
02:59Oh, we got some money!
03:01We've got some data about the money.
03:03Yay!
03:04Well that's good, knowledge is power!
03:06Now let's go spend that power!
03:08Let's go buy a house!
03:11Yes!
03:12Love a girl's trip.
03:16Reid and Claire.
03:18House hunting duo.
03:20Let's go spend some of your money.
03:24We are off to Toon Gabby today, Claire.
03:27We're in such an industrial area.
03:29We're not in an industrial area.
03:31I don't see cafes or bars.
03:33This house has got four bedrooms, three bathrooms,
03:37a pool, which is a bonus.
03:39Great!
03:40Hopefully it's fairly ready to go.
03:42Looks like people really maintain their gardens.
03:45Does that mean that they're going to be nosing it out of the yard if I'm slack though?
03:48Well, absolutely.
03:49It keeps you on your toes.
03:52Oh, we're in a cul-de-sac.
03:54Okay.
03:55I'm showing this house to Claire and Breed because I feel it's going to tick a lot of boxes for them,
04:07even though it might need a little bit of work.
04:09This front yard is enormous.
04:10This is a nice space.
04:11It looks like a 1980s sort of a house.
04:14This was built in 1982.
04:16Bingo!
04:17And the price for this one is 1.8 million.
04:20So that is definitely a concern.
04:22Our budget's 1.8.
04:23That is on the older side.
04:25Some of the things that are original might be reaching the end of their lifespan.
04:28So if we're looking to renovate them,
04:30is there going to be any room left in the budget to make changes?
04:34Okay.
04:36I really love this window out here looking out onto the garden and the street.
04:40Is this the only living room?
04:42This is the living room, but wait, there's more.
04:45Steak knives.
04:46Please tell me she gets steak knives.
04:49We do have a second living area.
04:51The adults' living room.
04:52Oh, the grown-up yard.
04:53Oh, yes.
04:54Okay.
04:55That makes much more sense.
04:56There's a lot of stuff here that's original.
04:58Even though the stuff isn't broken or gone, that stuff's now 40 years old.
05:02It is on the older side, being a house from the early 80s.
05:05Great vintage.
05:08I'll have to take your word for it, Claire.
05:09Kid of the 90s here.
05:13Kitchen time.
05:14Two of us are still here and I feel like we've already filled this whole space.
05:17Kind of.
05:18I mean, if I'm unloading the dishwasher here and you want to run and get something from the kitchen, I'll be like, get out of my way.
05:24I mean, this is a very old school worktop.
05:29I don't think I've ever seen this kind of bench in my life.
05:32It is original kitchen.
05:33It's an original mistake.
05:34Ouch!
05:35Savage!
05:36The good thing is, look, you have a huge space.
05:40So you can get rid of this and then you have a brand new kitchen.
05:44The only thing is, if we do move this, then you need to redo all the tiles because it's not tiled underneath.
05:48But that would really open you up to do a matching floor through this room into the living room.
05:53That sounds amazing.
05:54Are you paying for this enormous renovation that you're just planning for me?
05:57Investment in your future, Claire.
05:59Heading upstairs, there's three good sized bedrooms for each of Claire's little Aussies.
06:06But the main bedroom isn't much bigger.
06:10An ensuite, that's really nice.
06:12And a walk-in wardrobe as well.
06:14I wonder if that's going to feel a bit too small.
06:16This is the only room that's going to have two grown-ups living in it.
06:20And those two grown-ups need two separate areas to work from home.
06:24The office.
06:25This is a good size.
06:29It's not got any view.
06:30It's got a window, but there's no natural light coming through.
06:32So it is a dark room.
06:34Is this really a room you could sit in, like, for eight hours or longer?
06:37Hmm.
06:38Hmm.
06:39Reid is not convinced.
06:41Where does this go?
06:43Oh, outside!
06:45Oh, wow.
06:46This is huge.
06:47Wow.
06:48This is a good area.
06:49This is a lovely flat bit of land.
06:51We could have a trampoline out here.
06:52Yeah.
06:53There could be heaps of space out here for games and stuff.
06:55But we do have neighbours right there on the other side of the fence, too.
06:58Hmm.
06:59But there's something you'll love over the other fence.
07:02Oh, my gosh.
07:03Look at the size of this pool.
07:05This is very extra.
07:08Love it!
07:09There is a lot of maintenance.
07:11Mm.
07:12So you've got a beautiful Calistomon overhead it.
07:14A Calist...
07:15A Calista...
07:16What?
07:17I think that's bottle brush to you and me.
07:19But that will always be shedding leaves and bits of flowers and pollen and stuff.
07:24Mm.
07:25I'm really loving this one.
07:26My only concern, I think, is that it really is at the top of our budget.
07:31The area feels really nice.
07:33Going back to our checklist, no cafes or bars.
07:36Well, I saw it.
07:37The cafes are just a ten-minute walk.
07:39A ten-minute walk is not close by.
07:41We have multiple living areas and there might actually be room for a workspace in there as well.
07:46I'm not sure how much space there is to create a study nook.
07:50But we have a whole office.
07:52There is a good office for one of you.
07:55This is at the top of our price range.
07:57That doesn't leave any room for any improvements.
08:00Is this going to be the right house for us, considering the budget?
08:04Good question, Claire, as the next house is cheaper and an absolute cracker.
08:09Oh, wow.
08:10This is lovely.
08:11This is nice.
08:13We wouldn't have to do a thing in here.
08:16Mother of three, Claire, is hunting for a new family home in the city of Parramatta.
08:24And with her husband currently working overseas, she's brought along her friend Breed to help out.
08:31Thank you so much for coming with me, honestly.
08:34I love spending other people's money.
08:37Claire is after a house with two living spaces.
08:41I really love this window out here, looking out onto the garden and the street.
08:45A big backyard and a pool.
08:47Oh, my gosh.
08:48Look at the size of this pool.
08:51At the moment where we are, we don't have separate areas for like play, meals and working.
08:57Yep.
08:58So having somewhere that you can still have family stuff and it be separate from the work is really important.
09:02As well as needing two work from home spaces, Breed also thinks Claire should buy a house close to shops and cafes.
09:08So the next house they're checking out is in the bustling suburb of North Rocks.
09:13Oh.
09:14This is nice.
09:15I like it.
09:16House number two, the charming entertainer.
09:17List price, $1.73 million.
09:18It's easy parking.
09:19I like that.
09:20Lovely facade.
09:21Mm-hmm.
09:22Is there a garden over here?
09:23I think there is.
09:24Oh, look.
09:25So there is.
09:26Hello ladies.
09:27How are you today?
09:28Great to see you then.
09:29This is four bedroom.
09:30Mm-hmm.
09:31Two bathrooms.
09:32Great.
09:33And the price guide is $1.73.
09:34Okay.
09:35I really like the price guide on the house.
09:36Our budget is just a little above that.
09:37So the price is great.
09:38Oh.
09:39This is nice.
09:40Super cute.
09:41Really high ceilings.
09:42Love that.
09:43But yeah, I don't love the tiles.
09:44I'm not a big fan of tiles throughout the whole house.
09:46Because as soon as you do it, it's nice.
09:47It's nice.
09:48It's nice.
09:49It's nice.
09:50It's nice.
09:51It's nice.
09:52It's nice.
09:53It's nice.
09:54It's nice.
09:55It's nice.
09:56It's nice.
09:57It's nice.
09:58The whole house.
09:59Because as soon as you drop something, it will smash.
10:01I do love the tiles.
10:02It's very Mediterranean.
10:03That's true.
10:04You're more cultured than I am.
10:07Ooh.
10:08Let's see if those cultured tiles continue on into the main bedroom.
10:11Oh wow.
10:12Oh wow.
10:13This is lovely.
10:14This is nice.
10:16This outlook is gorgeous.
10:19I love the window.
10:20Nice high ceiling in here as well.
10:22Yeah.
10:23This is beautiful.
10:24I like that there's no tiles in the bedrooms.
10:26I love the carpet.
10:27And there's an ensuite here as well.
10:28That looks like a really big sized shower.
10:30Decent shower, toilet.
10:31This is really nice.
10:32I love that.
10:33So far, inside is really impressing.
10:37So let's hope they love the work from home space too.
10:40Oh wow.
10:41Oh this is nice.
10:42This is so well thought out.
10:44This is an impressive use of a small space.
10:47I love this.
10:48Could we have two workspaces here though?
10:50Yeah, it's very tight.
10:51Probably one person's office I think.
10:52Yeah, it would be just one.
10:53So yeah, Nick would love this.
10:54But then where am I going to wear it?
10:55Uh oh.
10:56Maybe the kitchen will benefit the bill?
10:57I love this.
10:58What a huge kitchen.
10:59This is gorgeous.
11:00We wouldn't have to do a thing in here I don't think.
11:01There's heaps of storage.
11:02This is massive.
11:03I love it.
11:04Well, if it's true that kitchens sell houses, it looks like this place is salt.
11:22But what about the all important living room?
11:25This is really, really lovely.
11:27Is this the only living room?
11:29Yes, it is.
11:30It's quite spacious.
11:31But yeah, that's the only living room.
11:32Okay.
11:33Wonder if that would work for us.
11:35We do only have the one indoor living area.
11:37So it might be challenging to have enough workspace and play space for everybody.
11:42You've got the one office up there, so you still need another office.
11:45This area is actually the perfect size for setting up a desk, a bit of a shelving on the side of the desk.
11:51Is that going to be too close to the living space though?
11:53Your kids are in school during the day, so.
11:56Mama's going to make some money.
11:58Time for the mummers to move outside.
12:02This is a huge space.
12:03I mean, it would be so ideal to have friends around for barbecues and parties and stuff.
12:08I do like how much space is out here.
12:10Land is the only thing they're not making more of.
12:12So anything when you've got a good chunk of land is a good thing, is a positive.
12:16So the big backyard is an initial hit.
12:19Let's check out the pool.
12:20This is nice.
12:21We definitely did want a pool, but I've got a feeling this might be a little small.
12:25A little?
12:26I've seen baths that are bigger.
12:28I think this is really, really lovely.
12:31The size is great.
12:32I love the high ceilings as well, all through the house.
12:35Love that it has a pool, but it is definitely on the small side.
12:38Hardly any work needs to be done on the house itself.
12:40The price guide on the house is really, really good.
12:42So we are in a comfortable position to think, you know, could we make a few cosmetic changes?
12:47But there is only one living room.
12:49When Nick is in the country, you're two fairly full-time work from home people.
12:53So you need dedicated desk space.
12:55And there just isn't lots to offer space in this house.
12:59The next house delivers big time on Breed's turnkey request.
13:04Wow!
13:06This is glamorous.
13:08It's so, so lovely.
13:12Our house hunters are back on the road, hoping to find a new home in the Parramatta area for Claire's family of five.
13:19I'm going to get this one.
13:22Claire wants a home with two living spaces, a pool and a big backyard.
13:26This is a huge space.
13:29Is this our street?
13:30Every time I see a for sale sign, I'm like, is it us?
13:33Oh, no, we do.
13:34I'm like, oh, is this the one?
13:35Breed, who is helping out while Claire's hubby is overseas, wants to make sure the house is move-in ready
13:41and that they also get two working from home spaces.
13:44Today, they're hitting up the leafy suburb of Baucom Hills.
13:48But this next house is not in Claire's desired area and is 15 minutes from Parramatta.
13:54Oh, that's a nice house.
13:56That looks massive.
13:57Oh, my gosh.
13:58People in Baucom Hills like their big houses.
14:01Big families.
14:02That's true.
14:03Well, we like a big house, don't we?
14:05Or everybody works from home and needs office space.
14:07Definitely.
14:08Here we are.
14:09Okay.
14:10House number three, the Tranquil Corner.
14:13List price, $1.78 million.
14:16This is beautiful.
14:17Mm.
14:18The lawns are amazing.
14:19It is beautiful.
14:20Off to a great start.
14:23Let's hope they think the inside is also beautiful.
14:27Hey, good morning.
14:28How are you?
14:29Good, good.
14:30How's your morning?
14:31It's a beautiful four-bedroom house in Baucom Hills with three bathrooms.
14:35Land size is amazing.
14:36It's fully renovated, so they don't need to worry about doing any work.
14:39It's ready to move in-house.
14:40Fully renovated?
14:41Breed will be happy with that.
14:44Ooh.
14:45Nice.
14:46Wow.
14:47This is beautiful.
14:52This is glamorous.
14:53It really is.
14:54This feels really kind of grown up and lovely.
14:57I love these floors.
14:59These are beautiful.
15:00I think this is a smart way they've created a bit of storage space, but it's got this very
15:06statement brick on it.
15:07Mm.
15:08Also, we see it on the other side of the room.
15:10I like it.
15:11Awkward.
15:14Beautiful outlook from these huge windows.
15:17It is beautiful.
15:18I love a really big window.
15:19That view is really nice, isn't it?
15:21Nice recovery, Breed.
15:23So, is this the only living area?
15:25Ah, yes.
15:26This is a decent size.
15:28But Agent Ben knows she's eyeing off space to work from home.
15:32You could turn one of the meals area into a study area as well.
15:35Like make that a little office-y space?
15:37Yeah, maybe.
15:39Working from home, problem solved.
15:41Right from opening the front door, I was really blown away.
15:44That living area at the front was just stunning.
15:46Because this does feel like a really grown up area.
15:48Mm.
15:49It would be a shame to fill it up with toys and pens.
15:51Yeah.
15:52Then let's head to a room you'll fill with cheese and chocolate.
15:55Or is that just me?
15:56Oh, let's go into the kitchen.
15:58Oh, this is beautiful.
15:59Oh, this is nice.
16:01This feels really modern.
16:03I love the big double sink.
16:05Good storage.
16:06Mm, I think so.
16:08Here's all the way up.
16:09That is cool.
16:10I love it.
16:11Okay, I'm actually just jealous of this.
16:12I'll hide my chocolates right up there.
16:14I knew it.
16:15I can always tell a fellow chocoholic.
16:18But wait, there's more.
16:20More free steak knives or free saucepans.
16:23Oh, oh, no.
16:24He probably means the multi-purpose room off the kitchen.
16:28This is a nice big room.
16:29You've got playroom potential here as well.
16:32Definitely.
16:33It feels really eerie and lovely.
16:34I love this fan.
16:36Hopefully she's a fan of the main bathroom as this house is really stacking up.
16:41Oh, I love this.
16:43Wow.
16:44This feels really glam.
16:46Oh, this is bringing up wrinkles I shouldn't be able to see.
16:49We'll turn down this light.
16:51And across the hall is the main bedroom.
16:54Oh, this is nice.
16:55Look at this.
16:56Oh, this is a lovely bedroom.
16:59I agree.
17:00Why don't you check out the backyard?
17:02Lovely.
17:03Wow.
17:04This is pretty glam.
17:05Oh, this is beautiful.
17:06This is beautifully finished.
17:07Wow.
17:08Mmm.
17:09Wow.
17:10I could put on like a play from up here.
17:13It feels quite grand up here looking down.
17:15It does.
17:16I know, right?
17:17And look, there's some grassed area for the kids to play on.
17:20Overall, this house is so beautiful.
17:22The backyard is so calm, so private.
17:25So much bling for not so much cha-ching.
17:28This is a really beautifully presented house.
17:31You really could just move right in.
17:33The kids' play space would definitely be limited.
17:36We don't really have a place for playing and working.
17:39Being such a beautiful house within the budget, I mean, that's hard to walk away from
17:44even if some of the rooms maybe aren't obviously an office in a kid's bedroom.
17:48I know you wanted a pool and I know you wanted more room for trampolines and things.
17:51But it was so ready to go, you would never have to stress about anything.
17:55For that price and a house that looks like this with this much space, it's a tough decision.
18:00Definitely.
18:01I'm falling in love with it, honestly.
18:03It's so, so lovely.
18:05It's decision time for Claire.
18:07Will she go with her head?
18:09I mean, it's definitely worth considering for something so stunning.
18:12Or her heart.
18:13Is this a house you think you could see yourselves living in?
18:16Yeah.
18:19In Western Sydney, Claire is on the hunt for a home for her family of five with bestie Breed
18:25while her hubby is overseas with work.
18:27Claire wants a house with two living spaces, a large yard for the kids to play in and ideally a pool.
18:33Breed wants them to have two working from home spaces, be close to cafes and to be turnkey
18:39without any improvements needed.
18:42Nice night for it, Vino.
18:44Let's talk about Backyard Bless.
18:47I really loved walking around that property.
18:49We could have a trampoline out here.
18:51There could be heaps of space out here for games and stuff.
18:53This one had a really great self-contained office.
18:56And I think given that there's multiple living spaces as well, we could easily be able to put an office space in that front room as well as the office down the back.
19:03The backyard was enormous and that pool.
19:07The concern I have, this is an older house.
19:10It looks like a lot of the fittings and things are original from the early 80s.
19:14The kitchen was on the smaller side.
19:16It is something that we'd want to do a bit of a renovation of.
19:19The biggest thing for me is probably the number of projects you have inside.
19:23Is this a house you think you could see yourselves living in?
19:26I think it kind of got in my mind that we'd been moving into a bit of a newer build.
19:31So the next house, the bedrooms were a really good size and we had those beautiful high ceilings as well.
19:36I really loved the character of the house and it had that really beautiful office with the built-in bookshelves.
19:43Oh, wow.
19:44Oh, this is nice.
19:45This is an impressive use of a small space.
19:47I love this.
19:48That area in the living room before you'd walk out into the backyard, which would easily fit as sort of a stand-up desk.
19:55And some office equipment.
19:57Yep.
19:58That could be someone's hidden treasure.
19:59It just depends if it's yours.
20:01Okay, and what did you think about the tranquil corner?
20:04The location was beautiful.
20:06It's slightly further out than we had been considering.
20:09Lots of grass area out the front.
20:11I really, really loved the presentation of the house.
20:14That family room up the front was really, really nice.
20:17I liked that house so much.
20:18I would nearly consider giving away one of your children just to have another office.
20:22Just put one of the kids in the garage.
20:28We're solutioning.
20:31But with a house that beautiful within the budget, I mean, it's definitely worth considering for something so stunning.
20:36Will Claire go for the enormous 80s backyard bliss with its grassed area and family-sized pool?
20:42Or the character-filled charming entertainer with its epic outdoor entertaining area?
20:48Or will the striking tranquil corner be too much for Claire to walk away from?
20:57Congratulations!
20:58We've gone with the whole backyard bliss.
21:04She fitted two desks in here.
21:07We've got a work station and an art station.
21:09We've got somewhere to work, each of us.
21:11Lots of space for everybody.
21:13Yes, it wasn't all the property, but that comes with some real charm about it.
21:16Even though there's a little bit of work to do, it's all aesthetic.
21:19None of it is urgent.
21:20When Nick's back, he can have a project.
21:22It's just a beautiful neighbourhood.
21:24We love it.
21:25But the house is not close to cafes or bars.
21:28Do you love your new house?
21:30Yeah.
21:31Where are your brothers?
21:35Hey boys, can Fleur join in too, please?
21:38Can you kick it to here?
21:39It's got an amazing backyard.
21:40The amount of sports and outdoor activities they can do is perfect.
21:44Good girl, Fleur.
21:45The Aussie website was really easy to use and the mortgage repayments calculator made things
21:50really simple.
21:51It's great to have all the info and know what we're working with.
21:53We put an offer in at 1.76 and we got accepted!
21:57So here we are!
22:01I think I made an excellent choice for Claire.
22:04Great wing woman.
22:05Great wing woman.
22:06I would have got carried away and bought them all.