LOCAL social worker Ally Wood moved to town to complete a social work placement, but since has bought and renovated two houses, learning most of her skills from watching videos on YouTube.
“The real estate told me I couldn’t afford to get a rental on my own,” she said.
“So I bought a house.”
She said that while the house didn’t require much work, the bathroom needed modifications and she decided she wanted to attempt it on her own.
“I quickly became obsessed with watching YouTube videos and Grand Designs and every other show,” she said.
Ms Wood said she’d never attempted home renovations before and didn’t know what she was doing, but she planned everything down to the millimetre for her bathroom, before hiring a tradesperson to complete the job.
“I ordered everything, the tiles, and made a 3D plan online, and had someone do it,” she said.
“But the painting and floorboards, I really like doing that myself.”
While renovating the house she was working as a social worker in the foster care system and began experiencing symptoms of burnout.
“It was obviously really challenging, and I needed a break from social work altogether,” she said.
“A friend suggested I do a trade, so I applied for a carpentry apprenticeship and did six months of TAFE study.”
Ms Wood said working in carpentry gave her a newfound appreciation for tradespeople.
“I was just so tired, and I decided it wasn’t sustainable for my body,” she said.
She said she realised she enjoyed renovating more as a hobby, rather than a form of employment.
“I think the hustle of working on a work site and to a deadline takes away the flow and creativity that I get to have at home, where I can start and stop when I want,” she said.
“If I’m having a good day I might work till 10pm and then the next day I might do none, depending on how I feel.”
She was living in the first house when she inspected a different property with a friend who was looking to buy a house.
“I was living there and then this house came up, and my friend brought me along to look at it,” she said.
“It needed work and she didn’t have time, so I decided to buy it.”
Ms Wood said the house required much more work than the first.
“The main things that had to be done here was the floors – they used to be green, thick carpet, and all the walls were dirty,” she said.
“The floorboards in the kitchen, living room and second bedroom had termite damage and needed replacing entirely.”
Ms Wood said she enjoys having a renovation project on the go, though it can be challenging to fully switch off.
“I do struggle to just sit down and relax,” she said.
“There’s always something I could be doing.”
