Ronnie and Georgia make the flip to the rental market

We’re used to renovation gurus Ronnie and Georgia Caceres transforming homes and then selling them upon completion, but this time they’re holding on to their latest project as a long-term investment property.

In what will be their 16th renovation, the couple have bought an 805 square metre property in Embleton and are renovating the original home to rent out. Taking advantage of the block’s corner orientation and size, and recognising WA’s need for more housing, they have subdivided the 350sqm backyard and put it up for sale on reiwa.com.

Ronnie and Georgia have been WA favourites since hitting our screens in 2017, appearing on Channel Nine’s The Block, and earlier this year became the faces of the new reiwa.com campaign.

We sat down with them for an exclusive interview where they revealed the reason they’ve decided to hold onto their latest renovation, and the plans to have one of the most stylish rental properties on the market.

Why did you decide to go down the rental path instead of your usual flip to sell?

Ronnie: Six months ago I thought to myself, I love what I do and I love renovating, but my body will give up at some point. We can’t renovate other people’s homes forever. Investing allows us to continue our passion for renovation and provide a retirement plan for the future.

Georgia: We’d always say to ourselves, imagine if we’d kept them all instead of selling? But we weren’t in a position to do that before. There is so much demand for rental properties in WA currently, and that doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon, so we decided now it’s the right time to make that commitment to a long-term investment property. But we also want to make sure we create a lovely home that someone will enjoy living in. 

What are your plans for the property?

Georgia: We’re turning the home into a Palm Springs oasis! We’ve opened up the living and dining areas, knocking down and moving walls to create open spaces. We want the home to be light and bright from the moment you walk in.

Ronnie: I’ve installed skylights to bring in more natural light and added an ensuite to the master bedroom to make it feel more like a private retreat. We wanted to include original features to retain the heritage but also suit modern living.

Georgia: Ronnie's built in a breakfast bar for extra seating and has extended the kitchen area to include a walk-in pantry. Soft pastel hues will feature throughout, think mid-century modern design with a playful twist. We want to make it fun, but it must also feel like someone’s home.

What made you choose Embleton?

Georgia: We’ve always loved the area, it’s a pocket that not many people know about. You get these undeveloped 1950s character homes which are a renovator’s delight. We’ve lived and worked in the surrounding suburbs for years, so we’re very familiar with Embleton. We like to renovate in areas we know.

Ronnie: What I look at, because I’m the one who’s renovating it, is how far away Bunnings is, and it’s only 1.3 kilometres! But in all seriousness, there’s so much development in the area with the new Bayswater Waves across the road and the Bayswater Train Station, it was a massive drawcard for us.

How did you choose the agent to sell your block?

Georgia: We found our agent, Aaron Storey, through reiwa.com’s Agent Finder. No one had sold more property in Embleton than Aaron, so he was our first choice.

Ronnie: Aaron came over to the property and he knew every house in our area. He could tell us the sales history of the area off the top of his head. Having worked in the industry myself, I know it really pays to go with a local agent who knows their suburb back to front as they can get you the best result come sale time.

How long is the renovation expected to take?

Georgia: It will be around four months, Ron-Dog is an absolute madman when he has a project, he works non-stop. People think it’s me cracking the whip, but I couldn’t drive him harder than he drives himself!

Ronnie: I’m going as fast as I can, by doing a lot of the work myself and being here full-time every day before sunrise until after sunset. We know WA has a severe housing shortage so we’re trying to get this on the market as soon as possible.

REIWA: Keep an eye out for Ronnie and Georgia’s property on the rental section of www.reiwa.com in the coming months. Or if you’re looking to build your own home from scratch, check out their listing for the subdivided land and consider becoming their neighbours on their own ‘block’ at Embleton!