Testimonials

"My house was very tired and dreary and in great need of a facelift. The overwhelming problem of working out where to begin and how to find reliable tradesmen led to complete inaction. I would often joke that I needed someone to step in and wave a magic wand. A spot of Googling later and along came Stevy. Her efficient co-ordination, understanding advice and great colour scheme meant that it was possible to stay in the house and witness its transformation. Friends and family are impressed and so am I! It now feels like a home."
Kath – Dulwich Hill

"On Budget Home Makeover has turned a daunting task of renovating a house into a stress free and pleasant experience. Not having used their services previously, we were a little apprehensive about retaining the services but that apprehension turned into confidence with our first telephone conversation with Stevie Rose. She put us at ease and gave us sound advice and referred us to their web site.  

We started the major project of redesigning the interior of our garage to a sports bar with only very vague ideas of what we wanted. Stevie not only helped us to clarify and then develop our ideas but also improved on them. She skillfully deployed her very efficient, helpful and cheerful team of contractors who always showed our home the greatest respect, and who completely bought into the vision.

On Budget Home Makeover certainly took the hassle out of home renovations and it was great just having one point of contact who shared the same vision as we did for the finished result. Right from the start Stevie's perception and attention to detail has been very professional and impressive. Stevie and Damian's approachable nature, enthusiasm and the quality of their trades people work skills are second to none. There is definitely a lot of psychology involved in this interior design work. And what a lovely team of people they have.

Our dreams came true, we have the trendiest home sports bar just as planned and a fantastic living space for entertaining our guests. The result of this renovation has exceeded our expectations and we are tremendously grateful to Stevie and her team.

We will definitely engage On Budget Home Makeover for our other projects in the near future and will be very proud to recommend them to our friends and family."
Sherry & Aiman ~ Concord

"This was the second time we had used Stevy. Our small court yard was basically useless and has no cover for the dogs. We ended up with a much larger court yard with a large covered area and what looks like we have added an extra room to a small terrace. The end product was much more than we were expecting. Very happy with the organisation of the work and the quality."
Brett & Sharyn ~ Annandale

"I would wholeheartedly recommend Stevy and her lead builder Damian to absolutely anyone looking to renovate. Stevy's eye for design, colour and style is fantastic. She is also not afraid to tell you what will and won't work in a space which is fantastic for bouncing ideas around during the creative process of design. She was just what we needed when we renovated our kitchen and laundry. We'd been doing adhoc jobs here and there and had started the process of getting multiple quotes for carpet, paint, etc but just didn't know where to go next or who to turn to for advice. We had some ideas but were always concerned about leaving tradies at the house and until Stevy's team I'd never known a tradesmen to clean up after himself. What a concept!

Stevy's team is so outstanding that even my neighbours complemented me on how nice and friendly they were. So if you're thinking of doing any renovations at home or on an investment property then give Stevy a call. She beat all our previous quotes from carpet to cabinetry and synchronised the installation and removal process so that it ran like clockwork, on time, on budget."
Doug & Nicolette ~ Leichhardt

"Thank you for our fantastic bathroom! You delivered so much more than we expected for our tight budget.

We loved your availability and incredibly responsive communication, attention to detail and quality of finish, choice of excellent specialist workers and ability to predict what we wanted even before we knew.

We will be calling you when we are ready to do our kitchen."
Belinda & Naomi ~ Alexandria

"I always swore I would never buy a house that needed renovating. I'd heard all the horror stories from my friends: tradies who didn't show up on time, blown budgets, bodged jobs, projects dragging on for months – not to mention the time and stress involved in choosing your paint, carpet, tiles and fittings.  A friend of  mine said it took her a whole weekend just to find white tiles… I'm a mum and a small business owner.  I didn't have the time or energy to renovate.

Then I met Stevy – who has changed my view on renovating forever. Apart from her incredible project management skills, fantastic team and renovating experience, Stevy's magic quality is her ability to tune into your tastes and budget. She quickly helped me choose a colour scheme I love and got a handle on my price/quality priorities, so she could source materials for us. 

Here's what happened next: on 28 April we exchanged on our new home – a 4-bedroom 1980s brick reno. On 29 April I handed Stevy the keys and went on holiday, leaving her and her team to renovate our home, including knocking out the old laundry and extending the master ensuite and walk-in. Just FIVE WEEKS later, we moved in. Throughout the house, we have new: wiring, plumbing, paint, lights and carpet. We also have new built-ins in the kids' bedrooms, two renovated bathrooms, a new laundry and a kitchen makeover, with marble, down-lights and a new splashback. 

Here's what we didn't have: any stress whatsoever. I chose fittings, carpet and marble by email. Stevy sent me three options – all of which worked with our colour-scheme, were in my price bracket and came up to my quality standards. Every day, Stevy sent us progress photos. We only heard about problems (damp, structural walls, delayed deliveries, broken fittings) after they had been fixed.  

In terms of the result, the team has seriously over-delivered. The quality of the work is exceptional – and the whole project came in on budget. Plus, the money we saved through Stevy's wholesale connections more than paid for her time to manage the renovation.

We have nothing but praise for the professionalism and service of Stevy and her team and are already planning our next project with On Budget Home Makeover."
Karen Pryor ~ Mona Vale

"After living in Europe for several years, on our return home we decided to renovate our house in Marrickville. We interviewed 4 renovation companies and from our first meeting with Stevie we had no doubt that she was the person we wanted to work with.   

The challenge we gave Stevie was not insignificant – renovate our house, provide a new kitchen, bathroom, colour scheme and completely change the look and feel of our home both inside and out within 6 weeks. And if this challenge was not enough, we were still based in Belgium and so most planning had to be done long distance.

Stevie managed to pull off this herculean task, on time and within budget. Stevie very quickly built up our trust through regular and detailed updates on the work undertaken. This was an enormous comfort from the other side of the world. Stevie continually added value with great ideas and her attention to detail, creativity and knowledge meant the finished product far exceeded our expectations.    

I would not hesitate to recommend Stevie and the highest praise of all – we will definitely be using Stevie for our next renovation – but we will leave it a few years to enjoy the wonderful home that she has created for us."
Jennifer & Charles ~ Marrickville

"This service suited us completely: a busy working couple with children and a dog. Our house desperately needed a number of unrelated things done just to maintain it and spruce it up. Stevie came in, advised, prioritized, and then made it happen - completely on time and on budget. The tradespeople she organized were all terrific. We can't believe what a positive (and quick!) experience it was. She liaised and assisted at every step. The colours she advised for the outside of the home look very effective, and would not have occurred to us. Stevie clearly put a great deal of thought and expertise into every step. We can't recommend her highly enough, and will definitely use her services again for our next project."
Sarah & Robin ~ Summer Hill

"Living in an older out of date home we had a long list of projects that required multiple trades people and good advice, we did not know where to start and with 3 kids we did not have time to input into making the right choices. 

Stevie helped us to prioritize the things that would add to our quality of life and add the most value to our home.  We are totally happy with the end result.  She guided us through external and internal makeovers and also inspired us to choose a darker colour palate than we originally had in mind, a choice that we are very pleased about.  It would have taken us a year to achieve what she managed in 6 weeks."
Karen & Craig ~ Leichhardt

"Morton & Morton specialise in the selling of high end lifestyle apartments across the Sydney harbour foreshore. We view professional property styling as a key factor in our overall marketing strategy in order to maximise our client's sale price.

Presenting a property not only greatly assists with selling the lifestyle associated with property but reflects well on the vendor's motivation to sell. In an ever increasing and competitive market it's paramount that our client's properties stand out.

We have used Stevie Rose to style properties that are showcased by M&M and can state first hand that her work has exceeded both our vendors and buyers expectations with regard to property presentation. "
James ~Morton & Morton Associate Director

"I would like to thank On Budget Home Makeover for assisting me in selecting the colours and interior design ideas for my new home. I found Stevie Rose to be most professional in her approach and had a great understanding of not only what improvements the home needed, but also was in tune with my requirements. I would highly recommend On Budget Home Makeover."
Julie ~ French's Forest

"We wanted to make some changes to the house that we would enjoy over the next year or so before we sell, but we didn't want to overspend. Working with Stevie we developed a detailed project plan and budget, and then left Stevie to run the show! Each afternoon we received an email with pictures of the day's work, a commentary on items completed and the plan for coming days, which became a highlight of the day!
 
We were thoroughly delighted with the work done, and the massive open span of the door to the rear garden is a new feature of the house. We have no hesitation recommending Stevie's services, and look forward to working with her again on our next Project."
Chris & Rebecca ~ Hunters Hill

"For anyone who is without the experience, knowledge, or time, to organise and superintend a renovation, Stevie is your solution. I had been desperate to do something about the tired and very dated interior of my apartment for some time, but I felt intimidated by the enormity of the task, and next to clueless about what needed to be done to achieve the vague ‘concept’ I had in my mind.

There was also the practical impediment, in my case, of getting it done, because my work commitments meant that all work would need to be done in my absence. So I continued to put it off, but when the circa 1985 hotplate in my kitchen collapsed, that was the last straw. Shortly thereafter, I met with Stevie. She impressed me with her obvious expertise, and ‘no nonsense’ approach.
 
And so it began. The entire project (which included ‘gutting’ the kitchen, laundry, and two bathrooms, painting and carpeting the interior, and more…) was managed and executed by Stevie from the get go, professionally and expertly. Although I made the decisions about design features and colour schemes, Stevie’s input was invaluable, and her suggestions, spot on. She seemed to have an excellent sense of the look and feel that I wanted to achieve, and was able to bring it all together.

The result is stunning. She sourced, coordinated and supervised the numerous skilled tradesmen who were involved in the project – something I could never have hoped to have done. The quality of their workmanship shows. No ‘horror’ tradesmen stories here, and no delays. Work was performed and completed according to schedule, and in line with the agreed plan, and budget. As for communication, no matter where I was, I was able to see, and was consulted and kept informed about what was going on, with progress reports, and by photographs forwarded electronically, as each step in the process was completed.
 
For anyone who is unable to be involved in the actual day to day business of a major renovation, this aspect of Stevie’s service (which is exceptional overall) is just fabulous. I am just delighted with the transformation of my apartment. Don’t procrastinate further about your renovation. Get Stevie and her team on the job and you will never look back. "
Jackie ~ Glebe

"I am writing to you to express my gratitude and delight with the external renovations you facilitated on my family home recently. The workpeople that you engaged to carry out the work were all professional, courteous and did extremely careful work - which resulted in the renovations being completed in a timely and efficient manner.
 
I was delighted that the work was finished before the given time frame, and to budget - thank you. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending your services; I was pleased to receive regular updates from you regarding the progress and any decisions that needed to be made - you handled all aspects with ease and in a professional manner.
 
I hope to use you again, but looking at the renovations here, we won't be needing you any time soon as they are so good! "
Kirsten and Justin ~ Balgowlah

"Thank you so much for all you have done to make our job go so smoothly and to achieve such a wonderful result. We are absolutely delighted with our wonderful new kitchen and dining room. We are looking forward to entertaining and showing it off to friends and family."
Miriam & David ~ Terrey Hills

"Many thanks, the job is highly professional. Literally the very first time I’ve had a renovation completed exactly as per proposal!"
Mrs Y Howie ~ Greenwich

"We had owned a period investment terrace for many years. We needed to renovate it to live in it for about a year and then sell. We had only six weeks to have this completed and we would have had no hope in completing it in that time period by ourselves. Even though we were “renovating to sell”, we knew that we were going to live in the terrace for the year. With this in mind we contacted a number of builders but Stevie stood out as someone who “just listened and understood what we wanted”, with no excuses. Basically we wanted to renovate to a standard that kept the structural integrity of the terrace, the terrace was to feel like a home, but we did not want to over capitalise when we went to sell in the future.

What we liked about the process was that even though we were hands off, we still had input into things that made a difference. Options were put forward with designs and colours that fitted the type of terrace in the area. Each option was correct but the decision came back to which one we liked the most.

We were sent pictures almost every day to show some of the issues, along with seeing the progress from a run down terrace to something that surprised everyone that we showed through. It will be very easy to live in and we believe even easier to get a good price when we go to sell.

In the end we fixed the cracks and painted throughout, installed a new bathroom, kitchen, laundry and separate toilet along with numerous repairs to various parts of the old terrace. We put new carpet in the bedrooms and the front and back had major work done. All this was project managed by Stevie without us actually talking to any of her trades. The workmanship seemed to be performed as though it was her own personal terrace.

Overall we were not only extremely happy with the professionalism from Stevie but more importantly that she showed us respect and the quality of the results were fantastic. We would not hesitate to use her services again and would recommend her to anyone.

Oh yes – we also came in under budget……
Brett & Sharyn ~ Annandale

"I was feeling really nervous going into our renovations as people kept telling me horror stories about shonky tradesmen, unreliable project managers and budget blow-outs. At the end, the renovation turned out to be the least stressful part of our move (into our new home) as Stevie was just so professional and such a delightful person to deal with, and the result was stunning!

Stevie was great from the very start - she had some really creative ideas and instantly 'got' what kind of look and feel we wanted, and what would go with our place - and they really worked when we saw the outcome. The quote was very detailed and listed everything. She also went out of her way to ensure we got everything we wanted within our budget and I have to say the quality was definitely not compromised in the process.

The best thing I liked about dealing with Stevie was that she sent me photos everyday with an ‘update’ email. We were not living in the premise when the work was going on but I got to look at the photos and enjoyed in amazement how the old, tired bathroom turned into the modern, bright, hotel style bathroom that I had dreamed of!

After we moved in the new neighbours told us that the workmen had been polite and pleasant and cleaned up nicely everyday too.

On Budget Home Makeover was everything we needed - I had no experience with renovations and did not really know what I wanted. It was great to deal with such a professional team who gave us great suggestions and made them happen. We are now enjoying our new home and we felt that the makeover was money well spent."
Ashley & Nelson ~ Manly

"I’m writing to congratulate you on the very major part you played in the sale of 39 Riverview Road, Clareville, which exchanged earlier this month (June 2009) for a great price in only 10 days! A phenomenal result in large part due to the way you presented the property for sale. On Budget Home Makeover is a one-stop-shop: You are able to put in place a comprehensive plan to update and present a house in the best possible way for the market in order to generate the best possible price, without the vendor having to lift a finger. And you certainly make it easier for us agents!

39 Riverview Road was transformed by you and your team in only 2 weeks! From the moment I arrived for our first ‘Open for Inspection’ the house was hardly recognisable from its original state. You did such a great job…that front verandha, so simply up-dated, made such an impact, talk about presenting a house in its best light! You managed to maintain the rustic charm of the house, while at the same time giving it a modern look.

Buyer interest was evident from day one with every attendee noting the ‘great feel’ of the house. Offers soon followed and in no time at all, the sale was achieved. The vendors’ hopes were fulfilled…in fact they were ecstatic! And you made my job so easy! We had all hoped we’d achieve a price that would cover the expenditure – and for this one we more than trebled it. Well done and congratulations.

You are lovely to work with, have great ideas, are creative but down to earth and are very reliable. I’d highly recommend your services to any potential vendors wanting to maximise the sale result for their property and minimise the time and costs associated with achieving it. I wish you all the best with future makeovers and hope to work with you again."
S Hammond ~ McGrath Estate Agent

"This property presented as a 'tired rental' prior to Stevie taking control. After a few weeks there was a new bathroom, external make over and fresh interiors. Property presentation is an essential part of achieving the highest sale price and this case proved the point."
D Dewhurst ~ McGrath Real Estate

“Being a business owner I rarely recruit any type of service straight from advertising – I usually go on personal recommendation only. On Budget Home Makeover however was different from day one. When I read their ad it surprisingly answered most of the fears I had about using untested tradespeople. I decided to get a quote to renovate an area of our house (it was my fourth quote and I did it purely out of interest) however that one phone call turned out to be one of the best renovation decisions we have ever made.

Stevie arrived on time (looking immaculate and very untradesman-like), provided a competitive quote, educated me on the process of what tradespeople would be required and the general cost of each type of trade. I felt completely reassured by her professionalism and experience along with the team she managed. On Budget Home Makeover told me they could deliver the quality I was after, in line with my budget and in the timeframe I needed. I was impressed but still slightly sceptical as the job was still to be done.

The renovation process was an absolute eye-opener and a complete delight. The team were all experts in their field and were the most respectful, friendly team I’ve come across. The quality finish we received by On Budget Home Makeover put our previous (very expensive) renovator to shame. All the promises were delivered with heaps of extras thrown in including leaving our home immaculate (and I seriously mean immaculate!). Did I mention that all this was achieved operating on the hottest days Sydney had in 40 years without any kind of fan or air conditioning relief!

I’m now in a position where I can confidently recommend On Budget Home Makeover and Stevie Rose’s team knowing that I will be using them time and time again in the future as our family and our home grows. Don’t let the ‘Budget’ in their name sway you – the quality they provide is exceptional. After using On Budget Home Makeover once you will never consider anyone else."
K Stanmore ~ Northern Beaches

“I needed to renovate, sell my house, and work fulltime. On Budget Home Makeover allowed me to do that. In 3 weeks Stevie worked with me on what was essential to do with my property to convert it from tired, to having appeal for sale. She sourced the trades’ people, negotiated quotes, project managed the renovation, and was there to open and close the property as I didn’t live there. I visited twice and received only the odd phone call. I sold the house for more than what it had been valued at – it was hassle free for me, resulted in a quality outcome and stayed within my budget."
Inner West ~ Client

“My apartment in Potts Point had long been tenanted however I decided it was time to sell. I was referred by a business colleague to contact On Budget Home Makeover as they could offer advice about what I needed to do. Stevie Rose recommended a professional clean and then a complete makeover, a redesign, hiring beautiful contemporary furniture. The apartment looked fabulous (the best I have ever seen) and I sold in seven weeks for a very good price (highest in the building). I would recommend her services every time.”
Sydney CBD ~ Client