Site Considerations and the Impact of Intentional Design Choices

PROJECT  ‘Napoleon House’

LOCATION  Eltham, Victoria

DEVELOPHER Taeler Jordan, FTLO Design

PHOTOGRAPHER Dylan James

Drawn by the home’s unique charm and privacy, DevelopHer Taeler Jordan of FTLO Design purchased an Eltham property in October 2023 and kicked off this exciting renovation and extension project.

With her architect’s eye, she saw endless potential in the treetop setting and ideal location close to sought-after amenities. Despite a few bumps along the way – like replastering and the challenging pool installation – Taeler turned these “happy accidents” into opportunities. The result? A unique, serene and cohesive home – introducing Napoleon House.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to always remove the plaster from a home and take it back to its frame. It’s great opportunity to insulate the existing home as well as give the home a fresher feel.”

Taeler’s love for flipping properties blossomed as she balanced her design passion with hands-on problem-solving. In just over three years and five renovations, she’s fine-tuned her process, embracing the unexpected and creating beautiful, functional homes that everyone can enjoy.

We chat with Taeler about the project below in more detail and she also joined us on the podcast- you can listen to the episode here.

When did you purchase this property and what potential did you see?

We purchased the property back in October 2023. The potential was the location, being 2 houses away from the main park in Eltham. The house was nestled into a quiet street but is super close to the main shopping district.

The home was super charming and sat on the site perfectly. The surrounding greenery and treetops make the home feel super private which I was so excited to design to this strength.

What was your day job and how did you use this to maximise this renovation? 

My background is in Architecture, so when looking for a house, it’s about the bones of the home, the solar orientation and how it sits on the site. To visualise the design of the home is super important before I purchase it.

What were some challenges you had in the build, were these expected or unexpected and how did you overcome them?

We had a few challenges or oversights in this build. One was thinking we could keep the plaster in the existing home. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to always remove the plaster from a home and take it back to its frame. It’s great opportunity to insulate the existing home as well as give the home a fresher feel. The quality of the home is therefore pushed to a higher level.

An additional unexpected challenge was the pool. It was a challenge to get the pool into the proposed position due to a multitude of reasons. It made for a very costly exercise to put a pool in. Seeing the finished outcome I have no regrets, but was an extremely costly exercise to learn during the build.

“My projects are mostly centered around not needing a planning permit. Avoiding that process and just going through the building permit process is a huge saving for me both in time and holding costs.”

Have you found your calling in life, flipping property? 

Having a background in architecture I knew designing was my passion. However, I found that I wanted to be a part of more of the process. Being on site weekly and problem-solving issues on site. Or designing a home to push boundaries I feel the market isn’t yet pushing. I think all people deserve amazing homes and it’s not always feasible to hire an architect. ‘I couldn’t afford to hire myself’. So the model of designing and building properties and essentially getting paid through the selling process means I am creating home for all people with a range of different budgets.

What did you love about the process? 

I love being hands on, equally I hate it too. I love getting into the nitty gritty and lending a hand when I can. Sometimes it’s driven by my budget and other times it is because I love to be hands on and involved in the problem-solving process. I think beauty sometimes comes from those ‘happy accidents’. The unplanned nature of design is those (resolved) problems that arise on site. The unexpected.

Can you give us a snapshot of your projects to date, and how long it has taken to get in this position? 

It has taken me roughly 3-ish years to arrive at where I am today. Selling our small family home in 2021 kick started my developing journey. Now completing my 5th renovation.

How are you able to move so quickly?

I think taking your time to find the right project for you. My projects are mostly centered around not needing a planning permit. Avoiding that process and just going through the building permit process is a huge saving for me both in time and holding costs.  In addition I tend to write into my contracts that I can design and apply for permits during the settlements period. Meaning I can start construction as soon as we settle on the property.

What is the hardest thing to organise – from a flipping property perspective? Juggle of life, deadlines, managing money etc.

Juggling life, kids and a renovation tough. We are still very hands on and our aim for every project to slowly have more money so we can afford to take more of a client role on our builds.

If someone was thinking of getting into this ‘game’ what would you say to them? 

I would say that it’s not for the faint-hearted. But equally, following your passion and that being your day job is so rewarding.

“I think beauty sometimes comes from those ‘happy accidents’.”

Finally, what would you say about joining BuildHer Collective to anyone who was considering it to help them on their journey of renovating for profit? 

I would say that the community aspect of the course is the best part for me. It’s so important to be surrounded by people that are doing a similar thing to you like developing for profit.

With the house currently on the market for sale, we wish Taeler the best of luck!

Members can sign up for a BHC tour this weekend (25^th August) on the website by heading to ‘Events’. Come along and see this beautiful project in person – the warm and soothing feeling you get upon walking in is simply too hard to describe.
https://buildhercollective.com.au/event/housetour-taeler-august24

👉🏼 Feeling inspired by DevelopHer Taeler’s project and want to start your own, or thinking about renovating for a profit? We’d love to help you.

Book a chat with us today!

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