When Matt & Janine Bawden purchased The Clyde in early 2017, they were looking to immerse themselves in a new project and wanted to find the perfect property to bring a luxury Barossa Valley bed and breakfast to life.
Matt loves real estate and they had always renovated together, so can look past the cosmetic features (however bad they are) and see the potential.
The Clyde was no different. When they got the keys to this 1950s, one-family home, it was a mass of overgrown garden, collapsing extensions, horsehair plaster ceilings, bathroom tiles tiled over tiles, timber veneer feature walls and an inground pool covered in tin.
It’s only now that friends and family tell them that at the time, they couldn’t believe they bought such a place!
Named after the river that runs through the Scottish town of Greenock, The Clyde took two years of blood, sweat and tears to turn into the stunning retreat it is today.
Stripping back & laying bare
Whist continuing their day jobs – Matt as a Company Director and Janine as a Nurse – the pair spent 9 months clearing, demolishing, stripping paint from the original bricks and exposing the beauty of this almost 70-year old home.
Matt bought an old 5 tonne tipper truck and Janine lost count after taking 55 loads of trees, rubble, brick, scrap metal, cement and more from the property. They estimate over 250 tonnes were removed!
As they stripped the layers off, Matt & Janine grew even more excited about what lay underneath, knowing it was perfect for luxury tourist accommodation.
Sacrifices & hard work pay off
A local draftsman came on board to design a new floor layout and exterior and once the plans were approved, they engaged the services of local builder, Derek Bubner, who commenced rebuilding the Clyde in the early parts of 2018.
From this moment on, Janine was the trades assistant! At each stage of the build, Matt and Janine were the ones to prepare for the next stage by cleaning and prepping.
Janine single-handedly prepared and painted the entire exterior and interior of the house. The motivated couple also took care of the landscaping, interior design and styling and sourcing reclaimed wood for window treatments.
So for two years of their life – family sacrifices were made, their two boys helped and the juggle was constant to manage family, social and sporting commitments alongside working 7 days a week.
Matt & Janine have lived and breathed The Clyde and are now incredibly excited to share it with the world.
