1 00:00:00,330 --> 00:00:04,560 Welcome to More Than Renovating, a Renovate and Real Estate podcast. 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,550 Our founder, Belinda Smith, talks to industry experts to provide you 3 00:00:08,550 --> 00:00:11,850 with the knowledge and information you need to make renovating for 4 00:00:11,850 --> 00:00:13,950 love and profit your reality. 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,720 Belinda will also chat to some of her Renovation Mastery members who are just 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,925 everyday people doing extraordinary things following their passions in 7 00:00:22,925 --> 00:00:24,750 the renovation and property space. 8 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:27,600 So let's jump straight into the episode. 9 00:00:27,690 --> 00:00:28,200 Enjoy. 10 00:00:29,391 --> 00:00:32,091 Hi, I'm Belinda Smith from Renovate and Real Estate. 11 00:00:32,151 --> 00:00:37,131 On today's podcast recording, with me is Tracey Ellis. 12 00:00:37,131 --> 00:00:42,321 Tracey Ellis is from Old 2 New House Transformations. 13 00:00:42,691 --> 00:00:45,491 Tracey and I have worked pretty closely together. 14 00:00:45,491 --> 00:00:50,571 Tracey is one of my VIP students and a really lovely lady, and you are 15 00:00:50,571 --> 00:00:54,771 listening to the More Than Renovating podcast because you know it's all 16 00:00:54,771 --> 00:00:58,761 about the human story as much as it is about the house transformations. 17 00:00:58,761 --> 00:00:59,701 Welcome, Tracey. 18 00:01:00,411 --> 00:01:00,681 Hello. 19 00:01:01,161 --> 00:01:01,911 Thanks for having me. 20 00:01:02,421 --> 00:01:03,231 You are welcome. 21 00:01:03,231 --> 00:01:07,761 So the reason this came about is that Tracey was at my house. 22 00:01:07,761 --> 00:01:14,551 We had an a Renovation Consultancy Mastery retreat at my house two weekends ago, 23 00:01:14,791 --> 00:01:18,961 and we were having a bit of a giggle and Tracey shared with me something that I 24 00:01:19,636 --> 00:01:24,676 hadn't heard her talk about before, and that's a renovation that she did overseas 25 00:01:24,676 --> 00:01:26,596 and it was such an interesting story. 26 00:01:26,836 --> 00:01:29,926 I thought that she should share it with all of you guys. 27 00:01:30,236 --> 00:01:34,526 And why I find it interesting is Tracey did a renovation overseas. 28 00:01:34,916 --> 00:01:38,276 I don't know about you guys, but I'm forever reading all of those ads 29 00:01:38,276 --> 00:01:43,076 from Italy and France and they say, come and buy one of our properties 30 00:01:43,076 --> 00:01:47,846 for a dollar and renovate and live in the beautiful mountain side or 31 00:01:47,846 --> 00:01:49,526 all the places they talk about. 32 00:01:49,916 --> 00:01:53,306 Come and buy a house for a dollar and come and renovate that house. 33 00:01:53,306 --> 00:01:55,646 And there are certain parameters around those renovations. 34 00:01:55,646 --> 00:01:59,846 And I've since read articles where the actual cost to purchase one of 35 00:01:59,846 --> 00:02:04,381 those houses is closer to $25,000, but it's certainly not what we pay here. 36 00:02:04,646 --> 00:02:08,636 And I know people love the romance of renovating overseas. 37 00:02:08,636 --> 00:02:13,226 So Tracey, tell us, first of all, whereabouts did you renovate? 38 00:02:13,701 --> 00:02:14,341 What country? 39 00:02:15,201 --> 00:02:17,271 In Greece, in Athens. 40 00:02:17,711 --> 00:02:22,631 I dunno why I still find that really funny, especially when you start 41 00:02:22,631 --> 00:02:24,311 to talk about how it came about. 42 00:02:24,311 --> 00:02:25,091 So let's go. 43 00:02:25,091 --> 00:02:29,051 How did it come about, Tracey, that you decided to renovate a house in Greece? 44 00:02:30,251 --> 00:02:33,911 Oh, well, yeah, it just, just basically happened. 45 00:02:33,981 --> 00:02:37,671 I was having a late to life gap year. 46 00:02:38,211 --> 00:02:38,511 Mm-hmm. 47 00:02:39,166 --> 00:02:39,386 So 48 00:02:39,916 --> 00:02:42,161 What is that, Eat, Pray, Love? 49 00:02:42,161 --> 00:02:42,881 Or one of those years? 50 00:02:42,881 --> 00:02:43,241 What is it? 51 00:02:43,241 --> 00:02:43,786 One of those ones? 52 00:02:44,201 --> 00:02:44,411 Yeah. 53 00:02:45,011 --> 00:02:45,371 Yes. 54 00:02:45,371 --> 00:02:47,141 So that was 10 years ago. 55 00:02:47,221 --> 00:02:50,221 Went to Athens and loved it. 56 00:02:50,431 --> 00:02:55,231 Loved the lifestyle, the sit in the cafes and watch the world go by. 57 00:02:56,151 --> 00:03:04,121 And I've always, everybody, most people want to do the overseas renovation thing. 58 00:03:04,511 --> 00:03:04,601 Yeah. 59 00:03:04,681 --> 00:03:07,891 Very romantic, have a romantic flare about it. 60 00:03:08,841 --> 00:03:10,321 Under the Tuscan sun. 61 00:03:10,981 --> 00:03:12,361 Mine, I suppose. 62 00:03:12,361 --> 00:03:12,601 Yeah. 63 00:03:12,601 --> 00:03:16,001 Was a pretty selfish reason. 64 00:03:16,001 --> 00:03:17,591 I just wanted to be over there. 65 00:03:18,131 --> 00:03:18,431 Yeah. 66 00:03:18,431 --> 00:03:22,346 If I thought if I had an apartment over there, I could go over more often. 67 00:03:22,686 --> 00:03:22,746 Yeah. 68 00:03:23,046 --> 00:03:24,606 Which, yeah, I loved doing. 69 00:03:24,606 --> 00:03:26,036 I loved, I loved travelling. 70 00:03:26,346 --> 00:03:27,096 Full stop. 71 00:03:27,196 --> 00:03:27,496 Yeah. 72 00:03:27,496 --> 00:03:32,136 But now I've got to know a lot of people over there and love, love 73 00:03:32,136 --> 00:03:39,216 going to, going back to visit, and so the biggest thing was the prices. 74 00:03:39,726 --> 00:03:44,256 It was very cheap to buy an apartment in Athens at that time. 75 00:03:44,526 --> 00:03:45,036 So, 76 00:03:45,396 --> 00:03:48,756 So an apartment in Athens, it cost you a roundabout. 77 00:03:48,756 --> 00:03:50,256 How much money did it cost you? 78 00:03:50,596 --> 00:03:52,456 I bought it for 35,000 Euro. 79 00:03:53,086 --> 00:03:55,486 Right, which is what in Australia back then? 80 00:03:56,056 --> 00:03:57,706 What do you reckon that translated to? 81 00:03:58,136 --> 00:04:01,186 I think it's double. 82 00:04:01,186 --> 00:04:04,121 Approximately, I think we're, we're 70,000. 83 00:04:04,191 --> 00:04:04,821 Roundabout. 84 00:04:05,091 --> 00:04:06,266 Yeah, I think, yeah. 85 00:04:06,771 --> 00:04:07,161 Yeah. 86 00:04:07,741 --> 00:04:13,151 And then by the time I renovated and furnished it, it was about 50,000 Euro. 87 00:04:14,591 --> 00:04:15,251 Fantastic. 88 00:04:15,281 --> 00:04:15,731 Okay. 89 00:04:15,731 --> 00:04:18,011 Do you have a valuation on it? 90 00:04:18,891 --> 00:04:23,641 Now, I did, I got it valued few years, oh, before COVID? 91 00:04:24,661 --> 00:04:24,811 Yeah. 92 00:04:24,811 --> 00:04:30,331 And they said I'd probably get about three times what I originally bought it for. 93 00:04:30,811 --> 00:04:36,001 But like I was, do I want to keep it? 94 00:04:36,001 --> 00:04:36,391 Sell it? 95 00:04:36,451 --> 00:04:37,411 What do I want to do? 96 00:04:37,591 --> 00:04:39,661 So I kept it, but then we had COVID. 97 00:04:40,411 --> 00:04:40,591 Yeah. 98 00:04:40,621 --> 00:04:49,341 So it was an Airbnb, after I did it up and then COVID happened and no tourists. 99 00:04:49,341 --> 00:04:54,501 So just let let it rented it to just locals. 100 00:04:54,606 --> 00:04:54,896 Yeah. 101 00:04:55,156 --> 00:04:58,521 And yeah, so it's still doing that now. 102 00:04:59,061 --> 00:05:01,741 So it wasn't so I've just sold it. 103 00:05:02,261 --> 00:05:02,321 Yeah. 104 00:05:02,681 --> 00:05:03,161 Yeah. 105 00:05:03,311 --> 00:05:07,851 So I, I did, I sold it to my manager, so I didn't get the highest price. 106 00:05:08,091 --> 00:05:10,101 'cause it was just easy to do. 107 00:05:10,161 --> 00:05:11,026 Just to sell it to manager. 108 00:05:11,026 --> 00:05:11,146 Yeah. 109 00:05:11,146 --> 00:05:12,226 Just sell it manager straight to them. 110 00:05:12,296 --> 00:05:13,191 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 111 00:05:13,291 --> 00:05:16,411 But like, when I'm looking for properties now, they're 112 00:05:16,411 --> 00:05:18,001 probably, they're probably double. 113 00:05:18,931 --> 00:05:20,601 What I paid originally for it. 114 00:05:20,871 --> 00:05:21,591 Fantastic. 115 00:05:21,591 --> 00:05:28,071 So Tracey from Wagga has a renovated property in Greece or 116 00:05:28,071 --> 00:05:29,841 had a renovated property in Greece. 117 00:05:30,021 --> 00:05:33,471 It's a, it's a beautiful story, Tracey, and you did that all 118 00:05:33,471 --> 00:05:36,251 yourself as a single lady travelling. 119 00:05:36,771 --> 00:05:37,911 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 120 00:05:38,151 --> 00:05:43,101 I joined expat groups when I was over there, when I was just holidaying. 121 00:05:43,311 --> 00:05:48,781 And then when I went back to, to try and find something I joined expat groups 122 00:05:48,881 --> 00:05:51,521 just, you know, for a bit of English. 123 00:05:51,971 --> 00:05:52,151 Yeah. 124 00:05:52,181 --> 00:05:55,301 Company, bit of company and yes. 125 00:05:55,361 --> 00:05:55,811 Yeah. 126 00:05:56,831 --> 00:05:59,531 Found lots of contacts through those groups. 127 00:05:59,611 --> 00:06:04,621 And one of the people, he was an architect, so he basically took, 128 00:06:04,831 --> 00:06:06,781 did the project managing for me. 129 00:06:07,261 --> 00:06:07,981 Which is brilliant. 130 00:06:07,981 --> 00:06:10,771 So were you over there when all the project managing was going 131 00:06:10,771 --> 00:06:12,861 on or were you here in Australia? 132 00:06:13,221 --> 00:06:13,521 No. 133 00:06:13,571 --> 00:06:14,586 I was staying there. 134 00:06:14,586 --> 00:06:15,066 Yeah. 135 00:06:15,426 --> 00:06:18,666 I think yeah, as I bought it, I, I moved into it. 136 00:06:19,176 --> 00:06:19,236 Yeah. 137 00:06:19,316 --> 00:06:22,526 And yeah, stayed there while I was renovating. 138 00:06:22,526 --> 00:06:26,726 So I did the painting and the gap filling and everything 139 00:06:26,726 --> 00:06:28,496 that I do here in Australia. 140 00:06:28,501 --> 00:06:28,731 Yeah. 141 00:06:28,946 --> 00:06:29,186 Yeah. 142 00:06:29,296 --> 00:06:33,736 And then I had yeah, electricians and plumbers cabinet maker. 143 00:06:34,306 --> 00:06:36,646 'cause there was, it was pretty rough. 144 00:06:37,036 --> 00:06:41,986 And so no kitchen to speak of, so had to put a kitchen in and 145 00:06:42,066 --> 00:06:43,356 yeah, get all the appliances. 146 00:06:43,356 --> 00:06:46,476 I didn't put a oven in just a little cooktop. 147 00:06:46,876 --> 00:06:50,176 But it did have a washing machine in there, so it was just, yeah. 148 00:06:50,206 --> 00:06:54,926 What what you use when you're staying in an Airbnb, pretty much. 149 00:06:54,926 --> 00:06:57,986 How did you even know what compliances were? 150 00:06:58,691 --> 00:07:00,041 How did you work it out? 151 00:07:00,381 --> 00:07:04,211 I, yeah, I left, I suppose that up to the to the project manager. 152 00:07:04,421 --> 00:07:04,751 Yeah. 153 00:07:04,851 --> 00:07:11,551 Yeah, he basically said what I could do, what I couldn't do which is fairly broad. 154 00:07:14,306 --> 00:07:18,776 Some, some overseas countries fairly broad with their regulations and with 155 00:07:18,776 --> 00:07:20,936 their work safety and work cover. 156 00:07:21,266 --> 00:07:21,626 Yeah. 157 00:07:21,631 --> 00:07:21,641 Yeah. 158 00:07:22,106 --> 00:07:22,586 Oh, funny. 159 00:07:22,736 --> 00:07:27,036 Not that that was just, yeah, just a standard little apartment. 160 00:07:27,036 --> 00:07:32,826 So the, the biggest thing I got in trouble for was making, 161 00:07:33,876 --> 00:07:35,886 making noise in siesta time. 162 00:07:39,021 --> 00:07:40,491 Which is every day, isn't it? 163 00:07:40,526 --> 00:07:40,816 Yeah. 164 00:07:40,821 --> 00:07:41,721 Yeah. 165 00:07:41,871 --> 00:07:42,051 Knock down. 166 00:07:42,051 --> 00:07:42,651 Oh my goodness. 167 00:07:42,681 --> 00:07:47,691 I can't remember the times, but it's like from two to four in the afternoon and I'd 168 00:07:47,691 --> 00:07:52,671 be banging away at something and I'd hear this shouting, but I couldn't understand 169 00:07:52,671 --> 00:07:55,296 it, so I just ignored it, kept going. 170 00:07:57,801 --> 00:07:58,131 All right. 171 00:07:58,131 --> 00:08:00,571 And how did you communicate with all of your tradies? 172 00:08:00,641 --> 00:08:01,921 Were they all English speaking? 173 00:08:02,021 --> 00:08:03,146 Or because there lots of 174 00:08:03,301 --> 00:08:05,186 No, no, not the tradies. 175 00:08:05,186 --> 00:08:09,466 The tradies didn't speak much English, my project manager did. 176 00:08:09,536 --> 00:08:14,486 Yeah, so I would either call him and then he would talk to the tradie on the phone. 177 00:08:15,006 --> 00:08:19,216 Or just hand signals, like lots of, it's like a game of charades. 178 00:08:19,576 --> 00:08:21,766 Yeah, it was very much charades. 179 00:08:21,796 --> 00:08:22,156 Yeah. 180 00:08:22,726 --> 00:08:27,646 Oh, I was telling you the story of, I pulled out the range hood. 181 00:08:28,081 --> 00:08:34,171 And the wires were still live and then I've, and then I've walked past it, but 182 00:08:34,171 --> 00:08:36,181 I don't do any of this stuff nowadays. 183 00:08:39,661 --> 00:08:46,216 I've walked past it with a ladder and it's tripped, tripped out the, the electricity. 184 00:08:46,216 --> 00:08:51,896 So the the electrician's come back and he was, yeah, he was quite mad at me 185 00:08:51,896 --> 00:08:56,426 for tripping it out and he was pointing at it and saying, no, he's going, no. 186 00:08:58,526 --> 00:09:00,076 Lucky you were wearing Aussie thongs. 187 00:09:00,091 --> 00:09:04,016 I get, I get that means don't, don't walk past the electricity with the ladder. 188 00:09:04,646 --> 00:09:06,086 Wear those rubber thongs. 189 00:09:06,296 --> 00:09:06,686 Yeah. 190 00:09:06,831 --> 00:09:07,051 Oh. 191 00:09:08,276 --> 00:09:13,676 So other than having a near death experience, did everything go all right? 192 00:09:14,276 --> 00:09:14,666 Yeah. 193 00:09:14,666 --> 00:09:14,667 Yeah. 194 00:09:15,596 --> 00:09:16,136 Done pretty good. 195 00:09:16,376 --> 00:09:20,916 I think when I came back home there was a little bit of a leak 196 00:09:21,426 --> 00:09:23,526 because the buildings are so old. 197 00:09:23,646 --> 00:09:23,706 Yeah. 198 00:09:25,401 --> 00:09:27,771 There was a little bit of a leak around the toilet. 199 00:09:27,881 --> 00:09:32,801 And that's probably the, the biggest problem there was really 200 00:09:32,891 --> 00:09:36,281 everything else was, yeah, went 201 00:09:36,281 --> 00:09:36,851 okay. 202 00:09:37,001 --> 00:09:40,211 And how did you know, like what colours to do and what style 203 00:09:40,211 --> 00:09:44,771 to do and how did you get your inspiration for your Greek apartment? 204 00:09:45,941 --> 00:09:51,276 It wasn't like, because you're in the city, it's not really the seaside blue. 205 00:09:51,276 --> 00:09:53,740 Yeah, it's not like the Greek islands with the white and the blue doors. 206 00:09:53,950 --> 00:09:54,100 Yeah. 207 00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:58,870 No, they do have a lot of the, there was the shutters were on the apartment. 208 00:09:58,970 --> 00:10:00,800 Yeah, because it had a little balcony as well. 209 00:10:01,190 --> 00:10:04,210 So those shutters were there, but they were fairly rotted, 210 00:10:04,210 --> 00:10:05,440 so they had to come off. 211 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:11,480 But mostly it was just modern, just tidying it up and making it look modern. 212 00:10:11,810 --> 00:10:15,450 Was I didn't really, didn't really go with a theme or anything. 213 00:10:15,450 --> 00:10:18,120 It was just, just to make it look neat and tidy. 214 00:10:18,540 --> 00:10:20,130 Yeah, fix it up and Airbnb. 215 00:10:20,310 --> 00:10:23,490 Where did you buy all your furniture and bits and pieces for Airbnb? 216 00:10:24,285 --> 00:10:26,235 Oh yeah, there. 217 00:10:27,165 --> 00:10:29,325 Why do I think that's another funny story coming? 218 00:10:30,105 --> 00:10:33,635 Yeah, I would I would be seen walking through the streets, carrying a chair 219 00:10:34,295 --> 00:10:39,065 because of course I'm over there without a car, so the only way to get around, you 220 00:10:39,065 --> 00:10:41,645 know, walk or catch the train, the metro. 221 00:10:41,915 --> 00:10:44,955 And I did get on the metro with furniture as well. 222 00:10:45,705 --> 00:10:50,865 Yeah, so, they've got stores that are a bit like Bunnings, I suppose. 223 00:10:51,015 --> 00:10:52,005 Mix of Bunnings. 224 00:10:52,245 --> 00:10:53,115 Oh, Ikea. 225 00:10:53,175 --> 00:10:55,755 Actually I got most of my furniture from Ikea. 226 00:10:56,295 --> 00:10:56,385 Wow. 227 00:10:56,385 --> 00:10:56,505 Yeah. 228 00:10:56,535 --> 00:11:04,345 So they delivered the bed and the big things, fridge, things like that. 229 00:11:04,545 --> 00:11:05,025 Again. 230 00:11:05,415 --> 00:11:10,425 They'd ring me and be speaking in Greek and I, I didn't know what, 231 00:11:10,425 --> 00:11:12,480 when, when they were delivering. 232 00:11:13,095 --> 00:11:14,055 What time. 233 00:11:14,055 --> 00:11:19,005 So I'd have to run and run and find a friend and say, give them the phone and 234 00:11:19,005 --> 00:11:21,165 say, what's this person saying to me? 235 00:11:21,695 --> 00:11:23,745 Fridge is coming and I've got no idea when. 236 00:11:25,005 --> 00:11:26,265 Oh, that's the best. 237 00:11:26,895 --> 00:11:27,315 So. 238 00:11:30,615 --> 00:11:33,615 Thinking about this story, Tracey, and how well you do renovating in 239 00:11:33,615 --> 00:11:38,115 Australia right now in, you've done many renos there and now you are in Wagga. 240 00:11:38,445 --> 00:11:41,445 It's all about rolling with the punches and finding answers 241 00:11:41,445 --> 00:11:42,795 to the solutions at hand. 242 00:11:42,795 --> 00:11:46,125 So what a challenging project and a lot of fun. 243 00:11:46,185 --> 00:11:49,815 And I love the way you always find something to laugh at along the way. 244 00:11:49,815 --> 00:11:53,805 I think humour gets us a long way, especially when we've got something a 245 00:11:53,805 --> 00:11:57,430 little hurdle to jump, especially when we're nearly electrocuted ourselves. 246 00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:00,585 With the wires hanging out of rangehood. 247 00:12:01,470 --> 00:12:03,330 But yeah, good humor gets us a long way there. 248 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,640 Is there anything that you enjoyed? 249 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,130 Like what did you enjoy the most out of the experience? 250 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,480 Yeah, getting it done, I suppose. 251 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:17,750 Getting it done, getting over those hurdles of not speaking the language. 252 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:18,440 And. 253 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,440 Completing something that's, yeah. 254 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:23,970 Not, not your usual. 255 00:12:25,820 --> 00:12:25,880 Yeah. 256 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:27,020 Something out of the box. 257 00:12:27,045 --> 00:12:27,335 Yeah. 258 00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:27,590 Yeah. 259 00:12:27,650 --> 00:12:31,520 The challenge of it all while you're having a midlife crisis and, okay. 260 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,250 So where did the money come from to do the renovation? 261 00:12:34,250 --> 00:12:36,650 Did you borrow from Australia to buy there? 262 00:12:37,620 --> 00:12:37,860 Yeah. 263 00:12:37,860 --> 00:12:39,900 It was just funny that I had, yeah. 264 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:41,070 So cash here. 265 00:12:41,170 --> 00:12:44,500 Yeah, like it, it's not just going and renovating in place. 266 00:12:44,500 --> 00:12:49,360 You do have to do a lot of, a lot of other things, like I had to make a bank account. 267 00:12:49,410 --> 00:12:49,470 Yeah. 268 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:54,000 And yeah, that wasn't easy be I had to just walk up and down the street, go 269 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,975 into every bank ask whether they would whether I could make a bank account 270 00:12:58,215 --> 00:13:00,585 because not all the banks would allow me. 271 00:13:00,715 --> 00:13:00,775 Yeah. 272 00:13:01,645 --> 00:13:03,595 Oh, I had to get a tax file number. 273 00:13:03,655 --> 00:13:05,215 I was gonna say the tax return. 274 00:13:05,275 --> 00:13:06,175 Yeah, yeah, 275 00:13:06,265 --> 00:13:06,535 yeah. 276 00:13:06,535 --> 00:13:07,885 I had to get an accountant 277 00:13:08,185 --> 00:13:08,845 in Greece. 278 00:13:08,845 --> 00:13:12,055 So you've got a Greek, a Greek accountant, and then you've also got 279 00:13:12,445 --> 00:13:14,450 your Australian accountant who mm-hmm. 280 00:13:14,665 --> 00:13:17,035 And your Greek accounts get done separately. 281 00:13:17,335 --> 00:13:19,765 And then that gets mushed in with all of your figures here in 282 00:13:19,765 --> 00:13:22,675 Australia, which is what happens with me and my New Zealand properties. 283 00:13:23,035 --> 00:13:25,295 Pay pay the tax over there for Yeah. 284 00:13:25,545 --> 00:13:27,285 The income that's earned over there. 285 00:13:27,430 --> 00:13:27,720 Yeah. 286 00:13:27,820 --> 00:13:28,150 Yeah. 287 00:13:28,155 --> 00:13:32,520 And then then, then it gets put on my tax return here, here as well. 288 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,050 And when you sold the property, was there capital gains and what happened with that? 289 00:13:37,470 --> 00:13:40,230 No, I don't, I don't think they have that. 290 00:13:40,965 --> 00:13:41,355 Over there? 291 00:13:41,355 --> 00:13:42,375 Not as far as I know. 292 00:13:42,705 --> 00:13:46,160 It was, went all through this through, I went through the system and solicit. 293 00:13:47,595 --> 00:13:49,880 No one pulled you up on it, so there we're done. 294 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:50,360 No, no. 295 00:13:50,540 --> 00:13:51,120 Oh, that's fine. 296 00:13:51,125 --> 00:13:51,515 Yeah. 297 00:13:51,605 --> 00:13:54,425 A solicitor, that's another thing that I had to have as well. 298 00:13:54,425 --> 00:13:54,485 Yeah. 299 00:13:54,665 --> 00:13:59,905 Yeah, so I was, I was confident because there was all those people in place. 300 00:13:59,905 --> 00:14:04,945 All those people that are educated and have, know what they're doing. 301 00:14:04,945 --> 00:14:09,175 So I was confident that I was doing the right thing and I wasn't going to get 302 00:14:09,175 --> 00:14:11,155 pulled up at the border and told that. 303 00:14:11,155 --> 00:14:11,635 Yeah, yeah. 304 00:14:12,835 --> 00:14:15,985 I couldn't leave until I paid this amount of tax or something, I don't think. 305 00:14:16,015 --> 00:14:16,915 Yeah, fair enough. 306 00:14:17,125 --> 00:14:19,645 And equipment and all that kind of stuff while you did the renovation, 307 00:14:19,645 --> 00:14:22,765 just bought things along the fly while you were there and left them there? 308 00:14:22,765 --> 00:14:24,055 Or like, what, what did you do? 309 00:14:24,055 --> 00:14:24,295 Yeah. 310 00:14:24,715 --> 00:14:25,615 Yeah, I did. 311 00:14:25,715 --> 00:14:30,115 Yeah bought, there was a little shop, paint shop down the road, so I'd be 312 00:14:30,115 --> 00:14:34,955 toddling off down the road with a a bucket of paint you know, every couple of days. 313 00:14:35,225 --> 00:14:36,545 And they got to know you I bet. 314 00:14:36,905 --> 00:14:38,075 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 315 00:14:38,125 --> 00:14:40,585 He would sort of hide under the bench every time I came in. 316 00:14:40,585 --> 00:14:40,855 I think 317 00:14:43,810 --> 00:14:44,630 that's best. 318 00:14:45,355 --> 00:14:45,805 Yeah. 319 00:14:45,805 --> 00:14:52,675 And then, yeah, get on the buses, on the tram train to get to Ikea or Praktiker. 320 00:14:52,695 --> 00:14:56,295 I think their Bunnings is called, you know, equivalent. 321 00:14:56,945 --> 00:15:00,995 And just, yeah, just buying little bits and pieces, door handles I had 322 00:15:00,995 --> 00:15:04,545 to buy and paint scrappers and yeah. 323 00:15:05,385 --> 00:15:05,865 Okay. 324 00:15:05,865 --> 00:15:08,025 What was the best part and what was the worst part? 325 00:15:08,055 --> 00:15:09,165 Go, best part first. 326 00:15:09,225 --> 00:15:10,815 What was the best part of doing what you did? 327 00:15:11,910 --> 00:15:14,520 To, to be over there, to be living over there. 328 00:15:14,575 --> 00:15:14,865 Yeah. 329 00:15:15,005 --> 00:15:15,575 Yeah. 330 00:15:16,415 --> 00:15:17,105 Worst part, 331 00:15:19,505 --> 00:15:20,855 that I can't live over there all the time. 332 00:15:22,295 --> 00:15:23,345 But you had to come back? 333 00:15:23,990 --> 00:15:24,280 Yeah. 334 00:15:25,355 --> 00:15:26,040 Oh, that's the best. 335 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:31,400 And my, my daughters did say, do you think you'll be coming back one day? 336 00:15:31,925 --> 00:15:32,825 I've gotta come back. 337 00:15:32,825 --> 00:15:33,600 I've gotta come back. 338 00:15:34,655 --> 00:15:41,095 I actually yeah, got, I did push my luck right to the edge once, so I had, I think 339 00:15:41,095 --> 00:15:46,005 I had two days left on my visa, but yeah. 340 00:15:46,005 --> 00:15:46,066 So, yeah. 341 00:15:46,275 --> 00:15:52,425 But the security was going through counting all my days up very carefully. 342 00:15:52,725 --> 00:15:53,055 Yeah. 343 00:15:53,055 --> 00:15:55,005 'cause I knew I had two days, so. 344 00:15:55,125 --> 00:15:55,395 Yeah. 345 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:55,540 Yeah. 346 00:15:55,635 --> 00:15:57,315 I didn't, I wasn't stressed about it. 347 00:15:57,765 --> 00:15:58,125 No. 348 00:15:58,185 --> 00:15:59,925 You'd done, you'd done your math first. 349 00:16:00,105 --> 00:16:00,435 Yeah. 350 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:01,995 You kind of, you cut it fine. 351 00:16:01,995 --> 00:16:03,645 So you made sure you were accurate. 352 00:16:03,975 --> 00:16:04,305 Mm-hmm. 353 00:16:04,455 --> 00:16:04,875 Yeah. 354 00:16:04,875 --> 00:16:05,895 Oh, such a good story Trace. 355 00:16:05,895 --> 00:16:08,835 And that was like, I just wanted to stay there as long as possible to 356 00:16:08,865 --> 00:16:11,325 get as much finished as possible. 357 00:16:11,535 --> 00:16:11,955 Yeah. 358 00:16:12,225 --> 00:16:13,125 Would you do it again? 359 00:16:13,965 --> 00:16:14,925 Oh yeah, absolutely. 360 00:16:15,075 --> 00:16:18,075 And I'm, yeah, yeah, I'm actually looking. 361 00:16:18,075 --> 00:16:19,645 Yeah, that's the best. 362 00:16:19,995 --> 00:16:20,295 Okay. 363 00:16:20,295 --> 00:16:22,395 So would you do it there or somewhere else? 364 00:16:23,055 --> 00:16:25,605 Because I know the place well now. 365 00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:26,085 Yeah. 366 00:16:26,145 --> 00:16:26,295 Oh. 367 00:16:26,655 --> 00:16:29,625 Although I've forgotten a lot because it was a while ago. 368 00:16:29,925 --> 00:16:30,225 Yeah. 369 00:16:31,185 --> 00:16:34,035 Yeah, probably, probably would go back to Athens. 370 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:34,230 Yeah. 371 00:16:34,575 --> 00:16:34,755 Yeah. 372 00:16:34,785 --> 00:16:38,655 Because you'd feel like you were, you'd have some confidence around purchasing. 373 00:16:38,660 --> 00:16:38,910 Mm-hmm. 374 00:16:39,210 --> 00:16:39,630 Mm-hmm. 375 00:16:40,515 --> 00:16:40,575 Yeah. 376 00:16:40,575 --> 00:16:41,535 And, and sight unseen. 377 00:16:41,535 --> 00:16:43,185 Would you purchase there sight unseen? 378 00:16:44,445 --> 00:16:46,365 Have you got contacts there still at the moment? 379 00:16:46,695 --> 00:16:47,656 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 380 00:16:47,656 --> 00:16:47,657 Yeah. 381 00:16:47,975 --> 00:16:53,635 Yeah , I was there at the end of last year and I did go with an agent around 382 00:16:53,635 --> 00:16:55,225 to a few properties and had a look. 383 00:16:55,225 --> 00:16:57,445 So yeah, I would contact her. 384 00:16:57,445 --> 00:16:59,800 And did you tell the, did you tell your daughters. 385 00:17:00,340 --> 00:17:00,400 Yeah. 386 00:17:01,090 --> 00:17:03,460 Yeah, I know, I knew you were looking? 387 00:17:03,730 --> 00:17:04,180 How funny. 388 00:17:04,180 --> 00:17:04,240 Yeah. 389 00:17:05,170 --> 00:17:06,700 Live is an adventure. 390 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:08,330 Thank you so much, Tracey. 391 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,170 If, if, if you had one little piece of advice to give to somebody who 392 00:17:13,170 --> 00:17:17,310 was thinking about doing one of these homes, whether it be in Italy, 393 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,520 France, or Greece, what would you say? 394 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,340 Definitely give it a go if that's what you really wanna do. 395 00:17:24,490 --> 00:17:24,970 Yeah. 396 00:17:25,020 --> 00:17:29,010 It's, yeah, you've, it's not, it's not just walk in and 397 00:17:29,010 --> 00:17:30,840 renovate and walk back out again. 398 00:17:30,940 --> 00:17:36,790 Yeah, there's lots of, do your, do your homework, find out what they 399 00:17:36,820 --> 00:17:39,310 need you to do before you buy it. 400 00:17:39,490 --> 00:17:43,310 Yeah, and I would, I would assume that you'd have to get tax file 401 00:17:43,330 --> 00:17:46,465 numbers and things like that in any country to own property. 402 00:17:46,465 --> 00:17:49,240 Did you feel like they were being dodgy over there or did you feel safe 403 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:50,950 with all the transactions and stuff? 404 00:17:51,955 --> 00:17:53,275 Yeah, I did feel safe. 405 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:53,530 Yeah. 406 00:17:53,535 --> 00:17:53,605 Yeah. 407 00:17:53,730 --> 00:17:59,080 There's so ish, you've gotta, you've gotta realise that there is 408 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,030 an element of that all the time. 409 00:18:01,030 --> 00:18:01,615 Yeah, yeah. 410 00:18:01,630 --> 00:18:03,250 Just don't be naive, I suppose. 411 00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:04,525 Yeah, fair enough. 412 00:18:04,575 --> 00:18:08,265 But you also have to trust and, which I did trust a lot of people. 413 00:18:08,475 --> 00:18:08,715 Yeah. 414 00:18:09,420 --> 00:18:13,320 Which look back, if it had gone wrong, wrong, I would've gone, oh, that was 415 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,600 really stupid, but it didn't go wrong. 416 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:15,990 So there you go. 417 00:18:15,990 --> 00:18:16,980 But it didn't go wrong. 418 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:17,400 Yeah. 419 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:18,130 It's the same here, though. 420 00:18:18,970 --> 00:18:19,630 Don't you reckon? 421 00:18:19,870 --> 00:18:20,950 Oh, absolutely. 422 00:18:20,980 --> 00:18:21,702 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 423 00:18:22,180 --> 00:18:25,905 The people I picked, yeah, we're great people and are still my friends, so 424 00:18:26,475 --> 00:18:27,795 Oh, so nice. 425 00:18:27,795 --> 00:18:28,485 What an adventure. 426 00:18:28,695 --> 00:18:29,985 You only live once. 427 00:18:29,985 --> 00:18:30,735 There you go. 428 00:18:30,975 --> 00:18:31,485 That's it. 429 00:18:31,485 --> 00:18:32,115 Definitely. 430 00:18:32,295 --> 00:18:32,535 Yes. 431 00:18:32,535 --> 00:18:32,775 Yeah. 432 00:18:32,775 --> 00:18:32,865 Mm-hmm. 433 00:18:33,565 --> 00:18:37,705 If anybody wants to work with Tracey here, Tracey does joint ventures. 434 00:18:37,705 --> 00:18:44,095 She's always open to working with people either as a renovator and or if anybody 435 00:18:44,145 --> 00:18:45,745 wants to be a money partner for Tracey. 436 00:18:45,765 --> 00:18:47,205 She's an experienced renovator. 437 00:18:47,510 --> 00:18:51,440 One of my favorite ladies, and you can find Tracey at Old 2 New 438 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,080 House Transformations on Instagram. 439 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:59,390 So when I say Old 2 New, old, two, the number two, New House 440 00:18:59,390 --> 00:19:02,030 Transformations is her Instagram handle. 441 00:19:02,210 --> 00:19:05,750 Once you get onto Instagram, you'll see the linktree and you can click through 442 00:19:05,750 --> 00:19:09,990 to Tracey there via the linktree, or you can send her an email at 443 00:19:10,050 --> 00:19:15,870 Ellis, E-LL-I-S family05@bigpond.com. 444 00:19:16,090 --> 00:19:17,725 Did I get that right? 445 00:19:17,970 --> 00:19:18,260 Yeah. 446 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:18,940 Oh, perfect. 447 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:19,420 That's all good. 448 00:19:19,420 --> 00:19:19,660 Yeah. 449 00:19:19,660 --> 00:19:20,060 Mm-hmm. 450 00:19:20,515 --> 00:19:21,095 Thanks, Tracey. 451 00:19:21,095 --> 00:19:23,785 Or if you can't find Tracey, call me and I'll put you in touch. 452 00:19:24,145 --> 00:19:24,985 So, beautiful. 453 00:19:24,985 --> 00:19:26,915 Thanks so much for sharing that story, Tracey. 454 00:19:26,935 --> 00:19:26,995 Yeah. 455 00:19:26,995 --> 00:19:30,700 More than more than willing to go overseas and renovate your property anywhere. 456 00:19:31,140 --> 00:19:31,660 Anywhere in the world. 457 00:19:32,090 --> 00:19:33,180 Yeah, anywhere. 458 00:19:33,180 --> 00:19:36,985 Well, honestly, the beauty is, and the underlying message is you can 459 00:19:36,985 --> 00:19:40,225 take this business and your knowledge of how to put a reno together. 460 00:19:40,435 --> 00:19:42,620 You can take it anywhere, so, yeah. 461 00:19:42,625 --> 00:19:42,805 Yeah. 462 00:19:42,805 --> 00:19:44,335 One of my favorite things about it. 463 00:19:44,425 --> 00:19:44,725 Yes. 464 00:19:44,995 --> 00:19:45,475 Yeah. 465 00:19:46,090 --> 00:19:51,870 Mine too, except I seem to stay put, but I'm less adventurous than you are, Tracey. 466 00:19:53,500 --> 00:19:53,800 All right. 467 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:54,730 Thanks so much. 468 00:19:55,270 --> 00:19:56,140 Thank you.