Labour of love: How one Canberra couple renovated their Higgins home

When Alex Reeve and his partner Tayla Wilesmith bought 27 Wearing Street, Higgins, in 2016, they could hardly have imagined the journey their home would take them on. 

After just 18 months in the home and with a baby on the way, they knew there was work to be done to transform this three-bedroom house into the family home of their dreams. 

So, with Wilesmith’s eye for detail and Reeve’s handy work, the couple spared no expense in fitting the Higgins home with the most luxe creature comforts. 

“It started off small, but when the ideas got spread across the table it sort of blew out pretty quickly,” Reeve says. “We didn’t go into it with a budget in mind … we spent well over $300,000. We basically started over from scratch. 

The property features countless high-end inclusions, both inside the home and across the expansive al fresco entertainment space. 

The outdoor space includes two fire pits, a wood-fired pizza oven, a bar, a functional outdoor kitchen and dining space, a cubby house fit for the luckiest of little ones, a fenced fruit and vegetable garden and beautifully designed timber fittings throughout.

You would think that with so many incredible aspects, space might be limited, but in Reeve’s experience, quite the opposite is true.

“We had a baby shower there in the outdoor area, we had the fires going and honestly, there were 50 to 60 people in the backyard, and it didn’t even feel cluttered,” he says.

The indoor space is no less impressive, boasting heated flooring – a must-have as any true Canberran knows – heavy-duty insulation, double-glazed windows, shadow-line cornices and a stunning free-standing tub in one of the bathrooms.

 Reeve’s know-how as an electrician also elevates the property, with smart integrations wired throughout the home, from comfort lighting in the bedrooms and bathrooms, to sensor lights on the exterior. 

“It’s a home that can be for anyone, not just for a family,” Reeve says. “I just hope it goes to someone who is going to appreciate it and all those little extra comforts we put into it.” 

Higgins

View property

Price guide: $1.1 million

Auction: 10am, October 22

Agent: Agent Team Canberra, Steve Lowe 0414 720 532