Most people renovate for lifestyle. The smart ones renovate for equity.

In this episode of, I am joined by Sounny and Alicia from The Block Season 2025 to unpack how experienced renovators think about ROI, trade-offs and long-term positioning in the Gold Coast market.

This is not a styling conversation. It is a money conversation.

We break down how to renovate strategically without overcapitalising, where families are getting caught out, and how to balance space vs location in 2026.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to renovate with ROI as the priority

• What genuinely adds value vs what just looks good

• When paying trades makes more financial sense than DIY

• Why bathrooms and high-impact upgrades create stronger returns• How to avoid overcapitalising in competitive Gold Coast suburbs

• Location vs lifestyle and how that decision impacts long-term wealth

• Their lived example of buying for space and later missing proximity

• Why being close to beaches, schools and amenities compounds in value

• The rise of dual living and granny flats as affordability tightens

• How families can use renovation to level up without blowing the budget

Connect with me

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/matt_srama/?hl=en

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_srama

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-srama-b8647b1ba/?originalSubdomain=au

BGC Podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZTdnNdku9iVdkBEFrND8V

Connect with Sonny & Alicia

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/sonnyandalicia/?hl=en

Subscribe to Buying Gold Coast for weekly insights into renovating for equity, suburb strategy, development trends and practical guidance for navigating the Gold Coast property market in 2026.

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