Over the past few weeks, these how to episodes have been used for other events like budget check ups and loved one visits, so it would be a bit weird if they return to the normal format tonight. I don’t really know what they can do in this episode that would attract my attention greatly, considering we’ve just been bombarded with a double elimination, but let’s find out what little Brendan has up his sleeve!
We begin the morning at the Sixties Suburban where Natalia is seven days away from completion. She is happy to have slept in the master bedroom last night. She cannot believe she is a finalist as she sits with the tranquil view of the nature filled back yard, sipping some coffee (or tea).
At the Fibro cottage, Michael also wakes up to his first day as a finalist. All along, some sombre music plays to remind us that this is also a sad time. That sad time does dissipate as he remembers the prize worth fighting for.
Today, he is working on the rest of the floors done while concrete is to be done outside and the pool is filled. He wants Jarrad to come back for the day to help.
At the weatherboard house, Mel is doing her hardest to clean up as all hands are on deck inside with the tradies who are doing the showers, the painting and the tiling. One of them congratulates Mel on her position in the competition; humorously stating that he is shocked.
She has a lot to do with the carport not even completed or even started yet! She gets hard at work at the landscaping of the backyard, but there is so much other stuff to do, and not much time to do it in.
At the inner city terrace, Luke is hard at work with his skirtings in time for the painters. The budget is tight so he can’t order too much paint. A trusty Bunning’s App on a trusty tablet will help with that in a very shockingly corny product placement display.
The painter gets on with the job and finally, a lot has changed. His kitchen in the extension is nearly finished and what was once just a 3D visual plan, is now reality. But a problem has struck. An appliance isn’t fitting in one of the crannies and Luke is a bit annoyed because it was fitted for the kitchen.
After the break, Michael’s pool is being lined with the stone and after a hose down, it looks beautiful. Concreters are meanwhile working hard while Michael inside compliments Freedom furniture and its ability to make a room looked well styled. Nice one, Michael.
The agent comes in and is very impressed with all he has done. She wishes him all the best and Michael just hopes he can do her proud.
Meanwhile, Brendan rocks up and Michael gives him the grand tour of the new property. We finally get a look at the new garden which looks fantastic already. Michael promises that if Brendan helps him, he can have a splash in the pool.
Brendan gives him some advice for how to landscape the rest of the garden. It seems there will be an outdoor shower and a big lawned area which is now being adorned by unused plants from the front yard challenge.
Brendan gives a few little tweaks using the plants and Michael doesn’t hesitate as it looks fantastic. Soon enough, they have a whole garden completed!
Brendan trims some bushes, believing Michael’s mum has wanted to do the same to his dreadlocks.
It looks amazing and safe to say, Brendan IS a genius.
After the break, we are at the shop where August is throwing all the money he has left to get the best possible quality out of the shop. So much is getting done as August pledges to ‘win the war’. His army (the tradies) are tying off loose ends throughout the house and before you know it; the decking is done and the walls are patched ahead of a paintjob tomorrow.
To the half done house and the sun shines on the already stunning back garden which Peter is hard at work at. He’s building a bench seat which he will place in today while doing the landscaping. Peter then discusses how he always loved renovating.
He loves the job he has done with the back yard and it truly does look like a work of art.
We then head to the weatherboard house where concreters are hard at work building the pedestrian path in front of the house, the carport and the pergola area. Mel is just upset Keenan wasn’t around to see all this considering he is the king of the concrete. Today, Mel will be the queen.
Inside, she is fixing the mistakes Keenan made on the fireplace with that ugly black board covering up the fireplace. She then chizzles away at the fireplace and before long, it is on its way to ‘complimenting the rest of Keenan’s work’.
Chris Gray visits Mel and congratulates her on being the last woman (other than the Natalia) standing. He is going to help her ‘train the agents’ and shows her way she could maximise the lovely look of the house.
She then shows him the exposed fireplace bricks in the living area and she seems to like the ‘mouldy, rustic look’ which is odd. Chris agrees nonetheless.
Funnily enough, before the break, a Bunning’s logo flips on screen, this is just pushing it in terms of acceptable product placement (which there is no such thing).
Back at the inner city terrace and it seems Luke has fixed his non-fitting oven problem by taking out a redundant drawer.
The new water feature at the house is being installed and it looks absolutely fantastic. It is easily the most fantastic thing I have ever seen on the show!
Back to the half done house and it certainly isn’t half done any more. It is almost done, and Peter is now putting up some interesting wall paper to finish off the shell of yet another room; the third bedroom. Robyn comes in to help him edit the room, but before they do that, they must move everything in.
They move the furniture in the room and with Robyn’s help, Pete turns the area into a spectacular room.
This is again another how to episode based on the judges helping the contestants finish their rooms.
Before Robyn leaves, she compliments the wallpaper of the room.
To the sixties suburban and Natalia is trying to finish all of Nathan’s unfinished jobs. She needs to relay the kitchen floor which will require taking a few things apart, but she may have some help with Baz coming up the driveway.
She runs through her list of jobs before she and Baz get into fixing the kitchen. I must say, Baz would be the perfect person to help with such a daunting task; he is so calm and so professional with it all.
Quote of the episode: ‘The most important that I’ve learnt today is there’s a process you have to do things – obviously laying the floor first before you put your cabinets in is a good one – to start with (smirks)’ – Natalia taking a jab at Nathan’s useless kitchen building skills.
Baz then gives her a crash course DIY session on how to build the rest of her kitchen before he leaves her be with the rest of it.
After the break, we are just a few days away from finale and Natalia’s LG (yes, we better emphasise that) products have arrived. The sixties suburban won this stuff in a recent challenge but she is worried by the installation of some of the products, which could take a while, like the stone tops and the island bench. But with all that, she is excited by what could be the winner of the house.
During the installation of the island, we find out that the sides of the island are not fitting properly; leaving a gap between the shadow line and the bench top. She puts this down to the huge island bench weight curving the floating floor. She does fix the problem temporarily with the help of some wedges; and has a plan to plaster the bottom of it for the long term.
Meanwhile, back at her old home of the shop; August is making it his own by hanging his own art which looks magnificent.
We go back to Michael’s fibro cottage and now that the pool is finished, it looks amazing. Michael takes a dip in the (admittedly cold) pool as the fibro cottage looks set for completion.
After the break, Natalia wakes up to a new day as she completes the kitchen and I think, the house. She is giddy with exhaustion and believes she is drunk!
From here; August, Peter and Luke show their complete houses, but for Mel; she has taken her eye off the budget (after a relatively good season budget wise) and has gone over with no money left over to finish the backyard or furnish the living area.
But for the most part; the renovation side of The Renovators is officially over.
So to finish the night; and despite the fact this episode seemed so long that the elimination (double I must add) at the top of the night now seems like a distant memory, it didn’t seem like an overpowering amount of The Renovators, but I’m sure I would have a lot of disagreeing people lining up before me on that point.
It was a nice episode; free of most stress and great to see so much renovation while at the same time showing the judges implement their mentor sides to the project and help the contestants while at the same time as that, providing a few ‘How To’ tips.
So with that done; it looks like Courtney Rose will be saying goodbye to Friday night’s for a while with the finale of The Renovators next Wednesday. Although; Friday is reserved for the MasterClass, How To, Unlocked, unimportant overall episodes; so it’s not a big loss.
Courtney’s Verdict: 9.0/10
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