Introduction: From Podcast Listener to Two Profitable Projects: Carly's First Year Renovating Bernadette sits down with renovator Carly to unpack a remarkable first year, one that began with bingeing this very podcast over the summer holidays and ended with two profitable projects and a completely changed sense of what's possible. Just over twelve months ago, Carly was convinced that renovating for profit was for other people: people with more experience, more money, and more time. After joining the course in early 2025, she and her husband completed their first flip in under three months, a full-gut renovation that delivered just over $95,000 in profit. From there, the strategy shifted. When the numbers on their second property pointed to long-term growth rather than a quick sale, Carly turned a coastal home an hour from Adelaide into a holiday rental, now a super host listing that has earned more than $50,000 in bookings and a wall of five-star reviews in its first two months on Airbnb. But this is not a "list it and the money rolls in" story, and Carly is refreshingly honest about that. She and Bernadette dig into the real work behind short-term rental, the styling, the systems, the photography, and the cleaning saga — and why it is anything but passive income. If you have ever told yourself it is too late to start, that you do not have enough experience, or that serious profit and money partners are for other people, this conversation shows what becomes possible when belief and a solid system finally line up. Tune in to discover how one woman went from podcast listener to confident, profitable renovator in a single year, and what she would tell anyone still waiting for the "right time" to begin. "Twelve months ago, I would have said this wasn't possible for someone without much experience. Now my eyes have been opened, of course, it's possible. You just have to believe in yourself." EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 – Welcome & Carly's Renovating Journey So Far01:30 – From Bingeing the Podcast to Buying Within Months03:30 – The Fundamentals That Built Her Confidence04:30 – Giving Yourself the Authority to Start05:00 – Inside the First Flip: $95K Profit in Under Three Months06:30 – Why Project Two Became a Holiday Rental, Not a Flip08:00 – Two Months In: $60K in Bookings, Superhost & Five-Star Reviews09:30 – The Buy: Why Untouched Kitchens and Bathrooms Were the Win11:00 – Designing for Demand: A Pickleball Court, Kids' Wing & Beds for 1413:00 – The Budget: $110K, Black Friday and the Marketplace Goldmine14:30 – Bernadette's Advice: Build Your Own Database & Beware Booking.com16:30 – The Honest Truth: Why Short-Term Rental Isn't Passive21:30 – What's Next: Refinancing, Money Partners and the Belief Shift Resources: The School Of Renovating: https://www.theschoolofrenovating.com She Renovates Podcast: https://www.theschoolofrenovating.com/podcasts-page/ Connect with The School of Renovating: Book a FREE Reno Strategy Audit: https://member.theschoolofrenovating.com/10-min-strategy-call-page ASK BERNADETTE: https://sherenovates.com.au/podcast/ Subscribe to She Renovates Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3faoWlT Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSchoolOfRenovating Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschoolofrenovating Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_school_of_renovating Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@she_renovates_bernadette
