Michael and Carlene from The Block spent $10,000 renovating a caravan named Dolly

Former stars of The Block, Michael and Carlene Duffy, have shown off the vintage caravan that they transformed into a spectacular home on wheels at a bargain price.

The couple said the renovation took 12 months, and the caravan now comes complete with a kitchen nook, bunk beds and a separate master bedroom.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Carlene said the duo had intended to sell the 50-year-old caravan after the renovation, but came to love it throughout the year-long makeover.

They named the caravan Dolly, and decided to keep her.

The Block stars Michael and Carlene Duffy (pictured together with their kids) revealed how they spent $10,000 transforming an old vintage caravan into a spectacular home on wheels

Carlene said the duo had intended to sell the 50-year-old caravan after the renovation, but came to love it throughout the year-long makeover

Carlene said the duo had intended to sell the 50-year-old caravan after the renovation, but came to love it throughout the year-long makeover

The couple said the renovation took 12 months after spending just $6,500 on the old caravan

The couple said the renovation took 12 months after spending just $6,500 on the old caravan

Carlene told FEMAIL they recently spent $10,000 doing up a 50-year-old caravan with the intention of selling it, but came to love it throughout the year-long process

The 22-foot fixer-upper now looks like a holiday haven, decked out with pastel blue and white interiors, a queen bed, bunk beds for the couple’s two children and a full kitchen.

The renovating couple – who were the breakout stars of the 2014 season of the reality TV show – purchased the rundown caravan for $6,500.

Carlene said they always wanted to own a caravan, and renovating an old one made more sense than buying a new one.

‘We didn’t have the capacity to buy an $80,000 van that we probably wouldn’t be happy with anyway aesthetically,’ Carlene said.

‘As renovators you tend to have a strong idea of what we like in terms of colours and materials which is just not available with new vans.’

Carlene said they always wanted to own a caravan, and renovating an old one made more sense than buying a new one

Carlene said they always wanted to own a caravan, and renovating an old one made more sense than buying a new one

The light, bright feel of the colour scheme also makes the space feel bigger, and offers a beach holiday vibe

The light, bright feel of the colour scheme also makes the space feel bigger, and offers a beach holiday vibe

Lightweight materials such as laminate bench tops and stick on splashback tiles are also a good money-saving option, and also mean you can forego expensive tilers

CARLENE’S BUDGET FRIENDLY TIPS TO RENOVATING A CARAVAN

1. Do whatever you can yourself – the less you spend on trades, the better.

2. Purchase your van according to your skills.

3. Paint the exterior yourself – but be prepared for a different quality finish.

4. Reuse materials – handles and cabinets could do with a freshen up. 

5. Be smart with storage space. 

6. Research lightweight materials – laminate benchtops and adhesive splashbacks are a renovators dream.

7.  Lay your own floors.

Carlene said some of the most important things to remember are to stick to a budget and know your limitations.

She said renovators should always try to go the extra mile to do whatever they can themselves.

Bringing in tradesmen can quickly chew through a budget, so the more a person can do themselves, the more money they have to spend on materials.

Always purchase a van according to the skill set you’re working with, Carlene said.

‘If you aren’t super handy, I’d suggest buying a van that is fairly intact that just needs superficial painting work because that’s something anybody can do,’ she said.

‘If you’re a bit more handy then you might have the capacity to buy a strip out and starting from scratch.

‘The main thing is to be realistic about your skills, expectations and budget. 

‘We’ve sort of done everything now, ones that are in good shape and others that are complete bombs.’  

Carlene said the duo had intended to sell the 50-year-old caravan after the renovation, but came to love it throughout the year-long makeover

Carlene said the duo had intended to sell the 50-year-old caravan after the renovation, but came to love it throughout the year-long makeover

The 22-foot fixer-upper now looks like a holiday haven, decked out with pastel blue and white interiors, a queen bed, bunk beds for the couple's two children and a full kitchen

The 22-foot fixer-upper now looks like a holiday haven, decked out with pastel blue and white interiors, a queen bed, bunk beds for the couple’s two children and a full kitchen

Carlene also suggested budget renovators could paint their own exteriors – an expense which she said is one of the most extravagant in their own process. The couple hired an automotive painter to do theirs for a more professional finish

Carlene also suggested budget renovators could paint their own exteriors – an expense which she said is one of the most extravagant in their own process.

She said a good automotive painter charges anywhere between $3,000 to $5,500 for an exterior paint job, which she and Michael are happy to fork out for the ‘professional finish’.

But she said for people willing to forego some of the quality, a thorough home job is suitable.

‘If you do want to do it yourself, try to buy a van where the panelling is in good shape that doesn’t require much covering up,’ she suggested.

Another great thing to remember is to look for the beauty in what you’re working with, including those rundown finishes.

‘All the handles in Dolly are the original ones. They were a bit cute and quirky and just needed a freshen up,’ she said.

‘We painted them to bring them up to scratch and did the same thing with the cabinetry.’

The finished product! Pastel blues and whites brought their vision for Dolly to life - and they loved her so much they decided to keep her

The finished product! Pastel blues and whites brought their vision for Dolly to life – and they loved her so much they decided to keep her

For Dolly, there's ample storage underneath kitchen counters, meaning the floor space is less cluttered

For Dolly, there’s ample storage underneath kitchen counters, meaning the floor space is less cluttered

Lightweight materials such as laminate benchtops and stick on splashback tiles are also a good money-saving option, and also mean you can forego expensive tilers.

She also suggested putting some thought into storage spaces. 

For Dolly, there is ample storage underneath beds and in hidden nooks, meaning the floor space is less cluttered.

The light, bright feel of the colour scheme also makes the space feel bigger, and produces a beach holiday vibe.  

Carlene’s final tip was to lay flooring yourself. For Dolly, they used a timber-look vinyl for durability. 

The light, bright feel of the colour scheme also makes the space feel bigger, and produces a beach holiday vibe

The light, bright feel of the colour scheme also makes the space feel bigger, and produces a beach holiday vibe

Carlene's final tip was to lay flooring yourself. For Dolly, they used a timber-look vinyl for durability

Carlene’s final tip was to lay flooring yourself. For Dolly, they used a timber-look vinyl for durability

The renovating couple warned doing up old vans should be done out of love, and not for people hoping to turn a quick profit

The renovating couple warned doing up old vans should be done out of love, and not for people hoping to turn a quick profit

But they warned doing up old vans should be done out of love, and not for people hoping to turn a quick profit.

‘They’re so laborious, there isn’t much of a profit in it at all. At least, not for us,’ she said.

‘They’re 50 year old vans, they need a lot of work.

‘A lot of people think this is quite achievable and it is, but you’ll definitely stumble across unexpected challenges, which is why we’ve decided to host some workshops.

‘Its such a niche market and we’re fielding so many questions. Its not really information you can find on the internet.’ 

Carlene also suggested budget renovators could paint their own exteriors - an expense which she said is one of the most extravagant in their own process

Carlene also suggested budget renovators could paint their own exteriors – an expense which she said is one of the most extravagant in their own process

For Dolly, the couple spent $6,500 purchasing the old van, and $10,000 in total doing her up

For Dolly, the couple spent $6,500 purchasing the old van, and $10,000 in total doing her up

For Dolly, the couple spent $6,500 purchasing the original van, and $10,000 in total doing her up. 

They recently sold their latest renovation project, affectionately named Bumblebee, for $24,000. 

The duo – who have renovated four caravans so far – will be running a workshop in Brisbane between July 20 and 21 to assist budding renovators who are keen to give caravans a try. 

For more details about the workshop, please visit the website. 

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