Abbey Holmes, a former AFLW star and TV personality, along with her husband Keegan Brooksby (also a former AFL player), purchased a bayside home in Melbourne in November 2023—just days after their Northern Territory wedding. The couple secured the four-bedroom house at auction for AUD 1.45 million .
Over the past year, they’ve been transforming this “ugly duckling” into a bright, Hamptons-style dream home. The renovation includes ripping up old carpets, replacing dark orange-brown floors with light oak tones, painting walls and trim in crisp white, and adding natural textures like rattan lighting and sleek ceiling fans .
What Abbey Learned: Renovation Truths & Tips
Abbey reflected on her renovation experience and shared both practical truths and helpful advice:
5 Renovating Hard Truths
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Budget for the unexpected – Renovations always come with surprises.
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Choose your tradies wisely – A great team makes a huge difference.
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Live in the space first (if possible) – It helps clarify what truly works.
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Stick to a cohesive style – It ensures everything flows beautifully.
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Take breaks – Renovation burnout is real; stepping away helps.
5 Top Reno Tips
Plan extensively – Organization is your best friend.
Know your budget—and add extra – Costs always creep up.
Ask for expert help when needed – It pays off in the long run.
Stay flexible – Things rarely go exactly as planned.
Enjoy the journey – The end result makes it all worthwhile .
Abbey emphasizes that a renovation is more of a marathon than a sprint—take the time to enjoy the process rather than rushing to the finish line .
The Possum Battle: A Comical Stand-Off
One of the most memorable moments of their renovation? A battle with local possums.
They discovered possums nesting under their deck—prompting them to call in a specialist to install a one-way exclusion gate .
Ultimately, they had to remove the deck entirely to seal the house off.
Abbey and Keegan cheekily dubbed the possums “Peter and Paul,” joking that the wildlife was paying rent—until they “evicted” them for good .
The Human Story: What Drives Abbey
Amid the chaos and hard work, there’s a deeply personal motivation:
Abbey and Keegan are expecting their first child, a surprise discovered shortly after Abbey ran the New York Marathon in November 2024 .
Abbey shares that the thought of building a home their little one will grow up in keeps her energized—even on the most exhausting days .
She says the most rewarding part is “walking into a space you’ve designed and knowing all the hard work…has paid off,” including custom fixtures and perfect splashbacks that make the house truly feel like home .