CLAREMONT resident Sasha deBretton turned renovating into innovation that won her a Businesswoman of the Year award.
The Million Dollar Makeovers concept that involves renovating a home in four weeks, or eight weeks with an extension, won the mother-of-one the WA Business Innovation Award.
She will contest the national award on November 18 in Melbourne.
Ms deBretton launched her now Claremont-based business in 2009, but she has been transforming homes since becoming a first-home buyer at the age of 21, when working as a marketing executive.
“I had a natural flair for interior design, so for a number of years worked full-time in the corporate world and was doing three renovations a year, so I was doing them very fast,” she said.
“I found that if you look after the trades, you could get the work done in record time.”
Ms deBretton said clients often chose to holiday while the work was in progress, so she would organise to pick them up from the airport and surprise them with their new home.
She said the idea came about when the global financial crisis hit and property values dropped by 30 or 40 per cent.
“I knew I could help people get their value back,” Ms deBretton said. “I launched Million Dollar Makeovers at a trade show and got three renovations in the first month.
“I started working from home in Burswood and in the second year, I tripled my profit.”
Ms deBretton has awards displayed in her new showroom, including a 40 under 40 award from February this year and a new Business of the Year prize from Business Fusion.