The four-bedroom house at 6 Michael Street was sold under the hammer on Wednesday night by Belle Property Wollongong, making it the highest sale price in the suburb for a single residential dwelling.

Mrs Hannaford completely transformed the modest red brick cottage into an ultra-contemporary home with a grand entrance foyer, multiple living areas, cathedral ceilings, and an all-weather rear deck.

The luxurious home even boasts a powder room.

Mrs Hannaford, who runs her own business Ruth Hannaford Designs, and her dentist husband Stephen, bought the brick and tile home, set on 854 square metres in a quiet cul-de-sac close to the Wollongong Botanic Garden in late 2013.

‘‘It was a tiny little three-bedroom brick house, with a 1970s or ’80s look, and I just found inspiration because I have always been attracted to Gwynneville,’’ she said.

‘‘Gwynneville and Keiraville have always been understated areas which are just starting to come into their rightful deserving status.

‘‘I walked in here [Michael Street] and showed a few friends who said: ‘You’ve got to be kidding, what are you going to do to this?’

‘‘I just got this inspiration and 2 hours later, I scribbled a drawing and took it off to get drawn up and so it began.

‘‘It’s nothing like it was, nothing.’’

The Hannafords completely rebuilt the home. They enlarged it, constructed 5.4 metre raked ceilings, and changed the interior to a vast open plan living and dining area which opens out to a rear deck.

‘‘I wanted a resort look but I wanted it to be true to the look of the surrounding area and make it timeless,’’ Mrs Hannaford said.

‘‘I wanted it to stand the test of time and be a beautiful easy living home, practical and always up to date.’’

They added huge built-in wardrobes, an extra bedroom, a foyer, a study, an extra bathroom and powder room, the deck, a double garage and storage, and remodelled and increased the size of the laundry.

‘‘It’s a very easy-flow living house,’’ she said.

Mrs Hannaford, who has more than three decades’ experience as an interior designer, has renovated and sold 11 homes.

She has worked consistently in the Illawarra through word of mouth.

‘‘You sell something and people go through your house and say: ‘That’s beautiful, can you come to my house’,’’ she said. ‘‘I have never advertised and I don’t have to.’’

Mrs Hannaford is not afraid of a bit of dust or dirt and rolled her sleeves up to help the tradies remodel the house.

‘‘I followed this project day in and day out,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s my baby, my passion and I had a great set of builders (Unique Building and Carpentry), they were just phenomenal, and the attention to detail was outstanding.’’

Mrs Hannaford, a keen entertainer, said her favourite part of the house was the gourmet kitchen and dining and family rooms.

Belle Property Wollongong principal Darren Kay said the home’s location – its close proximity to Keiraville and Gwynneville villages and only five minutes to Wollongong’s CBD – made it highly desirable.

Mr Kay, who sold the property, along with co-principal Nicole Kay and agent Tonee McComb, said the buyer was a local and the interest at the auction came from Illawarra residents.

As for the Hannafords, they will be scouring the Mercury this weekend for their next renovation project.

‘’’We’re out looking for our next venture,’’ she said. ‘‘I’d like to stay in this area because I really think Gwynneville and Keiraville has so much to offer.’’