We’re gearing up for one of the most emotional reveals ever on House Rules this season, after Mikaela and Eliza revealed the heartbreaking reason why the show means so much to them.
As the teams arrived in WA, the surfie sisters opened up about their financial struggles following the divorce of their parents and why the renovation will mean so much to them.
Now in an exclusive chat with Now To Love, Mikaela and Eliza share their story and open up about their close relationship with their mum.
Standing outside their family home in Yallingup, three hours south of Perth, sisters Mikaela and Eliza revealed that 18 months prior to filming, their parents divorced.
“It’s really hard to see someone you love go through something so hard and I’ve never seen something break someone so much,” Eliza told the teams.
Following the split, the girls went on to explain that their mum Kristen bought the house from their dad, but faced financial struggles due to legal fees and the divorce settlement.
“Mum is struggling every fortnight to meet those really hefty repayments. It has put mum in a really hard situation so that’s why we sold most of the furniture and we are sitting on deckchairs and don’t have a couch,” Eliza added.
Mikaela and Eliza are on House Rules to give their mum a fresh start. (Image: Channel Seven)
Speaking to Now To Love, Mikaela revealed that the defining moment when they decided to apply came to them when they were at their family home.
“We were sitting on a mattress on the floor in front of the TV and Eliza was sitting by the fire and came up and said, ‘Mum I don’t want to freak you out or anything like that but how would you feel if Mikaela and I applied for House Rules?’
“Eliza and I had spoken and joked about it for a little bit but Eliza must have gone back and thought about it and had a plan of attack. So she approached mum with it and mum was like ‘Yes, amazing!’ but I don’t think any of us thought we would get on the show and then we did so it’s been an absolute rollercoaster.”
It’s been one hell of a rollercoaster for Mikaela and Eliza on House Rules. (Image: Channel Seven)
With little furniture, Mikaela and Eliza hope that the renovation will help to give their mum a bit of a fresh start.
“Mum’s part of our life now. Mum is an incredible woman and is our foundation so we owe everything to her.”
And mum Kristen is grateful to her daughters for helping her through.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them in the background and in my heart and in my head saying, ‘You’re going to be ok mum, you’re going to be ok.’ And I am ok now because of them,” she revealed on the show.
WATCH: Mikaela and Eliza were on First Dates. Post continues…
The girls have a very close relationship with their mum and shared a sweet throwback photo on Mother’s Day in honour of their number one lady.
“This woman is the foundation of Mikaela and I,” Eliza penned on the girls’ joint Instagram account.
“She has taught us hard work, dedication, drive, love, the importance of self growth, how to be caring, to give back, to forgive anddd the list could go on.. We adore you Mum and we both couldn’t be more proud to be sharing this journey on @houserules with you. We love you! To the ones who have tried and haven’t received..we celebrate you on this day too.”
Mikaela and Eliza shared a cute photo from the family archives on Mother’s Day. (Image: Instagram @mikaelaelizaau)
And the girls didn’t stop there. The surfie sisters gave their mum a very touching gift on Mother’s Day – a necklace pendant featuring their three names and a tree in the centre.
“The most beautiful gift of all… children . I love you both,” mum Kristen posted on her Instagram account.
But as for the big day, the three of them had to celebrate a bit earlier.
“Mum was working a full shift, she’s a nurse so we didn’t really get to spend the full day with her as she was working 12 hours but a couple of days before the Sunday we had an early Mother’s Day breakfast which was really nice,” Mikaela and Eliza tell Now To Love.
What a gorgeous gift! (Image: Instagram @kristengreene)
So what can we expect from this reveal?
“We’re really excited for all the teams to come to Western Australia and to be able to give this opportunity to mum and we cannot wait to show Australia our beautiful brand new family home at the end of the week. We know the teams will pour as much as love as they possibly can and we’re so grateful to have been chosen to be part of this opportunity,” Eliza tells us.
“We are so excited to see it too, we weren’t a part of anything that was going on in our house so we don’t know anything that happened,” Mikaela adds.
Mikaela and Eliza want their home to feel calming and welcoming. (Image: Channel Seven)
Mikaela and Eliza have the following rules for their home:
Give the house a coastal heart
Think beach for your colour scheme
Bring nature in to nurture
Create a cool, tropical resort for Eliza
Celebrate Mikaela’s adventurous soul
We reckon this could be the most tear-jerking reveal yet and can’t wait to see those reactions.
“I cannot wait to see the new beginning we’re all going to have because of this,” Eliza said.
Bring on those reveals! (Image: Channel Seven)
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