7 hours ago
3
Selling a home usually requires immaculate styling, but the buyers of some of Victoria’s oldest, original houses want to see the dust and cobwebs.
Sometimes, in homes up to 200 years old and exposed to decades of weather, neglect and decay, that is the least of what’s waiting within.
For the passionate group of buyers who pursue the most derelict, timeworn homes they can possibly find, even amid high construction cost and planning complexities, that authenticity is more than an attraction – it’s a calling.
When Jonathan Halls bought Oakvale in Millbrook near Ballarat 38 years ago, the brick Georgian house built about 1875 was in a state that some considered beyond saving.
It was under threat of demolition before Halls stepped forward. Now, he is in the process of selling Oakvale to its next steward.
“It captured me. I can’t really explain it,” Halls says.
“It is so beautifully made. It was surrounded by mature cypress trees, so you couldn’t really see it, and there were holes in the floor, and there was water in the basement, so I bought it assuming that I could solve these problems. And so I did, one by one.
During the repairs, Halls sought the advice of an architectural historian.
“I asked him, ‘What should I do about the finishes in the place?’ He said, ‘Well, if you were very brave, you would do nothing, and you would let the history of the place speak.’ I took that on board.”
Oakvale, which has a guide of $1.15 million to $1.25 million, has many admirers.
Agent Dominic Romeo, who estimates a full restoration would come in under $1 million, fielded 200 inquiries in the first five days, and that volume has since more than doubled. At least 80 groups have inspected the home, and Romeo expects up to 12 offers.
“When I first walked into Oakvale, there was a timeless beauty – original paintwork and patina, intact rosettes and cornices, beautiful floorboards and joinery,” he says.
“In fact, I told Jonathan not to remove any dust or cobwebs, as I wanted the authenticity to be shown and appreciated through the photography. All these elements create the romance factor, which is valuable to the property and particularly to restorers.”
Halls contributed to a cultural heritage citation initiated by the local council, a process that some owners would have fought to prevent future constraints.
“I’ve always only ever seen myself as a custodian, and that I needed to do the right thing by the building,” he says.
Romeo served as a director of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and now runs agency Dominic Romeo Historic Property. Ninety per cent of his listings in Victoria and Tasmania are on state or local heritage registers.
“In essence, while heritage property may come with certain restrictions and considerations, they hold an intrinsic value that can outweigh some perceived challenges,” he says. “The appreciation for their historical and cultural significance, as well as their distinctiveness, can and do lead to higher demand and premium prices.”
Romeo says all heritage restoration buyers are altruistic and passionate, but those who take on a project of Oakvale’s scale are a “different breed” of purists.
“These buyers are driven by purpose and the romanticism associated with saving heritage buildings, and usually seek homes that are in an authentic state,” he says.
Romeo and his wife, Marie, have restored many heritage homes, including Rupertswood in Sunbury, the 50-room mansion famous as the birthplace of cricket’s the Ashes. Romeo has seen the full spectrum of rack and ruin, but says Oakvale is largely intact, and that is a credit to Halls.
The most in-demand homes are those built between 1820 and 1880, Romeo says, for their architectural style. They are expensive to fix, but even owners who just patch them up over the years can do enough to secure their survival.
Heritage architect Jane Cameron Finlay grew up on a farm in Victoria’s Western District, and the handsome homesteads that dot the paddocks inspired her choice of profession.
Her portfolio, as director of Jane Cameron Architects, includes the restoration of Toorak’s Salter House in collaboration with architect Christopher Hewson. Salter House was designed in 1922 by husband and wife Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin.
A restoration can take up to three years, and Cameron Finlay approaches each home like a detective.
“I get so intrigued because I can read them and work out what their story was,” she says.
Cameron Finlay’s philosophy is to repair rather than replace wherever possible.
“Something that was built in the 1800s has worn stone steps, it’s got imperfections, and these happened over generations, and they have a soul,” she says.
Ben Campbell and Vicky Young valued this at the ramshackle workers cottage in Brunswick, built in 1900, that they bought as their family home at auction seven years ago. Even after a meticulous restoration, they didn’t touch the original timber front door threshold.
“We left in the wear, so you step over it and think of the past 100 years, a family of 17 kids and all the other generations have lived and existed here,” Young says. “Those little reminders that we’re not the first to experience and live in those homes is pretty special.”
Young believes the home’s heritage overlay “intimidated” rival buyers at the auction. Combined with wonky weatherboards, graffitied paintwork and shattered windows – and that was just the facade – others saw problems. The house was uninhabitable and coated in industrial residue.
However, Young and Campbell saw something irreplaceable.
“The opportunity to piece her back together and bring her to life was really evident,” she says.
The couple own Building Evolution, a heritage building company focused on Melbourne’s inner north. Their client portfolio includes late-1800s houses in North Melbourne and Abbotsford.
“We can immediately see in our own mind that it’s highly possible to take it from complete disrepair to a real moment of joy and beauty,” Young says.
