Fantastic Renovators store.

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Had the opportunity to visit the GT over the last weekend for a family event and visited a shop called The Restoration Barn in Castlemaine. Anyone interested in renovating an older property it's well worth a visit everything from door knobs to hinges, plumbing fittings, fireplaces, plaster works, pressed metal ceiling tiles etc.
The bonus for me was the all the old tools, memorabilia, etc, you could easily spend a few hours wandering around the shop.
Cheers
 
I can imagine Pa..
Im addicted to watching the home renovation shows ..Flipping Boston .Flop or Flop ..Good Bones, Vintage restorations, Big Beach Build .. first time flippers and the British show Grand designs is also a favourite of mine ..
if i had the time, I would love to buy an old house and renovate it .. :inlove:
 
Nucopia, its just a fantastic shop, chandelier made from old glass lanterns, another decorative hanging of rabbit traps, lots of early 1900s gas heaters, light fittings etc, you just step back in time many decades and the store is incredibly tidy, staff are friendly but it would hurt the hip pocket severely!
 
nucopia said:
I can imagine Pa..
Im addicted to watching the home renovation shows ..Flipping Boston .Flop or Flop ..Good Bones, Vintage restorations, Big Beach Build .. first time flippers and the British show Grand designs is also a favourite of mine ..
if i had the time, I would love to buy an old house and renovate it .. :inlove:

I get the same bug but then remember all the ones I've been involved in and the feeling fades for another few weeks haha. Quite lucrative if you have the nous and skills, seen some really fantastic reno done that added incredible value or paid a tidy return.

The last one I helped complete in my spare time was a 160 year old house with 16 rooms, full modern reboot over 5 years in my spare time, took me 18 months to pick up a tool again, damn near broke my will. Many midnight jobs. Bloke who owned it got a pretty tidy return.

All that said the place was truly stunning. Just bloody hard work. Those reno shows have a lot to answer for haha.
 
Yeah it can really be like the show title a Flip or flop ..
Ive done a few renoes Over the years , some simple and some that where pretty complex..
just spent 5k on a bathroom reno in a house We own in WA .. luckely I have had dealings in the past with the contractor and a property manager over there I can trust to make sure every thing is done properly and with in budget..still if I could have, I would have really liked to be there to put in the sweat equity and do some of the work my self , so I could have kept the cost down a bit..
My long term ambition is to get my two eldest involved in managing our properties.
..my daughter is doing a graffics design course she is into her 2nd year and is pretty switched on with design and my son like me, has a love of old houses buildings and architecture..
The last house the digger and I renovated was 4 years ago...we did 90% of the work our selves and made a nice return for our time and investment..
 
Its definetly worth a look that shop manpa,we were in maryborough for about 7 yrs and did up two old period houses,first one was smallish just a restump and tidy up but the second one took 4-5 yrs,it should of been bulldozed really but we got there,nearly every wall ended up being replaced and i had to restump it all by pulling the floors,fireplace in every bedroom,large return verandah etc,everything was restored and done period correct,including each sash window,was a stunner in the end but i vouched never again,took over our lives and think its why ive just had a back operation,working with 120 yr old warped and bowed iron bark is not much fun.
Got a few bits from the restorers barn but a bit pricey if ya on a budget so sourced most bits i needed privatly,i remember three doors down had a nice large old vic home and theyd been there a long time and had a garage sale one day,i ended up with two boxes of the real early door locks and brass handles,some beautifull old houses in cent vic and antiques also.
Another great place for period correct house bits is schotts? i think it is,they have a huge catalogue,based in melbourne,lots of period timber,lattice,plasterwork etc.
Old GT thats a large place your talking of,16 rooms,sounds like a stunner,brick i imagine?
Im like you after our last one ever again but if we did id only touch an old brick place,wife keeps on pointing to a large brick edwardian in Kal thats very nice lately :8
 
Old railway station boarding rooms, converted to 4 bedroom, two bath with open walk in robe, two kitchen, 2 study, lounge, dining, games, rear room with bifolds to back patio, side room to daybed.

Oddly an old timber house, weatherboard under cladding. The original structure was 4 rooms shorter and added at another time. Came with old pine lining boards and horsehair plaster, 3 brick chimney with open fireplaces, varanda around three sides, shutters on fourth.Original 9 segment sash windows up and down, all original doors including magnificent front oak door and side dining door that when stripped bare could still see original sun stained "dining room" on outside.

Coversion was plaster walls throughout, floor coverings up and restored Baltic floors in living areas & study, , full dado reconstruction, retained all but two original sash (removed from main kitchen) bifolds conversion on two side openings, fret work sourced and fixed, retained original dining plaster inlay in lounge, restore ceiling lining boards in centre hall, new carpet for beds, new internal door frames, kitchen cooking inset into open fireplace, resort all brass fittings throughout, full repaint including outside and roof.

Fitted solar, new hot water, new splits throughout, rear deck and gardens, concrete pour for well fill and new varanda flooring. Biggest reboot I'd handled with anyone privately.
 
Sounds like an awsome job old gt,we had a few spots under the horse hair that still had the hesian in tact,under alot of the old lino and capet we found alot of old newspapers in good condition,had 2 big boxs full from the 30s to 40s,gave a fair bit to one local school and i ended up with a complete maryborough advertiser from one area,it was only about 20 pages.
Cuppla pics here but there not real good,it was a deceased estate and the family had owned it for a very long time,the place was a shambles,she was smiling real bad and when ya pulled an old stump out it was like a mushroom,,there was nothing left of them,we didnt dado the rear section but rest of the house was done as per original.
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What a beauty mate, it must be said the old homes do have some real charm even in spite of their flaws. Just from what I see in the pics you've done a fantastic job.

I can say as a trade qualified painter and decorator and reno rouse about there's something pretty darn magical and satisfying bringing something back to its glory days. Very impressive mate, you ought to be proud.

Looking at it I can say it's very similar to what I was in to, so I can really feel like it must have been like putting it back together. :power: :perfect: :clap:

Btw is that a pressed tin ceiling?
 
Thanks manpa but i wouldnt tackle something so out of shape again,4 yrs+ and it took its toll on us.
Yeah old gt loungeroom was pressed with a beautifull pressed cornice on it to,that was one of the easier jobs,after stumping that area and plaster i just retacked it all and just gapped a few spots etc,whole hallway was pressed also.
Reused most bearers and joists,what wasnt like a bannana anyway,that ironbark when its over 100 yrs old is fun,putting the floorboards back down (baltic) i had to predrill every hole then a dab of grease to get each nail in,put her on concrete stumps so hopefully still there in another 120 yrs,yes they sure have charactor some of those old houses,it cant be bought.....
 
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