Heritage reno project offers commercial opportunities

When the owners of a 45-room historic mansion in Yass, in regional New South Wales, bought the property they had dreams of restoring it to its former glory.

But it proved an insurmountable, and expensive, task for the couple who called in the experts to help fix it up for sale.

“This property has bags of potential so we’ve concentrated on key areas to give buyers a taste of what it could be,” says Andrew Winter, Host of Selling Houses Australia from the Lifestyle Channel on Foxtel.

The team focused on putting a commercial lens on the property for buyers, updating the ballroom, installing a commercial kitchen and making the larger spaces flow easily to outside entertaining options.

First stop: The ballroom, where the room was repainted in a bold, heritage colour for maximum impact.

Before & After: The ballroom was given a bold new look. Pictures: Selling Houses Australia.

“New carpet and dressing shows this area could easily be a function, or conference room and that will give buyers something to think about,” says Winter.

In the kitchen, the team focused on creating a room that worked as a commercial space, but maintained a residential feel.

Before & After: The kitchen was completely gutted and rebuilt. Pictures: Selling Houses Australia.

The sitting room and breakfast room were switched around, as were the master suite and dressing room, to better use the available space.

Before & After: The sitting room became the breakfast room. Picture: Selling Houses Australia.

Of the master suite Winter says: “This was big, but needed a touch of luxury.”

Before & After: New paint and furniture give the master suite an uplift. Pictures: Selling Houses Australia.

The team also updated the exterior with a new paint colour and refreshed the outside entertaining areas including a new pergola for an outdoor dining area, and seating options in the covered area outside the ballroom.

“It offers a versatile space that shows how the ballroom can spill outside for functions,” says Winter.

Before & After: A new paint colour gives the exterior a fresh new look. Picture: Selling Houses Australia.

“Hopefully we’ve given buyers enough of a hint of what this old charmer could be so that a buyer will fall in love with it.”