For those interested to see the ins and outs of the Annie’s Farmhouse renovation, you can catch the Channel 10 special Country House Facelift in September.
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Walt Collins got the deed to historic Annie’s Farmhouse in Corop — he just didn’t get how much it was going to change his life.
The city slicker had ‘weekender’ in mind but was quickly seduced by the whole country thing — and the people in it.
Mind you, it didn’t hurt that he was welcomed by neighbours Jess and Brian Dwyer with a box of wine (from their winery next door) in tow.
It wasn’t until he sat on the verandah of his new toy that Walt realised just how fatigued he had been in Melbourne.
And how much he now wanted to make his new house his home.
“Jess and Brian run Farmer and the Scientist over my back fence and the day I moved in they showed up with a box full of wine to introduce themselves and welcome me,” Walt said.
“We’ve since become really amazing friends.”
His neighbours aren’t the only people who have welcomed Walt with open arms.
He’s arrived just in time to be part of what will surely go down as the great mouse plague of 2021.
They are, literally, everywhere and the barely converted country boy can’t believe what he’s seeing.
“I’m just trying to get on top of them. I’m not poisoning them, I’m trapping them,” he said.
But rodents aside, the real trap for Walt is converting Annie’s original architecture to 21st-century standard without sacrificing what lured him in in the first place.
“Nothing is straight, and nothing is level in old homes like this,” he said.
“If you roll a ball along the floor it will change direction on some of these floors. You just have to be prepared to open a can of worms (or mice, as the case may be).
“We were lucky, when we ripped the living room wall out I was expecting termite damage for days, but it was just really great.”
Not so great, and always a trap to be on the lookout for, are previous renovations that included asbestos sheeting.
“It’s more about planning — work with a good builder and make sure you do things right and it’s going to last another 100 years,” Walt said.
“My advice would be, don’t be too afraid to embrace the quirks in the house.”
So, the walls are coming down and there’ll be a new coat of paint to revive her exterior, and Walt’s not even getting into top gear yet.
A veteran co-host and host of TV DIY shows such as Healthy Homes Australia and Buy to Build, he knew exactly what he was getting into.
So, Annie is about to be a TV star, with Walt planning a two-to-three part TV series of his renovation.
“It’s a really nice chance to tell people what living rurally and regionally is like, because it has been a big shift from the cities. You can work from home now. I’m down to no more than three days a week in Melbourne now,” he said.
As more people venture regionally, it’s important they have the right renovation knowledge when it comes to these century-old homes, Walt explained.
“I want to film in Corop and Rochester and just sell the area because it’s a gorgeous part of the world,” he said.
“Everyone’s friendly. People come and stop me on the street and have a bit of chit chat. News travels fast. I want people to feel confident about moving to regional areas, living here, working here and getting a dream.
“It’s clichéd because when you’re living here it’s just part of your life. But for a Melburnian who has been living in South Yarra or Richmond or whatever, to be able to walk out to a garden area that’s not four by four square metres and have some freedom and some space for less than half of what they’d pay for a two-bedroom apartment is insane.
“I just want to say to people — come and live and love in the regions because you won’t regret it.”
Another aspect of country living Walt didn’t factor in: the ties each member of the community has to a house such as Annie’s Farmhouse.
From the plumber who helped install his water tanks to the couple with the winery, they had all actually lived in his house, Walt said.
“And then another bloke said he grew up there in the ‘30s and ‘40s,” Walt said.
“Everyone’s got a story to tell.”
As part of being in the local community, Walt has only engaged local tradies for the job.
“I have brought some people up from Melbourne, but I’ve worked with a great local plumber, a great sparky, a fencing guy,” he said.
“People’s willingness to help has been a big shock.
“Everyone’s just really lovely. From the café in town to the Mitre 10 — everyone just knows your name and they take a bit of time to get to know more about you and it’s nice, it’s really good.
“Rochester — every single person I’ve met wants to help, has a story, wants to offer something. That warmth and love, I’ll be part of this community for a long time I think, and I really want to get stuck into helping.”
Walt’s been in town five minutes, but the circa 1920s cottage has lived through tumultuous times, seeing everything from the Great Depression and World War II to the space age and the digital era.
But for Walt the real story has been the surprisingly seamless transition from concrete cowboy to oh so relaxed Corop time.
Features and Special Publications co-ordinator