Andrew Coates has covered a lot of ground in his quest for restoration.
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From polishing worn out floorboards to wrestling with double-hung windows, Mr Coates has pretty much done it all.
This Friday night he will share his stories, good and bad, as part of a presentation in support of Friends of Grossmann House.
“I want to reflect on my crazy experiences, but at the same time I want to offer some practical advice,” Mr Coates said.
“But I will be very much guided by what people want to know. I’m not a professional tradesman ... I’ve just learnt things along the way.
“I’m not the person to talk to about power tools, but I think motivation is a really important thing and hopefully I can instil [the audience] with that.”
Mr Coates and wife Ann have so far restored two historic homes – Somerset Cottage in Bolwarra and their current home Roslyn in Oakhampton.
Mr Coates has also written columns for the Maitland Mercury on his restoration experiences and is researching a book on early homes of the Hunter.
“I’m very passionate about home restoration and I think there is a real movement, at least locally, whereby people are now appreciating the value of old homes,” he said.
“But you’ve got to adopt a certain mindset when you do up an old home.
“It’s not going to be, in some ways, entirely suitable to a modern, contemporary lifestyle.
“It’s all about fitting in with what’s already there. You’ve got to work with an old home, rather than against it.”
- The talk will be held at Grossmann House from 6.15pm. For more information phone 4932 0518.