All language subtitles for Restoration.Australia.S01E06.WEBRip.x264-ION10-eng

[theme music playing]

[Sibella] Historic houses
across Australia

are at risk
of being lost forever.

They're links to our past
and should be saved.

In this series,
you'll meet families

facing the challenge
of a lifetime.

[man grunts]

Here we are,
dumb and dumber!

[laughs]

Half a million dollars
on this?

Are we mad?

[Sibella] They'll quickly realize

the sheer scale
of the projects...

[man]
Not quite what I meant.

...as they restore these ruins
to family homes.

I'm Sibella Court.

I'm a designer, author,

lover of old houses
and restoration.

I'm passionate
about old buildings

and the need
to save our history.

To succeed, our families

must learn
dying heritage skills

and stick to budget.

He just likes
to spend the money.

Bastards, bastards,
bastards.

Oh, Jo! No, don't!

It's a slow trainwreck.

[Sibella] Can they rescue

their slice
of Australia's history

before it's too late?

This is Restoration Australia.

-[thunder rumbles]
-[rain pattering]

[Jen] Okay, so, major rainstorm.

The upstairs hall is flooding.

Bathroom floor.
Can you see the puddles?

Harold, stamp.

That is resulting
in a waterfall downstairs.

The view from the back door,
and the rain is coming...

[Sibella] Restoring a house
is always stressful.

But this old, dilapidated
Georgian manor

will take restoration
to another level.

I'm on my way to see Harold and Jen,

who are in the process
of moving into Keera Vale.

They've asked me to come
and have a look.

You can see how monolithic it is,

perched high on the hill
overlooking Wollongong.

[Sibella]
And seeing it for the first time,

I've got mixed emotions.

From the outside,
it looks like it's been butchered.

The Georgian beauty is lost
under a dull, gray render.

Yet, I can't help feeling intrigued

by the grandeur
of this magnificent landmark.

-Hello. Hi. How are you?
-Good. I'm Sibella.

-Hi. I'm Jen.
-Hi, Jen. Nice to meet you.

-Hi. I'm Harold.
-Hi, Harold.

[Sibella] Harold and Jen have just paid

almost half a million dollars
for this house.

It's immediately clear
that this is a major restoration,

and it's not going to be cheap.

-Front entrance.
-Front entrance.

-Grand hall.
-[laughter]

[Sibella] So, what has happened here?
And I'm not talking about the purple.

[laughter]

I know. Who knew the purple
could be the best feature?

This is our magnificent
cedar staircase.

Because this is the main entrance,

this is where you come in,
this is what you see,

I don't want people coming in

and the first impression they have
of our house is a broken wall.

Yeah.

It's a grand old house and I want
the first impression to be grand.

[Sibella] And grand plans
mean lots of money.

I can't help but wonder
how they will afford this restoration.

[Harold] At this stage,
there's no point in setting a budget

for a number of reasons.

One, we haven't got a budget
at this point in time.

[laughs] We've got no money.

[Harold] And until I start, you know,
prying things open,

I don't know exactly
what work I'll need to do.

I can see pretty interesting color
through here.

Yeah, so there is some beauty
to behold.

Our little snail friends
on the walls are testament to the...

-To the damp, right.
-To the water, yeah.

[Jen] So, this is one
of the original ceilings.

[Sibella] Yes, that plaster ceiling.
[Jen] Plaster ceiling.

[Sibella] Do you think
you'll be able to salvage it?

[Harold] Yes.
Yeah, the short answer is ye s.

[Sibella] Good. So, this room mirrors the
bedroom exactly in true Georgian style.

Yeah, we've got a lot of mirrors,

though this one
is a little more rustic.

[laughter]

-Slight hole in the floor.
-[Sibella] Hole in the floor.

-Don't fall down the hole.
-Currently there are...

[laughter]

Currently, this is the only fireplace.

Is the plan to rebuild them
and have fires in every room?

[Jen] Yeah.
[Sibella] How lovely.

[Sibella] So, without a staircase,
how do you get upstairs?

[Jen] So, we have an external staircase.

[Sibella] Mmm.

[Jen] Yeah, so, it's quite a long hike
from either direction.

So, rain, hail, shine...
It's cold, it's wet.

You'd be amazed how often it...

[Sibella] And even Biggles
the dog is not impressed.

It's a long way up.

[Sibella] In the middle of the night,
if the...

This is a big problem for the family,

as this exterior staircase is the
only access between the two levels.

Keera Vale is a classic Georgian design

with four rooms downstairs
and four upstairs.

Her downfall began in the 1930s,
when the verandas were removed.

In 1988, she was gutted
and subdivided into two flats,

and the internal staircase
was replaced by the outside stairs.

[Sibella] What are your day jobs now?

[Jen] My official title
is business development manager

at a social housing organization
called the Housing Trust.

[Harold] Good morning, everyone.

[children] Good morning, Mister...

[Harold] I'm a school principal.

I'm actually principal
of Wollongong Public School,

which you can almost see from here,

but I'm off a farm and I'm
a very practical sort of person.

...to eat the mouse, I think so...

[Sibella] Restoration
is a huge test for any couple,

and Harold and Jen
have only been together for a year.

[Jen] Did I fall in love
with the Principal?

Yeah. [laughs]

You know what a mother's love is like.
It knows no bounds. [laughs]

Yeah, this is what happens when
you're nice to someone's children.

There it is!

[Sibella] Together, they fell in love
with the old house on the hill.

But it's proved to be
an expensive love affair.

We got pre-approval
from seven banks,

and everyone was happy with it
until point of valuation,

at which point every one of them
said, "Nah, no way."

This is for you.

[Jen] So, we had to find a bank
that didn't need a valuation.

They've got no idea what
they've signed up for, yeah.

[Laughs] What the hell have we done?

Half a million dollars on this.
Are we mad?

[Sibella] Have they
actually got what it takes

to turn this battered mansion
into a home,

or is love truly blind?

With a big mortgage, full-time jobs,
four kids between them,

and a derelict house
in urgent need of repair,

they've certainly got
their work cut out.

[Jen] Okay, off you go.

[Sibella] So, tell me about
how you bought this house.

Did it find you or did you find it?

So, my parents were downsizing
the family home,

and they had a lot
of big cedar furniture.

By the time I got there,

my sister had already taken dibs
on everything.

I said, "Well, what is there left?"

Pretty much the answer was
the six-foot cedar sideboard.

My parents were desperate
for it to stay in the family,

and there was a few mother-like digs

about the fact that we hadn't
actually bought her house.

And so in dodging those,

she came 'round from left field,
didn't she, and said,

"Well, I don't know why you're not
buying that old house on the hill."

So, it was on a Sunday night,
that conversation,

and by Tuesday morning,
our offer was accepted.

[Sibella] So, it was a quick decision.
[Harold] Oh, considered, very considered.

[Jen] Full of good financial planning,

all of the things that you want
in a monumental decision-making.

-[Sibella] So, I think it picked you.
-Yeah, it did, I think.

[Jen] Well, be careful because
if this big bit falls off, it'll hurt you.

This was going
to be the dining room.

Why has so much paint come off
this room compared to the others?

Clearly the plaster's
gonna have to come off first.

All right, let's go... Look in this...
Ah! Look in this one.

So, I was going to put
the lounge room in here.

So, before the removalist truck
comes,

we've got to peel all this paint off
and clean this.

[girl] Move that over!

[Harold] Do you wanna
go into the room nex t door

and have a look through the hole?

I have complete faith in Jen
being there, standing with me,

and we'll just...
Whatever it throws up at us.

I think we're strong enough
and creative enough to handle it.

-You are terrifying.
-[laughter]

[Jen] I can see it
and I can see what I want.

[Harold] I'm at my happiest
when I've got a hammer in my hand.

[Jen] So, this is going to be your room.
Did you see this?

Look, this is what the house
looked like in 1930.

And look, look at that.
Before it was all subdivided up.

There's no houses around it.
It's just white with a red roof.

[Sibella] Keera Vale
is the oldest house in Wollongong,

built in 1844 by Supreme Court Judge
Roger Therry.

[Jen] My two-year dream

is for the bottom floor rooms
to be finished,

and for the bathroom to be moved
and the internal staircase to be in.

So, it's now Monday
of the third week.

It's raining again.

[Sibella] With winter fast approaching,

they've set up their home
as best they can.

[Jen] Little Harrie's unpacked her room.

The only money they have to spend
on their house is from their income,

so they bunker down
and do what jobs they can themselves.

And with full-time jobs,
I wonder how they'll pull this off.

This is where we say thank you
for long service leave, in my case.

[Sibella] Harold has ten months off.

[Jen] Everyone's helping.

[Sibella] Their first task is to clean up
the hole in the hallway and re-brick it.

This is where the internal staircase
will eventually sit.

But as they work, Keera Vale starts
to reveal some hidden surprises.

[Jen] So, there's bricks in under
there and that looks like dirt,

but could possibly be plaster,
and all of this

is the dust from these bricks
that are so destroyed.

[Sibella] The house is mostly made
of convict bricks,

and they're damp and crumbling.

[Jen] Here's the beam
that holds the floor up

and here's the beam that would have
held the veranda up.

So, when you look, you can see
a few in the row holding up.

Now, if you come along here,

alarmingly, if we look down into
this hole, what we see is daylight!

Let me show you where it goes.

No wonder this floor's rotten.
Be the same on that other wall.

[Harold] Yeah, yeah.

[Jen] So, we have the edge of the concrete
for the front veranda,

the veranda post's removed

and a big hole for all the water

to go down from the gutters,
that are too small and blocked.

All of the damage
that's happened in the house

has happened because of water.

So, initially, when we moved in,

we thought
we'd leave the verandas forever.

Our stairs
are on the back of the house.

That seemed like more of a priority,

but now that we've lived here
for a while,

the verandas have become
more of a priority

because it keeps the water away
from the house.

[Sibella]
Jen's dream of an internal staircase

looks increasingly distant
as priorities change.

[Jen] We've discovered that under
the front veranda is full of fill,

and as a result,

all the bricks in that front room
are absolutely sodden.

[Sibella] They jump headlong into removing
the concrete additions out the front,

which is where the verandas
will be reinstated.

It's becoming clear that the damage
caused by previous owners

is bigger than they thought.

[Jen] One of the things
that is amazing about this house,

and I use the term "amazing"
quite broadly,

is the money that it drinks
each and every day.

[Sibella] And stretching their income to
pay for it all is a constant challenge.

[Jen] So, our recent plan
was to go back to the bank

to try and get more money,

but of course the only reason we got
the money for the house in the first place

was 'cause the bank
hadn't seen the house.

So, what we did was write
a description of the house

to see if they would
just value it on paper.

Very honestly, we wrote that
it was five bedroom, two bathroom,

two-car garage, two living areas
and a dining room.

and the bank said,
"That sounds like a splendid house.

Let us give you an extra $50,000."

[Sibella] $50,000 is not going to stretch
very far in this place.

They have serious structural issues,

with water damage
to the convict bricks.

That's actually a cellar.

Jen desperately needs to unite
this family home,

but they're yet to find
an antique staircase.

The downstairs ceilings
need urgent specialist attention,

and they've employed architects
for the development plans.

[power tool roars]

[Harold] Most of my time
has been repairing damage

that's happened over the last...
Sadly, over the last 50 years.

[Sibella] Luckily, Keera Vale
is slightly magical, it seems.

We seem to be gathering
this odd little band of people...

-Gypsies.
-Yeah.

And it's not about us,
it's the house.

[Sibella] Their Sydney architect,
David MacReady,

grew up in Wollongong
and lived near Jen.

As a kid, I'd ride my bike
around the neighborhood

and you'd see this house
up on the hill.

So, it always had a major presence
in the area.

People used to think it was haunted,

and I guess I'd always wondered
what it was.

[Sibella] David's devotion to this project

extends far beyond
the usual office hours.

[Jen] If you look, the layers aren't
actually the same on all the walls.

[Sibella] Jen's best friend, Amanda, also
has a special connection with Keera Vale

and was seriously considering
buying it herself.

[Amanda] Keera Vale
never came up in conversation,

so when Jen popped up one day
and said,

"Harold and I have made an offer
on a house.

It's the big old house on the hill,"
I nearly had a heart attack.

"That's my dream home!
You can't buy it!"

But they did buy it,
and I feel so blessed

that I get to live my dream anyway,
almost, through them.

[man] So, we've been looking forward
to share with you

the initial plans and concepts
we've been pulling together.

So, obviously these drawings are
going to give you some indication

of the direction, potentially,

of what the house
might ultimately look like.

Let's go straight to it, 'cause I
know that's what you'd like to see.

[Jen gasps] Look!
[Harold] Wow!

[man] Does that align
with your original thoughts

of what you thought
the project might look like?

That's just beautiful!

[Jen] The reason
we chose the architects

is because they're so engaged
with the house, David in particular.

I mean, this is just amazing.

[Jen] We're in it up to our necks.

We wanted someone who was happy
to dive in with us,

both on a professional level,
but also emotionally.

It's great to see yourselves
taking it on board,

and really taking this challenge

to restore it
back to its former beauty.

To me, it's big, it's sort of grand,

but it's also very obviously a home.

It's a fancy home.

And to me that's a big part of this,

is that... To bring it back
to be the home that it was.

[Jen] We are in awe of
the workmanship that was here before

and we do want to do honor
to the building

and honor to the people who built it.

It makes you cry to look
what's happened to it, doesn't it?

[Sibella] Is this your first
big renovation job?

Yeah, first renovation.
I've built a house before,

but it was a mud-brick house,
so very different.

[Sibella] And have you done
a restoration project before?

[Jen and Harold] No.

[thunder rumbling]

[Jen] Where this ceiling issue is,

all of this dirt has fallen out of it
in t he last three days.

There's this low-level
constant anxiety that,

you know, you think everything
is fine and then...

You know, that the damage
to the house

is greater than it looks
on a surface level,

and we're about
to get the giant bill

for something
we can't possibly afford.

Last weekend, Harold went to Geelong

to look at a staircase
that was built in 1852

that we found on eBay,
which he didn't buy.

Consequently,
someone else bought it.

The wind has been
absolutely horrific,

and going up and down that
back staircase in the wind is...

Well, the other night

I was carrying one of the kids'
dinners up the stairs

and it blew off the plate,
that's how windy it is.

I've had enough
of the outside staircase,

and now I've got a house
full of magpies and rats.

[sighs] It's got to get better.

[Jen] Harold, come here.

[Sibella] Harold is six months
into his long service leave,

and it's a David and Goliath
struggle.

[Jen] First house-sustained injury.
Show your nose.

From getting those bricks
and that ceiling plaster off.

[Sibella] Harold works into the night

to get ready for a plasterer
to come in the next day.

Okay, Harold, switch it on.

[Sibella] Keera Vale has played her hand.

The downstairs ceilings
are collapsing

and must be repaired urgently.

They've brought in Steve,
a specialist plasterer,

who will start on the ceilings
before moving on to the walls.

[Steve] The idea is to preserve
the original fabric of the building.

The material we use
is an acrylic material.

It's an adhesive that gets down
into all the nooks and crannies

of the lath and plaster,
and it shrinks slightly as it cures

and pretty much pulls the stuff
all back up into place.

[Jen] So, this is secure now?
Like, I know once...

[Harold] Oh, once it's cured.

Yeah, once it's cured,
it'll stay up there for...

-[Steve] Yeah.
-Like, ten more years or...

Like, secure until I die,
that sort of...

-Yeah, well, I hope so.
-[Jen] Yeah, me too.

So they tell me.

So, to get the three ceilings done,
we're looking at around 20 grand.

You know, while we want
to be honorable

to the process and to the house,

I can see why people rip it down
and put gyp-rock up.

[Steve] Firstly, I think
they've taken an awful lot on,

and I think they're very brave.

I admire them.

I don't think,
even with my trade background,

I don't think
I'd take a place like this on.

[Jen] Well, it's
three-quarters-of-a-Harold high.

Five to six tonnes.

[Sibella] It's been a while
since I've seen Harold and Jen.

Harold's well into his long service leave,
and I wonder how they're going.

[Jen] When you ask the kids, "Do you
think we'll ever finish the house?"

"No." [Jen laughs]

[Sibella] How are they dealing with it?

[Jen] The littlest one
the other day said...

We were driving to school,
out of the blue said,

"Won't it be really disappointing
when our house is finished

"and it's not special anymore?"

-Wow.
-"What's special about it?"

"Oh, when my friends come,

"they get to hit the walls
and we get to build things,

"and we get to find mysteries
and adventures."

-Oh, well. That's a cool childhood.
-[Sibella] Yeah.

[Sibella] My dad always left a wall
in our house

that we could go and hit and draw on
and do whatever we liked.

-Really?
-[Sibella] Yeah. It was in a bathroom.

-It was a big wall. Mmm.
-[laughs]

That would have been
a great childhood.

Got a cherry picker.

Harold's going to fix that bit up there.

[child] Oh, Dad?
[Harold] Mmm?

[child] Sam wants to go on there later
an d pick some bugs.

[Harold] Okay.

[Sibella] How far is Harold
actually into his leave now?

-He's up to seven months.
-Bummer!

I know. He's devastated.

So, how do you think it's gonna
happen after that?

[Jen] Well, luckily he'll get

the long Christmas school holidays
off every year,

and he gets breaks,

and he's working on a three-year
retirement plan.

[Sibella] So, he's still got a big smile
on his face.

[Jen] Yeah, he loves it.

[Sibella] It hasn't made him stumble
and fall, all these problems?

[Jen] No.
[Sibella] No?

So, at two o'clock in the morning
when I go, "You think that wall...

"Listen to that noise. I think that
wall's gonna fall down."

He goes, "Don't be ridiculous.

"The house is gonna be here forever.
It's fine."

-So, you guys are good, then?
-Yeah. Yeah.

[Sibella]
Harold and Jen seem happy enough,

but they've got a long way to go,
and they've certainly got grand plans.

[Sibella] This is quite a big extension.

-[Jen] Yeah, it is.
-I wasn't expecting that.

-Me either, really.
-That's really fancy.

-I know.
-That's really grown-up.

I know!

When you look at the little people,

they've got very exciting lives,
the people who live in the house.

[Sibella] They do! Look at you.
You're in a sun dress and a hat.

-I know. Harold's barbecuing.
-He's got an apron on.

[Jen laughs] See, that's how
we know it's not us.

Someone else bought the house
and finished it.

[Sibella] As Harold nears
the end of his leave,

they are working at a frantic pace.

There is so much investigation
with each step of this restoration,

it's a treasure hunt as they uncover
the original features

of this magnificent Georgian building,
but it is slow-going.

Many hands make for light work,

and they've got a lot
of their friends around,

making it a much easier project.
They're quite skilled, actually.

[Sibella] David is back.

He can't seem to get enough
of this mystery from his childhood.

[David] I actually don't want
the project to end.

I'd be happy to work
on this project forever.

[Sibella] And Amanda continues
to live her dream.

[Amanda] To say
I'm emotionally-invested in the house

is an understatement.

I love this house. I have always
loved this house and I always will.

[Sibella] They're recovering
a hidden doorway between two rooms.

This will open up the space

and reconnect the separate rooms
of this house.

[Harold] Every day is just a treat

when I'm actually working
on the building.

Just little things, like how
the bricks are put together.

So, just looking at what
the craftsmen who built this

did with hand tools is...

I'm just in awe of their skills,
and I love that.

[Sibella] Harold and Jen
are making progress.

The Juliet balcony has gone,
as has the front concrete veranda,

but is Harold's appreciation
of the craftsmanship misguided?

They've taken off
the concrete veranda

and they've uncovered this,
one of those unforeseen problems.

The base of this house, and
the actual fabric of the whole house,

is these convict bricks,

and as much
as I love the romance of them,

the early settlers
didn't quite get the recipe right.

They're a bit sandy and they're
very crumbly and they're weeping.

A modern day brick has this frog,

lots of coal in it
to give it lots of structure

and make it last for a lot longer.

These ones
haven't been allowed to breathe

and this render's
an enormous problem.

It's suffocating the bricks.

Who knew bricks could disintegrate?
I didn't...

[Sibella] Yeah.
So, what do you do about it?

Um...

-Attach a veranda.
-We attach a veranda.

We're replacing some of the bricks

and trying to shore it up
as best we can.

But I just believe Harold and David

when they tell me
it's gonna be all right.

[Sibella] So, you have put all your faith
into Harold and David?

-Yeah.
-Do you feel good about that?

No, I feel a little... [laughs]
A little anxious!

[Jen] Every time it rains,

there's a brick that's actually
dissolving down the wall.

And then there's a whole section
of bricks under it

that are also dissolving.

[Sibella] The main material of your house
is the convict bricks.

It's all convict bricks.

I've got convict bricks
and a bit of wood.

-Mmm.
-So, yes, slightly alarming.

Is the house structurally sound?

Um... I can't give you
a definite on that.

I think it's more
of a chip-away-and-see

and, you know, at the moment
we're finding parts

where there is some
structural integrity,

and then other parts where
we can see that the building is...

You know, the convict bricks
are really faltering

under the weather and water damage.

So, there's a bit on the dining room
window that's got the paint missing.

[Amanda] I worry about the cost,
the financial cost.

Every step of the way, I think,
you have to expect the unexpected,

and the unexpected costs money,
and so I worry about that for them.

[Sibella] Do you feel in a rush
to finish the project?

[Jen] I'm in a rush to get stairs
on the inside.

I want to get something done.

Everyone in the area knows
that we've bought the house.

People know that we're working
on the house.

I don't want to be those people
that bought the house

and said they were gonna fix it
and never did.

And I also would really like
to finish a room

just so that we know that we can.

Like, just one room,

just one real living room
with windows that open and shut

and a floor that you don't have
to walk around certain bits

so you don't go through it,
you know?

[chuckles] That's sealed.
That would be really nice.

-Whoo-hoo!
-That's pretty satisfying.

-The doorway!
-Yay! [chuckles]

[Jen] Makes the room
feel completely different.

[ David] Gonna be a great
din ing room in here.

[Harold]
Yeah. We'll have you back.

[laughter]

[Sibella] As Harold nears
the end of his leave,

he can take some solace
in the work he's achieved.

And Jen's research has paid off.

She's found a grand old staircase
online for $8,000

just 100 kilometers away, in Sydney.

-[Jen ] And this is Matt...
-Matt. G'day. Hi, there.

...who is selling us the staircase,

and this is the first viewing
of the newel.

[Jen gasps]

[Jen] I just fell in love,

because it was the most beautiful
handcrafted piece of wood,

and it just seemed so fitting for...

It belonged.

[ Jen] It's beautiful.
It's just beautiful.

[ Jen] So, we have now
picked up the magnificent staircase,

which currently blocks our access
to the lounge room.

I can't do another winter
on those back stairs. I can't do it.

[Sibella] Having spent
most of their $50,000,

two big jobs are pressing,
and they can only afford one.

Will they replace the veranda
to protect the convict bricks

or will they finally install
that internal staircase?

It's a new year,
and Harold is back at work.

It's restricted the time
he can devote to Keera Vale.

But they are making progress.

[Harold] We've got two rooms
well on the way.

They're looking magnificent.
We're very happy with them.

[Jen ] We've been working really hard

over the last month, six weeks.

My dad's gotten really sick,
and he's been in hospital,

and it brought home pretty hard that
he is getting old and he isn't well,

and one of the things
that he keeps talking about

is that he wants
those front rooms finished

and to see his furniture in them.

So, it's a bit emotional.

So, it's good, you know,
on one level

to have the motivation
that we need to get it done,

but it's also, um...

Upsetting to think about
why we're getting it.

Why we're getting it done.

It's been a long time
since I've been to Keera Vale

and it's a precious long weekend

for Harold and Jen
to work on the house.

They have a big decision to make.

They can either focus
on the internal staircase or the veranda.

Whatever they've decided,
it's a turning point for Keera Vale.

[Sibella] So, what's the task
at hand today?

[Jen] Depends whose team you're on.

One of us is elated,
one of us is terrified.

Come and have a look.

So, what are we going to be doing?

So, this is what we're up to.

[Sibella] Jen and Harold
have finally made their decision

to reinstate the internal stairs.

[Sibella] I think
I'm on the frightened team.

[Jen]
We just need to be a family again ,

and having the stairs inside unifies
what's happening through the house.

[Sibella] It's a massive job
to complete in a weekend.

[Harold] We're taking out
all of that concrete slab.

Is that your old bathroom up there?

-[Jen] " Was."
-"Was."

[ Harold] That's all that rem ains.

[ Harold]
I think the greatest chal lenge

is probably going to be
getting that slab out,

because our experience with the
concrete that was put in in the '60s

is that it's very, very hard.

I can't come in with a jackhammer.

The poor old house
has put up with enough

without having cracking
due to pneumatic drills

or anything like that.

[drill whirs]

[Sibella] Before any major
structural work can begin,

the boys must brace
the upstairs bathroom.

-Let's be careful it doesn't...
-Slide it out.

[Sibella] There's a risk
the weakened walls could collapse

as they remove the concrete slab.

There's no room for mistakes.

[drill whirs]

On the ground floor,
a catchment box is being installed.

-Have you got the weight?
-Yeah, it's...

Taking the load off that?

The heavy concrete slab
will be cut into manageable sizes

and this box will hopefully catch
any pieces that fall.

All they can do is make sure these
braces are as secure as possible.

The big question is, will it hold?

[pole rattles]

[Jen] Which side
are you cutting away first?

-This one.
-[Jen] What's "this"? This...

-This end.
-Why?

Because I want to.

Yeah, well, I was worried
that was the answer.

How come this end?

-He's walking away. He' s cranky.
-[Amanda] I know.

-I just would rather nag now than...
-Be right.

...later.

[Jen] I'm terrified
about pulling out the slab.

I have this image
of the concrete slab going

and the two walls on either side of
it going and crumbling down as well.

I'm very nervous
about it coming out.

I just really don't want you
to die or be injured.

[Sibella] Harold's feeling the pressure.

If something should go wrong,
it could be catastrophic.

[motor starts]

I must admit, I sympathize with Jen.

I'm feeling nervous, too.

Harold is standing on the very floor
he's cutting to pieces.

It's reinforced concrete,

and he's a precarious six meters
above ground level.

This is a dangerous job.

[whirring]

[Jen] I call the concrete cutting saw
"the widow maker."

It's this giant piece of machinery
that sort of bounces about.

Like, I don't think
it would be incompetence

that would get them hurt,

it's just a big cutty, yucky thing.

[Sibella]
David seems increasingly concerned.

That takes a long time
to slow down, that blade.

[Harold] Yeah.

-Just be a bit careful there.
-[Harold] Yeah, it does...

[David] Just moving around
while it's still spinning.

[Harold] Yeah, I need to get some
bolt cutters just to cut that reo.

-It's only fairly light reo .
-[David] That's good.

Hey! [chuckles]

First block out.

Okay, fire it up again.

[Sibella] It's late in the day,
and I'm concerned for their progress.

Surely, they'll need to find a way

to pick up the pace
and also deal with that dust.

A new day means a new approach.

Harold has added water
to keep the dust down.

[Harold] How much mess
have I made downstairs?

[David] Oh, it wasn't too ba d.
It was coming through.

Yeah, I thought it would be, 'cause
there was a lot of water going.

Oh, such a different saw!
Look, that's in an hour.

I love doing this.

It's a nice contrast
with my other work,

which is very heavy mental work,

whereas this is heavy physical work.

[Sibella] With more help arriving,

Harold hopes
to make up some lost time.

Yeah, don't walk
on those ones two that...

-Those ones there?
-...that are dropped.

They're just sitting on plywood
underneath.

[Harold] It really
is a joint effort now.

We've got a team
who just love this house like we do.

[whirring]

[Jen] Harold's been desperate
to get that slab out,

and I think it's a bit akin to a
flag on top of the mountain for him.

-Oh, shit, sorry!
-That's all right.

Taking that slab out and putting
the staircase in is victorious for him.

[Harold] Oh, look at that!

They've taken out a full length
of bricks along there

to put the slab in,
so that will slow us down a bit.

Oh, that's not good.

No, but come 'round here.

I don't want to now.
The whole wall's gonna crumble.

-No, no, walk on that.
-[Jen] No.

No, I don't like high things,
and I know that's high.

There, just look at me.

That's why it was silly for you
to look down there.

-That's where your slab went in.
-Yeah.

[Harold] And so as we take that out,

I'm going to just brick that in
so that it's all solid again.

[Sibella] This is
a dramatic turn of events.

As each piece of slab is removed,

Harold fills the gap
to stop the wall collapsing.

It's a time-critical juggling act,
and the last thing they need.

[ Harold] I'm not taking any care
with the mortar

because this will
all be plastered over.

That's the last one.

-[Jen] Last one. How do you feel?
-Ah, fantastic!

You're very clever,
you and your band of merry helpers.

We couldn't have done it
without them.

What do you do next?

We take these two big platforms out
and we will have a stairwell.

One more sleep till internal stairs
is what you're telling me?

Yes.

I just can't wait
to get this out now

and be able to look right up there.

[ Jen] God, it's going to be
such a long way.

[Sibella] While slow progress
is being made upstairs,

downstairs,
Jen is discovering the price

of their being faithful
to the original lime plaster.

So, I've been waiting two years
to pick a paint color

and I have to use lime paint so that
the walls can keep breathing.

[Sibella] Problem is the paint
changes color on the walls.

That's meant to be that,
which it is mostly, but it's bluer.

But that's meant to be that...
which it clearly isn't.

Seemed so simple once upon a time.
Pick a paint card, cart it around,

pick something you like,
slap it on your wall.

[thunder rumbles]

[Harold] What we've achieved here
in taking out the slab is massive.

It's going to be just so important
to our journey.

When you walk in the front door,
the wow factor will be back.

You will walk in the door
and you will go, "Wow,"

because you will just be able
to look through that glorious arch

and up into that huge stairwell.

It will become much more obvious
what a beautiful old home she is.

Oh, my goodness, look at that!
Look at that!

[laughs] Wow!
It goes up and up and up!

It's a real stretch to see
the ceiling rose. [laughs]

[Jen] It's just massive, is n't it?
[Harold] Yes.

I can now yell, "Have you got
your shoes?" in the mornings,

-from inside the house.
-[both laugh]

You'd put cornice up there,
wouldn't you?

Yeah. Well, I don't know.

Not many people are gonna be looking
up that high, because it hurts!

I reckon everyone
will look up that high.

[ Harold] I think they will, too .

[Jen] I reckon everyone
will come in and do this.

[ Harold] Yeah.

[Jen] As annoying as the staircase
in the hallway is,

there's still a lot of work
to do upstairs.

So, we don't want to put in
a 100-plus-year-old cedar staircase

and then cart rubble down it.

We actually have to knock part
of the exterior western wall out

to fit the stairs in.

So, slotting the old stairs in
is a major construction,

and it's linked to the architectural
plans that aren't through yet.

[Sibella]
The grand old staircase must wait,

but this temporary staircase
is still the first major step

to turn this house into a home.

-Okay. Jen?
-Yeah?

-Come up here.
-[Jen] You've finished!

-I have. [chuckles]
-It's a long way up. Hang on.

-[Harold] Come on up.
-The first step's very big.

[chuckles]
It's a long way up and down.

Lots of things to hang on to,
though.

-It's like a real house again.
-It is. It's a whole house again.

[ Jen] I never thought we'd
actually do this, like, ever.

[ Harold] It's just fantastic.

You know how we were those people

who were gonna renovate
that house?

Mmm.

Well, if we walk away now,
we've done something.

-We've done, like, one thing.
-That's right.

[chuckles] We've done many things,

but one really notable thing
that's actually reclaimed it,

reclaimed the house.

Yes, that's true.

[Jen] Come on! Come here!
[Harold] Oh, good boy! Good... Oh!

Come on! Come on. Come on.

-Come on! What a good hound!
- [Harold] Well done!

That was... Don't go over there.
[laughs]

So brave, aren't you? Hmm?

[Sibella] Even Biggles
warms to the new staircase.

That was very scary for a hound,
wasn't it? Hmm?

[Sibella] Now it's time to remove
the external staircase.

[Harold]
This whole concrete staircase,

the landing on the back
of the house, will finally go,

the weight will go
off that back wall.

It's actually going to improve
the integrity of the building.

[Sibella] This will liberate the house
from the last of the concrete additions.

[indistinct chatter]

-Harold, do you want the ot her drill?
- [Harold] Nope.

Can you drop this one, David?

-Bit rusty, this one.
- [Harold] Yeah.

It was just touching the shackle,
which was holding it back.

Should go a bit easier.

-[woman] We're against the wall here.
-That's against the wall there.

My biggest concern is,
A, they're ridiculous.

So, I'm not quite sure what
they're harnessing themselves to,

but I'm choosing to trust in them,

but I think all that render

is just going to start falling off
the back of the house.

[Sibella]
Sure enough, Jen's hunch is right.

[ Harold] Hey, that's not scheduled!

[ Jen] But Angie Romper Stomper'd
it with h er boots.

[Harold laughs]
They're doing the glory job.

Lots of noise, lots of action.

No, it is a prize job
and we may have interloped on that.

[Sibella] This render coming off
without destroying the bricks

is a welcome surprise.

-It's great, isn't it?
-We were so worried.

[indistinct conversation]

[Sibella] While the work continues,

Jen's off to Sydney
to visit me in my warehouse.

I did hear that you had
a bit of a paint problem.

I have a really big paint problem.

So, I'm picking paint colors
on a card

that are turning out completely
different paint colors on the wall.

One of the paint companies said
that because my plaster is so old

that the pigment sizes in paint,

that different pigments
have different sizes

and that the little pigments
were getting sucked into my plaster

and the big pigments
were sitting on top.

So, some pigment colors
have smaller pigment

and other colors
have larger pigment?

Yes. So, everything's going blue.

-Do you like blue?
-Well, I do now! [laughs]

[Sibella]
Back at Keera Vale,

the workers have made good progress.

They've removed all the render
they can reach.

[Harold] That's in really good nick ,
actually.

[David] It's in remarkable condition,
considering.

I guess there's two approaches,

whether you're gonna leave
the bricks exposed

and open to the element

or go for something where we're
gonna use a clear sealer on it.

Yeah, but the trouble
with a clear sealer is that

we're gonna have that issue
with the bricks breathing again.

So, if we're going to put
some sort of cover,

I'd probably go
for a traditional whitewash.

That'll look dramatic.

What about a color
that would match the bricks,

if you were gonna wash it?

[ Harold]
Oh, yeah. Yeah, that might work.

Safety first, children! [sighs]

[ropes creak]

[Sibella] At eight meters high,
this big house requires drastic measures

to get to the render
on the top part of the wall.

And once again,
help has dropped in to lend a hand.

[David] Making progress.

[Sibella] While it's all hammers,
tongs and harnesses

on the outside of Keera Vale,

Jen must find a solution
for the inside.

I really believe she should accept
and embrace her changing color.

I think in Australia
we're really frightened of color,

and I wouldn't be frightened
of having a color like that.

As long as it doesn't go
on that baby blue side,

these dusty blues are beautiful.

So, in my head
it's, like, a dove gray.

Gorgeous. I think that's gorgeous.

-All right, well...
-[laughs]

-It's not...
-Don't be scared of color.

I'm not...

[Sibella] I really hope
Jen is bold with color.

I like these!

[Sibella]
Her grand house can take it.

...cedar furniture,
like, it'd be so broody.

[Sibella] It's a big day.

In these boxes
are Jen's childhood memories.

[Jen] So, we're moving, finally,
after two -and-a-half years,

all the stuff that went
into storage into the house.

The sideboard,
that was the reason for the house,

is finally coming home, really.

[Sibella] It's time for this
grand old dame to roll out the red carpet

and finally welcome her new family.

Are you all right? [laughs]

[Jen] No, no, next to the fireplace.

[Sibella] As always, there's an army of
helpers, for there's a lot to do.

[ Jen] Over there. Thanks.

[Sibella] This is the first time

Keera Vale has been cleaned
properly in years,

and the race is on to finish
the formal dining room

before Jen's parents
arrive this afternoon

and see the restoration
for the first time.

For Jen, it's a nostalgic moment.

[Jen] My parents in particular

have been waiting for this
for a really long time.

Often my dad says, "Just get
the furniture in before I die.

"I just want to see it there ." [sobs ]

And so now he will.

Wow.

That needs to go in the dining room.

Do you know how much more there is?

No. So, the six-foot sideboard
has to come in.

[Sibella] With time running short,
the stress levels rise.

It just keeps coming.
Like, how much...

-[man] Only got the big one left.
-Is that it?

[Sibella] Though there is one member
of the family

who seems unfazed by all the fuss.

You need to move.
You're not helpful.

-It wouldn't look bad there.
-There?

Sorry. There.

-Ho, ho, ho!
-Whoa-ho-ho!

Wait, wait! Everybody wait.

-Wow.
-[Harold] What else have we got?

Once the chiffonier
comes in and goes down,

that's how we'll live till we die.

[Sibella] I've grown fond
of this stately Georgian manor,

sitting proudly on her hill.

I know how important it is for Jen

having her parents
see the restoration,

and I feel strangely nervous, too.

Keera Vale chose them.

Harold and Jen
bought this house on a whim

to house Jen's inherited furniture.

In many ways
her parents' reaction will prove

whether Keera Vale
is a success or a terrible mistake.

[Jen] Hi, Poppy.
[Ian] Good afternoon.

All right, let's get you out and in.

-[Jen] I think we've got a family home.
-Good job.

It's a little bit left of center,

it invites a range of responses,

but we're a family and this is our home.

-Hold on, Poppy.
-[Sibella] Okay, it's looking good.

[Harold ] It wasn't in our
life plan to do something like this.

It's become our life plan.

You need to hang on, Poppy. Good.

[Harold]
It's the center of our world,

as a family home should be.

Oh, that's beautiful.

-What do you think?
-That's beautiful.

It's beautiful.

-It's beautiful timber, it really is.
-Mmm.

Quite emotional, really.

Good, good. Good.

Good. That is just good.

[Jen] I remember that
as the sherry cupboard.

[laughter]

Well, you shouldn't know
it was the sherry cupboard.

You were too young.

Oh, no, this is beautiful.
This is lovely. Good, good.

You bought this house because
you had this six-foot sideboard

that was coming from your parents.

It's behind us.

-You had a vision for it.
-[Jen] Mmm-hmm.

Is it exactly how you thought
it would be in the house?

Yeah, no, it's not.

-Isn't that odd?
-Does it matter?

No.

The big thing for me
was getting it in here

while Dad was still alive.

That was...
That's been a driver for me.

It's been important for you.

It's also been important for
your parents to have it in a home.

[Joy] A friend and I went
to Sydney for the day,

and we were walking up Oxford Street
and there was a little antique shop

that was against a wall
and covered with bric-a-brac.

And I came home saying,
"I really like that."

-But look, you know, solid cedar.
-Yes, yeah.

Solid cedar.
Well over 100 years old.

Every piece of furniture we got
has got a story to it.

[Sibella] Oh, that's so nice

and now it's got a new lease
on life in a new setting.

It's the right setting for it.
It's the right setting for it.

[Sibella] Watching how
you've approached this project

throughout the restoration
is totally admirable.

You just keep giving her
more and more love,

and it doesn't matter sort of
what she tosses your way,

you're like,
"We can get through this together."

Like a belligerent teen, yeah!
[laughter]

But it's been really lovely
to watch that happen,

then to be able to sit in this room
in this state,

with all this beautiful furniture
and these beautiful walls.

It's a real triumph.

-Congratulations.
-[both] Thank you.

It feels very humbling. I don't
think we're deserved all of it.

I think she's deserved this, though.

This is what Keera Vale
was meant to look like.

-She's ready to strut.
-[laughter]

[Jen] Look at that view.

[Harold] Every time we reach
one of our little milestones,

it feels like
we're putting something back.

We're rebuilding what was
and will be a beautiful home.

[Jen] I love that our family
is part of a long story

that belongs to this house,

and that over time we are part
of that and we're adding to that,

that we're a chapter of its future

and one day
we'll be a chapter of its past.

[Sibella] So, you went with dove gray.

So, what do you think?

-I love it.
-Do you?

I pay my scenic painters
thousands of dollars

to get a wall to look like that.

[laughs]

[Sibella] 'Cause I think it looks
almost like fabric,

or it has the patina of age,

and the history
that the room had before,

but there's a lovely inconsistency.

And once you start layering it up

with all your furniture pieces
and your paintings,

it will just become
textural and beautiful.

[Jen] It's warm and it's...
It is what it is.

-It is what it is.
-There's no point fighting it, no.

I've just got to, you know, let
the house be in control yet again.

[Sibella] She's telling you what to do.

It is another one
of her matriarch situations, yeah.