Andy Lee to fix ‘unliveable’ house for $5m

At the end of 2021, news.com.au reported that Mr Lee and his girlfriend Rebecca Harding had bought a run-down house in the suburb of Hawthorn with no kitchen or bathroom for $8.5 million.

A development application submitted to the local council this month shows the renovation is expected to cost around $5 million.

Mr Lee, known for his time on ‘Hamish and Andy’, plans to include a golf simulator, a pool, a tunnel between two buildings, a theatre, a gym, a cellar and a “waiting room” for guests.

The heritage listed site sits by the Yarra River and the plans involve constructing a second building on the land.

Their plush plans don’t stop there — the couple plan to build a mega bedroom.

The master suite will be a whopping 97 square metres, with a bedroom as well as an ensuite and walk-in robe.

At the time of the sale, the selling agent told The Herald Sun: “It’s probably going to be a lifetime passion. It’s going to be a generational home for them.

“(They were drawn to) the river, combined with the opportunity to renovate an original home, and it’s on that city side of Hawthorn so they weren’t moving too far.”

The historic home was vacant for 10 years prior to Mr Lee’s purchase.

The vacancy resulted in damaged walls, floors and ceiling and with no power or plumbing, however it can’t be knocked down due to its heritage status.

The Hawthorn mansion last sold for $1.18m in 1995, according to CoreLogic data, meaning the previous owners made a whopping profit of over $7 million over the 2021 sale.

The median house price for a Hawthorn house sits $2.3 million, according to realestate.com.au. At the time of Mr Lee’s purchase, it was slightly higher, at $2.5 million.