A magnificent Rosebrook property is being lovingly restored to its former glory.
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Aaron Sweet and his partner Blaine Collins, who were sick of the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, went in search of a lifestyle property before snapping up the south-west home.
"I'd been looking at properties for quite a while," Mr Sweet said.
"I got fed up living in Melbourne. Traffic was horrendous. You'd get stuck in a traffic jam for an hour-and-a-half."
Mr Sweet discovered Balnagowan, which has been touted as one of Victoria's most unique properties by real estate experts.
The couple bought the property for less than $800,000 and moved in at the end of March - just as the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Since then, the couple has been working around the clock to renovate the home and expansive gardens.
"We managed to get out of Melbourne just as coronavirus came in and for the last six months we've been undergoing renovations," he said.
Set on 1.4 hectares, the manicured gardens, extensive hedges and spectacular flowers make a walk around the property a treat for the senses.
Added to that, the home - built in 1913 - has been renovated, with attention to detail second to none.
Stunning 3.6 metre ceilings, ornate ceiling roses and cornices, picture rails, custom-made fireplaces and pressed tin are just some of the features.
Mr Sweet is completing much of the work himself, but said he had also enlisted the help of dozens of tradesmen from the district.
"I can't put claim to doing all the work myself," he said.
"We've had literally 30-to-40 different trades come in.
"We've done a full renovation because we wanted to bring the house back to its former glory."
He said he and Ms Collins were loving living in the south-west.
They said the community had been extremely welcoming.
"I hadn't heard of Port Fairy before - I'd heard of Warrnambool but not Port Fairy," he said.
"We love it."
The couple hopes to open the property up for weddings and functions in the coming months, with numerous sections of the garden lending themselves to different sized groups.
The property has sweeping views of surrounding farmland and glimpses of the ocean.
Mr Sweet said he loved renovating properties and the couple hoped to one day appear on television show The Block.
"We've applied and hoping to get onto the next season," he said.
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