It appears that, when it comes to home renovation, Andy Lee likes to take the hands-on approach.
The funnyman, 43, is currently restoring a 150-year-old derelict mansion by the Yarra River in Hawthorn, Melbourne with fiancée Rebecca Harding.
As the protracted build continues, Andy took to Instagram this week to show a clip of him operating a large crane.
Perched atop the crane, high above the treetops, workers on the build stood precariously in a large metal cage as they left their fate to Andy’s skill with heavy machinery.
It was a fact not lost on Andy either who said, ‘This is incredible,’ laughing, as he sat in the machine’s cabin.
‘Gosh, I’ve got five people in my hands up there. It’s a powerful thing,’ Andy added as he cast his eyes skyward.
Andy Lee took to Instagram this week to show a clip of him operating a large crane
The clip then cut to the cage and a rather nervous worker could be seen clinging onto the rails.
‘How do you feel about your boss sending you 40-50 metres into the air,’ another worker asked off-camera.
The nervous staff member was not shy with her reply either, admitting she did not have much faith in Andy’s hand-eye coordination.
‘So bad,’ she replied through gritted teeth. ‘I feel spectacularly bad about it.’
The clip then cut back to Andy in the cabin who admitted that he was more nervous manipulating the cage than he was when standing in it himself.
‘The heart rate is going more than when I was up there,’ he laughed.
Thankfully, Andy’s worksite tomfoolery appeared to occur without major incident.
Captioning the humorous clip, Andy hinted that his presence own-site may be a reason why the build is not yet finished.
Perched atop the crane, high above the treetops, workers on the build stood precariously in a large metal cage as they left their fate to Andy’s skill with heavy machinery
It was a fact not lost on Andy either who said, ‘This is incredible,’ laughing, as he sat in the machine’s cabin
‘All my years playing skill testers in shopping malls have prepared me for this moment,’ he joked.
‘People have asked why the build is taking so long, I can assure you we only have time on site for the essentials.’
Fans were quick to comment on the clip with many taking umbrage with Andy’s apparent unsafe work practices.
‘WorkSafe enters the chat,’ one fan said, referring to the government body that focuses on workplace health and safety.
Another suggested that there was no issue, offering; ‘Under very strong supervision. Nothing to see here.’
However, others were quick to argue that similar leeway would not be extended to ‘everyday’ un-ticketed individuals.
‘Could you imagine if any other homeowner said, “Hey let me operate your crane even though I haven’t got my tickets” must be nice,’ one follower said.
Another chimed in with their own experience, adding: ‘I got spear tackled for putting a string line up when my fencing guy was here the other day. Imagine fanging around on a crane.’
‘WorkSafe enters the chat,’ one fan said, referring to the government body that focuses on workplace health and safety
Another chimed in with their own experience, adding: ‘I got spear tackled for putting a string line up when my fencing guy was here the other day. Imagine fanging around on a crane’
The funnyman, 43, is currently restoring a 150-year-old derelict mansion by the Yarra River in Hawthorn, Melbourne with fiancée Rebecca Harding
Andy and Rebecca have grand plans for their Italianate manor, with the planned renovation worth an estimated $5million having begun in 2023.
The comedian has been hard at work on the derelict Melbourne mansion, called Ravenswood, he bought in 2021, in a Block-style rebuild.
The couple won council approval for their development application back in June 2023.
Plans for the site include adding a second building which will be connected by a tunnel to the original Italianate mansion, which was built around 1876.
Other highlights planned for the 1950square metre holding include a home theatre, a gym, a swimming pool and a ‘mega bedroom’.
In a statement to the Herald Sun, Boroondara Council confirmed it had issued a notice of decision to grant a planning permit for the Yarra Grove address.
One neighbour told the Sydney Morning Herald in December that the construction cacophony had caused the couple to lose ‘a lot of community goodwill’.
‘The noise is just horrendous,’ the disgruntled neighbour told the publication.
‘Some residents just leave – they go away for a week at a time and come back on the weekend.’
The publication also reported that residents are angry over construction noise that had continued for 26 weeks.
The noise was due to piling reinforced steel pillars and it was also reported that dust from ‘constant’ rock breaking, had coated the solar panels on nearby houses.
