Andy Lee makes ‘strange’ discovery during renovation of his historic $8.5 million Melbourne mansion

Andy Lee is currently renovating his 148-year-old home on the Melbourne River.

The once stately home in Hawthorn sat in disrepair for ten years until Andy (43) and his fiancée Rebecca Harding (32) bought it for a staggering $8.5 million.

As they peel back the layers of history, the couple stumble upon a series of ‘strange’ finds.

“We found a few bits and bobs when we started cleaning up the place,” he said. 9Entertainment.

“It was mainly about cleaning up pigeon droppings and seaweed, because they used to use seaweed as insulation material, which is quite strange,” he said.

Over a century ago, seaweed was a commonly used insulation method.

Andy previously said he made the discovery after demolishing a fireplace.

But among all that mud there were also gems to be found.

Andy Lee (pictured) is currently renovating his 148-year-old home on the Melbourne River

“We found a coin from 1897, I believe, and that is quite special,” he added.

In May, the Hundred presenter announced that he will be building a brand new mansion closer to the river and will connect the estate to the original house via an underground tunnel.

“We gave the architects a few general rules. 1. Respect the old house and 2. We want to live in the new one,” he explained.

‘Flack Studio came up with this. The historic house stands proudly on its own and will be restored. The new section takes full advantage of the river views.’

And as they peel back the layers of history, the couple stumbles upon a series of ‘strange’ finds

“We found a few bits and bobs when we started cleaning up the place… Mainly cleaning up pigeon poop and seaweed, because they used to use seaweed as insulation, which is quite strange,” he told 9Entertainment

“Everything is connected underground, under the square,” he also revealed.

Andy then joked that his fiancée’s wardrobe would be “pretty much the entire back house.”

Andy and Rebecca received council approval for their development application in June last year.

Plans for this location include the addition of a second building, which will be connected by a tunnel to the original Italianate mansion, which was built around 1876.

But amid the mud, there were also gems to be found: “We found a coin from 1897, I think, and that’s pretty cool,” he added.

Other highlights planned for the 20,000-square-foot complex include a home theater, gym, swimming pool and a “mega bedroom.”

Historically, the front of the building faces the river as this was originally the arrival point for residents.

Rebecca and Andy say the house was last occupied in 1992.

The previous owners left the property in a terrible state for over a decade after their own renovations were halted for unknown reasons.

In May, the Hundred presenter announced that he is to build a brand new mansion closer to the river and will connect the property to the original house via an underground tunnel