G'day there, this is a yarn about my good mate and neighbor Bessell. This bloke is a king amongst the do it yourself crowd, the undisputed heavyweight champion of renovation in my humble opinion.
Bessell is a Painter and Decorator by trade, but he could just as well be a licenced builder, steel engineer or a cabinetmaker given the extent of work he has undertaken and the attention to detail he shows.
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Bessell is a Painter and Decorator by trade, but he could just as well be a licenced builder, steel engineer or a cabinetmaker given the extent of work he has undertaken and the attention to detail he shows.
A man has to love what he does in order to do it exceptionally well and Bessell obviously loves renovating, the amazing transformation of his home over the years is a testament to his dedication and hard bloody work.
I often sleep in on the weekends and wake to the sounds of grinders, drills, air compressors or nail guns. It is fascinating just watching his progress and seeing the current project coming together bit by bit.
Take a look at the lounge room, from outback traditional crap decor complete with the old cast iron fireplace and soot stained walls to a room wide hand crafted entertainment unit done in selected timbers and lacquered to perfection. Every room in the house has undergone this transformation. He's not done yet either, even while I'm sitting here in my warm office typing this story on a very cold winters morning Bessell is hard at it on his hands and knees grouting tiles in his bathroom.
Bessell constructed these huge carport areas single handed. This was no kitset shipped with instructions, he designed it and built it entirely himself one piece at a time. What's more amazing is the bulk of this work was completed through the months of December and January a couple of summers ago. The temperature was often above 40 degrees during the day.
The saying is a Man's house is his castle and I reckon for Bessell this is true for sure, His love for fine work and dedication to detail is a bloody credit to him. He shows an unusual restraint for a renovator too, most gung ho DIY types wont pay for a tradesman, they "Know better". Bessell is smart enough to know where to draw the line, he has engaged a licenced Electrician and a licenced Plumber where warranted in the course of his work to ensure the job complies with the relevant Australian Standards and this ensures he is covered in the event of a need to claim on his home insurance should something go wrong with the wiring or plumbing. Most homeowners don't realise they void their insurance cover if they carry out work they are not licenced to do. Top job Bessell, my place could use some of your attention when yer done, I want to extend out the back but the Missus wants to go out the driveway side... Strike me days!
