EXCLUSIVE Andy Lee's mega-mansion causes division as neighbours complain of constant noise and no parking while years-long construction continues on three-storey Melbourne home
The funnyman, 43, and his partner, 35, have spent the last 18 months restoring a 150-year-old derelict home by the Yarra River in Melbourne.
With huge plans to connect a modern build to the Italianate manor, and years longer to go, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the disruptive build has divided neighbours.
'It's noisy. It's been noisy... It's frustrating because it's been going for a year and we've still got a couple more years to go,' one disgruntled person said.
Though they went on to add the 'earthworks' was the noisiest portion of the build, the neighbour said nowadays it has 'actually settled down quite a bit'.
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The funnyman and his partner have spent the last 18 months restoring a 150-year-old derelict home by the Yarra River in Melbourne
'Any building site is noisy... It's hard with parking. The parking is difficult, but any house renovation does that,' they continued.
Another neighbour agreed, saying: 'There was digging every day between seven and three. That's ceased.
'At the moment it has quieted down. We've just accepted that it's happening.'
Someone else took umbrage with how frequently builders were working on the site, and wondered if Andy knew how noisy the construction was.
'I will say they start at about 7.15am and finish at 5pm and it's been six days a week... It's been continuous noise,' they said.
'Now that they've started on the build, it's a lot of hammering and the builders do like their loud music.
'And of course the parking. It's wasn't considerate to the neighbours in that it was six days, not five days. I'm not sure Andy Lee is aware of the continuous noise.
'I think there could have been more consideration to the neighbours... I didn't realise it was three stories.'
The source went on to say the radio star and his partner invited all the neighbours over to the home before they began renovations in 2023.
'We had a meet with him at about Christmas before last. He did show all the drawings,' they said.
'We had champagne and canapés, but I don't think we were aware of the disruptions it would cause... It's certainly changed the street the last 18 months.
'It doesn't bother me too much, but I can understand everybody else's problems. I don't know how the people right next door to it can stand it.'
Others said while construction has certainly been noisy and disruptive, they have grown used to the sound as there are often renovations happening on the street.
'We're going with it. It's been really noisy today. I don't know what they were doing. It changes all the time. We don't really have a complaint,' one person said.
'We know it's going to go on for years... We've had other builds go on in the street and they've taken years. We're used to that. I'm not going to complain.
'I can't understand why they're doing what they're doing. Why didn't they just live in the old house? Fix it up.'
They added: 'The construction and the digging up of the ground, there has been big trucks... We're used to it.'
Despite the constant noise and disruption to parking, other neighbours are glad someone has swooped in to fix up the old rundown home.
'It had gotten into a terrible state of disrepair before [Andy] started doing renovations. So it's actually looking better than it has looked for the last ten years,' one said.
'There were squatters there before. I think it's great that he's doing it. I wish it would be finished already.
'I think he's doing a great job. He's obviously not scrimping on costs... It's going to be better than the decrepit house that was there before. I think it's going to be beautiful.'
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Andy and Rebecca for comment.
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 for $8.5million 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 1,950 square 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 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 residents are angry over construction noise which had continued for 26 weeks.
The noise was due to piling reinforced steel pillars and it was also reported dust from 'constant' rock breaking, had coated the solar panels on nearby houses.
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