One man who clearly loves a challenge is Greg Penn, aka Man with a Hammer. He’s undertaken a mammoth 30 room Georgian house restoration project in Plymouth and his 227,000 followers on social media are willing him on, every step of the way
It’s difficult to write about Admirals House without playing the numbers game. A total of 30 rooms, 16 finished so far, five storeys, more than 100 internal doors, 60 windows, four years, 24/7 and one guy.
Greg Penn, also known as Man with a Hammer, has built up an impressive 207,000 followers on Instagram and regularly receives 2,000 comments a post (I’m doing it again) since he bought a derelict house in 2019 and began doing it up, one room at a time.
The stats are incredible but it’s not until you’re sat in one of the beautifully finished living rooms in Admirals House that you can even begin to appreciate the size of the task here.
‘I’m just kind of making it up as I go along,’ says Greg. ‘But I love it and I seem to have a kind of passion for it.’
Greg has done up a house before but that was a Victorian terrace.
Taking on this Georgian Grade II-listed house, once part of Plymouth’s Royal Naval Hospital (the buildings were sold off to become a residential complex in 1995) was always going to be much more than just another renovation project.
In fact, Admirals House was rapidly heading to the beyond saving stage when it came onto the market in 2017.
‘It was disgusting, completely disgusting…like dog poo on the floor while you’re walking around disgusting,’ says Greg, adding that the estate agent photographs did not reveal the full horror of what he was about to walk into - or rather, step into. ‘The house was full of stuff and animals and rats and pigeons,’ he continues. ‘There was water running down the walls, internal leaks, external leaks. It was catastrophically bad and had been on the market for years.’
So naturally, Greg put in an offer.
‘I loved the bones of it,’ he says, laughing. ‘The layout was going to work for me. I just loved it and could see the potential. It was still way too much money but I put in a really low offer, which I still couldn’t really afford but I just assumed they’d say no and I could move on with my life.’
By this point, Admirals House had already got to him. Greg had moved down to Devon from Yorkshire for work and had been looking for sensible places to buy but couldn’t shake off the idea of this once-in-a-lifetime project.
He was as surprised as anyone when his offer was eventually accepted and that once-in-a-lifetime project had to begin.
‘The first 18 months were... challenging,’ says Greg, who moved straight in and began working 100-hour weeks, renovating the bits he was going to need first, as well as holding down a job.
‘I did my bedroom and bathroom because there wasn’t really a functioning one. I mean, I cobbled stuff together so I could get clean but I was flushing toilets with buckets for quite some time. There were sacrifices made!’
Greg is cheerful about it all but good grief, that must have been tough and tiring and lonely at times.
His family - who have since moved to Plymouth - were still up in Yorkshire at that point and occasionally came to stay (or camp). The rest of the time, Greg’s days, weeks and months were spent grafting, taking on one task at a time, learning as he went.
And yet, it wasn’t as bleak as it sounds. Because quite early on, Greg started posting pictures and updates online and immediately began attracting followers. Many couldn’t believe this guy was doing up this house and Greg’s account, called @manwithahammer, quickly became a social media hit.
‘It’s helped massively,’ says Greg, who now spends up to 50 hours a week working as a social media influencer. ‘I’ve got a monumentally supportive community spurring me on all the time. You’re sharing things with them and that helps a lot.’
Ideas about wallpaper, colours, textures, fixtures and fittings are all posted and often commented on, giving Greg some useful instant feedback.
The size of his audience and level of engagement soon attracted some big-name brands and Greg has been able to earn some much-needed cash from being an influencer, which then helps to fund the renovation work. What a crazy world we live in.
‘It’s mad, isn’t it?’ he says. ‘Never in a million years did I think that was going to be the case. I’m the world’s least likely influencer – I’m not even particularly good with technology!’
You have to admire Greg’s can-do attitude that has seen him complete 16 rooms in Admirals House already, including the kitchen, living area, entrance hall/dining room, the first floor drawing rooms, five bedrooms and three bathrooms.
And not just decorated. These rooms have been finished to the sort of high standard that will bring a tear to the eye of the average interiors fan (me).
Wallpapers have been carefully chosen for their resemblance to the patterns and styles of the Georgian era. The paper in the curved hallway is based on an 18th century Chinese design, which features birds on branches (and no repeats). Then there is the parquet flooring in the bathroom, elegant floor-to-ceiling curtains in the main bedroom, the silk-on-silk textile wall hanging, Axminster carpets - every single thing has been poured over and researched in minute detail.
‘It’s been blood, sweat and tears,’ says Greg, as we head up to yet another floor. ‘But if I can do it, literally anyone can.’
I’m not sure that’s entirely true. Admirals House is a lifetime’s work and only someone with Greg’s commitment, vision and ability not to take himself too seriously will ensure that this fantastic building gets the treatment it so rightly deserves.
‘You never know what the future holds but the plan is to live here forever,’ says Greg. ‘A house of this size is never really done and by the time the last thing is finished, the first thing I did will be 11 or 12 years old. It needs constant maintenance - and then there’s the two thirds of an acre of garden out the back. I’ll never run out of things to keep me busy.’
The Man with a Hammer has hit the nail on the head. His army of followers will be delighted.
Instagram: @manwithahammer
manwithahammer.co.uk
Getting wiser with smart heating
Greg says it pays to look at using smart technology in the home.
He says: 'Create a smart home – this may seem like a little extra effort and cost up front, but it will pay off in spades, making your life easier, and your home a happier and more efficient environment for years to come.
'One smart home choice I’ve made is working with Wiser – a smart home heating system which means I can individually control the temperature in each room in my house. It might seem complicated initially, and you may even feel a little intimidated, but with systems such as Wiser, installation is super simple, and it’s all controlled through a handy app, right there on your phone.
'You could start your smart home journey with something small, like a smart doorbell, and work your way up.
'Along with my Wiser heating system, I use smart lighting, switches and appliances which are all connected to the Wi-Fi and it’s made such a difference to my everyday life.
'The Wiser factory is located about three miles from my house in Plymouth, so not only has it made my life easier, but I’ve been able to support a local business at the same time – winner!'
