Luckily for Damian Canny, he has the ability to see the big picture. So when he came across a badly neglected weatherboard house in one of Camberwell's most sought-after streets, he looked past the badly cracked walls, the partially detached roof and the rotting veranda. Instead, he saw only the potential of what he describes as "one of the best weatherboard homes in Melbourne".

In November, the director of Canny succeeded over several eager bidders to buy the deceased estate, with the intention of restoring it to its former glory.

"It was a pull-down job," Damian says. "Everyone else bidding at the auction was there with the intention of pulling it down. We were the only ones who wanted to restore it."

And although the company has more than 40 years' experience in the building industry, Damian confessed that even he was taken aback at the magnitude of the task ahead of them.

"Everything in the house was in a pretty bad state. The stumps were gone and in the sitting room, the floor dropped about a foot from the middle of the room to the outside wall."

The floor had to be levelled and every wall re-plastered, as did the hi vaulted ceilings, which were incorporated for the original owner - ar opera singer - for acoustic reasons. And on the outside, the weatherboards and slate roof had to be replaced, new fences and a driveway constructed and the front yard landscaped.

Where they could, they tried to restore, rather than replace, the hom original features. Damian says the unusually high ceilings, marble fireplaces and ornate glasswork in the front door have all been carefi brought back to life, but some, such as the original intricate cornicing have been replaced with more contemporary features.

"People love period homes but don't want the finicky bits and pieces that go with a period home," he says. "But it has enough period features to be authentic."

In the renovation process, there were some concessions made to the modern lifestyle. "It's like a new home but with the character of a house that's 100 years old," he says.

The property is at 6 Alma Rd, Camberwell. It has sold but Canny will be holding an open day from 11am to 2pm on July 6.