Couple add £352,000 to Georgian-style home’s value with modern DIY makeover

Becky and Steve purchased the five-bedroom home in 2018 (Picture: Jam Press)

A couple have added £352,000 to the value of their property after transforming the space into a modern family home.

Company director Becky Nevitt, 32, spent just under £60,000 on making over the Cheshire house – an investment that’s more than paid off.

She and her husband, Steve, 33, purchased the five-bedroom, four-bath, detached property for £428,000 in October 2018 and could see the potential as soon as they stepped inside.

But the place needed a serious revamp to become a forever home for them and their three kids; Ethan, 11, Mason, 8, and Harry, 5.

Now, one year after starting the renovation, they’re delighted to be finished.

They wanted a perfect family home for them and their three sons (Picture: Jam Press)

The potential was there, it just needed a little work (Picture: Jam Press)

The couple wanted to revamp the downstairs layout and make it an open-plan space (Picture: Jam Press)

The living area is now bright and modern (Picture: Jam Press)

Becky said: ‘We completed almost all of the work ourselves around our full-time jobs and young family on the weekends and evenings.

‘I instantly saw the potential with the house on the first viewing, as I could see that it would give our family lots of space to grow into.

‘As it was quite a blank canvas, I was excited to make it our own. I wanted the house to have a timeless, classic feel throughout, which complemented the Georgian-style features.’

The kitchen beforehand (Picture: Jam Press)

It’s now unrecognisable (Picture: Jam Press)

The kitchen and dining area was the most expensive part of the project (Picture: Jam Press)

As this was the couple’s fourth home renovation, they already had the necessary skills to hand, and set to work changing the layout of the downstairs to be more open-plan.

‘We had a builder remove the wall and within this area, we relocated and renewed the kitchen,’ explained Becky.

‘This was our biggest project, as we had to essentially take away our original kitchen/dining space and family room.’

Becky wanted to highlight the property’s Georgian-style features with decor (Picture: Jam Press)

The mum shares her renovation tips on Instagram (Picture: Jam Press)

The bathroom before (Picture: Jam Press)

And after (Picture: Jam Press)

After the structural updates, decoration started and a new hand-painted kitchen and all the accompanying amenities were installed.

Finishing touches included unique floor tiles and an antique mirror backsplash.

‘This made the space flow much better and made the room the hub of our family home,’ commented Becky.

In total, the space cost £40,000 to transform.

From the radiators to the calming decor, everything has been carefully thought-out (Picture: Jam Press)

Steve and Becky saved money by doing work themselves (Picture: Jam Press)

The wall panelling was done on a budget using beading from B&Q (Picture: Jam Press)

Elsewhere, they refreshed the walls with coats of neutral-toned paint, which they paired with similar-toned carpets.

In most of the rooms, the couple utilised their DIY skills by creating panelling made from dado rail and beading, a form of wooden material, which they purchased from B&Q.

Becky said: ‘We added wall panelling which created interest and a more period feel to the house.’

The mum’s favourite room is the formal lounge, where she and Steve chill out in the evenings. The warm decor helps with relaxation, which is undoubtedly necessary after all that DIY.

Thankfully the rest of the house didn’t need as much work; just some cosmetic alterations and styling, which Becky took the lead on.

The whole family helped out (Picture: Jam Press)

Harry’s bedroom after the makeover (Picture: Jam Press)

Ethan’s space also got an update (Picture: Jam Press)

For their four bathrooms – which include a master suite, two en-suites and a downstairs toilet – they ripped out the original versions and switched things up with new tiling, radiators and paint.

As they wanted to utilise all the space within the home, they also decided to transform their second office into a laundry room.

‘Creating a laundry room on the middle floor has been the most brilliant decision, as the house is over three floors, with most of the bedrooms on the top,’ explained Becky.

‘It’s been ideal to have the laundry done closer to the bedrooms for putting all the washing away.’

They’re loving their new abode (Picture: Jam Press)

The family are taking a break from DIY for now and enjoying their efforts (Picture: Jam Press)

In total, the project has cost an estimated £55,250, but a recent valuation saw the property’s value jump over £350,000 to an estimated £780,000, making it a financially worthwhile endeavour.

Now, Becky shares shots of her home interior and family life on Instagram with her 104,000 followers.

She said: ‘Initially, I was only doing DIY and selecting paint colours – I never thought it would be any more than that, so I have been beyond thrilled that people have enjoyed following along.

‘My husband and I do enjoy a project, so I think we will renovate another home in the future. But, for now, we want to enjoy where we are and spend time with the children while they are young.’

More: Lifestyle

Becky’s advise to anyone else planning on renovating is to cut costs where you can by doing work yourself.

‘This allows you to invest in the important things, like the kitchen, bathrooms and finishes,’ she added.

‘Even if this means saving up to do something at a later stage – for example, we only bought blinds and curtains for the bedrooms when we moved in and over time, added what we wanted to finish the other rooms.’

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The Cheshire property was completely transformed.