We transformed our outdated home using B&Q bargains – now it’s worth DOUBLE the value
A COUPLE have revealed how they transformed their outdated home using B&Q bargains – doubling its value.
Katherine Sanders, from Rutland, and her husband Joe, both 35, bought his grandparents’ old four-bed farmhouse for £350,000 in 2015.
Over the last eight years the couple have added another £350,000 to the value of the house by doing it up – with a number of B&Q deals coming in useful.
They spent £101,500 renovating the home, which they share with kids Eden, Jasper and baby Ottilie.
Katherine told the Mirror: “The house has been in my husband’s family since 1956 and when his grandparents decided to sell it, we knew we wanted to carry the home into our family.
“It was already very beautiful with lots of original features and touches that we wanted to preserve to keep the memory alive, while also turning into a timeless home.
“We needed it to be practical for us, as his grandparents were originally farmers, so we got stuck in and made this into a modern farmhouse that we’ve always dreamed of.”
The “hub of the home” is a kitchen island with seating, which Katherine designed so that the kids could eat and do their homework while she cooked.
She added a hot tap and an elegant dresser unit hiding the microwave and toaster.
Katherine kept the original fireplace in the living room while bringing in second-hand items to spruce up the space.
She gave the bathroom a “new lease of life” with a combined bath and shower unit, and painted the vanity in Farrow & Ball French Grey – the same tint as the downstairs toilet.
As well as reflooring the hallway, Katherine turned the old kitchen into a guest room with an en suite bathroom.
The mum-of-three spruced up the main bedroom with bargain £100 DIY panelling.
Katherine transformed the utility room by hiding the stacked washing machine and tumble dryer behind cupboard doors and by lining the walls with sheet vinyl.
She saved the old stable door from the kitchen as a nod to the farmhouse’s past.
The renovation project took seven years, and doubled the house’s market value to £700,000.
Katherine recommends using “how to” videos on YouTube to save hundreds of pounds, looking for furniture in charity shops and contacting companies directly to find out about sales and discounts.
It comes after a couple who bought a rundown Salvation Army hall revealed how they turned it into an incredible home – adding £500,000 in value.
A “gravity-defying” Grand Designs house turned into a disaster when it collapsed halfway through building – costing its owners an extra £200,000.