A social worker with a flair for interior design has revealed how she managed to bag a property she fell in love with – simply by sending the owners a hand-written letter expressing her interest.
Sally Deakin, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, who lived in a new-build before she spotted the traditional mid-terrace on Lawn Avenue, decided to write to the owners and let them know she was interested despite the property not being on the market.
Deakin, 35, says her pluck worked and within six months of her approach, the buyers called her up and she had a new home.
Since moving in – with a Pinterest board stacked with ideas – in January 2018, Deakin has set about renovating the ‘tired’ home and turning it into a pad lusted after by interiors fans of her Instagram page, sal_at_six.
Social worker Sally Deakin, from Doncaster, fell in love with a three-storey, five-bed terrace on Lawn Avenue in the South Yorkshire town back in 2017 – and posted a note through the door to see if the owners would be interested in selling. Six months later, Sally, 35, moved into the property
She’s spent the last two years renovating the ‘tired’ mid-terrace property, having the entire property re-painted and posting the progress of her interior work on her Instagram page, sal_at_six
The living room areas as they looked before Sally’s handiwork; she thinks the property hadn’t been repainted in over 15 years
A kitchen transformation: Sally had the cupboards re-painted, spending just £500 on transforming the old redwood cabinets
The old bathroom was plain in interior…but proved a perfect blank canvas for Sally to implement the ideas on her Pinterest board. Right: a vision of pink and grey with wallpaper that has won lots of fans on Instagram – and only cost £13.50 a roll
The social worker said the sight of her new bathroom left her speechless, such was the transformation. Walter the whippet, pictured, seems to approve of the new decor
She tells Femail: ‘It wasn’t for sale when I saw it so I posted a letter through the door explaining I would be interested in buying it if ever they came to sell. Six months later I was in!
‘My Pinterest board was literally the vision of the house and my belief is if you think there might be even half a chance of something working out, go for it!’
The social worker paid £189,000 for the property, saying that money stretches pretty far in her neck of South Yorkshire – buying three storeys with an additional basement and five bedrooms.
Deakin has slowly renovated the rooms – including a budget tart-up of the kitchen – and a stunning pink bathroom that features flamingos on the walls, she says the home has been valued at £220,000 – earning her an estimated £18,000 profit in just two years.
Of the £13,000 spent on renovations, the biggest splurge was on the bathroom she says. The rest has been relatively budget-friendly, with clever hacks and upcycling helping to give the period property a fresh look.
Out with the old: How the bathroom was renovated, replacing every element, and adding a stunning roll-top bath, vintage suite and panelling
Home sweet home: the interiors fan lived in a new build for 11 years before purchasing the property in January 2018 and has relished the chance to show off her love of interior design (Pictured: Sally’s pets Walter, left, and Diane)
Stylish stairway: A re-paint of the stairs in two shades of grey have given the entrance hall in the Doncaster property a fresh look
Period features such as the tiled mosaic floor have been complemented by Sally’s on-point colour scheme
Seeing the finished bathroom is probably the only time I have been speechless. I couldn’t believe it was mine. I bought the wallpaper for £13.50 a roll… showing you really don’t have to spend a lot to get the wow factor!’
‘I’ve enjoyed picking up pieces of furniture and ‘up cycling’ them for my home, for example my pink drinks cabinet and my pink wardrobe. I got them both from an old house that was being sold and the furniture had been left. I also pulled a chair from a tip (with permission) and found it was worth £160!’
Deakin explains that taking on a period property after living for 11 years in a new home presented its challenges: ‘I had no previous experience of renovating but I’ve always had a keen interest in interiors, something I’ve taken from my Nan who has a beautiful home.
‘The house was tired and in need of some TLC when I bought it but I could see that there wasn’t any major work that needed doing.
‘I couldn’t afford to get a new kitchen for example so I spent £500 giving it a facelift by painting the existing cupboards and getting a new table, which was made from refurbished wood & scaffolding pipes.’
Employing a decent decorator was her wisest move, she says. Although expensive, it has ‘completely changed the feel of the house’, which hadn’t been painted in more than 15 years.
She says she’s finally found a home too for trinkets picked up along the way, on travels and at markets.
The bedrooms: with five rooms to renovate, Sally has taken them one step at a time, again making the most of the house’s treasure chest of period features
More bang for your buck: The South Yorkshire town has modest property prices meaning Sally has opulent extras including her own dressing room
The biggest high? ‘The finished result on the bathroom; seeing it for the first time is probably the only time I have been speechless. I couldn’t believe it was mine. I bought the wallpaper for £13.50 a roll and it’s what people seem to comment on the most, showing that you really don’t have to spend a lot to get the wow factor!’
Low points have, says Deakin, been mercifully scant. ‘I’ve been lucky enough not to experience many lows to be honest. The biggest difficulty has been living and working with all the dust from the bathroom renovation through lockdown! There’s no escaping and it just keeps coming and coming.
‘My next project is the back garden which I have big ideas for! Again, this will be done on a tight budget but I believe in spending money on the foundations and building the overall look of something over time.’