A couple with no DIY experience has shared the incredible renovations they completed on a run-down period property – and now it’s worth an additional £95,000 just two years after they bought it.
Lisa McDermott, 31, and husband Ed, 32, from Dorset, purchased their 1930s three-bedroom home in Bath, Somerset, in March 2019 for £355,000.
The shabby house had outdated furnishings that Lisa believes hadn’t been changed since the 1960s, and needed a complete overhaul.
The couple, who are both marketing professionals, set about completing extensive renovations, which cost £45,000 overall, of the whole property – removing internal walls, the original kitchen, the bathroom and all the wallpaper.
The duo carried out the bathroom plumbing themselves by following YouTube tutorials, before decorating the property with neutral colours and modern finishes thanks to upcycling and bargain buys from IKEA.
Lisa McDermott, 31, and husband Ed, 32, from Dorset, purchased their 1930s three-bedroom home (pictured before the transformation) in Bath, Somerset, in March 2019 for £355,000
The shabby house had outdated furnishings that Lisa believes hadn’t been changed since the 1960s, and needed a complete overhaul. Pictured, the kitchen after the makeover
The couple, who are both marketing professionals, set about completing extensive renovations, which cost £45,000 overall, of the whole property – removing internal walls, the original kitchen, the bathroom and all the wallpaper. Pictured, the lounge before
The duo carried out the bathroom plumbing themselves by following YouTube tutorials, before decorating the property with neutral colours and modern finishes thanks to upcycling and bargain buys from IKEA. Pictured, the dining room after the makeover
Lisa and Ed watched YouTube videos before undertaking some of the larger jobs, such as changing pipes in the walls and under the floorboards. Pictured, the bathroom before the renovation
The house now features three beds, one bathroom (pictured now), a downstairs toilet under the stairs, a kitchen/diner, a lounge and an attic room
Lisa and Ed watched YouTube videos before undertaking some of the larger jobs, such as changing pipes in the walls and under the floorboards.
The only room they hired professional help for was the kitchen-diner – which they knocked four existing rooms down to create.
Although their builder warned them of the mess, Lisa and Ed had no choice but to live in the house during the project – although the process was sped up when they were both furloughed in April 2020.
To cut costs, Lisa and Ed up-scaled and made items of furniture such as wardrobes, shelves, mirrors, bar stools and cabinet.
The renovations were complete in December 2020, 21 months after starting the renovations, when the carpets were laid.
The house now features three beds, one bathroom, a downstairs toilet under the stairs, a kitchen/diner, a lounge and an attic room. The upstairs layout remains the same, but before renovating there was an additional dining room, utility room and toilet.
Although their builder warned them of the mess, Lisa and Ed (pictured) had no choice but to live in the house during the project – although the process was sped up when they were both furloughed in April 2020
The only room they hired professional help for was the kitchen-diner (pictured left, before, and right, after the transformation) – which they knocked four existing rooms down to create
To cut costs, Lisa and Ed up-scaled and made items of furniture such as wardrobes, shelves, mirrors, bar stools and cabinet. Pictured, the lounge before the renovation
The renovations (pictured above is the lounge now) were complete in December 2020, 21 months after starting the renovations, when the carpets were laid
The total cost of the renovation was £45,000, including trade, materials, tools, appliances and furnishings. As a result of their efforts, when the couple had the home revalued, they found it was worth £95,000 more than they originally paid for it.
The couple are particularly happy with their savings on the bathroom as doing it all themselves and purchasing it in the sale meant it cost them £1,700.
‘We couldn’t afford to live in Bath unless we purchased a doer-upper and renovated it ourselves,’ Lisa said. ‘We had three goals when we purchased the house – to enjoy it, to learn and to not spend more money than it was worth.
‘We are so lucky that we didn’t have any disasters – the real challenge was the time it took us to research and learn as we didn’t know what we were doing on any of it so it really took a long time.’
A particular challenge was the kitchen, which the couple anticipated would be the costliest part of the renovation. They cut costs by deconstructing the original kitchen themselves, and tearing down four rooms to create the new kitchen-diner space.
The garden also got an overhaul (pictured left), with the couple removing an old pond (pictured right), adding in turf and building a decking area to create their very own oasis
The total cost of the renovation (pictured) was £45,000, including trade, materials, tools, appliances and furnishings
As a result of their efforts, when the couple had the home revalued, they found it was worth £95,000 more than they originally paid for it. Pictured, the garden before (right) and after (left) work was completed
The original kitchen featured dated white cabinets and an archway leading into the utility room. The space was completely overhauled according to Lisa and Ed’s designs, and the finished result looks like a new house altogether.
The chic upgrade now boasts a large open-plan space with brand new appliances, dark blue cabinets and bronze finishes.
Features include a chic kitchen island, complete with a sink, built-in dishwasher and breakfast bar seating, and a dining table that makes the most of a beautiful view over historic Bath.
Lighter wood flooring and fresh white walls make the space bright and airy, with plenty of natural light.
Another challenge for the DIY newbies was learning the ropes when it came to plastering, which they found the trickiest element of the renovation. But they were adamant that they complete as much of the work as possible themselves to stick to their budget.
Another challenge for the DIY newbies was learning the ropes when it came to plastering, which they found the trickiest element of the renovation (above, the dining room before)
But the couple (pictured) were adamant that they complete as much of the work as possible themselves to stick to their budget
One way of getting around their budget was to use their newfound passion for DIY and create some of the furniture themselves. Pictured, Lisa removing the wallpaper
‘It’s so easy for costs to creep up – there is always something you want to add,’ Lisa explained. ‘We budgeted each part of the house and created a separate bank account for our renovation costs.
‘The idea was that once the money is gone, it’s gone, so we knew that if we spent more on one thing, we would need to sacrifice something else.’
One way of getting around their budget was to use their newfound passion for DIY and create some of the furniture themselves.
The couple, who have documented their renovation on Instagram @1930shousetohomerenovation, purchased items second-hand from Facebook Marketplace and upcycled them, including a wooden dressing table which Lisa painted forest green.
They also created an on-trend black grid mirror using individual photo frames and mirror pieces from Ikea. Thrifty Lisa also reused old bronze pipes and created a unique shoe-rack for additional storage.
The couple, who have documented their renovation on Instagram @1930shousetohomerenovation, purchased items second-hand from Facebook Marketplace and upcycled them, including a wooden dressing table which Lisa painted forest green (pictured)
One room which underwent a particularly impressive transformation is the lounge. Pictured, the bedroom before the renovation work
Every room in the house was given a fresh slick of paint and updated, modern furnishes – all in natural tones. Pictured, the bedroom after the makeover
One room which underwent a particularly impressive transformation was the lounge.
Formerly featuring pale green wallpaper, a clashing amber carpet and dated pink fireplace, the room was made more harmonious with grey and white walls, and soft wooden furnishings.
The fireplace was ripped out and replaced with a sleek white stone fireplace – which only cost £25 after Lisa sourced the wood surround on Facebook Marketplace.
The new grey-brown carpet completes the room with a warm, cosy feel. Every room in the house was given a fresh slick of paint and updated, modern furnishes – all in natural tones.
After 21 months of hard work, the couple are finally finished and are focusing on enjoying their home – though they aren’t ruling out any future projects. Pictured, the bathroom during the renovations
Lisa created an on-trend black grid mirror (pictured left) using individual photo frames and mirror pieces from Ikea. Pictured, the bathroom after the transformation
‘We would absolutely do it again and we were actually sad when it was all done as we enjoyed it so much,’ Lisa said. Pictured, the garden after the makeover
The garden also got an overhaul, with the couple removing an old pond, adding in turf and building a decking area to create their very own oasis.
After 21 months of hard work, the couple are finally finished and are focusing on enjoying their home – though they aren’t ruling out any future projects.
‘We would absolutely do it again and we were actually sad when it was all done as we enjoyed it so much,’ Lisa said. ‘We couldn’t have done it without the internet and the willingness of people sharing their skills and experience – and we have learnt so many skills over the past couple of years.’