A COUPLE who bought a rundown hall have revealed how they turned it into an incredible home – adding £500,000 in value.
Alice Deuchar, 43, and husband Daniel Schamroth, 41, bought the derelict Salvation Army hall in Bradninch, Devon, without planning permission for just £117,000 in 2020.
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She said: “We’d been renting for years and years and had no money at all.
“We only wanted a one-bed flat in Exeter but our deposit was tiny and we were absolutely fed up of being turned down for mortgages.”
The couple persuaded a private equity firm to lend them £35,000 to buy an abandoned chapel in the village of Zeal Monachorum.
They transformed the chapel into an home – which they sold months later for £350,000.
Daniel and Alice had planned to live in the converted chapel themselves – but were devastated when their mortgage offer collapsed at the start of the pandemic.
Instead they bought the hall in Bradninch before transforming it into an amazing space with a glass dome on the roof – which can be seen miles away.
Alice said: “As soon as I walked into this stunning Art Deco building I had a strong vision of how I wanted the space to eventually look.
“Honouring the 1930s bones of the building and incorporating as many of the original features as possible, I designed a space that celebrates the original architectural features – but also now works beautifully as a modern home.
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“We love the Eden Project so we amended the plans to include a geodesic dome which echoes our ceiling lights and is very Art Deco.”
The couple’s renovation of the hall was filmed for an episode of Channel 4’s Great British Home Restoration with Charlie Luxton, which will air later this year.
Now the property is on the market for £650,000 with West Country agents Stags, who say it is a “beautifully bespoke home.”
The listing reads: “The present vendors have an eye for detail and this unique home offers contemporary living, whilst retaining original features.
“There is a superb feeling of light and space with high ceilings and modern features, along with a roof terrace overlooking the surrounding rooftops to the countryside beyond.”
The property has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge open living space – as well as the enormous roof terrace.
It is accessed via an electronic hatch and the property is heated with an air source heat pump – making it environmentally friendly too.
The home has underfloor heating throughout, plus a hand-painted mural by local artist Liz Gordon.
It also boasts an integrated Loxone Smart System with speakers, a bioethanol fireplace and an underground wine store.
Alice and Daniel are planning another massive building renovation in the hope of becoming mortgage-free in the next two years.
She said: “If we do one more we could be mortgage free by the time I’m 45.
“We’ve got the bug now.”
It comes after a “gravity-defying” Grand Designs house turned into a disaster when it collapsed halfway through building – costing its owners an extra £200,000.
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