A STUNNING two-bed Homes Under the Hammer property looked unrecognisable after it was transformed in just seven weeks.
Richard and Alexandra renovated the Stoke-on-Trent mid-terrace house themselves and now people are lining up to move in.
6
6
6
6
The home was bought at auction for £50,500 by heating engineer Richard and architect Alexandra with their young son Apollo.
Alexandra told Stoke-on-Trent Live: “So the style we wanted to go for was something very clean, modern and contemporary, that would appeal to the younger tenants that we envisioned living here.
“So we’ve gone for bright, airy spaces, light flooring, white kitchen and kept everything really bright.
“So we spent £200 for all the kitchen units, the sink, the hob and the oven, and then we paid a bit extra for brand new tiles, a nice worktop and yeah it’s come together nicely.”
“Richard did a lot of the work, but not as much as we’d originally anticipated,” she added.
“Our business took off and we decided it was better to bring specialists trades in to do a lot of the work,” she continued.
Incredibly, the pair only had a reno budget of £6,000 but have managed to add nearly 20 grand to the value of the house through their hard-work and designs.
Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts showcased the property and described it as “old” and “tired.”
Most read in Property
But the couple were determined to turn it all around, despite encountering concerning problems during renovation.
They discovered a mining shaft near the rear of the home, within just 20 metres of its boundary.
However, after further investigation they concluded the ground and structure appeared stable.
Richard said: “We like that it’s open plan so we don’t need to take any walls down. It’s nice and bright, and it’s a good size two-bed.”
On the works they intended to undertake, Alexandra said: “Most of the work will be cosmetic, so we’re replacing the floor with a nice oak flooring, then we’re going to redecorate throughout.
“We’ll make it look really modern, replace the fireplace and then add new carpets, a new kitchen and new bathroom and we’ll be ready to go.”
Due to the historic mining issue with the property, it was expected to be listed on the market for £65,000 – £70,000 and a rental of £450 per calendar month (pcm).
After valuation these figures were confirmed – but Alexandra claims prospective tenants offer to pay £100 more per month than asking price.
Typical house renovation costs
According to the Home Owners Alliance, these are the average costs you can expect to see while renovating your home.
Extension – £26,000-£34,000
Loft conversion – £45,000
New bathroom – £6,000
New kitchen – £10,000+
Garage conversion – £6,000
Subsidence – £6,000
Damp – Up to £16,000
Double glazing – £400 – £600 per window
Installing central heating – £4,000
New boiler – £2,700
New roof – £4,500 – £12,000
Fixing rot – £1,000 – £2,000
Woodworm treatment – £450-£800
6
6
