A couple has revealed how they spent £50,000 transforming an abandoned £125,000 ‘shell’ of a house into a beautiful £300,000 cottage home – saving an estimated £30,000 by doing most of the work themselves.
Forester Nicky Pullee, 41, and hotelier Nick, 44, from Snowdonia in Wales, transformed the dilapidated cottage, restoring it to a stunning family home.
The two-bedroom mid-terrace cottage they bought in 2018 has doubled in value over the last four years, thanks to their DIY efforts.
Building on the existing grounds of the cottage with lots of leftover materials, such as quarry stone, the couple has created a rustic cottage with vaulted ceilings and an additional extension.
Images of the home before it was renovated (the living room is pictured here) show that the building was not habitable
The kitchen, pictured before the home was transformed, was a dilapidated shell, like the rest of the house when Nicky and Nick bought it for £175,000 in 201
Nick and Nicky Pullee weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, and saved themselves thousands by getting stuck into DIY
Before: when the couple initially bought the home in 2018 for £175,000 (pictured) it was little more than a shell, and looked unloved and gloomy. Right, the bright and welcoming exterior after the renovation
For the extension, Nicky and Nick got their hands dirty, digging the footing by hand along with the builders.
From there it was all hands-on with stacking bricks, adding stone cladding and laying slate tiles.
The extension was the most expensive element, costing £30,000 for all the materials and additional labour.
‘The cottage was uninhabitable, there was no heating, no bathroom and the toilet was outside in the yard,’ said Nicky and Nick.
Before and after: the front door pictured before the couple gave it their magic touch (left) and after they spruced it up (right)
When the cottage was first bought by the couple in 2018 (pictured left and right), Nick says its ‘there was no heating, no bathroom and the toilet was outside in the yard’. Right, the hallway shows the cottage’s of neglect, leading it to become unkempt and dilapidated
As part of the major project, which took a staggering four years to complete, the couple gutted the house (pictured)
According to the couple, they took inspiration ‘from our own cottage and the great outdoors, in particular natural forms and colours’ when designing the house (living room pictured, after the renovation)
The renovation work went beyond aesthetics: the couple placed in wooden beams, which were decorative, as well as supporting the structure of the home (house pictured during the work)
As well as its classic quarry stone floor and fresh walls, the kitchen (pictured post renovation) now boasts underfloor heating too
The master bedroom (pictured after the couple renovated it) blends oranges and dark wood for a stylish period look
The twin bedroom (pictured after the renovation) is another calm space, boasting a cool blue colour palette and rustic touches
‘We renovated our previous cottage back in 2004-2006 which definitely helped us with this new renovation. We’d learnt from previous mistakes.
‘We have reused a lot of materials from the original property such as quarry stones and slate.’
The original kitchen was tiny, covered in rotting lime green walls and peeling wallpaper.
After adding underfloor heating, laying down quarry stone tiles, adding new plaster and painting the walls, the dingy kitchen is now a spacious and light room within the house.
Green: soothing tones of green throughout the house, which tie into the property’s green front door, give the home its calming look
The living room (pictured post renovation) is almost unrecognisable compared to before the couple gave it a makeover
As both Nick and Nicky have creative backgrounds, they were able to design a unique look, adding their own twist on the original look of the cottage
‘Having dug out tons of earth by hand from the existing cottage and moving it to the garden in wheelbarrow alone was the hardest part.
‘Then looking at the mess that was left and realising how much there is to do,’ they said.
‘The biggest challenge was the design, trying to fit everything a modern home requires in such a small, one-floor level space.
‘We tried to design and build the cottage by working with what was there and making the most of the features like the large pitch pine frame and original windows and doors, including using colour tones based on the original green front door.’
Despite having to bring in external labour, Nick and Nicky were able to do a large part of the work themselves. Through this, they estimate they saved an additional £30,000.
Nick and Nicky did hire some labourers to help with the work, but estimate that they saved some £30,000 by doing the bulk of it themselves
The mid-terrace property, which has two bedrooms, has almost doubled in value since the couple bought it in 2018, thanks to the major renovation work (pictured during works)
The original kitchen was tiny, covered in rotting lime green walls and peeling wallpaper – but a quarry stone floor and freshly painted walls changed it totally (pictured)
Progress: pictured during the renovation, the kitchen was a major part of the renovation, and changed beyond recognition
The kitchen, which the couple said was previously ‘dingy’ before they took their hands to it, is now a bright and airy space (pictured during the renovation)
Utilising their backgrounds in art, both Nick and Nicky were able to bring a knowledge of design to their home, adding their own twist on the original look of the cottage.
‘We’re both creative people, I have a degree in photography and Nick went to art college,’ said Nicky.
‘We took a lot of inspiration from our own cottage and the great outdoors, in particular natural forms and colours.
‘Nick’s father was an interior designer in London for many years in the 1960s and 70s and both our parents were constantly building and adding to our own homes when we were children.
‘I love all the flow of colour throughout, and the feeling of space created by the vaulted ceiling, whilst maintaining the history and character of the property.
‘I also like how we have tried to aesthetically marry both the exterior and interior to the surrounding buildings and environment which really helps the cottage fit in and exploit where it is.
‘It is a small period cottage which is cosy but spacious with everything needed for modern comfortable living.
‘With a beautiful outdoor space to relax and enjoy the peace of Snowdonia.’
Nick and Nicky now enjoy their renovated space with their two children of 20 months and four-years-old.
Documenting their progress on their growing Instagram account, the family shares their tips and tricks for renovating with the world.
‘We’ve been asked a few times whether we’re interior designers, which is a huge compliment,’ they said.
According to the couple, the home is now ‘a small period cottage which is cosy but spacious with everything needed for modern comfortable living’
Exterior: adding vibrant plants to the cottage’s garden means it has an appealing and bright aesthetic outside as well as inside
‘Over the moon’: the couple is now delighted with their Snowdonia haven, which combines rustic cottage life with stunning country views
‘People have also said that the cottage has been well thought out, that they get a sense of space, even though it’s a small cottage.
‘They also love the use of old and new furniture and all the natural colours that flow throughout the house to the garden.
‘We’re over the moon, really pleased with what we have achieved on such a small budget.’
They added: ‘For now, we are going to sit back and enjoy our work, but are looking to update and renovate our cottage next door to the same standard now that we are in a better financial situation.’
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