Essex mother transforms her run-down home for £8.500

A mother-of-two transformed her run-down three-bedroom property into a stunning Scandinavian-inspired home – and it only cost her £8,500.

Charlotte Holman, 32, from Essex, saved thousands by doing most of the renovations herself, including almost £2,000 for laying her own garden decking.

She shared the results with her 82,000 Instagram followers – and fans were floored by the professional outcome inside her £263,000 home.

Ms Holman began her home renovations in 2018, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020 work slowed for her wedding cake making business and she was able to focus more energy on her property.

She challenged herself to create panels on her living room wall and paint gorgeous, Scandinavian-inspired murals in her children’s bedrooms rather than call a professional.

The dining room in Charlotte’s home was transformed into a bright and airy space, with a neutral colour scheme and natural accents such as a wicker lampshade and woven placemats (left).  The playroom featurse murals painted by Charlotte and storage units to ensure that her children’s toys don’t take over (right)

Charlotte Holman, 32, from Essex, saved thousands by renovating her three-bedroom house. ‘I have always been the painter but I began wanting to give more a go after seeing videos online,’ she said

The kitchen before had units on the wall, which dominated the space and made it seem darker (left).  Charlotte ripped out the units and installed open plan shelving for a lighter feel. The makeover cost just under £300

The mother-of-two said the most expensive renovations took place when the family initially moved into the property, spending £2,000 on new carpets and £5,500 on a bathroom refit.

Since then, Ms Holman has spent as little as £82.50 transforming a bedroom – and just shy of £300 on her kitchen renovations.

She said: ‘Being able to afford all of the changes we want has been the most difficult part of the renovation so far. This is a big reason why we have been doing a lot of it ourselves.’

Ms Holman saved £2,000 by laying her own garden decking rather than call a professional

The mother-of-two spent a total of £40 renovating her playroom (above). She challenged herself to paint gorgeous, Scandinavian-inspired murals in her children’s bedrooms rather than call a professional

The bathroom before was dull and dated with floral tiles and pine fixtures (left). The most expensive renovation was her bathroom, which cost £5,500 for a professional refit (right)

Ms Holman decided to throw herself into the renovations when the pandemic hit, as weddings were banned for a period and the demand for celebration cakes plummeted.

‘I was pregnant at home all the time but my husband was still working,’ she said. ‘The house really started taking on changes then.

‘I have always been the painter but I began wanting to give more a go after seeing videos online, so I decided to give it a go.

Ms Holman began her home renovations in 2018, but completed the majority during the pandemic. Pictured: Her son’s new bedroom, featuring a Scandi-chic wooden bed with dinosaur and jungle-themed accessories 

Here, Ms Holman shows what the living room looked like before she began her ambitious renovation project

‘My first bigger project was the panelling in our bedroom. I then decided to start using my husband’s old drill set to hang pictures/put up shelves etc.’

Ms Holman shared her progress with thousands of followers on Instagram.

She said: ‘Most responses to my posts are positive and supportive of what I get up to. I love responses where people say I have inspired them to give it a go or try something.’

Ms Holman shared her progress with thousands of followers on Instagram. Pictured: The completed garden deck