Louise and Peter Horton of Banbury, Oxfordshire, purchased a two-bedroom Victorian terrace in 2018 for £240,000. The property required extensive renovation, which the couple undertook using a budget-conscious approach, sourcing materials from skips, building sites, and secondhand websites.
Louise, an avid supporter of charity shops, auction houses, and online marketplaces, documented their renovation journey on her Instagram account, @thestylepad_uk. She stated, "I never buy new, I love charity shops, the auction house, car boot sales and Facebook Marketplace." Her husband, Peter, a construction manager specializing in historic buildings, possesses the skills to handle structural work, including extensions, wall demolition and creation, and new door openings.
"When Peter's working on jobs, if they're getting rid of stuff in skips he can't bear to see it be thrown out," Louise explained. "He can see something and see the value." The couple also utilized salvaged wood from neighbors' discarded materials for various projects, such as shelves and a welly box.
The renovation involved transforming the two-bedroom house into a three-bedroom property by converting the existing bathroom into a bedroom and subdividing another bedroom to create a smaller room and a new family bathroom. During the renovation, the couple experienced periods without hot running water, heating, or lighting, necessitating gym visits for showering.
One of the most significant cost savings was in the kitchen, which Louise transformed into a heritage-style room for approximately £3,500. She estimated that a similar look from a standard supplier would cost around £30,000. The kitchen units were acquired from Facebook Marketplace for £50, including the oven. A neighbor provided the sink for free, and patio doors, new but mis-ordered by another couple, were purchased from Facebook Marketplace, saving them an estimated £800.
Their bathroom renovation cost around £1,000. It features shower tiles salvaged from Westminster Abbey, shiplap paneling taken from a private school construction site, a £5 mirror from Facebook Marketplace, and a chest of drawers from Freecycle repurposed into a vanity unit.
For their living room, the couple used salvaged wood to build shelving units. They paired these with a brown velvet sofa from Facebook Marketplace costing £200 and a £60 curtain pole. In the dining room, a table found on Facebook Marketplace for £120 was paired with dining chairs costing £10 each, which Louise painted dark navy.
Louise recommended using decorative molding on walls and furniture to add character, noting that it's an inexpensive way to enhance a room's charm. She also suggested using patterns strategically in smaller areas, like a laundry nook or desk area, to add visual interest without overwhelming the space.
The couple's primary expenditure was on flooring, largely comprising wood-effect luxury vinyl tiles, as the original floorboards were too damaged. Louise noted that a previous mistake was installing a white carpet in the bedroom, which proved impractical with children and a dog.
After completing the renovation, the Hortons are now selling their home and have set their sights on a 1960s bungalow with potential for further renovation, which Louise described as "the worst house in a beautiful village."