Rochelle Taylor-Butcher, 29, and her partner Angus Ord, 30, a data scientist, bought a one-bed flat in Kingston, south London, for £260,000 at the end of March 2023. did
A couple who bought an 'uninhabitable' flat in London have already increased its value by £20,000 by converting it into their dream home in stages after learning how to DIY on YouTube.
Rochelle Taylor-Butcher, 29, and her partner Angus Ord, 30, a data scientist, bought a one-bed flat in Kingston, south London, for £260,000 at the end of March 2023. did. When they first moved in, the apartment was in a “disorganized” condition, with peeling wallpaper, mold on the walls, and musty carpeting.
When they embarked on this project, the two DIY novices watched YouTube to learn how to do their own plumbing, install their own kitchen, and sand their own floorboards. Rochelle and Angus say they have already saved nearly £9,000 by not hiring contractors, doing the work themselves and using free recycled materials where possible.
They are still in the works but have already added £20,000 to the property's price tag. Rochelle, who is responsible for the interior design of Anya Hindmarch's store, said about when he moved in. “It could only be described as a complete mess and completely uninhabitable.
“The whole apartment smelled musty from the occupants. I think the carpet was absorbing it. It was like there was no air coming in. I never thought I would own a property. I never thought… I grew up in south London and was always like, “I lived in a housing association property. My parents didn't own property, so I didn't feel part of life.'' It felt like a luxury to have that.”
“I feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and peace that we have settled in and that this is our actual space. Blood, sweat, and tears have poured onto the floorboards and walls, and we are now in the apartment. Part of it,” she said. Rochelle found uneaten cornflakes in the kitchen behind the dishwasher and an old 1970s cabinet, she said.
“There was nothing salvageable from that,” Rochelle said. “There was dirt, rust, and falling tiles.'' The couple have spent weekends renovating the property over the last year, in addition to their full-time jobs. They spent hours watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to plumb, cut, tile, and install IKEA kitchen doors and cabinets.
The house now looks unrecognizable, with painted walls, new tiles, and a completely changed living room. The Ikea kitchen they installed themselves cost him just £5,000, almost half the price of having it installed by an organization like Howdens. The couple was able to save money through various hacks, including having family members rewire the property.
“We paid for materials at cost and all labor was free, so that really took a huge burden off of us,” Rochelle said. “We tried to think of ways we could achieve what we wanted by cheating the process.”
Rochelle painted her kitchen using leftover paint and supplies from the store she works at, and also bought half-price paint from Homebase. She says the key is to save on materials but make sure they're of high quality. “You don't have to use incredibly polished wood for your baseboards; a little MDF will do just fine,” says Rochelle.
“Angus is the type of guy who loves buying gadgets and stuff. He loves researching tools. But he's the epitome of having no idea about all the gear. Sometimes I Sometimes we have to step in. We thought, as long as we're here, we have a kitchen and we can shower somewhere, so we'll be fine.”
The couple moved into the property last August and were able to turn their apartment into their dream home. “Once we moved in, we were like, everything is fine now, we're OK,” Rochelle says. One of her suggestions for people looking to start doing home renovations on their own is to turn to YouTube and “take it one step at a time.”
“You might be able to build a house just by watching YouTube,” says Rochelle. “There's so much information out there, you just have to look for it.'' They spent £3,000 installing the kitchen, including the plumbing, £700 sanding the floors themselves and wiring their family for electricity. They saved us £3,000 by having the house renovated, £300 by removing the old bathroom ourselves, and £900 by decorating the kitchen and living room.
They will pay £5,000 for kitchen units and appliances, £3,8,000 for bathroom fittings including tiling, £2,8,000 for double glazing of windows, £900 for rewiring materials, £80 for paint and Orbital. He spent £200 on tools such as a sander.