A couple completely transformed their “ugly” home after learning how to DIY on YouTube.
Lizzie Williams, 37, and her husband Phil, 40, bought the “ugliest house” on the street in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in June 2014 for £150,000. They then used what they learned from the video-sharing site to double its value.
They said the property had been unoccupied for four years, had holes in the ceiling and bacteria growing in the downstairs toilet. They spent nine years renovating their home and learned how to do plumbing and electrical work online, saving them an estimated £200,000 on the project.
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They also installed a kitchen and built a pool before hiring a contractor to build an addition to the back of the property and install a new roof. Construction of this facility was completed in September 2023.
In total, Lizzie and Phil spent £150,000 on the renovations, using their savings, salaries and borrowed cash to fund the works. They said the house was now worth twice the purchase price.
Lizzie, who works in marketing, said: “Phil is very detail-oriented and absorbs information very well.We used a lot of online forums to help us. I was also watching the video.''
“He relied on his friends and family to help us and ask for advice on how to deal with situations. It’s just a matter of doing countless searches on the internet and asking friends.
“We put our heart and soul into this home. The fact that we did many of the renovations ourselves makes our home truly special.”
The couple initially lived in a two-bedroom apartment, but the rest of the house underwent renovations. But now the number of rooms is double his, giving him more space.
Lizzie continued: “This is not the same house we bought. We re-plumbed it and worked with our neighbors to add a two-storey extension to the rear. I made it.”
“We converted the garage into four rooms and used it as a utility room, toilet, study and storage room. We stepped back a little and the bottom of the house was just a cavity used as storage.
“We got that space back, and now you can step into our kitchen area.”
Lizzie said her favorite room in the house was the kitchen, and said she enjoyed the home's “quirky” features, including a “hangover bench” to sit on in the shower and a TV in the bathroom.
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