Our 1930s House Renovation
Hello!
This 1930s house changed everything for us (and your renovation will too, here’s why).
Back in 2016, we sold our 1-bedroom flat and entered into one of the most painful property hunts that ended up in a bidding war!
I bet you already know the stress of property hunting by now?! It’s a rollercoaster and a huge anti-climax at times…
The stark reality hit Neil and I when we realised there was no way we could afford to buy a house ‘already done’ in our area.
our renovation from the beginning:
Full house tour - BEFORE
Only got a few mins?
Take a look at our before and afters
How it all started
We were desperate to find a house to call our own and we refused to give up on our dream.
We wanted somewhere we could grow together as a couple, entertain family & friends around a big table, and have a decent kitchen I could bake in. It didn’t have to be extravagant, just somewhere warm, cosy and… most importantly, somewhere we could build our dream life together 💛
So we extended our property search, and lowered our expectations, viewing some very (to put it lightly) ‘urine-smelling’ properties that needed serious work!
Neither of us had any experience in house renovations but our offer was accepted and just like that, we became first-time renovators.
What we were about to experience was crazy. We made a lot of mistakes the first time round which you’ll learn about on this blog.
the before & afters:
Is this even the same room?! Watch how we transformed it from start to finish.
It was never an ugly house, but laying this driveway levelled us up big time!
After a whole year saving, we created the dream home office space – Fifi McGee HQ
Is this even the same room?! Watch how we transformed it from start to finish.
The most stressful project of the entire renovation. But we made it, just about!
The biggest project of our renovation - we learnt A LOT during this process
Planning our 1930s house renovation…
Our 1930s semi-detached hadn't been renovated since the 60s. It was riddled with asbestos. Every wall and ceiling had textured wallpaper all over it. There was no gas or central heating; it was freezing cold! And for some reason, it smelled like plastic everywhere?! (but hey, at least it wasn’t urine 😅…) Don’t get us started on the carpets, either. They were nothing short of 'shag pile psychedelic' 👀
Naively, we hired an architect way too soon. If only we did this first…
Yep. We made a huge mistake that cost us thousands. The question is, do we regret it years later?
It was exciting but I was a novice back then! I’ve since written about my regrets
Feeling overwhelmed?
You may have started sweating when you hit this page about how much there is to do or how much you don’t know. Don’t panic.
Start today with our free, step-by-step, bite-sized lessons. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your dream home!
What we we wish we knew before we started
When you’re up against a 1930s house renovation like ours (or any type of house for that matter), you’ve got to have a strong vision & plan from the start.
Room by room, we poured our heart and soul into making this our dream home. But we hit some mega renovation roadblocks along the way because we were newbs.
This was our first foray into renovations and with a very tight budget of only £80,000 (acquired through the equity of our previous property sale) we had our work cut out for us.
These next posts here are the posts we wish we had read.
JUMPSTART YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Worried about renovation costs?
You can see a breakdown of our entire renovation costs, use this so you know what to budget for. But remember it was 2016 that we began - because of this we’ve included more than 60 clients & student projects as a separate download for more up to date costs.
Starting work on our 1930s semi-detached renovation…
Throughout the house renovation, we used this website to document all the dust, sweat and tears it took to turn this house from a granny palace to our cosy home. And now, it’s an archive of information & you can read about the renovation challenges we were up against, written in real-time, to give yourself a huge head start.
Did I mention, we made some newbie, costly mistakes? We suffered some big design regrets. We hired people we shouldn’t have. We wasted money on problems first-time renovators never get told about…
And I remember just WISHING an impartial professional could come and hold our hand through it all and tell us what to do and how to avoid major problems.
That person didn’t exist back then.
So… I set off on a mission to become that person for others.
Renovation Progress
Our 1930s house renovation hit a new rock bottom last week. Our budget tracker says we’ve spent £10K but the house looks worse than ever.
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged an update because I’ve been up to my elbows in wallpaper! Where are we at 8 weeks on? Hello, toasty heating installation!
Holy guacamole. The dust pit has started looking like an actual kitchen!
You know that feeling when you’ve just got the keys and you’re itching to rip up the carpets… well, look what we found lurking underneath 😍
I trained as an interior designer specialising in renovations. Now, 8 years later, I’ve guided and supported thousands of renovators & dozens of clients through one of the most costly, complex projects of their lives, via our online renovation course, interior design service & a thriving member area (by the way, we’d love to welcome you in 🙏🏻)
Our mission: to get you avoiding the mistakes Neil and I wish we were warned about, and learn how to design your dream home… to build your dream life.
FREE GUIDE
How to Confidently Renovate your Dream Home
Start with our free guide & access the smart tips & money-saving secrets we wish we were given before renovating
Helping you renovate
This renovation ahead of you is going to take bravery, resilience & impeccable planning. It will test you, but nothing great comes easy. It’s going to enhance your life when you’re finished.
Design has the power to transform your everyday. It did for us. So take a look through every phase of our 1930s renovation & our student & client stories, and I hope it will help you feel more supported and ready for this next exciting chapter of your life.
Your renovation may not be straightforward. Ours surely wasn’t. But we’re determined to help you achieve your dream home, within budget, and with a lot less stress.
We’re so glad you found us 💛
Uncover expert tips for selecting the ideal house for renovation, maximizing your investment, and transforming it into your dream home with our guide.