Number Twelve – The ‘Before’

My first home.

Picking up the keys has to be one of the proudest moments of my life. Opening the door for the first time without the presence of an estate agent. Sitting on the stairs, taking in the surroundings, without a want of being anywhere else but in your very own four walls. A feeling I will never forget.

We had decided to take on a project. With a builder in the family, and a want to put our own stamp on things, the decision was a pretty easy one. Plus, the idea of being able to add value to our new investment, was very appealing too.

Silently agreeing during the first viewing that this was the house for us, we put in our initial offer, and with a little to-ing and fro-ing came to an agreed price. We recognised the potential straight away, and fell in love with the spacious layout of the three bed terrace, along with its 1930s quirks.

The property had previously been a rental, so it was liveable, but the decor was dated and tired. The kitchen was narrow and had an odd downstairs loo within it, so we planned to remove the toilet, and knock down the wall between the kitchen/diner to open up the space. The flooring throughout certainly needed a refresh and the walls would need redecorating, but initially the amount of work didn’t seem too overwhelming.

However, on second thoughts, the more we looked at it, the more we felt that we wanted to do it ‘properly’. The to do list soon doubled! From rewiring the electrics and replacing plumbing, to taking the walls and ceilings right back to the studwork, it seemed foolish not to when we had access to friends in the trade and just enough in the budget to cover it.

Despite the garish floral wallpaper and ugly gas fireplaces, hopefully you too can see why we fell in love with the house, and imagine the full potential it has! I’ll be back very soon with more details and photos of our extensive renovation journey.

Please tell me the stories of buying your first home in the comments below. I’d love to hear them! You can also find out more about me here.