The house was in such a state when my husband Gary and I viewed it that I don't think anyone else was interested!' says Natasha. 'Inside, everything was grubby and worn, and the decor was awful - turquoise kitchen walls and cupboards, an old-fashioned gas fire in the living room, and hideous vinyl wallpapers everywhere.
The layout was strange too, as the living room was only accessible from the dining room, and you had to walk through the second bedroom in order to reach the bathroom. It was going to be a challenge, but the potential was there. The amount of work that needed to be done must have put most people off, but Gary and I were looking for a doer-upper where we could make our mark.
Make do and mend
Once in, we scrubbed the whole house and painted over the worst of the wallpaper to make it liveable, but it was freezing cold, as there was no insulation. We had a wood burner fitted in the dining room as soon as possible, but we couldn't do more because we were saving for the renovation. It was two years before we could afford to start major work, but we made do, and I spent the time saving, planning and researching. Although it was a long wait, it worked for me. I like to think things over carefully and then, hopefully, make the right choices.
Neither of us had much renovation experience but we were determined to do whatever we could ourselves. Gary was already quite handy, as he builds sets for photography at work, but we used online videos to pick up information and learn how to do things like tiling. It definitely wasn't the easy option, but it made our budget go much further.
Back to basics
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Patchwork PROJECTS
Easy ideas to show off English paper-piecing techniques
Night train to BERLIN
Germany's exciting and varied capital is now reachable by train from the UK
French FANCY
Raymond Blanc's right-hand man, Benoit Blin's favourite bakes
Are you missing out on BENEFITS?
Here's how to find out what you are eligible for
TRAY bien
All-in-one tray bakes, packed with flavour
We took a grown-up GAP YEAR!
Who says taking time out is just for students?
'I'm obsessed with reality TV!'
THIS WEEK'S COLUMNIST Author and presenter Louise Minchin
What to eat and do for A HEALTHIER GUT
Fix those problems and boost your wellbeing
Picture palaces
In an age of cinema complexes, we celebrate five historic and beautiful picture houses that have stood the test of time
'My diet during Bake Off is cake and alcohol!'
Dame Prue Leith on the popular baking contest