Beth, 45, had avivid dream about a dated and neglected house she’d viewed becoming her cosy family home, so she set about making it come true...
We had no idea exactly what we were letting ourselves in for when we started renovating this house,’ says Beth. ‘I don’t think I could go through it again, but that hasn’t stopped us loving it!
My husband Colin and I had been living in a maisonette in southwest London, but realised that once we had children, we would want more space and a garden, and also that we’d get so much more for our money if we moved out of London.
So we started thinking about relocating and looking for somewhere that was within easy reach of Bristol, where Colin, a TV director, is based some of the time, and Chiswick, where I work as a TV production manager. We had come to love being near the Thames in Chiswick, so we looked along the course of the river, and settled on Marlow, where we had some friends.
Colin and I started going there at weekends to get to know the area, then decided to lease our maisonette and rent in Marlow for a while to see how we felt about it. We could get a four-bedroom Edwardian house for the same price as the maisonette, so we signed a year’s lease in February 2011 and started the process of seeing if it was right for us. Deciding it was, we extended the lease and started looking at properties in September the following year, viewing around 30 houses, all with at least three bedrooms and a garden.
Mammoth task
Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Style at Home.
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Denne historien er fra March 2017-utgaven av Style at Home.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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'We wanted an Art Deco Vibe' - Helen took her bathing space from cramped and dated to family-friendly, with a classic retro-inspired look
Inheriting a typical 1930s layout of rectangular bathroom and a separate loo along the corridor wasn't really suitable for us,' says Helen. 'And with a teenager and a younger child, we knew we had to change things quickly after moving into our house in April 2022.
How to Save More Money -Editor of MoneyWeek.com Kalpana Fitzpatrick shares easy tips and tricks for spending less
Editor of MoneyWeek.com Kalpana Fitzpatrick shares easy tips and tricks for spending less. Recent research shows that around a third of consumers are focused on immediate finances and unable to think about future savings.* If you're struggling to save or just not sure where to start, then these tips and tricks will help.
What's for DINNER TONIGHT?
These tasty dishes can be made ahead of time and saved for those busy nights when there's no time to cook
Something for THE WEEKEND
These chocolate desserts are perfect for dinner parties (or for a special treat if you've had a tough week at work)...
Plant bulbs now for A SPLASH OF SPRING COLOUR
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Bring order to your living space with hard-working storage that looks stylish too
How to plan KITCHEN LIGHTING
Achieve the perfect lighting scheme that's bright, hard-working and looks good
Try a speedy STYLE UPDATE
Give your home a seasonal revamp with fun tricks, treats and cosy touches
Clever decorating WORK YOUR WALLS
Want to use a blank wall space for practical storage or stylish display? These ideas will give you the best of both worlds...
Give your home an AUTUMN RESET
Make rooms feel toasty and warm with plush layers, earthy tones and cosy touches