'DIY has been a FUN PROCESS'

Jane and Colin have added design flourishes and bursts of colourful character to their cleverly extended Surrey home

- LISA FAZZANI

After spending eight years living in our two-up, two-down in Staines, Surrey, my partner Colin and I decided it was time to pool resources and buy a home together,' says Jane. 'We were keen to invest in a place that we both loved and could make our own.

There were a few must-haves when we began our search - the property needed to be near our workplaces, as neither of us wanted a long commute.

Colin, as a keen gardener, wanted outside space and we both agreed we'd like to buy a house that needed modernising but was in a good enough condition that we could move in straight away and renovate at leisure.

Successful search

Luckily for us, the stars aligned and we found a perfect detached house in a charming little village in Surrey. It was only a short drive to where we worked, was surrounded by lovely countryside, had some fantastic pubs and importantly, there was a lovely community feel that Colin and I instantly picked up on.

The house had been a well-loved family home with nice sized gardens and bright, well-proportioned rooms. Colin and I love colour and pattern, and although the neutral decor and plain kitchen and bathrooms weren't to our taste, the property was in great condition with scope to turn it into something fabulous.

Grand plans

After moving in, we painted a couple of the bedrooms in some fun colourways, gave the living room and hallway a freshen up and talked to a designer about how to invest in our home and maximise the space. Plans included a reconfiguration and extension of the kitchen into the dining area, and a second-floor extension over the double garage which would give us a big master suite, complete with dressing area and bathroom..