Woman who converted church into plush 8-bed home shares DIY hacks that helped

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A DIY fan who converted an eight-bed church into her dream home has given her top ten tips on how to renovate on a budget.

Emily Barratt first viewed her property in May 2019, but worried there would be too much work to do on it.

But after just one viewing, the 36-year-old and her husband knew they had to make it theirs, even though they couldn't access some of the rooms due to so much stuff in them.

They put in an offer the next day – despite at the airport about to jet off on holiday – and six months later, they moved in.

The mum then spent the lockdown taking on the renovations for the £470,000 home as she gave up her pottery painting shop.

And the results have been amazing.

Emily, who has documented her renovations on her Our Big Renovation Instagram account, says she's re-furbished the place using bargain brands, such as eBay, B&M and The Range.

She has also found some great freebies on Facebook market place.

As well as accessories, she's also taught herself how to do a lot of DIY so she can take on big tasks herself.

This has enabled her to transform the dark and dank hallway into a bright and airy space.

The front of the house has also been transformed into a fresh-looking house that you want to explore, with gravel added to the driveway and everything being completely re-painted.

Meanwhile the kitchen has turned from dated to desirable with modern tiles added on the floor, contemporary lighting and wall tiles removed.

Along with all the work inside the house, Emily also turned her garage into a cosy home pub within just two months.

She transformed her dusty garage into an industrial-style private tavern, called The Buzzing Bee, with just an £1,000 budget.

Here, the mum gives her top tips to Daily Star Readers on how you can renovate on a low budget…

1. Don't go cheap

Buy the best tools you can afford- I bought a cheap tile cutter when I was tiling the bathroom and ended up wasting tiles until I bought a better one.

I also invested in a chop saw which has saved me so much time and wastage.

2. Remember you can hire tools

If some tools are too expensive to purchase, but it is the only thing preventing you from doing a job, hire them.

I hired a floor sander to restore the original parquet floor and also a concrete grinder for my bar floor.

3. Make use of YouTube

I watch lots of YouTube videos, not just one as I’ve noticed people have different ways of doing things, some methods are easier than others.

4. Visit your local paint shop

If there are some expensive shades of paint that you like but can’t afford, ask your local paint shop to match them.

It saves a fortune and they usually have the colours stored in the system.

5. Paint can hide a multitude of sins

If the outside of the house looks run down, give it a lick of paint, it makes a huge difference.

Make sure it’s a thick paint (I used B&Q’s colours brand), as you don’t want to be doing several coats.

I found that there was a big difference in consistency within brands – it just depends on the colour rather than the brand.

6. Shop around for skip prices

If you are creating lots of rubbish, shop around for skip prices, the differences can be huge.

Also some will let you keep the skip longer than others if needed. I found for some things, waste disposal companies worked out cheaper than skips.

7. Freshen up internal handles

If you have a lot of internal handles to replace (such as on a hallway), just remove and spray them with spray paint.

Then seal several times and replace.

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8. Visit Facebook Market Place

Before buying new furniture check out Facebook market place for cheap or free furniture to up-cycle by painting and changing handles.

I have up-cycled most of my furniture and it saves the pieces from landfill.

There’s loads of companies that now do furniture paint that even sticks to laminate, such as Wilko and French Chic.

9. Re-paint radiators

If radiators are looking tired give them a lick of paint with any metal paint or radiator paint.

I’ve painted lots of mine. For radiators that need replacing, I’ve always bought mine on eBay for a fraction of the price.

10. Stick to a budget

Always have a budget and time contingency when doing a project.

I usually add 10% to what I have predicted and double the time I predict for unexpected jobs and costs.

  • DIY
  • Property

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