When Kim McFarlane, 31, bought an old, run-down 1890s Victorian maisonette in Glasgow for £90,000, she knew a lot of work lay ahead.
While the sale advisor had always loved Victorian-style homes and old buildings, Kim realised the house needed a proper renovation to make it her dream home.
Kim stripped back the entire home to bare brick, plastered and freshly painted the walls, pulled up all the carpets, and tackled each room to give it a modern revamp.
She added a shower and wet room to the bathroom and scrapped the old kitchen, turning the small space into a utility area and redoing the second living room as a larger kitchen space with a combined dining area.
‘I was extremely lucky as we did a private sale as I knew the seller so got it quite a bit under the home report which never happens in this street,’ said Kim.
‘I did all the dirty work like removing wallpaper, lifting carpets, removing the old kitchen etc.
‘Then I used tradesmen for the bigger jobs as I wanted the perfect finished.
‘Now that it’s done, I love to do a bit of DIY when I’m wanting to change it up a bit like what I’ve done in my spare bedroom recently.’
While Kim gave the home’s interiors and garden a modern update with glossy tiles and trendy features, she kept the original doors, skirting, and cornices to honour the home’s Victorian design.
She did a lot of the work herself, but brought in professionals too, bringing the entire renovation cost to around £22,000.
The project took just under a year.
Kim said: ‘I think the most challenging part was how much work had to be done.
‘I had to work out how much money it all cost because I took it right back to the brick and floorboards there wasn’t a habitable room in the house.
‘It was also very difficult to find reliable tradesmen.
‘It was a lot of stress and worry whilst juggling some personal problems but when the progress began it was the best feeling in the world.’
Kim wants to inspire other people to be brave and take on their own DIY projects, even if they feel daunting.
‘My advice would be to not be scared of a challenge,’ she added.
‘Always believe in your vision when others can’t see it.
‘Enjoy the journey even when you’re crying yourself to sleep with stress.
‘And take lots and lots of pictures it helps to look back to see how much progress you have made.
‘Also DIY and upcycle until your heart’s content – you will love an item way more than buying it from a store.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/26/woman-transforms-1890s-victorian-house-modern-dream-home-13179303/
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