A couple have revealed the one mistake they deeply regret when renovating their home for £70,000.
Charlotte ‘Betty’ Hadley and her husband, Luke, were desperate to buy their own home – and weren’t afraid to get stuck into a little DIY.
When their dream home hit the market, they snapped it up for £543,500.
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But after getting the keys, they quickly realised the “extreme” amount of work they had cut out for themselves.
And with no prior skills, the couple, aged 38 and 37, turned to YouTube to find out how to turn their “90s horror” home into a Scandi haven.
While it eventually worked out, adding £106,000 to the value of their home, there are a few parts of the renovation they deeply regret – with a clip discussing this racking up 5.4m views and over 18,000 likes.
“I love our home, but I wish we didn’t rush into things and always go with the cheapest quote,” the assistant underwriter, from Kent, told Luxury Property News.
“My piece of advice – always research the reviews of tradespeople.
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“If you buy cheap, you buy twice, and that’s definitely proving to be the case for us.
“We’d also never go for black bathroom fittings again; it’s the worst mistake of our renovation.
“They have all become chipped and damaged.
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“I just don’t think they were made to last in our opinion.”
Charlotte and Luke self-taught themselves the skills to spruce up their five-bedroom detached home, such as plastering, installing the kitchen and laying down flooring.
They used Screwfix, Toolstation, B&Q and Amazon as their go-to places for replacing almost every aspect of their home – and for a fresh lick of paint.
And while it cost an estimated £70,000, and took one year to complete; there’s still so much more to do.
In the clip, she shows off their minimalist bathroom that cost £3,000 to transform.
The white tile walls contrast against the matte black fixtures, such as the sink and the shower.
It looks spotless, until she shows the chipped black hardware and the taps, which are scratched and scuffed beyond repair.
Charlotte estimates it’s going to cost another £500 to repair.
For now, though, they’re focusing on adding more character and personality to their humble abode before taking on any other renovations.
She hopes sharing her home transformation journey will help others not to make the same mistakes they did.
She added: “I’ve always admired home accounts and decided on a whim to start my own.
“I love giving advice on what to do – and certainly not what to do – for others.
“We’re not planning to move for at least another 10 years while our children grow up, but never say never.
“My advice? Try and do as much as you can’t yourself.
“There are so many tutorials out there and you might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of doing.
“Just make sure not to rush into anything.”
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