A couple has transformed an abandoned office building into a stunning family home – increasing the property value by £142,000.

Holly Grocott, 33, and partner Mike, also 33, purchased their Cheshire home in March 2020 for £245,000.

The property had previously been used as a site office for a nearby housing development, but had been sitting empty for 18 months prior to the family moving in.

The house came with three double bedrooms, one main bathroom, a downstairs cloak room, lounge and kitchen-diner, and was built in 1930.

Having been empty for so long, the property “wasn’t in a good condition”, with an overgrown garden and no flooring throughout.

The couple, who are parents to Ellis, three, and nine-month-old Emmeline, set to work on a full renovation to create a long-term family home.

To keep costs to a minimum, they completed the majority of the work themselves – with Mike, an electrician, working 12 hours a day throughout the first lockdown re-wiring and re-plumbing the entire house.

Meanwhile, Holly focused on budgeting, interior design, ordering materials and painting the house.

They worked together to fit the kitchen and utility room themselves – while Holly was eight-months pregnant with Emmeline at the time.

They lived with family until the house was up to liveable standard, and then moved in to continue decorating together.

“The hardest part was being pregnant whilst also having a two-year-old during a renovation in a winter pandemic,” Holly, a social media creative, told Jam Press.

“We moved in once the upstairs was liveable and we had at least one working bathroom, however we had no kitchen for another six months after moving in and the downstairs still needed to be renovated.

“It was really hard in January 2021 in particular as we had an external door opening made which made the house freezing cold whilst being done – by this point I was five months pregnant and with a toddler.

“I was washing up in the bath and cooking every meal in a microwave in the living room as we had no kitchen.

“As it was lockdown, we had nowhere else to go and couldn’t get any help from family.

“It really was a labour of love and we put our blood, sweat and tears into it – not to mention all our money.”

With fresh flooring, new décor and furnishings throughout – as well as a new custom kitchen – the house is completely unrecognisable.

They tried to keep as many original features intact as possible, including the living room fireplace, the original stained glass front door, hallway floor tiles, stair bannisters, bay windows, internal doors, skirting boards and picture rails.

In total, the couple spent £45,000 on the renovations, which took 18 months from start to finish, and thanks to their efforts the property value has now increased to £387,000.

Holly said: “A favourite room of mine is the first we completed – the main bathroom. I love how the floor and wall tiles have worked so well with the marble and wood detail of the antique washstand, along with the antique brass hardware.

“I think this room epitomises the look we wanted to achieve throughout.

“We’re so happy with the finished look [of the house] as it’s exactly what we envisioned – a mix of traditional design with modern elements.”