A DIY-loving couple have transformed their tired-looking home – doing almost everything themselves and adding £50,000 to the property value in the process.

Imogen Hewitt, 28, who works as a marketing manager, and her partner, Tom, 30, a planning officer for a local council, wanted to live in a rural village for peace and quiet, but couldn’t afford the high prices of the properties.

Instead, they decided to purchase an old, run-down property with plans to renovate the place to suit their tastes.

In August 2018, the couple purchased a three-bedroom home in a small village in Cheshire for £205,000.

They weren’t a fan of the layout of the house and the style – but were prepared to get to work and jazz up the space.

The couple were both working full-time but managed to complete their renovations on weekday evenings and the weekends, giving the home a complete overhaul.

“We knew the village that we wanted to live in but unfortunately the house prices were out of budget for the type of house we wanted,” Imogen told Jam Press.

“We managed to find a house that had been on the market for a while and had been reduced in price.

“The style needed updating and the layout didn’t work for us but we were prepared to do the work and already had some money saved to do so.

“We wanted our downstairs kitchen and dining layout to work in more of a social space when hosting people as we’re both big foodies and like hosting for friends and family.”

Imogen and Tom painted all the bedrooms, added newly fitted carpets and replaced all the upstairs windows, costing them £890 in total.

For the main bedroom, they plastered the ceiling, added new windows, carpet and paint, spending £1,640 on the room.

The couple decided to knock the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open-plan living space, adding £12,000 to their bill.

They also added some bi-fold doors and Velux windows to let in as much light as possible, setting them back £1,750.

Imogen and Tom also added new kitchen fittings, costing £4,500 and brand-new appliances, costing £967.

The final details included new kitchen tiles and a backsplash to finalise the modern and clean look, at a cost of £428.

For the living room, they added a new lick of paint, a new window and had a new laminate floor fitted, costing £2,940 in total – including a gorgeous fireplace and a log burner, which cost £1,200.

For the spare bedroom, Tom and Imogen added a new coat of paint and skirting, as well as laminate flooring and a new window – setting them back £1,340.

They also added some panelling to the room, adding an additional £30 to costs.

The couple spruced up their office with a new coat of paint, fresh skirting, more laminate flooring and another new window, spending £770 on the space.

For the bathroom, they installed new fittings costing £675, a new coat of paint and added bathroom tiles costing them £200. Alongside paint and additional materials, they spent £1,305 on the space.

The couple also revamped their hallway, replastering their ceiling for £350, adding a new carpet for £250 and painted the walls and bannisters which cost a further £50.

For the front of the house, Imogen and Tom added a new front door costing £800 and a new cladding to the front of the house, costing £1,000.

They ended up rewiring the entire house which was done by a family friend, costing £1,500.

Other costs came from building materials and different items added to the rooms, with the entire renovation costing the couple £34,135 – and the couple couldn't be more pleased with the final result.

Better still, the estimated market value of their home has increased by £50,000.

Imogen said: “It was very stressful in the beginning – especially when you start knocking walls down and uncovering more problems that you didn't know about, and that will inevitably result in more money being thrown at it.

"But when it finally starts to come together just how you envisioned, that's the most rewarding part.”

In a few words of advice to others who wish to renovate their home, Imogen urged other renovators not to play it safe.

She added: “We were undecided about whether we should go for the dark navy kitchen of our dreams or play it safe with a neutral kitchen that might make the house easier to sell on afterwards.

"But in the end, we decided on the navy kitchen and haven’t looked back, and we still get so many compliments about it.

"I think you just have to go with your gut and trust that it will all come together in the end – and if not, you can always paint."