A couple has shared how they transformed their “ugly” and rat-infested house into a stunning family home – adding £310,000 to the property value in the process.

Kelly Underwood-Fone, 44, and husband Alex Fone, 53, from Windsor, Berkshire, bought their 1930s semi-detached property in July 2015 for £640,000.

The house required a full renovation and was an “ugly ducking” – which Kelly was determined to give some TLC and turn into the perfect abode for her, Alex and their three children, Amelia, 12, Luca, 10, and Ottilie, six.

“It was definitely an ugly house – it didn’t have any curb appeal, it was a painted over pebble dash monster with lots of PVC,” Kelly, who is co-founder and director of creative agency Brood, told Jam Press.

“We very nearly didn’t go in when it was for sale. The house had been rented out and so had only ever been renovated on a budget.

“It had cheap lino everywhere, artex on the ceilings, a leaky sky lantern and rats in the ceiling of the kitchen!

“The kitchen layout had been botched together from cheap units and made to fit.

“The first time we used the shower in the en-suite it leaked through to the floor below.

“Every time we touched anything it seemed to fall apart.”

Despite its shortcomings, Kelly felt the property had vision – with a good amount of space inside, a driveway, garage and a decent sized garden, as well as being close to the town centre.

She said: “We wanted a stylish, modern family home that we were proud to walk/drive up to.

“We craved a light, open-plan space that we could all be together in as a family and we also love to entertain so wanted a good space for that.

“We also wanted our loft space to be our retreat from the chaos and noise of family life below.”

They finally started the renovation process in May 2019, with Kelly acting both as project managed and interior designer.

They hired professionals to complete the bulk of the work – including a loft conversion which added a fifth bedroom, an en-suite and a walk-in wardrobe, removing supporting walls to create an open-plan kitchen-living space, adding a wall to create a separate lounge, and renovating the garage to include a downstairs shower room, utility and coat cupboard.

Kelly added: “We pretty much took out the whole of the back wall to have bi folds all the way across which meant a huge steel gatepost. I was also adamant that I did not want to see any beams so all of them had to be hidden.”

The family lived in the property while it underwent a complete overhaul.

A challenge arose early on in their renovations in the form of some uninvited visitors.

Kelly said: “We were replastering the ceiling in the kitchen and took out the spots around the skylight and discovered a rat nest. We couldn’t move forward until they were gone and the smell was rancid!”

The couple had originally hoped the works would take six months to complete, but financial constraints and lockdown led to delays – leaving the family to live without flooring or carpets for a period.

Kelly added: “Plaster fell on us every time we closed the front door and the garden looked like a war zone. We couldn’t open the bi folds as dust would blow all over the kitchen.”

Kelly focused on the finished look of the home, choosing neutral flooring throughout, incorporating a mixture of creams and greys for the walls, and adding luxe touches including elegant light fixtures.

She added: “My husband luckily trusts my vision but is not afraid to have an opinion. He pushes me to be more confident and bolder with my decision making, we are a good team.”

They ripped out the old kitchen and took down walls to create the open-plan space they had dreamed of – with the new room including a large marble island, a dining table and a snug nicknamed “cwtch corner”.

Meanwhile the five bedrooms were each given a neutral makeover – with the smallest room currently being used as a study.

The loft conversion was given a glass Juliette balcony, looking out over the garden and flooding the room with natural light.

To date, Kelly and Alex have spent approximately £120,000 on the renovations and redecorating and were finished with the renovations by September 2021.

The children are now set to add their own stamp on their rooms and will be redecorating in the future to suit their tastes.

Next on the agenda for the family, though, is to landscape the garden and give the family bathroom a refresh.

Thanks to their efforts, the property value has increased to £950,000.

Kelly added: “It has been quite a journey for us and I feel so proud that the house is a true reflection of us.

“It feels so hard when you are in the middle of it and it is so important to look back along the way and remember how far you have come – however long it has taken!”