THIS YOUNG COUPLE from Brighton added an enormous £250K to their £400K home featuring the clever use of tiles.

NHS project manager Ellie Rimmer (28) and construction company director James Lawrence (29) bought their two-bedroom, one bathroom bungalow in Brighton for £400,000 in 2021.

The couple has since then added £250K to the value of their house by simple but clever use of tiles.

They have spent under £120K transforming the two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

Among other things, the pair knocked down walls, built a downstairs extension, and even created a third bedroom with its own glamorous en-suite thanks to a clever loft conversion.

Ellie particularly enjoyed using tiles in the makeover of their home as she felt that tiles lent their home a 'luxury feel'.

They started the makeover of their home from their hallway where they used Farnham Manor tiles to create a dramatic entrance.

They wanted to give a nod to styles fashionable in Victorian England.

“We definitely wanted a traditional pattern for the hallway as we’ve tried to add a lot of traditional features into the house,” said Ellie.

“The colours of the hallway tiles tie in with the rest of the house perfectly so we knew they were the ones as soon as we saw them.

“We get so many nice comments from people as soon as they come into the house, I really think it makes an impact on the entrance area.”

In the downstairs bathroom, they used the delicate Supernova Decor Rose tiles to create harmony and warmth in welcoming tones.

For an extra polished look, Ellie colour matched reusable bottles for body wash. 

While for the living room, they used new Victorian Black and White Checkered tiles to give their neglected cast iron fireplace a new lease of life and transform it into a deserving focal point.

“We also wanted traditional for the living room hearth so we kept it simple with a black and white chequerboard,” said Ellie.

"We also added detailed coving and panelling on the walls to enhance the character and make the room feel inviting.

"We also did a complete overhaul of the kitchen and gave it a new open-plan layout, gorgeous chartreuse green cabinets, and added some stark white Manacor wall tiles.

“We mixed the shapes and textures of different tiles in the same room to give both bathrooms a luxury feel."

The stunning makeover of their home was not just a smooth road all along but the couple insists that all was worth it, especially with an extra bedroom added to their home.

“We had trouble with our kitchen floor not being level but what we’ve learnt is everything is fixable, annoying and sometimes expensive, but solvable,” she said.

"But upstairs, we added a whole new ensuite bathroom.

"We also converted the loft and added a third bedroom to the bungalow.

"It was definitely scary when everything was being ripped apart and knocked down and there were so many times where we wondered what on earth we’d got ourselves into.

"But when it gets to the putting it back together again stage it’s so exciting.

"Our advice for anyone thinking of tackling a project house themselves is simple, 'trust the process'."
She added: "Our family and friends love it, we always get comments about what a good job we’ve done. It’s so nice to be able to finally have them round to share the space with, that’s what it was all about."

PRICE BREAKDOWN:

Scaffolding - £3,000
Garden and fencing - £5,185
Exterior cladding - £1,320
Soffits and fascias - £2,000
Rendering - £4,500
New kitchen - £13,000
Bathroom fittings and tiles - £3,344
Carpentry - £4,520
Floor fitting - £1,600
Hallway tiles - £600
Coving - £200
Drawings and planning - £1,816
Loft conversion - £37,781
Windows and bifolding doors - £15,000
Insulating, boarding, and plastering - £10,000
Plumbing, boilers, and radiators - £7,170
Electrics - £6,000