A couple bought an “unlivable” flat in London and have already added 20,000 pounds ($25,000) to its value by transforming it into their dream home step by step—after learning DIY on YouTube.
Rochelle Taylor-Butcher, 29, and her partner, Angus Ord, 30, a data scientist, bought their one-bedroom flat in Kingston, South London, at the end of March 2023 for 260,000 pounds ($320,000). When they first moved in, the flat was in “disarray” with peeling wallpaper, mold on the walls, and a musty carpet.
DIY novices when they embarked on the project, the pair turned to YouTube to learn how to do their own plumbing, install their own kitchen, and sand their own floorboards. They have already saved nearly 9,000 pounds ($11,000) doing the work themselves instead of employing tradespeople and by using free and recycled materials wherever possible.
They are still in the process of doing it up but have already added 20,000 pounds to the value of the property.
“The whole flat had a lived-in, musty aroma. I think the carpet absorbed it. It was as if no air had been let in.
“I never thought I would own a property ... I grew up in South London and always lived in Housing Association property. My parents never owned a property, so it didn’t feel like part of life. It felt like a luxury to have that.
“I just feel overwhelming contentment and peace that we are settled, and this is our actual space. Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into the floorboards and the walls, we are now part of the flat.”
Ms. Taylor-Butcher said the kitchen had old 1970s cabinets and uneaten cornflakes behind the dishwasher.
“Nothing could be salvaged from it,” she said. “There were stains, rust, crumbling tiles.”
The couple have spent the last year renovating the property around their full-time jobs and at the weekends. They’ve watched hours of YouTube tutorials to learn how to do the plumbing, cutting in and tiling, and installing their IKEA kitchen doors and cabinets.
The house now looks unrecognizable with painted walls, new tiles, and an entirely transformed sitting room.
The IKEA kitchen they installed themselves only cost them 5,000 pounds ($6,000), which is nearly half the price of having it installed by a professional kitchen supplier. The couple was able to save money through many hacks, including getting help from family members to rewire the property.
“We paid for the materials at cost price, and all the labor was free of charge. So that really saved a massive dent,” Ms. Taylor-Butcher said. “We’ve tried to think of ways that we can achieve what we want but with cheating the process.”
“You don’t need to have incredible polished wood for your skirting board, it could just be a bit of MDF [fiberboard],“ Rochelle said. “Angus is the sort of person that loves to buy gadgets and stuff. He loves to research tools. But he’s very much like the epitome of, like, all the gear no idea. Sometimes I do have to intervene. We thought, ‘As long as we’ve got a kitchen and we can shower somewhere, we’ll be alright.'”
The couple saved 3,000 pounds ($3,700) on installing the kitchen including plumbing, 700 pounds ($870) by sanding the floors themselves, 3,000 pounds ($3,700) by asking a family member to do the electrical rewire, 300 pounds ($370) removing the old bathroom themselves, and 900 pounds ($1,100) decorating the kitchen and living room themselves.
The pair were able to move into the property in August last year and have transformed the flat into their dream home.
“Once we moved in, it was very much like, ‘OK, it all works now so this is fine,’” she said.
One of her suggestions for anyone starting out on their own housing renovation is to turn to YouTube and “take one thing at a time.”
“You could probably build a house just by watching YouTube,“ she said. ”There’s so much information out there you just have to look for it.”
