Savvy couple spend £10,000 giving home modern makeover – and increase property value by £80,000

A couple have completely transformed their home by giving it a £10,000 modern makeover with no professional help – and it’s now worth £80,000 more.

Kelly Powney, 29, and husband Nathan, 34, from Herefordshire, first purchased their house in July 2015 for £170,000.

The house had dated furnishings and was in desperate need of an update – a challenge the Powney’s were more than up for.

The property features three double bedrooms, one bathroom, one downstairs toilet, a living room and an open plan kitchen-diner.

Kelly Powney, 29, and husband Nathan, 34, from Herefordshire, have completely transformed their home by giving it a £10,000 modern makeover with no professional help – and it’s now worth £80,000 more. Pictured, the kitchen after the transformation

The couple first purchased their house in July 2015 for £170,000. Pictured, the kitchen before the renovation work

The couple first purchased their house in July 2015 for £170,000. Pictured, the kitchen before the renovation work

Kelly bought a range cooker from Facebook Marketplace for £150 and a sink from eBay for £40. Pictured, the kitchen during the renovation

Kelly bought a range cooker from Facebook Marketplace for £150 and a sink from eBay for £40. Pictured, the kitchen during the renovation

The house had dated furnishings and was in desperate need of an update ¿ a challenge the Powney's were more than up for. Pictured, the living room before

The house had dated furnishings and was in desperate need of an update – a challenge the Powney’s were more than up for. Pictured, the living room before

The Powney's removed the dark grey wallpaper and wooden floor in favour of brighter tones and added a stunning log burner fireplace to make the room as cosy as possible. Pictured, after the transformation

The Powney’s removed the dark grey wallpaper and wooden floor in favour of brighter tones and added a stunning log burner fireplace to make the room as cosy as possible. Pictured, after the transformation

The couple have spent £10,000 on renovations over the last five years, half of which was spent on a costly bathroom makeover. Pictured, the bathroom before

The couple have spent £10,000 on renovations over the last five years, half of which was spent on a costly bathroom makeover. Pictured, the bathroom before

Nathan, a graphic designer, and Kelly, an administrator, kept costs low by doing all the work themselves, with no professional support from builders or plumbers. Pictured, the bathroom after

Nathan, a graphic designer, and Kelly, an administrator, kept costs low by doing all the work themselves, with no professional support from builders or plumbers. Pictured, the bathroom after

The couple have spent £10,000 on renovations over the last five years, half of which was spent on a costly bathroom makeover.

Nathan, a graphic designer, and Kelly, an administrator, kept costs low by doing all the work themselves, with no professional support from builders or plumbers.

They also scoured the web for second-hand and upcycling goods where possible.

As an example, they gave the kitchen a refresh by changing the layout – removing a breakfast bar to leave space for an open plan kitchen-diner – painting the kitchen cupboards with a £25 can of paint, and using leftover countertops that they got for free from Nathan’s parents.

The garden had a glow-up of its own, with a 'horrible' path ripped out. Pictured, during the transformation

The garden had a glow-up of its own, with a ‘horrible’ path ripped out. Pictured, during the transformation

The savvy couple also decided to extend the patio area in their garden. Pictured, during the renovation

The savvy couple also decided to extend the patio area in their garden. Pictured, during the renovation

The couple also put grass down along with a decking area which now features a hot tub. Pictured, after

The couple also put grass down along with a decking area which now features a hot tub. Pictured, after

The couple gave the kitchen (pictured, before) a refresh by changing the layout ¿ removing a breakfast bar to leave space for an open plan kitchen-diner

The couple gave the kitchen (pictured, before) a refresh by changing the layout – removing a breakfast bar to leave space for an open plan kitchen-diner

They painted the kitchen cupboards with a £25 can of paint, and used leftover countertops that they got for free from Nathan's parents. Pictured, the kitchen after the transformation

They painted the kitchen cupboards with a £25 can of paint, and used leftover countertops that they got for free from Nathan’s parents. Pictured, the kitchen after the transformation

Kelly estimates the couple saved around £4,000 by not investing in a completely new kitchen. Pictured, after the renovation

Kelly estimates the couple saved around £4,000 by not investing in a completely new kitchen. Pictured, after the renovation

Kelly also bought a range cooker from Facebook Marketplace for £150 and a sink from eBay for £40.

She estimates the couple saved around £4,000 by not investing in a completely new kitchen.

Some rooms required extensive renovation, while the rest of the house needed a lick of paint and a drastic change in décor.

Luckily, the bedrooms were in decent shape and didn’t require much work, barring fresh carpets and paint.

The bathroom was the biggest expense, undergoing a complete transformation from plain white interior with black and grey tiles, to having brick slips fitted and a large, freestanding tub.

The lounge is similarly unrecognisable, with the Powney’s removing the dark grey wallpaper and wooden floor in favour of brighter tones and adding a stunning log burner fireplace to make the room as cosy as possible.

The bedrooms were in decent shape and didn't require much work, barring fresh carpets and paint. Pictured, before the transformation

The bedrooms were in decent shape and didn’t require much work, barring fresh carpets and paint. Pictured, before the transformation

As a result of the couple's efforts, when they had the house revalued recently, they were told it is now worth £80,000 more than they originally paid for it. Pictured, the bedroom after

As a result of the couple’s efforts, when they had the house revalued recently, they were told it is now worth £80,000 more than they originally paid for it. Pictured, the bedroom after

The bathroom was the biggest expense, undergoing a complete transformation from plain white interior with black and grey tiles, to having brick slips fitted and a large, freestanding tub. Pictured, during the renovation

The bathroom was the biggest expense, undergoing a complete transformation from plain white interior with black and grey tiles, to having brick slips fitted and a large, freestanding tub. Pictured, during the renovation

The couple also scoured the web for second-hand and upcycling goods where possible. Pictured, the bathroom after

The couple also scoured the web for second-hand and upcycling goods where possible. Pictured, the bathroom after

The garden has had a glow-up of its own, with a ‘horrible’ path ripped out and the patio area extended, as well as grass put down and a decking area erected for a hot tub.

As a result of the couple’s efforts, when they had the house revalued recently, they were told it is now worth £80,000 more than they originally paid for it.

‘Every room has been completely changed since we moved in,’ Kelly explained. ‘I love the house now and am really happy with it – it turned out better than we could ever have imagined.

‘We’ve finally settled on a style we both love. We managed to keep the costs down with the kitchen, which would have probably cost around £4,000. 

The property features three double bedrooms, one bathroom, one downstairs toilet, a living room and an open plan kitchen-diner. Pictured, the dining room before

The property features three double bedrooms, one bathroom, one downstairs toilet, a living room and an open plan kitchen-diner. Pictured, the dining room before

The couple completely transformed their home by giving it a £10,000 modern makeover with no professional help. Pictured, the dining room after

The couple completely transformed their home by giving it a £10,000 modern makeover with no professional help. Pictured, the dining room after

After all of their hard work, the stunning home is now worth £250,000 ¿ but Kelly says she will never be completely finished. Pictured, the dining room after

After all of their hard work, the stunning home is now worth £250,000 – but Kelly says she will never be completely finished. Pictured, the dining room after

Kelly was also able to save money by upcycling furniture, such as a set of three tables she bought second-hand for £5 online (pictured)

Kelly was also able to save money by upcycling furniture, such as a set of three tables she bought second-hand for £5 online (pictured)

‘We had a horrible breakfast bar that cut the kitchen and dining room in half, so we pushed this back to go on the wall, which opened up the space.

‘I then upcycled all the wood cupboards by painting them in Valspar Goose Feathers, which brightened up the kitchen.

‘We also replaced the old oven with a range cooker I found on Facebook marketplace, which worked fine and just needed a lot of cleaning.’

Kelly was also able to save money by upcycling furniture, such as a set of three tables she bought second-hand for £5 online.

She cleaned them up and painted the legs of the tables white to suit her décor, and the tables now have a new lease of life.

After all of their hard work, the stunning home is now worth £250,000 – but Kelly says she will never be completely finished.

She added: ‘The house is forever changing and will forever be growing.’