A family have shared how they transformed their “dated” home into a pink paradise for £50,000 – and added around £300,000 to the house price in the process.
Reka Thornton, 39, purchased a four-bedroom home in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, in 2014.
She did so with husband Dave, 43, and their children Lily, 10, and Aron, nine.
They bought the property for £412,500, and immediately knew they wanted to make some serious changes .
“The rooms were usable but very dated,” Reka, an interior designer, told news agency Jam Press.
“When we moved in, it became apparent that all rooms needed updating.
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“The bathrooms upstairs didn’t have a light switch, only a draw cord to pull, and all the units were over 30 years old.
“The kitchen looked lovely but we soon realised it was missing drawers and so we knew it needed changing.
“We thought the rest of the house was in good shape when we viewed it – but upon moving in, it turned out that the walls were dirty and had a lot of holes in them.”
The family set about on a seven-year mission to give the property a complete overhaul .
They didn’t change the décor for the first couple of years, focusing instead on updating practical items including the kitchen.
They decided to do one big renovation project each year, as well as smaller paint jobs and DIY projects throughout the remaining months.
Their larger renovations included converting the garage into an office area and fifth bedroom, transforming the kitchen, working on the family bathroom and giving the garden a full makeover.
They hired tradesmen for the big projects, but worked on smaller projects themselves – including the décor.
Reka said: “We kept it similar to the original for a couple of years because we thought it would be easier that way.
“But we soon realised that colour was needed, so we started injecting colour, step by step. The more colour we added, the more content we felt about our home.”
Reka loves colour - as shown by the family's pink lounge and blue statement wall.
The kitchen was given an equally jazzy overhaul, with quirky wallpaper featuring dogs posing next to vases and flowers.
Pink-loving Reka even gave the garden a splash of colour, with pastel pink paint and a handful of rainbow ornaments.
She said: “I’d class my style as colourful-eclectic mix. It is colourful in each room, but I like to tie it together with one colour to create a flow between rooms, and that colour is pink."
Reka and Dave didn’t shy away from getting stuck in either, focusing on wallpapering and painting the rooms.
Seven years on, they have spent an estimated £50,000 on renovations, and are almost completely finished – with their last project set to be a loft conversion.
Now, the property value has swelled to £700,000 with the old layout of four bedrooms – but Reka estimates it will now be between £730,000-£750,000 following the garage conversion.
She said: “I would encourage people to be daring, add a little colour to their home first, maybe in the form of décor, and see what it’s like. Don’t be afraid, even if you go wrong, you can always paint over it.
“I do like grey and I did once have a grey bedroom, but I realised that colour makes me happy. I wouldn’t go back for anything!”
