A mum transformed her dated kitchen during lockdown for just £500 with a lick of paint and some recycled accessories - after being quoted £22,000 by builders.
Susie Levache, 47, used tiles, paint, worktop dye, new cupboard handles and a rug to turn her bland kitchen into a stylish space.
But the portrait photographer was initially shocked when she was told the makeover would cost an eye-watering £22,000.
Instead, Susie, of Kent, sought out bargain DIY supplies and rooted through her own attic and shed to find accessories that could be recycled.
The mum-of-two said today: "When I got the quote, let's just say I don't have a pokerface.
"The figure was a lot higher than I expected.
"I didn't have the confidence to have anything other than white walls and I thought I could make the house harder to sell but I had a change of heart because the house just didn't suit us and I finally found the courage to do something more bespoke as i could be living here for the next ten or 20 years.
"I got the confidence to do what I wanted and I love the feeling when I walk into the kitchen knowing it's my own project.
"You don't have to go out and spend a fortune.
"You can get things from your own home and use them differently."
Susie oiled and dyed the worktops at a cost of £36, painted the room a dark green costing £116, tiled the walls for £180, bought new cupboard handles for £80, put down a brand new rug which cost £50 and added glazed doors that has been removed from her utility room.
She said: "People are falling in love with their homes in lockdown and are wanting to make them nice on a budget.
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"The old kitchen was obviously a kitchen somebody else loved but it just wasn't to our taste.
"The cupboards were bleached and it just looked a bit tatty.
"I just wanted to put my stamp on it.
"For the accessories, I went shed and attic shopping so we just went through trying to find old stuff we could reuse and painted things to give them a new lease of life.
"We also just took things from other parts of the house that we'd stopped looking at because they'd been there so long.
"It's amazing how you will fall in love with something if you just move it and don't bin it."
Susie has decided to redecorate her whole house herself, one room at a time, sticking to her tight budget and is showing off her transformations on her Instagram page where she's offered tips on her budget renovations from people wanting to start their own DIY projects.
She said: "My husband loves having a rest at the weekend while I put my pencil behind my ear and get covered in wallpaper paste and I've been shocked at the response online, people are being lovely.
"Anyone can do it if I can, you've just got to be smart about your finances.
"if you get paint for one room, think about what you can do with the leftovers, think about if you could mix it with something else for another colour, could it be used in another room?
"Be conscious of costs.
"If you're scared to have a go, start just inside a cupboard until you're confident.
"Anyone can do it, there's nothing unique about what I've done.
"It does take time and effort if you want to do it properly."
