There are several factors to consider when buying a home, from price and potential value to the size and location. But just like in relationships, most homeowners say that when it comes to choosing the right property, 'when you know, you know'.
This was the case for Emily Hesketh, 31, and her fiancé Stacy Dyer, 41, who fell head over heels for a lakeside farmhouse in Cheshire which was not only out of their budget and out of the area that they initially wanted, but it was in a derelict state and needed a whole lot of work doing to it.
Emily, originally from Lancaster, and Stacy, from Dorset, met whilst they were both working in the US back in 2018. The couple bought their first property together in America before deciding it was time to move back home to the UK. The pair initially had their hearts set around Altrincham, Hale and Hale Barns in Greater Manchester but found that they were being priced out of the area.
Emily, who works in sustainability, told the Manchester Evening News: "We moved back to the UK around the time that Covid first hit. When we came back from the US we bought a house to renovate and flipped it, and then after that we started looking for our forever home.
"We wanted something that out in the country that was old and had a lot of character to it. We also wanted something that we could make our own as well and put our own mark on it.
"We originally liked the areas of Altrincham, Hale and Hale Barns but the market was very strong and competitive. We were looking for a while around six months, but everything that we kept getting outbid on anywhere we wanted."
Due to the market being so competitive, the couple decided to look further afield and eventually found a house near Knutsford in Cheshire, which they loved. Stacy, an engineering consultant, said: "Our search area gradually got a bit further out and we realised that for what we could afford, we would probably have to do another renovation.
"We found this house just south of Knutsford which was further out than we wanted but it had great potential. We did a drive by it and it was a pretty good location with access to the M6 and railways, and it sat right next to a lake which was super beautiful. It also came with planning permission for two extensions so it was pretty much ready to go in terms of being able to put our own mark on it.”
Stacy added: "It initially came on the market for £750,000 but we decided that was too high. Around two months later we noticed it had come back on the market and had been reduced to £595,000. That felt about the right price for the house considering the amount of work that needed to be done on it."
The couple bought the four-bedroom lakeside farmhouse in July 2021 and soon realised they had a lot of work on their hands. "It was one of those houses where the photos made it look livable, but when you actually came into the property it clearly wasn’t," Emily said.
"It was a much bigger project than the listing made it look. The bathrooms had pink and blue suites with a real kind of 70s vibe. It was all just super old, derelict and a little bit neglected."
The house, which was built in the 1800s, has a rich history, having previously had several different uses. Stacy explained: “The main structure of the building is a very old farmhouse. Our neighbour used to own it, he bought it back in the 70s and did the work that he needed to do to make it modern back then.
"Since then it’s been a B&B and where our offices now are that used to be a local shop, so it has been used in various ways over the years."
After getting the keys the couple soon began working to transform the old character property into their dream home.
“We pretty much started working on it straight away. We bought it in July and we started building in August. It was a proper Grand Designs renovation so we moved out whilst all the building work was being done," Stacy said. "It was a full gutting and renovating job. We did two extensions, a total rewire, replaster, a new roof, new kitchen, new flooring, new carpets. Basically we just completely took the whole house back to basics and started again."
The couple enlisted the help of a builder for the big jobs such as the new roof and extension, but after running into some complications, they ended up doing a huge bulk of the work themselves. “The builder did the roof, the two extensions and the main structures and then when it came to doing the interior we did a lot of that ourselves," Stacy said.
"We fitted a lot of the flooring, the bathrooms and did all the tiling and decorating and we did all the fencing outside. The biggest job we did was building the double garage, that was a very big job that we did ourselves. Laying the parquet flooring was also a big job because we did about 80 square metres."
The two extensions allowed the couple to turn their four-bed property into a five-bed and add in a new spacious open plan living area.
“It was a four bed when we bought it but we've put an extra bedroom on it and made it into a five bed," Emily explained. "Downstairs the idea was that we wanted an open plan living area with a big kitchen and a separate utility room and bathroom. We also wanted an office each because we both work from home a fair amount.
"Another big one for us was the master suite. We wanted a hotel feel to it with an open plan bedroom, ensuite and walk in wardrobe. I think it's turned out really well."
The couple's aim was to keep the original character of the property whilst adding a modern twist.
"The house has a lot of character to it and one of the challenges was trying to keep that character whilst we were extending and renovating," Stacy said. "During the renovation we used the purlins in the original roof, we were able to cut them up and use them across the house. We also incorporated the original beams and doors."
Emily, who decorated and styled the entire house from top to bottom herself, added: "We both have similar interior tastes and we wanted traditional style decor but with a bit of a modern twist on it.
"Stacy's into his tech so we integrated a lot of technology into the house. Everything basically runs off Alexa, we have security cameras and we have the Ring doorbells. It was important to us that the house is quite technology advanced which was a challenge in an old building."
The extensions and renovation took a full year to complete, with the couple's home finally ready in August 2022.
Stacy said: “When you walk into the property now you walk into the new extension which is the kitchen living area. That's probably the wow factor of the house because it’s all open plan with a farmhouse style shaker kitchen. We've got a dining area in the middle which leads into a living area.
"Then you go into the main hallway which is a black and white chequered Victorian style, then we have the utility room and the downstairs toilet which we've tried to keep nice and traditional. Then that leads to what we have as the drawing room which has panelling, chesterfield sofas, an open wood burner, and then that leads onto our two offices.
"As you go upstairs to the first floor you turn right straight into our master bedroom. That’s all open plan so it has our bedroom which is fairly good size, then we have a half wall which then goes into the walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.
"Then if you come out of there, you've got the further two guest bedrooms, one we call the green room and one we call the pink room. They’ve both got king size beds in them as they’re all fairly sizable rooms. Then on this floor we've got the main bathroom with slate grey tile with a big roll top bath. Then up on second first floor in the converted loft space are the two extra bedrooms."
One of the most attractive features of the couple's home is the location, with the house sitting right next to a lake. "I love the location, I love the fact that it’s on the lake. In the winter, summer, spring and autumn you can walk around the lake and I personally just love that," Stacy said.
Emily added: “We designed everything in the house with the view over the lake in mind, even down to the locations of the windows and bifold doors. It was all positioned so that everything you see directs onto the lake."
The couple revealed that due to the extent of the project and problems along the way, they ended up going over their initial budget.
“We set a budget but we didn’t stick to it," Stacy said. "One of the biggest components to us not being able to stick to it was that we never thought we were going to have to have the roof completely replaced. That was a significant additional piece of work. We also added things along the way like vaulted ceilings in our bedroom and a few other little bits and pieces."
Emily added: “We also had to make some compromises on some things where we didn't have the budget anymore. We originally wanted some exposed beams in the main living area and some storage but we decided against them as they weren’t critical to us."
Stacy said that at Christmas, the couple finally felt a relief that year-long project was complete. The pair now plan to get married at their home next year.
"It was only around Christmas when we had a lot of friends and family over that I stood and thought yeah this is exactly why we wanted this house," he said. “This is our forever home and we're also planning to get married here in June 2024. We’re going to have a wedding next to the lake."
Giving advice to other homeowners taking on a huge renovation project like theirs, Stacy advised: "I'd say don't be afraid, it's just bricks and mortar and you'll always be able to get yourself out if you are fairly sensible and problematic. I guess things always go wrong, but have that mentality where you always have a plan in place. Always have a plan A, B and C.
"Also do proper due diligence on your builder and any tradesman. We’ve had a plethora of them in, some of them have been really good but some have been really bad. The ones that are recommended from word of mouth are generally the best you can get."
When choosing the right house and location, Stacy advised: "Our main worry was that we would be too far from the amenities but we took a punt and it all worked out well. So don’t be afraid to go outside of where you want to be. Emily added: “Ultimately, don't think too much with your head. When you walk into the right place, you’ll just know.”
You can see more of Emily and Stacy's home renovation on their Instagram account @the_lake_house_reno.
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