Sometimes when viewing a property it's easy to get caught up in the current owner's interior style, especially when it's not to your taste, but it's important to see past any gaudy finishes to the bones of the house.
In our Where I Live series, the ECHO will explore one house from across the region each week, with the owner giving us an insight into how they've made their house a home.
For actress Sarah - who played Bev McLoughlin in Brookside - and husband Tony Bains, it was love at first sight with their Liverpool home, "despite the chintz-tastic décor". She said: "I love period properties and adored the ceiling heights, the size of the rooms and the garden."
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Sarah's house has a rich history. It was built in the 1880s and was originally the stables and servants' quarters for the large Victorian villa next door. It was converted into a home in the 1930s.
Sarah said: "The house still has an original 1930s bathroom, and all the original fixtures and fittings, which I love."
They chose the location to start a family; the couple were living in Manchester at the time but Sarah was pregnant and wanted to be closer to home.
Although the couple have left some things alone, Sarah told the ECHO they've "done almost everything to the house" including putting on a new roof, as well as installing a new kitchen, shower room, en-suite, a "few" boilers, and carrying out "more re-plastering than you can imagine".
She now "mucks about with interiors" on Instagram "when she's not working".
Sarah added: "Pretty soon we are going to need a new kitchen, but I’m in denial and the moment and refusing to think about it. It’s just too big a job.
"My favourite spot in the house is always the part that’s been most recently decorated. This year it’s been the garden. My husband has made some wooden garden furniture and I love it."
Tony is a "keen" amateur joiner and even starred on Channel 4's Handmade - Britain's Best Woodworker. Sarah said: "I see stuff online we can’t afford, so I show him a photo and he makes it."
Sarah "loves" visiting modern and minimalist homes, but admitted she's "too much of a magpie" to live like that.
She added: "We have quite a lot of 'stuff' and our tastes are quite eclectic. I love a piece of furniture that looks like it’s already had some life and can tell a story.
"I’m not into things that look shiny and new. I’m really not into homeware that’s super fashionable, because that’s the stuff that dates really quickly. When I buy something I want to know that I’m going to use it for years and years and not get bored of looking at it."
Would you like to be included in the ECHO's Where I Live feature?
We'll be taking a look inside a different property each week. If you're splurging on a renovation, trying your hand at DIY to save money, or have a passion for interiors, let us know.
Please email your name and details to storm.newton@reachplc.com
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