Some house renovations can be completed in just months, while others take a lot longer. This was the case for Hazel on the BBC programme Homes Under The Hammer, as a valleys renovation that was meant to take six months took five years when she ran out of money after a year of work.
First-time homeowner Hazel purchased the two-bedroom valleys house in Treherbert for £26,000. The house came riddled with problems, from damp to uneven flooring to having no inside bathroom or toilet.
The toilet was located outside, with no shower or bath, and the house was very dated. Hazel, whose day job is milking cows, brought the house to be the first home she had ever owned.
Unfortunately, there were many delays in the building work as the house needed a new roof, a new floor, and the toilet to be moved from the outside into the house. This caused Hazel to go over her £20,000 budget and expected build time of six months.
After a year of renovating Hazel had run out of money, due to the unexpected cost of fixing the roof, and was applying for a council grant to help her continue the renovations. Five years later, in 2022, the house was nearly complete, although Hazel was still saving up for a new kitchen.
Hazel had transformed the house from a very damp, dark, and dated house to a light, airy and modern home. Mouldy and damp rooms were replaced with cosy living spaces. The stairs have been changed and moved position. While they were once steep and a narrow, they are now much safer.
The outdoor toilet is gone and there is now a bathroom inside the house complete with modern white toilet and bath. And outside the property, the garden underwent a change and became a sunny paradise.
Including buying the house, Hazel spent £65,000 with the extra renovation work. A local estate agent valued the house in 2022 and said that she could sell it for £85,000 making her a £20,000 profit. Hazel was "chuffed" with the news and is looking forward to getting a new kitchen.
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