Home transformations are often exciting but extortionately expensive with costs often mounting up and exceeding initial budgets.
While many have grand plans for their home renovations when it comes to actually buy the materials and furnishings, the prices can sometimes be eye-wateringly steep.
However, one savvy mum has managed to give her kitchen a dazzling makeover for a bargainous price of just £120, saving herself a staggering £10,000.
Lauren Cundy, 35, a mum of four and administrator from Derbyshire, has revealed how she managed to re-do the room on a budget.
She told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK : "My husband Scott and I tend to do things on a whim. I'm forever creating boards on Pinterest with ideas on how I'd like our home to look.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here.
"After finally buying our home after renting it for six years, we could finally put our mark on it.
"We actually came up with the idea after we painted our front door and were so pleased with the results so we thought 'why not do the kitchen?'. It needed a bit of a revamp anyway."
The DIY -loving pair used a variety of methods to create the kitchen of their dreams, including painting the tiles and cupboards, creating shelving and creating a chic worktop surface.
She continued: "We used the Frenchic Al Fresco paint which requires very little prep work, just sugar soap and a light sand.
"We used a heat gun to strip the vinyl from the top cupboards but we weren't 100% happy with the result, so after speaking with a Frenchic supplier, he said we would be able to paint straight onto the vinyl.
“So that's what we did with the bottom cupboards, and the feel and overall end result were much nicer. We used a Frenchic brush to apply the paint. With this paint, I'd recommend you wait two hours between coats.
"Even though it dries really quickly, try not to be tempted to do another coat before two hours as it's a self-leveling paint and it needs that time. We used one 750ml tin to do the whole kitchen."
With her kitchen already having tiled walls, the mum-of-four merely painted over the tiles to tie the look together, rather than splashing out on stripping them and forking out for a new set.
She reveals she used Wilko tile paint, which you can buy from as little as £18 for one pot.
However, Cundy admits this was the "worst job" and explains that the paint was thick, meaning it needs light layers and a long wait between coats to ensure it's fully dry.
Moving on to the hardware on the furnishings and the savvy DIY pro shared that she saved £60 on new door handles by using Rust-Oleum Gold Elegant Metallic Spray Paint on her existing ones.
She adds: "We also kept the original worktop to save on cost. We sanded these down and did around three coats of Danish oil.
“We actually found the shelves in our garage holding up wood we store for the winter to fuel our log burner. We sanded them down and oiled them with the leftover Danish oil from the worktops. This saved us around £30.
"Instead of changing the radiator we spray painted it with Rust-Oleum Stove & BBQ Paint."
The couple saved a significant amount by already having all the working kitchen appliances, too, and have said they'll tackle transforming the flooring at a later date.
For anyone thinking of doing the same to their kitchen, Cundy states: "Just do it! Life's too short. If your kitchen is in working order but just needs its sparkle back then this is a perfect alternative, and really cost-effective.
"I’d also say to trust the process. That first coat on the cupboards really makes you think 'what have we done’! We spent approximately £120 on the whole renovation.
“We are so pleased with how it turned out, and our friends, family and landlord think it looks amazing. We’ve saved thousands: a new kitchen would be in the region of £10,000, so we’re super happy with the savings we’ve made."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Wow, it’s hard to believe this epic transformation cost Lauren and Scott just £120.
“It just shows that if you’re willing to work hard and pick the right materials, you really can save thousands on a kitchen renovation!”
