A Belfast woman who has completed five major home renovations along with some smaller projects has told all on her most recent transformations.
Nuala Campbell recently moved to Killinchy, Co Down for "a peaceful country life" and has shared a look inside three of her most recent completed property makeovers which are currently Airbnbs.
The professional hair and makeup designer told Be : "My new property renovation life only really kicked off during the pandemic when my ‘regular business', like millions of others, had to stop trading for many months. Since then, I’ve done five major renovations and lots of smaller re-styles."
Read more: PropertyPal's most viewed Belfast homes in June
Nuala's most recent property purchase (No20) was bought in November 2020 which is a four-bedroom Edwardian Townhouse just off the Ormeau Road. Her two other most recent projects are a home next door to this one (No18) , along with the first house she ever bought (No8) which is now also completed.
She said: "What I loved about my most recent purchase was that it was right next door to my previous purchase and I guess I thought I knew what I was in for with it... Boy was I wrong!
"If you are to look at the two renovations I’ve done in that street, No18 and No20, you would swear they were done by two different people. No18 was my first big reno, I thought that you had to decorate for the mass market, you know, all fresh and Scandi-style and don’t get me wrong, people loved it. The before and after from that house are amazing. But was it me? Nope.
"No20 I decorated for me, I didn’t hold back on the colours or design of that house. The funny thing is that No20 ended up needing as much as a renovation as No18.
"I didn’t have the amount of money for the decorating as I had planned. Nearly my entire budget went on essential upgrades, so most of the items which could be second hand and refurbished were. As opposed to No18 when everything was brand new. You’d think in that case that No20 wouldn’t have been as amazing to look at, but it turned out the opposite.
"It has a way more luxurious feel to it than No18 when everything was new. It was after doing No. 20 that I’ve decided that when I’m decorating my own places, I’m not going to listen to what people tell me and I’ll always go with what my gut instinct is for that place - as that’s what really makes a place special."
Nuala now also does some commercial re-styles and says the more projects she does, the less creative direction people give her as they want her to just 'do her thing'.
Here is all about the former Belfast woman's three most recent home renovations along with some great top tips!
Why did you decide to renovate them and what have they entailed?
My last two purchases were bought knowing that they were going to need renovated. Well No18, I knew I would have to take the entire house back to brick so I had budgeted for that. The second one, No 20, I paid more for because I thought that I was just going to have to do a ‘soft reno’ on it. I didn’t think there would have been anything major, but it ended up having to go back to brick too.
When did you start and finish your three most recent homes?
I finished renovating my last project in March of this year. My latest reno was actually the first house I ever bought and we didn’t do a huge amount of work to it until we were moving out of it. I guess moving out of it gave us the ability to do more as we weren’t having to live in the mess of it all during the work.
What work did you do yourself?
I’ve always loved DIY, so I’m definitely not afraid to get my hands dirty. I do a lot of it myself, but obviously hire people I trust for the heavy stuff that I can’t do myself. In No 20, because my budget was eaten up by things that I didn’t foresee, I had to do a lot of that myself. When I stood back and looked at exactly what needed to be done, it was extremely daunting. At this stage my ‘regular business’ was up and running again too, so I think the hardest part was actually finding the time and energy to manage both. I had to make lists about lists, on lists, to keep my head right.
What are your favourite rooms and why?
This is the million dollar question. In No 20, I love the living room, the bathroom and the hallway the most, I think. They are the most like my own style, I guess.
What have the hardest parts been and why?
It’s always going to come down to money and time. If I had an endless budget and time, I’d be in my absolute element every single reno. But there are always things which crop up. I don’t know if drama follows me, but each reno I’ve done always seems to have these major dramatic discoveries to keep me on my toes. Also, because this isn’t my main job, I still need to generate money to fund the renovations, so working so many hours is tough. Especially as I suffer quite badly with my health and if I push myself too far any day, it could knock me back a week for the need to rest and recover...
I’ve had to learn not to do things which I’ve always done, like lifting heavy things. I wouldn’t have thought twice about trailing a bed up the stairs or lifting heavy cabinets before. Now, I have learned to stop and ask for help, so my husband is a great help in the projects as he is my muscle. I have the organisation and creative brain and he is great at all the heavy handling. We’re a good team!
What are your tips for others thinking of doing a renovation?
Firstly, plan, plan and plan some more. This is the only way I get through projects. I have a very analytical brain which works perfectly for project management. I love organising and managing different tasks and seeing them through.
Have a much bigger budget than you think you are going to need. Like double it! Seriously! You are ALWAYS going to spend more than you think and sure, wouldn’t it be better to come out the other side of a reno with surplus cash in your pocket than being in a shed load of debt after it?
Lastly, if this is your own place you’re renovating, don’t be afraid to just go for it in terms of style and interiors. You will be much happier living in the space when it's an extension of yourself.
What are your favourite places to shop for interiors?
Ooh now we are talking! In No. 18 when I bought everything new, a lot of it was from Wayfair. In my other renos, I had to be a bit more selective of where I could buy so I lived on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Amazon and was even donated furniture by friends so I could upcycle it.
Do you have any money saving tips for those transforming a property?
People are so worried when it comes to doing the DIY work themselves, but honestly, YouTube is incredible for learning how to do things. Doing things for yourself will save you a fortune. I watched a few YouTube videos about tiling and then tiled my own kitchen. Yes, I was anxious about it at the start, but I mean what was the worst that was going to happen?
I wasn’t going to cost myself a fortune if I couldn’t get the knack of it, I would have just ended up having to hire a tiler, but if I got it right, I saved myself a lot of money. I also designed, built and fitted my own kitchen after watching YouTube videos. That saved me about £5k! So never be afraid to try things out for yourself first.
Had you done anything like this before?
Never! I did my first big reno in the winter of 2019, so I’m still very much a baby when it comes to this sort of thing, but boy, oh boy do you learn fast! Trial and error is a great way to learn. Each project I do now gets easier as I feel like I’m taking all those previous lessons with me into the next.
It’s all worth it too. I’ve never got to the end of a project and thought, 'I wish I never did that'. The feeling when a job is completed is such a relief. The feeling of job satisfaction I get when it is completed and I can sit down in it and think ‘I did this’ is like nothing else. I always get so emotionally attached to my projects too, so I end up wanting to live in them all. I get so jealous when other people get to live in them!
You can find Nuala on Instagram living her creative life at @Oh.for.the.love.of.furniture or through her website.
READ NEXT:
- Airbnb with hot tub and sauna opens up in Co Tyrone business park
- See inside Co Tyrone home interior blogger's elegant self-build home
- Six-bedroom home in Co Derry goes on the market close to £1m
- High profile Belfast property on the market for £13.3 million
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
