LIKE many people, Bethany Hudson dreamed of having a new kitchen when she bought her first home.
However, forking out £10,000 wasn’t in her budget, so she decided to turn to Facebook Marketplace and found an entire suite on there for £350.
The savvy homeowner showed how she was shocked to find a good-as-new kitchen set listed, which included cupboards, fridge, freezer, countertops and a dishwasher.
Speaking to Fabulous, Bethany shared: “When we first got the keys we thought all it would need is a fresh coat of paint and we could renovate it gradually over time.
“But then upon further inspection we realised the house had thick black mould in every room. Especially the kitchen.
“So we had to rip the whole thing out and start again. It definitely wasn’t in our budget!
More on transformations
“It was great to see it looking so neat and fresh but underneath I was starting to panic at the thought of getting a brand new kitchen as they’re so expensive.
“I decided to have a look on Facebook marketplace, as my mum and stepdad had recently got some good deals on there.”
The homeowner - who runs the @Bethyshome Instagram page - also needed an oven, which wasn’t included in the deal, so headed back to Facebook to find a deal.
She was amazed when she found a rangemaster oven and cooker hood for £300 and a Franke Junor sink for £80.
In addition to this, she also picked up a £30 vertical radiator.
Work begins
Bethany added: “It was perfect! We were finally able to start painting and changing the lights.
"We’re very lucky that members of our family are in the trade business, so we managed to save money with having help putting in the kitchen (very much like Tetris!) new spotlights & bringing the oak counter tops back to life.”
Bethany’s step dad kindly added a new herringbone-effect laminate floor and put up Wickes tiles on the walls.
Meanwhile, her partner is a plumber so they were able to save cash by doing a lot of the work themselves.
She continued: “We’re extremely lucky and grateful to have such talented and skilled family members.
“We’ve learnt so much along the way and will continue too!
“Our next project is the bathroom! But you can bet we will use Facebook marketplace as much as we can.”
Big success
Bethany shared a clip of the transformation on her TikTok account (@bethyboodo) and it has racked up over 18,000 views.
One person wrote: “Unreal.”
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A second added: “Gorgeous.”
Meanwhile, a third commented: “Why do I never find any of these things on FB marketplace.”
Top tips when buying on Facebook Marketplace
Be scammer-aware
As a general rule of thumb, deal locally, and face-to-face. If someone asks you to ship an item, be wary. Only use secure methods of payment, look at buyer and seller reviews, and inspect an item closely before purchasing it. Stick to Messenger to communicate as well.
Choose wealthy areas to get high-end items at low prices
A well-to-do person who is selling something on Marketplace probably doesn’t know or doesn’t care what their item is worth. This is a jackpot scenario for a buyer.
Don't be afraid to haggle
If an item has been listed for weeks, offer 25% below the list price. It's likely the seller will counter offer, but you'll still get the item for less than originally priced.
Don’t send the auto-filled “Is this item still available?” message
If you notice an item is well-priced and desirable, and you really like it, don’t wait around. Send a friendly opening message with an offer, and make the transaction hassle-free for the seller.
Keep search items as broad as possible
Assume the seller doesn’t know exactly what they have, where it’s from, what the material is, what the design style is, or how much it’s worth—and cast a wide net.