I couldn’t afford to buy in London so moved to the sticks to do up a £230k home on a £20k budget -I’m now £50k in profit
A SINGLE dad has shared how he transformed an old fashioned property into his dream house, after leaving London with his children to purchase their first family home.
Dean Commodore said that he relocated from the capital to Suffolk to give his two kids a “better life”.
He told Fabulous: “I couldn’t have bought the family home that I wanted in London, that just wasn’t possible.
“I wanted a better quality of life for my children, and I’ve gotten way more for my money as well”.
Dean bought the 1930s property, in March 2022, for around £230,000, far cheaper than the price of the average London property (£528,000 as of June 2023).
The dad of two has been renovating the property ever since.
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When he first moved in, Dean said the property had an "old fashioned feel" and was not his style "at all".
He said that a lot of the “charm” had been stripped out of the property over the years, and added that his aim with the renovation was to “give back love to the house”.
To do this he has restored and installed an old fireplace and has stripped back the floors to the original flooring.
Dean said that he has always been interested in DIY but has learned loads of skills since starting the renovation.
Through watching Youtube videos and following DIY social media accounts he has learned how to use a sanding machine and how to make cupboards and shelves.
He said he has been able to do all of the renovation work himself (with some help from his kids) except the driveway, which he employed professionals to do.
Dean has had his fair share of struggles since beginning the renovation, and revealed that when he took the old bathroom tiles off, the wall crumbled down and fell into the bath.
He said: “It was a real, big battle, but I learned from Youtube a method of attaching water resistant plaster using a special foam, and it’s been brilliant”.
To save money, Dean has bought loads of bargains off Facebook Marketplace, such as mirrors and a dining table and chairs.
He said that he has gotten lots of stuff for really cheap, and has even been given some things for free.
Dean said that he first started using Facebook marketplace when he was on the hunt for some original 1930s doors to install into the house.
He said: “So much has been changed about the house over the years but I wanted to bring back the charm to the property.
“I got the doors for free because to them it was just an old fashioned door, but to me, it was a work of art.”
The dad of two said that his favourite part of the house is the living room, where he has installed a wood burning stove.
He said: “I literally just sit there in the evening in silence and listen to the crackle of the wood, and it’s just so mesmerising.”
Dean has been renovating the house on a tight budget of around £20,000, and said he has saved thousands by doing all of the DIY work himself.
He estimates that when the property is finished, it will be worth over £300,000.
Although he is almost there, he hasn’t quite finished the house yet, and his next project is the kitchen.
He plans to build an extension to make the room bigger, and install cosy underfloor heating.
Since starting the renovation, Dean has set up an Instagram account to document the transformation of his home.
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He shares DIY tips and tricks on the account, @casadelacommodore and has so far racked up 15,000 subscribers.
The dad said that although he has found parts of the renovation “challenging” and “frustrating”, he is very happy with the way things have turned out.
He said: “It’s been a journey, and I don’t regret a thing”.
Dean shared his top tips for those thinking about starting their own home renovation.
He said: “It’s important to prepare and to do lots and lots of research.
“There’s more than one way of doing the same task, so have a look at how different DIY Youtubers and Instagrammers are doing stuff.
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“And don’t be afraid to reach out to people and ask them for advice”.
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