We bought an old garage in the Cotswolds for £170k and turned it into a dream family home worth £500k
A savvy couple have revealed how they turned an old garage into their dream family home in the Cotswolds worth £500,000.
Lexi, 26, and Sam Flannagan, 31, spotted the old garage on the outskirts of Cheltenham for £172,500 on Zoopla in 2016.
The couple spent £100,000 turning the former storage space into a three-bedroom, two-storey property.
The parents - who share two-year-old son Levi - are currently renting out the property in Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire.
Stay-at-home mother Lexi said: 'We never wanted a new build as it can sometimes have a lot of problems but we wanted a project.
Pictured: the garage before Lexi and Sam purchased the property on the outskirts of Cheltenham for £170,000 in 2016
Pictured: the couple's house in the Cotswolds after they completed the renovations in January 2019
'We wanted something that was run down and needed a lot of work to add value to the build.'
Lexi said the location was one of the 'major draws' of the property - as it is just a two minute drive from a motorway.
Detailing the extent of the renovations, the mother continued: 'The first major change to the garage was an extension outwards - to create the space for an open plan ground floor and to create more space for the bedrooms upstairs.'
Despite the huge amount of work needed, the couple say they didn't have any problems obtaining planning permission and were pleasantly surprised by how gracious the local community were.
The mother added: 'If you have a good relationship with your neighbours that helps tremendously and people saw that we were a young couple and were willing to help.'
The former garage had only been listed on Zoopla for 30 minutes when Lexi and Sam booked in to attend an open viewing in 2016.
Aware that it would be a popular investment opportunity, the couple got to the garage early to meet the owner and bagged the property.
The couple started the renovations in February 2017 and took almost two years to complete.
Pictured: Lexi and Sam Flannagan with their two-year-old son Levi. The couple spent £100,000 renovating the garage
The couple created an open-plan kitchen and living area in the downstairs of the three-bedroom home
Pictured: building work being completed on the back of the garage - where the extension now resides
Pictured: the building work on the second floor of the former garage, which is now a three-bedroom home
Pictured: The children's room in Lexi and Sam's converted garage, which is now a three-bedroom home
Lexi, 26, and Sam Flannagan, 31, spent £100,000 on a two-year renovation of the former garage (pictured after the renovation)
The three-bedroom home on the outskirts of Cheltenham has an electric gate and patio in the garden
As part of their renovations, the couple created an open-plan kitchen and living room area.
On the second floor, there are three bedrooms and a spacious family bathroom.
What's more, the property now has a patio in the garden and an electric gate for privacy.
Lexi said: 'Anyone that came over to the house was very shocked of how big it was on the outside as It looked like an average house.'
The pair are now living 10 minutes away from their investment property, which is currently being rented out.
References
- ^ Lydia Hawken For Mailonline (www.dailymail.co.uk)