One clever couple have managed to completely transform their shabby seven-bedroom house not only in just six months, but also spending only £700 ($975).
Richard and Taylor Howells bought their dream home in Ystalyfera, Wales, knowing that it would need a little bit of TLC - and what could have been years of their own time.
But they were determined to get the place up to scratch quickly and cheaply, heading over to Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace to source everything they needed at slashed prices.
27-year-old Taylor told Wales Online: "When we bought the house in the Swansea Valley, it needed so much work, it was something out of a horror movie.
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"But we absolutely loved it and we just went for it. It needed so many big jobs doing on it that the interior had to take a bit of a back seat.
"I'm awful and can't wait at all so I just decided to get creative. Pretty much everything we've achieved so far has been on a tiny budget as boring jobs like the roof and scaffolding have taken priority."
Taylor added that while there's still a long way to go, the bulk of the work has been completed - and can be credited to her love for up-cycling and bargain-hunting.
"I'm a big lover of up-cycling, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, I have managed to be lucky with a few key pieces in sales and independent shops.
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"We managed to have a wonderful first Christmas without feeling like we were living in a building site and I'm quite proud of it now.
"It's still a long way to go but it's a good start," she added.
She claims that her and husband Richard spent around £700 bringing a fresh lease of life to the property with new decor and furniture.
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"The kitchen cost under £400 by buying second hand appliances such as a cooker and dishwasher.
"The bathroom was also under £250 as we re-enamelled the existing suite and bought an off cut for flooring and used upcycled items for the rest."
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Taylor continued: "I refused to go into one of the bathrooms in the first couple of weeks as it was so horrendously dirty. We couldn't afford to replace the suite so used a re-enamelling kit to make it white.
"The living room was damaged by rainwater flowing back in from the gutters. Even after getting the keys we needed multiple skips to clear the junk, the balconies were all overgrown.
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"I couldn't bring myself to put any of my things in the dirty old kitchen cabinets but couldn't afford to buy all new ones for my plates.
"I bought a cabinet from an old shop that was closing down for £25 and have used it to store a lot of my stuff."
While Taylor hasn't divulged exactly how much they've spent on the complete renovation, she has said that a lot of the money-saving magic came from her husband's love of DIY and her eye for design.
She said: "My husband Richard loves DIY and I love interior design, we have both done this together and it has been hard. We both work full time so we have to stay up late to try and get things done.
"We have had so much support from our family, they have been brilliant. I would love for most of the rooms to be complete in five years, but this is now our forever home."
Featured Image Credit: BPM Media WalesTopics: Home, DIY, UK, Wales, House