Things to do in... December

‘I was never really into Christmas until I had the boys but now I want to make it magical for them. I love the creativity of it and the decorated mantel is as much for me as it is for them. I sprayed the mirror gold, while the yellow spotted rug is from George Home’

MY STORY

We didn’t actually see this house until the day we moved in. We were on holiday when it came on the market, but we viewed it online, and Jon’s brother gave it the thumbs up. When I first walked in I loved it, even though the décor was stuck in the 1980s, it felt like a really happy house.

After moving in we realised the house needed completely rewiring, so we used all of our savings on that. It meant we had to save for a couple of years before we could begin the renovations. We started with the dining room as all it needed was plastering and wallpapering. The living room was a fairly easy fix as the only major work was replacing the old gas fire with a surround and hearth that Jon found on the street.

When it came to the kitchen, we got Wickes to do the whole job as we’d never done a renovation before and it felt less daunting having a company organise everything for us. The kitchen wasn’t a cheap job, so when it came to the bathroom, we sourced and project managed everything ourselves to save some money.

I don’t know if it will ever feel completely finished, but I love our little house, and I’m enjoying the process of turning it into a cosy, colourful family home.

Welcome TO MY HOME

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Rachel Verney and I work for Citizens Advice. I live with my partner, Jon Stroud, an oven cleaner, and our two children, Rudi, seven, and Arlo, four. I like to share my renovation journey on Instagram @the_shoestring_home.

WHERE I LIVE Our home is a three-bedroom 1950s ex-council house in Reigate, Surrey. We moved here in September 2018.

WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE The whole house needed updating. In classic 1980s style everything was lime green, orange and brown with fake-wood cladding and floral wallpaper everywhere you looked.

HOW I MADE IT MY OWN We did a full renovation of the kitchen and bathroom, choosing classic white for both. Then I started filling each room with preloved, upcycled furniture that was either free or a bargain second-hand buy.

MY FAVOURITE PART I love all the colour. I discovered the joy of painting second-hand furniture during lockdown and it’s such an easy way to transform a space.