Buying a property at auction can sometimes present an opportunity to get more for your money.
That's certainly the case for Lisa, 44, from Blundellsands, who initially had "no intention" of buying her home at auction. In our Where I Live series, the ECHO will take a look inside one property from across the region each week, with the owner giving us an insight into how they've made their house a home.
Lisa, along with husband Lee, 50, and their three children, moved to their coastal home a little over two years ago. She told the ECHO: "We had just finished viewing another property in the close when we saw an auction sign going up outside a property a couple of doors away.
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"The sign put us off a little because we had never considered an auction property before. We knew nothing of the procedures and we thought, to be honest, it would be too messy, too stressful, and we'd end up not getting the property anyway."
Curiosity got the better of the couple and they gave the company on the sign a call and arranged a viewing for a couple of days later.
Lisa said: "We were the first to view. We were told it was going to online auction in two weeks' time, but they could put an offer forward if we wanted to try and secure anything prior to auction.
"It was too good an opportunity to miss, we loved the size and location of the property. It was not our usual style; being 1960s, it was missing the character of older properties, but the location was second to none. Antony Gormley's Iron Men on Crosby Beach were a stone's throw away. It was the best location we could wish to bring up the children."
The process that followed included the couple speaking to the national auctioneer, securing the sale and paying a reservation fee. They were then under contract to exchange on the house within 56 days, which Lisa called "a mammoth task".
She added: "Our own property at that time was going through its own sale, we now had to make sure that we could exchange on both properties within 56 days. The stress kicked in and I was pregnant with our third child.
"Lots of very stressful challenges occurred in those 56 days, our original buyers pulled out, but we had new buyers waiting, and somehow, I can only call it fate, we did it."
Lisa said the property was in "good condition" but was a "little stuck in the 60s".
She said: "I suppose the renovations we made were our own doing to bring it back to life and create a space that was conducive with living in the 2020s with three young children."
The family have since made some structural changes, mainly to create an open plan living space and moving the kitchen. The original kitchen is now a utility and boot room, which Lisa has branded 'the Bootility'.
The home's existing porch was also taken down with a new one built in its place. The family also changed all 28 of the property's windows and installed bi-fold doors.
Lisa said: "One unexpected issue was having to have 75 sqm of floor taken up, back to the ground structure, and relevelled. We had the staircase taken out and a new oak/glass one constructed. Everything inside was pretty much ripped out and started again."
The renovation has been "difficult" with three young children in tow, Lisa said. She added: "We were living in the property whilst doing the work and just had to make sure that the children's bedrooms were prioritised to give them a clean, comfortable space."
Her golden rules for renovation include using a reputable tradesperson. Lisa said: "Obtain three quotes for all of your work. Shop around for cost effective fixtures and fittings, don't always shop at the first place you see, there are lots of competitive online stores where you can purchase the same quality at cheaper prices."
Lisa's style is "bold but classic" and her favourite spot in the house is the open plan family room, which comprises the kitchen and living space. She said: "It's the hub of our home.
"We love the area, we wouldn't want to live anywhere else, our other house was actually less than one mile away, but we would have soon outgrown it with the children."
Lisa is now turning her attention to outdoors: "We have half an acre of landscaping we'd like to work on - but we'll take a breather for now."
Would you like to be included in the ECHO's Where I Live feature?
We'll be taking a look inside a different property each week. If you're splurging on a renovation, trying your hand at DIY to save money, or have a passion for interiors, let us know.
Please email your name and details to storm.newton@reachplc.com
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