With the property market the way it is, sometimes it's important to always be thinking about your next step, as well as watching the purse strings when it comes to home improvements.
In our new series, Where I Live, the ECHO will explore one house from across the region each week, with the owner giving us an insight into the buying process, how they managed to get on the property ladder, and how they plan to make it their own in a cost of living crisis.
First-time mum Rima Aktar, 30, told the ECHO her family views their Wavertree home as "good value for money". It cost £125,000, they moved in in June 2020 and have since added buckets of value without breaking the bank.
READ MORE: How to restore a Victorian fireplace for under £100
Rima told the ECHO: "It was spacious with high ceilings and a lot of potential to make improvements. Also, if we were to move in the future, we could keep it as a rental property, as it is close to lots of amenities, easy to get into the city centre, there's nearby retail parks and supermarkets and a straight line to get onto the motorway."
DON'T MISS:'Smiling' and 'happy' teen dies week before birthday
Shop where people spend 'hours' has been open for 40 years
Man's 'mind blown' by metal detector find
Rima's husband handled the sale, with part of the 10% deposit coming from a lifetime ISA. "A lifetime ISA essentially gives you £1,000 for every £4,000 you put in each year, so it was very helpful."
Saving was straightforward and so was the buying process - once surveys had completed, the country was in full lockdown due to Covid-19. However, it 'didn't have much of an impact', according to Rima. "We were lucky to buy when we did as since the pandemic house prices have risen significantly."
The couple has carried out a lot of DIY to put their stamp on the place: "I like to think I have the aesthetic eye, and we both get stuck into the DIY, but I leave the technical things like measuring out angles for panelling and using power tools to my husband.
"First thing we aimed to do was get rid of the strange baby blue coloured walls and repaint with whites and neutrals. We have done many DIY projects, from panelling in several rooms and in different styles to upcycling furniture and existing units. We actually paid professionally first to panel our dining room which looks great, but we thought to save money we could do it ourselves in other rooms."
To utilise space Rima created a pantry area for more storage using scaffold-style shelving. She also put the existing worktops in the kitchen to good use, giving them some TLC rather than opting for a replacement.
"We also upcycled our kitchen unit doors to make them shaker-style by adding framing bought from B&Q, cutting to size, sticking them onto the doors and painting them.
"Our next DIY projects are to replace our fireplace to make it much more modern and neutral, board our loft for extra storage space and then work on our yard to make it much more functional."
Rima has now amassed thousands of followers on Instagram with her home interiors and lifestyles account. She tends to go for a 'timeless' look when it comes to décor, with light, airy, neutral colours.
You can follow Rima for more DIY tips at @homewithrima_
Her trick? Mood boards: "I always create mood boards to help envision how a room would turn out - it also gives you the creative space to experiment without spending don’t any money upfront."
The family like Wavertree's diversity and multiculturalism, as well as the area's accessibility to motorways and the city centre, and amenities such as shops and restaurants. However, they do plan to move in the future.
"Our house is great and we have put a lot of effort making the house into a home, but the hope is in the future to move. Ideally a house with it's own driveway and perhaps a garden or a garage."
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
READ NEXT:
The Liverpool homes you won't believe cost less than £150,000
Revamped country pile lists for £1.2m
Faces of men, woman and children missing on Merseyside
Stunning red brick barn conversion where you can escape to the country
Man called friend a 'future paedophile' then stabbed his mum in the throat
READ MORE: Motorists urged to check the back of their driving licences
