Nichola McAtier had her heart set on which street she wanted to buy on before any properties came on the market, so much so that she wrote letters to 78 owners in the hopes of making her dream come to life.
Much to her surprise, an owner on the Paisley street got in touch with her and the two agreed on a private sale. Then the 28-year-old really got to work on creating her dream home.
The two-bedroom flat on South Park Drive had bags of potential and luckily, Nichola had a family who was ready (and most importantly willing) to help her renovate.
Read more: Huge £2.9 million Glasgow mansion up for sale is 'most impressive home in the west end'
Now on the market for £169,999, Nichola talks us through how she meticulously restored the property.
"I bought the flat with the intention of living in it. Having moved out of the family home, I was looking for a great space to live and entertain friends and family. I bought it back in July 2019 and moved in on March 8, just before covid hit, so there were no parties that year.
"I was very fortunate to have the help of amazing family and friends who helped me rip it all out. We stripped every room, removed tiles, lifted carpets and flooring, removed the bathroom, and removed the fireplace in the living room. Then the fun began!
"Every room and ceiling had to be re-plastered. From there my Dad and Granda (who was 83 at the time) made the wall panels and every other design idea I had (right down to the wine seat in the dining room).
"I grew up in a Victorian semi-detached, so I’ve always loved traditional properties. I used Instagram and Pinterest to create mood boards and had input from my parents on including traditional features whilst trying to still keep it modern (like the wall panels, fireplace, and ceiling roses).
"By doing most of the work ourselves, the timing was one of the biggest challenges. Working full time left only late nights and weekends to do the majority of the work. My Granda was amazing though and would spend most days working away in the flat and we would then pick up from him in the evening. It really was a team effort!"
After completing the project just the way she wanted it, Nichola is now ready to move on to the next chapter of her life meaning she's reluctantly had to put the flat on the market.
She explained: "My only regret is that I’m not staying in it longer. My circumstances have now changed and my fiance and I have recently had an offer accepted on a house.
"I have so much love for this flat though and I’m incredibly proud of what I have achieved (with the obvious help of family).
"In terms of advice for anyone taking on a project like this - forward planning and patience are key. Also accepting that it will likely cost more than what you’ve budgeted for, so having a safety fund is a good idea.
"I would say I've spent in the region of £8k-£10k getting it just how I wanted."
And what's her favourite part of the property? "I absolutely love the fireplace (which was purchased from Gumtree). I also just love that whenever we have anyone over, they never want to leave.
"The flat has such a special place in my heart with so many memories in the short time I’ve had it. It’s been an amazing home and I’m just so grateful to my family (especially my dad and granda) who helped with the majority of the work."
View the property on Rightmove here.
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