For some househunters, the idea of buying a modern new build home that's move-in ready with little to no work required is the perfect scenario. But for others, it is the dated, doer-upper properties that they can rip out, renovate and make their own that are much more attractive.
For those who are edging towards the latter, it's important to know that taking on a huge renovation project in an old house can often come with many unforeseen issues - even for those who consider themselves experienced. This was the case for Ruth and Chris Moore, who spoke to us as part of our Where I Live series.
Each week we speak to a different homeowner across the north west to hear about their home buying journey, from the costs involved to looking at how they've renovated to make their house a home. Ruth, 32, and Chris, 35 bought a £270,000 semi-detached Edwardian house in Stockport back in 2019, at a time when they least expected it.
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The pair, who have been together for 10 years, were living happily and comfortably in their first house, a Victorian mid terrace, when they spotted their 'dream forever home' up for sale on Rightmove - in the same year that they were getting married.
"We were happy in our first house and we weren’t really intending to move. We got married in 2019 so it was a bit of a busy year," Ruth from Stockport told the Manchester Evening News.
"I'm always on Rightmove and one day I saw this three-bed Edwardian house just around the corner which had so much potential. We've always loved period houses because we find that the rooms are generally bigger and they have a bit more character about them.
"I sent it to Chris as a bit of a joke and said ‘this could be our dream forever home’, but it was super dated and we weren’t thinking about moving so we just left it.
"But after speaking to my sister and her husband, they said 'well there's no harm going to see a mortgage advisor and just seeing if it would be possible,' and it was.
"We didn't look at any other houses, we were blinkered and went straight for this one - we effectively moved around the corner on a whim."
Despite falling in love with the period property, the process wasn't as straightforward as the couple had hoped.
"We got a full survey done to check everything because the house was so old and it needed so much work. It actually came back undervalued on what we'd offered on the house," said Ruth, who works as a marketing manager.
"So then we had a bit of a decision to make as to whether we walked away or went for it. My husband is very handy and lots of our family members are very skilled in different trades, so I knew we had help and advice there, but maybe I was blindsided.
"I just remember walking around it with my dad on one of the viewings and he was like, ‘Oh, it's a lot of work, isn't it?. I think we were quite brave going for it in hindsight."
Ruth and Chris got the keys to their Edwardian house in April 2019 and got stuck into renovating right away - as they had a whole lot of work on their hands.
"We moved in straight away because we couldn't afford not to - but it was literally a 50s time warp, it looked as though it hadn't been decorated for decades," Ruth said.
"Everything needed doing to it - a full rewire, plastering, painting, knocking walls down and ripping out units.
"The house is still a work in progress because there was just so much to do, but it's around 80% is complete now. The latest room we've finished is the bathroom and the only room that's still in its original state is the back bedroom."
Chris, along with some help from family and friends, has done the majority of renovation work himself which Ruth says has helped to cut costs - but has been stressful at times.
"Chris has done 95% of the renovation work. He used to be an electrician and he’s an engineer now so he's got a lot of good knowledge and he's very handy," Ruth said.
"My dad unfortunately passed away in 2019 but he was an engineer and quite handy too. Chris has got a lot of his tools which he's used on the house which is nice because it's almost like my dad is helping us out."
Ruth added: "I think the kitchen was probably the biggest bugbear out of them all. It was really vintage and retro but just not very practical with freestanding units and tiny worktops. We also found out that the joists were rotten in the kitchen area so we had to fit all new joists which was a nightmare."
Giving a walkthrough of their home, Ruth explained: "So when you walk through the front door there's the hallway and then the first door on the left is the living room.
"When you walk past the stairs and turn left there's the dining area of the kitchen diner, then if you turn right there's the open plan kitchen side. The back bay window has been converted to patio doors so you can go straight into the garden from there.
"We have an L-shaped staircase and when you come upstairs there's the back bedroom straight ahead, the front bedroom which at the moment is an office and then there's the master bedroom and the bathroom."
Ruth describes her interior style as traditional with a mix of modern, and says that she gets a lot of her inspiration from home Instagram accounts.
"I like to get a mix of vintage pieces but put some new, modern things in there as well. I’d say my style is quite colourful generally," she said.
“Before we moved in I had a vision for each room and knew how I wanted things to change. I either start with mood boards, or I find an item that I love and then build a room around that.
"I found the bath randomly when we weren’t even thinking about doing the bathroom. We were in town shopping and I spotted a bath that I loved in a closing down sale and so we got it, and it sat in our back bedroom for a year before we started renovating the bathroom."
Ruth says that her ideas and Chris' practicality make them a 'great team' when it comes to renovating their home together.
“I'd say we're a great team because Chris is the practical doer and knows the steps behind everything before it's all finished whereas I'm the one who has the initial vision and put together all the styling and colour choices," she said.
"One choice that I was quite surprised that he let us go for was to paint the whole kitchen dining area pink. We did one wall first and then he was like, 'Oh, I actually really like it' so then we painted the whole thing pink. I think the colour makes it a really nice light, bright and sociable space which is what we always wanted.
"What I love most about our house is the space, the high ceilings and that it is a reflection of our personality. Also that we've grafted for it as we’ve worked really hard for nearly four years.
"I think a lot of people thought we'd bit off more than we could chew so I'm proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in such a short amount of time."
Talking about their plans for the future, Ruth said: "I think we’ll certainly be here for the foreseeable. I don't think either of us have the energy to do this amount of work for a long time.
"There's so much potential so we wouldn't really need to move. It's got cellars and a big loft, so you could have make it a four bed house quite easily with a dormer."
Reflecting on their decision to buy an old house, Ruth admitted: "I don’t want to be pessimistic and tell people don't go for it but I think given how knowledgeable and handy Chris is and the fact he has struggled, I do think you need to have all the facts before you definitely go ahead.
"But it’s well worth it in terms of space and character. Just make sure you have all the information to hand so you know what you’re walking into, and be patient with it really because it does take time and not everyone has a massive pot of money to just completely renovate straight away.
"It’s taken us nearly four years but it's all been worth it in the end.”
You can follow Ruth and Chris' home renovation journey on their Instagram account @mutch_moore_restore.
Want to get involved in Where I Live? If you are interested in featuring in our weekly series, please email your name and details to phoebe.jobling@reachplc.com.
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