Anna Roberts, 40, shared the story of her remarkable £238,000 profit from renovating a dilapidated barn into her dream home.
Despite foreseeing the challenge, she purchased the property for £300,000 along with 10 acres, investing an additional £112,000 in a DIY effort with family support.
Anna candidly admitted, “I bought the barn and mortgaged myself to the hilt, rather naively,” showcasing her ambitious venture on absolutelybusiness.com.
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Anna Roberts, the tenacious DIYer, recounted her journey, stating, “I managed to get planning permission myself and spent the majority of my weekends through my 20s and early 30s working on it – literally in the trenches.”
Acknowledging the challenges, she admitted, “I soon realised that you either need plenty of money or plenty of time and resources for these things (and ideally both). And I had neither.
There’s nothing like doing it yourself, and to say it’s been a labour of love is an understatement.”
Despite contemplating quitting, Anna persevered, enduring moments where she lived in a caravan in her garden during renovations.
Reflecting on her journey, Anna shared, “I frequently felt like giving up. It was hard because, with little time or money to invest in it, it was impossible to set a timescale for the work and stick to it.”
Highlighting the challenges, she elaborated, “When it came to the build itself, my biggest problem initially was that there were no foundations to speak of. It was dark, damp, physically demanding, and soul-destroying work, and the power tools were really heavy and noisy.”
Living in a caravan in her garden, Anna dedicated every weekend to the project, describing how she would laboriously dig into the ground under the walls.
Undaunted by the daunting task of renovating a 300-year-old building, Anna undertook the arduous task of tearing down most of the original structure and rebuilding it from scratch, all without the assistance of builders.
Anna credited her father as her unwavering support throughout the project, stating, “My dad used to be a self-employed builder before having to retire for health reasons before we bought the place.”
She added, “He was a fountain of knowledge when I was doing the barn, but also my biggest critic, especially when it came to the quality of my stonework.”
Despite her father’s encouragement, Anna’s decision to embark on the renovation was met with skepticism from the rest of her family. Recalling their reaction, she said, “The rest of my family thought I was crazy and told me so. They couldn’t understand why I would want to take on such a responsibility.”
Starting the project at the tender age of 23, Anna devoted almost a decade to its completion, officially moving into her dream home in 2017.
Despite the challenges and sacrifices, Anna has no regrets and hopes to inspire other young individuals to pursue their dreams, even in the face of the current challenges in the UK’s property market.
Anna reflected on her profound connection to the project, stating, “It’s been such a big part of my life to date, in all respects, that it feels like a part of me.”
Despite the challenges she faced, she expressed pride in her accomplishment, remarking, “I’m proud of myself for taking a chance on something which has so massively paid off now, even though there were so many times when I could have, and felt like, giving up.”
Anna finds immense satisfaction in the tangible results of her hard work, emphasizing, “I love the results I’ve achieved and it’s very satisfying living and working from such a beautiful home that you have designed, paid for, and built yourself.” Encouraging others to pursue similar endeavors, she advises, “I would encourage people to go into it with their eyes wide open.”
Anna believes that undertaking such a project taps into fundamental human instincts, noting, “I believe building your own home connects you to one of your most primitive urges for shelter and warmth, don’t be surprised when it triggers emotions you weren’t expecting.”
Here’s the cost breakdown for the renovation project:
- Drainage: £5,000
- Floors: £8,000
- Roof: £13,000
- Walls: £4,000
- Windows & Doors: £6,000
- Electrics: £5,000
- Heating/hot water: £9,000
- Borehole: £8,000
- Insulation: £8,000
- Kitchen: £3,000
- Bathrooms: £10,000
- Plastering: £9,000
- Joinery and stud work: £10,000
- Stove: £2,000
- Decorations: £2,000
- Flooring: £4,000
- Lighting: £2,000
- Machinery hire: £2,000
- Guttering: £2,000
TOTAL: £112,000
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