A handy couple have turned a dingy garage into their dream £500,000 Cotswold’s home which is worth more than double what they paid for it.
Lexi Flannagan, 26, and her partner, Sam Flannagan, 31, bought the double garage for £172,500 after spotting it on Zoopla.
They then spent years applying for planning permission before transforming it into a three-bedroom two-storey home, with the renovations costing £100,000.
They now rent out the home in Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire and say having two homes means they already have one set aside for son Levi, now two, when he grows up.
Lexi, a stay-at-home mum from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said: ‘We never wanted a new build as it can sometimes have a lot of problems but we wanted a project.
BEFORE: The couple bought the property back in August 2016 after snapping it up at first glance FOR £172,500
AFTER: Having spent around £100,000 on renovations, their three-bedroom Cotswold home is now worth half a million
The couple had spent years applying for planning permission before transforming it
Lexi Flannagan, 26, her partner Sam, 31 and their 2-year-old son, Levi
‘We wanted something that was run down and needed a lot of work to add value to the build.
‘One of the major draws of the garage was its location and I was very pleased with it.
‘It’s not far from neighbouring towns like Tewksbury and Cheltenham and also a two minute drive from the motorway.
‘The first major change to the garage was an extension outwards – to create the space for an open plan ground floor and to create more space for the bedrooms upstairs.
‘The planning permission wasn’t my biggest worry however it did cross my mind a couple of times but we didn’t have one issue with planning permission.
‘If you have a good relationship with your neighbours that helps tremendously and people saw that we were a young couple and were willing to help.’
The project began in February 2017 and moved out while work was done on the roof
The project was then completed in January 2019. The couple now rent the property out
The couple bought the property back in August 2016 after snapping it up at first glance.
It was listed online for just 30 minutes before they called to book onto the open viewing.
But they headed there early and met the owner and bagged the home.
The couple had lived in it without making any changes for two years while trying to secure planning permission.
They then initiated the building project in February 2017 and moved out while work was done on the roof.
The project was then completed in January 2019.
On the ground floor, the couple created an open plan kitchen alongside the living room.
Behind the sofa in the living area is where the kitchen is located.
On the first floor the couple added three bedrooms with a hallway and a new bathroom.
The open-plan kitchen that features a brand new worktop unit and appliances
The sitting room and kitchen in Lexi’s converted garage fit with marble flooring
The children’s room in Lexi’s converted garage. Having two homes means this house is ready for their son, Levi when he grows up
The couple now live back in their original family home ten minutes away, and now rent out the home.
Lexi said: ‘Anyone that came over to the house was very shocked of how big it was on the outside as It looked like an average house.’
Lexi said the couple’s current family home will be a house for Levi when he grows up.
Properties in Coombe Hill had an overall average price of £440,000 over the last year, according to Rightmove.
This means that their once mere double garage is now worth more than the average house price in the area.