First-time buyers Greta and Liam from Greater Manchester bought a three-bed terraced house in south Liverpool for £185,000 in 2022 and have spent almost four years renovating it – but there’s one thing they wish they’d done differently
Refurbishing a house is not for the faint-hearted, particularly if you’re a first-time buyer. Opting for a fixer-upper is one way to secure a spot on the property ladder, as these homes often come with a lower price tag than new-builds.
However, once you begin tearing down walls, reviving original features and adding your personal flair, costs can rapidly escalate and timelines can extend far beyond initial estimates.
But if you stick it out, not only will you have a home customised to your taste and requirements, but you’ll likely see the added bonus of increased value and a hefty profit when it’s time to sell.
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First-time buyers Greta and Liam from Greater Manchester have devoted nearly four years to revamping their three-bedroom terraced house, which they purchased for £185,000 in south Liverpool.
The pair chose to undertake a demanding back-to-brick renovation, and despite the ups and downs, they’ve successfully transformed what was once an outdated property into a stunning period home.
Greta Lawler, 30, from Stockport, shared her story with the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series. Each week the title chats with a different homeowner from the north west about their home-buying and renovation experiences, as well as offering a sneak peek inside their abode.
Following their first encounter at university in Liverpool, Greta and her partner Liam Dawson, originally from Wigan, chose to put down roots in the city. The couple spent a couple of years renting whilst building up their deposit to purchase their first property. By 2022, they’d embarked on their house hunt with a maximum budget of £200,000.
“We wanted to live in south Liverpool and we were looking for a two or three-bed terraced house,” Greta told the M. E. N. “Ideally we wanted to find a period property that had some original features like ceiling roses, high ceilings and original fireplaces.
“We started looking on Rightmove and Zoopla. It was just after Covid, so there was quite a lot on the market. We viewed about seven or eight houses but it was really competitive. We put offers in for quite a few houses and just hadn’t got them. Some were completely done up, but in the end, we went for a complete renovation because those types of properties just seemed to be easier to actually get.”
Following a disappointing near-miss on a property they ‘really loved’, the pair eventually discovered a comparable home just around the corner. “We really liked that house and the area, so we were constantly checking for any other houses that came up,” Greta explained.
“We came across a house that was basically the exact same as the one we loved, just a few roads away. It just hadn’t been done up yet, so we thought it was a good opportunity to make the house our own from scratch.”
Greta and Liam snapped up their three-bedroom terraced home for £185,000 back in June 2022, though it required substantial renovation. “It was very old-fashioned. I don’t think the previous owners were living in the property anymore. The carpets were all patterned and the interior was dated. But we could see the potential in it,” Greta recalled.
The pair wasted no time launching into their transformation, stripping the property back to bare brick for a complete fresh start. “When we first got the keys, there wasn’t a functioning kitchen and we needed to get a rewire done and a new boiler put in which was really messy,” Greta explained.
“We were still renting our flat and we had a one month crossing over period so we got all of that done first. When we moved in, we got our new kitchen put in straight away. We didn’t really have a vision for the rest of the house at that point, we just wanted to be able to cook and have a warm property,” Greta remarked.
“During the renovation, we’ve had a few problems like some pipes leaking and sometimes we’ve got quotes for work and then been charged extra afterwards. Apart from that, I think most things have run smoothly, it’s just taken a lot longer to get everything done than what we thought.”
Once the essential work was completed, the pair started making the property their own. “Everything was really old, so we pulled all the carpets up,” Greta explained.
“The biggest transformation after getting the kitchen done was the living room. It then felt so much more homely because we had somewhere to sit and relax in the evenings. We got a log burner put in and painted it a really nice colour.
“We’ve done a lot of DIY, we fitted the kitchen with help from my dad who is a joiner, and we’ve done all of the painting ourselves. We’ve had people in to do the plastering and fit the bathroom and do joinery, but any smaller projects we’ve done ourselves. It’s definitely helped to cut some costs.”
When asked about their design aesthetic, Greta noted: “It’s quite colourful. I do think it varies from room to room. Some rooms have more of an old-fashioned type look, like I think our living room is more traditional whereas our kitchen looks really modern. We get a lot of inspiration from other home accounts on Instagram.
“Before we got the house, I didn’t really ever consider how we’d style it, but now I think we’ve found what works together. Our style has definitely evolved over time throughout the house.”
Greta and Liam are approaching their fourth year of renovations, with several spaces still requiring attention. “Downstairs is mostly done, so the living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway,” Greta explained.
“Upstairs has no flooring down at the moment, so it’s just the floorboards. The bathroom is mostly done, but we need to repaint it and the landing needs carpet.
“The next project will be our main bedroom. We’ve repainted it twice already and we still don’t like the colour, so we’re going to be redoing it. Then after that, we’ll probably do that box room at some point this year because that basically looks the same as when we first moved in, I think we’re going to have that as an office.”
Looking back on their journey, Greta admitted: “We didn’t have a set timeline, but in my head naively, I thought it would maybe take us two to three years – but now I think it’ll be a lot longer than that. When you are living in a renovation, I feel like you’ll always be renovating because by the time you’ve finished, you’ll probably want to make changes to bits that you did at the very start.
“We have spent a lot because it needed a lot doing to it, but I feel like we have tried to keep the budget down as much as possible. At first, we did write down everything we had spent, but then it started to get a bit depressing.”
Despite adoring their property, Greta admits she wishes the pair hadn’t given up breaks away and quality time together. “I think if we did a renovation again, we should probably do one less drastic. In the first two years, renovating was all we did, and we did miss out on going on holidays and having time to ourselves,”she revealed.
“We were trying to save up as much as we could just to get the house done, and it felt like we didn’t have time or money to do anything else with our lives. Now, I think we’ve learnt to enjoy the process rather than rushing. We now have a nice balance of renovating and enjoying ourselves before we get older.”
