I rarely pay full price for anything!

Whether it's ex-display, secondhand or in a closing down sale, Lauren Smith has filled her home with bargain pieces, without skimping on quality

- Karen Wilson

After fully renovating and extending their last home - a three-bed semi near the seafront in Scarborough - Lauren and Jamie were keen to take on another project.

Although they didn't need to move, Jamie keeps an eye on Rightmove every day, so when a four-bedroom Edwardian house popped up, they booked a viewing on a whim. 'It was a nice area and we knew it was a really good price for the size,' says Lauren. 'As soon as we saw the porch and hallway, we were wowed. It was a bit higgledy-piggledy with multiple doors, but we saw the potential, and loved the staircase. Every room felt grand, with high ceilings and nice features, and the bedrooms were well proportioned.'

Despite the lack of a drive or garage, the couple were happy to compromise as there was ample scope to create a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living space overlooking the quiet rear garden. They managed to rejig the layout to incorporate a utility room, as well.

READY TO REVAMP

Although the previous elderly owners had recently redecorated, the peach and green carpets, along with rainbow wallpaper in the hall, weren't to the couple's taste. 'It had more done to it than we would've liked, but it wasn't finished so much that we felt bad ripping it apart,' explains Lauren. 'At least we could live in it while we renovated, room by room.'

The first priority was decorating one of the bedrooms and the living room, to create a retreat away from the building work. In the meantime, they were able to hire an architect and apply for planning permission to build a four-metre side extension. This was knocked through to the kitchen and rear reception room, with the chimney breast removed, to make one big L-shaped space.