'We were after a NEW PROJECT'

Drawn to its size and proximity to the sea, Nareece and Pete snapped up this dated property and turned it into a fun, colourful family home

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Being able to walk to the beach is one of the best parts about living here,' says Nareece. 'We'd been looking for a larger home but couldn't afford the next size up in London where we were living at the time - so moving to Folkestone, where we'd be close to the sea and to the children's grandparents, seemed like the obvious solution.

However, in order to get the size of house that we wanted, there were some compromises to be made - namely in the condition of the property. This place had been rented out for 20 years and the previous tenants had adapted some of the downstairs rooms due to mobility issues. We knew the house was going to need a lot of work, but it had some beautiful original features that attracted us, along with a basement and large staircase that were big selling points. Plus, we'd already renovated our previous property, so were ready to get stuck into another project.

Getting started