"We almost regretted buying this house'

With a much bigger project than expected and a dwindling budget, Dani and Rob Horton found clever ways to stretch their funds without compromising on their vision

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After finishing a nine-year renovation of their previous home, Dani and Rob Horton had itchy feet to do it all again. ‘With three children we were also outgrowing the space, so it felt like the perfect time to look for a new project,’ says Dani. When they found this house, they were immediately sold on the view. ‘The moment we saw it we knew this was the one, but what was also appealing was that the house was built in the 1970s, which puts some people off because they prefer a period property;' explains Dani. ‘Our last home though was a 1960s build so we knew the potential was there to add character using simple paint effects and clever design ideas.’

MONEY MATTERS

Dani and Rob moved their family in with funds in place to transform the separate kitchen and dining room into one sociable open-plan space, update the bathroom, and replace the conservatory with a brick-built extension. However, the couple quickly uncovered problems that unexpectedly ate into their budget. 'We had to rewire the whole property, replace the central heating system and, because we discovered lots of mould, we had to take some of the walls back to brick and replaster them,' explains Dani. 'We were living in the house while the work was being done, and there was a point when we all slept on the living room floor as it was unsafe to go upstairs. The children loved it but it was stressful for us, and for a moment we did feel like we'd made the biggest mistake of our lives,' she admits.

LIVING ROOM