'We brought my family home back to life'

After ripping everything out, Beccy Horwood was excited to make her childhood house her own with DIY hacks, secondhand buys, and a game-changing extension

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It was a twist of fate that led childhood sweethearts Beccy and Evan Horwood to buy the home where Beccy grew up in Seaton Carew, County Durham. 'I lived there from the age of two until I was 20,' recalls Beccy. A few years later, Evan moved to Sheffield to be a professional footballer, and we rented a place there before moving to the Wirral. Later on, my parents relocated to the Isle of Skye, so they rented out the house.'

After becoming pregnant with her second son, Beccy was keen to live closer to friends and family, so the couple decided to return to Seaton Carew. 'We were planning on buying a different property, but it fell through at the same time the tenants moved out of my parents' house,' explains Beccy. 'It needed a lot of work, and we weren't sure if it would be a doer-upper to sell on or a long-term family home, but it was perfect timing.' The four-bedroom Victorian terrace is one of the oldest in the area, with a beautiful setting overlooking the village green and beach. So, when lockdown began a month after they moved in, the location was a godsend. However, Beccy admits it felt strange returning to her childhood home.