'We made it look grand on a small budget'

Savvy first-time buyers Lacey Richards and Aaron Coe have given their Edwardian terrace a high-end finish without spending a fortune

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After searching for a year in a heated property market, first-time buyers Lacey Richards and Aaron Coe finally got lucky with an unloved ex-rental house. As the owners were moving to Australia and wanted a quick sale, they sold it for what they originally paid two years prior.

'Before that we were offering up to £50,000 over the asking price and still not getting anything, until we stumbled across this house on a whim,' remembers Lacey. 'The south side of Sheffield is historically more expensive, so we hadn't been looking here, but we got a bargain as no one wanted it.'

Although the couple were living together in Aaron's new-build flat, Lacey had developed a soft spot for period terraces, having rented a similar home before. 'The original floorboards had been sanded, but it was the bay windows in the living room and bedroom that swung it,' she admits.

GETTING STARTED

After fixing the wonky chimney and having the bay windows professionally restored, the pair redecorated throughout. Lacey's art diploma, which she gained before becoming a nurse, gave her the design know-how to create a cohesive space inspired by interiors books, Instagram accounts and homes magazines. 'I'd say it's Victorian modern with a splash of cottagecore,' she says. 'Our priority was adding the authentic features that had been lost over time, including picture rails and ceiling roses, and installing the alcove units.'