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Homes Under the Hammer visited New Mills in a recent episode where Martin Roberts looked around a three-bedroom cottage in the popular countryside spot. While it was advertised as a detached property, the house stood within an inch of the neighbouring building and went to auction with a guide price of £90,000. The unique chocolate-box home was purchased by a retired school inspector, Kevin, who planned to restore the rundown cottage to a high quality and unveil its potential as a cosy village abode.
The symmetrical home was located on the side of a steep hill, less than a meter away from the roadside.
A classic red-brick exterior made the cottage look simple and plain, with little in the way of inviting features to draw your attention.
While the property had a slight charm thanks to its idyllic setting in Powys, Wales, presenter Martin Roberts described it as a “little too close to comfort”, with a property built just inches away from the rear side of the cottage.
Outside, a dark and cluttered garden was overshadowed by the neighbouring house, with overgrown grass, broken fence panels and rubbish spread throughout the small square of green space.
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Seven months after his first visit, Martin returned to the property to find a charming house in place of the odd roadside cottage.
Kevin had successfully built a raised platform with a garage in the garden, which was no longer an eye sore at the back of the property, as well as updating the front exterior to feel more welcoming.
Grass, patio and even a small dining space had been created, along with off-road parking and an outdoor furniture store enclosed in new picket fencing.
The tired living room had been transformed into a cosy space, complete with a warming wood burner.
A characterful dining room replaced the empty space downstairs, with a classic country feel throughout.
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A brand new kitchen had been fitted in place of the old cabinets, with neutral tones and a homely layout to look out into the garden. Alongside this was a utility room with plenty of handy storage space.
All three bedrooms had been decorated to a high standard, with a modern family bathroom suite to complete the home downstairs, and a new ensuite in the master bedroom.
Now the perfect home, Kevin had moved into the “cosy” property, which he stretched his budget to complete to a higher standard.
He planned to live there for six months before selling on to a new buyer.
Kevin spent £25,000 in total on the renovation, just £5,000 more than planned. He told the presenter that the extra funds were spent on the garden, which was in a “shocking state” when he purchased the cottage.
In August 2022, a local property expert visited the newly renovated home to estimate its market value. He suggested a sale price of £200,000.
This sales figure would give Kevin a healthy pre-tax profit of £65,000 based on his total investment of £135,000.
Following his successful renovation, Kevin managed to increase the value of the Welsh cottage by a staggering £110,000 from its low auction guide price of £90,000.
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