A couple has transformed a run down garage into a £500,000 dream home after spending £100,000 on renovations.
Lexi and Sam Flannagan spotted the double garage on Zoopla for £172,500. Given its desirable Cotswolds location, the couple decided to purchase it with the intention of turning it into a dream home.
But they hit their first hurdle with the planning permission, which took six months to obtain. Lexi, 26, and Sam, 31, bought the home in August 2016 and started renovations in February 2017.
The double garage was soon transformed into a two-storey, three-bedroom house that the couple now rent out and are setting aside for their son, Levi, two.
Lexi, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said: “We never wanted a new build as it can sometimes have a lot of problems but we wanted a project. We wanted something that was run down and needed a lot of work to add value to the build.”
She added: “One of the major draws of the garage was its location and I was very pleased with it. It’s not far from neighbouring towns like Tewksbury and Cheltenham and also a two minute drive from the motorway.
“The first major change to the garage was an extension outwards – to create the space for an open plan ground floor and to create more space for the bedrooms upstairs.
“If you have a good relationship with your neighbours that helps tremendously and people saw that we were a young couple and were willing to help.”
The property was listed online for just 30-minutes before the couple arranged a viewing.
They managed to secure the home after meeting the owner and putting in an offer. Three years later, the once double garage was transformed into a modern home, complete with a kitted out kitchen and private gated entrance.
Lexi and Sam now live back in their original family home ten minutes away and rent out the home.
The plan is to rent it out until their son Levi is older and can take on one of their properties.
