Mom Turns An Old Semi Into A Dream Home, Increasing Its Value By £110,000
A mom from Halewood, in Liverpool, has captivated the internet’s attention with her lovingly-done renovation of a three-bedroom semi. Now, 42-year-old Lyndsey Gynane has over 154k followers on her Instagram page, Home at 242, and claims that the home that she bought for 170k pounds a couple of years ago is now worth 280k pounds.
Lyndsey saw the purchase of the property as an opportunity to turn it into a modern-looking and stylish family home. And you know what, we think she succeeded! And she’s a real inspiration for our own future fixer-upper projects. But what do you think, dear Pandas? Check out the before-and-afters below and share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
Lyndsey and her partner bought the house in Halewood in April 2018. Immediately afterward, they started working on transforming it and bringing out its hidden potential.
Lyndsey from Liverpool fixed up an old three-bedroom semi along with her partner and turned it into a stylish family home
Image credits: home_at_242
The dreary pebble-dash exterior was renovated and now looks very inviting
Image credits: home_at_242
Meanwhile, the back yard is unrecognizable!
Image credits: home_at_242
Once you enter the home, you’re greeted with a modern-looking interior. The carpet looks loads better
Image credits: home_at_242
While the bathroom was expanded by knocking down the wall separating the toilet and the tub
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
The garden looks like something out of a movie and the shed’s the star of the show
Image credits: home_at_242
Notice how the new door is made of the same type of wood as some of the design accents inside the home
Image credits: home_at_242
Here are a couple more before-and-after pictures showing just how big the transformation was
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
An electric fireplace now warms up the living room (though we had a soft spot for the old fireplace, too)
Image credits: home_at_242
“We’d not renovated before, it was our first time doing it but with the vision we had, we knew we could make it into more than a three-bed semi. People look at it on Instagram and think it’s a half-a-million-pound house, but it’s not, it’s just a three-bed semi in Liverpool,” Lyndsey told the Liverpool Echo. “It just shows what you can do when you put your mind to it.”
She added: “While we have hired people to do the major renovations, I’ve done most of it myself, all the decor is done by me.”
They started the renovation from the outside and turned the pebble-dash exterior into bright white walls and added a gorgeous wooden door that matches the interior of the house.
Once you’re inside, you’ll notice the modern white tiles, a soft gray plush carpet that you want to get lost in, and a glass banister on the stairs leading up.
What’s more, the Liverpudlian replaced the old fireplace with an electric fire and completely revamped the living room. While we’re fans of ancient British fireplaces, the modern version of the living room looks great, too.
Meanwhile, the bathroom got a complete makeover, too (notice how the wall separating the toilet and the bath is no longer there. We also absolutely adore the plants there and how they tie in with the natural aesthetic peppered everywhere else in the home. And one of the biggest changes has got to be the backyard terrace which is making us drool with jealousy.
The difference is like night and day (quite literally in this case)
Image credits: home_at_242
The stairs have had a massive upgrade
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
The entire home had an overhaul that completely changed the energy inside
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Here’s what the renovation looked like mid-process and afterward
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
The kitchen is wide-open, gorgeous, and stylish in its minimalism
Image credits: home_at_242
Plants can be found all around the house, including in the bedrooms, and they help bring a bit of nature into the interior
Image credits: home_at_242
The kitchen and the living room are linked together, but separated by the counter
Image credits: home_at_242
Cozy? We definitely think so. But what do you think, dear Pandas?
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Image credits: home_at_242
Yes but you need some vision and a bit of taste too. You could throw 100k at it and make multiple bad decisions.
Load More Replies...Yeah, I approve of everything (although it's not my personal taste at all) except the garden. That is a complete monstrosity! And what's with eliminating nature from our outdoor spaces? Think of the ecosystem, people!
Load More Replies...To each their own I guess. Also, she didn't add value, since this has cost probably about that amount too. And what does the fact she's a mom have to do with it?
Any article written about a parent has to mention that fact even if it is irrelevant because... Er... No, you got me there.
Load More Replies...I really doubt this story. She and her partner may have had the plans how to renovate the house, but there have been professional contractors at work here. You just can't change the structure of a house without proper licenses, planning permission and Building Regulations approval. And I'm sure that a variety of surveys and structural engineer reports were required too if they had work done on the electricity water and gas.
She added: “While we have hired people to do the major renovations, I’ve done most of it myself, all the decor is done by me.”
Load More Replies...Soulless was my first thought. Leaving the old fireplaces and adding a bit of colour would have saved this. And doing someting nice in the garden. That plastic "grass" is the most horrible thing.
Load More Replies...Headline makes it sound like a single mom did some renovating and added a lot of value to a simple house. Reality is that it’s a couple who paid a lot of money to professionals to get a huge extension build, which probably costs close to the added value, and she did the interior design (aka bought the couch, pillows and some tables). Stupid article.
And how much designing is needed when everything is white.
Load More Replies...Not exactly my cup of tea. House is well well OK, but the garden is just confusing...it´s not even a garden anymore.
No doubt cleaned up for the photo shoot but overall looks very sterile. Each to their own.
I mean, a bunch of money can, indeed, make major structural and design updates to your house. Woo. Hoo.
Cold and unfriendly interior, garden looks more like a lawn outside a mall. Facade is ok, but I would never buy that house.
Ok, I actually like "before" more than this. It needed care not reconstruction. That backyard? More like a scrapyard. And that living room used to be bloody squatter dungeon, that's how it looked like. But few minor changes would be much better than this.
Seeing this I start to wonder how anyone can say "modern and stylish" in the same sentence as "cozy". There is so much I dont like about this.
I never find a good enough garden in all the houses i see on internet. In my house i would like to change a lot of things. But my gardan is absolutely stunning. U could sit at the swing and watch the leaves fall down. And the flowers it's all just so pretty with the little chirping birds and butterflies. I hate how all these houses r so far away from nature or anything real.
Well, that's what a nice renovation budget can do for you. We can either reno this, or just build a new one.
Beautiful, but with my luck I'd get it finished and suddenly BAM! Ooooh look, you didn't get all the proper permits from the council. Pull it all down.
I like most of it but what a shame they got rid of that beautiful fireplace surround! I would have kept that! Not keen on the glass panels on the stairs either.
Yey, all new and very chique... but pretty cold, too. I don't like the garden (the little green spot looks more like a pool). Certainly the old house needed something done, but I don't think I would like to live in the new version. Would certainly miss the fireplaces, no gas fire can compare to the smell and warmth of a real fire.
Absolutely stunning, house looks so chique. Love to do something like that to my house but finances make that just a pipe dream 😕
Backyard is too manufactured for my likings and remodelling is easy if you don;t need to count finances, which is pretty obvious by reconstruction and cars (not to mention real estate prices in UK)
This is newsworthy? This his everyday in every neighborhood in Toronto. And the prices change by far more than $110,000. Generally people are spending that much and the increase is 3 times that.
The fire place is a huge mistake. The original could have been incorporated into the "modern" design.
Yes, it does look good now a fantastic transformation but most of the price increase will have been eaten up in the cost.
Headline threw me for a moment. In the USA, a semi is the tractor part of a tractor/trailer rig.
Talk about a sterile environment! Where's the personality? Pictures of family, displays of kid art or personal effects? Use a leaf blower to clean this warehouse of a place. Sounds will echo through the entire house for all the hard/empty surfaces. Good thing there's a fireplace -- needs a lot of warmth to make it a home.
Are construction and materials really inexpensive in Liverpool? The cost of the materials alone appear to be $250,000+. New windows, doors, roof, backyard, kitchen, bathroom, skylights, fireplace, flooring, steel beam addition, exterior facade, fencing, paint, etc etc etc. Those folding patio doors had to be $20,000+ alone.
What is a semi? Does it mean semidetached? Like what would be called a duplex/triplex/etc in the States?
Yes, I believe so, which leads me to question what does the other half look like? It is a major consideration when evaluating whether the renovation was worth it.
Load More Replies...Yeah. No. In 20 years this is going to look even more dated than the old house. Black, white, and gray minimalism is a trend just like everything else. And why the heck did they concrete over the back yard? I hope their drainage is good, because rainwater will have to go somewhere now it can't drain back into the earth anymore.
Not to mention that there's an emphasis on a word "mom" in the article. What's the point of the backyard if it's too dangerous for children to play?? (no real grass, swings or other toys, full of sharp corners)
Load More Replies...“Family Home”? This is the type of house my foster parents would give me a talk before entering... “These are people to impress, Toni!”😹😹
The new kitchen is not my taste, but acceptable. The rest - ugly before, ugly after.
Overall it's fantastic but the decor is very boring and basic, like a showroom.
I think the outside (front) looks stunning. Bit too white and clean for my tastes but definitely an improvement on the pebble dash.
Yes but you need some vision and a bit of taste too. You could throw 100k at it and make multiple bad decisions.
Load More Replies...Yeah, I approve of everything (although it's not my personal taste at all) except the garden. That is a complete monstrosity! And what's with eliminating nature from our outdoor spaces? Think of the ecosystem, people!
Load More Replies...To each their own I guess. Also, she didn't add value, since this has cost probably about that amount too. And what does the fact she's a mom have to do with it?
Any article written about a parent has to mention that fact even if it is irrelevant because... Er... No, you got me there.
Load More Replies...I really doubt this story. She and her partner may have had the plans how to renovate the house, but there have been professional contractors at work here. You just can't change the structure of a house without proper licenses, planning permission and Building Regulations approval. And I'm sure that a variety of surveys and structural engineer reports were required too if they had work done on the electricity water and gas.
She added: “While we have hired people to do the major renovations, I’ve done most of it myself, all the decor is done by me.”
Load More Replies...Soulless was my first thought. Leaving the old fireplaces and adding a bit of colour would have saved this. And doing someting nice in the garden. That plastic "grass" is the most horrible thing.
Load More Replies...Headline makes it sound like a single mom did some renovating and added a lot of value to a simple house. Reality is that it’s a couple who paid a lot of money to professionals to get a huge extension build, which probably costs close to the added value, and she did the interior design (aka bought the couch, pillows and some tables). Stupid article.
And how much designing is needed when everything is white.
Load More Replies...Not exactly my cup of tea. House is well well OK, but the garden is just confusing...it´s not even a garden anymore.
No doubt cleaned up for the photo shoot but overall looks very sterile. Each to their own.
I mean, a bunch of money can, indeed, make major structural and design updates to your house. Woo. Hoo.
Cold and unfriendly interior, garden looks more like a lawn outside a mall. Facade is ok, but I would never buy that house.
Ok, I actually like "before" more than this. It needed care not reconstruction. That backyard? More like a scrapyard. And that living room used to be bloody squatter dungeon, that's how it looked like. But few minor changes would be much better than this.
Seeing this I start to wonder how anyone can say "modern and stylish" in the same sentence as "cozy". There is so much I dont like about this.
I never find a good enough garden in all the houses i see on internet. In my house i would like to change a lot of things. But my gardan is absolutely stunning. U could sit at the swing and watch the leaves fall down. And the flowers it's all just so pretty with the little chirping birds and butterflies. I hate how all these houses r so far away from nature or anything real.
Well, that's what a nice renovation budget can do for you. We can either reno this, or just build a new one.
Beautiful, but with my luck I'd get it finished and suddenly BAM! Ooooh look, you didn't get all the proper permits from the council. Pull it all down.
I like most of it but what a shame they got rid of that beautiful fireplace surround! I would have kept that! Not keen on the glass panels on the stairs either.
Yey, all new and very chique... but pretty cold, too. I don't like the garden (the little green spot looks more like a pool). Certainly the old house needed something done, but I don't think I would like to live in the new version. Would certainly miss the fireplaces, no gas fire can compare to the smell and warmth of a real fire.
Absolutely stunning, house looks so chique. Love to do something like that to my house but finances make that just a pipe dream 😕
Backyard is too manufactured for my likings and remodelling is easy if you don;t need to count finances, which is pretty obvious by reconstruction and cars (not to mention real estate prices in UK)
This is newsworthy? This his everyday in every neighborhood in Toronto. And the prices change by far more than $110,000. Generally people are spending that much and the increase is 3 times that.
The fire place is a huge mistake. The original could have been incorporated into the "modern" design.
Yes, it does look good now a fantastic transformation but most of the price increase will have been eaten up in the cost.
Headline threw me for a moment. In the USA, a semi is the tractor part of a tractor/trailer rig.
Talk about a sterile environment! Where's the personality? Pictures of family, displays of kid art or personal effects? Use a leaf blower to clean this warehouse of a place. Sounds will echo through the entire house for all the hard/empty surfaces. Good thing there's a fireplace -- needs a lot of warmth to make it a home.
Are construction and materials really inexpensive in Liverpool? The cost of the materials alone appear to be $250,000+. New windows, doors, roof, backyard, kitchen, bathroom, skylights, fireplace, flooring, steel beam addition, exterior facade, fencing, paint, etc etc etc. Those folding patio doors had to be $20,000+ alone.
What is a semi? Does it mean semidetached? Like what would be called a duplex/triplex/etc in the States?
Yes, I believe so, which leads me to question what does the other half look like? It is a major consideration when evaluating whether the renovation was worth it.
Load More Replies...Yeah. No. In 20 years this is going to look even more dated than the old house. Black, white, and gray minimalism is a trend just like everything else. And why the heck did they concrete over the back yard? I hope their drainage is good, because rainwater will have to go somewhere now it can't drain back into the earth anymore.
Not to mention that there's an emphasis on a word "mom" in the article. What's the point of the backyard if it's too dangerous for children to play?? (no real grass, swings or other toys, full of sharp corners)
Load More Replies...“Family Home”? This is the type of house my foster parents would give me a talk before entering... “These are people to impress, Toni!”😹😹
The new kitchen is not my taste, but acceptable. The rest - ugly before, ugly after.
Overall it's fantastic but the decor is very boring and basic, like a showroom.
I think the outside (front) looks stunning. Bit too white and clean for my tastes but definitely an improvement on the pebble dash.
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