First-time buyer transforms Victorian terrace into Instagrammable pad
A pair of first-time buyers have transformed their outdated Victorian terrace into an Instagram-worthy home.
Imogen Woodage and her fiancé bought the two-bedroom property in Trafford, Greater Manchester for just £225,000 in 2018.
They moved in by June of that year and got to renovating right away, ripping out the entire kitchen and painting the rooms in pretty pastels throughout.
The couple spent between £20,000 and £25,000 of their savings on the revamp, as well as cutting costs through DIY.
Five years later, they are living in their dream home and have garnered an impressive 13,400 followers on the Instagram account @elm_terraceinterior.
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Recalling when they first moved into the home, 30-year-old Imogen told Manchester Evening News: "We didn’t really know what we wanted so we viewed a real mix of houses from new builds to older houses.
The property looks completely different from the moment you walk up to its front door (Manchester Evening News)"Most of the houses that we viewed were terraces because of the budget that we had.
"We knew we wanted to be in south [Greater] Manchester, even thought it's more expensive than other areas because that's where our families are and we also work over this side.
"After searching for a while this one in Sale came up and we viewed it on a bit of a whim. It wasn’t until we saw it that I got my heart set on a Victorian-style home because of the traditional features in the house."
Although the home was love at first sight for interior designer Imogen, her partner had some reservations.
Imogen's living room before the refurb (Manchester Evening News WS)She said: "Alex wasn't quite sure about it because it was quite run down, it hadn't been lived in for months, it was rented out before we bought it and it stank of smoke, it was pretty grim.
"But as soon as I saw it I loved it and knew it was the one.
It had all the Victorian features I loved, such as parquet floor running through the hallway and lounge, a Victorian fireplace with pink and blue tiles and high ceilings.
"It was also a good size. It's got a basement as well and not many of the houses on the road have one. I ended up convincing Alex so then we put an offer in."
The living room has now been transformed with beautiful pastel tones (Manchester Evening News)The couple offered £5,000 below the asking price due to the outdated state of the kitchen.
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Imogen said: "We put the offer in on the Friday and on the Monday they came back and said the owner had accepted our offer of £225,000.
"The buying process wasn't that bad for us because we weren't in competition with anyone, it all ran fairly smoothly because I don’t think anyone else had put an offer on it.
"The whole process took about three months before we finally got the keys."
The kitchen when Imogen and partner Alex first moved in (Manchester Evening News WS)The couple started to work on the living room first, progressing to the bathroom and bedroom, leaving the kitchen - their biggest job - for last.
Imogen said: "We started with the lounge on the day we moved in because was definitely the easiest and most simple because all we needed to do was repaint and furnish it.
"It had the parquet flooring which we loved, it had the fireplace and it still had all dado rails, picture rails, and the rose on the ceiling so we kept all of that.
"I had two weeks off work when we first moved in so in that time I did the lounge, our bedroom and the bathroom.
Imogen used gorgeous deep blue tones mixed with natural wood in the kitchen (Manchester Evening News)"Although the bathroom wasn't to our taste it was fairly new and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it so I just painted it.
The kitchen was the biggest job. We needed to start all over again right down to the walls which needed re-plastering.
"We ripped the entire kitchen out in the first few weeks and just lived off microwavable meals for two months whilst we waited for it to be fitted."
The couple were strict on their budget in the three years before moving in, and were able to use leftover money saved up for their deposit to renovate.
A similar colour palette has been used in the bedroom which is an oasis of tranquility (Manchester Evening News)Imogen added: "I’d say probably £8,000 of that went on the kitchen alone including all the tradesmen.
"A lot of it went on furniture because we didn’t have anything, we needed a lot of big items from the sofa to the beds and chairs and tables."
She found inspiration for her home through ideas on social media over the years, eventually setting up a dedicated Instagram page for the property.
Imogen continued: "After a while I just really enjoyed doing it, speaking to people on it and also using it for inspiration.
The kitchen also features a stylish work space or breakfast bar (Manchester Evening News)
The couple's new pad is now an Instagrammable haven (Manchester Evening News)"In no way am I a photographer but I like setting up shots and styling rooms to get pictures and so it's definitely become an unexpected hobby.
"My following has grown organically and I’ve never set out to have a certain amount of followers, it's more just a form of escape and enjoyment.
"I think if it ever became like that then it wouldn't be for the right reasons, there's a lot more to worry about than how many likes and followers I get."
The couple also renovated their garden during lockdown and created a unique outdoor bar.
The lounge is decorated in a lighter calm blue with soft pink furnishings (Manchester Evening News)"I’d seen someone build a bar in their garden on Instagram and I thought it was a nice thing to do," she said.
"Someone down the road was having some work done on their house and there were loads of pallets outside so I asked if they needed them and they said they didn’t so we used their palettes.
"My dad made the bar for us and since then quite a few people have asked him if he can do theirs."
Referring to her plans for the future, Imogen said: "We want to stay here as long as possible, I think that the only thing that would mean that we might need to move would be if we were to start a family.
Imogen in her new dining room (Manchester Evening News)
The bathroom boasts a stylish floor and glossy black bath (Manchester Evening News)"I think we could start a family here but I don’t think it would be for the long term. I think we’d still stay in Sale because we just love the location and there's lots of lovely bigger versions of our house."
And on what advice she would give to other first-time buyers hoping to get on the property ladder, she said: "I think there's a lot of negativity around young people getting on the ladder.
"You hear all these stats that no one will not be able to afford a house and I know it depends on your circumstances but I definitely think if it's something that you're passionate about and you want to do it, it is possible.
"We actually didn't think we'd be able to get on the ladder as soon as we did until we spoke to the bank, sometimes you don't realise that it's closer than you might think."
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