Real Homes

Susan Williams and Mike Holland took an uninhabitable semi – with no mains services, kitchen or bathroom – and, on a tight budget, turned it into a charming period home. As well as transforming the interiors, they stripped and restored the metal windows to the front of the house and repointed the brick walls.

Clare and Steven Power enlisted the help of their son Matt when they transformed their traditional house in the country into a contemporary home. The Powers bought the house for £467,000 and have spent £63,400 on the renovations. It has recently been revalued at around £550,000.

Emma Kirkham and her husband Seth were looking for a house during the property boom and found one they could put their own stamp on as part of the purchase agreement. As a developer had previously started to renovate the house, they negotiated the cost of having the work finished to their specifications within the sale price.

Full of ideas for their Edwardian semi near the east coast of Scotland, Dee and Alistair Davison brought in the professionals to help them realise their dream.

Having always wanted to live in a historic property, Rachel and Jason Collis could not resist taking on a renovation project when the house of their dreams came up for sale. They've restored the property back to its former glory and added some contemporary twists of their own.

With seven large bedrooms in their three-storey house, Rachel and Jon Trigg decided to transform one into a luxury en suite for their master bedroom, complete with a free standing bath.

By knocking through their kitchen and living room, and extending, Holly Wright and Mike Newman have created an open-plan living space leading out to a modern garden with a stylish seating area.

Darren Birch took on a tough project, turning a property missing utilities, floors and ceilings into a stylish modern living space. The mid-terraced house is in a great location and has been transformed from virtually a ruin into a contemporary home.

Having decided to downsize and move back to Cardiff, Lyn and PJ Statham bought a Victorian property in need of serious work. The five bedroom terrace has now been transformed into a contemporary open plan home.