Amazing before and after photos show how a savvy mum increased her home's value by £32,000 by using DIY hacks and upcycling second-hand finds.
Tara Slinger, from Lancashire, decided to transform her 1930s end-of-terrace house after settling down with her husband Joe in 2019.
The 29-year-old has tripled her £10,000 home investment through the project which saw her go hard to work polishing, sanding and wallpapering after scouring charity shops for hidden gems.
And she says the secrets to her success have been using everything from paint and vinyl to regular £1 black tape for the renovation.
With three-year-old Henry now a toddler, Tara had more time to put into the project and she soon caught the DIY bug.
Her primary goal was to create an inspiring space, but to do so on a budget.
Tara's beige bathroom was low on the priority list and with the average bathroom costing UK homeowners £6,500, a full renovation seemed off the cards.
Instead, Tara used white Ronseal tile paint for £15 to refresh the tiles and injected some colour using patterned wallpaper on the ceiling from Ohme Decor.
To modernise the space, Tara painted the fixtures and fittings black using Frenchic's 'Blackjack' costing £12 and finished off by transforming her shower screen.
A crittall-style shower screen could set you back upwards of £250 - but Tara achieved hers using £1 black electrical tape.
Elsewhere in her home, Tara took her dining room table sourced for free on Facebook Marketplace and sanded the top, stained it, and painted the base 'Hague Blue' to completely transform the piece.
To complete the room's luxury look, Tara gathered a selection of frames from charity shops and painted them all gold for a grand total of £20.
In just over three years, the mum has spent an estimated £10,000 in improving her home, including a £5,000 kitchen refit, but has increased the property's value by an incredible £32,000.
She purchased the home for £148,000 but recent valuations place the property at an estimated £170,000 to £180,000.
"I've always been creative but after mine and Joe's wedding, I decided I'd had enough of our home as it was," Tara said.
"My son Henry was no longer a baby and we'd paid for the wedding, so it seemed like the perfect time to start on the house.
"I grew up in a hardworking family and we always had what we needed but I loved being about to make things my own. I'd upcycle old clothes to give them new personality.
"I want Henry to have that same feeling to grow up in a home that inspires him and shows him that anything is possible even on a cheap budget.
"I always aim to do everything as cheap as possible. Why spend hundreds or thousands when a few hours of work could achieve the same look for much less?
"Our dining table is the perfect example of this. We got it for free on Facebook Marketplace and sanded it, stained it, painted the base and now it looks completely different.
"I love charity shops so made a gold frame wall using second-hand finds and paint. Paint and a bit of imagination can go a long way".
A lick of white paint went a long way in creating a blank canvas for Tara to work from in her bathroom, where she replaced the old look with stylish wallpaper.
She said: "Paint and vinyl are magic. They're useful for so many projects. There are plenty of items out there on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and in charity shops too that just need a creative eye to make them special again.
"In around three-and-a-half years, we've spent about ten-thousand-pounds including the kitchen refit but the house value has increased by around thirty-two-thousand-pounds."
Tara has no plans to stop DIYing anytime soon and is currently in the process of building her own fitted wardrobes saving her thousands of pounds.
"You'll encounter some challenges," Tara said.
"As we have a 1930s house, some of the walls and ceilings aren't up to scratch but it's nothing that can't be fixed with some TLC.
"Think outside the box, look for things you love and then think about how you could achieve this."
And the mum mum says the pandemic has now inspired her to set up her own homeware store, @ourlayeredhome.studio, where she draws designs for cost-friendly furniture.
"Just because you don't have bottomless pockets, it doesn't mean you can't achieve a home you love and are proud of," Tara said.
"I always want our home to feel inviting and inspiring, but ultimately, it's a reflection of our personalities. There's no need to decorate for potential future owners. Decorate for yourself, now."