and so it begins...

I've been thinking about doing this for a while. I realised, not to sound to Liam Neeson-y, that I had a particular set of skills... but unlike Liam, they won't make it a nightmare for people like you, but will hopefully help and bring a little calm to your everyday life.

I like things simple. I am always looking for ways to make life easier. Tips and tricks and recipes and DIYs. I'm interested in making my home beautiful, but like most people I have to do it on a budget. So, if you fancy joining me on our home journey from shabby to hopefully more chic, then please do. I would love some company along the way and to hear your thoughts on what we are trying to do.

If you have already visited the 'about' page, then you might know a bit more about us and our life as a family of six. Our journey into making our home how we dreamed, is finally about to begin and I want to take you along with us. Hopefully, there will lots of highs and not many lows as we extend our three bedroom (and far to pokey for six people) semi detached 1950's home. It's the kind of house that can be found anywhere in the UK but it is wonderfully special because it's our home, it's full of family, fun and love. It just needs more of it!

We are adding a double storey extension to the side of our house with two bedrooms upstairs, with a garage, utility and a toilet/shower room below. We will be taking out the downstairs rear wall and extending it 4m out across the back of house, this will extend the kitchen and dining room and make a much larger kitchen, family room, and dining area. It will have bifold doors opening up the whole back wall into the garden which will have the current detached garage removed, and have a patio and lawned area with raised beds for planting. The front garden will have the lawn removed; replaced with a raised bed and block paving for parking.

You see, there is so much to do. We are of course doing some of the work ourselves to save on cost, so this will be hilarious...

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