Stephanie Worsop: I didn't want a fixer-upper but that's what we got

How did I end up with a do-up home when I didn't want one? Photo / Getty Images

COMMENT:

When we were looking to buy a house I was adamant I didn't want a do-up.

So what did we end up buying?

A do-up.

It wasn't on purpose. When we walked through the home we ended up buying, my rose-tinted glasses were working overtime.

I loved the big backyard for the dog, the sunny front bedroom that would become the nursery and above all, I loved the homely feeling the house gave me. I knew we had to buy it.

It wasn't until we got the keys and moved in that hubby started pointing out all the things we'd need to fix.

With horror, I started to notice the badly patched holes in the walls, the broken fence the dog would be able to get through, the alcoves in the lounge that were off-centre and the kitchen drawers that didn't open because it wasn't made to order.

It was about a month after we moved in that the walls in the hallways were pulled off and our first DIY project began.

My initial reservation about having a do-up wasn't because I didn't like the idea of renovating and adding value to our home, it was that I didn't want the stress of living in a construction zone.

But I convinced myself that inconvenience would be overridden as I got to fulfil my fantasy of being an interior designer.

For years we have talked about what we'd do if we were to build our perfect home. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted and this would be our chance to create a home we'd love living in.

Turns out, interior design is way harder than it looks. Did we want bright white or warm yellow lights in the hallway? How thick should the skirting and cornice be? Would the dark, medium or light grain wood suit our carpet? Is it weird to have wood, tile and carpet in the same house?

I don't know!

Needless to say, I haven't been much help in the renovation department. My inability to picture how something would look meant I was pretty much only good for holding the ladder and complaining when dust got in my eyes.

In late 2018 my husband decided his next project, even though the hallway still wasn't done, would be the lounge. When we found out we were pregnant in early 2019, he assured me it would be done by April.

April came and went, then May, June and July. By August I was hinting - a bit more than hinting - we needed to get builders in to get the job done.

But hubby stood his ground, reminding me how much we were saving by doing it ourselves.

I'm grateful now because he did get the lounge and hallway done in time and thankfully we didn't have to walk our newborn through a dusty construction zone to get to his nursery.

But after months of having our entire entertainment unit and lounge suite shoved into the spare bedroom, I told him no more big projects. Tinker in the gardens, put new doors on the wardrobes but don't tear down any more walls.

When do husbands listen? There's been bare jib in the kitchen for the past eight months and just the other night he started showing me a Pinterest board of sleek, beautifully organised laundries.

He assures me it will be done by Christmas.