Renovating the hard way

Renovating their treasured 1950s bungalow has been a classic pleasure-pain saga for Tracey and Nathan.

On the one hand, theyre elated at the results they've achieved in some parts of the house. But on the other hand, they are sadly disappointed with the amateur job done in other areas and the waste of time and effort it represents.

We started out with the main bedroom stripping the wallpaper, explains Tracey. Two layers with paint in between. It was horrific. It just took ages, and it was big on stress for both of us. All our time was taken up no social life. We persisted with this approach in the lounge and dining room. Scraping. Sanding. Bogging. Sanding. It was diabolical. Then, when we painted it, well it looked really tacky and amateur.

The surface we sanded smooth really wasn't , and you can see all sorts of marks and imperfections in the walls. Tracey and Nathan reconsidered their plans and consulted a builder who recommended that they remove the old linings and replace them with new ones. At first, we thought it sounded like a bit of a major, but once we got into it, we realised that it was much easier than the scraping-sanding way and the finish is absolutely stunning. What's more, we were able to put in insulation and so the place is warmer and quieter. We don't get the condensation that we used to. With the old linings off, Tracey and Nathan were able to replace the old wiring for peace of mind, put in new plumbing pipes and relocate light fittings to suit.

“We also got to put multiple power points in all the right places, TV and stereo outlets and that sort of stuff, says Tracey. Tracey and Nathan advice for would-be renovators is don't rush in and start stripping wallpaper. We thought taking off the linings was over-the-top at first, but having now tried both options, there's no comparison. Replacing the linings gave us a much better finish and enabled us to do a whole lot more important things that have made our home more comfortable all round.