Labour of Love
On our second viewing of Alpine, Karen the estate agent asked if we could see ourselves living here, I didn’t hesitate to tell her I was picturing a wedding in the garden. I’d gone well beyond imagining living here, I was signing up for the long game. The forever home. We saved Alpine to our Rightmove favourites in early 2020 when we’d started thinking about relocating, at which point a move was hoped to be within five years. It sold but remained in the list for our research purposes, if I’m being totally honest we thought we’d be looking for something more rural and didn’t think we could get a coastal property anyway. In August the same year when we moved down to live in a holiday let, it was back on the market, after a drive around the area with my jaw on the floor we booked our first viewing. We both met here after work and as cheesy as it sounds, so cheesy I’m afraid to write it….it felt like I was driving home after the day at work. My friends and family know I’m not much of a settler, I haven’t lived long in previous projects and didn’t even really spend much time at home. Until Alpine. We moved in on Christmas eve 2020 and I have now lived here for longer than any of my previous projects. For me this is most likely the forever home, Lee keeps dropping plans to move again, but I’ve never felt this level of commitment to a home before, maybe it’s because it’s the first one I’ve properly shared with someone else, maybe it’s because I see a future filled with hope here, or maybe it’s the challenge and not fancying doing it all again! I thought I’d try something different for this blog and ask chat GPT to pose a list of questions for me and Lee to answer….here goes.
What inspired you to embark on this home renovation project together?
Charlotte: I always knew we’d do a renovation, being creative and particular I thought we’d be unlikely to find something that ticked all the boxes, additionally the value of investment when starting with something dated has always been an incentive for me. However it had to be Alpine because I instantly felt calm here.
Lee: The location, being close to the sea and because of Charlotte.
What did you love about the project before starting and what do you love about it now?
Charlotte: I loved how peaceful it was, it’s a dead end with only a few more properties beyond us so there’s very little coming and going. The new kitchen, although currently a shell, is something I love, it’s got such great light and I can picture it so easily! I also love the spare bedroom, which we’re using until the master bedroom is built, in a morning I like to open the window and get back in bed to read and listen to the sea thrashing in the background.
Lee: The view through the big window to the garden and the garden itself. I like the skylights.
How did you both approach the decision-making process when it came to design choices?
Charlotte: I’ve made every decision. Lee is holding out hope for a lazy boy chair, so I need to knock his socks off with everything else so he forgets that.
Lee: Charlotte makes the design decisions obviously, but I’d like a book case hidden door which we’re hoping to include in the next phase.
Can you share a memorable moment or experience you’ve had while working on the renovation?
Charlotte: We haven’t physically done very much DIY at all, but a memorable moment has to be breaking ground. I made the first dig for the foundations and have the photos to prove it.
Lee: When the fence was finished and Blue could run around the garden.
Did you encounter any unexpected challenges during the renovation, and how did you overcome them as a couple?
Charlotte: We didn’t expect to be without a kitchen for so long, initially we struggled with a steamer and the microwave but a few weeks in bought an air fryer which has been a saviour. We also treat ourselves with some decent roast dinners out, it’s important to still do the things we enjoy so we make sure to budget for that.
Lee: The cost of materials rising, particularly timber, was a challenge but we’ve planned pauses and carried on after saving.
What role did communication play in ensuring the success of the renovation project?
Charlotte: Being an organiser I set up group chats at the start of the project. I tend to liaise with all the trades and Lee occasionally makes an input. Every so often we have a project chat the two of us so I can keep Lee in the loop with what’s happening, but generally I get on with it.
Were there any sacrifices you had to make along the way, and how did you navigate that?
Charlotte: It’s a temporary problem but at the moment we don’t have a bath, fortunately we have a lovely new shower, but we’re both fans of a bath with salts and a book so that’s something we’re missing. Probably more than a kitchen. We use the local hotel spa where we have a membership for some R&R after work instead. It’s a yearly investment but we go at least three times a week and I think this has been really important in helping us relax amongst the chaos.
Lee: Showering in the first few months was a challenge as the original one had to be ripped out, so we went to the gym every day! Since the old kitchen came out we haven’t been able to cook pizza because we only have an air fryer, pitta bread pizzas and deliveries have been the alternative!
How has the renovation impacted your relationship or brought you closer together?
Charlotte: It’s been challenging, renovating is more my dream than Lees which means I’m more passionate and I’ve had to recognise that, I’d spend all weekend working on the house in some way whereas Lee makes sure we do other things that we enjoy and took full responsibility for booking our upcoming holidays. We like to talk about how things will be when the house is finished/when the next phase is complete, we’re both quite good at picturing days at home and know there’s a lot to come for Alpine.
Lee: It’s made us physically closer together as we don’t have as much space at the moment. It’s made me realise we’re quite minimal, we’ve packed everything up and we don’t have much stuff.
Did you incorporate any personal touches or special elements into the renovation that hold sentimental value for both of you?
Charlotte: Lee bought me a very meaningful print when I was in hospital in 2022. It’s very much the illustration of one person having hope for something out of reach, and the other person coming along to bring what seems a stretch too far, within grasp. It isn’t on the wall yet, but we know where it will go when we’re at that stage.
How did you manage the budget for the renovation, and did you find it challenging to stay within your financial constraints?
Both: We had a pot, we gathered estimate and started a spreadsheet to track everything. We’ve continued to save throughout and have made decisions with a long future here in mind, this has meant spending more than we would normally but this isn’t a property to flip and the local market supports the investment we’ve made.
How will you celebrate or mark the completion of the renovation project together?
Charlotte: We’re both craving laying down on our sofa, it’s more than 6ft long and sadly too big for our temporary lounge. So as soon as we can, we’ll have that in situ and we’ll be fighting for the the weighted blanket. We often talk about the meals we want to make in the kitchen, I want to make homemade pizzas, nachos, meringue and coffee cake. Obviously not all at once, but maybe in one weekend!
Lee: Watch football on a TV that’s not like a stamp (for reference our TV is 32 inch and Lee wants a 75 inch).
Looking back on the experience, what advice would you give to other couples considering embarking on a home renovation journey together?
Charlotte: Identify what you both want to get out of the process and what you’re each willing to do. Make time for hobbies and conversations that aren’t to do with your project. Save some money each month, even if it’s just a small amount, to do something you love doing together, missing the things that made your relationship special, particularly when living in a renovation, can be tough.
Lee: One of the couple needs to not work full time. It’s hard if you both have full time jobs as doing it yourself is time consuming and we didn’t even physically do the work.
Lastly, looking ahead, what are your hopes and dreams for your forever home once the renovation is finished?
Charlotte: I want to have a very small to do list, and a place for everything. I find the endless admin and disorganisation of our things the hardest part of the process. I crave simplicity and relaxation, I suppose that comes with doing renovations back to back and not having time to enjoy the hard work in between. It’s a very special home, it’s already supported us through grief, surgery, a career change and fresh starts but we do hold a big dream to get married in the garden and have a family here, that’s what’s kept me patient and driven.
Lee: Apart from watching TV, I’m just looking forward to living in a house that’s not upside down.
Every project brings a different set of challenges, if like us you live in your renovation and complete the work in stages it requires a whole load of patience and compromise. It’s not always easy, but the investment in energy, time and money brings a sweet reward. If you need some help getting started, solving problems along the way or overcoming decision fatigue, I relate to your position and would be delighted to help you get the best from your new home. You can read my blogs, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, join the renovation membership or we can work together to design your home.
Happy renovating,
Charlotte & Lee