By Mahima Kaur
THIS MUM-of-three beat the cost of living crisis by adding £75K to her £225K home by spending just £3K and transformed her drab white new-build into a painted haven.
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Administrator Hayley Somerton (37) from Norfolk moved into her three-bedroom home in Kings Lynn, Norfolk in 2020 with her family- a husband, Lee Somerton (37) who isa Construction Foreman and three children Amelie (10), Arlo (7) and Amos(3).
Hayley’s incredible self-taught DIY transformation which has added a whopping £75K to her home, using NO outside help shows how cash strapped home-owners do not need to spend a lot of money to increase the value of their homes and improve their quality of life, especially during these times of cash crunch, to make an impact.
The couple purchased their home in 2020 for £225K passionate lover of fashion, Hayley is an interior-obsessive since the day she moved into her new home.
She wanted to add character to her plain white new build home and she took to paints and patterns to fulfil this.
She took the help of her supportive husband to paint her home and added stylish elements from her living room to her bathroom.
She spent just £60 to transform her children’s rooms. She used new paint to make it a room of her children’s dreams.
“This is my first home that we own, as we always rented before,” said Hayley.
“So I was excited to finally be able to decorate it according to my own style and taste.
“I wanted to do something to the house that reflected my personality.
“I decided to transform it from the plain white boring new build to a house that defined us.”
Hayley had full support of her husband who spent a lot of time painting the walls with her and thankfully, her children loved the outcome.
“I am lucky to have a husband who trusts my design instinct,” she said.
“He gave all my suggestions a go even though the checkerboard print paint took him a long time.
“The stairs, which now have a beautiful pink paint, are because of his precision and ability.
“My daughter (name), who is 10, loves art and design. She loves and appreciates the colour and the vibrancy of the home.”
Looking at the transformation of Hayley’s abode, it may come as a surprise to many that she spent a mere £3K on it.
“We painted each and every room ourselves, but tried to make a statement by doing so,” she said.
“We spent £60 worth of paint in our children’s room even though the cost varied from room-to-room.
“A big expense was probably using frog-tape and good paint brushes.
“We used Valsar gold in every room but I have tried to use a different colour in every room.
“We also painted the stairs which are my most favourite part of the house.
“I made the stairs the ‘wow’ factor of the house as I settled for a cheaper hallway floor due to cost restrictions.”
Hayley has unleashed her creativity to style all her rooms- from plants in the bathrooms to swan print rug for the kitchen.
“I have tried to buy nice prints and rugs to style my home,” she said.
“My swan print rug for the kitchen is a real statement and cost me around £260.
“My husband found painting scallops the hardest but they looked easy to me.
“Even though I love letting my creative instincts flow, my husband did a good amount of the physical work as he believes that I am too slap dash.”
Hayley’s DIY has not only transformed her home but also her life. Living in her own home that is decorated in her taste and style has uplifted her mood and happiness.
“People’s comments on Instagram are so positive,” she said.
“No one has ever said anything negative to me.
“People share my work and it makes me so happy.
“Some people were shocked that a new build can be so colourful as new builds are known to sit in a box of being bland with no character.
“People should just do what they want and their house should reflect their character.
“I know so many people hold back when it comes to decorating the house, which shouldn’t be the case.”
TOTAL:£3,000
