Danielle Pearce, 45, a sales director from Doncaster, lives with her partner Martin in a four-bed 17th-century home she bought for £268,000. She first saw the house while walking with her grandad as a child and promised herself she would buy it one day. When it came on the market in 2019, she did.
Property details and costs
Danielle paid a deposit of around £40,000 and now owes £234,000 on the property. Her monthly mortgage is £1,010, council tax is £160, and her water bill is £60. She says the water bill is pricey because she bathes twice a day for an hour, using what she estimates is a family of four's worth of water. Electricity costs £180, and she leaves every light on, which she compares to Blackpool Illuminations.
The house is one of four on the road, built in the late 1700s, with double bay windows and a tiny front door. Danielle moved in February 2020, just before lockdown, which gave her six to eight weeks of decorating time.
Renovations and design
Every room needed work. Danielle redid all the wiring, added new light fittings, a new boiler, patio doors, and landscaping. She also had the driveway overhauled, French drains installed, garage repairs, new fencing, decks, flooring, and a kitchen refit. She added a downstairs toilet in what was an old meat store, which still has hooks in the ceiling. The total renovation cost £60,000, double her initial estimate.
Her interior style is maximalist, and she enjoys upcycling. One favourite piece is a 1950s vanity from eBay for about £40, which she and her dad modified to fit the pipes.
Future plans
Danielle and Martin plan to move to France. They appeared on the Channel 4 show "Château DIY: Win The Dream," where contestants redesign a French château worth £250,000. They did not win, but it inspired their dream. They plan to get a campervan and spend two to three weeks at a time in different areas to find where they want to settle, preferring somewhere further south for the weather. They have a buyer for the Doncaster home, who Danielle says felt the same connection to the house when she walked in.
Danielle says it will be tough to say goodbye, as she has invested money, time, emotion, and love into the house. She feels grateful to have lived there and helped bring it back to life.
