Stick the kettle on
Hello
We’re Fi + Neil
We help new renovators create their dream homes, minus the stress!
Our Hillarys Shutters: An honest review
We just had shutters installed to our bay window by Hillarys – here is a full Hillarys review including a before and after reveal. We’re so proud of the transformation!
Lightwave switches: A review of smart electrics for the home
We decided to go the whole hog in our mission to create the most optimal waking up scenario. Check out what we came up with when we installed smart electrics in our bedroom
Fitting our brand new parquet flooring | Our 1930s house renovation
We recently had engineered wood parquet flooring fitted to our bedroom renovation. Here we divulge the costs, design choices and the full installation. If you’re considering fitting parquet floors, read this first!
How to select a truly cohesive colour scheme for your home
Selecting a cohesive colour scheme is tough but important! This guide explains why and how to make colour decisions you’re really pleased with…
Our new UPVC bay windows install | 1930s house renovation
When we moved into our 1930s house back in 2016, one of the inconvenient truths flagged in our survey was that we would need to install new UPVC bay windows at some point fairly soon (in fact, most of the windows needed replacing).
Our surveyor quoted about £10K to replace the front windows 🤯
…but luckily we negotiated the price of the property before we exchanged and managed to get that knocked off the price 👍
Planning a Bathroom Layout - The Ultimate Guide
It’s crazy just how much I’ve learned about bathroom layouts big and small that I knew nothing about when we were rushing to renovate our own bathroom all those years ago. They are one of the hardest projects to get right…
Interview with a renovator - Jen's Victorian house renovation
Today we’re chatting with Jen & Michael, Reno Club members who have just got the keys to their Victorian renovation with insane levels of potential!
Our alcove wardrobes reveal | 1930s bedroom renovation
How we transformed our tricky alcoves by fitting these stunning alcove fitted wardrobes for maximum storage!
Old School renovation update – 6 months in
Sarah from the old Victorian school in Scotland is back with another round up of their reno progress 6 month in, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly….
How much does a structural engineer cost?
Are you in the middle of a renovation project and finding yourself overwhelmed with the list of consultants you need to hire? Don’t panic! We’re here to help you with our structural engineer guide on what services they do and at what cost.
8 rarely spoken about tips for designing your home
In this guide, I want to share with you some proven home decoration tips that I practice daily to support those of you who are designing a room currently.
Ultimate Guide: What to look for when buying a house to renovate
Neil and I bought our house in 2016. There it is in the photo above. Having never bought a fixer-upper before it's safe to say there were a lot of things we were completely blind to when we came to the house to view it.
If you're on the market for a fixer upper, or you think one day you'd like to do a renovation project and make a house completely your own, then there's a few points I've learned to look out for along the way.
8 rarely talked about tips for designing your home
In this guide, I want to share with you some proven home decoration tips that I practice daily to support those of you who are designing a room currently.
How we used our own online course to smash our renovation budgeting and layout
We spent an entire day doing the first two modules of our own course in order to create a budget and layout for our master bedroom, it brought into view once again just how much work and thinking is required in a renovation.
What does an Architect do?
If you’re doing an architectural project, it’s very likely that you will at least talk to an architect at some point or another in the design process. However, the role and level of involvement of the architect can be different from one development to another depending on the size and client’s choices. If you’re wondering exactly what the role of the architect is, how much and what you should ask from them, here’s a little guide on what architects do.
What does a structural engineer do?
If you are in the middle of a renovation project and are making significant changes to your house, chances are you will be needing a structural engineer. If you are unsure what their role is, here’s a guide to the structural engineer’s job and what you should expect from them.
DIY tool list for the aspiring UK renovator
Check out our DIY tools list. If you’re on the look out for tools for your DIY project check out what we used.
Chartered surveyor interview: House surveys for renovations
If you’re planning on renovating then a survey is a an absolute must. We’ve seen members of our community pull out of their property purchases due to the issues found in surveys. Today we speak to chartered surveyor Leo Horsfield for his advice to a potential renovator on getting a house survey done.
Home renovation insurance - Do I actually need it?
Is home renovation insurance actually required? That’s what we take a look at in this blog post.
8 Extra long hallway runners you will LOVE
Extra long hallway runners can be hard to find, trust us, we’ve looked. However there are some beautiful options out there if you look hard enough, so put your feet up and click through because we’ve done all of the shopping for you.