I’ve wanted to write about living in a money pit for a while and have written two versions of this post already today which swiftly got deleted. This week we’ve been in our home for three years and I always share a yearly update on the budget at this time but thought a more generic overview may be a little more helpful. It may be that I’ve been ill and feeling burnt out this week (more on that later,) so my words aren’t formulating in the way I want them to, or more likely, that talking about anything financial is very emotive and nuanced and sometimes even triggering. Add in talking about a financial burden which stems from a place of huge privilege and this blog post really could be a baptism of fire.

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Like many home projects, the journey to a new bathroom downstairs felt like a very long one. We lived with a carpeted (yes, that’s right, carpet) bathroom for 2 and a half years in a dark and miserable space with a cramped layout and a toilet that never wanted to flush. Then the project itself took over six months due to various reasons including suddenly realising our bathroom upstairs was leaking also (reveal for that one coming soon,) and our contractor booked in for the job became very poorly and ending up in hospital the week before he was set to start the work.

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We’ve been living in our 400 year old thatched cottage for almost three years now, and, as it’s a relatively rare roof type for houses in the UK, feel like I can give a little insight into our experience so far.

In fact, there are only 35,000 thatched homes in the UK, of which 24,000 are listed, which means that thatched homes make up for just 0.1% (and unlisted thatched homes, likes ours, make up for 0.04%). There are many pros and cons to living and owning a home with a thatched roof, but it is undoubtedly the aesthetic that draws most people in to their charms. The unique, soft, country look, can certainly appear whimsical and romantic and the perfect backdrop for a wild cottage garden or a glisteningly white snowy day.

However, are they as magical to live with as they appear in a photograph?

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For years I’ve looked at the sad space (half-landing) on our stairs knowing we weren’t using it to it’s full potential. I spent months and months looking for second hand bookshelves but unsurprisingly, could never find a piece that was exactly the right size and shape for such a specific area. We also couldn’t afford to have one made and installed by a carpenter so I was really excited to find DIY Alcove Cabinets.

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Looking for kid’s bedding sets is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack… there are some gorgeous sets out there but you have to search few a lot of Barbie and Marvel characters to get there. So let me save you time and share my top 15 single duvet covers from as little as £11.

Post contains affiliate links. Prices are accurate as of date published - 30th January 2023.

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On moving day, when I first realised we had a pull-out larder, I was so excited about it, I sent a picture of it to a friend’s house reno group I have on WhatsApp! Little did I know, that I would actually come to hate it, as it always got stuck, the kids couldn’t open or close it by themselves it was so heavy, and it was difficult to see what food items we actually had in stock. Not to mention the shelves were made from metal racking so smaller items didn’t sit straight and things fell through to the shelves below.

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Although I actually quite liked the original colour of our cupboards (some by John Lewis of Hungerford, some by IKEA), they were chipped and looking pretty sorry for themselves after we’d made improvements elsewhere. Once our new flooring was finally in, I decided it was time to give them a refresh.

First up, this jobs takes a while. You need a good block of time to do this properly, and it really helped me that my husband took the kids away for three days to his parents. I did three 18 hour DIY shifts in a row (I had time off in between whilst the paint was drying to do other stuff like eat, wash and work) but even then they weren’t completely finished.

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Cushions are great for bringing new life to an old sofa and a pop of colour or pattern to your room on a smaller, more manageable scale. I love mixing high street finds with covers from independent sellers, and when I have the time, I’ll even make my own, using fabric from old dresses, bedlinen or spare scraps I have saved in my fabric stash.

If making your own isn’t for you, here are some of my recent cushion finds under £20:

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This is an idea I have wanted to try out for ages. I love a naturally wooden floor, but in some circumstances where the original floorboards have already been painted, or aren’t in the best condition, painting them may actually be a better option.

It’s worth noting that this look does require more maintenance than oiled floors but it can really transform a room. Rather than going with a block colour for our summerhouse makeover, I decided to paint a checkerboard pattern to bring a bit more interest and fun into the space. I’m also hoping the pattern will detract slightly from the scuffs and marks that an outdoor playhouse will inevitably attain over time.

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