How to renovate for first time buyers.

Having never owned a home and never renovated a property, entering the world of mortgages and building work for the very first time is a pretty scary prospect.

Buying a house in the middle of the countryside, with no mains gas for heating and a house with electrics that look like they were installed when the house was built is all pretty daunting but with a lot of research and a lot of bartering costs down things are now starting to come together.

First on the list to attend to was getting the house secure and feeling safe so the locks are changed making it feel like the house is actually ours and none of the previous rental tenants would have the possibility of letting themselves in with a spare key.

Before we can really access where and how and what heating to install we decided the best plan of action was to gut the property to see what we are left with and then make a plan from there. Once the smashing had begun our little Cornish home started to get a little bit bigger, with unpractical kitchens removed to exposed blocked off larders and double fireplaces built just for show we certainly have gained a lot more room in the house. Now to sit back and take in the space and do some research on what's the most practical heating to get in the house and how to make it as warm as possible for a cheap as possible.

Wrapped up in duvets drinking hot tea, now for the research on lpg heating, oil heating, eco friendly wood pellet heating and insulation. I never ever thought my friday nights would consist of so much research and so little pub action.

Here's to being a first time house owner during a recession and building on a budget.