Have you ever heard of “Homes for a Pound?”
It’s a housing program in the United Kingdom where the council sells homes abandoned for over a decade for a pound – or a little over a dollar in the United States.
The program hopes they can sell the properties in the Webster Triangle to people willing to renovate and give life to these homes again and revive the entire neighborhood.
There are four conditions for those who buy a home under this program.
The buyer should be living or working in Liverpool, a first-time homeowner, has the financial capacity or source of funds to renovate the house, and can renovate it within 12 months.
These are pretty stiff conditions, but then-28-year-old Maxine Sharples was curious about this program and thought this was the best opportunity to own a home.
Maxine was a fresh graduate when she bought the home with little savings.
But she was determined to make something out of nothing, so she gathered all the resources and courage to finish this.
That doesn’t mean that she didn’t face any challenges along the way.
All her hard work paid off when the interior finally came together.
Maxine significantly changed the construction by inverting the house’s layout.
The ground floor now has two bedrooms and a bathroom, and she moved the staircase further back to make room for the bathroom.
The second floor has all the common areas: the kitchen, dining, and living rooms.
One thing that she changed in the bedrooms was installing heated flooring.
Maxine turned one of the rooms into her bedroom, which was ample space for a queen-sized bed, drawers, and much more.
On the other hand, she couldn’t decide what the other room should be, so it stayed as a stock room for now.
Maxine’s bathroom looks so elegant with its black design.
It’s not the typical color any person would want in their bathroom, but this one worked really well for her.
You certainly would never guess it used to be part of a crumbling house!
Heading upstairs, Maxine maximized the staircase landing for a small utility area.
It has a sink where she often works on her plants and her washer and dryer underneath.
This may not be the best place for a utility room, but she made it work!
Then, there’s a doorway beside it, and you’ll be amazed at what’s inside.
What a beautiful common space Maxine created here!
Your eyes would direct you to that beautiful kitchen island with a marble countertop, wide counter, and sink.
The island serves as her dining table, which is a smart move because she can cook and entertain at the same time.
Further in the room is her living area, where she loves to lounge and chill.
Maxine added a sunroof to add more natural light to the room.
The plants she has hanging around also add freshness and calmness, making it a zen space for her to relax, do yoga, or read a book.
It’s really beautiful, don’t you think?
It may have taken her a long time to finish this, but Maxine is proud of her work.
She shared with Make It that she spent $74,000 on materials and labor.
She thought she might rent out the place but never sell it because she couldn’t imagine not owning this house.
Learn more about Maxine’s ups and downs in renovating her “$1 home” in the video below!
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