Resi

15/07/2026

25/04/2026

Rob and Alex went in prepared. Spreadsheets, decision-making done upfront, quotes in early. And they still got caught out by the small stuff. Full story on YouTube — link in bio.

24/04/2026

Renovating a period home means making choices the internet will have opinions about. Rob and Alex took out the chimneys, swapped the aluminium windows for sash, and reused the original bricks from the outhouse on the outside of the extension. Some things had to go. Others were worth fighting to keep. The rule they kept coming back to: does it feel like the house it always was — just better? Full story on YouTube — link in bio.

23/04/2026

The bathroom had a chimney breast in it. Not a fireplace — just the breast, taking up enough room that they could only ever fit a short bath.
That came out. In went a full-sized semi-freestanding bath, terrazzo tiles, electric underfloor heating, a window restored to its original Victorian size, and a laundry chute that drops straight down to the utility cupboard below.
Oh, and a whirlpool flush toilet that Rob says he’d never go back from. His words, not ours.

22/04/2026

If you’re planning an extension, write this down: start your party wall agreement early. Like, embarrassingly early. Rob and Alex thought theirs would take 6 weeks. It took 15. And until it was signed off, their builder couldn’t touch the footings — meaning the extension itself was frozen while everything else crept along. It also wiped out their entire contingency. The underpinning, the movement monitoring, covering their neighbour’s surveyor costs on top of their own. None of that was in the original budget. The build itself? Fine. The party wall? That’s the bit they’d do differently. Full story on YouTube — link in bio.

21/04/2026

The old carpet on the stairs sold for £20. A collector came and took it away.
The new staircase was built with the loft conversion already in mind — first floor layout planned around it so phase two can plug straight in without starting from scratch.
That’s the difference between renovating reactively and renovating with a plan.

20/04/2026

There was a narrow alley running down the side of this house. A shed, some overgrown ivy, and a channel that basically went nowhere. Rob calls it “a bit of a dead space” — sandwiched between their house and the neighbour’s, it wasn’t really anyone’s. Now it’s a full kitchen, dining room, and snug. They didn’t lose garden to build it either — they extended the other side to keep the balance.

19/04/2026

Knowing your strengths and splitting accordingly is one of the best things a couple can do on a renovation. Less overlap, less arguing, more getting things done.

18/04/2026

Lack of a toilet door 😭 Rob and Alex spent three months living between friends' places during their renovation. Rotating sofas, two dogs in tow, trying not to outstay their welcome.
Then they moved back in. Into a building site.
No tap for three days. No toilet door. A bedroom that doubled as a kitchen, living room, and storage unit.
Full story on YouTube — link in bio.

17/04/2026

Rob and Alex bought Frederick Cottage in February
2024. It was too small, needed modernising top to bottom, and they knew going in they’d have to live through the build.
Sixteen months later - new wiring, new plumbing, full insulation, a ground floor rear extension, and a house that went from a tight two-bed to something they actually want to stay in.
And they’ve just started a loft conversion. The journey isn’t over yet.