Stacey and Chris Hawkes say they bought their Victorian home in a village near Cardiff for £520,000 in July 2019, then spent years restoring its character, adding a large extension and creating a garden bar. The sellers were their future next-door neighbours, whose connection to the divided house made this an unusually personal sale.
How much did Stacey and Chris pay for the house?
In a Metro interview published on 3 October 2026, Stacey and Chris said the home was listed for £550,000 and that they paid £520,000 in July 2019. They reported putting down a £250,000 deposit from the sale of their previous home. The couple said they now pay £1,500 a month on their mortgage after borrowing more to fund renovation work. These are figures reported by the homeowners in the interview, not independently verified transaction or lending records. Metro’s feature does not provide a separate valuation or mortgage statement.
Why did the sellers live next door?
The couple said the sellers were the people living in the adjoining property. The two dwellings had once formed one large house, and the sellers’ au pair had lived in the part they sold. According to Stacey and Chris, the sellers wanted to meet prospective buyers before accepting an offer because they were concerned a developer might turn the property into flats.
That shared history meant the sale was more than a standard change of ownership: the former owners remained next-door neighbours after the purchase. Stacey described the house as one that “felt like it needed a family.”
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What did they change during the renovation?
Stacey said the house had stood empty for years before the couple moved in and had lost much of its character. Their work took place over several years and, as described in the interview, combined restoring the existing home with adding new space and adapting the garden.
Restoring the home’s character
The couple set about bringing character back to the Victorian house. The interview does not itemise the restoration work, give a project budget or identify particular materials, so it is not possible to quantify the scope or cost of this part of the renovation.
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Adding a large extension
They also built a large extension. The feature does not specify its dimensions, construction method, planning history or cost; those details should not be inferred from the description alone.
Turning the former allotment into a garden bar
An area that had been the previous owners’ allotment became a garden bar. The feature mentions bar stools but gives no make or model, and it does not present a specific product as the couple’s recommendation.
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What happened with the shower-room leak?
Stacey said that about a year after the work, the family noticed a kitchen leak associated with the upstairs shower room. She attributed the problem to the shower-room builders tiling directly onto plasterboard without damp-proofing. According to her account, the couple had to remove the work, but the damage was limited.
This is the homeowner’s explanation of a particular problem, not a technical inspection or a general diagnosis of leaks. The interview does not identify the materials or installation details independently, so it cannot establish what caused the leak beyond Stacey’s account.
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What do the homeowners think the property is worth now?
Stacey and Chris estimated the home’s current value at £850,000–£900,000 in the 2026 interview. That is their estimate, not an independent valuation or a verified sale price. Metro’s feature does not supply an appraisal to confirm the figure.
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