"We saved over £20k after buying second-hand kitchen for just £50 on Facebook"
A couple "saved £20k" after building the bulk of their second-hand kitchen from Facebook Marketplace for just £50.
Louise Horton, 35, and her husband, Peter, 37, a site manager, spent eight months transforming the kitchen for an estimated £1k in total in their three-bed house in Suffolk.
After deciding they didn't want to fork out over £20k for a brand new design, they sourced almost everything second-hand, describing the process as a "labour of love on a tiny budget".
Louise - who began tinkering with DIY projects during lockdown - says she looks at what she could "do" to a room, rather than buy for it.
The couple struck gold when they found someone selling their entire kitchen for just £50 - including the oven - with the only catch being the buyer would need to collect everything.
Louise and Peter went and stripped down the seller's kitchen before taking home all the cabinets, doors, shelves, carcasses and the Leisure oven - which costs over £500 alone brand new.
They then began sanding, priming and painting every piece of wood in a deep green colour before reconstructing it.
They were even able to score a free sink from a neighbour - who was also doing up their kitchen at the time.
They combined their second-hand furniture with a modern compound laminate worktop - designed to look like marble - costing around £800.
The only other costs the couple forked out were for a kitchen island - setting them back £300 and a set of double doors which they found on Facebook Marketplace.
Mum-of-three Louise says the key to their success was having a "very clear plan and vision" before buying anything.
Louise, an actress, from Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, said: "We bought all the cabinets of that kitchen and the oven was included in that deal.
"The guy was getting a new kitchen refitted and didn't want to go through the hassle of stripping it all out.
"So he sold it really cheap and part of the deal is we had to remove it.
"It's such a beautiful kitchen to work in now and I got quotes for an MDF kitchen and they were in the £20k region - so we saved a lot on it.
"I had a very clear plan in mind and that's my advice on how to do it - you have to know exactly what you want.
"I knew every part that we needed and the style for the theme. I knew where I wanted everything and I had the vision from the start."
Louise's passion for interior design began during the first Covid lockdown when she and Peter renovated their house.
She said: "I like pushing the boundaries and when I start to think about what I do with a room I think about how I could 'do' something rather than buy.
"The only brand new furniture in our home is the bed, everything else is second-hand or freebies.
"I started to have a real passion for design and ideas after we did our whole home renovation small budget and the passion grew to make things look as amazing as they can."
Louise says juggling their time trying to fit the kitchen was a struggle while also looking after the
Louise Horton, 35, and her husband, Peter, 37, a site manager, spent eight months transforming the kitchen for an estimated £1k in total in their three-bed house in Suffolk.
After deciding they didn't want to fork out over £20k for a brand new design, they sourced almost everything second-hand, describing the process as a "labour of love on a tiny budget".
Louise - who began tinkering with DIY projects during lockdown - says she looks at what she could "do" to a room, rather than buy for it.
The couple struck gold when they found someone selling their entire kitchen for just £50 - including the oven - with the only catch being the buyer would need to collect everything.
Louise and Peter went and stripped down the seller's kitchen before taking home all the cabinets, doors, shelves, carcasses and the Leisure oven - which costs over £500 alone brand new.
They then began sanding, priming and painting every piece of wood in a deep green colour before reconstructing it.
They were even able to score a free sink from a neighbour - who was also doing up their kitchen at the time.
They combined their second-hand furniture with a modern compound laminate worktop - designed to look like marble - costing around £800.
The only other costs the couple forked out were for a kitchen island - setting them back £300 and a set of double doors which they found on Facebook Marketplace.
Mum-of-three Louise says the key to their success was having a "very clear plan and vision" before buying anything.
Louise, an actress, from Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, said: "We bought all the cabinets of that kitchen and the oven was included in that deal.
"The guy was getting a new kitchen refitted and didn't want to go through the hassle of stripping it all out.
"So he sold it really cheap and part of the deal is we had to remove it.
"It's such a beautiful kitchen to work in now and I got quotes for an MDF kitchen and they were in the £20k region - so we saved a lot on it.
"I had a very clear plan in mind and that's my advice on how to do it - you have to know exactly what you want.
"I knew every part that we needed and the style for the theme. I knew where I wanted everything and I had the vision from the start."
Louise's passion for interior design began during the first Covid lockdown when she and Peter renovated their house.
She said: "I like pushing the boundaries and when I start to think about what I do with a room I think about how I could 'do' something rather than buy.
"The only brand new furniture in our home is the bed, everything else is second-hand or freebies.
"I started to have a real passion for design and ideas after we did our whole home renovation small budget and the passion grew to make things look as amazing as they can."
Louise says juggling their time trying to fit the kitchen was a struggle while also looking after the