Mum-of-two shares how she added £200k to the value of her home

Jo and her husband made stunning renovations in the kitchen (Image: MEN) A Manchester family have left people stunned after managing to add an astonishing £200,000 to the value of their home thanks to ingenious furnishing. Jo, 48, spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the amazing job she and her husband have done renovating their property in Mottram, Tameside. The mum-of-two said that when their children were born, the couple realised they needed to upsize and came across a gorgeous four-bed detached house in the sought-after area of Mottram, which boasts stunning scenic surroundings. Despite only being 10 miles east of Manchester, the village is on the border of Derbyshire and the Peak District, explaining why it enjoys such a picturesque landscape. The couple bought their first property in 1999, also in the quaint English village, but needed more space. The focal point of the garden is the decking (Image: MEN) She told the publication: ‘ I’ve always lived in Mottram, it is on the edge of the Peak District so we’re really lucky.  ‘It’s around five minutes walk from the Longdendale Trail and if you walk right into the countryside it takes about 10 minutes.’ The pair bought their house from around £350,000 with a view to making it a long-term home in which to bring up their children. She explained: ‘It took forever to sell our house and then we were in a big chain, so it took us ages to get this property but it was worth it. The living room is a plush family space (Image: MEN) ‘When we bought it, it was already in a pretty decent condition as the woman we bought it from was very into interior design. But after a few years of us living here, a lot of the designs then started to become outdated. ‘Over the years we’ve stripped the house from top to bottom to put our own stamp on it and make it a nice welcoming place for our growing family. I’ve always thought of this house as our forever family home.’ She added that she and her husband have radically changed the interior of their home as well as the outside areas of the property. She said: ‘The old owner had created a Japanese-style garden with a pond which wasn’t good for the children at the time, so we transformed the garden into a more family-friendly space. The views from the property are stunning (Image: MEN) ‘One of the main things we had built around 10 years ago now was an absolutely huge decking which we use constantly. It’s got a panoramic view of the hills surrounding it so it’s so lovely to sit out on, especially when you’ve got the weather. ‘We’ve also added in a summer house at the end of the garden and a greenhouse as well. The garden is like a sanctuary for me.’ Jo went on: ‘Over the years we’ve put a brand new kitchen in, added a new conservatory on, we’ve installed two media walls in each living room, we’ve had drawer storage put in under the stairs and we converted the garage into an American-style den for the children. ‘We all have different areas in the house that we tend to spend more time in, but we always come together at mealtimes in the huge kitchen which is perfect for family time.’