I bought a derelict Victorian mansion for £300,000. Here's how I turned it into a 'party house' worth nearly £1million
A retired couple have revealed how they transformed their once 'derelict' 140-year-old mansion into a 'party house' now worth £1 million.
Joanne Shiels, 60, and her partner Geoff Bell, 61, bought the crumbling Greystonedale Mansion in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, for £300,000 in May 2022.
They spent two-years working tirelessly to renovate the eight-bedroom property, spending £220,000 plastering over holes in the roof, replanting the overgrown garden and even installing a 'disco kitchen'.
Their incredible restoration efforts, which took two years to complete, were featured on an episode of Channel 4 's Renovation Nation in July 2024.
They have turned have now turned it into a popular and highly lucrative 'party house' on Airbnb, and believe the home is now worth £850,000.
Joanne, from Witleybey, near Newcastle, explained that the mansion had been left empty for 30-years before they took a punt on it and that nearly 'everything' had needed replacing it.
The DIY duo bought the property after she 'fell in love' on their first visit describing it as a 'doll's house'.
Now built to comfortably host up to 14 guests, the Victorian mansion was barely inhabitable when the two first moved in.
There's also a games room, and one acre private garden.
'I absolutely love garden - I'm super proud of that as when we bought the property there was only one tree left with no plants no grass,' Joanne, a former social worker, said.
She explained that she and Geoff had spent the first part of their time sleeping in what was once the servants quarters - since much of the house was crumbling to pieces.
It had 'no electricity, gas, or windows' and there were several holes in the roof that needed 'patching up'.
'We had to replace or upgrade pretty much everything,' she explained.
'We replaced ceilings and added fancy plaster work added two bathrooms.
'There was a lot of work to be done - it was worth it though.'
'For months we slept in servants quarters as when I was in the house I kept expecting someone to tap me on shoulder and ask me to leave.'
Describing the restoration process Joanne said: 'I'm a recycler - everything in the house is second hand - my kitchens, bathrooms, as much as it can be, even the plants in the garden are second hand.'
'When we put the house back together, celebrations were front of mind.'
The house also boasts a pool table, dartboards, an oak panel study.
The house is built on the fortunes of a varnish works that still stands behind as a derelict factory.
The builder, Frank Smith, a 'forefather of the town's Hadrian Paintworks' is said to have died from the effects of making varnish just nine months after the home was built.
The project, which featured on Channel 4's Renovation Nation, took two-years with works having first begun in May 2022.
During the most significant periods of renovation, the pair lived together in a caravan onsite.
The house had been abandoned for 30-years by the time the couple purchased it (pictured before restoration)
Joanne, from Witleybey, near Newcastle, Tyneside, explained that the mansion had been left empty for 30-years before they took a punt on it and that nearly 'everything' had needed replacing it
Since they moved out, the couple has built a small cottage in the back of the property where they live
Initially intended to be the couple's 'forever home', they soon discovered that the mansion was too big for just two people and decided to turn it into an Airbnb
The process wasn't always smooth sailing and during restorations, the two were faced with having to take care of Geoff's dad, who was sadly diagnosed with cancer.
Initially intended to be the couple's 'forever home', they soon discovered that the mansion was too big for just two people and decided to turn it into an Airbnb.
They lived their for a year before deciding to list it on Airbnb.
Joanne said: 'We absolutely love having our family over but it was just a little bit too big.
'When you turned the heating on it was like switching on a jet engine.'
Since they moved out, the couple has built a small cottage in the back of the property where they live.
But they are now 'delighted' with the results and have built a lucrative business renting the house to celebrators.
The mansion, which first opened to guests in September, has become increasingly popular for hen and stag parties, family celebrations.
'Business was slow to start, but it has gone a bit crazy in the last few months,' she said.
'It's mostly booked for the summer, up until Christmas really, we've got big plans for the outside and will be adding small things bit by bit,' she said.
Joanne is even now considering also hosting weddings at the property.
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Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
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EXCLUSIVE The women who were too much for Jeremy Clarkson: The aunt-and-niece duo who sneered at his Farmer's Dog pub enjoy the high life in the Cotswolds after parting company with TV star over THOSE umbrellas
They faced a backlash from viewers after Jeremy Clarkson hired them to help him through the chaos of getting his Cotswolds pub the Farmer's Dog up and running. Loyal fans of the TV presenter were not impressed with the efforts of well-to-do entrepreneurs Sue and Rachel Hawkins who were branded 'snobby' and 'rude' after a series of clashes with the star. The pub transformer duo - who appeared in the final episodes of the latest series of Clarkson's Farm - ended up quitting the project just 48 hours after the grand opening of the country hostelry. That appeared to rattle viewers even more with accusations Sue and her niece Rachel had 'jumped ship' when 'the going got tough' while one went as far as accusing them of being an 'awful pair of individuals'. Rachel, 40, had pointed out the pub formerly known as The Windmill was 'not fit for purpose' with 'too many issues to run a successful business' that included 'failing water, no toilets, no gas, leaking roofs, and struggling staff'. While admitting he was battling to overcome 'massive, massive struggles, Clarkson's biggest bone of contention with the high spending pair seemed to be the cost of three massive umbrellas to cover his terrace which, along with lighting and heating, would set him back a staggering £40,000. Despite their sudden exit, Sue and Rachel are unlikely to be spending much time drowning their sorrows, MailOnline can reveal. The hospitality entrepreneurs are very familiar with the quaint Cotswolds pub scene and are well known in the area for revamping and bringing new life to struggling establishments. And while Sue, 58, prefers to stay out of the limelight, Rachel, 40, is happy to share insights into her lavish life amid the growing list of A-list celebrities settling in the area. Rachel is well-established within the Cotswolds horse racing fraternity along with her long-term partner former National Hunt jockey Will Kennedy, 43. She frequently uses social media to show off her array of glitzy outfits at leading high society events of 'the social season' including Royal Ascot, The Derby and the Cheltenham festival, her favourite race meeting. Such is her passion for the finer things in life, Rachel has also run a company hiring out 'exquisite' hand-crafted British hats for ladies attending events ranging from Henley Royal Regatta to Glorious Goodwood and Buckingham Palace garden parties. She is said to have started the business 'as an extension of her own personal hat collection'. One of her most recent social media posts shows she has also teamed up with ITV racing stylist Sarah Kate Byrne. The stylist hailed Rachel as her 'beautiful sidekick' as she announced she was to curate the Good Clothes Show at Chelsea Town Hall earlier this month. Sarah Kate - who has styled presenter Francesca Cumani's outfits since 2017 - has also described Rachel as an 'effervescent blonde'. Rachel's appearances at leading race meetings have certainly not gone unnoticed. In 2015 she landed a trip-of-a-lifetime for the dazzling blue and white outfit she was wearing at that year's Goodwood Festival. Rachel Hawkins featured among the supporting cast of the latest series of Clarkson's Farm after being hired by the TV star to provide expert advice Her prize for winning the 'best dressed' contest was a holiday for two in Cape Town with a VIP day out at the races. As Irish-born Will - who had more than 450 winners in a 25 years career before retiring in 2023 - was busy racing, Sue accompanied her on the trip. Rachel later told how she was 'so excited' by her experience after meeting up with England cricketer Jonny Bairstow who she said 'is a friend of mine' and was there with his mother and sister. She ended up 'a table behind' cricket legend Ian Botham while she also got to rub shoulders with the late sporting icons Eddie Jordan and Lester Piggott. She said afterwards: 'We were looked after like royalty.' Last week MailOnline told how Rachel is set to make a tidy profit after putting her detached period country home for £2.8 million country home up for sale in a raffle. She bought the property - which is nestled in the heart of Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire - for £750,000 in November 2015. For as little as £10, entrants are being offered the chance to win the six bedroom house, which is crafted from classic Cotswold stone, and comes complete with stylish furniture. Organisers of the draw, Raffle House, promised the lucky winner of the competition would be able to have their own 'dream hom'e in an area where 'so many celebrities had chosen to live'. Alongside the original Chipping Norton set of the likes of Clarkson and David Cameron, more recent residents have included David Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres and superstar DJ Calvin Harris and his TV presenter wife Vick Hope. 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The pair went on to open up a bed and breakfast in the town and the following year they sold the properties with 13 'boutique style bedrooms' between them to brewing giants Young's for a 'seven figure sum'. The pair had previously transformed seven properties together including converting a 400-year-old building in Stratford-upon-Avon, which had previously been used as a dental practice, into a small hotel. Rachel has told how she was working as a 16-year-old bistro restaurant when she first teamed up with Sue who had began revamping businesses starting with a small fish restaurant in the 1990's. She first went to work for her aunt at the Fox & Goose pub in Armscote, Warwickshire, which Sue had turned into 'a stylish foodie venue' before selling it a year or so later. Sue once said she couldn't 'necessarily turn' businesses into 'a gold mine' but that she knew 'the takings and certainly the morale of the staff could be increased relatively simply and quickly'. As they got up and running they operated together on 'a 50-50' basis with Sue concentrating on 'design and set up' while Rachel 'took over operations'. Sue, whose father worked 'in the world of sales and marketing' says she was born in the inner-city area of Sparkhill in Birmingham, and once told how she started out selling timeshare apartments in Tenerife. But realising she wasn't going to make much money she quickly switched to selling her own t-shirts to fed-up tourists saying: 'Shove off - I don't want a timeshare!' In an interview with Warwickshire Life magazine she said: 'They sold like hotcakes. I took them round the swimming pools and bars and people were falling over themselves to buy them.' She was described in the article as 'an award-winning business woman whose motto could be 'no fun - no point'. Sue said that while she 'was very single-minded' she was 'always game for a laugh' adding: 'I couldn't see the point of something I didn't enjoy doing. 'I just enjoy life and I enjoy what I do. Admittedly I have had to be very determined at times but I never let that stop me from having a laugh, that's just the way I am.' Sue told how she 'travelled and worked her way around most parts of the globe over a six year spell' before returning to the UK and taking on jobs in London in pubs, bars. She began managing a restaurant in Stratford after the person the owners offered the job to pulled out the night before they were due to start. Sue told how she quickly settled into the role and it was not long before she was looking around for a place to run herself despite being short of money. She said she came up with a 'brilliant plan' - which may have also proved to be the inspiration for Rachel's raffle sale. Sue was selling a one bedroomed house in the medieval market town - and instead marketed it to buyers as 'a complete change of lifestyle.' She produced hundreds of flyers revealing along with the house she was 'throwing in' a soft top Volkswagen Golf and a crate of champagne'. Sue told how the property 'sold it in no time' and used the money to buy a Grade II-listed pub which, after a 'top-to-toe refurbishment' she reopened as Bar Humbug. After three years, the brewery made 'an offer she couldn't refuse' and once again Sue was on the lookout for new premises. She decided that her business strategy would be to overhaul a pub then put it up for sale once it was up and running - for the right price. She said: 'I love refurbishing the places, designing how they should look, working out what interior design fits with the structure of the place. 'It's what I do. I love doing it and can't imagine doing anything else.' And it appears, despite the disapproval of viewers, there's no hard feelings between Clarkson and his consultants over those umbrellas. On Tuesday, he posted a photo of the three huge umbrellas which now cover the decking at the back of the pub on Instagram saying: 'Turns out Sue and Rachel had a point. The Farmer's Dog did need big umbrellas after all!!' In response, Rachel shared Clarkson's photo on her own Instagram and replied: 'And behold... the exact 40k umbrellas that have been the topic of so much discussion. 'Not blocking the view and providing a year round weather solution with heating and lighting in order that 75 guests can dine comfortably on the terrace all year round … seems like 40k well spent?'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Taron Egerton is back on the market! Rocketman star looking for love on celeb dating app Raya after seemingly splitting from Marvel girlfriend
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