Latest news with #JoanneShiels
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Couple transform abandoned mansion frozen in time into £1m party pad
A retired couple poured everything they had into transforming a once dilapidated eight-bedroom mansion. Now the disco party house looks unrecognisable and bookings to stay there are through the roof A couple have transformed a drab and derelict 140-year-old mansion into one of Northumberland's most booked Airbnb's, complete with a 'disco kitchen'. When retired duo Joanne Shiels, 60 and Geoff Bell, 61, bought the property it was practically crumbling with no windows, no heating and a roof littered with holes - but now the once abandoned eight-bed mansion is unrecognisable. The couple snapped up Greystonedale Mansion for £300,0000 in May 2022 and spent two years pouring love and £220,000 into bringing it back to life. The property, which had been empty for over 30 years, has now been transformed into a dazzling party house, fitted with its very own disco kitchen, pool table, games room and oak panelled study. It even has its own replanted one-acre garden. It was originally supposed to be Joanne and Geoff's forever home, but after living there for a year they realised it was too big for two - so they listed it on Airbnb. It's the perfect pad for hen dos, stag weekends and big family gatherings and Joanne is considering hosting weddings in the future. Now worth £1m, the restored pad has already become a viral hit on Channel 4's Renovation Nation. The couple had been dreaming of their forever home and when Joanne first set eyes on the mansion, she was hooked. "I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It felt like a doll's house," Joanne says. But what was supposed to be their dream pad turned out to be a whole lot more work than they imagined. "The place had no electricity, no gas, no windows, and holes in the roof that needed patching up. It was a bit of a ruin, to say the least," Joanne recalls. The renovation took two years. During that time, they lived in a caravan while spending £220,000 transforming the place from the ground up. "We had to replace or upgrade pretty much everything. We replaced ceilings, added fancy plasterwork, and added two new bathrooms. There was a lot of work to be done, but it was worth it in the end," she says. Joanne, a former social worker, took a hands-on approach and kept the budget tight. "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," she says. The house is bursting with quirky features, like the disco kitchen and a spacious games room. "It was always about celebrating life, even when we were building it," says Joanne. 'That's what I wanted when we started this. I wanted people to come in and feel like they could have fun.' After living there for a year, the couple realised the space was just too much for two. 'We absolutely loved having our family over, but it was just too big for two people,' Joanne admits. 'When we turned the heating on, it was like switching on a jet engine. We just didn't need all that space.' So, they listed it on Airbnb and the bookings took off. 'We've had hen dos, stag parties, family gatherings… you name it,' says Joanne. 'It was slow at first, but in the last few months, it's gone a bit crazy. It's mostly booked up through summer and into Christmas.' To make things more manageable, they moved out of the main house and into a small cottage they built at the back. 'Now we have our cottage in the back, and it's perfect. We get the best of both worlds,' Joanne said One of their proudest transformations is the garden. 'When we bought it, there was only one tree left. No grass, no plants - just a big, empty space,' she explained. Now, the one-acre garden is full of colour and life, providing a lush backdrop for celebrations. 'It's a beautiful place to just relax and enjoy.' As bookings roll in, Joanne and Geoff are thinking ahead. 'We've got big plans for the outside - we'll be adding little touches here and there,' says Joanne. 'We're even considering hosting weddings in the future.' What started as an derelict mansion has now become one of Northumberland's most popular party venues. Joanne and Geoff have turned a forgotten property into a stunning celebration space.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
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.
