I’m a mum-of-four and there was no way I was forking out £10k for a new kitchen – I did it myself for £120 | The Sun

REVAMPING a tired kitchen can often be the most expensive part of any home refurbishment project, with costs easily spiralling into five figures.

But one savvy DIYer refused to shell out £10k on a fancy new kitchen, but still completed an incredible transformation, and all for £120.

Mum-of-four Lauren Cundy, 35, from Derbyshire, kept costs low by shopping around for budget materials and sanded down her original worktop to give it a whole new look.

Speaking to money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK, Lauren said: “My husband Scott and I tend to do things on a whim. I'm forever creating boards on Pinterest with idea on how I'd like our home to look.

"After finally buying our home after renting it for six years, we could finally put our mark on it.

"We actually came up with the idea after we painted our front door and were so pleased with the results so we thought 'why not do the kitchen?'

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"It needed a bit of a revamp anyway.

"We used the Frenchic Al Fresco paint which requires very little prep work, just sugar soap and a light sand.

"We used a heat gun to strip the vinyl from the top cupboards but we weren't 100% happy with the result, so after speaking with a Frenchic supplier, he said we would be able to paint straight onto the vinyl.

“So that's what we did with the bottom cupboards, and the feel and overall end result was much nicer. We used a Frenchic brush to apply the paint.

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"With this paint I'd recommend you wait two hours between coats.

"Even though it dries really quick, try not to be tempted to do another coat before two hours as it's a self levelling paint and it needs that time.

"We used one 750ml tin to do the whole kitchen.

"We used Wilko tile paint on the tiles. I'd say out of everything this was the worst job.

"The paint itself is thick so I would recommend anyone giving it a go to do light layers and wait until fully dry between coats.

"To save money we spray painted the handles with Rust-Oleum Gold Elegant Metallic Spray Paint. This saved us about £60 on new handles.

"We also kept the original worktop to save on cost. We sanded these down and did around three coats of Danish oil.

“We actually found the shelves in our garage holding up wood we store for the winter to fuel our log burner.

"We sanded them down and oiled them with the leftover Danish oil from the worktops. This saved us around £30.

"Instead of changing the radiator we spray painted it with Rust-Oleum Stove & BBQ Paint.

"We already had all the appliances, so there was no extra cost for those.

"We plan to do the floor at a later date.

"My advice to anyone thinking of doing it, would be to just do it! Life's too short.

"If your kitchen is in working order but just needs its sparkle back then this is a perfect alternative, and really cost-effective.

“I’d also say to trust the process. That first coat on the cupboards really makes you think 'what have we done’!

"We spent approximately £120 on the whole renovation.

“We are so so pleased with how it turned out, and our friends, family and landlord think it looks amazing.

“We’ve saved thousands: a new kitchen would be in the region of £10,000, so we’re super happy with the savings we’ve made.”

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Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: “Wow, it’s hard to believe this epic transformation cost Lauren and Scott just £120.

“It just shows that if you’re willing to work hard and pick the right materials, you really can save thousands on a kitchen renovation!"

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