This "property-obsessed creative duo"—a husband and wife from the UK—are going viral for the stunning house transformation they did. The 70-year-old property that the couple bought back in 2014 is now barely recognizable thanks to the patience and labor of Michaela Zaben and her husband Ramy. Surrounded by greenery, peace, and quiet (and some chickens), the dwelling truly looks cozy and inviting.
More info: Instagram
This stunning house renovation is receiving thousands of likes on social media
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Talking to Tyla, Michaela Zaben said that the couple bought the property hoping to completely rip it apart. "The house hadn't really had any work done to it in the last 30 years so it was extremely dated," she explained. The house was still running on coal, while the layout of the house didn't match a modern living style, Michaela said, as there were "strange rooms that had no purpose." The couple traded their one-bedroom bungalow in London for this three-bedroom old pig farm back in 2014. According to its owners, it was a dream come true.
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
The house is located in Surrey, United Kingdom
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Here's how its interior looked before the renovation took place
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Talking to the media, the house owner explained that the inside renovations took two years, while the main inspiration for the interior came from travelling. Once the couple renovated the inside of the house, they then took up the garden and the outside of the house. Again, both the garden and exterior cladding took 2 more years to finish. "So come 2020, it was finally finished. Lockdown meant we were able to finally finish the chicken house and concrete patio," Michaela told Tyla.
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
And here's how gorgeous it looks after
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
The property is originally 70 years old
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Anyone who has ever taken up a renovation project probably knows all too well just how many challenges there can be. "We regularly ran out of money, and lots of things went wrong with the extension. We employed a builder and they were rogue beyond belief. We lost thousands of pounds by getting conned by them. It made us even more determined to do everything as much as possible ourselves," the house owner Michaela told Tyla. All in all, the project took a whopping £237,000 to finish.
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
"It was extremely dated"
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
"The inside renovations took two years"
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Talking to the media, the house owner shared a few tips for those wanting to renovate a house. First, she says it's crucial to make time for yourself. Secondly, it's important to have proper budget management. Bust most importantly, according to Michaela, is to make sure you stick to your own style instead of following trends.
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
"This project has been the blood, sweat, and many tears of me and my husband"
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
"It’s been one hell of a project and we already have a few more lined up"
Image credits: theoldpiggery_
On Instagram, Michaela shared a rundown of what it took to finally build their dream home:
"• 7 kilometers of larch cladding.
• 6 months to get planning permission.
• 2 years to do all the groundwork/ prep before cladding.
•Three sets of plans.
•Two story side extension.
•Cladding was brought directly from a sawmill in France.
•One crazy couple and 4 laborers worked 6 months to clad it.
•40 tonnes of gravel.
•58,000 60mm stainless steel nails.
•Double battened, insulated, and fly netted.
•One bespoke minimalistic handmade balcony.
•24 powder coated aluminum windows.
• lots of head-scratching trying to get it perfect.
•Cladding lengths were sourced at 6-meter lengths to insure there were as few joins as possible.
•Lots of Dungeness trips to get inspired by the beautiful cladded homes.
•Three nail guns and one massive compressor.
• Ingenious hidden nail system developed by my hubby.
•30,000 cups of tea and coffee!!!"
"• 7 kilometers of larch cladding.
• 6 months to get planning permission.
• 2 years to do all the groundwork/ prep before cladding.
•Three sets of plans.
•Two story side extension.
•Cladding was brought directly from a sawmill in France.
•One crazy couple and 4 laborers worked 6 months to clad it.
•40 tonnes of gravel.
•58,000 60mm stainless steel nails.
•Double battened, insulated, and fly netted.
•One bespoke minimalistic handmade balcony.
•24 powder coated aluminum windows.
• lots of head-scratching trying to get it perfect.
•Cladding lengths were sourced at 6-meter lengths to insure there were as few joins as possible.
•Lots of Dungeness trips to get inspired by the beautiful cladded homes.
•Three nail guns and one massive compressor.
• Ingenious hidden nail system developed by my hubby.
•30,000 cups of tea and coffee!!!"
The wonderful project that the couple did earned them over 38k followers already, so why not head on to check out their Instagram too?