We bought an old garage in the Cotswolds for £170,000 and turned it into a dream family home worth £500,000

A clever couple have revealed how they converted an old garage into their £500,000 dream home in the Cotswolds.

Lexi, 26, and Sam Flannagan, 31, spotted the old garage on the outskirts of Cheltenham for £172,500 on Zoopla in 2016.

The couple spent £100,000 to convert the former storage space into a three-bedroom, two-storey property.

The parents – who share two-year-old son Levi – currently rent out the property in Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire.

Stay-at-home mother Lexi said: ‘We never wanted new construction because it sometimes brings a lot of problems, but we wanted a project.

Pictured: The couple’s home in the Cotswolds after they completed renovations in January 2019

“We wanted something that was in disrepair and needed a lot of work to add value to the structure.”

Lexi said the location was one of the “big draws” of the property as it is just a two-minute drive from a highway.

Elaborating on the extent of the renovations, the mother continued: ‘The first major change to the garage was an extension to the outside – to create space for an open plan ground floor and to create more space for the upstairs bedrooms.’

Despite the enormous amount of work required, the couple said they had no problems obtaining planning permission and were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the local community.

The mother added: ‘If you have a good relationship with your neighbors it helps a lot and people saw that we were a young couple and were willing to help.’

The former garage had only been on Zoopla for 30 minutes when Lexi and Sam booked in for an open viewing in 2016.

Aware that this would be a popular investment opportunity, the couple went to the garage early to meet the owner and take possession of the property.

The couple started the renovation in February 2017 and took almost two years to complete.

Pictured: Lexi and Sam Flannagan with their two-year-old son Levi. The couple spent £100,000 renovating the garage

The couple created an open-plan kitchen and living area on the lower floor of the three-bedroom home

Pictured: Construction work is being completed at the rear of the garage – where the extension now stands

In the photo: the construction work on the second floor of the former garage, now a three-bedroom house

Pictured: The nursery in Lexi and Sam’s converted garage, which is now a three-bedroom house

Lexi, 26, and Sam Flannagan, 31, spent £100,000 on a two-year renovation of the former garage (pictured after renovation)

The three-bedroom house on the outskirts of Cheltenham has an electric gate and garden patio

As part of their renovation, the couple created an open-plan kitchen and living room.

On the second floor there are three bedrooms and a spacious family bathroom.

In addition, the property now has a garden terrace and an electric gate for privacy.

Lexi said: ‘Everyone who came to the house was very shocked at how big it was from the outside as it looked like an average house.’

The pair now live 10 minutes away from their investment property, which is currently rented out.