Couple buy old 'tired' cottage in Cheshire and convert it into stylish 'forever home'

Climbing up the property ladder is a life goal for many people who have hopes of one day owning their dream home. The process involves buying, renovating and selling homes over a period of time in order to take the next step.

People spend years working their way up the ladder, from buying their first starter home to finding their 'forever home' - the place where you'll spend the majority of your years, and where you'll eventually grow old and retire.

When it came to finding their lifelong home, Helen Pexton, 56, and her husband wanted a renovation project that they could really 'get their teeth into' - as well as somewhere close to family and friends, local amenities and the countryside. The couple ended up buying what was once an old, tired cottage in Wilmslow - and converted it into a stylish abode.

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Helen spoke to the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series, where each week we chat to a different homeowner about their buying and renovation journey; whilst looking at how they've transformed their house from start to finish.

Helen, who is from Cheshire, has owned five properties whilst working her way up the ladder. After meeting her now-husband, the pair moved to Lancashire, but with Helen struggling to settle due to missing her family and friends, the couple decided to move back to her home county in 2021.

The pair then began the search to find their 'forever home'. “We wanted something that was in a convenient location for shops and walks, something that was near to a town but where we could also get to the countryside easily