Dated and rundown, Ryan and Louise Cunningham have breathed new life into their beautiful bungalow in Newmachar.
Not afraid of hard work, the couple rolled up their sleeves to transform their home and the results are amazing.
Here Ryan shares the ups and downs of their renovation journey and why they will be sad to leave their wonderful home.
7 Burnwood Avenue, Newmachar
Who: Ryan Cunningham, 55, an approved electrician who currently works in inspection and testing and his wife Louise, 58, a community heart failure nurse working for NHS Grampian.
What: A detached bungalow originally built in early 1970s with four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen/family room, two bathrooms and a utility room.
Where: Newmachar, a village to the north west of Aberdeen and is within easy commuting distance of the industrial estates of both Dyce, Bridge of Don and the city.
As told to Rosemary Lowne
“Before we bought this house we had been living overseas in Cyprus in a four bedroom villa with a swimming pool.
We relocated back to the UK due to family circumstances and we initially rented a property in Aberdeen before we purchased our home in July 2018.
We were attracted to the fact that this home enjoyed the best of both worlds as it was in the countryside but it was still near the city.
Newmachar is also a friendly village with lots of amenities.
The house was quite dated and rundown but we could see that it had potential and we loved the quiet location as there is a green area next door.
We started renovating our home as soon as we moved in, building an extension which we completed in 2022.
The couple had a vision for the Newmachar home renovation
The original fixtures and fittings were very dated so we totally redecorated the house adding new flooring and we rewired the entire house putting in new switches and plugs.
We also installed a new bathroom and a new kitchen with a large marble island.
Other renovation work includes insulating the walls and attic and installing a new boiler and an unvented water tank plus putting in a large area of decking outside with lights and sockets.
Most of the work was carried out by myself with a few specialised trades used as and when required.
In terms of interiors, my wife Louise had a vision for the home and found inspiration by looking online and in magazines.
We used Dulux paint and we sourced the wallpaper to fit within the colour schemes.
In the kitchen, we found a black and white striped wallpaper which we used on the ceiling – we love it.
We loved it so much that we also used it in one of the bathrooms.
In terms of furniture, we sourced it locally and also used existing furniture we’ve picked up from different parts of the world.
For us, the greatest challenge during our renovation was trying to complete the extension during lockdown.
Also wallpapering the large ceiling in the kitchen was a challenge.
Our renovation could’ve been completed quicker but matters were out of our hands due to Covid and the building equipment shortages.
Overall we love our home especially the kitchen/ family room as it’s so warm and welcoming and it’s a great entertaining space.
We also love our garden as it’s a great space for entertaining.
My advice for anyone undertaking a similar project would be to stick to a budget and also to be patient as good things take time.”
7 Burnwood Avenue, Newmachar, Aberdeen, is on the market for offers over £290,000.
To arrange a viewing contact Raeburn Christie Clark and Wallace on 01467 629300 or check out the website aspc.co.uk
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