A SINGLE mum who has no DIY experience has completely transformed her drab pad into a plush family home.

Chloe Tolmie, 25, from Blackburn, Lancashire, is mum to son Oliver, five, and daughter Olivia, four.

The support worker for vulnerable children is also studying nursing at university in-between raising her kids alone.

But despite her hectic schedule, Chloe was able to completely transform the family's three-bedroom house into a modern home – even fitting a new kitchen all by herself.

"I moved into the property in February 2020 but started the renovations in July that year," Chloe explained.

"The house was £95,000 and I got it on a Rent-To-Buy scheme. It's three bedrooms and two bathrooms along with a separate toilet.




“I worked as many hours as I possibly could to afford to get everything done.”

The mum renovated all of the bedrooms, the living room and the kitchen, and also plans to transform the dining room in the future.

However, she admits the renovation process was difficult and the family were initially forced to live off microwave meals until Chloe could fit the kitchen.


Vote for your Fabulous Mum of the Year and WIN

Do you know a mum who deserves some extra recognition? We want to pay homage to the best mums in Britain.

During the pandemic they’ve been busy juggling childcare, homeschooling and work, with the added stress of worrying about the health of elderly relatives and vulnerable friends. 

It’s never been a harder time to be a mum, so this year it’s even more important to honour the amazing women in our lives. 

Nominate her for our Fabulous Mum Of The Year Award and she could win an overnight stay for two at a Champneys spa of her choice complete with a Gold package, which includes four relaxing treatments for the ultimate pampering experience.

Two runners-up will Champneys goodie bag worth £50 plus a £100 M&S voucher and £200 Nutmeg at Morrisons voucher, and all three mums will enjoy a makeover with our glam squad before taking part in a photo shoot for the magazine.  

And you could win a £100 Tu at Sainsbury’s voucher, £200 Florence & Fred at Tesco voucher or £250 to spend at Primark just for entering.

If you want to nominate a mum then fill in the form here.   

To enter, upload a photograph of the mum you are nominating and explain why they deserve to win. 

The deadline for entries is Sunday February 14 and one winner and two runners-up will be announced on Sunday March 14. Good luck – we can’t wait to hear from you!

They also had to share a bed at the start, until Chloe got a grant for new mattresses from the council.

The whole renovation cost just £4,000, including furniture, as the mum tried to keep everything as cheap as possible, buying lots of items second-hand.

She said: "I got my sofas on finance, and I got a grant for new mattresses from the council.

“I did everything on my own, with no help at all apart from the kids helping pick wallpaper stripping up.”


The superhero mum also had the added stress of a cancer scare during renovations, which left her feeling worn out.

She said: "My recent biopsy for cervical cancer came back, and it was non-cancerous, thank God, so throughout some of the renovations, I had that playing on my mind."

Chloe is proud of herself for managing to complete the renovations in between being a full-time mum, studying and working – and with no DIY experience.

She said: "I feel so proud of myself to say I had never even put a piece of wallpaper up before moving into this property.


"And on top of that, I had assignments due in for university, and work and homeschooling!

“I feel so happy it's all over, and I am just glad I can live a happy life with my children in our forever home.”

Chloe says her children can't get enough of their new home either.

The mum added: "They have always shared a room until we moved in here and now they have their own space and love everything they have got."

For more DIY inspiration, this single mum transformed her dingy flat into her dream family home on the cheap.

And this couple who purchased run-down 1930s house turn it into dream home with eBay bargains.

Plus this woman was quoted £1k to replace her "outdated" floor did it herself by painting tiles which were "ready for the bin" for £100.

Source: Read Full Article