The before and after transformation of this terrace house is mind blowing

House hunters Ellie and Adam had already loved and lost one house on their stressful journey to try and find and secure a new home in Cardiff but when they came across a rundown property on a peaceful street in a popular corner of the capital they were keen to act quickly.

But this terrace house in Roath came with its own challenge that was not the buying of it this time but the condition of the house itself. Ellie says: "We loved the street but the house was a bit of a mess. Every room was brown and sticky with nicotine tar, the dining room and the hallway being the worst.

"If you accidentally brushed the wall with your arm, you would feel the stickiness of the tar. The house hadn't been touched since the 60s and smokers had lived here for a really long time. It was like walking into a really old, smoky pub!" For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here.

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Combined with the piles of stuff from the previous owner piled high in many of the rooms, the nicotine stained surfaces and smoky odour would have put off many people but not this plucky pair, who lived in it as a building site for four years as they slowly revived it with a tight budget of £15,000.

Ellis says: "The house was definitely unloved but we knew we could make it loved and welcoming again. The house just needed some vision, care and attention; we loved all the potential it had. We love entertaining too, so we knew we could make a really great entertaining space if we removed some walls between the diner and kitchen."

Not everyone can keep upbeat through a full-scale renovation project but Ellie and Adam were kept motivated by having the vision of the beautiful home that this period property could become. Ellie adds: "I always find that when you start despairing on a project, about a week later everything starts to pull together and you can really see the change."

One of the main selling points of the house years ago was the area - the leafy residential road is in Penylan and just around the corner from Waterloo Gardens with its boutique shops such as Waterloo Tea Rooms and The Penylan Pantry, with Roath Park, Wellfield Road and Albany Road just a short stroll away too.

Ellie says: "It is so peaceful living here. We don't get any through traffic because the road is a dead end. Our neighbours are lovely, and the park is at the end of the road. Hang on, maybe I'm talking myself into staying here!" Ellie and Adam's bright and beautiful home is for sale for £450,000 with CPS Homes, call 029 2045 4555 to find out more.

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