Wayne Smee, an electrician by trade, has renovated properties to live in and sell on since the 1990s – but says it is now too expensive.
“It’s all I’ve ever known for 30 years,” he said.
The increased cost of labour and materials, not to mention the stress involved and new regulatory requirements, have led him to change direction and he buy his first new build property with wife Claire last year.
Wayne, 52, bought his first house in 1993 for around £70,000 and upgraded the heating system and rewiring, alongside fitting bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen.
He borrowed £40,000 for the upgrades and lived in the house with his ex-wife until 2002, at which point they sold it for £300,000 and split the £180,000 profits.
Another project included a 1970s home with an old, integral garage that he converted into an additional reception room, whilst also adding a fitted kitchen and bathroom.
His most recent renovation was a two-bedroom, mid-terrace in Maidstone, which he and Claire, a recruitment consultant, bought for £178,000 in 2017.
“We wanted to convert the completely unusable cellar into another room and put an extension on the kitchen with vaulted underfloor heating,” he says.
They also refitted the bathroom and kitchen, and renovated the rear garden with artificial grass and decking.
While doing a lot of the work themselves meant the couple kept costs down, there was an emotional toll.
Wayne and Claire found the cost of renovating too high (Photo: Matthew Reading)“With the cellar, I underestimated the work involved to dig the floor down and reinstate the staircase. It thoroughly exhausted me, both mentally and physically. Everything I touched, seemed to triple in cost,” Wayne says.
“With the rear wall of the house, it all worked out but it was a headache and we had no kitchen or back wall in the middle of winter.”
As the property only had one bathroom, the couple had to stay in a hotel while that was being worked on.
“We borrowed next door’s outdoor toilet for a few days, but we couldn’t do that in the week when we were working as there was no shower,” he adds.
“We did the donkey work, doing things like ripping the floors up, so the labour costs were diluted,” says Wayne.
“I can do a bit of plumbing, flooring and woodwork but I can’t plaster or do carpet fitting and flooring. I know a lot of people who can and, for things like the heating and boiler, I got someone in.”
Even doing the majority of the work themselves, the total cost of materials came to around £50,000. The price of construction materials has been consistently increasing, with a 15 per cent rise in 2022 and an additional 2 per cent rise in 2026.
“We put up a shed in the garden, and the price of wood and screws was three times what is was 10 years ago,” says Wayne.
Labour costs have also increased and Wayne says, when he goes out on jobs, people are astonished at the hourly rate. “From that point of view, people are thinking that the cost doesn’t justify [renovating]. This is why Claire talked me out of doing it all again.”
The couple lived in the home from 2017 to 2025.
When it came to moving, the couple set their hearts on Hythe, near Folkestone, where they had holidayed. Initially, Wayne wanted to get a bungalow that he could knock down at the back and put in bifold windows but decided another project would be too expensive and stressful.
“After sitting down to think about our future, we decided our Grand Designs days were behind us,” says Wayne.
“Both of us have an understanding of what is involved in renovations, and we looked at them and thought: ‘Is it really worth it?’
“With us both working full-time, there would never have been time to do it all and I’d be shattered as I’d be doing it in my spare time,” Wayne added.
“There was a huge want to get somewhere already done.”
They sold their Maidstone home for £260,000 via part exchange, moving in in August 2025. They ported the mortgage and increased it slightly to be able to afford a new home.
The Smees chose a three-bedroom, semi-detached new-build on Barratt Homes’ Martello Lakes development at a cost of £375,000, which included £18,000 cashback. Their new home is three-storey with a family bathroom and ensuite, plus a big driveway and detached garage.
Now, they are living in Hythe with their two Jack Russells and, for the short-term, their youngest grown-up son too.
Pros and cons of renovating properties
Experts reveal what you need to know if you’re planning on renovating a home.
Tim Phillips, Homebuilding & Renovating Show expert, said: “Renovating allows homeowners to keep a home and location they enjoy, preserve its charm, and complete the work in stages.
“However, existing buildings frequently have hidden issues, structural limitations, and unforeseen costs that only become apparent after construction begins. A new build allows for far more flexibility in design, layout, and energy efficiency but the initial cost of buying land, obtaining planning permission, and providing access, drainage, and utilities can be significant.”
Michael Holmes, Homebuilding & Renovating Show spokesperson, added: “Renovating gives homeowners the opportunity to future-proof an existing property around their particular needs.
“There are also significant costs associated with moving such as estate agent fees, legal fees, and stamp duty tax. Renovating avoids many of these transaction costs.
“[But] construction costs and uncertainty are the obvious disadvantages. Costs rose sharply post-pandemic and, while demand has cooled, prices rarely ‘reset’ quickly.
“Buying a new build gives you a move-in-ready home without the months of disruption and risk of cost overruns that can come with a major renovation. The trade-off is that you have less opportunity to tailor the property to exactly how you want to live, whereas renovating allows you to make the most of what you already have.”
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