TV star Iwan Carrington ‘lived on cardboard on the floor of his first house’

When it comes to sorting out other people’s homes, Iwan Carrington knows a thing or two – he is the star of BBC One’s Sort Your Life Out – where, alongside Stacey Solomon, he gives homeowners tips on how to spruce up their property.

But when he bought his own place, did he manage to transform it on a budget? You bet he did, despite one of the walls disintegrating when the wallpaper was removed.

Iwan is partnering with Bosch to help give Brits practical tips on how to clean their homes.

When did you buy your first home?

In 2009. After years of renting and lots of moves it felt like the right time. It’s a two-bedroom apartment in south-east London.

It had lots of potential. I loved the fact that it was split over a couple of floors so, although it’s a flat, it feels a bit like a little house with it’s own upstairs. It also had a bit of outdoor space in the form of a roof garden that was a huge bonus.

It’s a Victorian property, so it has some lovely features like the old wooden stairs, high ceilings and sash windows.

How was the buying process?

It was relatively smooth, the estate agent was brilliant with communication, but I did make an error towards the sale.

Some of my savings were tied up in an account that charged a huge fee to release them early.

I hadn’t factored this in, so this delayed having the deposit ready and delayed the sale. Fortunately the sellers were very understanding and were happy to wait a bit longer to complete.

Were there any surprises when you got the keys?

On the surface it looked to be in pretty good condition, but when it came to peeling the wallpaper lots of the wall fell apart.

The plaster was very old and lots needed to be replaced.

Also when the carpets were ripped up, some of the floorboards were very damaged and beneath them I found some interesting things, like an old Coke can and a Smarties tube from
the 1980s.

What else did you do to it?

Cash was tight so doing it up was on a total budget. One of the first things I did was rip up the old carpet, and for the first couple of months I lived on cardboard on the floor.

The underlay in a couple of the rooms was in OK condition so, rather than rip that up, too, the new carpet was laid on top of it, which saved some cash.

The kitchen was pretty dated so I painted all of the cupboards using a couple of tins of kitchen cupboard paint.

This was one of my very first YouTube videos and since then I’ve continued the kitchen makeover on a budget, using peel-and-stick floor tiles and scaffold board shelving.

The entire thing has probably cost under £200 and it’s still going strong all these years later.

Any DIY disasters?

Plenty! I’ve a habit of screwing things together back-to-front with flatpack furniture.

The tile paint in the kitchen was a real challenge and took over four coats and hours of painting to complete, I don’t think I’d rush to do that again.

Advice for first-time buyers?

When buying a first home it can be really daunting, so arm yourself with information.

Talk to people who have been through the process to get as much advice as possible and learn what all of the jargon means.

It can feel like a bit of a rollercoaster, so be prepared for a few complications to come up along the way and trust that it’s all part of the process.

If you are on a budget, focus on putting cash towards the most important things your home needs at the beginning. For example, a new boiler.

Things like furniture can work out really expensive depending on where you buy it but it can also be one of the cheapest things to have in your home.

Most of my furniture was found from people discarding it, and there are lots of websites and apps where you can find free or very cheap pieces of second-hand furniture near to you.

Check out the charity shops and your local carboot sale to find bargain homeware and artwork.

Also, don’t feel the need to rush it to make it the ‘perfect home’ right away. Get to know the space first, how you live in it and take your time before making any big decisions.

Best memory of the place?

I have fond memories of eating pizza on camping chairs on top of a makeshift cardboard carpet after moving in.

Does it pay to keep the place tidy?

Keeping your home clean and tidy is so valuable for our wellbeing.

Space is expensive so one of the best things you can do in your home is to not overfill it, so you can still enjoy the space and feel calm.

One of the quickest ways you can transform a home is to give it a really good clean.

It makes such a difference when everything is clean and tidy. I like to clean little and often with a Bosch cordless vacuum so I can get around really fast with it.

I also like to use a multi-purpose spray using vinegar, washing up liquid and water with a few drops of essential oil to clean multiple surfaces.

I just love the feeling when everything is in its place and the home is sparkling.

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