These first-time homeowners prove that high style doesn’t necessarily come with a high price tag. With a handful of thrifty finds and creative DIY’s this couple masterfully stretched their budget to meet their needs.
When Joel and Mandy Busby were looking for their first home, they knew they wanted a large living area and an inviting kitchen space that would accommodate their growing family and provide a welcoming retreat for friends. Though you wouldn’t know it now, their charming 1950s cottage proved to be a diamond in the rough—and one they almost passed up because its original kitchen came complete with orange-stained cabinets, a black sink, fluorescent lighting, and—the main offender—a granite-topped island with an odd built-in tier right in its center.
“Joel almost didn’t want to buy the house!” Mandy admits. But they were ultimately able to see past the kitchen’s cosmetic flaws, she says, as the cottage’s living areas were the size they were looking for. The now-cottage-style kitchen boasts dozens of resourceful finds the Busbys carefully curated to create a cohesive space that Mandy describes as a fresh take on the traditional cottage.
Like many young families, the Busbys had to work within a limited budget. They removed the old granite countertop in one piece and sold it, along with the existing appliances, which gave them a little extra cash for a handful of do-it-yourself projects. “If you could do it yourself, we did it,” Mandy says of the stunning transformation. “The only thing we paid for someone to do was put in a gas line for the stove. Everything else we did ourselves.”
The couple’s extensive DIY list included electrical work, plumbing, backsplash installation, cutting away cabinets to install a new microwave, plastering holes, painting the cabinets, and more. “Joel would do the research and figure out how to do it,” Mandy says, and then they worked together to complete the task, saving them tons of money on labor costs.
Mandy found pieces that felt high end at an affordable price point by scouring sites like Craigslist and eBay and shopping at IKEA. “It was a fun challenge, and I actually really enjoyed the process of it. ‘The find’ is always really fun, if you’ve found something for a really good deal,” she says. “Plus, I can enjoy it so much better when I know I didn’t spend a gazillion dollars on it!”