{"id":97092,"date":"2025-05-13T04:11:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T04:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/97092\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T04:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T04:11:16","slug":"i-bought-a-derelict-victorian-mansion-for-300000-heres-how-i-turned-it-into-a-party-house-worth-nearly-1million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/97092\/","title":{"rendered":"I bought a derelict Victorian mansion for \u00a3300,000. Here’s how I turned it into a ‘party house’ worth nearly \u00a31million"},"content":{"rendered":"

A retired couple have revealed how they transformed their once ‘derelict’ 140-year-old mansion into a ‘party house’ now worth \u00a31 million.<\/p>\n

Joanne Shiels, 60, and her partner Geoff Bell, 61, bought the crumbling Greystonedale Mansion in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, for \u00a3300,000 in May 2022.<\/p>\n

They spent two-years working tirelessly to renovate the eight-bedroom property, spending\u00a0\u00a3220,000\u00a0 plastering over holes in the roof, replanting the overgrown garden and even installing a ‘disco kitchen’.<\/p>\n

Their incredible restoration efforts, which took two years to complete, were featured on an episode of Channel 4<\/a>‘s Renovation Nation in July 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They have turned have now turned it into a popular and highly lucrative ‘party house’ on\u00a0Airbnb<\/a>, and believe the home is now worth \u00a3850,000.<\/p>\n

Joanne, from Witleybey, near Newcastle, explained that the mansion had been left empty for 30-years before they took a punt on it and that nearly ‘everything’ had needed replacing it.<\/p>\n

The DIY duo bought the property after she ‘fell in love’ on their first visit describing it as a ‘doll’s house’.<\/p>\n

Now built to comfortably host up to 14 guests, the Victorian mansion was barely\u00a0inhabitable when the two first moved in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A retired couple have revealed how they transformed their once ‘derelict’ 140-year-old mansion into a ‘party house’ worth \u00a31 million (pictured before they began restoration)<\/p>\n

\"Joanne <\/p>\n

Joanne Shiels, 60, and her partner Geoff Bell, 61, bought the crumbling Greystonedale Mansion in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, for \u00a3300,000 in May 2022 (pictured after refurbishment)<\/p>\n

There’s also a games room, and one acre private garden.<\/p>\n

‘I absolutely love garden – I’m super proud of that as when we bought the property there was only one tree left with no plants no grass,’ Joanne, a former social worker, said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She explained that she and Geoff had spent the first part of their time sleeping in what was once the servants quarters – since much of the house was crumbling to pieces.<\/p>\n

It had ‘no electricity, gas, or windows’ and there were several holes in the roof that needed ‘patching up’.<\/p>\n

‘We had to replace or upgrade pretty much everything,’ she explained.<\/p>\n

‘We replaced ceilings and added fancy plaster work added two bathrooms.<\/p>\n

‘There was a lot of work to be done – it was worth it though.’<\/p>\n

‘For months we slept in servants quarters as when I was in the house I kept expecting someone to tap me on shoulder and ask me to leave.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"They <\/p>\n

They spent two-years working tirelessly to renovate the eight-bedroom property, plastering over holes in the roof, replanting the overgrown garden and even installing a ‘disco kitchen’<\/p>\n

\"Joanne <\/p>\n

Joanne Shiels and her partner Geoff Bell pictured<\/p>\n

\"Their \"(Living <\/p>\n

Their incredible restoration efforts, which took two years to complete, were even featured during an episode of Channel 4 ‘s Renovation Nation in July 2024<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The pair spent \u00a3220,000 on the refurbishments, meanwhile nearly tripling the value of the property, and turning it into a popular and highly lucrative ‘party house’ on Airbnb (bedroom pictured after restoration)<\/p>\n

\"Now <\/p>\n

Now built to host up to 14 guests, the Victorian mansion was barely inhabitable when the two first moved in<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The house cost them \u00a3300,000 to purchase and it is now worth \u00a3850,000 (the couple pictured outside the finished property)<\/p>\n

Describing the restoration process Joanne said: ‘I’m a recycler – everything in the house is second hand – my kitchens, bathrooms, as much as it can be, even the plants in the garden are second hand.’<\/p>\n

‘When we put the house back together, celebrations were front of mind.’<\/p>\n

The house also boasts a pool table, dartboards, an oak panel study.<\/p>\n

The house is built on the fortunes of a varnish works that still stands behind as a derelict factory.<\/p>\n

The builder, Frank Smith, a ‘forefather of the town’s Hadrian Paintworks’ is said to have died from the effects of making varnish just nine months after the home was built.<\/p>\n

The project, which featured on\u00a0Channel 4’s Renovation Nation, took two-years with works having first begun in May 2022.<\/p>\n

During the most significant periods of renovation, the pair lived together in a caravan onsite.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"During <\/p>\n

During the most significant periods of renovation, the pair lived together in a caravan onsite (pictured before restoration)<\/p>\n

\"When <\/p>\n

When the couple arrived, the house was ‘crumbling’ to pieces (pictured before refurbishment)<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The house had been abandoned for 30-years by the time the couple purchased it (pictured before restoration)<\/p>\n

\"Joanne \"The <\/p>\n

Joanne explained that she and Geoff had spent the first part of their time sleeping in what was once the servants quarters – since much of the house was crumbling to pieces<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The process wasn’t always smooth sailing and the two were faced with having to take care of Geoff’s dad who was sadly diagnosed with cancer (pool room pictured)<\/p>\n

\"The \"The <\/p>\n

The renovations took around two years to complete<\/p>\n

\"Describing <\/p>\n

Describing the restoration process Joanne said: ‘I’m a recycler – everything in the house is second hand – my kitchens, bathrooms, as much as it can be, even the plants in the garden are second hand’<\/p>\n

\"Joanne <\/p>\n

Joanne and Geoff now rent the house to partiers\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Joanne, <\/p>\n

Joanne, from Witleybey, near Newcastle, Tyneside, explained that the mansion had been left empty for 30-years before they took a punt on it and that nearly ‘everything’ had needed replacing it<\/p>\n

\"The \"Since <\/p>\n

Since they moved out, the couple has built a small cottage in the back of the property where they live<\/p>\n

\"Initially <\/p>\n

Initially intended to be the couple’s ‘forever home’, they soon discovered that the mansion was too big for just two people and decided to turn it into an Airbnb<\/p>\n

The process wasn’t always smooth sailing and during restorations, the two were faced with having to take care of\u00a0Geoff’s dad, who was sadly diagnosed with cancer.<\/p>\n

Initially intended to be the couple’s ‘forever home’, they soon discovered that the mansion was too big for just two people and decided to turn it into an Airbnb.<\/p>\n

They lived their for a year before deciding to list it on Airbnb.<\/p>\n

Joanne said: ‘We absolutely love having our family over but it was just a little bit too big.<\/p>\n

‘When you turned the heating on it was like switching on a jet engine.’<\/p>\n

Since they moved out, the couple has built a small cottage in the back of the property where they live.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But they are now ‘delighted’ with the results and have built a lucrative business renting the house to celebrators.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mansion, which first opened to guests in September, has become increasingly popular for hen and stag parties, family celebrations.<\/p>\n

‘Business was slow to start, but it has gone a bit crazy in the last few months,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘It’s mostly booked for the summer, up until Christmas really, we’ve got big plans for the outside and will be adding small things bit by bit,’ she said.<\/p>\n

Joanne is even now considering also hosting weddings at the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A retired couple have revealed how they transformed their once ‘derelict’ 140-year-old mansion into a ‘party house’ now…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97093,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[15484,92,368,53,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-97092","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-airbnb","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-femail","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114498574109684160","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}