How I flipped a Kirriemuir house and added £110k value

I was inspired to get into property development after working on various renovation projects through my job as an architectural technician.

I run a small architectural firm, Sime Design, in Dundee.

So I started looking for a suitable flip project (house to buy, renovate and resell) in my home city.

But after struggling to find anything, I asked a local estate agent for some advice.

Abandoned Kirriemuir house had collapsed ceiling and weed-infested roof

That is when they pointed me towards a four-bed house on Grampian Drive in Northmuir, Kirriemuir, which had been on the market for a while.

I could see why.

Before: The Kirriemuir house was in a poor state of repair when Jamie bought it. Image: Jamie Sime

The house, which had sat empty for a couple of years after being repossessed, was in a poor state of repair.

The ceiling had collapsed after a water tank in the attic leaked and the roof was infested by weeds.

After: Jamie has transformed the Grampian Drive house into a beautiful family home. Image: Verdala

This might have put other people off – but for me it was perfect.

I was going to be ripping everything out and starting from scratch anyway, so it didn’t bother me.

The house was in a great location as well, close to Kirriemuir Golf Club and Northmuir Primary School.

I knew it would make a lovely family home.

Before: The ceiling had collapsed in the dining living room. Image: Jamie Sime

So, in April 2024, I bought it for £130,000.

I brought in a team of tradesmen and we got to work.

After: Jamie has created an open plan kitchen dining living room. Image: Verdala

Although I’m not a skilled tradesman by any means, I project-managed and did a lot of the donkey work myself to save money.

The first thing I did was replace the roof. One of the previous owners had had a plant wall which had grown up underneath the tiles, all the way up to the ridge, so it wasn’t salvageable.

Then I stripped everything back and the entire house was reinsulated, replastered, rewired and replumbed.

Turning the Kirriemuir house into a beautiful family home

I also installed a new gas boiler and heating system.

Then I rejigged the layout to create a second bathroom.

I did this by turning one of the upstairs bedrooms, which was already quite small, into a bathroom.

Before: The smallest upstairs bedroom which Jamie turned into a bathroom. Image: Jamie Sime

The kitchen then became a bedroom – so the house retained four bedrooms.

Meanwhile, I moved the kitchen into the dining room to create a spacious open-plan kitchen living dining room.

After: The small bedroom is now a lovely family bathroom. Image: Verdala

I bought a new kitchen from B&Q and ordered the bathroom suites online from Wholesale Domestic Bathrooms.

When it came to styling the property, I was conflicted.

I get a lot of my interior design inspiration from property development accounts I follow on Instagram.

Many people who flip houses tend to keep it neutral – they’ll paint the walls white and put grey carpets in.

Neutral but interesting interiors

But I wanted 2 Grampian Drive to be a little bit different.

At the same time, I didn’t want to make any crazy design choices that would put people off…

Jamie also runs an architectural services firm in Dundee. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

It was about striking the right balance.

In the end, I opted for muted colours throughout, as well as a media wall in the living room and marble-effect kitchen counters.

Little additions you wouldn’t expect in a standard flip project

I also put a lot of thought into the bathrooms, which I think are probably the two best rooms in the house.

I could have easily opted for plain white bathrooms, but I tried to make them stand out a bit more.

Jamie opted for muted colours throughout the house. Image: Verdala

For example, I put wall niches and feature lights in both showers.

And in the upstairs bathroom, I built a plinth for the freestanding bath and added a feature light underneath.

Why I brought in furniture

I also put a boiling water tap in the kitchen. It’s just a wee thing, but it’s a nice addition that people wouldn’t necessarily expect in a standard flip project.

I’ve staged (brought in for demonstration purposes) the property with furniture and decor as well, so that when people come to view it, it looks more like a home, rather than an empty house.

Jamie has added £110,000 in value to the property. Image: Verdala

I think this can really increase the saleability of a property.

While some buyers will be able to come into an empty house and visualise exactly where they will put the furniture – there are just as many who will struggle to do so.

My plan is to keep the furniture in storage once I sell the house and reuse it in my next project.

The entire renovation process took about six months.

The beautiful bathroom suites were bought online. Verdala

It was hard work – especially as I continued to run my architectural services firm.

The last couple of months, as we edged towards the finish line, were full-on.

I struggled to keep all the plates spinning at the same time.

There were some days I completed up to three trips between Dundee and Kirriemuir – so I certainly got the miles in!

Jamie created a media wall in the living room. Image: Verdala

But I’m delighted we managed to add £110,000 to the value of the property.

And I’ve just been given the keys to my next project…

Follow along on my second flip project journey

My business partner, Jan Cooper, and I have bought a former mill in Tannadice, overlooking the River Esk, which we are going to convert into a stunning four or five-bedroom home.

I’ve also decided to bring in a main contractor to project manage it this time around, so I can have a life at the same time!

You can follow the mill renovation on my Instagram page.