Couple buy 150 year old house on road they've always loved - then find secret room
When it comes to purchasing a home, potential buyers often weigh up the merits of a new-build against the allure of an older property. While each has its advantages and drawbacks, many are drawn to period homes for their unique features, charm, and character.
Becky and Chris Quirk, who had recently completed renovations on their new-build, believed they were settled until a 150 year old Victorian house on the coveted Manchester Road became available. Becky, who had long harboured dreams of owning an older property, saw this as a sign, leading the couple to make an offer.
In October 2022, the Quirks purchased the five-bedroom semi-detached house in Swinton, Salford, for £495,000. Since acquiring their new home, they have embarked on a renovation journey, transforming it piece by piece into their dream dwelling and even discovering a hidden room along the way.
Speaking with the Manchester Evening News for the 'Where I Live' series, which weekly explores the living situations of different Greater Manchester residents, Becky, aged 36, shared her story.
A lifelong Swinton resident and mother of two, Becky recounted to the Manchester Evening News: "I bought my first house when I was in my early 20s. Then I met Chris and we got married, had two kids and then we just kept outgrowing our houses.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
"Our last house was a new-build which we absolutely loved, but I'd always really wanted an old property - not so much my other half though, he loves a new build as they're straight forward. I'd always had my eyes on the houses on Manchester Road, I've always been intrigued and wanted to look inside because they are so old."
About three years ago, a house came up for sale and Becky couldn't resist the urge to view it. "We'd not long renovated the new-build, we'd just put an extension on the back so we weren't actively looking to move," she clarified.
"But as soon as the opportunity came up to buy it I just jumped at it."
"As soon as we walked in I knew I wanted it. The owner had had it for 30 years but never lived in it, but over the years he had patched it up to a good standard. Whilst there was still a lot of work to do, it wasn't too much and it wasn't too overwhelming. My husband said we were mad for wanting to start again but I really wanted it."
The couple purchased the Victorian house, constructed in 1877, in October 2022 and immediately began renovations. "As soon as we got the keys we just wanted to get in as soon as possible. We didn't know whether to rip it all apart and start again or just do it in stages and focus on making some areas liveable so we could get in quick, so that's what we did," Becky shared.
"We concentrated on the ground floor first. I wanted to knock the wall through between the living room and the kitchen as I wanted to make a big space that we could live in and be able to have all our family round. That was one of the biggest jobs," Becky explained.
She continued: "Then there was another fireplace where my oven currently is, and that was another huge job trying to pull that out because all the dust was just horrendous. After that, one of the hardest jobs was trying to level the floor, it took them weeks to get it completely level."
The Victorian house boasts six floors, each with their own unique features, including a secret room which the couple discovered during their renovations. "Upstairs on one of the floors there was a small cupboard, but when we knocked on the wall it was a stud wall. Chris put his hammer through it and there was a hidden room behind it," Becky revealed.
"I was so excited as I thought we might find something in there like an old newspaper or letters but there was nothing. We've made a big bathroom out of it now though. Our neighbours actually said to us when we bought this house 'have you found the hidden room yet? ' And that was it. They must have found the same thing."
Most recently, the couple have transformed their cellar into a dance room for their daughters, as well as incorporating a cinema room and bar. "The cellar has been a massive job. It had a bomb shelter built in it from the war," Becky said.
"We've now put a dance studio in for our 7-year-old daughter. Last year we went to Florida to compete at the Dance Summit and her team won first place, so we promised her when we moved into our new house we would make one of the cellar rooms a dance room."
"We've also put a bar and cinema room down there. It's a space that we thought we would use but now it's done we actually use it a lot more than we anticipated. The girls absolutely love it down there."
Discussing the interior design of their home, Becky stated: "I wanted to keep the character of the house and go for a traditional and timeless look rather than modern. I didn't want to strip everything out so I've still got some original tiles, wonky ceilings and all the original architraves around the top, and we've kept the original fireplaces."
"I love our high ceilings. I've been able to buy a 10-foot Christmas tree for the living room. I love how much space the house has allowed me to give the kids as well, the garden is a lot bigger than we've ever had before, and we've been able to give them a dance room."
Becky shared their future home plans, conveying a desire for a gradual restoration. She revealed, "We're just doing the rest of the house up gradually now because of time and money, we'll probably still be doing this for the next 20 years," and noted that they don't want to rush the process as they also cherish family holidays and enjoyable activities in between refurbishments.
She stated, "We still want to be able to go on holiday with the kids and do nice things in the meantime. It's not worth killing ourselves over getting it all done at once."
She also expressed her attachment to their current residence, saying, "I don't think I could put myself through moving again, so I really hope this is our forever home. We're all really happy here and it feels really homely. I was worried because we'd only had new builds but within a week of living here it felt like home. Hopefully we don't have to move again but never say never."
While showing us around, Becky described the layout of their beloved abode: "Coming in through the front door there is a small hallway. If you take a left and go past the stairs, the first door on the left is a living room which we tried to make quite cosy. Then across the hall is the kitchen living space which is now one big room. To the left is the kitchen area and to the right is the living area. There's a downstairs toilet on the opposite side which we put in ourselves."
Becky revealed the hidden charms of her home, saying: "Then you come back on yourself and there's a secret door in the hallway that leads down into the cellar. You go down the steps and to the right is the bar and cinema room. We've actually called this space the meet room because that room was where they used to prepare the meat so it was actually called the meat room but we've done a play on words as it's where people now go to meet to socialise. To the left of the cellar is the dance studio where the kids do their dance practice."
She added: "Something I love about the house is it's got little levels as you go through it. So back on the ground floor you go up the stairs and there is a level half way where the bathroom is, and a seating area in front of a stained glass window which is a bit quirky. Up the rest of the stairs is where my bedroom is and where the two girls' bedrooms are. I put my washer and dryer on that floor as well because it saves me taking up space downstairs and it's loads easier not having to carry everything down."
"Then upstairs again is the bathroom which was originally a small cupboard. Then at the very top of the house there's another two bedrooms which are our guest bedrooms and a wardrobe space. If you count the half floors and the cellar then there are six floors, it's really unique. The staircase just keeps winding up the house."