{"id":142468,"date":"2023-10-20T13:24:07","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity-hub.com\/?p=142468"},"modified":"2023-10-20T13:24:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:24:07","slug":"we-bought-an-old-church-trebled-its-value-after-a-glow-up-mega-decluttering-we-even-threw-hymn-books-on-a-bonfire-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity-hub.com\/fashion\/we-bought-an-old-church-trebled-its-value-after-a-glow-up-mega-decluttering-we-even-threw-hymn-books-on-a-bonfire-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"We bought an old church & TREBLED its value after a glow up & mega decluttering \u2013 we even threw hymn books on a bonfire | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

A CHURCH is the last place atheist Jessica Flinn-Allen thought she would find herself – but that\u2019s where she spends most of her time now after converting a chapel into her dream home.<\/p>\n

Jessica, 34, and her husband Ollie Allen, 35, bought the disused Methodist church in 2012 for \u00a3145,000, after it popped up on RightMove.<\/p>\n


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And the couple, who have two children together, have spent \u00a3250,000 over the past 11 years transforming the dilapidated building in the Peak District, near Sheffield, into their family abode.\u00a0 And it\u2019s now worth an incredible \u00a3750,000.<\/p>\n

However, it is not without its quirks.<\/p>\n

Jessica jokes despite not believing in God, strange things have happened in the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re complete atheists; we\u2019re not religious at all. We joke that we\u2019re definitely going to hell now, if there is anything out there,\u201d Jessica said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen we moved in, there were hymn books<\/span> that we tried to donate but no one wanted them, so we ended up having to burn a couple of them on a huge bonfire – so on the other side, we\u2019ll be sent down, not up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the early days of doing the renovation we got broken into and a few bits and bobs were stolen, so we were a bit on edge and installed an alarm. Then in the middle of winter<\/span>, at 10pm at night, it went off.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOllie went to have a look around and everything was dark and quiet so he flipped on the light on the switch board and at the end of the church a neon cross lit up, and he said he\u2019s never run out of a building so fast in his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had a classic office lightbulb on so it slowly came on and crackled into existence. <\/p>\n

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"It was just like in a creepy movie. He said he\u2019d never been so scared. We\u2019ve now got the cross in our kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica admits that the history of the house means that dead bodies have frequented their home regularly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur neighbours<\/span> told us they had been to christenings, weddings and funerals when it was a chapel – so there have been dead bodies where we live,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut fortunately there aren\u2019t any cemeteries nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cApart from that, it\u2019s very homely and cosy, and I never get spooky vibes when I\u2019m alone in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica, who runs her own jewellery business<\/span> – Jessica Flinn, and Ollie first saw the property for sale on RightMove in 2012 and thought \u201cwhy not?\u201d.<\/p>\n

Once they got the keys the following year, they got to work renovating the property, including adding an outdoor kitchen and upgrading stained glass windows.<\/p>\n

Everything other than the walls and floor needed to be upgraded, renovated or removed. The chapel was connected to electricity but had no water or gas<\/span>. Plus, there were issues with the planning stipulations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ollie gave up work for a year and a half to work on the project, and in 2014, the couple moved into their new home, which had no staircase, and only had one room with carpet.<\/p>\n

Jessica explained: \u201cIt was carnage. The kitchen was partially finished, with functional elements in place but lacking final touches. But we were still working on selecting and arranging furniture and decor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea was to create a space that felt like a tranquil retreat in the countryside, yet still close to the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aimed for a harmonious balance between old and new, where the original features<\/span> of the church would seamlessly coexist with contemporary design elements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between 2015 and 2020, Jessica says the house was \u201cpretty much there\u201d; it was functional and the couple brought it their own style, with colourful and playful furnishings. Then, the property was transformed again, turning it into the home it is today.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the key rooms, we made significant changes to create functional and stylish spaces. In the kitchen, we installed modern appliances, functional workspaces, and stylish cabinetry,\u201d Jessica said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lounge area underwent a transformation, featuring a double-height space with a freestanding log-burning stove as the centrepiece.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBedrooms were personalised with unique decor and colour schemes to create individual havens, while bathrooms were carefully designed to offer both functionality and aesthetic appeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were stages to the journey to get where we are now. Now is when it feels like an established, put-together home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica said she wanted to keep as much as possible from the original church – including the Hollow Meadows sign that was on the outside of the building, which now hangs in the living room like a piece of art.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s a \u201cquirky sign\u201d above the door to the kitchen that says \u2018Sunday at 6pm\u2019, which was when the service used to be held.<\/p>\n

However, not all Jessica\u2019s intentions to keep the features of the church worked out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a lot of money<\/span> getting the pews converted into free-standing ones to use as chairs for the dining table. <\/p>\n

"Visually, they looked great and in-keeping with the church, but they were so uncomfortable and impractical for day-to-day life, so they\u2019ve been put down in the cellar,\u201d Jessica said.<\/p>\n

Jessica admits the renovation project has been a labour of love, sweat and tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the former chapel is now bursting with colour and unusual furnishings – just how the couple, who live in the church with their two children, Carmen, seven, and Robin, five, like it.<\/p>\n

Jessica believes the home is worth around \u00a3750,000 – but the couple aren\u2019t in a hurry to move.<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cIn the beginning, we did everything on a budget. Now we have more disposable budget as we\u2019re in a better position. <\/p>\n

"So we\u2019ve bought nice<\/span> bits of furniture. We\u2019ve gone for lots of Farrow & Ball, as well as natural shades with a pop of colour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to evolve and enhance our living spaces, infusing them with our unique design sensibilities and creating a home that truly reflects our personal style.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs for selling the property, we see it as a long-term investment and a place where our family can continue to thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a strong emotional connection to our church home and currently have no plans to sell it.\u201d<\/p>\n


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A CHURCH is the last place atheist Jessica Flinn-Allen thought she would find herself – but that\u2019s where she spends most of her time now after converting a chapel into her dream home. 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