EXCLUSIVE: **NO NEW YORK POST OR NEWS CORP USAGES** Story from Jam Press (Cottage Renovation) Pictured: The exterior of the house before the renovation. Couple, 29 and 35, transforms "run-down and unliveable" 500-year-old cottage into modern family home with ?L65,000, and they did the work themselves during TWO pregnancies A mum has shared the incredible renovation she has completed on a 500-year-old cottage in Northumberland, transforming the "run-down" and "unliveable" property into a stunning family home. Stephanie Gowland, 29, purchased the property, which dates back to the 16th century in 2016 as a home for herself, husband Graeme, 35, and their two daughters Olivia, four, and Goldie, two. They initially planned to use the cottage as a short-term project to be sold on, but after spending five years transforming the home, the couple have fallen in love with it and have no plans to leave. "The cottage was very dated, dirty and run-down," Stephanie told Jam Press. "It had always been a rented property and you could see it had never been truly loved. "It wasn't liveable and had a lot of issues like damp. I think we snagged it purely because others were put off by the amount of work it required. "But we saw its potential with high ceilings, exposed beams and attached barn." The couple started by opening all the sealed windows and allowing the house to "breathe" all summer while they started the work, which also helped clear up the damp. They fully stripped back the cottage and found ???"amazing" features including an old stone fireplace, which has now become a celebrated focal point. Stephanie fell pregnant with Olivia shortly after the DIY project began, giving birth to her in March 2017, which meant the couple were rushed to get the home into a liveable condition. She added: "A lot of our decisions were quite rushed and progress completely slowed when our first daughter arrived, and then soon a second daughter." Pictured: GV,General View World Rights, No Australia Rights, No Netherlands Rights, No Russia Rights, No United Kingdom Rights