Lockdown has made us all rethink what we want in a home. For city dwellers, the grass is looking abundantly greener out in the country.

People are packing up and heading not just for the suburbs but farther afield — pushing U.K. house sales to their highest level in more than a decade, according to property website Right move. Prices have reached record levels in rural idylls like Devon and Cornwall.

If those alluring Country Life magazine homes are calling out to you but your budget doesn't quite cover Georgian mansions, never fear: There is a lot of potential in buying a cheaper, older property and doing it up yourself. 

Renovating old houses can be a new way of life, but you have to be smart — and brave. We moved into an old home in the country even before having children and are now on our third major renovation. So here are some thoughts on how to approach a fixer-upper without buying a money pit.

Do your research.

Dealing with local council planners, particularly for listed heritage properties, has generally become a lot easier than it used to be. But it still requires researching what renovations, plans and extensions will likely get approved and using local planning agents will help get those permissions. Make sure to check not just what gets signed off, but what gets rejected and why. We currently live in a conservation area, which means something like a loft extension that alters the exterior roofline is highly unlikely to be allowed, whereas adding some simple windows would be. 

Budget wisely. Cash flow is king, as buying an old home requires relentless maintenance and big one-off expenses. So factor these into your overall budget for the project. Not only should you pay attention to the price of the home, you should also weigh the cost of hiring a project manager versus hiring a builder and all the subcontractors yourself. We saved a lot by managing everything ourselves. 

Soft furnishings are often where the expensive surprises come, so make sure to budget for the carpets, curtains and furniture you’ll need. Outside spaces are just as important as interiors, so you’ll want to budget for improving gardens and boundaries too. For example, one painful expense can be upkeep on entrance lanes. If possible, get the road surface sorted properly as it can really detract from the value and salability of your property. One thing we learned that’s really worth spending money on? Exceptional lighting — both inside and out. 

Save where you can. If you want to ruthlessly control your expenses, living onsite — even if that entails the glamour of a mobile home — while renovating is a must. Cutting out as many middlemen as possible can also save you a fortune, as can buying big-ticket items like scaffolding yourself and then reselling them later (avoid those rental fees). You can cut down on surprise bills by keeping building changes to a minimum. If you’re looking at a big project, you can also set up your own company to manage it, which can help you offset sales tax and expenses. 

Approach things in the right order. Gaping holes in roofs and floors need not be dealbreakers, since they can be surprisingly simple fixes. We navigated both at minimal expense by getting professional advice upfront. We even managed to fix a flooded cellar that rose and fell with the nearby pond — the answer was not to seal the 500-year-old foundations of the house, but to invest in a simple electric pump. 

Many old houses also have blackened beams that can make for dark, gloomy interiors. Sand-blasting these professionally at the outset will transform the overall feel of your renovation project. Insulating walls and attics can make a huge difference as well — it cut our fuel bills in half. Get all the messy stuff, like rewiring and plumbing, done first before any redecoration.  

When all is said and done, you will have sympathetically restored a home with a history. Sure you’ll still enjoy the odd night in the city to see old friends and haunts. But that drive back into the countryside will confirm that all your hard work has paid off.