Georgia and Josh, the creators behind the fast-growing social platform @thehayebarn, are set to take the stage at the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show this week (19-22 March, NEC), sharing their candid, budget-conscious approach to renovation in a highly anticipated masterclass session.
Currently renovating a Victorian barn conversion in Warwickshire, the couple have built a loyal online following by documenting their journey with complete transparency. Best known for their viral strapline: “we were quoted £120k to renovate our barn and we’re doing it ourselves for £40k”, they’ve become a go-to source for practical, beginner-friendly renovation advice. Since launching their Instagram in July 2025, Georgia and Josh have rapidly grown a community drawn to their honest insights, cost-saving strategies and relatable learning curve.
Their journey recently gained further recognition with a feature on Channel 4’s Chateau DIY: Win the Dream, reinforcing their mission to help others renovate without overspending. Their upcoming session, ‘The Unfiltered Truth About DIY Renovation,’ will take place in the Masterclass Theatre at 12pm on Sunday 22nd March, alongside industry expert Michael Holmes. Reflecting on their journey, the couple shared: “Eight years ago we walked into this show after buying our first house…
“We were completely overwhelmed by renovation costs and had no idea where to start. Fast forward to now and we’re actually speaking there.” During the session, attendees can expect actionable, experience-led guidance, including:
- Where to start when renovating
- What you can realistically DIY
- How to stretch a tight budget without cutting corners
Designed for anyone planning a renovation, extension or self-build, the talk promises practical takeaways grounded in real-life experience rather than theory. Ahead of their masterclass, Georgia has distilled key lessons from their own renovation journey: hard-earned insights shaped by mistakes, experimentation and persistence.
As a millennial who’s made every mistake possible, here’s what I’d never do again:
- Install Spotlights Everywhere: When you’re making a million decisions during a renovation, it’s easy to ask your electrician to follow the standard setup but lighting is one area where that can backfire. Spotlights are practical but over-using them can ruin the atmosphere of a room. They’re harsh, flatten a room and I completely regret installing them as the only source of light in the downstairs of our barn.
I wish I’d focused more on layered lighting, using wall lights and pendants on separate circuits to create warmth, depth and flexibility. Even bulb colour makes a huge difference. We’ve got a whole cupboard full of the wrong ones from trial and error! My go-to now is 3000K or lower for a soft, inviting glow. If you do include spotlights, make sure they’re adjustable and used intentionally, rather than as a default across every room.
2. Pay Full Price for Materials: With online marketplaces at our fingertips, paying full retail price is rarely necessary. What feels “unaffordable” often just requires a bit more time and effort to source for less. Cancelled orders, ex-display pieces and end-of-line sales are everywhere on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, you just have to be willing to look for them.
Some of my best finds have come this way, including an antique mirror splashback I picked up for £100 that would typically retail for over £500. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount either. I called our flooring supplier and cheekily asked for a discount, and they knocked 10% off straight away.
When renovation budgets are under pressure, sourcing smartly is one of the easiest ways to make significant savings without compromising on quality.
3. Hire Trades Without Trusted Recommendations: We’ve all heard the horror stories! Builders disappearing mid-job or leaving behind work that costs even more to fix. Without a personal recommendation, the risk goes up significantly.
Every great tradesperson we’ve worked with has come through word of mouth, and ideally, you want to find a “trade for life.” If you find a good plumber, electrician or builder, keep them as they already understand your home, how it’s been put together, and where everything is.
It’s tempting to go with someone cheaper or more available, but that can end up creating more problems than it solves.
I actually found our builder of the last seven years in a slightly unconventional way; by searching our local council’s planning portal. I looked at nearby kitchen extensions and noticed the same name appearing repeatedly on building control notes. That consistency told me everything: they were trusted locally and doing good work.
In my experience, poor tradespeople don’t stay under the radar for long in a local area, word gets around quickly. When we first met our builder, he immediately offered for us to view his previous projects in other people’s homes, which is a huge green flag. If you’re taking on a large project, always ask to see past work and if they’re hesitant or evasive, consider that a red flag.
4. Buy Cheap Tools: When money’s tight, it’s tempting to go for the cheapest option but with tools, that usually ends up costing more in the long run. They wear out quickly, underperform, and often need replacing sooner than you’d like.
We’ve recently invested in decent cordless power tools, and the difference has been huge. Not only have they improved our productivity, but they’ve made the whole renovation process far more efficient and a lot more enjoyable too! No more dragging extension leads through windows or across the garden. It’s those small upgrades that make a big day-to-day difference.
5. Waiting for the ‘Perfect’ Time: With labour and material costs rising by around 4.4% each year, waiting for the “perfect” time can actually end up costing more. There are so many ways to fund a renovation, and if we’d waited until everything felt completely comfortable financially, we’d still be waiting.
Careful planning is essential, but in many cases, starting sooner makes more sense than delaying indefinitely. We can’t predict when material prices will increase. For example, during lockdown, we saw timber prices increasing weekly and we knew we would need timber for our extension so we placed our order and stored the timber for a few months, ready for our project. We saved a few hundred pounds by doing this.
Our general approach is to make sure we have enough money saved to cover labour costs, then source materials later down the line or we spread the cost on a 0% interest credit card.
