Me and my home: The secret's in the source

Cheryl Markosky talks to Melissa Porter about plants, period features and putty-coloured paint

Property developer-turned-TV presenter Melissa Porter, 30, has turned a Thirties Wandsworth semi in south London into a modern home by inexpensive methods - upping its value by £100,000. She lives there with her husband Bradley

We bought this place six months ago and to be honest, I don't really like Thirties houses. This is a compromise of sorts, but we chose it mainly for the location. I think Bellevue Road, which is really close, is fantastic with restaurants like Chez Bruce and great shops. Also, it is a bit cheaper this side of the street, compared to the Victorian stock on the other side.

"We started out in Streatham Vale then moved to Balham. I really love buying houses and doing them up, as long as I don't have to live there while all the work is being done. We had to do a lot to this house. We gutted it, put in damp-proofing, re-wired, and replaced rotting timber and joists. We had to put in new bathrooms, too - the worst experience so far was seeing poor Bradley trying to have a bath with a bucket and towel. I don't think I could bear to go quite that far again. One of the new bathrooms is known as the Harry Potter room, as it is small and fits under the stairs.

"We have our refurbishments down to a fine art now, transforming a house in three months flat. I think it is best to use independent tradesmen and always project-manage your own builds. If you get one builder, he brings his own guys, and you can't always guarantee they will all be OK. And you save heaps of money if you manage things yourself. It cost about £30,000 to renovate the house and would have been more like £60,000 to £70,000 if someone else managed the whole thing.

"We paid about £350,000 for the house and we reckon it is now worth about £450,000. It was quite spacious, so we recognised that it had a lot of potential. There was only one owner of the house from new and she really cared for it - the walls are in great condition. Another attraction was that two of the bedrooms are big double bedrooms.

"The garden hasn't been tackled yet. I have to admit I'm not a great gardener, nor can I cook. My husband, who is from South Africa, wanted a 'jungle effect' in the garden, so we planted some expensive bamboos. But they have died, so we need to look into how we can sort it out. He loves to barbecue out here and we have put decking on the terrace and bought a gas heater for cool evenings.

"I am not good at DIY, but I do have a knack for imagining how a property should look when finished. The kitchen was a complete nightmare, but I wanted to make the place appeal to a family. When we sell it on, it is likely to go to a young family.

"I adore period features. You really add value to your house if you hold onto as many period features as possible. I was horrified in one house where the builder ripped out all the old doors worth at least £70 each - he was too lazy to sand them down - and threw them in the skip. He replaced them with cheap £12 doors and potential buyers all noticed how awful they were.

"The trick of painting everything cream and keeping it neutral really works when you go to sell. The walls were meant to be cream here, but there was a mistake when the painter mixed the paint, so we have our own unique formula - a light, putty colour - but it seems to work.

"When I was young, my family would move every year and I've lived in around 30 houses. We never got attached to our homes, so I do not feel sentimental about leaving somewhere behind. I move to a better location, a bigger house. I think it is more important to hold on to your family and friends, rather than bricks and mortar.

"I do things simply. The walnut slab I put in the bathroom was expensive, but the bath and sink only cost £190. I had the sink set into the walnut and it rests on chrome arms that double as a handy towel rail. Instead of real limestone that is porous and has to be treated, I have gone for limestone-effect ceramic tiles on the walls and floors. If we'd used the real thing, it would have cost £1,500, but instead we only had to fork out £500.

"It's important to source things properly. I've built up a lot of trade contacts so I get my carpet at trade price and mix antiques like our colonial armchair from Lots Road with cheaper items, like cushions from TK Max. I aspire to have fancy storage, but building cupboards and wardrobes out of MDF works well and costs a lot less - ours were only about £200 each. I hate seeing things on display - who wants to see your nail varnish remover and makeup remover? Unless you can afford Penhaligon or Molton Brown, it looks pretty awful.

"The kitchen has Schreiber units and I've put different chrome handles on the units to make it look more contemporary. We have good stainless-steel Smeg units, as I think it is worth spending money on these. I always put in marble or Corian worktops and here we have brown granite.

"I love mirrors and have loads of them all round the house. You can get really great mirrors at affordable prices at ABC Glass in Balham High Road. Another great supplier is Hugo Russell in north London. They supply to places like Fenwick's in Bond Street. They have fantastic things and you can get £100 picture frames for around £8.

"The next step for us would be to spend quite a few thousand pounds more. I would like to live in Parsons Green or on the other side of Bellevue Road, but it might take a year or two to make the move. Meanwhile, it is great living here. It is really quiet and kids can play in the streets, which is pretty unusual for London."

Melissa Porter's series 'Put Your Money Where Your House Is' is at 10.30pm every Monday on UK Style