Before-and-after photos show how a man turned a crumbling 'dungeon' into a stunning $590,000 apartment

Zoë EttingerJun 23, 2020, 20:05 IST

The kitchen/living room after renovation.17 Paragon

Jamie Barrow is Britain's fastest snowboarder and, in his spare time, he renovates homes.
In 2016, he became interested in a two-floor apartment for sale in historic Bath, England.
Though the home was crumbling and needed a ton of work, Barrow managed to fix it up and turn it into a beautiful apartment that's now listed by Andrews for $590,000.
"People would never imagine what you could turn this property into," he told Insider. "I was able to prove them wrong."

Jamie Barrow is known in the United Kingdom for his snowboarding abilities. In 2016, he broke his own previously set record to become Britain's fastest snowboarder for a second time. He holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest speed on a snowboard towed by a vehicle.

But now he's being recognized for his renovation skills, too. During the summer months, Barrow spends his spare time renovating homes. In July 2016, he became interested in a property in Bath, United Kingdom, a city known for its historic architecture made of unique Bath stone.

The two-floor apartment clearly needed a ton of work, but Barrow was up for the job. In 2019, he finally started the renovation process, and the finished property went up for sale just two weeks ago for £475,000, or about $590,000.

Take a look at the before-and-after photos of Barrow's Bath apartment.

Jamie Barrow found a basement and sub-basement apartment for sale in Bath, England, in 2016.

Barrow's apartment, pictured middle with orange scaffolding. 17 Paragon

The crumbling property was in such terrible condition that it was dangerous.

The kitchen before renovation. Jamie Barrow

But he wanted to return the home to its "former glory," including keeping details like original fireplaces, seen below.

The kitchen/living room after renovation. 17 Paragon

But it wasn't easy: The building is listed as Grade 1, which in the United Kingdom means that it has historical significance that must be preserved.

Downstairs before renovation. Jamie Barrow

"This is why people try to stay away from Grade 1-listed buildings, because of the amount of work you have to go into," he said.

Downstairs after renovation. Jamie Barrow

Barrow described the downstairs before renovation as a "dungeon."

The staircase before renovation. Jamie Barrow

"People would never imagine what you could turn this property into," he said.

The staircase after renovation. 17 Paragon

Barrow used case studies and looked at the renovation of similar buildings nearby to figure out how to renovate the home properly.

A window before renovation. Jamie Barrow

"Little did I know how much work and time would go into it," he said.

The kitchen after renovation. 17 Paragon

Barrow was finally able to start renovating in July 2019. Since the apartment was originally a basement, he had to put in electric, water, and gas.

The downstairs before renovation. Jamie Barrow

"These areas were probably where the servants quarters were," Barrow said.

Downstairs bathroom after renovation. 17 Paragon

Barrow sourced unique Bath stone to replace the floors in the apartment.

Cutting Bath stone. Jamie Barrow

The finished Bath stone floor, pictured in the bedroom, is one of the things Barrow is "most proud of."

The bedroom after renovation. 17 Paragon

Also in the main bedroom, they found plastered-up fireplaces.

The bedroom before renovation. Jamie Barrow

"We assumed that this is where they cooked everything for the big household," Barrow said.

A bedroom after renovation. Jamie Barrow

Before the renovation, the backyard was overgrown.

The backyard before renovation. Jamie Barrow

The home, complete with spacious backyard, was finally finished in January 2020.

The backyard after renovation. 17 Paragon

The apartment is for sale for about £475,000, or about $590,000.

The living room after renovation. 17 Paragon

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