What I Own: The water bill for my £268,000 Doncaster home is pricey — but it’s my own fault

This weekend, we’re in Doncaster having a look around Danielle Pearce’s home (Picture: Steve Parkin) Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder. When Danielle Pearce was a little girl, she and her grandad would often walk past a beautiful home with big bay windows. She promised herself that one day she’d buy it — and she did exactly that. The 17th-century home came on the market in 2019, and Danielle jumped at the chance to call it her own. It needed a considerable amount of work, but she rose to the task, drill in hand. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Here’s what Danielle had to say about her property journey… Ready to start your homebuying journey? You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Tell us about yourself! I’m from Doncaster, I’m 45, and I live here with my partner, Martin, who I’ve been with for seven years. I’m a sales director, which is a bit odd, but I studied performing arts, then I went into interior design, and somehow fell into financial services sales, and I’ve done that for 20 years. Hobbies-wise, I like DIY and upcycling. I can’t walk past a skip without my other half pulling me to one side, because I like to rescue things. The dream for us is to move to France. In fact, we appeared on Château DIY: Win The Dream, a Channel 4 show where contestants are given a budget to redesign a French château worth £250,000. If you win, you keep the home. Each week, we had a different challenge. We had to renovate a breakfast room, an attic room, a snug, and we got a budget and that was all we had. We had to source everything, come up with the designs, and decorate. It was hard work, but it was really rewarding. Sadly, we didn’t win it, but it lit a fire in our bellies, and I think heaven for me would be no alarm, straight down to the bakery, getting a croissant, and cracking on with some kind of creative project. Danielle can’t walk past a skip without having a look (Picture: Steve Parkin) What do you think about the area you live in now? How long have you been there? It’s a very northern Yorkshire mining town. If you’re from Doncaster, you’re proud of it. I love it, as it’s my hometown. I was born in this village. I spent five years in Canada, but other than that, I’ve lived within half a mile of where I grew up my whole life. The house I live in, I used to walk past with my grandad quite often. I always used to say, “I’m going to buy that house one day.” And then I did. She’s very creative, and loves an interior design project (Picture: Steve Parkin) When it came up, it was almost fate. Unfortunately, my grandad died in 2009, so he never got to see me buy it, but I know he’d be so proud. It’s a vibrant, music-oriented town. It’s the only place I know where you can go out on a Wednesday and karaoke’s blazing down the high street. When did you move in? February 2020. I financed myself to the hilt, because where I live is the most expensive postcode in South Yorkshire. My next-door neighbours have a six-bed, and I’m surrounded by million-pound homes. Mine is a four-bed. I moved up from a new-build, and when this came up for sale, I did whatever it took to get it. Lockdown then hit, which was a bit scary, but it gave me six to eight weeks of pure decorating joy. There are four houses like mine on this road. I think they were built in the late 1700s, so they’re real chocolate box homes with double bay windows and a tiny little front door. It’s quirky and unusual. She and her partner are planning to move to France (Picture: Steve Parkin) The lady who lived here before was here for decades, and at Christmas time, she’d have a tree in both windows. It was just magical to walk past. How much did you pay for it? £268,000. How much was the deposit? Around £40,000. I owe £234,000 on it now. ‘Give me a cement mixer and a drill anytime,’ she says (Picture: Steve Parkin) What’s the monthly cost of living here? My mortgage is £1,010, council tax is £160, and my water bill is £60, which some people might think is expensive, but I bathe twice a day for an hour. I’ll probably use a family of four’s worth of water. I leave every light on in here too, so it’s like Blackpool Illuminations. Electricity costs £180. My fiancé goes mad about all the lights being on constantly! How many homes have you owned before this? This is house number nine. I’d built up quite a bit of equity before I moved to Canada, but I got divorced while I was out there, so I came back in 2012 with £30,000 in the bank, and I bought a one-bed flat. I built up equity in that, and then I used it for part of the deposit and part for renovations, because I thought the house would take about £30,000. It didn’t. It cost £60,000. She’s very proud of the fact she’s from Doncaster (Picture: Steve Parkin) What work have you done on the house? Every single room was an overhaul. All of the wiring was redone, and we had new light fittings, a new boiler, new patio doors, and landscaping in the garden. It’s had the driveway overhauled, French drains put in, repairs on the garage, new fencing, new decks, new flooring, and the kitchen’s had a refit. I had a downstairs toilet put in. It was an old meat store, so it’s still got hooks in the ceiling. And then boring things you can’t see, like insulation. I think I’d rather have spent it all on nicer wallpaper. Ufurnish Awards 2026 In partnership with Metro, the ufurnish.com Home Awards 2026 showcase the homeowners, influencers, innovators, retailers and manufacturers transforming living spaces across the UK. This year, Danielle was shortlisted for her colourful home. Read more about the finalists on the Ufurnish website. What’s your mortgage rate and term? I’ve got 23 years left, and it’s in two parts. One part is at 1.3%, and one parts at 4.7%, because I took a further advance for home improvements. What inspires your interior design style? Danielle lives here with her partner Martin (Picture: Steve Parkin) It’s very maximalist, but I wouldn’t say I’ve got a specific style I look towards and emulate. If I see something and I like it, I’ll put it in a room and see if it works. I’m not afraid to change something if I’ve done it. One of my favourite things I’ve repurposed is a 1950s vanity that I got on eBay for about £40, and then my dad and I took all the drawers apart and shaped them so the pipes could fit through. My other half has a shaving point on one side, and we added a sink. In a past life, this was a vanity (Picture: Steve Parkin) Is this your favourite home you’ve ever lived in? Absolutely. I don’t think I own this house; I’m a custodian of it. When I bought it, I thought I’d got out of this place in a box, but now we’ve got this passion for France. I would never dream of leaving this house if I were staying in the UK. It hugs you when you walk in; there’s energy built into the walls. Do you feel you have enough space where you are now? When I came back from Canada, I had a one-bed flat with no garden, and I was quite happy, and then I moved to a three-bed with hardly any storage. Now, I’m in a four-bed with an attic and a cellar, and the place is rammed. I don’t think any space is big enough for anybody. We’re enjoying this animal print carpet (Picture: Steve Parkin) Have you had any issues with the property? The lady I bought it from left it full. It was eight skips in the end. We had to sort out creaking floorboards and undo a lot of bodge jobs. What are your plans for the future, housing-wise? We’ve got a passion for Europe; there’s a romance to it that I don’t think you get in an industrialised place, so we’re moving to France. To start with, we’re going to get a campervan and spend two to three weeks at a time in different areas to see where we’d like to end up. We want a bit further south for the weather. We’ve got a buyer for this place, and she’s obsessed with it like I am. When she walked in, she took a great big deep breath, and I could see she felt like I did that day I walked through the door. It made my heart happy. Deals of the Day Parents can save up to 30% on Kickers school shoes ahead of the new term The back-to-school hack that's helping parents avoid queues and sold-out sizes Could your hair be wavy rather than straight? This brand thinks so Could your star sign improve your skincare routine? This new beauty launch thinks so Best skincare for menopausal skin? This dermatologist-created treatment is tailored to you It’s going to be really tough to say goodbye. I’ve invested not just money in her, but time, emotion and genuine love, but we have different dreams now. I feel very grateful to have lived here and have helped bring her back to life. Shall we take a look around? Danielle always wanted to buy this house (Picture: Steve Parkin) Danielle is surrounded by million-pound homes (Picture: Steve Parkin) She did whatever it took to buy this home when it went on the market (Picture: Steve Parkin) Her home was built in the 1700s (Picture: Steve Parkin) She moved in during lockdown, so she had six weeks to decorate (Picture: Steve Parkin) She put down a £40,000 deposit (Picture: Steve Parkin) …and now has £234,000 left on the mortgage (Picture: Steve Parkin) ‘I bathe twice a day for an hour at a time’ (Picture: Steve Parkin) This is the ninth house she’s owned (Picture: Steve Parkin) She used some previous equity to secure this one (Picture: Steve Parkin) ‘I leave every light on in here, so it’s like Blackpool Illuminations’ (Picture: Steve Parkin) Danielle keeps a wall full of pictures in her hallway (Picture: Steve Parkin) Every single room had work done to it when they first moved in (Picture: Steve Parkin) The wiring had to be redone, as did the insulation (Picture: Steve Parkin) She describes her style as fairly maximalist (Picture: Steve Parkin) …but she wouldn’t say she tries to emulate a specific one (Picture: Steve Parkin) Now this is a fun twist on Medusa (Picture: Steve Parkin) Every cork has a story, it’s true (Picture: Steve Parkin) Open for business (Picture: Steve Parkin) She isn’t afraid to change things if she doesn’t like them (Picture: Steve Parkin) We like the pink high heels (Picture: Steve Parkin) ‘I don’t think I own this house, I’m a custodian of it’ (Picture: Steve Parkin) She thought she’d be here forever (Picture: Steve Parkin) …but now she’s set on moving to France (Picture: Steve Parkin) This is the only place she’d ever live in the UK, though (Picture: Steve Parkin) That’s a fair point, actually (Picture: Steve Parkin) Get naked (Picture: Steve Parkin) Wash your hands, please (Picture: Steve Parkin) There’s outdoor space, too (Picture: Steve Parkin) This is a nice little reading nook (Picture: Steve Parkin) ‘I don’t think any space is big enough for anybody’ (Picture: Steve Parkin) The lady she bought it from left it completely full (Picture: Steve Parkin) Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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