JOHN and Deanna Briggs will never forget the day they moved into Railway Cottage.

Planning to start on a renovation project that would see them through to retirement, they were shocked to find it was a rundown state.

Six years later, the cottage in Low Marishes near Malton, was crowned North Yorkshire’s Home of the Year in a competition run by Minster FM and Rodgers of York.

“We thought we would like to move and do something different,” said husband John, 54, an engineering manager at Portastor in York.

“It has been a lot of hard work and turmoil, but now we are reaping the rewards.”

The couple moved from Huntington, York, after their children left home and saw the 1850s cottage, a former railway gatehouse on the Malton to Pickering line, as an ideal project.

However, the building, which has had private owners since 1966, was in a worse state than they realised, leaving them in a very tricky situation.

Deanna, 53, who works at Pickering Antique Centre, said: “Moving day arrived and it was obvious on arrival that the house was unlivable and we virtually found ourselves homeless.

“This move was to be a long-term renovation project to take us through to retirement, but circumstances forced us to do the work quickly.

“What savings we had were gone within months and at times we practically lived on baked beans to enable us to save up to be able to afford the basic essentials a house needs.

“The year 2009 was recorded as one of the coldest and we lived through it with no hot water or heating.

“We used to go out to work leaving our cat sat on a hot water bottle to keep her warm while she admired the icicles hanging on the inside of the doors and windows.

“The first two years were the toughest, but over time we could see the transformation of a very sad and neglected house been turned in to a beautiful cottage to be proud of.

“We were encouraged all the way by family, friends and the good people of the Marishes who rallied round and helped us as much as they could.”

Having had to initially live in a caravan, while the builders got to work, it was clearly a stressful period.

“It was difficult because you think ‘what have we done with the money?’” said John.

The couple can now look back on their efforts with pride, especially after voters on the Minster FM website chosen Railway Cottage as Home of the Year.

They were shortlisted as one of five and videos featuring the homes are still on the site.

As well as the title, they won £1,000 to spend at furniture store Rodgers of York.

“Becoming a finalist in the Minster FM competition confirmed to us that the cottage had finally become a house of beauty,” said Deanna.

“But we were stunned when we received the phone call to say that the people of North Yorkshire obviously thought the same, as votes had been counted and we were officially North Yorkshire’s Home of the Year.

“I cannot deny that there were tears in my eyes and a huge smile on my face.

“All the upset and sheer hard work we had put in to the house over the past six years had been so worth it.”

Having battled for so long to make Railway Cottage a home again, the couple now have a footnote to the story.

John explained: “Deanna has a real passion for baking and was thrilled to be awarded the trophy for best in show in the bread and cakes section at Malton Agricultural Show this year.

“Encouraged by family and friends, she is in the final stages of setting up Briggs & Company Homemade Cakes – a small business based at Railway Cottage baking traditional home-made cakes to order.”