Billie Faiers and husband Greg Shepherd ‘finally’ start work on their £1.4m Essex home

Billie Faiers and her husband Greg Shepherd have happily declared that work on their £1.4 million Essex home has ‘finally begun’.

The Mummy Diaries star, 31, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a picture which saw her husband, 35, hold her up in his arms as she kicked her legs in the air and smiled in delight.

The couple were embroiled in planning rows with their new neighbours over demolishing the run-down house and replacing it with a five-bedroom property, and this forced several months of delays. 

Ecstatic: Billie Faiers and husband Greg Shepherd rejoiced on Thursday as they declared work has ‘finally begun’ on their £1.4m Essex home following planning rows with neighbours

Rejoicing in the fact they could finally start work on the house, Billie wrote in the caption: ‘Today is a good day. The building work on our new house has FINALLY begun!!!  

‘We are so so soooo excited. It has been over a year since we bought the property, lots of back and fourth with planning permission etc etc… but today is the day it finally all begins !!!

‘As you can see there is ALOT of work to be done and we have a HUGE task on our hands to make this our dream home. Let the @homewiththesheps house renovation begin (sic).’

Excited: Rejoicing in the fact they could finally start renovating, Billie said there had been 'lots of back and fourth with planning permission etc etc... but today is the day it finally all begins'

Excited: Rejoicing in the fact they could finally start renovating, Billie said there had been ‘lots of back and fourth with planning permission etc etc… but today is the day it finally all begins’

Can't wait: Billie (pictured on The Mummy Diaries) claimed she and Greg were 'so so soooo excited' to be able to start work after such a long wait

Can’t wait: Billie (pictured on The Mummy Diaries) claimed she and Greg were ‘so so soooo excited’ to be able to start work after such a long wait

Last month Billie admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property in Brentwood, after they opposed the couple’s plans to demolish the original rundown house and replace it with a five-bed palace.

Bridges haven’t been built since they won planning permission in August with Billie saying: ‘We’ve not seen anyone. But it’s just not a great start, is it?’

She continued of the home, which was constructed in the 1920s: ‘The house is so old, whoever was going to buy it was going to have to renovate.

‘There’s only one neighbour to the side of us and he had a lot of reasons as to why he didn’t want us to go ahead, but it was getting a bit silly in the end.

Issues: The couple were embroiled in rows with their new neighbours over demolishing the run-down house and replacing it with a five-bedroom property, which forced months of delays

Issues: The couple were embroiled in rows with their new neighbours over demolishing the run-down house and replacing it with a five-bedroom property, which forced months of delays

‘It’s been a very long journey already and it’s about to get even more pressurised once the builders start work.’ 

They bought the four-bedroom property for £1.4 million a year ago and will raze it to the ground and construct their own dream home.

According to the planning application, all five bedrooms will be on the first floor with the en-suite master bedroom having a huge dressing room. Three of the other en-suite bedrooms will have walk-in wardrobes.

Greg has been allowed to add a ‘man cave’, converting the original garage into a gym and games room, and there will be a play room for their two children Nelly, six, and Arthur, three.

Exciting: Last month, Greg revealed work is finally ready to begin on his and wife Billie's home

Exciting: Last month, Greg revealed work is finally ready to begin on his and wife Billie’s home

They’re also adding a two-storey side extension, single extensions to the front and rear, and completely re-landscaping the outside space.

Greg excitedly announced that work was to begin, posting on his Instagram last month: ‘So finally next week after a year trying to get planning permission. Works will begin! Let’s do this! #allthegearnoidea #shepthebuilder.’ 

He shared a photo of himself donning a hi-vis jacket and a construction helmet, ready to get to work.

It comes after Billie previously told MailOnline of her delight at being able to start work on their abode, which they purchased in January of last year.

Issues: Last month Billie admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property, and she said: 'It’s been a very long journey already and it’s about to get even more pressurised'

Issues: Last month Billie admitted she’s not speaking to the neighbours at her new property, and she said: ‘It’s been a very long journey already and it’s about to get even more pressurised’

She said: ‘We’re so pleased and finally got there in the end. They’ve estimated it’ll take a year to complete the renovations, which is very long time but we all know how quick time goes nowadays.

‘We’re living in our current home in the moment and [will] stay here until the work is done.’ 

The abode will also be complete with an in-and-out driveway along with a single-storey front extension and landscape work.

Drama: When it was revealed they had been granted planning permission, they celebrated the milestone by toasting wine in an Instagram post

Drama: When it was revealed they had been granted planning permission, they celebrated the milestone by toasting wine in an Instagram post

It had been reported that Greg and Billie finally received official permission from Brentwood Borough Council to convert their property into a five-bedroom luxury family home after making a number of changes and compromises.

The official notice stated that ‘in pursuance of the powers conferred on them’ the couple would be permitted to carry out specific work.

According to The Sun, this would allow them to demolish the existing garage to build a two-storey side extension.

Additionally, they would be able to demolish the existing conservatory in order to build a single-storey rear extension. 

Over the moon: Both Billie and Greg celebrated receiving planning permission after a 'nine month wait'

Over the moon: Both Billie and Greg celebrated receiving planning permission after a ‘nine month wait’

The Mummy Diaries stars had been battling with neighbours for months over their renovations plans. However, after reducing the building by a matter of centimetres, renovations were given the green light.

Among the changes that were in the revised plan were to make the height of the planned extension 50 centimetres lower and to ensure their home is further from their neighbours.

In their latest submission, Billie and Greg are quoted as saying: ‘The planning officer confirmed that these now overcome the reasons for refusal on the original application. They therefore recommended that a revised application be submitted.’ 

MailOnline contacted a representative for Billie Faiers for comment at the time.

In a previous rejection response from the council officer’s report it was written of the potential house: ‘It would be the biggest house on the street and the increase in size from the original home would not be acceptable.’

The reports also had concerns about whether the home would be sympathetic to the local area.

The decision notice stated: ‘The proposed extensions when combined would create a development which is excessive in terms of bulk, size, massing, roof design and siting, resulting in overly dominant additions to the existing dwelling and a substantial building out of character and appearance within its context.

‘It would unacceptably reduce the spatial quality between properties which is characteristic of the area, to the detriment of local visual amenity.’

Now: Billie previously shared a collection of snaps to the couple's property renovation Instagram account called 'homewiththesheps' (current kitchen pictured)

Now: Billie previously shared a collection of snaps to the couple’s property renovation Instagram account called ‘homewiththesheps’ (current kitchen pictured) 

Elegant inspiration: TV personalities Billie and Greg also posted some inspiration snaps from Jonathan Williams Kitchens

Elegant inspiration: TV personalities Billie and Greg also posted some inspiration snaps from Jonathan Williams Kitchens 

It’s been claimed the previous owners were granted permission to build two houses on the land, yet still, the plans for one large home were initially turned down.

The neighbours had expressed concern that the property would be too close to theirs and affect their privacy.

Billie previously admitted that the interior of the sprawling house is ‘old and dated’ and estimated that it will take the pair around a year to completely renovate it.

The couple revealed that they wanted to start off their journey by showing their followers a look at their current ‘old and dated’ kitchen on their home Instagram ‘homewiththesheps’.

Details: Their vision includes white cabinets, marble counters and gold handles

Wow: The couple want marble counter tops with gold taps

Details: Their vision includes white cabinets, marble counters and gold handles, as well as marble counter tops with gold taps

They said they have planned to change the layout of some of the house, to make way for a kitchen extension which will become a kitchen/dining area/soft area, complete with adjoining play room and utility.

Speaking to HELLO!, she said: ‘We got the keys at the end of January but it’s a huge project, a big renovation. We are going in blind because we’ve never done it before and we are starting from scratch.

‘The architect has been in and for what we want to do, it’s going to be at least a year or a year and a half until it is safe for us to live in, so we are going to stay where we are for now.’

Big project: Billie previously admitted that the interior of the sprawling house is 'old and dated' and estimated that it will take the pair around a year to completely renovate it

Big project: Billie previously admitted that the interior of the sprawling house is ‘old and dated’ and estimated that it will take the pair around a year to completely renovate it