Episode 5 Money for Nothing

How do you make money for nothing?

The answer could be hiding in the 20 million tonnes of household waste

we throw out every year.

Sorry to bother you. Before you throw that away,

-is there any chance I could have a quick chat to you about it?

-Yeah, sure.

That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore

wants to get her hands on things before they hit the skip.

I am a passionate buyer, maker and user of old stuff

and I've turned that passion into a moneymaking business.

I turn old stuff into new stuff and sell it for a profit.

Sarah's ready to sift through as many boots and bin bags

as she needs to...

Look at that absolute box of joy,

these are just fantastic.

..in her search for tip treasure.

We've got to be able to make something out of that, haven't we?

And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...

-I've got a little something for you.

-Yeah, I thought you might.

Aw, this is a hard one.

..she can transform her finds into desirable...

Oh, my word!

..beautiful...

Oosh!

..valuable...

Cha-ching!

..and hopefully saleable items.

Well, I love this, so I would really like to have it.

If Sarah is successful, then she can hand the profits back

to the very people who had no idea

there was cash to be made from their trash.

That is incredible, isn't it?

For most people, a trip to the tip is about as exciting

as rearranging your sock drawer.

But most people aren't Sarah Moore.

It's loads of fun here.

There's stuff coming through the gates all the time

and I'm hoping in the trunk of one of these cars is some real tip treasure.

Sarah's been given special permission

from the Bredbury Recycling Centre, near Manchester,

to search for three items before they get skipped.

We're looking for things that we might be able to re-use and...

-Recycle.

-Yeah, recycle.

But she's not after just any old rubbish.

Just wondering what that was.

Old vacuum attachment of some shape or form, so...

Oh, my word, look at it!

Sarah needs to find things with the potential to turn a profit.

And it doesn't take her long to spot her first item,

poking out of Justine's rather glamorous-looking convertible.

-Hiya!

-Hi, there.

What are you throwing out today?

It's a cast-iron soil pipe, we're having a new bathroom fitted.

Oh, really? I just love the fact that it's got this really old paint on it.

-Yeah.

-And...

I did speak to my decorator about that

-and he said that to rub all that down...

-Oh, yeah?

..and repaint it when he paints the outside of the house

is not cost-effective cos it would be about a day's labour

-just to rub the whole pipe down.

-Really?

And it had to be changed anyway cos of the new bathroom.

I know it sounds really strange

that somebody might want to take away a soil pipe,

but we are looking for old stuff,

-you know, particularly stuff that has a bit of integrity and...

-Yeah.

-..like, we could remake into stuff.

-Right.

I'm not sure if anybody will take on a soil pipe,

but would you mind if we kept it, just to see...?

-Not at all.

-Really?

Doing me a favour by taking it.

You might want to wear some gloves for this one, Sarah!

A soil or sewage pipe is usually attached to the side of a building

to remove waste from the upstairs toilets.

And there's just one more section to it.

Keep them coming, Justine!

After all, you can never have too much old soil pipe.

It looks like it hasn't been used for a while. Has it not been used?

-Oh, it's been used.

-Really? I don't want to think about that, do I?!

-Yeah.

-Thank you so much. If we just pop it here, that would be great.

By the looks of things, this pipe has seen quite a bit of action.

But exactly how old is it?

-It's a very old terraced house, 1926...

-OK.

..it was built, but it's the original cast-iron pipe.

Yeah, well, do you know something? It's going to a better place.

-Oh, that's good.

-Thank you so much.

You are very welcome. Bye! Bye!

Sarah seems happy, but what's Justine thinking?

I'm just glad to get... I'm just glad to get rid of it!

I don't know what she'll do with it.

Justine does have some concerns, though.

I'd have put my make-up on if I'd have known

I was being on the television.

Not to worry, Justine, while you pop off to the powder room,

Sarah can take a closer look at her first item.

It's a really old cast... Uh, probably Victorian downpipe.

It's really battered and I'm not quite sure why I've saved it,

but I do know somebody who might have some good ideas

to turn this old thing into something valuable.

Bex Simon is a renowned artist blacksmith that can bang,

grind, weld and smelt metal into bespoke beauties.

Bex is normally commissioned for unique pieces of artwork

and has no idea what's coming her way.

Working with found objects is quite different from what

we normally do, cos we work with our clients and we produce designs

and we work with them, so this is kind of, like, really freeing up

the mind and seeing, you know, what object we've got and how we can

make it work into something really cool, modern and...yeah, desirable.

So it's going to be fun.

Let's just hope Bex is still smiling when she sees Sarah's pipe dream.

And that it doesn't just all end up causing a stink.

One item down, two more to go, and as Sarah's search continues,

the dump is definitely getting busier.

Oh, that's classy, isn't it? I love it.

That is a special little pony, isn't it?

I don't think so, Sarah.

There's only one ride left for that old nag.

Every time somebody pulls up,

who knows what's going to be in the back of that van? It could be...

It could be it.

You might be right, Sarah, but Richard and Tom look pretty keen

to dump that old blanket box, so you'd better be quick.

-Hiya.

-Hiya.

I'm really sorry to bother you.

Um, I'm up here today trying to find stuff that we might be able

to make into other things.

-Would it be all right just to have a look at what you're dropping off and maybe chat to you?

-Yeah.

-So, whose is it, what's it doing here, how did it get here?

-It's...

Well, it's a bedding box, it was my mum's, she's moving house.

We've tried to offer it to a charity shop, but...

-But they didn't want it either, so...

-Really?

Yeah, it's a last resort, tip.

I think it's really quite cool, actually. Would you mind if I...

took it away and tried to make something out of it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Yeah?

-By all means.

-Thank you ever so much for your help.

-Yeah, no worries.

-I really like that. That's made my day, so thank you so much.

-Good.

-I'll...get in touch.

-All right, cheers.

Thank you, thank you.

I love it, and I think...

I think we're going to make something really valuable out of it too.

What about Richard and Tom?

Do they think there could be any money in it?

Give it a bit of sanding, make it really stand out, make it...

-Yeah, I mean, it's...

-Something...

It's still in good nick, isn't it? So, it's...

It'd seem a shame to get rid of it, but like I say,

we had no other option, so...

-Good luck to her.

-Good luck, definitely.

-Yeah.

-I look forward to seeing what the final product looks like.

I really like this old blanket box

and I think it's got heaps of potential.

I'm thinking cocktail cabinet, I'd like legs on it,

I'd like fantastic doors.

And I'd like a price tag to match

because I think that this little beauty is going to turn

a real profit, and that means I can surprise those lovely lads

who dropped it off with a whole load of cash.

So, Richard and Tom could be in for a real windfall,

especially as Sarah has got just the man to tackle the blanket box.

Rupert Blanchard is one of the country's leading

bespoke furniture-makers.

He searches the country for undervalued materials

to rework into contemporary designs.

Basically, other people's waste, I find some kind of beauty in it

and spend a lot of time

and give rubbish a lot of attention to try and bring it back into use.

Rupert's been working with reclaimed materials for almost a decade

and sells his high-end designs all over the world.

I like giving things a second, a third, a fourth chance.

Bringing something back into use is incredibly satisfying.

Well, let's hope Rupert's satisfied

when he sees the salvaged blanket box.

Sarah has already found two items at the tip.

Now she needs to search for her third and final item,

which she will work on herself.

But time is running out and the crushers have already

swallowed most of the day's offerings.

I just find it difficult to watch that

because they're just crushing great stuff, so I think I'm going to

have to go and get back to work now because...that's just too scary!

Lots of things, just sometimes it's just not quite right.

What's he for?

-BOTH:

-It's a toilet roll holder.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I've never seen one like that before.

SARAH LAUGHS

Hang on, Sarah, Vicky's just pulled up with a trailer-load

of potential treasures.

Hiya, sorry to bother you, I was just wondering before you

chuck everything out, if it'd be OK to have a look at what you are

-throwing away and just see if there is anything we might recycle?

-Yeah.

-What... Are you clearing something out, or...

-Yeah, my grandad's house.

-Oh, no!

-So, a lot of my grandma's old belongings, sadly.

-OK.

-But a bit of everything.

-So, some old wardrobes and cupboards and then, like, sewing machine.

-OK.

And would it be really bad to just rootle around and have a look?

-No, help yourself.

-Really, are you sure?

-Yeah.

There are some sweet little bits in here.

Really lovely and I don't... I feel a bit funny rifling through them.

-They are really sweet things.

-I know.

But sometimes, you know what it's like, you get to a stage

where it doesn't fit in your house,

it doesn't go with your look, or whatever.

If there's a few bits in here... That certainly has an appeal.

I really appreciate you letting me have a look,

-especially as it is your family's stuff.

-Fine. Mm-hm.

If it's OK, I'd love to see if there's something there and come back to you...

-That's fine.

-Brilliant. If you're happy, I'm going to take this off and...

-You go.

-Thank you so much for sharing it.

-No problem.

Sarah's found her final item.

But exactly why is Vicky letting go of her grandma's stuff?

I'm helping my grandad clear out my grandma's old room.

He's finally ready to let go of a few things of my grandma's.

Cos he's getting on a bit, we needed to clean out the rooms,

so he's got more space to move around.

It would be nice if it could be reused for someone else

who would get pleasure out of it,

cos I know my grandma certainly did with a lot of these things.

So, it would be nice if it could go elsewhere rather than in the bin.

So, this is a really eclectic little collection of stuff.

Part of the stuff she dropped off were these plates, this china.

Now, I haven't had a proper chance to look at them yet,

and I'm not sure if there's going to be any value in this box.

But I couldn't let her throw it away without having a proper look.

So you never know, there might be some value in here yet.

Well, let's hope you're right, Sarah,

because it's now time to try and turn your refuse picks into pounds.

Working on the soil pipe will be artist blacksmith Bex.

While Rupert will be unleashing his creative carpentry

on the blanket box.

And Sarah's hoping to find some hidden treasures

in Vicky's grandma's box of china.

We have had a fantastic day here.

I've got some amazing pieces

and just the right people lined up to make them into something fantastic.

And to make some money along the way.

Sarah's first stop is Surrey, where tucked away down a country lane

is blacksmith Bex and her husband Dave's workshop.

So, I'm waiting for Sarah to come! I don't know what she's bringing.

So... Yeah, let's hope it's something really interesting!

Oh, don't worry, Bex. It's interesting all right.

Hi, guys!

-Hello!

-Look what I've brought you.

-Oh, no! Oh, no!

-It's a downpipe.

-I've got, like, a whole house-worth of downpipe.

-Oh, wow!

So, probably...

-What have we got? ..about 15 feet of it altogether.

-Gosh, wow.

Cor, it's got beautiful, pitted...

-Yeah, it's got some good, good finish on it.

-It's lovely.

It is lovely, but it is a downpipe.

BEX LAUGHS

-There you go. Do you want to hear the plan?

-Uh, go on. Go on, then.

This is really exciting.

OK, so, bear with me, cos it takes a bit of...imagination.

-So, I was thinking that if we could cut them in half...

-Yeah.

And if we could have lots of half little tubes, you know,

-sort of like guttering sort of style...

-Yeah, yeah.

And have, you know, like, tube, tube, tube, tube,

-we could make ourselves a lounger.

-Oh, right!

And I can get some little velvet cushions made to make it up

-into a round again.

-Oh, wow!

And then have it, like, you know, like a luxury,

amazing chair that you have in the corner of the sitting room.

Oh, my gosh, that sounds really nice. Really nice.

With Bex up for the challenge, it's time to hit the drawing board.

What you want to see is, you want to see the half, don't you, like this?

Yeah, exactly.

And then you've got your, the cushion, going on the top,

-like, that's what you want to see.

-Yeah.

And it could be sort of like that with an extra one on the headrest

-and more here...

-Oh, right, I get you.

So, if we are talking about, you know, a frame...

Getting all of these pieces into position and the legs, how long...

You know, is that... What kind of money are we talking about for that?

Um...

I reckon for both of us working on it,

about 600 quid to do that?

So, 600 quid on the frame, it's probably going to cost me a couple

of hundred quid to get the cushions done, so an 800-quid piece...

Another challenge on our hands!

I'll leave you to it, shall I? Don't say I never spoil you!

As Sarah heads off,

there's one all-important question on Bex's mind.

When do you think the last time some...

Probably a few days ago.

-No, seriously!

-I expect so.

This has been ripped off a house.

I'm going to wash my hands. Have we got some detergent?

-Have you given them a sniff?

-Have you?!

Smell your hands.

It might be dirty work, but it's not cheap.

With a budget of £600 for the frame,

plus an extra £200 for the cushions,

let's hope Sarah isn't flushing her money down the drain.

Sarah's next stop is sunny Margate on the coast of Kent.

Once a mecca for British tourists in the 1950s,

it suffered a major decline over the years

due to cheap package deals sending the holidaymakers overseas.

But today, Margate is a place where vintage is an advantage,

and reclamation is the order of the day.

And one man leading the way in all things repurposed

is furniture redesigner Rupert Blanchard.

I'm really looking forward to Sarah turning up today

and see what she has managed to discover.

Hopefully it's something fun,

but I'm really happy to play with anything that she has come up with.

Let's hope Rupert is still in a playful mood

after he takes a closer look at what Sarah has brought him.

So, blanket box.

-What do you think?

-Blanket box.

Well...

I didn't expect this.

It's rather unusual proportions.

-Quite a high thing, and it's all veneer plywood?

-Yes.

I don't think it has a huge amount of integrity to it.

It is not really solid,

and it was probably quite cheap when it was made.

-It's light, isn't it? You can tell.

-Yes. But that is good.

Big but light.

So, what are we going to do with that?

OK, so I've had a few thoughts about this.

Part of it, I was wondering if it is something that goes up on legs

and made into some kind of cocktail cabinet, or perhaps turning it round

and using the back as the front,

or even turning it on its side

and making it into something like a desk, or using it that way.

You're saying some sort of desk-y, cabinet-y...

..thing.

Rupert does not seem convinced.

The question is, can he see the potential that Sarah saw

when she salvaged it?

I don't know.

Is it something that you think is workable or not,

because it's OK to say you're not sure that this is...

-No, I can definitely work with it.

-Great.

I'm just coming up with the thing that's right for it.

Is this something then that I leave with you for a few days,

give you a call and we can see if you have some thoughts about it?

I think so.

I think it will keep me warm through the winter on the fire.

No! It will end up being something great.

So, Sarah is going to leave Rupert to it

in the hope that a good idea does come his way.

I can't say it's my favourite of all the pieces

I've ever worked with, but that's my challenge, really,

to make it my favourite piece.

Every piece I work on, if I'm not happy to have this in my own home,

I don't want to work on it.

Let's hope Rupert has a moment of inspiration soon.

Because, without a plan, Sarah has no idea what the budget might be.

But at this stage,

she's just hoping the blanket box doesn't go up in smoke.

While Sarah waits to hear back from Rupert, she has headed to her farm

to see if there are any hidden gems in Vicky's grandma's box of china.

I absolutely love a little box like this

because you just don't know what's in it.

I had a very quick look, and this caught my eye.

This sweet little jug and I couldn't stand the thought of somebody

chucking that away because, honestly, that is 1940, something like that.

It's just too sweet to get chucked and broken.

So, I don't know what else is in here.

I'm looking at the plates and things and thinking,

there's probably not a lot of value, but it's worth checking just in case.

At least it's vintage.

Giftware. Stoke-on-Trent.

I think they're sentimental value, rather than actually cash value.

Sweet little cottage garden - maybe in a vintage shop

you might get a couple of pounds for that, but not brilliant condition.

Foreign ware. Made in Japan. Oh dear. The saucer that went with that...

There's a few breakages in here.

They'll be from Woolworths, or something like that.

No value there, I don't think. Well, we know how much that was.

A little nest of bowls for dipping or something. 99p from Superdeal.

Probably not worth 99p now.

Now that's more exciting.

That's Clarice Cliff, and her stuff is really collectable.

Especially the early stuff.

I'd say, looking at that shape,

which has got those real Art Deco lines to it,

that that is an early piece.

You might be right, which means this bowl could be from the 1920s,

when Clarice Cliff first became a famous ceramics artist.

It's got a couple of nibbles around the rim.

But, I still think the shape of that, that has got real appeal.

That is a find, as far as I'm concerned,

in that box, this is a find.

Really worth saving from going in the tip. Right, what else?

That's its ladle.

Now, that's cool. That's another great piece.

I'm really pleased with that. That is 25 quid, probably.

So that, I think, is a little gem.

I'm hoping that will bring some proper money in for Vicky.

That's it, Sarah.

Nothing like a bit of elbow grease to ease the wheels of commerce.

Because Clarice Cliff is so collectable and valuable,

you do get people trying to make forgeries and fakes,

but you can see just by this wear here, this is a genuine piece

it's been around for ages and it's well used.

This is definitely the real deal.

Of course, it's not all about brawn.

Research is just as important.

You can see, this book has got all sorts of things in it,

but there are loads of pages just for the Clarice Cliff stuff

because it's so collectable, people love it, which is really good.

It makes that really quite exciting.

OK, so that is a Bobbins pattern Stamford bowl.

So, that is the same shape as this one.

Having discovered exactly what it is,

Sarah now wants to place the bowl and ladle in an online auction.

Serious Clarice Cliff collectors

love her bizarre ware designs and bold colours.

So, Sarah is taking great care

to capture plenty of good photos for the auction.

Let's just hope her attention to detail lures in some big bidders.

Meanwhile, at their West Surrey workshop,

Bex and Dave are trying to psych themselves up to start work.

So, we are working with the pipe, making it into a chaise longue.

It's pretty disgusting, really, isn't it? You are touching it.

Yes, well, someone is going to have to touch it.

Hence wearing this.

Yes, well they are just downpipes from someone's house,

so they're basically poo pipes from someone's toilet, really.

Definitely not eating my sandwiches after working on this!

While Bex gets on with the design of the frame,

Dave has drawn the short straw.

He's working on the pipe.

How are you feeling about that, Dave?

Yes, try not to crack them,

and just cut them as neatly as we can, as quickly as we can.

That's it, Dave.

Stay focused on the task and try not to think about what might be inside.

First, he needs to mark, then cut the pieces of pipe in two.

He will then send the dimensions of the new half pipes to Sarah

so she can make the cushions.

Meanwhile, Bex bends the sections of the frame into shape.

True to his word, Dave is making short work of cutting the pipe.

And Bex's frame is coming along too.

Now, she just needs to test the final shape.

So professional.

Why does my head come to on that?

SHE GIGGLES

There? Am I in?

-Right.

-Yeah, you're at the top.

-Then this, do we need to cut that down?

-No.

-Is that at a good...

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK, it's not very comfortable.

This is no laughing matter.

And neither is the state of the insides of the pipes.

Luckily, Dave's on hand again to clean them up once and for all.

Now, as soon as the pipes are dry, they can be sealed with varnish

and attached to Bex's frame.

Back in Margate, Rupert has finally come up with a plan

for that bothersome blanket box.

So, another piece of fun.

Very badly made, very bad condition,

sadly unloved piece of furniture.

We came up with the idea to make this a large sideboard,

literally by blowing this one apart,

almost like a Christmas cracker

that you pull apart in the middle,

and either end of the Christmas cracker remains our chest,

and in the middle is a brand-new section.

Hopefully we will make a big, impressive piece of furniture today.

First, Rupert has to decide where,

and how, he wants to cut the box in half.

I want to cut through two angles in this piece,

not straight in the middle.

I really want to give it a slightly dynamic edge.

So, I'm going to completely freestyle this

and it's going to be quite, quite random.

I'm going to match up the line on top,

so my next scoreline will be straight across the lid.

Again, I'm not doing a straight line, I'm going at an angle.

It's going to be a very angular piece.

It's time for Rupert to make his first nervous cut on the lid.

So, this is the scary bit.

This is the bit where it might collapse.

With the lid safely cut, it's time to tackle the rest of the box.

It always seems a little bit sad

when I've cut straight through a piece of furniture.

Old vintage furniture, for me it takes on some kind of human quality.

I would never intentionally put a healthy piece down,

but I'm doing it for the right reasons.

This is going to be a brand-new piece,

and it is going to be cherished somewhere.

Last cut.

One more chance for it to fall apart.

This one's going to be the worst.

There you go. So...

A lot of weird angles. But, slowly this cabinet is getting bigger now.

With the old piece successfully cut in half,

Rupert can now build the new middle section.

He's making a simple shelving unit,

and in keeping with his ethical ethos,

Rupert is using recycled wood.

With all the pieces secured together,

what finish is Rupert thinking?

I think the middle section at the moment will probably be

one bold primary colour.

Did you have any specific colour in mind?

Let's hope Sarah likes custard.

Otherwise this piece could still be finding its way onto the bonfire.

Good luck, Rupert.

Meanwhile, Sarah has placed the Clarice Cliff ladle and bowl

in an online auction.

She's now nervously waiting to see if they fetch a good price.

But the auction is almost over.

At the moment, they're stuck at £41.

I hope I've got more bids out there for these things.

At the moment, there are six people bidding on it.

Three minutes.

It's making me really nervous.

Especially with you lot watching.

Two minutes ten seconds.

I just want a little bit more for it.

One minute 25 seconds to go,

and it's still only at 41 quid.

That's really disappointing.

I definitely think it's worth more than that.

Probably people doing their gardening or something.

Five, four, three,

two, one, damn.

Oh, it's gone up. Somebody's bid right at the last minute.

OK, so the bowl and ladle have sold for £50. I'm pleased with that.

I'll take £50, and to be able to hand that money over to someone

who was going to throw the bowl and ladle away, that's money for nothing.

When Sarah first met Vicky at the tip, she was performing a sad task.

-Are you clearing something out?

-Yes, my grandad's house.

So, a lot of my grandma's old belongings.

Horrified by the thought of seeing all of Vicky's grandma's stuff

slung in a skip, Sarah decided to take a chance

on a box of unknown china.

It'd be nice if it could be reused for someone else

who'd get pleasure out of it - I know my grandma certainly did

with a lot of these things.

Sarah's gamble paid off

when she discovered the Clarice Cliff bowl and ladle.

Now, that's more exciting.

That's Clarice Cliff and her stuff is really collectable.

That's a find.

As far as I'm concerned, in that box, this is a find.

Although Sarah was disappointed with the final sale price,

hopefully Vicky will still appreciate the effort

and, of course, the little extra spending money.

Sarah is in Bramhall

to hand over the profit she made on the Clarice Cliff bowl.

-Hi!

-Hi, this is my sister.

-I'm Sarah, hello.

-And this is my grandad, Ken.

Hi there. Come on out, I've got a little something to show you.

I wondered if you had remembered.

In the box of china, there was a bowl that looked like that?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes, yes.

When I saw the stamp on the bowl,

I turned it over and it said Clarice Cliff,

I got quite excited about what you might have popped in your box.

So, I did a bit of research and a bowl like this,

because of its very strong Art Deco lines, is actually quite collectable.

I popped it online to see what sort of interest I could get, and it

turns out that a collector saw it and wanted it, and paid £50 for it.

-That's brilliant.

-Yes, so that £50 actually comes back to you.

-So, who would like £50?

-Grandad?

-Thanks very much.

Any ideas what you might do with £50?

I was thinking I would have to get a new set of Crown Green bowls.

That's a lovely idea.

From one bowl to another bowl, that's very appropriate.

With a straight online sale and no material costs,

Vicky and Sonia's grandad gets to pocket the full £50 profit

from the sale of the bowl.

I actually found that quite emotional because it's such a lovely story,

that grandma's old bowl is going to buy Ken a whole set of new bowls.

In Surrey, the final rivet is going into the frame

of the new lounge chair.

Now, Bex and Dave can do their finishing touches.

Dave is stripping back the outside of the pipe

to reveal the different layers of paint.

While Bex is welding the final fix to the frame.

I think Sarah's just around the corner,

so we're just putting the last one in. It's looking really nice.

When Bex first saw the humble soil pipe,

it had only just been torn off the side of a building.

But now, by marrying the old pipe with a new steel frame,

she's utterly transformed it into a luxurious lounger.

The elegant lines, riveted finishes, and rustic pipe

all combine to form a chair that's just bursting with individual style.

Well, this is a really exciting moment

because it's not often that you pick up a lounger made out of a poo pipe.

I can't wait to see what Bex and Dave have managed to do

with those old pipes, and I'm also a bit nervous

because I've got to show them the cushions I've made for it.

Hello, hello!

That is amazing! Its shape is lovely.

I really like that organic...

It looks like a caterpillar track, doesn't it?

-It's got that beautiful swoop to it.

-Yes.

Is it... Is it sanitised, is it clean?

Yes, it's all clean, washed and lacquered and everything.

It doesn't smell. It doesn't smell at all.

That's lovely, all the different paint, the layers of paint.

That is amazing.

The contrast between this metal, and then your new metal,

is really beautiful. Each one is really bouncing off the other.

This is great detail, really clever.

So nice to give it that luxury look.

-Yes.

-It's really beautiful. Is it comfortable, have you sat in it?

-Have you tried it?

-It's not bad.

It does need its cushions though, definitely.

I feel really nervous now!

Before Sarah completes the new lounger with her cushions,

she's decided to take it out into the garden.

Sarah's putting the cushions on the chaise longue,

so we're eagerly waiting to go and have a look.

So, what do you think?

I think she'll have done a really good job.

Yeah. I hope so, because I'm rubbish liar.

I'll just go...

..and then cry.

Do you want to have a look?

I like the way you have to come through a curtain.

Oh, wow!

Oh, all the colours are the same as the back.

-Wow!

-Is that a good "Oh, wow"?

-Yes, I like it.

-Yes.

-Yes, that's nice.

With the cushions meeting with Bex and Dave's approval,

there's only one thing left to check.

It's lovely.

It's really cool, it's really relaxing.

Thank goodness for that!

When Justine pulled up at the tip in her fancy-looking convertible,

-no-one could have guessed what she was planning to dump.

-Hi there.

-What are you throwing out today?

-It's a cast-iron soil pipe.

But if Sarah was surprised, Justine was shocked.

I'd have put my make up on if I'd known I'd be on the television!

Undeterred, Justine helped Sarah unload her grim cargo.

It looks like it hasn't been used for a while.

-Oh, it's been used.

-Really?

I don't want to think about that, do I?

I'm just glad to get rid of it. I don't know what she will do with it.

Well, Justine, the humble soil pipe has been glamorously transformed

into a luxury lounge chair,

which Sarah had absolutely no trouble in selling

to the trendy London furniture store The Old Cinema.

-Hi, Sarah.

-Hi, Justine, lovely to see you again.

-And you.

-Much nicer surroundings than last time.

-Yes!

Now, since we have had your pipe,

have you thought about what we might have done with it?

To be honest,

I didn't really think you'd be able to do anything with it.

After a bit of debating about what we should do, we turned it into...

-Are you ready for this?

-Go on, I've no idea.

-This is a really good transformation.

-Oh, wow!

Your downpipe is now a lounger.

Gosh.

It is now a high-end interiors piece of furniture.

-I could have had that in my house then!

-Yeah, you could!

I'm absolutely stunned.

We had to spend £800,

-but I'm really pleased to say that it did sell for a profit.

-Right.

-We sold it for £1,200.

-Oh, my gosh!

So that means I've got 400 quid's worth of cash to give to you

-for your poo pipe.

-Oh, my gosh!

Thank you very much.

It's an absolute pleasure.

Wow, I didn't expect anything!

Work and materials on the downpipe lounger cost £800.

It sold for a whopping £1,200,

meaning Justine gets the £400 profit.

With the money I will put it towards taking my mum on holiday

in September for her 80th birthday.

So, spending a lot of time and money

renovating an old downpipe could have been money down the drain,

but I'm really pleased to say it was money for Justine.

So, with two items successfully sold,

can Sarah make it three out of three?

It's time for her to see the final item in Margate.

I am a little bit worried.

I left Rupert with a really old-fashioned looking blanket box,

and a quite tall order, to turn it into something amazing.

So, fingers crossed he's managed to pull it out of the bag.

When Sarah last saw it, the blanket box was old and flimsy,

and just moments away from being turned into firewood. But now...

Rupert has blown the dull old box apart and joined it all back

together again with a vibrant and contemporary middle section.

The end result is a bold and substantial 21st-century sideboard.

But will Sarah like it?

How are you doing?

Another item ready for you.

I think it's... I think it's genuinely absolutely smashing.

-How on earth have you done that?

-It's a bit nuts, this one.

I haven't done much that's unrecognisable

-to the original piece.

-Apart from slash into it!

I have made what was a piece of furniture that didn't have

much of a useful function any more in the home

into something that hopefully does now, into a very big sideboard,

by literally pulling it apart.

It's stunning. Can I have a closer look?

You can, yes. Obviously, I have used a new section in here.

This is made from OSB, or sterling board,

which is actually the waste chippings around a tree

when they've taken the main lengths of timber out of a trunk,

so it's a sustainable product.

I've restored the original piece. Other than cutting it in half,

I have actually restored it by repolishing it and refinishing it.

You might actually like to lift those up and find that there is...

-Oh, my word!

-The original function of the cabinet is still there,

-so the piece still exists in its original form.

-That is genius.

You can tidy the living room at a moment's notice

when the kids have been playing.

And, either end, it does the same thing.

I think it's the work of a genius.

The fact you've got that storage in there as well,

I wasn't expecting that when I saw it. And this fantastic colour.

Anybody else, Rupert, they'd have just cut it in half.

They wouldn't have put those angles in it. I think it is...

inspiring stuff you've created here.

It was such a light, insignificant piece that I dropped off to you.

I didn't think anybody would be able to make anything like this,

and this is stunning.

It certainly is, Sarah.

Let's just hope you can give it a stunning price tag to match.

Back at the dump, brothers Richard and Tom

were at pains to bin their old blanket box.

We tried to offer it to a charity shop

but they didn't want it either.

-Really?

-So, last resort, the tip.

Would you mind if I took it away and tried to make something out of it?

Yes, absolutely. By all means.

It seems a shame to get rid of it, but we had no other option.

Who would have thought somebody would actually want it!

Little could the boys have imagined that the charity shop reject

would be transformed into a contemporary sideboard.

This is great.

And, when Sarah showed it to Martin, one of the country's leading

retro furniture dealers, he snapped it up on the spot.

This isn't just recycling something, it is taking something and making it

better and fun and artistic, and it is really creative stuff.

So, now it is time for Sarah to reveal to Richard

the fate of his old blanket box.

And she might just have another surprise in her back pocket.

-Hiya!

-Oh, hi.

-Nice to see you again.

-Yes, nice to see you.

-How are you?

-Yes, really well. Remember your blanket box?

-Yes.

It turned out to be really good to use to do something else with,

so I thought I'd show you what we did with it.

-What do you reckon?

-I was not expecting that.

That's definitely original and yes, quite unique.

-We've actually managed to sell it.

-Wow!

-It made £100 profit.

-Really?

-And that is for you.

-No way! OK, unbelievable.

Any ideas what you might do with 100 quid?

It's a shame my brother isn't here

because the pair of us took it to the tip.

It's his 21st coming up,

-so possibly I might treat him on his birthday.

-Fantastic.

I think that would be a great use of the money.

It is nice to receive something for nothing, so yes, it's lovely.

-I hope you get some benefit from it as well.

-I'm sure I will.

-Really nice to see you.

-And you.

-OK, bye-bye.

-Thank you.

Transforming the blanket box into a stylish sideboard cost £400.

It sold for £500,

meaning the £100 profit is Richard's

to be as generous to his brother as he likes.

Today, all three saved items have made a profit,

from the Clarice Cliff bowl being snapped up by a keen collector,

to the old soil pipe, repurposed to a lounger with poise.

All the way to a blanket box,

transformed into a terrific sideboard.

That's brilliant.

That's three things saved from being lost forever,

and three people walking away with money for nothing.