Episode 30 Money for Nothing

That's not going in there, is it?

How do you make money for nothing?

Ooh, that's got lovely legs!

The answer could be hiding in over 20 million tonnes of

household waste thrown out by us every year.

I'm now going to swan off!

That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore wants to get her hands on things

before they hit the skip.

I'm a passionate maker, buyer and user of old stuff,

and I've turned that passion into a money-making business.

I make new stuff out of old stuff, and I sell it for a profit.

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

Let's brainstorm a little bit and see what we can do with it.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

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

I'm kind of speechless.

..valuable...

That looks amazing!

..and hopefully saleable items!

THEY LAUGH

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's lovely! Lovely ending!

Today, Sarah's at the Woking Community Recycling Centre

in Surrey, which receives around 300,000 visitors a year.

How exciting! The gates have just opened,

and the cars are pouring in here, packed with potential.

Sarah hopes to uncover three items with the potential to be

spruced up and sold on for a profit.

So, was that the shower?

But just in case you're thinking about doing

a pick and mix at your local tip, don't try it.

Sarah had to get special permission to work her magic.

Give me your rubbish, I'll make you some money...

-AS TOMMY COOPER:

-Just like that!

-Just like what?

-That's how he said it! "Just like that!"

Don't give up the day job, Sarah.

And just like that, Jason's arrived with a boot full.

But can Sarah conjure up something for that big thing?

-Hiya.

-Hello.

Hello. How long have you had that?

Well, it used to be in my grandparents', it's been in

the garage for some years now and we don't really use it.

And have you lost the drawer from it?

Yeah, I put this outside the house with a "free" sign on it for about

a week, and all that was taken was pretty much the top drawer.

-That's really annoying, isn't it?

-I know.

-Shall we get it out and have a closer look?

-Yeah, let's do that.

-It's huge!

-It is a big one, isn't it?

Jason's cumbersome cabinet may be missing a drawer,

but it's hiding a secret.

A secret drawer.

You wouldn't even know it was there.

Secret compartments in furniture

became popular around the turn of the 19th century.

They created a space to store money, jewellery or the good silver.

-They're not hugely attractive things at the moment.

-No.

But I would rather have a go at doing something with it.

Would you mind if I took it away

rather than you putting it in the skip?

You can have this all you like.

Now I'm going to ask you, any chance you could just help me move it?

If I grab this end, thank you so much, just up here would be amazing.

Sarah's saved a substantial sideboard.

It's hardly top drawer.

Jason, what do you think will be done with it?

I think it could definitely do with a new coat of paint, erm,

and a bit of a good old clean.

In terms of what she's going to do with it, I don't know.

A bit like the secret drawer,

this piece of furniture I'm hoping has hidden depths.

1940s, very old-fashioned styling,

just the kind of thing that nobody wants in their house at the moment,

so I reckon this is free rein, we can do anything to this -

hopefully make some money.

Well, let's meet the man Sarah's got lined up to take it on...

..Norman Wilkinson, our woodworking wonder.

Norman creates high-end furniture from unloved and undervalued

materials, and every piece has that Norman flair.

I think my personality is reflected in what I do, you know?

I think I try and do everything to the best of my ability.

Everything we do I think looks A1.

Everything I make is fantastic, just like me.

Norman's been in the woodworking game a long time.

In fact, how long have you been doing it, Norman?

If I actually told you how long I've been doing this,

it'd give away me age.

Now, I think I'm still 21...

in my dreams!

I'll tell you, you're looking good for whatever age you might be!

The same can't be said, though, for this thing.

That's one item saved. Sarah needs to find two more.

Luckily, she might find something of interest

in what Emma's chucking out.

-Morning! Hi there, hello.

-Hello.

They look really interesting. Where have they come from?

These are from my grandad's house,

we're clearing it at the moment, he's going into a care home.

He was a plumber but he liked painting and decorating,

so we've got a lot of ladders and stepladders and things like that.

-They look like he's made them.

-Yes, yes, he was very handy, actually.

He was really into recycling and making his own things,

so he would always re-use stuff wherever he could, so, yeah.

A man after my own heart.

There's something about them, I think it's just cos they're old

and they've got all those marks where he's been painting on them.

You can't fake age, so when it comes in like this,

I'm always really excited to see it.

Is there any chance I could take them away and try and do

-something with them?

-Yes, by all means.

I'm not sure what, but I just can't bear the thought of that lot

ending up in the skip, so, erm, I'll keep in touch and I'm going to

-take these away and say thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Sarah's saved Emma's grandad's steps and ladders.

What do you think of that, Emma?

Yeah, I'm really glad that someone could make use of it,

that's really what my grandad would like, cos he's so into recycling.

Erm, I have no clue what she'd be able to do with it,

possibly sand it down and paint it, but if she can make it into

something really funky and creative, that'd be great.

Well, there are some fantastic pieces here.

They might look in bad condition to you,

but to me, all that paint, all that detail,

you just can't recreate it, so when they're turned into something

it's going to look amazing.

Well, let's find out who's taking them on.

Rupert Blanchard is a furniture designer with the skill and

imagination to transform things we want to throw away into

things we want to stay.

I work mostly with reclaimed materials.

These are found materials that other people have given up on,

and I benefit from what other people throw away, but it's more than that.

I spend a lot of time and a lot of energy

and a lot of love in restoring things, and somehow working people's

rubbish back into their home as something brand-new.

You do work wonders, Rupert, but I can't imagine these steps and

ladders being anything other than steps and ladders, really.

With two items tucked away,

Sarah needs to find something to work on herself and she'll be done.

Just reflecting on what a wonderful time it's been

at the recycling centre!

You're not finished yet, Sarah.

Perhaps Neil and his daughter Alice will have what you're looking for

in the back of their car.

What are you using as a dust sheet?

Well, I've been cleaning the shed out, and I just use this so that

I don't get too much muck in the car, but I don't need it any more.

We moved into a house some time ago,

and it was the old lady that lived there before, it's her curtains.

-Oh, really? Have you got any more?

-Erm, we've got one more at home.

I use that when I'm painting,

just so I don't get any paint on the carpet, but I don't need two.

-So, are you not a vintage retro rose fan, then?

-Not particularly, no, no.

It's not really my style, to be honest.

Well, do you know, it might not be your style,

but there are loads of people who love this stuff.

1950s floral prints like this, probably by, I'd say, Sanderson...

People can't find them, so they can't get enough of them,

and they pay good money for them.

Classic fabric and wallpaper manufacturer Sanderson was

founded in the 1860s.

Well-preserved pieces are much sought after by fabric fanciers.

This one, though, has been lining the bottom of a boot.

Can I take it away and try and make something out of it?

-You may indeed, no problem.

-Well, that...

Things are coming up roses round here. Thank you so much.

That's quite all right.

Would you believe it, Neil? Your old dust sheet is vintage!

But what do you think can be done with your fancy fabric?

Good luck to her if she can find some use for it.

She'll probably, I don't know,

redecorate a chair or redecorate something, I really don't know,

it's not my thing, but I'm sure she can find a good use for it.

What's not to love about that?

I mean, look, the most beautiful 1950s curtain.

You could make cushions out of it, you could make more curtains,

you could wear it as a ball gown!

I'm sure there's money to be made out of this.

Sarah has her three items.

Norman will unlock the secrets of the sideboard.

Rupert will try and give the ladders a step up.

And Sarah will try to fashion something from the floral curtain.

Another fantastic time at the recycling centre.

Who'd have thought so many amazing things would turn up here?

But now the hard work really does begin.

For our first stop, we're off to the village of Hellingly

in East Sussex.

Beautiful, serene and charming...

And that's just Norman!

Sarah's brought Norman the old sideboard

to see what he makes of it.

Sarah's on her way.

I wonder what delight she's going to bring today.

I just hope it's not an absolute wreck.

Let's just hope.

Not for the faint hearted, this one.

It is a brutal, ugly piece of furniture.

I've got a great plan for Norman, though.

That's what we like.

Come armed with a plan and things should go smoothly.

So, let's hear it.

-I'm lost for words.

-OK, you ready?

-Yep.

-I have this really good idea.

I thought I'd bring it to you

and you'd come up with a cunning plan.

Genius!

All right, what's going on here?

It's got a secret.

-You have to go in underneath and...

-Oh, it's a secret door.

Right, we don't need to worry about that.

The first thought I had about it was a strip-down and repurpose.

It's the only way to do it.

-It can't look like this cos it just won't make any money.

-Right.

I reckon we take that section away, strip it out, put in new drawers.

We could then put in a base, so make it into, like, a dresser base.

-OK.

-We'll put a new top on it.

And then we could make a nice dresser rack for it

and make it into a dresser for the kitchen.

So what do you think, then, boss?

I'm in.

A kitchen dresser.

Well, it's better than anything Sarah came up with.

We could tidy it up, make it look the business.

New drawers and a new top

will certainly brighten up the base.

You put plate grooves in, you get the plates on.

But Norman's hoping the addition of a brand-new dresser rack

to display plates and the like will be the thing

that gives it a kitchen-y feel.

It's going to be a lot of work.

That sounds really cool, but how much will all that cost?

I reckon we'd do that for about 575, all in.

We're game on for that. That's lovely.

I always like coming back here.

-Fantastic.

-Good luck with it.

-See you soon, yeah?

And it's a plan.

So, are you happy with your sideboard, Norman?

Sideboard. Well, it's a sideboard.

-Um...

-Yes, it is a sideboard.

-Yeah.

I mean, yeah, it'll be fine.

Well, it sounds like that is just about the best possible thing

that could happen to that ugly old piece of furniture.

Norman's definitely the man for the job.

Yeah. It'll be fine.

We have a budget of £575 to transform the sideboard.

Norman has big ideas, but making it look like it is at home in a kitchen

as a dresser... Maybe it won't be all fine.

For our next stop, we're off to the seaside town of Margate.

Attracting over a million visitors a year,

this place is all about sun, sea and salvage.

So what better place for Sarah to bring her bundle of wooden

bits and bobs?

I wonder what Rupert will make of them.

Sarah's coming over.

I'm hoping she's going to bring something that'll be a bit of a challenge today.

I don't want to work on something that, you know, is good as it is.

I only like working with real junk,

something that everyone's given up on.

Rupert, your wish is our command.

Well, I've brought this super little stack of salvage

to Margate, and I hope Rupert's got his thinking cap on,

because he is going to need some good ideas if that lot

is going to be turned into a profit.

If you want imagination, you're in the right place.

All right, let's get them on the bench, then.

Would you believe that when I found these,

I was absolutely delighted?

Right.

I'm not sure about that. What have you brought me?

Lovely ex-decorator, really good DIY guy,

had these and his cut-up ladder,

and his family were dropping them off at the tip.

I do like these hop-ups. They're nice little things.

And I think, with a few repairs,

they can still go on to, you know, a new life as they are.

But maybe just sort of push them a bit further.

If I turn them into some sort of kitchen steps, library steps,

something functional still,

something kind of true to the original use.

So Rupert's big idea is to turn the steps...into steps.

Why didn't I think of that(?)

So how many have we got?

We've definitely got three little step systems going on here.

Yeah, there's three hop-ups here.

I don't see why I can't make at least three pieces.

I think that sounds like a great solution for all of that lot.

-Can you put a price on it?

-If I say 150 for three pieces,

and then if there's enough material left over,

if I can make you something else, would you want that as well?

Definitely. You're always going to come up with original plans for the

rest of it, so I'm happy to invest. Lovely to see you. Thanks so much.

-Excellent. See ya.

-Bye.

It'll be three sets of steps and a mystery item.

I can hardly wait.

I don't know what I've got, really,

but I've promised Sarah three items, so...it's going to be a late night.

I think they'll be a very useful set of items.

Definitely three things there.

Am I going to make money, though?

That's £150 for three sets of new stepladders.

It's quite a simple plan, so Rupert will really need to make them shine.

With our makers busy making, Sarah has headed home to the

Sussex countryside to get busy with her own project.

Sarah was over the moon to get her hands on this vintage fabric.

I can't imagine why(!)

But what exactly can be made from the old curtain?

Look at that beautiful piece of '50s floral fabric.

I am a massive fan.

Look, I literally cannot get enough of it.

So finding this at the tip is brilliant news.

I think I'm going to make something I've never made before out of it.

I'm going to go for a beautiful big vintage floral eiderdown.

Look how happy she is.

First job is to turn it from a curtain into

one lovely usable piece of fabric.

An eiderdown, by the way, is a kind of puffy quilt.

Get rid of all of that.

It takes its name from the type of duck down

it's traditionally stuffed with.

I should really unpick this.

These are the small,

soft feathers from the breast of the female eider duck.

You can get a little...

a very fine little blade that you slip

between the stitches to unpick it, or you can rip it like that.

Sarah first rips off the curtain's heading tape...

I just saved about an hour on picking.

..before separating the vintage fabric

from the curtain's backing material.

Well, you know me, ever thrifty.

I think that could be the backing for the eiderdown.

It is in great condition, and that is soft and lovely.

With the backing material also usable, Sarah gives them both

a quick wash before she sews them back together.

When washing vintage material, temperature matters.

Always use a low heat.

And when drying, never ring it out,

or you could damage the fabric.

If you can't dry outdoors, pat dry instead.

So, eiderdowns, traditionally, would have only been little things

that sat on the top of beds, not even the size of a single duvet.

So this bit is actually huge,

and I think I can try and make two eiderdowns out of this.

-And a bit more money.

-Two quality quilts - now you're talking!

To divide the material in half, Sarah carefully...

Oh, she's just ripped it again.

That should do it.

She really loves ripping things.

So, this is my eiderdown stuffing.

Now, traditionally, it would've been stuffed with eiderdown,

which is a lovely, soft duck down.

But I'm not sure if that fabric is feather-proof, and also I want this

to be able to be used by anybody who's allergic to feathers,

doesn't want to have duck... I just want this to be accessible, so...

-That's definitely big enough.

-Instead of duck down,

Sarah is using a simple polyester padded duvet

which complies with all UK fire safety guidelines.

With the duvet cut into two pieces for the two eiderdowns,

Sarah moves on to sewing the fabric for the covers.

And then she'll be done.

That's gathering. I don't know why it's doing that.

SHE SIGHS

-But, uh-oh, there's a problem.

-Machine fault.

Her sewing machine is playing up.

Sewing machines are funny things.

If you don't get the tension right when you're sewing,

you can make the fabric pucker up.

Well, if it is more tension you are after, you should've said.

INTENSE MUSIC PLAYS

GRANDIOSE, ECHOEY VOICE: Will Sarah get her sewing machine working?

And will the eiderdowns ever get eider-done?

Stay tuned for more exciting action.

NORMAL VOICE: Ugh! Now, that was tense!

So far, Sarah has spent just £30 on the stuffing for the

two eiderdowns, but with her sewing machine on the blink,

who knows what we'll end up with?

Back we go to Hellingly in East Sussex,

where the clunky brown sideboard is about to get the Norman treatment.

Sarah's expecting a new kitchen dresser at the end of all this.

Norman, what's the plan?

The plan is, we're going to knock all this apart and then

we're going to put two big drawers inside, good storage.

And then we're going to put a baseboard in here,

so you can put baskets and storage under there as well.

Then we're going to make a rack for it, to put your plates and other

all your other junk on. So, yeah.

To store your plates and junk. Charming(!)

First, I'm going to take the doors off.

Norman starts by removing the doors.

Because he plans to strip out the middle section to fit new

drawers, it means the secret drawer will have to go,

which is a shame because it is really cool.

It had a little clip there to pull it shut and open.

And then you've got like a bed spring here, look,

you know, to push it in and out.

I've never seen one before with a spring like that.

It's quite fantastic, really.

All right, I'm going to take these out.

I don't want these.

Next, Norman removes all the wooden bits and bobs,

which will make room for two brand-new drawers.

We'll put a rail in there

and then we'll have two nice drawers.

For all your rubbish.

"For all your rubbish"! Charming(!)

Now Norman is going to reinforce all the joints on the base,

because 70-year-old furniture tends to get a bit rickety.

I've just opened it up because, obviously,

the glue has given up the ghost, so we'll squirt some glue in,

clamp it up and then we can go from there.

Re-gluing joints is an essential part of restoring old

furniture. Pieces like this from the '40s would have used

an animal-based glue, which turns brittle over time.

Fabulous.

If the joint itself is still in good condition,

applying a strong PVA glue will make the joint as good as new.

I've got the first one glued,

so obviously we've got to wait for it to go off, and we've got

other joints to do, so we can now put this to one side, and then we

might as well start doing the rack.

The addition of a dresser rack to display plates and ornaments

will turn our cabinet into what is known as a Welsh dresser.

Originally used in kitchens to store crockery and silverware,

it gradually became more common as a means to display your fancy

dinnerware.

So, the Welsh dresser moved out of kitchens and into dining rooms.

Norman has cut to length the sides of the dresser rack and created

grooves for the shelves to fit in.

He's also created grooves on the shelves themselves to hold

your plates in place.

Groovy!

Your plate goes in there, and then...

So you can display them really nicely

and it stops them sliding and smashing.

So, yeah, I'm rocking and rolling, as they say.

Norman is really going for the wow factor with this one.

The new rack on top of the base will stand at over 7ft tall.

Beautiful.

So to stop it falling over, Norman is making decorative feet.

These will sit at the bottom.

It is the safest way to save Granny's plates.

This thing will be a whopper,

and I'm not sure those little feet will be enough to keep the

whole thing from falling apart.

Norman will have to tread carefully from here on in.

Back in Margate, Rupert's about to begin the transformation

of the old stepladders...

into NEWER stepladders.

Oh, and a mystery item, perhaps.

I promised Sarah that I'd make three library-type stepladders

out of this pile of rickety old wood,

and it's going to be quite a challenge.

If I can, I'm going to try to make something extra as well,

because there's a fair bit of material here.

I'd rather not have a bag of firewood left over,

I'd rather have something Sarah can find a good new home for.

Well, let's just see how we get on with the steps, shall we?

I'm going to start with the ladders.

I'm going to use these sides as part of the new steps.

These steps are actually held together with little metal

supporting bars. I'm going to have to grind these out.

Rupert's plan is to attach a bit of the ladder to each set of steps,

sticking straight up. It will act as a handle to balance yourself

when climbing.

Grinding done. I'm going to use my favourite Japanese saw.

It cuts through this ladder no time.

TING!

Other than the materials to restore the steps,

the handle is the only new element Rupert plans to add.

Then I'm going to bring together the side of the ladder

that I've cut the steps away from,

I'm going to recess it just into the top,

I'm going to cut a nice little handle shape at the top.

This will be your secure handle to hold while climbing the ladder.

Rupert makes a start on the new handles.

He's roughly drawn a shape to cut around, and it certainly is rough.

I do want this to look great.

I don't want it to look like a botched little home-made thing.

This has to be a proper set of library steps. Authentic.

Library steps are traditionally a dual-use piece of furniture

consisting of a small set of steps that can be folded away

into a chair or desk.

So, once I cut one side off, I can flip it over

and sketch round,

and then I've got a perfect mirror image.

As there will be no folding feature in Rupert's design,

his steps will more accurately just be steps,

but decorative statement pieces nonetheless.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with that.

That's going to be quite a pleasing shape to hold. Sand the edges off.

Yeah. It's going to do the job.

Putting the handles to one side,

Rupert makes a start on the steps.

His first job is to remove the bits of wood the previous owner

attached to give them another couple of inches of height.

But he's struggling.

These are really stuck.

Cor, blimey!

And they've just rusted into place and the wood has swollen up,

and they've got nice and tight, so if I was to use a power

screwdriver on these, it would just break the heads right off.

So this has definitely got to be done by hand.

Come on, Rupert! Give it some welly, man!

Oh, yeah. All right, one down...

Seven to go. Cor, blimey.

This nice and simple job might take longer than Rupert first thought,

so the chances of Sarah getting her mystery item are looking slim.

Back at Sarah's, it's time to find out how she's been getting on

with her eiderdowns.

But with her sewing machine problems,

was she able to get them finished?

Finished!

Well, there is your answer.

Let's take a look at how things turned out.

This classic curtain didn't deserve to be lining the

bottom of a boot, so thank goodness Sarah came along.

The vintage fabric can now take centre stage

as two new elegant eiderdowns.

The timeless design of the material is showcased in

all its glory. Across these two spreads,

it is presented beautifully for all to see.

Each one will snugly cover a single bed

but can be used as a throw

or a footer for the bottom of a double bed.

Sarah's added bursts of colour with little woollen pom-poms,

which make the whole thing sing.

Give me my slippers,

an open fire and one of those things...

..and I'm in heaven.

So pleased how these have turned out.

If you've got a vintage curtain and you can get hold of

a sewing machine, then they are not a bad project to get started on.

They are beautiful, soft and snugly, and I'm hoping,

because there are two of them,

I'm going to turn a bit of profit on them as well.

That means I have to sell them.

What are you using as a dust sheet?

When Sarah met Neil and his daughter Alice at the tip,

she just had to save their curtain.

I've been cleaning the shed out,

and I just used this so that I don't get too much muck in the car.

Neil didn't think much of the old thing.

We moved into a house some time ago and it's the old lady who lived

there before, it's her curtains.

He was happy for Sarah to take it away.

It's not really my thing, but I'm sure she can find a good use for it.

Well, Neil, you were absolutely right.

Sarah took pictures of her new creations and uploaded

them onto her various social media thingamabobs.

And it didn't take long to find a private buyer who snapped

them both up.

But how much money has Sarah made?

Sarah has travelled to Woking to visit Neil, to show him what

she has made and hand over the profit.

Hi there.

-Ah, hello, Sarah. Nice to see you again.

-And you. How are you?

Very well, thank you. Very well.

-So, Neil, this is the house that the curtains came from, is that right?

-It is, it is.

We bought the house from an elderly lady,

so they were very much to her style.

I loved the curtain that I took from you,

and it was something that I worked on myself.

And so, what do you think I made with it?

Um... Some sort of covering for,

I don't know, for a chair or something? A covering?

I've got some pictures here to show you what I did.

-All right, OK.

-I turned your curtain into a pair of eiderdowns.

-Very good.

-What do you think?

-I think it looks very nice.

Very good, well done.

I took some pictures of it and I put it onto social media,

and there was a good response.

And I managed to make you £120 here

for your old curtain.

Thank you very much.

Cor, that's a surprise. Thank you very much.

Do you have any idea what you might do with that?

I've got an eight-year-old daughter, she's nine next week.

-I will probably put the money in her junior ISA.

-Excellent.

-Thanks so much, Neil.

-No problem at all.

-Lovely to catch up. OK.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

Sarah has spent £30 on the stuffing for the eiderdowns.

She sold the pair for a cracking £150,

meaning Neil has £120 to invest for daughter Alice.

So the eiderdowns were a smash.

Sarah is back in East Sussex to see if Norman's new kitchen

dresser will also be a big hit. Well, it is certainly big.

It has pulled together really well.

I think we've done the right choice with the drawer arrangement

and the doors and everything.

And with making the top for it.

I think it looks, you know, really quite cool.

Well, I'm here to pick up what was a deeply undesirable sideboard.

It was plain ugly. I'm hoping it's now pretty beautiful.

Can old crumbling sideboards really be turned into beautiful

kitchen dressers?

Well, try this on for size.

Yes, they can!

Norman has created a one-of-a-kind piece of classy kitchen furniture.

The sideboard still remains in all its glory,

but with the addition of a new baseboard for extra storage,

new drawers and a stunning country-kitchen-style dresser rack,

it's unrecognisable from its previous incarnation.

A new, beautifully blond floorboard work surface complements

the pale distressed paintwork Norman applied.

It's a huge piece of furniture. What will Sarah think?

-Hello.

-Hi, how are you doing?

-Yeah, you?

-I'm all right.

-That's not it.

-That's your dresser.

Well, sideboard.

-It's amazing! Isn't it?

-Yeah, I think it's cool.

-It's virtually unrecognisable.

-I think it's got the right look.

I mean, it would look great in a country kitchen or in a nice dining

-room or something, so, yeah, really pleased with it.

-I bet you are.

I mean, you have really added to it.

We put the plate bar in, so the plates don't slip off. As well.

That is... You know, amazing. Am I going to be laughing at the price?

575. On budget.

I'm a very lucky girl. Fantastic job. You're a legend.

-Thank you very much.

-Might have to hug it out. I'm so pleased.

-That is amazing.

-Brilliant.

See you later.

Good job, Norman. You even got a cuddle.

I think it's come out really well.

A nice big piece,

so hopefully she can sell it well and everyone is happy.

So, yeah, smashed it.

Well, just between you and me,

I think Norman might be a bit of a genius.

I think you might be right.

-Hiya.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Sarah first set eyes on the sideboard sticking out of

Jason's boot.

It used to be in my grandparents'.

It's been in the garage for some years now

and we don't really use it.

Jason couldn't give the old thing away.

I put this outside the house with a "free" sign on it,

and all that was taken was the top drawer.

That didn't stop Sarah.

But what was to be done with it?

In terms of what she's going to do with it, I don't know.

Well, Jason, it's Norman you have to thank for this one

because he created something truly unique.

Sarah rushed straight home and posted pictures of the

dresser on auction sites, trying to find a buyer.

It's a big-ticket item, so did she manage to get it sold?

Sarah has travelled to Addlestone in Surrey to meet up with Jason

and show him what happened to his sideboard.

-Hiya.

-Hello, Sarah.

-How are you doing?

-I'm doing very well, thank you. Nice to see you.

-Yeah, and you, and you.

Just wondering what you thought when somebody came up to you in

the tip and said, "Can I have your rubbish?"

Well, now... Considering that I was looking to get rid of it

and kind of scrap it anyway, I wasn't too concerned, to be honest.

I took it to a guy called Norman. So I've got some pictures here to

show you of what he did to it.

So I think, probably, that's how you remember it.

He turned it into that.

Oh, wow. Amazing.

-It's like a proper kitchen unit now, isn't it?

-It's a real dresser.

-Yeah.

It is now a lovely big piece of furniture.

-Would you give it house room now?

-Yeah. It's actually

-amazing what he's done with there.

-I'm pleased that you like it.

It's a big piece of furniture. It's got a high price tag on it,

and I haven't managed to sell it yet.

-OK.

-So I'm going to carry on putting it out there and selling it.

So as soon as I've made it, I shall be sending that to you,

and hopefully that'll go to some good cause.

Yeah, without a doubt. I'm pretty sure we'll put that to good use.

-Fantastic.

-Thanks, Jason.

-Look forward to it.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

Norman's costs for the project were £575, but without a sale,

Sarah is facing a potential loss,

though, I'm confident, with a bit more time, she will be able

to sell it and will be back in touch with Jason with a profit.

That's two of our items now successfully transformed.

Sarah is back in Margate to see if Rupert's managed to give

the old ladders a step up.

I've really enjoyed doing this project.

Very satisfying to make something from nothing.

I hope Sarah's happy. So, I look forward to her coming back.

Well, I'm so excited to be back in Margate.

I left Rupert with a careworn selection of old DIY equipment

and a broken ladder.

-I can't wait to see what he's done with it.

-Nor can I.

This pile of old wood started off on the wrong foot.

But now they certainly have a spring in their step.

Rupert has created three sets of stylish steps,

each with their own unique character.

One has been sanded and stained dark brown,

creating a classic antique finish.

Another has been stripped and waxed,

leaving the natural colour of the wood to shine through,

finished with a new dark top.

And lastly, the wild card.

Bold, bright yellow has become a Rupert trademark.

And isn't it eye-catching?

They're all now strong and sturdy, so can be used to step up,

to reach high shelves, or as stylish and cool occasional tables.

I don't know which is my favourite.

Probably the yellow one.

But what about the mystery item Rupert promised?

-Hello, hello.

-Hey, Sarah, come in, come in.

-Wow, look at those!

So, I've gone three different styles for you.

So, hopefully, you've got three now usable products.

They are great.

I can see them going into completely different houses,

different apartments. You know, they are really cleverly done.

It's been quite nice making three things that hopefully you can

-find a new home for.

-Budget-wise,

it looks like a lot of work has gone into these. How did you get on?

Well, it was a fair bit of work.

Before we talk about the budget, though, I know I said if I had time

and if there were a few bits left, I'd do something else.

-I have done a few extra bits for you.

-Have you?

-So, do you want to see them?

-Yeah, I'd love to.

-OK.

Well, move that one off the table.

From the scraps,

I've made...

..three sets of Shaker peg hooks.

I recognise them, and they're fantastic.

I've actually made, as well, two mirrors.

So you've actually got a lot of stock now, Sarah.

I've got a new range.

This is a whole collection of product here. Isn't there?

Rupert, you're a genius.

From the leftover wood from the ladders,

Rupert has created a three separate coat hooks and two mirrors.

But surely that means the budget has gone up a bit.

-Luckily, all this, still within your budget.

-No way. Seriously?

-All of this for 150 quid?

-Yeah.

-It was just enjoyable to do.

-That is amazing. Lovely work, thank you.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - that guy is good.

How fab is that lot? Three great library steps and

a whole collection of other stuff to sell.

Such a clever idea to re-use those ladders like that, too.

You are going to want to do that, aren't you?

Hi there, hello.

When Sarah stopped Emma in her tracks at the tip,

she wanted to learn more about her steps and ladders.

-Oh, these are from my grandad's house.

-OK.

We are clearing it at the moment.

Sarah loved the handmade look...

He was really into recycling and making his own things.

-A man after my own heart.

-..so took them off,

leaving Emma guessing what would become of them.

If she could make it into something really funky and creative,

that would be great.

Funky and creative.

They just happen to be Rupert's middle names.

Sarah was then on a mission to get every single piece sold.

She showcased them at her barn sales,

drummed up interest online and finally got her first sale.

Three of Rupert's pieces were bought by a vintage and antique shop

in Falkirk in Scotland.

Owners David and Yasmine couldn't be happier.

Oh, these are really nice, Dave.

I don't know if these are going in the shop or coming home with us.

-What do you think?

-We might keep them.

So, that's three down.

But did Sarah managed to shift the whole lot?

Sarah has travelled to Englefield Green in Surrey

to meet up with Emma and hand over the profit.

-Hi, Emma.

-Hello.

-Hi, nice to see you again. How are you?

-Good, thank you.

Excellent. Now, I met you at the recycling centre,

and I think you were doing a really big job when I met you, weren't you?

Yes, we were emptying my grandad's house. He was... We were selling it

cos he's going into a home, so we were having to clear everything.

Well, you probably haven't even had a second to think about what might

-have happened to the stuff that I took away.

-Not really, no. No.

But I can't wait to see what you've done.

It wasn't something I worked on myself. It was something I

took down to Margate to a great guy called Rupert.

-And I've got some pictures here to show you...

-Oh, wow.

-..of what he created.

I hope you'd approve of this lot.

His things have been turned into a collection of furniture.

Oh, my gosh!

He made a collection of mirrors and coat hooks out of the ladder.

Oh, my gosh, wow!

-What do you think?

-Oh, that's brilliant.

I really didn't think you could do anything with them. Yeah.

-Oh, wow, that's amazing.

-They disappeared instantly.

I took them to my barn sale. People loved them, bought them there.

They've disappeared up to Scotland, to shops all over the country.

-So I've got some money here for you as well.

-Oh, my gosh!

-I've go £270 here for your collection of pieces.

-Oh, my gosh.

-That's for you.

-Wow, thank you.

-It's a complete pleasure.

-What might you do with that?

-I think...

Well, we'll take Grandad out for a meal, I think. Yeah.

Excellent. Well, do you think he'll approve of what we did?

Absolutely. I can't wait to show him.

That's amazing. That's amazing!

-Lovely to catch up with you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Cheers.

-Bye-bye.

-Thank you, bye.

Good job, Sarah. And good job, Rupert.

Rupert's total cost for making all those items was £150.

Sarah worked her socks off and sold every piece,

with sales totalling an amazing £420,

which means Emma has an amazing £270 to share with her grandad.

Fabulous.

Sarah salvaged three items that were destined for the dump.

Instead of lying in landfill,

they have all been given a new lease of life.

A new look.

And a chance to be loved again.

Well, I really enjoyed that.

We take stuff, we make stuff and we send it off to new homes,

what could be better than that?