0:00:26 > 0:00:30Hello! Welcome to Best Of Homes Under The Hammer.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Now, over the years, we've visited over 1,000 properties.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And we've been asked to pick some of our favourites to show you again.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40So here are two of our auction highlights.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44This is Cornwall's Wild West,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48where this log cabin was waiting to welcome some brave new settlers.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57And when I went east to Essex, I met some extraordinary buyers
0:00:57 > 0:00:59for this ordinary terraced house.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05These are two of our favourite properties from the early days.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Find out what happened to them when they went under the hammer.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Not so long ago, the coastal village of Padstow, in Cornwall,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25made its money from the fishing industry,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28but, over the last ten years, things have changed.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Who would have thought
0:01:32 > 0:01:35that a restaurant could put a place on the map,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39but that's certainly what's happened here in north Cornwall.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Padstow has always been a pretty little seaside fishing village,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47but when a local chef by the name of Rick Stein became famous,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49property prices went through the roof.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Look around carefully, though, and you might just find a bargain,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57like the one on a development eight miles out of town.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Well, what you have here is a really interesting
0:02:13 > 0:02:16potential investment opportunity,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19because what's up for auction is this.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's a half-finished log cabin
0:02:22 > 0:02:25on a development that the locals call no man's land.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27That's because this whole area
0:02:27 > 0:02:31has been in the process of being developed for over ten years.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35The question is, is THIS a good investment opportunity?
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Let's take a look inside.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Well, it's certainly pretty big.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46But, as I said, only partly finished off, so you've got plaster board on the walls.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Bedroom there, second bedroom there with a nice fitted cupboard.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53That's got the pipework in for a bathroom.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Through here into the first living room area.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Fantastic space, kitchen wants to go in there.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Beautiful view out of the windows.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Sliding doors, stick a bit of decking on there.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Fantastic, but I've saved the best bit till last.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Just wait until you see upstairs.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16This is the most incredible living space.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Look at it, fantastic views out there.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Huge, great windows to make the most of the view.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Vaulted ceilings, lots of wood.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Not something you see in Britain very often at all.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30You expect to see them in Canada or America but not in Cornwall.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Master bedroom there,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34en suite.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36I mean, fantastic.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38But I haven't told you the best bit.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41What do you reckon the guide price is? 100? 200?
0:03:41 > 0:03:46£49,000. Thank you very much.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Now, there has to be a catch. As it turns out, these are holiday homes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55That means that though they could be a great little earner,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57there are various legal and financial restrictions
0:03:57 > 0:04:01on the number of weeks you can rent out or live in them.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04So, a good deal of homework is required before buying
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and, remember, this is a development that has never been completed.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10There are no shops or other facilities
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and, on this hill, that could be a problem.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Still, I reckon it's a very interesting investment opportunity.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24So, let's see who'll put their hand up at the auction.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Lot 8, Hill View, plot 37.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There's been bucket loads of interest in this.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Every man and his dog, and his dog's dog, have been around this one.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36It will be a proper, proper scrap for this one.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40There was a wave then, 85, 86...
0:04:40 > 0:04:4387...88...
0:04:43 > 0:04:4589...90...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48£90,000 at the back.
0:04:48 > 0:04:5191... Thank you, 91.
0:04:51 > 0:04:5592...93...94...
0:04:55 > 0:04:5795...96...
0:04:57 > 0:05:01At 96. First time then.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04At 96... 97. Fresh face.
0:05:04 > 0:05:0898... 99... Go on, 100...
0:05:08 > 0:05:14101. 102. 103.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17104. 104.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19At 104 then, first time,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22at 104, second time,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26£104,000. Are you sure? It's right at the back. It will be sold.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29At £104,000.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Sir. Well done.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Now, why has that winning bidder been on the phone all the time?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Well, it's because two of the four new owners
0:05:43 > 0:05:45couldn't get to the auction.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48They are the two Marks, Penny and Sue,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and not forgetting their four daughters.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Mark and Sue, from Shropshire, did the bidding,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02but Mark and Penny live in West Yorkshire,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04so they have never seen the house.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08I wanted to be the one to show them round.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Wow.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14- Wow, what? Wow good, wow bad? - Wow, good, definitely.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Fantastic.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- Listen, you haven't seen the best bit yet.- No.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23- We're going upstairs.- Right.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It's better than I imagined it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Which bit?- Everything!
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Well, I think they're happy with it but it's time to round them all up
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and find out how this business venture came about.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45It's huge!
0:06:45 > 0:06:48What's the relationship between the four of you?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Friends. Friends for ten years.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53We met in Turkey about ten years ago and stayed in touch.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Like a holiday friendship that...
0:06:56 > 0:06:57THEY LAUGH
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Do you carry on each year going away together?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- We come down here all the time. - Since we had the children.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- When the kids came along...- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13In fact, all eight of them and their dog love the area so much
0:07:13 > 0:07:17that they decided to club together to buy a holiday home in Cornwall.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23What was it about this place that really pushed your buttons?
0:07:23 > 0:07:25You've got the countryside,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27the beaches are just a stone's throw away.
0:07:27 > 0:07:34It's huge, simply fantastic, and we can all fit in very, very comfortably.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Well, it's already looks like the girls have made themselves
0:07:37 > 0:07:40at home here but maybe just a little too much for their parents' comfort.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53The kids all want to be surfer chicks and grow up and marry surf dudes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So you have facilitated that by moving them dead close.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Yeah, we should be going the other way, shouldn't we?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Aspirations for your children for them to be surf chicks.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04That's what they want to be.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07What are the plans, what are you going to do with this?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Get a plan together and work out how...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Get a kitchen in and bathroom.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Get it decorated.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20- Split the bedroom upstairs, make it four bedrooms.- Lots of decking.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Whatever they build, Sue, Penny and the two Marks have set themselves
0:08:25 > 0:08:29the next holiday season as a deadline with a £20,000 budget.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32They've been friends for ten years
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but this project is not going to be a holiday.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Up here in the sunny hills of Cornwall, I'm sure they will be fine
0:08:43 > 0:08:47but, just in case, we'll pop back later in the show to find out.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Chingford, on the outskirts of East London
0:09:01 > 0:09:04is a prime commuter belt location,
0:09:04 > 0:09:05with good rail and bus links.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10You could be working or playing in Central London in 25 minutes.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But the prices properties command here are much more affordable.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16This is Pretoria Crescent.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It's a lovely, quiet road, there's no through traffic.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23This property has got a guide price of £125,000. Three bedrooms.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Now in the catalogue, it says, "An attractive mid-terraced house."
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I'm not sure I agree with that! Let's go inside.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Well, it doesn't get that much better in here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's quite a dated area,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43although these floorboards would come up a treat once sanded.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Now, we've got the first reception room through here,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48a lovely original '30s fireplace there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Lots of light in this room, and that's quite a good size.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53A very small kitchen, again, dated.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57All the units need to be ripped out, dumped straight into the skip.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59And the second reception room.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Now, what I would like to do to make this into a lovely, family, liveable space
0:10:04 > 0:10:06would be to knock this wall down
0:10:06 > 0:10:09and have a large, open-plan kitchen-diner.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Also, you could put some wonderful French doors here,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15so you could look straight out onto that little garden.
0:10:17 > 0:10:23Even if it does need some taming, this is really a good-sized space.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- CHUCKLING:- It also comes with an outside toilet,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29which seems to serve no useful purpose at all,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32other than to obscure the view from the kitchen window.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Now, I'm not the tallest of people,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39but even I bang my head every time I walk up these stairs.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I think the previous owners have tried to extend this bedroom here, by pulling it this way.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49This is dangerous, and whoever buys this should seriously get that looked at.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I can see why the small box room was enlarged,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59but even so, there will only ever be room for a single bed in here.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03The second bedroom, however, isn't a bad size.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08The bathroom needs a complete makeover, but the white suite might still have some life in it yet.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13And then there's the main bedroom.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Well, this is the largest, and the sunniest, of all the bedrooms.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Now something I have spotted in here is some damp up there.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25That is where the flashing has gone, where the bay joins the roof.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27But I don't think it's anything to worry about.
0:11:27 > 0:11:33One of the things I don't like are these old aluminium windows. I think they've seen better days.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38I would really like to change the look of this property and replace them with some new double-glazing.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46The state of the windows means new double-glazed ones are a must.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50This house may be able to make the cash tills ring
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and put the ker-ching back into Chingford.
0:11:54 > 0:12:01I would love to see this lifeless terraced house being transformed into a beautiful family home.
0:12:01 > 0:12:07Now, there's huge potential here, and there is some room to earn some serious profit as well.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Let's see who's spotted the potential at auction.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15So, lot 20.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Who'd like to start off on this?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19150?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22150. 160.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24170.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26180.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31180 back in. 185. 185 anywhere?
0:12:31 > 0:12:35I'll take 181. If not... How much?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I've got it in the room, 181.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40182, sitting down.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42183. 184.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45185.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47186.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48186 anywhere?
0:12:48 > 0:12:50186 on the phones?
0:12:50 > 0:12:54If not, 185 standing up. Anyone else?
0:12:54 > 0:13:00Sorry, 185 sitting down. 186. 187.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03188.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06189.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07190?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Can't lose it for 1,000!
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Eh? 190?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16190. 191.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20190 standing up. Might be lucky.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22191 anywhere?
0:13:22 > 0:13:26190 first time. Second time.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Third and last time, are we all done?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Sold, 190. Well done.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45And the successful purchasers are work colleagues and friends,
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Amanda and Christine.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49This three-bedroom terrace in Pretoria Crescent
0:13:49 > 0:13:51is their first auction purchase.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56How long have you two been friends for?
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Too long!- Yeah!
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- No, years.- 20 years. 20 years we've sort of known each other.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- We have worked together for... - About nine years.- ..nine years.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10So why have you decided to go into the property business together?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- It's an opportunity. - We have always wanted to do it.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And our partners - mine's a plasterer,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Chrissie's is a plumber and a kitchen-fitter.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24A heating engineer. That's his job now, but he's done everything.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25You've got to have a go.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29- You're laughing all the way to the bank, girls!- Hopefully we are!
0:14:29 > 0:14:31What's your budget for any work here?
0:14:31 > 0:14:32I think about 25 grand.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Amanda and Christine have already got some plans
0:14:36 > 0:14:37for Pretoria Crescent.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40First on the agenda is a bit of structural work -
0:14:40 > 0:14:44knocking down that wall between the kitchen and dining area.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Out of the two of you, whose say goes,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49who has got the upper hand here,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51do you think, out of both of you?
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Ah, ah! THEY SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Amanda has got the book, and she keeps control of the book.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02She's got the notebook, she's ticking it all off she goes along?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- We make notes about everything. - We'll be in control.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10But it's not just Amanda and Christine who need to agree,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13it's their families as well.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16So now both families are going to start work as soon as possible.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Do you guys all really get on well?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Excellent. Yes, we do.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25- Our partners have been friends for...- Ever. Since schooldays.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And we do, we all get on well.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Yeah. We have fights.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Yeah, we do! We banter and argue and try and be as bossy as each other!
0:15:35 > 0:15:41- But there's nothing that's worrying you? Is it something that you are really looking forward to?- Yeah.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Because, as a first property, there's not too much structural work.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48You know, this refurbishment is quite a small one.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53And so it's to see how we all get on.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55It is, actually. We were happy.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00We'll be back in a few months to check on progress at Pretoria Crescent
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and to see if the foundations of Christine's and Amanda's friendship
0:16:04 > 0:16:06have stood firm or collapsed under the pressure.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18So now it's time to go back to those properties.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20That's right.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We let our new owners have sufficient time to do their work
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- then we went back to check on them. - And there were stories to tell.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36We've returned to Padstow, where the two Marks, Penny and Sue
0:16:36 > 0:16:40have bought this holiday home for £104,000.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Seven months later, the gang are in a race against time.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49In order to make some cash back, they need to rent the property out during the holiday season,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52so they have to be finished before the sun arrives.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06They started off with bare walls, chipboard floors and no fixtures or fittings.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Now they've got this...
0:17:19 > 0:17:24They've completed the American log-cabin look with simple hard-wearing furnishings
0:17:24 > 0:17:29and they've kept the wooden look from outside and continued it inside.
0:17:34 > 0:17:40But the centrepiece of this wooden wonderland is the beech floor, imported from France.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Now, remember the upstairs living area?
0:17:47 > 0:17:51What could they have done to complement that view?
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Well, here's your answer.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And they've been even more inventive in the huge back bedroom.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24On one side there's a very cosy double bedroom, and on the other,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27there's a welcoming room for the kids.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32That's two from one, and there's a very good financial reason for the split.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37We made two bedrooms, so it's two upstairs and two downstairs.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40You can have a family upstairs and a family downstairs.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43We intend renting, so we thought that would be better.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Remember, all this from a completely blank canvas.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03With the two bathrooms nearly finished
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and the exterior decking well on its way, the work is nearly done.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12So, how's their ten-year friendship coped
0:19:12 > 0:19:16with the seven-month building project?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I've done everything.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21And I've done everything, and the girls have done nothing.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- We've been the paint hands, haven't we?- Yes.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25We've helped with the painting.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Sanding, staining.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33Look at the doors - beautiful. About six different colours.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35There's definitely been a few moments when it's been,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38"Get yourself in gear and get working."
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The sun's shining and they want to take the dogs down to the beach.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Get in here, get stuck in.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50In the end, it looks like everybody got their fair share of the work done.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54The four friends are now just a month from finishing,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and all within their £20,000 budget.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01So it looks like the plan of renting it out for the summer is on course.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04But remember, the property is part of an incomplete development.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07To pull the tourists in, Mark, Mark, Penny and Sue
0:20:07 > 0:20:10are reliant on site facilities being built.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Fortunately, it looks like things are starting to happen.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23We've got a nine-hole pitch and putt golf course being put in
0:20:23 > 0:20:26in the spring, tennis courts and bowling green,
0:20:26 > 0:20:27and on a second phase,
0:20:27 > 0:20:32we've got an indoor swimming pool with clubhouse and other facilities.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38And with the site being so well connected to Newquay, Padstow and the Eden Project,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41it looks like the tourists will eventually be passing through.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44That should kick-start a regular income.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52To find out what that income might be,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I asked along two local estate agents to make their estimates.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03It would be just over the £1,000 mark, high season.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09When the site is finished, it will be more like £1,200 a week.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13And if Mark, Penny, Mark and Sue did sell up straight away,
0:21:13 > 0:21:19what could they earn from their £124,000 total investment?
0:21:19 > 0:21:26I would think that it's worth in the region of £245,000, £250,000.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Ker-ching.- Hopefully. - Hopefully, yeah.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34So, whatever happens in the long term, the outlook is sunny.
0:21:34 > 0:21:40# If you keep on the sunny side of life... #
0:21:45 > 0:21:47In Chingford, Essex,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50first-time property developers Christine and Amanda
0:21:50 > 0:21:54had bought a three-bed terraced house for £190,000.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57They were going to renovate it with the help of their two families.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Certainly, the house is looking fantastic,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04with new windows throughout.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07They have also removed a wall to create this great kitchen-diner.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25And there's a bright inviting lounge with a brand-new fireplace.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35So, the house looks good. But has it been good for Amanda and Christine?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- It's been fabulous. - Been enjoyable. Been brilliant.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It's been a great social life, and we're going to be lonely if we don't
0:22:42 > 0:22:45hurry up and get another property, because we're used to it now.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48We're used to working until we drop,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51which has made us fitter and stronger.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- Feel better.- A little tired.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58And a little tired, but, you know, we only need a little bit of sleep.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- We only need a fortnight off, don't we, Chris?- Yeah. In the sun.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- And then we'll go again.- Yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07They definitely deserve that break,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10judging by the transformation throughout.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13They even seem to have agreed on all the changes.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The wardrobes were nice. And I insisted that they stayed.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22All my friends said they should have stayed.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24But as soon as they come out...
0:23:24 > 0:23:26"Wow. That's better."
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I have to agree. There's no doubt
0:23:28 > 0:23:33taking out those cupboards opens up the room and makes it feel bigger.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37And brightening the small third bedroom has made it much less claustrophobic.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Remember, this was just a part-time project for Amanda and Christine.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46They've both got other jobs to go to.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48But that eight-week turnaround
0:23:48 > 0:23:51just shows what can be done when everybody gets on board and helps.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Not only have they done a great job, but they've had fun doing it.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07The other advantage of using family and friends is it's cheap labour.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12So has that helped keep that £25,000 budget in check?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- We was doing absolutely fantastic... - Until the last week.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16..and then all of a sudden, like,
0:24:16 > 0:24:21fireplace, the carpets, things like that,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26and then we didn't even care that we'd gone over.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28We wanted to make it nice.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So we've probably spent an extra £2,000.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Do you know what is fantastic?
0:24:32 > 0:24:38Is turning a nasty, horrible-looking, dreary and dark,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42turning a really horrible house into a really lovely house.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45And we think it's lovely, and we'd like to live here, me and Mandy.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Not together, we might fight.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50A couple of days, we'd be all right. Well, one.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Yes, perhaps it's best they do sell it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Working together is one thing but living together...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Well, perhaps things could become a little bit prickly.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06So let's see what an estate agent makes of our two tribes' efforts.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21They've cared about what they've done, and thought about it.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Amanda and Christine bought Pretoria Crescent for £190,000,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28they spent £30,000 on it,
0:25:28 > 0:25:34so they'll want a valuation above £220,000.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I would value this property at 265 to 270.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40And the estate agent was also right on the money.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45We've actually sold this property. We've already sold it for 265.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49But we believe, finished completely, once that kitchen's in...
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- It's well worth it. - We'd probably get a bit more
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- because we haven't actually shown it to anyone yet.- No.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59And someone will be able to move in here and not do a thing.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04But how do they feel about the whole project?
0:26:04 > 0:26:07This was a tester for us to see if we could actually all work...
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I think we're good at it. We're really good at it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And I think we all work as a good team and it would be silly to stop.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20With the family, everyone has got a very, very good trade, haven't they?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23We've got electricians, we've got plasterers,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26we've got decorators, so to be quite honest,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30if we could do this full time and use the knowledge and experience
0:26:30 > 0:26:32that they've all got...
0:26:32 > 0:26:36We would love to do it. Let's start again.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Come on, let's celebrate.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Well, not only do Amanda and Christine talk a good game,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44they clearly know how to deliver,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and their enthusiasm rubs off on others.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50But with at least a £40,000 profit already in the bank,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I think it's time for a little celebration.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57# Celebrate good times, come on
0:26:57 > 0:27:00# It's a celebration... #
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Well, it's been great to take a trip down memory lane
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and see those properties again.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14We'll have some more gems from the archive for you next time.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- See you then.- Goodbye.- Goodbye.