Episode 6 Best of Homes Under the Hammer


Episode 6

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Transcript


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Hello and welcome to the best of Homes Under The Hammer!

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Yes, we're taking a trip down memory lane.

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Today, we've got two of the more interesting properties

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to show you again.

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Yes, a glimpse into the Hammer archive!

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What was memorable about this top-floor flat in Eastbourne?

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Certainly not the architecture!

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And in Devon, this old shack wouldn't win any design awards, either.

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But things were about to change.

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We think these are two of our best stories from the first few series.

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Here's what happened when they went under the hammer.

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The Swinging Sixties was a time of musical awakening but unfortunately not for architecture,

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as our next property in the seaside town of Eastbourne in Sussex aptly demonstrates.

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If you look behind me you'll see an ugly, Sixties purpose-built block.

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I've come to look at a flat on the 4th floor, but it has got a lift.

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The good news is, there's scaffolding up outside, which means they're up grading

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the property and let's face it - a lick of paint could work wonders for this lacklustre building.

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# Once I had a dream that made me sad

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# How so many people

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# Can be bad... #

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It may be lacklustre, but it's located in one of Eastbourne's most desirable areas

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so it's quite sought-after and a top flat with a guide price of 70,000 isn't that bad,

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so let's go up and have a look round.

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Well, if you're a bit claustrophobic about lifts, you've got four flights

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of stairs to climb, so you'd better be fit.

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Now, this is a rather large hallway.

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All the rooms lead off of here.

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The first thing I notice is the Sixties detailing.

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We've got this wonderful lampshade here, some groovy panelling down here, this lovely bobbled glass

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and look at this - this chunky old phone intercom.

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You've probably seen lots of these in properties this age, but you won't have seen one of these.

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Now look at this. It's not a trendy coat hook, it's our rubbish chute -

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perfect for a 4th floor flat.

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The sitting room is a good size with a wonderful view to distract you from those awful lampshades.

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But just look at this shiny electric fire.

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Very Sixties, but on reflection, I'd get rid.

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The bathroom is also very dated, but again, a good size and like the rest

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of the flat, it's a case of out with the old and in with the new.

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What you lack in character with these properties, you certainly gain in space.

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All the rooms in this flat are huge and if you look behind here, look,

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in this wardrobe, you've got at least another two foot in both of those.

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Now, all the rooms have got brand-new double glazing, but sadly,

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there's no central heating in the flat.

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Just these old electric storage heaters.

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Aside from the lack of gas, this flat has lots of potential, but what I haven't mentioned

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is the flat only has 51 years left on the lease, meaning obtaining a mortgage could be difficult.

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With a guide price of 70,000, there's good profit to be made on this retro property.

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Let's find out what happens when it goes under the hammer.

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Lot 38. 60,000 anywhere?

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I've had good interest in this.

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£60,000.

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Can't do it without you, ladies and gentlemen. The gentleman at the back.

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I have 60, thank you.

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Now looking for 61,000.

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Need a second bidder at 61,000. Thank you, gentlemen towards the front.

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62? 62 at the rear.

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63.

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63 I have. 64?

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64 at the back.

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65? 65.

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66? 66.

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67?

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No, he is saying no. I have £66,000.

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I'm looking for a new bidder to come in at 67.

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66 I have. I'm looking for 60...

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67? 67. We have the new bidder. 68?

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68 is bid. 69? 69 I have. Thank you.

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Make it 70? 70 I have, back left. 71? Shaking their head.

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I have 70 at the back and I will be selling, ladies and gentlemen.

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£70,000 I have.

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Make no mistake, I'll sell.

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70 thou... New bidder to the left.

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71. 72? 72 at the back.

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73? No, he's saying no.

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72 I have and the same warning. I'll be selling, ladies and gentlemen.

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£72,000 for the first time,

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£72,000 for the second, 72, are you all done for the third and final time? Sold.

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For just £2,000 over the guide price, the new owner of Southfields Court is David.

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I met him back at the property to hear about his plans for the flat.

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-David, congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Guide price 70,000.

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-You bought it for 72.

-Just over, yes, that's right.

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-Are you a property developer?

-I am now, yes.

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I do it all the time. I have to.

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You say you are now. What did you used to do?

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I used to be a press photographer, chasing around for everyone else.

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Now I get everyone chasing around for me, so it's quite nice.

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-Why did you want this property?

-This one?

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I'm not particularly interested in purpose-built flats.

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I came in the door, looked around and I thought it was a spacious place and I was taken with it.

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I'm going to put most of the impact into the kitchen and decoration,

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-flooring, and a bathroom makeover.

-But it's impact that you after?

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Impact in the kitchen and the initial impact when you come in the hallway, yes.

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So who is going to do all your work for you? Have you got a team of builders?

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Yes, I have a team of makeover people. My wife and her best friend,

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and they do a very good job.

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-Really?

-I'm really looking to them to get the wow factor into here.

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And the Cagney and Lacey of the interior design world are David's wife Jane and her friend Leonie.

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And they've already started their detective work on what colours and styles they want to track down.

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Jane and Leonie, it's great to meet you. I've been talking to David.

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You've got grand plans for this flat, haven't you?

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David wants some wow factor, so I don't know how we're going to do it.

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No, but we're going to rise to the challenge.

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-Now, what David wants and what David gets are two different things?

-Well, yes, I think so.

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Often a disagreement about the exact technicalities

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of how it'll look at the end, but we've got a fairly good idea as to what we're going to do.

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-We know what we'd like in the bathroom.

-OK.

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And we know what David wants in the bathroom.

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I think we need to look at the bathroom seriously.

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We could spend a lot of money in there. I think the bath as it is will do OK, but we need to add a shower.

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-So you'd like to keep the bath? You can save some money there?

-I think we can.

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So David would like to save some money by keeping the bathroom suite, but what do the girls think?

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He actually wants to keep the bath, which is a bit old and grim,

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and he wants to put the shower at the wrong end, so we've got to talk him round to our way of thinking.

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-So what's your way of thinking?

-A whole new suite. New bath as well.

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So how much do you think you're looking at spending on this place?

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One, two, three, four... £5,000?

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We look for good bargains and we spend time considering what's going to be the best value.

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I know you've got some fab stuff with you today.

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I particularly like this.

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You were saying this is the flooring that you want.

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We see a nice maple kitchen, perhaps with modern stainless-steel handles

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and we've got some doors which we're weighing up.

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We were deciding which one.

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We thought it will be quite nice, all close and matching.

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See, that will look fantastic in here. Really light reflective.

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-That's right.

-Fabulous. But all this for three, four, £5,000?

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-Oh, yeah.

-It can be done.

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Well, they're certainly confident, but will they be able to transform this flat for five grand?

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We'll be back to check on their progress later in the show.

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# In the summertime When the weather is high... #

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Summertime in the West Country is like a magnet for people all over the UK.

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But I've come to Teignmouth, in Devon, out of season

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when the crowds have gone but the charm remains.

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Well, lot number 20 isn't some pretty cottage or seafront dwelling,

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it's a single-storey workshop or boat store.

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But if you're looking for storage space

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a stone's throw from the town centre,

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then the £19,000 guide price could make it very good value indeed.

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This building is a single storey

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and was last used in the 1970s for storage.

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And it hasn't been touched since then.

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There's not a lot to show you, really.

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It is what it says on the tin -

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an open space, a storage area, a workshop,

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whatever you want to call it.

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Not in very good condition.

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The walls, basically, falling to pieces.

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The roof, as you can see, leaking.

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But the key thing about this is, it's 11 metres by 4 metres.

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That is a reasonably-sized space

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in a town where space is at an absolute premium,

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and that is the intrinsic value of this place.

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# Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket

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# Never let it fade away. #

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I'm keen to find out the history of this falling star in Sun Lane

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so I invited along a local expert.

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Do buildings like this come up for sale very often?

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We get very few properties like this coming onto the market in Teignmouth

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and whether it's garaging or warehousing

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or boat stores, in this case,

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it's nice to get your hands on something like this.

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We've got lots of little streets.

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Has that meant things like garages are pretty much few and far between?

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Yes. That's right. Lots of houses don't have any parking or gardens

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or storage areas, so when something like this comes on the market,

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everybody's interested.

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Any speculator who bought this at auction would obviously be planning

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or hoping to change the use of the building.

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But would that be a feasible option?

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-The fact that there used to be a cottage on this hundreds of years ago...

-Did there?

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Yes, that's right. It was condemned around 1962,

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and therefore pulled down and then made into a warehouse,

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that could've set a precedent that there might be possibilities of putting something back up on it.

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It certainly needs a lot of work,

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but could this be the dawn of a new beginning for this shed in Sun Lane?

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Let's find out as it goes under the hammer.

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So, 9A Sun Lane. It's a store.

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It had consent for a store and electrical workshop in the '60s.

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So, who's going to say to us, it's 25?

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What can you get? £25,000? Nice and simple. 25.

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Young man, 25.

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25. 25. Half if it will help.

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At 25.5.

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At 25.5 on my right. I'll look out again.

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At 25.5 on my right. 26.

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It needs to be a half now, in the middle. 26.5?

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26.5. 27. 27.5. Looking for 28 somewhere.

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At 27.5. I've got 28.

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At 28. 28.5?

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28.5. 29. 29.

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29.5. At 29.5, I'm going to ask it.

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30 I've got.

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I've got to ask you for a half. 30.5 I've got.

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OK. 31.

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At 31. 31.5. 32.

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At 32. At 32.5.

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33. 33 I have in blue.

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That's 33. 33.5.

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34. At 34 I've got. Half maybe.

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34 I've got.

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35. At 35.

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36. 36. At £36,000 then.

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At £36,000 once.

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Middle it is. 36 second time.

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36,000 third and last time.

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Going to be sold now at £36,000.

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Sir, well done. Second row back in the denim shirt.

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The successful bidder for our shed in Sun Lane, Teignmouth, is Ken.

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It's a great buy for him because he lives directly opposite.

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He's an ex-boxer from London

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and he's hoping this won't turn out to be a ROCKY investment.

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MUSIC: "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor

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I met up with him to find out about his plans.

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-Lovely to meet you.

-Thanks.

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Congratulations. You've got yourself a shed.

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A barn, that's what it is to me.

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-You're going to call it a barn.

-Yeah.

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-Why have you bought this?

-To make it into a boxing gymnasium.

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-Sorry?

-To make it into a boxing gymnasium.

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-How much boxing goes on these days?

-Not as much as there used to be

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but there's still plenty of boys who want to train.

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Teignmouth had a good boxing club once.

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Henry Cooper came down and opened it.

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It ran for a few years and it finished.

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I've been here for years and I've been trying to open another one.

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-This place came along, I bought it.

-To turn it into a boxing club.

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-That's right.

-If I'd put money on what it would end up being, it wouldn't have been that!

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-Tell me about yourself, then.

-I used to fight a few years ago, when a younger man.

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I started fighting professionally in 1949 through to 1954.

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I had 35 fights, lost six - six I want to forget.

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MARTIN LAUGHS Yeah, I mean...

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# In the clearing stands a boxer

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# And a fighter by his trade And he carries... #

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After he retired, Ken and his wife Linda moved to Teignmouth

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and now live in the house opposite.

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Ken has had his eye on this building for years,

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but it's been used for storage and wasn't for sale.

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All the work needed to get this place up and running

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is going to keep Ken very busy.

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I wondered what his wife Linda thought about the whole project.

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Well, I've got to take a deep breath and think about it hard and, well...

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you have to go with the flow, don't you?

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If that's what he wants to do, I'll back him to the hilt.

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Were you surprised when it came up for auction?

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Yeah. We've been trying to buy it for several years

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and when it came up for auction he went along

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and when he came home and told me the price,

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after I picked myself up off the floor...

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SHE LAUGHS

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She said, "How much did you pay for it?" I said, "Too much."

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B-B-Bang. Hit me on the chin. BOTH LAUGH

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-Cos you knew how to take the punch.

-Oh, definitely.

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There's a lot of work for Ken to crack on with.

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-How long does he think it will take?

-It's really hard to put...

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If I could put a date and say...

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Four months' time. I think I'd be lucky if... I want to try and cut it down to six months.

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There's no pressure on me. No pressure.

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I've got it and now all I've gotta do is just get it together.

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-Can we return in a few months and see how you're going?

-Pleased to see you whenever you come back.

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It's a fantastic end to the story. Lovely to meet you.

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# Eye of the tiger... #

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We'll be back later in the programme

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to discover how many young Rockys have been signed up

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to Ken's boxing academy in Teignmouth.

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Well, we gave our buyers the chance to do some work

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before we went back for a second look.

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Yes. And they certainly didn't disappoint us.

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Here's what happened.

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Southfields Court in Sussex was bought for £72,000 by photographer turned property developer David.

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He planned to renovate this '60s-style flat with his wife Jane and her friend Leonie.

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So after a few weeks, is this place ready for its close up?

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It's four weeks to the day since you came last time.

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The transformation is amazing.

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It's just now ready for letting.

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Whoever walks in hopefully has nothing to do

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except move in the furniture and carry on paying the rent.

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David has an eye for a good picture and it seems an eye for a good property.

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With Jane and Leonie doing the makeover, this flat has gone from '60s fashion disaster

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to modern chic, and is ready to hit the property catwalk.

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Well, it's been hard work.

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Leonie and I have been over every day painting and filling and decorating.

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I think we've both learnt new skills.

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I lost Jane in the bathroom for a week, she was spending a week in there.

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I put the tiles up and Leonie did the grouting so it was a real team effort because I hate the grouting.

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And then we painted...

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One of us painted the tops and one of us painted the bottoms.

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We had great fun on artexing the ceiling.

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We did it once.

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Then we did it twice.

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It looked such a mess that we paid the decorators downstairs to come and do it and never told anybody.

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Nor me!

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Well, you certainly know now, David.

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Jane and Leonie have worked very hard to try and keep the costs down,

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but one area they weren't going to scrimp on was the bathroom.

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They wanted a new suite and they got a new suite.

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As you'll see, the bathroom has been replaced and the end result is the effect.

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The effect is fantastic.

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I was persuaded to get rid of the old bath and we lashed out for a new one.

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The end result is very nice.

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So those interior design detectives targeted one of the usual suspects

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of property improvements and got a new bathroom suite after all.

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I think we were a bit worried about getting the other tiles off, we thought we might damage the bath.

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That swung it when...

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We probably deliberately damaged the bath!

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We didn't need to in the end, did we?

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No. That made life a bit easier.

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So we were all talking.

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So David lost that one.

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But though the girls wanted laminate flooring, David succeeded in having the lounge and the bedroom carpeted.

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But the girls seem happy enough and they are certainly pleased with their work.

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In here we filled all the cracks in and painted the ceiling white.

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It's a good idea to paint the walls cream cos they were green.

0:19:060:19:10

We've kept the original wardrobe doors but we've sanded them down and got rid of the mouldings.

0:19:100:19:15

And to match them in with the kitchen, we've put the same handles that we used in the kitchen.

0:19:150:19:20

We've got a new light fitting, curtain pole, we made the curtains.

0:19:200:19:24

The curtains look good. Exact colour. It took ages to choose!

0:19:240:19:29

New sockets and switches.

0:19:290:19:31

New carpet. Pleased?

0:19:310:19:33

We did it.

0:19:330:19:36

The girls certainly make a great team but have they managed to keep the bank manager on side?

0:19:360:19:41

Well, someone's paying the bills eventually,

0:19:410:19:44

and that is me, but Jane's got a very good eye for bargains

0:19:440:19:48

and she has done extremely well in cutting down the costs.

0:19:480:19:52

There are a few more bills to add up but we'll just tip over the 7,000 and that's really the limit we had.

0:19:520:19:59

7,000 to turn the flat from this to this.

0:19:590:20:05

I'm pleased to see they've kept some of the more interesting details, which add to this flat's appeal.

0:20:050:20:11

When you walk in, there's a real sense of light and space

0:20:110:20:13

and it's that effect I'm aiming at because, obviously,

0:20:130:20:17

although we're not selling this property, we're renting it and it has to compete with others.

0:20:170:20:21

Hopefully when the tenants come through the door this will be the one that they rent.

0:20:210:20:26

After spending 79,000 on this flat, David is not planning to sell it just yet,

0:20:260:20:33

but he has applied to extend that 51-year lease for when he does.

0:20:330:20:36

But will he make a profit? We asked two local estate agents for their opinion.

0:20:360:20:40

We were talking around 105,000.

0:20:540:20:58

Seeing it today, I'm definitely confident of that sort of figure,

0:20:580:21:02

they've definitely got it up to that standard. It could possibly be more.

0:21:020:21:06

We could be looking between 105 and 110.

0:21:060:21:09

The rental... We've got another flat in the road at the moment

0:21:090:21:13

that's also one bedroom, although a little bigger, it lacks the facility of having car parking.

0:21:130:21:20

So I would say you are looking around the 525 per calendar month.

0:21:200:21:25

An excellent rental value, and if David decides to sell, a profit of around 25 to 30,000.

0:21:250:21:32

So it's a definite success and for doing so well, wasn't there a promise of a holiday?

0:21:320:21:38

We're supposed to be going to Barbados and I think David's going to be buying

0:21:380:21:40

the cocktails and the drinks for us because we're going with friends.

0:21:400:21:44

We're going to lie by the pool and the men can do what they like.

0:21:440:21:48

We're just going for the sunbathing and the rest.

0:21:480:21:50

Yes, definitely, we need a rest after this.

0:21:500:21:53

I think they've earned it. They have really done a good job so Barbados, here we come.

0:21:530:21:57

And with just a few more finishing touches, they can all go off and enjoy cocktails under the sun

0:21:590:22:05

and concoct the next project.

0:22:050:22:09

We're back in Teignmouth, in Devon, where this dilapidated building

0:22:230:22:27

had gone to auction with a guide price of £19,000.

0:22:270:22:31

It was eventually bought for £36,000 by Ken,

0:22:310:22:34

who's a local antiques dealer.

0:22:340:22:37

He's an ex-boxer from London and he planned to convert the building

0:22:370:22:42

into a boxing academy for kids.

0:22:420:22:43

Don't need a ring. That is for the big boys.

0:22:430:22:46

You know what I mean? Don't need it when you're amateur.

0:22:460:22:49

If you start off with nothing, you get to be something.

0:22:490:22:52

Three months later and the training has really paid off.

0:22:530:22:56

Things have definitely progressed. The walls have been cleared right back, ready to be plastered,

0:22:580:23:04

new windows have been put in and a roof's been put on.

0:23:040:23:07

So, how's the work been going?

0:23:070:23:10

First thing we had to do was strip the roof right off,

0:23:110:23:14

which was practically falling down anyway,

0:23:140:23:16

but we had a couple of boys here, they stripped the roof off one weekend, got it all off.

0:23:160:23:21

Then we had a carpenter come down next.

0:23:210:23:24

He put all these beams in for me.

0:23:240:23:25

Then he laid two layers of board on top and then laid asphalt.

0:23:250:23:31

Ken has done a ring-round of his contacts to enlist a bit of muscle.

0:23:310:23:35

When they heard that I was going to start doing this project,

0:23:350:23:38

they were only too pleased to come down.

0:23:380:23:40

They put new windows in for us

0:23:400:23:43

and then we got a couple of painters come down afterwards.

0:23:430:23:47

They done the painting on the outside.

0:23:470:23:49

Now we've gotta do the inside, which will be the floor,

0:23:490:23:52

do the cementing on the walls, and then we're practically there.

0:23:520:23:56

His wife Linda did have some reservations about the project,

0:23:560:24:00

but now that work's progressing, she's been won over.

0:24:000:24:03

Well, it's been absolutely great.

0:24:030:24:05

As you can see, it's now finished on the outside

0:24:050:24:08

and I'm really, really pleased that no longer does it look a dump

0:24:080:24:12

as I open my front door.

0:24:120:24:13

She said, "As long as you get the outside

0:24:130:24:15

"so it doesn't look dirty down this lane any more, I'll be satisfied."

0:24:150:24:19

And so I had to get that done first, any case.

0:24:190:24:21

Ken's really enjoyed it. We've had a great time doing it.

0:24:210:24:25

The boys that did it were absolutely fantastic.

0:24:250:24:27

We're really, really pleased.

0:24:270:24:29

MUSIC: "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor

0:24:290:24:32

There's been a lot of help for Ken from his fight friends

0:24:330:24:36

but the budget's got a few more rounds to go.

0:24:360:24:40

We've gotta buy the equipment, as well. It's the most expensive part.

0:24:400:24:43

You're talking about punchbags, punchballs.

0:24:430:24:46

You're talking about hundreds of pounds.

0:24:460:24:49

Boxing gloves come to £40 a pair.

0:24:490:24:52

So when everything is done, if you've spent £2,000,

0:24:520:24:55

you're looking at another £1,000 for equipment.

0:24:550:24:58

Remember, Ken paid £36,000 for this building in Sun Lane.

0:24:580:25:03

So is his budget standing up or is it on the ropes?

0:25:030:25:07

We're almost skint...but... HE CHUCKLES

0:25:070:25:11

we'll get the money from somewhere cos we can borrow the money.

0:25:110:25:14

People always come up with money. We'll get it from somewhere.

0:25:140:25:17

Not too worried about that.

0:25:170:25:19

At 77, he may be skint, but he's fit and ready for the challenges ahead.

0:25:190:25:24

But has Linda forgiven him for splashing out £36,000 on his dream at auction?

0:25:240:25:28

-SHE CHUCKLES

-I'm still thinking about that.

0:25:280:25:31

She'll never get over that. HE LAUGHS

0:25:310:25:34

She'll never get over it!

0:25:340:25:36

So, is this building in Sun Lane as fit as Ken?

0:25:360:25:39

It's going to be a judges' decision, so let's call in two local experts.

0:25:390:25:44

The sort of price I think he'd be getting for it now

0:26:070:26:10

would probably be something in the region of about 40,000.

0:26:100:26:14

I would suggest offers over £45,000

0:26:140:26:16

and I would expect to achieve close to £50,000.

0:26:160:26:20

I wouldn't want to sell it, anyway. You've got no idea...

0:26:200:26:23

I didn't buy it to sell it, to make a profit on it,

0:26:230:26:25

I just wanted it for a project, as a boxing thing.

0:26:250:26:29

So what are Ken's plans for his boxing academy?

0:26:290:26:33

I'd like to see some kid come down here, start training,

0:26:330:26:38

maybe a year or two,

0:26:380:26:40

and then go to a club

0:26:400:26:43

and go and win an APA title.

0:26:430:26:46

Beautiful. Beautiful.

0:26:460:26:48

And who knows?

0:26:480:26:49

Maybe one day someone WILL climb into the ring in Madison Square Garden

0:26:490:26:54

and their title aspirations would have all started

0:26:540:26:57

in Ken's boxing academy in Sun Lane, Teignmouth.

0:26:570:27:02

Join us next time for more action from the auction archive.

0:27:050:27:08

-We'll see you then.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

0:27:080:27:11

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