Episode 10 Britain's Empty Homes Revisited

Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes has been on a mission to show

what can be done to revitalise and transform some of the UK's estimated

one million empty properties.

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you?

-Good, thank you.

In this series, I will be catching up with some people

who took the plunge and staked everything on turning unloved houses

into bespoke family homes.

Today, we will be catching up with a couple from an earlier series

who were inspired to take on an abandoned property

after we showed them some of Britain's empty homes.

I have to say, I am a bit of a windows snob. I think they look great.

We will also be catching up with the empty property officers,

who dedicate themselves to turning abandoned abodes into usable homes.

These old houses have lots of character and it's a shame to let them fall into disrepair.

And we will be going back to Brighton, to see what has been done

to salvage the Royal Alexander Children's Hospital.

People have got a great deal of emotional attachment

to the building. It is incredibly important that the main building was saved.

Back in 2009, we met Cathy and David Simpson,

who thanks to the arrival of new baby Cameron, had finally outgrown

their flat in south-east London.

Cathy and David Simpson had been living in their Victorian flat

in south-east London for three years, but were more than ready to move on.

There is only a half room for our son, under the stairs,

and we just need some more space.

And Cathy loved the idea of a place for the family to grow into.

We're hoping to have at least another brother or sister

for Cameron and a puppy for David,

some chickens and, basically, have the good life in the country.

It was definitely time for them to leave the city behind.

The area that I would like to move to would preferably have

a real community spirit,

where we can make an actual home there and become part

of that little village.

Jules Hudson met up with Cathy and David to show them some properties

that could fit the bill.

They were looking for a four bedroomed house in a village in Kent

within commuting distance of David's work in Tunbridge Wells.

The first stop was a pair of thatched cottages,

just outside the historic village of Aylesford.

One of the cottages had been empty for more than four years

and the other for three months.

All right, let's start with this one.

It's very cute.

What we've got are two little farm workers' cottages.

So the challenge here is to weld the whole lot into one.

But as they stand,

they are quite small and they do need an awful lot of renovation.

But if you want a little chocolate-box-pretty slice of England, you know,

that's, kind of, what's on offer. So, what do you think?

I think it's gorgeous.

-Beautiful.

-It's very gorgeous.

-From my point of view, this is what England's all about, isn't it?

-I thought you might say that.

It is classic slice of Kent countryside, really.

All in all, about a quarter of an acre with it.

So, lots of room to expand, which you're going to need.

Price-wise, it's on the market for anything between 180 and 220.

For each one or for both?

-No, all in.

-Wow, that's quite cheap.

-Shall we?

-Let's do it.

Each cottage had two small bedrooms

a lounge and kitchen, but no bathroom.

With work, they can be knocked into one and extended to create

a fantastic spacious family home with lots of character.

Come on in.

-Come in, Cathy.

-Blimey!

It's quite low.

That is plaster in the extreme.

That's just...

No surprise, it is listed this, Grade II.

So there are issues as to what you can do

with anything, that would affect, really, the fabric of the building.

But the thing to bear in mind, it is two old farm workers' cottages,

so what we see is exactly mirrored next door.

You are looking at quite an historic number, but you did say character.

Yes, we did. It has got all of that.

-It has got all of that and more.

-But have a look in there.

Check that out.

This is currently... Well, I'm going to call it the kitchen.

You will see what I mean. In you go.

Wow!

-Classic old dairy basin, this.

-Brilliant.

-Does it actually work?

Try.

Wow!

ALL: Hey!

-Brown water.

-Brown water, yeah. Fantastic.

Then it was upstairs, to the two bedrooms.

Come on in. Now, how does it grab you up here?

It's tiny.

-Yeah. Tiny. Dark.

-You could knock that through and make...

You'd have to make this one room.

Outside, there was plenty of room for keeping chickens

and growing veg, plus, there was

the cottage's only current bathroom facilities.

It's like at a camp site in Australia!

-That good? Wow!

-Like at home?

-Yeah! It's got that real homely feel.

Later, we'll see what Cathy and David thought about the second

-empty property they were shown around.

-You can see the houses here.

It just needs ideas. It's not a complete build.

Throughout Britain, it is

not just private buyers, like Cathy and David, looking to turn

deserted properties into functioning family homes.

Local council property officers work tirelessly to track down

the owners of abandoned houses

and do everything in their power to get these places into circulation.

In Cardiff, empty property officer, Steve Reed has a caseload of around

1,200 properties that he hopes to turn back into possible homes.

When we met him two years ago, Steve was responding to a call from

a neighbour, who was concerned about rats in a disused house next door.

With lots of the empty properties that we go and visit,

we get problems with pests.

Normally, the house gets left with food still left in it.

Obviously, that can attract rats.

This is the actual property, behind the rather large hedge.

If we can get in.

Right. It's a little overgrown at the front.

Just to make sure there is no-one in before we go knocking around.

That's a bit of a mess in there, actually.

Letters, bags full of rubbish.

It is definitely vacant,

so I will call on the neighbour now and see if we can get

a bit more information from her.

-Hello, there.

-Hello. Steve Reed, from Cardiff County Council.

-Lovely, yes.

-The problems with next door?

-OK.

I have had a look out the front.

-Any chance I can come out the back and have a look?

-Yes, sure.

Right, let's have a look, then.

-So...does anybody come back and forward to the property at all?

-No.

-Nothing at all?

-No.

-All right to go on the wall?

-Watch you don't fall.

I will try not to. Yes, it is really overgrown there. The shed, as well.

It's hanging, isn't it?

What we're going to have to do is to get pest control in to put

some test bait down, to see if any of that's taken,

see if there is anything in there.

-Steve, is it?

-Pleased to meet you.

-All right?

What we can do is test bait along the actual fence line here.

The bait was oatmeal,

used to lure vermin, whose bite marks would then be left on the bag.

Ken will come back in a week, have a look and let me know

whether it is positive or not.

And then, if it is, we'll come along and served a notice on the owner.

If they get it cleared, great, if they don't, we'll get contractors in

-and clear it on their behalf and then send them the bill.

-That's lovely.

Sort it out.

Next, it is back to the office, check the land registry,

check the council tax, track down the owner, find out exactly what

they want to do with the property and get somebody back in there.

Today, two years later, Steve has come back to visit

the property which has now been sold to new owners.

I'm here today just to confirm that the property is occupied

and make sure the back garden and front garden have all been

cleared and all the problems have been resolved.

-Hello.

-Mr Evans?

-Hi, there.

Tudor Evans bought the house at auction ten months ago

and has been busy ever since, renovating his new home.

My plan was a week to clean out, a week to do the hard work

and a week to move in.

Ten months later, I am still trying to live in it

and work on it at the same time.

I was looking at the outside now.

I think the last time I came here, there was a massive hedge that

side and the two had almost joined in the middle

and I had to fight my way through, just to get through the front gate.

-It was a bit of a mess.

-It was a bit of a mess,

but you've cleaned it all up and it looks great now.

Can I have a look at the rear garden?

The pest controllers did find evidence of unwelcome visitors

in the rear garden.

But they've been given their marching orders

and the site has been cleared.

It looks great here now, compared to what it was like.

-I bet the neighbours are over the moon.

-They're a lot happier.

Inside, the start has been made on restoring the original features,

to create a cosy sitting room.

I think the last time I came, from the outside you never think

it would look like this. And the fireplace is lovely.

Although there is still a way to go,

Steve is convinced that this empty property is finally in safe hands

and will, once again, become a treasured home.

These old houses have a lot of character

and it is a shame to let them fall into disrepair.

It's much better to repair some of these old ones, rather than

build new ones, which aren't as solid.

It was good to see that all the problems had been addressed.

The property is a long way off being completed,

but it is all in hand, so the council are happy,

the owners are happy and, hopefully, the neighbours will be, as well.

Breathing new life into an empty property can put a serious strain

on your finances and your time,

but there are few things more rewarding than putting those final

touches to the house you've rescued and restored to its former glory.

Dating back to the 16th century, this listed manor house

in Derbyshire had been empty for five years and was in a terrible

state when Stephanie and Carl Shaw first set eyes on it in 2002.

I found this particular house.

I was looking one Friday night on the internet and found it

and it was up for auction the following Wednesday.

I thought, that's probably going to be too quick to try

and raise the money but, you know, we'll have a look at it anyway.

Came up with my sister and, of course, went to the auction

and bought it on the Wednesday.

They paid £245,000 for it at auction and then embarked on an epic

renovation which was to take them seven years

and cost a further £400,000.

Once we actually bought the property, then the reality of what

I'd done really kicked in.

The bulk of the windows at the front of the house

were either cracked or broken.

Most of the wooden floors downstairs were rotten. With the exception

of the main hall, every room in the house has been re-plastered.

During the process of renovation, we've had times

when things have been extremely tight and, at that point,

we questioned whether it was all worthwhile.

We get through it and it is another day and actually it is worthwhile.

And you just save up and that's why this will be a lifelong project.

I think we almost feel like we're guardians of the property.

It's our home, but we don't feel like we actually own it.

We feel like everything you're doing is ready to pass onto another

generation at some point,

so we need to leave it in the best possible condition we can.

In 2008, the Shaw's house was valued at just under £1 million,

so taking on an empty property has certainly paid off for them.

It's been such a good experience. Would we do it again? Absolutely.

Will we ever find a property that lives up to this and gives us

so much pleasure?

I don't think so, but this one has been a big chunk of our lives,

but for me, one of the most enjoyable.

It's had its pitfalls, but overall, fantastic experience.

Earlier, we saw Cathy and David explore a pair of dilapidated

cottages in the Kent countryside.

But to give them more perspective, we also took them

to see a Victorian villa on the coast.

The seaside town of Broadstairs was the next stop, to see a large

detached four-bedroom house, which had not been lived in

for three years.

OK, now this is a lot different to our first property.

What do you think?

-It's huge.

-An imposing front.

-It's exactly that. It's enormous.

It's Victorian, which I know is of interest to you

and it is full of some really interesting features

that are crying out to be brought back to life again.

That's what we are after.

-Price-wise, this could be yours for £190,000.

-Really?

-Shall we?

-Yeah, let's do it.

With two large reception rooms, kitchen and four bedrooms,

the house had been left to its current owner in a will

and was now being sold on.

Right, this is quite interesting.

We'll start in here.

It's huge.

Look at the fireplace!

What is this? What have you brought us to?

-It's another project.

-Hmm, yes.

-Wow.

-He says lightly.

The windows are beautiful.

The windows are one of the real features of this end of the building

and one or two other details. Can you see that little alcove?

-That's sweet.

-Clearly, this would have had

a very nice, imposing Victorian fireplace, either iron or slate.

-That's gone, but you know... And it's huge.

-Is it?

Come and follow me. You'll see what I mean.

Come through here.

So, you see what I mean?

-It's almost spacious.

-Big.

Yeah. And it goes on.

Whether this is an historic feature,

or a recent knock-through, I wouldn't like to say.

So much has happened to this place over the years.

But you get the idea that space is one thing it's not short of.

Now, then, the kitchen.

Dare we look, after the last kitchen?

It can't be any worse. Cannot be any worse.

Bigger than our earlier one.

-That is for sure.

-Yeah.

-Less spiders.

-It wouldn't be hard.

Yes. As you can see, again, somebody's, sort of, attempted to,

at least, you know, take the kitchen out, whatever was here.

But what's left behind is a right old can of worms.

There was a shower room off the kitchen,

but it could easily have become a useful utility area.

Upstairs, there were four bedrooms.

This is one of the four.

-It's big.

-Again, give you an idea of what we have got to play with,

size-wise, quite interesting.

It is a good size, isn't it?

In terms of you having something you could grow into

with Cameron and maybe more,

-this is the four beds you were after.

-Definitely.

The detail is interesting.

There's... The doors are all there.

Wow. No.

You're joking!

This is very '70s.

Everyone boarded over these things,

bricked-up fireplaces and messed around with these houses,

but that's now the kind of thing we look to restore

and bring back to life. What a crime.

I think it's got a lot of potential.

It's not like the previous one. It's actually a house,

you can see the house is here,

it just needs ideas and electrics and plumbing.

-It is not a complete build.

-This is a classic renovation.

Shall we have a quick look at the garden?

With a bit of an overhaul, the 200-foot-long garden

offered plenty of potential for vegetable patches

and there was even room for a chicken coop.

As a town garden, anywhere in the country, this is a good one.

Yeah, definitely.

So, what did Cathy and David decide to do?

Did they take the plunge with an empty property?

Find out later in the programme.

This is lovely and it looks absolutely immaculate.

Over the series, we've learned about some of our nation's

valuable historic buildings that were under threat

and the local communities that were fighting to save them.

In 2011, we featured

an empty Victorian children's hospital in Brighton.

The Royal Alexandra was not just at risk of falling into disrepair,

it was at risk of being lost forever.

After a valuable 126 years of service,

the building was sold to developers and the NHS moved to a nearby site.

Now, of course, large institutions like the NHS are constantly

modifying and centralising their services, which can mean

buildings like the Royal Alex suddenly become redundant.

So, what do we do with them?

Because, left vacant, they're at risk of vandalism,

dereliction and, ultimately, demolition.

Today, I'm going to be learning how properties like these

can be rescued and reinvented.

-Hello, Graham.

-Hello.

I met Graham Towers,

local retired architect and member of the Clifton Hill Association,

which was integral to the campaign to save this property.

The local conservation association organised a survey to see

what people wanted to do with the existing buildings,

which showed a very strong support for saving the main building from demolition.

We put pressure on the local authority to try and preserve the building.

In the meantime, the developer, they were trying to get permission

to demolish the entire site and replace it with 155 flats.

The campaign failed to get the building listed.

But the developers were refused permission to demolish it,

as the hospital lies within a conservation area.

Then, in 2010, a report recommended that the original building

be retained, but the mish-mash of outbuildings erected over the years, could be knocked down.

I met with David Brown, master architect.

The plan was to turn the main building into 20 luxury apartments

with a further 99 affordable new homes

to be constructed on the site of the flattened outbuildings.

Before we go inside, looking this frontage, what are you doing with it?

Are there any changes here?

The main change to this frontage will be that the later editions of the

glazed balconies will be taken off, to form terraces to the units within.

-It was an open-air ward to do with tuberculosis.

-Ah.

So when the children were sent here to recuperate from TB,

they needed the fresh air.

The great Victorian belief in the sea air.

-So they would have got their sea air on that top balcony?

-Exactly. That was it.

-That's fascinating. Well, I think it's time we had a look inside.

-Definitely. Let's go.

This will be the main entrance hall and lobby

and all the original features will be refurbished and retained.

Oh, wow!

It's a big space. I assume you get two flats out of this.

There will be two flats here, yeah.

There'll be a corridor running up through the side of the room

we're standing on, at the moment, a flat at the end

and then a flat in the middle, here.

Today, 18 months on,

and work on the structure of the main building is well under way.

Master architect David Brown is on site to see

how his plans are progressing.

Since we started the redevelopment in late 2011,

a great deal of work has been done to protect the old building,

including scaffolding and putting a protective roof on,

as well as shoring up the building, to make sure it's got firm

foundations and can withstand the development going on behind it.

But renovating the old hospital was always part of a grander plan.

As well as preserving the main building at the front of the site,

we are providing 99 new homes to the rear of that,

including affordable housing and market housing.

Construction of the new apartments has now begun.

David Brown and his team have designed a show flat

to attract prospective buyers.

There'll be people moving into the scheme from the end of this year,

early next year, with the final apartments being finished

and occupied towards the end of next year.

It's very exciting. It's exciting to see this project coming forward.

It took a long while to get planning and please everyone

and we hope we can deliver a scheme that continues to please

and is a great building, in what is a great city.

With some of the apartments set aside for key workers

including teachers and nurses,

the new-build will not only provide much-needed housing,

it will also play a huge part

in rescuing one of Brighton's beloved buildings.

People have got an emotional attachment to the building,

so it was incredibly important that the main building

was saved and that the new-build behind it enabled

the historic building to be refurbished into its former glory.

Earlier, we saw Cathy and David

explore the idea of taking on an empty property,

after we showed them a pair of rustic cottages and an old villa.

But what did they decide to do next?

Whilst neither property was quite right for them,

Britain's Empty Homes did inspire them

and, six months later, they found this 1920s detached house,

in a third of an acre, which had been empty for three years.

Then began a major renovation, to turn this outdated,

unloved house into a spacious family home.

-David.

-Hi, Joe.

-Cathy.

-Hi, Joe.

-Nice to meet you both.

-You, too, thanks.

I'm bowled over by this. It looks like a beautiful place.

Before we talk about this place, let's start at the beginning.

When we last saw you, you were considering taking on these two rustic cottages.

-What happened next?

-We investigated a bit about the area,

and it was a bit far from where we wanted to centre ourselves.

But that wasn't because you weren't up for a challenge.

Your mindset was very much open to some sort of project.

That's what we were looking for.

We wanted something that we could make our own.

Then in 2009, the couple found the empty property they'd been searching for.

Importantly, this place was just a short drive from Tunbridge Wells,

perfect for David's work. They quickly fell in love.

What attracted you to it?

Its location was really suitable. We love the Ashdown Forest.

It's a good size, it's beautiful.

I love the look of the front of it. The stonework is just gorgeous.

It's a really nice rusty colour in places. Shall we look inside?

You can tell me what we went through.

This is lovely.

It looks absolutely immaculate.

I'm guessing this wasn't the original state.

-No, nor the original colour scheme.

-Right.

The walls were green, the woodwork was a bright blue and, yeah...

-It was...

-Vibrant, but not quite your taste?

-Not quite, no.

-Not quite our taste.

-And in need of some modernisation, then?

-Yeah, it hadn't been touched for ten, 15 years.

-Really? Wow, OK.

Map out where we are. We've got this lovely lobby here.

You kept some original features - the woodwork, the stairs going up. What's on the left?

-That's a playroom?

-This is the boys' playroom and computer room.

And what's through here?

Through here is to the lounge room and the kitchen.

Let's have a look, shall we?

Cathy and David have bravely knocked down several walls,

allowing them to reconfigure the downstairs living area.

This is fantastic. What a great space!

What would you say is the most difficult part of this project?

Everything was single-glazed and it was really quite cold.

So, downstairs, especially, with the underfloor heating

we're putting in, we wanted double-glazing down here.

Without sounding like a window snob, you've done the right thing!

I think they look great! They look really good.

The warmth is lovely. With the wood burner, you're not losing much.

That's the key. If you take on an old property,

-you have to make it as efficient as possible.

-Yes.

They also transformed the old extension, to make room

for this gorgeous family kitchen.

Oh, this is brilliant!

I love how you've got a high ceiling, right to rafters. Was that your idea?

Yes, it was all overhead storage,

full of pot plants and crates and things.

And spiderwebs, lots of spiderwebs.

-How many rooms were there in here?

-Gosh.

A toilet, a washroom, an outside store, coal, coal...

and the back door area was here.

How does this space work for you, as a family room?

-Is it the heart of the home?

-We spend a lot of time here,

and nice having the access outside, with the French doors

and big windows.

-You can look through the window at the boys on the climbing frame and the slide.

-It's really nice.

Upstairs, they've created four bedrooms, arranged over two floors,

and they've extended and modernised the bathroom.

When you look back, after everything you've been through,

you were first on the programme in 2009, all the progress you've made, you've come a long way.

How you feel about it all?

-It's been long, but it's definitely been worth it.

-Yeah, superb.

How important was it that you took on an empty property?

That you didn't just buy a ready-made house?

One that hadn't been lived in for a while is ideal for us, because

we didn't have anybody else's input, we just did what we wanted.

And you get all the little stories about what you did here and what you did there.

At the end of it, the two of you and the whole family,

-this does suit your needs perfectly, then?

-Yes.

I'd say so, except maybe some space for clothes for you.

-I'd like an extra cupboard.

-An extra cupboard?

-Yes.

-We are one cupboard shy of perfection?

-Just one, and then it would be perfect.

I think we'll still keep it.

I'm quite taken with this place, it's a very charming house.

I think David and Cathy have been very clever.

They realised the rustic cottages weren't quite for them, but they didn't give up.

They kept searching and found this as an empty property.

They've done lots of hard work, put their own stamp on the place,

and now they have a wonderful family home.

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