0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes has been on a mission
0:00:05 > 0:00:08to show what can be done to revitalise and transform
0:00:08 > 0:00:12some of UK's estimated 1 million empty properties.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Nice to see you again, David. Hannah, how are you?
0:00:15 > 0:00:19In this series, I'll catch up with some people who took the plunge
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and staked everything on turning unloved houses
0:00:22 > 0:00:23into bespoke family homes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today we'll be catching up with a couple from an earlier series
0:00:31 > 0:00:32who snapped up a bargain -
0:00:32 > 0:00:35a derelict church which they hoped to turn into a family home.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Goodness. This is beyond belief.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We'll also be following the Empty Property Officers
0:00:43 > 0:00:45who track down the owners of forgotten houses
0:00:45 > 0:00:49and help breathe new life back into communities blighted by them.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- There you go. - Wow. This is just lovely.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54And last year, we learned about deserted homes
0:00:54 > 0:00:56at a decommissioned RAF base.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Today, we go back to hear about the exciting regeneration plans.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04A year ago, I met Christina and Karl Yau,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07who bought a disused church in the commuter village of Hartley Witney.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Now, of course, buying a disused church and turning it into a home
0:01:10 > 0:01:14is no mean feat, but Christina and Karl were full of passion
0:01:14 > 0:01:16for the project and couldn't wait to get started.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Karl and Christina had spent years looking for a family home
0:01:24 > 0:01:28in the picturesque village of Hartley Wintney in Hampshire.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We've been looking for a plot of land or a project
0:01:31 > 0:01:32for quite a long time.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36We've viewed a couple of different properties in the area
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and we just absolutely fell in love with this.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Everything seemed to point towards it being a dream house in the village where I grew up
0:01:43 > 0:01:45so we just decided to go for it.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Karl and Christina planned to transform this dilapidated church
0:01:49 > 0:01:51into a two-bedroom home
0:01:51 > 0:01:54with a living room, study and a second floor.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I really love the idea of starting with a blank canvas,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59put walls were you want to have walls,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03and just make rooms what you want them to be, rather than actually have to work around.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The church had everything they were after,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11apart from one crucial element -
0:02:11 > 0:02:13there was no planning permission.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17We were told when we first found the church that we'd never get
0:02:17 > 0:02:19residential planning permission for it,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22it was going to be commercial viability.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Undeterred, the Yaus took a leap of faith and went ahead,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29buying the building for £170,000.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Their bold move paid off when two years later,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37planning permission was finally granted, and Karl and Christina
0:02:37 > 0:02:41could begin the delicate process of creating their dream home.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42We want our children to grow up
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and have the same experiences in the village that I had when I grew up.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50That's really important. The space has to work for all of us.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53When I first met up with Karl and Christina,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I was keen to find out exactly what their plans were.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- Hello, guys, I'm Joe. - Hi, Joe, I'm Christina.- Christina.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- I'm Karl, good to meet you. - Karl. And this is All Souls Church.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- How did you find it?- I found it on the internet two years ago now.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11We fell in love with it. The area is absolutely fantastic.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16The beauty of it, I mean, you look at it on a sunny day like today, absolutely perfect.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17I've always known this church
0:03:17 > 0:03:20but we never thought we'd ever own it or it would come up for sale.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25What's the benefit for you guys of buying an empty property like this?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Having the church and buying it without planning permission
0:03:28 > 0:03:30meant that we got it at a reasonable price
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and means we can afford to stay in the village in a property
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that is way over the price we'd ever be able to afford.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I'm really excited to see inside, so are you happy to show me?
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Sure, follow me.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47Wow!
0:03:48 > 0:03:51What an unusual space, this is fantastic.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It is very much still in its church formation,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56it's just a big open space, isn't it? What are the plans?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58We plan to put a second floor in.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01We'll have two main bedrooms, one at either end
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- with these massive feature windows that we've got.- Beautiful.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08When you talk about having two levels, that's what's going to
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- give you a light feel at the top? - One in each of the bedrooms.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Do you have to take the floor down to get two levels in?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Yes, yes. We're lowering the floor slightly but underneath this
0:04:17 > 0:04:20is actually quite low anyway, it's a floating wooden floor,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23so as you jump around, it's like a trampoline at the moment.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I can feel a slight bounce to it. I bet the kids love that.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Don't bounce too hard! - You may fall through.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Stay calm, health and safety at all times.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34One of the great things about buying a property with this kind of history
0:04:34 > 0:04:36is that you get some quirky features.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39You can't miss the big old organ as you walk in.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Is this going to be staying?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Unfortunately not, it's taking up too much space.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48There's a lovely stained-glass window behind there
0:04:48 > 0:04:50that you can't see, so the light's gone.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But we do plan to re-use as much as possible.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55We are going to re-use these knobs.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57We're going to make coat hooks out of them.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02We're going to make the children toy boxes out of the carcass and the wood from the organ.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05So there's a lot of potential to re-use some of the features
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- and incorporate...- We will use whatever we possibly can
0:05:08 > 0:05:10in the whole building. We absolutely love it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Although they were eventually granted permission to convert the church,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17it came with strict design limitations.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20So, the Yaus had to be clever with the space.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Where are the stairs?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23The stairs are over there by the door,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and they'll come in and then go up in an L-shape up into the first floor.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30OK. Well, I think we've got to grips with the space in here.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Let's pop outside and have a look at the full glory
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- of God's building from the outside, shall we?- Definitely.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'This was an amazing property,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'but it was only when I saw it from the outside that
0:05:42 > 0:05:45'I realised quite what a challenge this renovation was going to be.'
0:05:47 > 0:05:50So, that's the inside. Plenty ahead of you there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54What about the building itself? I've seen a few holes. How is it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Erm, we have no idea, really. We're going to actually have to take everything off,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02so all the cladding is going to come off, all the tiles are going to come off,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and then all the structural wood inside will be assessed.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06What about the structure itself?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09We had a survey done recently, and they reckon within the next
0:06:09 > 0:06:13few years, it will actually be falling down.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Ah. Is that to do with the foundations, or...?- Lack of.- Lack of?
0:06:16 > 0:06:21Yeah, there is very, very old foundations that aren't up to much.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24There is a wooden plate that it rests on that has rotted.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27So, what do you have to do? Underpinning?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Underpinning. We're doing a special toe underpin
0:06:29 > 0:06:31so then we can put a concrete floor in,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and it's very steel reinforced, loads of steel mesh going in there.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And what is the budget?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40About 160, 180,000 we'd like to complete it for.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Yeah, yeah.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47OK. It's your first renovation. It's a biggie. It's a massive project.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But yeah, I'm sure if you do arm yourselves with enough
0:06:50 > 0:06:53information as you have been doing, I'm sure you can make it a success.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- See you.- See you later.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57'Later we'll see what happened when we took Christina
0:06:57 > 0:07:01'and Karl to meet another couple who also took on a unique
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'but completely dilapidated building.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's really important to get the right people to help you, of course.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09We had a fantastic architect, our builder was utterly brilliant.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Get the right people, and that makes the difference.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Throughout the country, it's not just private buyers rising
0:07:14 > 0:07:18to the challenge of turning deserted properties into functioning homes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Local council empty property officers work tirelessly
0:07:21 > 0:07:24to track down the owners of abandoned homes
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and use their powers to bring these properties back into use.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Back in 2009, Paul Palmer went to visit a vacant building
0:07:33 > 0:07:36in central London that was under new ownership.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I'm off to a property in Soho.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It's been recently acquired by a local housing association.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48They've just got hold of the keys, so it's a good chance for me
0:07:48 > 0:07:50to get in, have a look at the property, meet the guys,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and see what their plans are for it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00The building had been designated residential,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03but had been used illegally for commercial purposes
0:08:03 > 0:08:06before the housing association bought the place.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Oh, right. It's almost like a little self-contained studio.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It's exactly what it lends itself to, isn't it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19But, of course, you've got the office-type lighting.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And clearly they weren't being used for the purpose
0:08:22 > 0:08:25for which they were meant to be used, which was, you know, good quality...
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- Residential. - ..residential accommodation.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29There's a little kitchenette.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35Yeah. Typical office blinds on the window, as well.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The plan is each floor will have a three- or four-bedroom flat,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42so that would give us four really nice flats.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It's good for us that we've got you on board as a partner,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46because of your skill and expertise in the area,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49it guarantees that we know that there's going to be
0:08:49 > 0:08:53a successful outcome for this property as well, which is good.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I'm very pleased with my visit.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Things do look very positive for that building.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04We spent a lot of time working with different parts of the council
0:09:04 > 0:09:06to bring about the change in ownership.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08It's really quite exciting, and I was pleased I was able to
0:09:08 > 0:09:12get in at this early stage and look to the future with some optimism.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Today, three years on, Paul Palmer,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25now a freelance empty property consultant, was keen to come
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and see the finished results of this ambitious social housing project.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32He'd been working with Rick Bryan of Soho Housing
0:09:32 > 0:09:35to rescue the building and put it to good use.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Rick.- Paul.- Nice to see you. How are you?- I'm good, thank you.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- Three years when fast, didn't they? - Yeah, just seems like yesterday.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- This is fantastic. - It's absolutely great.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- Last time we were here... - Such a change.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50It's fantastic. It's a real brightening up the whole building.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53If you stand back a bit and look up,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57you'll see just how much we did to the facade.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59We recast all the window ledges,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- we put back some of the ironwork, we've repointed.- Wow!
0:10:02 > 0:10:06All done with specialist contractors to really bring it back
0:10:06 > 0:10:08to its original look.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Very nice. I can't wait to see inside.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Let's go and have a look.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16The building work took a year to complete,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17and provides much-needed flats
0:10:17 > 0:10:20for families on the housing waiting list.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- There you go. - Wow. Now, this is nice.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I love what they've done.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It's lovely, isn't it? Lovely en-suite kitchen,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and if you remember what it was like before,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35this space was just lost space, lost to offices, illegal,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38no planning permission for it, and now what we've got
0:10:38 > 0:10:41is a fantastic three-bedroom flat in the heart of Soho.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Can I have a look at the rest?
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Yeah, let's have a look.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49The building's interior has been completely remodelled.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Each of the five flats have family bathrooms,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54fully equipped kitchens,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58and two or three double bedrooms.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01What impresses me overall about this whole project is that you've
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- taken something that had a completely illegal use... - Absolutely.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- ..you've thoroughly modernised it. - It's all very nice, isn't it?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And the fact that we've got a family living here
0:11:10 > 0:11:14- in the heart of Soho is really, really nice to see, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19Years ago when I saw that building it was in illegal use,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20it wasn't going anywhere.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24To come back today and to see families starting off a new life
0:11:24 > 0:11:28in a building like that, it's just a wonderful experience,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and it's why I enjoy doing my job so much.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Thanks again. Bye-bye.- See you.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Transforming an empty property has its rewards,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40but it's never going to be easy.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42However, when you speak to people who've been through it,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45they will tell you the hard work, the stress,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48the sacrifices are all worth it in the end.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It took Judith Brook plenty of courage to take
0:11:52 > 0:11:55a chance on these derelict agricultural buildings in Rotherham,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00South Yorkshire in early 2010, even though she found them close to home.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02From probably being about 18,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06I used to keep a horse in this building, and I used to
0:12:06 > 0:12:10look at it and visualise it as a house. We always referred to it
0:12:10 > 0:12:14as the tractor shed, and it was where my dad stored his tractor.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Judith was in the fortunate position that these buildings
0:12:17 > 0:12:19were part of her father's farm.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22They had been out of use for 15 years before she started work
0:12:22 > 0:12:25on transforming them into a family home.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I worked here every day to make this affordable for us.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33when deliveries came, I'd help with unloading them.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37I dug out in the trenches, did any kind of labouring that was required.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But the renovation wasn't without its challenges.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Planning were not looking at it favourably.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And so I asked the planning officer,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52the conservation officers, to come out and have a meeting and just say,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55"Look, what can we have and what do we have to do to achieve that?"
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And they were great. They came out, had the meeting,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02and just said what they would allow, what they wouldn't allow.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Working closely with an architect and a local builder,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Judith spent ten months on the renovation, and £300,000.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13At the end of 2010, the house was complete.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15The build process wasn't stressful at all,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I enjoyed it from the first day to the last day.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23But that is largely down to the good relationship that I had with the builder.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It's a great lifestyle living here.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I'm really pleased that my children will get the same opportunities
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that I got of growing up in such a lovely environment.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47My advice to anybody doing this project,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50I'm sure that everybody that does it wants to do it
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and is enthusiastic about it, but enjoy it, it's a great journey.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Earlier in the programme, we met Christina and Karl Yau.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Their prayers were answered
0:14:00 > 0:14:02when they found the perfect empty property to turn into
0:14:02 > 0:14:07a family home - a disused church in Hartley Wintney in Hampshire.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But the couple certainly had a big renovation job on their hands.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13'Everything seemed to point towards it being
0:14:13 > 0:14:16'a dream house in the village where I grew up,'
0:14:16 > 0:14:17so we decided to go for it.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20To help Christina and Karl, I arranged for them
0:14:20 > 0:14:23to meet the Naismiths, a couple who bought a dilapidated barn
0:14:23 > 0:14:28and transformed it into a bright, modern, four-bedroom house.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31When we first saw the barn, it was in a terrible state.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It was complete the derelict, it had trees growing inside,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37dirt floors, no roof.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41It was actually pretty difficult to picture what we were going to do.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And anybody who came to see it, all our friends thought we were
0:14:44 > 0:14:47completely mad that we paid all this money for...
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- A pile of sticks. - ..a pile of sticks.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Despite the many structural issues,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Janine and Roy were smitten with the place.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02After 18 months of challenging building work, the Naismiths finally realised their dream.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10From the wreck of an old barn, Roy and Janine have created a vast,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13open-plan kitchen and living areas,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and found room for four bedrooms, too.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Although this barn renovation was on a much larger scale than
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Christina and Karl Yau's church, the principles remain the same,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and I hope they'll be able to glean some valuable practical advice.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34This is the kind of look I'm really after, you know, the old meets new.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37All the contemporary-ness.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40With an open plan look, how does it work with a family?
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Because, you know, it looks absolutely fantastic,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45it looks contemporary, but we've got a nine-year-old, a four-year-old
0:15:45 > 0:15:49and a 13-year-old, so noise could be interesting.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52You do have to have that space to separate.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56So we've made what we refer to as the media room.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Double wall thickness, soundproofed, door closed,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00they can be in there and we can't hear them,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02even with the PlayStation and the sound system,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and we get on with our lives here if we've got guests in.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09With regards to the actual curves and the design,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11did you get a lot of help with this?
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Because it's fantastic the way it fits in.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's really important to get the right people to help you, of course.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19We had a fantastic architect. Our builder was utterly brilliant,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and kitchen design had an impact on how the whole place looked.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Get the right people and that makes the difference.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Shall we have a look at the rest of the house?
0:16:26 > 0:16:27That would be fantastic.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32So, this is our master bedroom.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I think the space... It's really great actually seeing it,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41because I've always assumed we'd have to have our bed here
0:16:41 > 0:16:45where you're stood, but I actually think it would work...
0:16:45 > 0:16:50It works fine, yeah. This will be very close to our bedroom.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Seeing the Naismiths' home was certainly an eye-opener for Christina and Karl,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and later we'll find out how the visit influenced their own renovation.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Across Britain, it's not just residential streets
0:17:06 > 0:17:09that can be blighted by derelict houses.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Over a year ago, I was at RAF Heyford,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15where a community project was trying to revive the old housing there.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Upper Heyford played a vital role during the two world wars
0:17:21 > 0:17:23as a training base,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and in the years that followed, it was home to around 15,000
0:17:27 > 0:17:32American servicemen who lived and worked on the 1,250-acre site.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36With the end of the Cold War, the site was decommissioned,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39leaving behind hundreds of bungalows.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41I met with developer Paul Silver,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44who was planning a large-scale renovation.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49We've got 315 houses on the estate which are let,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and really what we want to do is a phased refurbishment programme.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55We have now consent to build 800 new houses that fit in amongst it.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59And when it's all finished, how many homes will be here?
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Overall there will be 1,100 homes on site.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Such a unique chance to actually take on these buildings,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09use them, not knock them down, but actually bring them back to life.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13We've had to take on board the legacy of the place and make sure we do it right,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16because whatever we leave here will last for future generations.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- I'd love to have a look in one. Can we?- Yeah, sure. Please.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- Please, come through. - It's quite big, isn't it?
0:18:27 > 0:18:28This is the main living space?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Yeah, it's a lovely, open area,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33there's a lot of American, '50s facets to it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35The wooden doors on the intercom between the kitchen
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- and the dining area.- Oh, yeah.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- And you get a back garden with these as well.- That's the key thing.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43A lot of the locals really love the space standards
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and the private amenity space.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'The bungalows originally had two or three bedrooms
0:18:49 > 0:18:51'and spacious family bathrooms.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55'I was keen to see how they looked when redeveloped.'
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- There we are.- Wow!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03That's incredible. What a transformation.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- It's certainly a bit different from the one you've just come from.- Yeah.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It shows what a bit of imagination can do.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15Yeah, and it feels so big and airy and light.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17'The former airman's family quarters had been
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'transformed into a modern family home.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23'The hope was to renovate 250 others.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26'The current planning laws would make it impossible to build
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'this many new homes in the Oxfordshire countryside.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:33How sure can you be that this collection of buildings will
0:19:33 > 0:19:35actually form a warm and friendly community?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Well, I think the key thing here is the space
0:19:37 > 0:19:40they have, the living areas and the light impression they have
0:19:40 > 0:19:42in their living environments,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and actually, a community is formation of people,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47not a formation of buildings, at the end of the day.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48It just takes a bit of vision
0:19:48 > 0:19:50to think about how you can go about those things.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Today, 15 months on from our last visit to Upper Heyford,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Paul Silver is back on site
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and has good news for the future of the development.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Since 2011, we've been able to show the demonstrator bungalows to
0:20:08 > 0:20:11the planners and the wider community and get their feedback.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15And I'm pleased to report, that exercise has been very successful.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Paul has now been granted planning permission to refurbish
0:20:18 > 0:20:23all 250 bungalows and 70 two-storey houses on the site.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29Back in 2011, this was really just a vision and a dream on a piece of
0:20:29 > 0:20:33paper, I guess, that we could be able to refurbish all of these houses.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36And now, since we've got our planning consent, we are in a position
0:20:36 > 0:20:41where we can roll up our sleeves and get on with the project. So we are really excited.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It is expected building work will start in the next few months.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And in the spirit of creating a community for future
0:20:47 > 0:20:50generations, the developers are also planning to turn
0:20:50 > 0:20:53the Grade II listed officers' mess into a new school.
0:20:55 > 0:21:02Head teacher David Castle is already on board and it's hoped doors will open in September 2012.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's a fantastic building
0:21:05 > 0:21:09which has been used as an RAF and US Air Force officers' mess building
0:21:09 > 0:21:14and has got some incredible spaces in it which will be amazing
0:21:14 > 0:21:19to bring into use for teaching and learning as libraries, as assembly halls.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22But also with the potential to create exciting classroom
0:21:22 > 0:21:25spaces as well.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30The facilities we're going to develop in this building and the sports
0:21:30 > 0:21:34and creative centre will be used by the wider community
0:21:34 > 0:21:35and bring real benefits.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Earlier in the programme, we met Christina and Karl Yau,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45a couple who'd found a simply heavenly derelict building
0:21:45 > 0:21:48they hoped one day they'd call home.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50They started off full of hope
0:21:50 > 0:21:54but the scale of the renovation was surely enough to test anyone's faith.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Here I am back in Hampshire to see how Christina
0:21:59 > 0:22:00and Karl have been getting on.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04From the outside, it looks absolutely beautiful, very smart.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Chapels and churches, they don't convert to homes easily so I'm
0:22:08 > 0:22:12really curious to see inside and see how they've tackled this challenge.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21KNOCK AT DOOR
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Hello. Good to see you again, Christina. How are you?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- I'm very well. Thank you. - Karl, good to see you.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32This looks incredible from the outside.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37- I'm so excited to see what's changed inside. Can we have a look? - Certainly can.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42This is the kitchen.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48This is beyond belief.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53This is a world away from that big wooden shed you bought.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00This is your main living area, your open plan for the kitchen diner
0:23:00 > 0:23:03it's good ceiling height. Did you have to dig down in the floor?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07When we actually took the floor out, we realised there was
0:23:07 > 0:23:10a lot of space underneath so there was nearly half a metre of space.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11So as we dug down,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15we just didn't bring it up massively, we just dug deeper.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16The organ was here before.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It was quite spectacular, but it couldn't stay.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It just took up too much space.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23But you did have an intention to kind of recycle as much of it
0:23:23 > 0:23:24- as possible. Did that happen?- Yeah.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26We've recycled quite a lot of that, haven't we?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Yeah, we've used as much as we can.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30So the organ itself,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34we couldn't make any use of the pipes in general terms,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36so we donated those to a local artist,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40who's come up with a really interesting design on them.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41He's given us one as a present,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44but he's actually got them showing in Sotheby's soon,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46so that's really interesting,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- and we love the fact that's part of our church.- Fantastic.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50So you been incredibly resourceful,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53using as much of the original material here as possible.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56There is, of course, one big new feature that catches my eye,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and that's the stairs. Tell me about them.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- They were our extravagance, really, weren't they?- Yeah.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I kind of fell in love with a solid oak one.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07We decided we couldn't afford it.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09And then I found this one,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12which kind of worked really well with the windows,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15because there's the black and the little monkey-tail features
0:24:15 > 0:24:16and stuff on the windows,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and it kind of just seemed to blend in with the log burner,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21and it was slightly cheaper -
0:24:21 > 0:24:24not a lot, but that's how I justified it to Karl.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Well, the clever bit here,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28the very new part to this building is upstairs, isn't it?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- Can we go and have a look? - Yes, we certainly can.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Great. Up your lovely staircase.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40So this is your master bedroom. It's lovely.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42It is en suite, you've got the curved wall,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and the floors, these look like old timbers. Are these recycled again?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Yeah, this was the downstairs floor. It was all downstairs.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So we did two of the bedrooms with it,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53with anything that was actually worth using.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Tell me about how you laid everything out.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's so hard to visualise a space that's thin air, just doesn't exist.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We've got this at this end, with the en suite.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03We've got a family bathroom.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05We have a room which is above the utility room,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07that was never going to be there.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It's not really big enough to be a bedroom, although our tiny,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13little five-year-old manages to fit in it at the moment.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15So we have got rooms for each of the children,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17which we never thought we were going to have.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20What problems did you come up against? What was most difficult?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Because you didn't know what was ahead of you.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25You were about to strip the building back and you didn't know
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- whether it would be rotten or what you would find.- We had dry rot,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31wet rot, woodworm, and then most of the roof needed replacing,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35in hindsight. We started just expecting to replace little bits,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and ended up having to replace nearly everything.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43Christina and Karl bought the church for £170,000,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and had an initial renovation budget of 180,000.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51That had spiralled by another £70,000,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54bringing it to a total of 420.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55But was it money well spent?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00We ended up getting a valuation a couple of weeks ago,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and they've said it's worth around 750,000.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08So spending that extra money actually puts it in that price bracket.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Crikey. Well, look. What a success story. It's phenomenal.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Because you had the bravery, because you wanted to do it really well,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18because you planned it so carefully, but an incredible outcome.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22- Really well done, guys. It's a very special home.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27This really is quite a home to behold.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I mean, this was a derelict church. It was rotting.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Who knows how many more years it would have stood here
0:26:33 > 0:26:37until Christina and Karl took it on. And they have done a brilliant job.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40It is so hard to carry out a renovation like this,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44to make a home, but also keep the original character of the building,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46of the chapel. But that's what they've done.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48It is spectacular,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52and it's going to be a wonderful family home for many years to come.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd