0:00:02 > 0:00:04'Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes have been
0:00:04 > 0:00:07'on a mission to show what can be done to revitalise
0:00:07 > 0:00:10'and transform some of the UK's estimated
0:00:10 > 0:00:12'one million empty properties.'
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Hello, how are you?
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Good, thank you.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'In this series, I'll be catching up with some of the people
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'who took the plunge and staked everything
0:00:20 > 0:00:24'on turning unloved houses into bespoke family homes.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today, we'll catch up with a couple from an earlier series
0:00:31 > 0:00:33who were inspired to take on
0:00:33 > 0:00:35an abandoned property after we showed them
0:00:35 > 0:00:37some of Britain's empty homes.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39What is it? What have you done?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42It's my wife, the driving force.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45'We'll also catch up with the empty property officers
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'who dedicate themselves to turning abandoned abodes
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'back into usable homes.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:53It's bright as a button compared to the last time I saw it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54So a lot different.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'And we'll be in Hull, where a housing association
0:00:57 > 0:00:59'has come up with an ingenious plan
0:00:59 > 0:01:01'to rescue empty properties.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:03This is a brilliant canvas for first-time buyers,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06so they can put their own stamp on this.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Back in series two, Jules Hudson
0:01:08 > 0:01:11met Steve and Tracey Jones from Lincolnshire.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Despite having no renovation experience,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17the couple bought a derelict barn on the spur of the moment
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and planned to overhaul it themselves.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Steve and Tracey bought this abandoned barn
0:01:22 > 0:01:26with two acres of land for £145,000.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29It came with full planning permission to transform it
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and the outbuildings into a five-bedroom modern home.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36When we first saw the barns, it was just literally, "Wow!"
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It was love at first sight and I had to have it.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41The reason we bought the barn was a complete
0:01:41 > 0:01:43lifestyle change, more peaceful.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Just the semi-rural,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48the quietness,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51it's just a nicer environment to bring our son up in.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53They had also found
0:01:53 > 0:01:55old plans for a conversion that never happened,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59which Steve and Tracey used as a template for their own ideas.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And from the bedroom,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05glass balcony.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But it was all uncharted territory.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11We've got no experience in this.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14We've got project managers to help us,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17but a lot of the work will have to be done ourselves,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19because of budget constraints.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I've given up my job
0:02:22 > 0:02:24for hopefully about six months.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27My plans are to be there every day,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31labouring and helping out and doing what I can.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Taking on the project was not only a huge
0:02:34 > 0:02:36financial commitment for the family,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38it also meant they had to live in a caravan
0:02:38 > 0:02:40for the entire renovation.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Choose your bedroom.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44I AM terrified.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Nothing will go smoothly.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It scares me to death,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51but if I don't do it,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54it's an opportunity in ten years' time I'll look back
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and think I should have done it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59A project like this would have been a major challenge
0:02:59 > 0:03:00for a professional developer,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03let alone a couple with limited experience and a modest
0:03:03 > 0:03:07total budget of £110,000.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Back in 2010, Jules Hudson met up with Steve and Tracey
0:03:10 > 0:03:12at their Lincolnshire barn
0:03:12 > 0:03:15to hear about their exciting plans.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- Hi, Jules.- Nice to see you.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Hello, Tracey, nice to meet you. - You, too.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21This is, um, quite something, isn't it?
0:03:21 > 0:03:24You've jumped in with both feet here.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So now you have the fun bit of trying to figure out
0:03:26 > 0:03:29how you'll turn this into your dream home.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30Absolutely.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32So you've never done it before?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I've done slight renovations on...
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Nothing to this scale,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39but I've done little things up in the past.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41But what can you do?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Are you a plasterer, a bricklayer?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45- No, no.- A plumber, an electrician?
0:03:45 > 0:03:47No, we've got family, family and friends.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49To many people,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51this is a classic black hole.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52- BOTH:- Yeah.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54If you're not careful how you budget and plan this,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58you could find yourselves in a world of trouble.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00It was clear they'd taken on
0:04:00 > 0:04:02a mammoth project,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05but they had the enthusiasm and determination
0:04:05 > 0:04:07that such a renovation needed.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11This is the main entrance.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Oh, my goodness.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14This is phase one, then?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17This is going to be home to phase one, yes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The original idea is,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21all the ground will be open-plan,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24we'll have the kitchen over the back,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27a dining area looking out through the views.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- And you'll keep it vaulted like that? - Yes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32That's part of the character of the building.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34You do need to see it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Yes. It will be very bright.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38We'll have lovely white walls.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Lovely big wood burner.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43They had planned to live in the completed barn
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and remortgage it to finance converting the courtyard
0:04:46 > 0:04:50of animal shelters into more living accommodation.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Later we'll see what happened when Steve and Tracey
0:04:53 > 0:04:55met a couple who'd taken on
0:04:55 > 0:04:57a large-scale renovation,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00turning a derelict building into a stunning home.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Throughout Britain, it's not just private buyers like Steve and Tracey
0:05:04 > 0:05:07rising to the challenge of turning deserted properties
0:05:07 > 0:05:08into functioning family homes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Local council empty property officers
0:05:11 > 0:05:15work tirelessly to track down the owners of these abandoned houses
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and do everything within their power to get them back
0:05:17 > 0:05:19into circulation.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Dave Carter is one of Enfield Council's most senior EPOs.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27When I come across an empty house,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I don't just see the bricks and mortar.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32What I see is a potential family house.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Just over a year ago,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Dave was planning to take drastic action
0:05:36 > 0:05:38on a long-term empty home.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40This morning I'll be visiting a property
0:05:40 > 0:05:44to serve a compulsory purchase order.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46This means the Secretary of State
0:05:46 > 0:05:48has given permission for the council
0:05:48 > 0:05:51to take possession of this long-term empty house.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53We've been forced into this
0:05:53 > 0:05:55as the owner has refused to negotiate with us.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57There's rodent infestations,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01the rear kitchen has collapsed,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and it is internally one of the worst properties I've seen
0:06:04 > 0:06:05for a long time.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07But before he could head out to the house,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Dave got a surprise phone call from the owner.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Obviously I'd like to meet you today.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14You can't meet me today.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17When would be a good time to meet?
0:06:17 > 0:06:20The owner is obviously aware that I intend
0:06:20 > 0:06:24to visit the property and affix the notice to the house.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26He's not happy,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28but he wants to meet me
0:06:28 > 0:06:31and talk about a possible way round it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I'll meet with him next week
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and we can thrash this out
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and hopefully come to some amenable solution.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Even though Dave had spoken with the owner,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45legally, he still had to serve notice of the compulsory purchase order in person.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48He knows I'll stick the notice on the door.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49It's something that has to be done.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53I'm keeping my eyes peeled in case the owner does decide
0:06:53 > 0:06:55to pop up here. I know that he works only a couple of minutes away.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But if he does, it gives me a chance to have a chat with him
0:06:58 > 0:07:01about the process I'm going through.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06With the notice firmly fixed on the door,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Dave informed the neighbours
0:07:08 > 0:07:12of the council's plans for the abandoned home.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13- Hello, Mr Lal.- Hi.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I'm Mr Carter from Enfield Council.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Just to let you know
0:07:17 > 0:07:20that the empty house next door, the council have obtained
0:07:20 > 0:07:22a compulsory purchase order
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and as part of the legal process we have to fix a notice
0:07:25 > 0:07:27to the door.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29So we can potentially look forward to a new neighbour soon?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Hopefully, and the new neighbour,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34whoever they may be, will get the place renovated
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and you won't have to live next door to a wreck.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Look forward to it.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Hopefully, Dave could then get this place back into use a family home.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So the notice has now been served.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I am hoping to meet with the owner next week.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But he will have to come up with firm proposals and a firm timeline.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Without that, the council have no choice
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but to move forward to take full possession,
0:07:55 > 0:07:56so here's hoping.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03A year later, and Dave's long battle to rescue
0:08:03 > 0:08:05the worst property on his books
0:08:05 > 0:08:07is almost won.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10In 2012, the property was snapped up at auction
0:08:10 > 0:08:14by a developer who was all set to blitz the house
0:08:14 > 0:08:15and then to rent it out.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It's a lot different from the last time I was here.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It's a total transformation.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23The windows are nice and sparkling.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Repainted.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30The garden was completely up to the first-floor windows.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I'm actually looking forward
0:08:33 > 0:08:35to getting in and seeing the rest of the house
0:08:35 > 0:08:36is up to this standard.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Today, Dave has come to meet
0:08:38 > 0:08:40the new owner, Caroline Robbins,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42who's certainly had her work cut out.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Hello.- Hi, Dave.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Nice to meet you again.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48It looks bright as a button now, compared to the last time
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I saw it.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51A lot different, isn't it?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- We've cleared it all out and paved it over.- Looking good.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The windows, we've had to keep original,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59because of the conservation area.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00They're looking good!
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Would you like to see inside? - Yes, please.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06There was so much rubbish to clear in the house and garden
0:09:06 > 0:09:08that seven skips were filled.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11A lot different from the last time I was here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13You've obviously spent a few hours sorting this room out.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16There was papers, rubbish,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18clothes...
0:09:18 > 0:09:19And it stank as well.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21It was still stinking when you took it over.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24It's nice and bright now
0:09:24 > 0:09:25and all cleaned out.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Just a few months ago, this kitchen had a collapsed ceiling
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and was in a horrendous state.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37There's your garden.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I had no idea what was beyond there before.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41You couldn't see - it was all overgrown.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Just like the front room, it brings so much light
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- into the house.- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Obviously I need to check the rest of the house has all been done up
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- to standard...- OK.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54..and that I won't get any future complaints
0:09:54 > 0:09:56from anybody else who lives here.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Follow me, then, and we'll have a look round.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Dave must be assured that soon this home will be lived in once again
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and no longer be the eyesore on the street.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09That's where the old bathroom was.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Caroline and her husband
0:10:10 > 0:10:14have totally transformed the property in just three months.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16All that ivy was coming in here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17There was no window.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22They've installed a bathroom downstairs, leaving room upstairs for three bedrooms,
0:10:22 > 0:10:23which should appeal to families.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28The house is almost unrecognisable.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Well done.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Can't really find any fault with it,
0:10:32 > 0:10:33which I'm pleased to see.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Just a few tiny things to finish off...
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- Yeah. The estate agent's coming round this afternoon...- Good.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42- ..and that's it.- I'm sure you'll have no problem letting it, just let me know...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- Will do. - ..and then we can sign it off.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45OK, lovely, thank you.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Bringing this house back into use is wonderful news,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52not just for Dave, but the neighbours as well.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54We just wanted someone in and wanted it tidying up.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57If it had not been for Dave coming,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59this wouldn't have happened. It seems to me
0:10:59 > 0:11:01he's dealt with it in exemplary fashion,
0:11:01 > 0:11:02as has the council.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04A fantastic result, really.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Converting any property can be a tough task
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and the pains, stresses and costs can all mount up,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15particularly with an old, abandoned building.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17However, when you speak to people who've been through it,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20they'll tell you the long hours, the sleepless nights,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23the hard work are all worth it in the end.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28That's exactly how Carole Layfield felt
0:11:28 > 0:11:32when she and her family took on this derelict barn in Nottinghamshire.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33When I first walked in,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37the whole of both rooms were knee-deep in
0:11:37 > 0:11:41all sorts of animal rubbish and old hutches, old bits of wire,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44but we didn't really notice any of that, to be honest.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We came and looked and said, "Oh, what lovely beams.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50"Oh, it's nice and high here, we could do this and this."
0:11:50 > 0:11:53But it was a huge job. It took about a month to clear it.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55The barn had been empty for several years
0:11:55 > 0:12:00before the Layfields paid £275,000 for it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04But not everyone was convinced it was such a good idea.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06A lot of our friends thought we were bonkers,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and I don't think very many people
0:12:09 > 0:12:11understood what we saw,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and I don't really know why we saw it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16We're not terribly creative in that way.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18We've never done anything like this before,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and it didn't really daunt us terribly.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22We just thought, "We could use this for this
0:12:22 > 0:12:25"and do that for that." And we just plunged in.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29One year later,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32the family had a home most people only dream of,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a beautiful open-plan kitchen-diner
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and even a room for their teenage sons.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Keeping the budget under control can be a full-time job in itself
0:12:46 > 0:12:50but the Layfields managed to pull off what many find impossible.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52We had a budget of 300,000,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and we stayed in budget, which was amazing.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I don't really know how we did that,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59because managing the budget was not easy.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03The builder and I sat in the kitchen for hours on end,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06writing endless lists of where the money was going,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08but it was all very vague, really,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12because everything that's expensive that goes
0:13:12 > 0:13:15into doing a building like this gets hidden
0:13:15 > 0:13:18under the floor or in the walls, so that when
0:13:18 > 0:13:21you come to the end of the building, there's very little left
0:13:21 > 0:13:23for all the pretty bits, and probably
0:13:23 > 0:13:26that's what we didn't take into account enough -
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that you have to be careful that your budget doesn't run out.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Perhaps one of the reasons
0:13:31 > 0:13:33the couple had such a successful renovation
0:13:33 > 0:13:36was that they were aware of their weaknesses
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and made sure they hired the right people.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40The key thing is to have a good builder
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and a good project manager.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43Because we didn't know enough.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45We didn't know how things fit together,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47which order to do things in.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49So that was extremely important,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51but I also think that he couldn't have done it
0:13:51 > 0:13:52without us being here, either,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55because nobody's ideas are your ideas,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and there were quite a few things where the builder would say,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59"I've asked the chap to come and
0:13:59 > 0:14:02"do the doors, and we've got eight panels in that door,"
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and we'd say, "No, I just want a big piece of glass, please."
0:14:05 > 0:14:06And so they were only small things,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10but I think most of the day-to-day progress of the building
0:14:10 > 0:14:13will have hinged on having a good builder.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15And now that the paint has dried and life is back
0:14:15 > 0:14:19to normal, the house suits the Layfields perfectly.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Certainly, we're really pleased with
0:14:21 > 0:14:23the way it's all turned out as a family house,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and we can all live here and live in
0:14:26 > 0:14:28our own space and we can all get on with
0:14:28 > 0:14:31what we're doing with enough room around us, really.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33And I love that.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Earlier, we saw novice renovators Tracey and Steve Jones,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42who, in the spur of the moment,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46spent £145,000 on a deserted barn.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49They'd taken on an exciting yet daunting task
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and had big plans
0:14:51 > 0:14:53to modernise the whole site.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55To inspire Steve and Tracey,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Jules took them to meet a couple
0:14:57 > 0:15:00who'd completely renovated an abandoned building,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03with magnificent results.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05When Richard and Janine Johnson first saw
0:15:05 > 0:15:09what remained of this former 22-roomed Georgian country house,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12they knew, even though it had been on the brink of collapse,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15that it was destined to be their next home.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18This house represents everything I've ever wanted in a house.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21When I first saw the house, I just knew
0:15:21 > 0:15:24that Richard would be able to turn it into something beautiful.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27In the early 1800s they really did get their proportions
0:15:27 > 0:15:29spot on in my opinion.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32So restoring something like that is a dream for me.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Empty since the 1960s,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Richard and Janine were able to buy
0:15:39 > 0:15:43what was left of this place for £220,000, back in 2002.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Jules Hudson brought Steve and Tracey to meet the owners
0:15:51 > 0:15:53of this beautiful property.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Hi, Richard! Nice to see you.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57- How are you?- Nice to see you.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Hi, Janine. Let me introduce you to Steve and Tracey.- Hello.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Hello, Tracey. Hi.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Hi, Richard, nice to meet you.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08We've been marvelling at the extraordinary transformation
0:16:08 > 0:16:09this building has undergone.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12This place looks amazing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It shows if you can put your heart and soul into it,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17look at what you can have.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Wow! This is beautiful!
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Stunning!
0:16:26 > 0:16:28This is a hallway with a real statement about it.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- It is, yeah.- What d'you think of that, Tracey?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Isn't that just beautiful?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- Yeah?- Love the colours.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Again, when we first looked through the front door, this...
0:16:38 > 0:16:41There wasn't a floorboard and all you could see was down into the cellar.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47The story goes that in the '50s, it was used as a motorcycle repair shop.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Right from the start,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Richard and Janine were aware that the original building was listed,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54so they had to preserve whatever they could.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59With no records to draw on, they relied on historical research
0:16:59 > 0:17:02to recreate the interior of the house.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05One of my primary concerns is,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07I'm going to be doing a lot of the work myself.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Well, I'm somebody who gets his hands dirty,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13but I recognise that I have limitations and my view is
0:17:13 > 0:17:16that if I can employ somebody who will do it better than I can,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18then I will employ them.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And we found an enormously beneficial group of people
0:17:21 > 0:17:23who really, really worked together well.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26If they know each other, they won't let each other down,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and that's the way it works best from my point of view.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34They spent £750,000 on careful reconstruction
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and the property had an estimated value of £1.4 million.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Oh, this is lovely!
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Stunning. Absolutely beautiful.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Now, on the picture that we saw of this place
0:17:45 > 0:17:48before you have so lovingly restored it,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51this is just an empty space.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55We just basically took the perimeter wall and rebuilt it,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58but we didn't mimic the internal structure
0:17:58 > 0:18:01because we felt that seven or eight little rooms was not what we wanted
0:18:01 > 0:18:05in the modern world, so we just made it an open canvas, really.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10We often sit out there, pinch ourselves
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and wonder how the heck we managed to do it,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15and it can be tough, but there are some fun times in it as well.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- And you have proved admirably that it can be done!- It can.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21So congratulations, guys. Well done.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Time now to find out how a housing scheme
0:18:35 > 0:18:38which aims to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder
0:18:38 > 0:18:39is getting on.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Across the country, empty homes are a big issue for councils
0:18:43 > 0:18:48and in some inner-city areas, whole streets face demolition.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49With a bit of TLC,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52these houses would be perfect for first-time buyers,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56but getting onto the property ladder is becoming increasingly difficult.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00The Riverside Housing Association in Liverpool launched an initiative
0:19:00 > 0:19:04to address this and to give first-time buyers the opportunity
0:19:04 > 0:19:05to purchase an affordable home
0:19:05 > 0:19:07via their scheme called Ownplace.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Just over a year ago, I went to meet Tom Maguire,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12the director of Riverside, to find out more.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Tom, this scheme, Ownplace, how did it come about?
0:19:15 > 0:19:19We had a lot of empty properties in some very challenged inner-city areas
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and it was our hope that we could use some of those empty properties
0:19:22 > 0:19:25that were unpopular, difficult to let,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and to make properties accessible to first-time buyers
0:19:28 > 0:19:31who were increasingly, evidently, unable to access home ownership.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So who was eligible? Did it have to be a first-time buyer?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Did it have to be someone who was going to live there?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It's a first-time buyer project.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Ownplace is geared towards first-time buyers
0:19:40 > 0:19:43who've got some other commitment to the neighbourhood
0:19:43 > 0:19:46but people who will demonstrate a commitment to their street,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49the property, their neighbourhood, the community.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53This arrangement kept Riverside's average house price at just £45,000,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56which was achievable for many first-time buyers.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'I was keen to see how Riverside were giving both first-time buyers
0:19:59 > 0:20:01'and empty houses a chance.'
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- Hello, Leanne?- Hello, yes. - Hello, I'm Joe.- Hi.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09'Leanne Woods had recently bought her home in Bootle through Riverside
0:20:09 > 0:20:12'and was overjoyed by the opportunity it gave her.'
0:20:12 > 0:20:14So how have you managed to do this?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16What was the house valued at and what did you pay for it?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The house was valued at 50,000. We got a mortgage.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23The grant was given to us and we got the mortgage for 37,500.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Brilliant. So you had a bit of a budget when you came in
0:20:26 > 0:20:28to put a few new things in, did you?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31That's right, yeah, because my nan passed away last year
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and left a few thousand,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36which I've been using to get the house up to scratch.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- To make it feel like your home. - Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Would that money you had, that few thousand,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- have been enough to have a deposit for somewhere else?- Never. Never.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47There's no way we could have owned a house if it wasn't for this scheme.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50So when you do come home now, and you sit here
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and think, "Blimey, this is my house," how does that feel?
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Absolutely brilliant. Love it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58A year on, and Riverside's Ownplace scheme
0:20:58 > 0:21:00has gone from strength to strength -
0:21:00 > 0:21:03so much so, it's been extended to another city.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Director Tom Maguire has come to Hull
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to see how the Ownplace scheme is being rolled out
0:21:10 > 0:21:14in the North Bransholme estate, which, like Liverpool,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17struggles with large numbers of empty properties.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Liverpool was a resounding success.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22250 properties sold through Ownplace
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and it's a product we want to see work in Hull.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Tom's meeting the Hull project manager Carlos Joseph
0:21:28 > 0:21:31to see the first few completed homes.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- Carlos, how are you doing? - Hello, Tom.- Good to see you.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Thank you.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40The Riverside team have salvaged these once sad-looking houses,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44put in new kitchens, bathrooms and done basic renovations,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and in doing so, have got these places back on their feet again.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50This is a brilliant canvas for first-time buyers
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- so that they can put their own stamp on this.- Yeah.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56We've not advertised publicly.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59We're pretty much using word of mouth
0:21:59 > 0:22:02because we want to get the local people to buy into this
0:22:02 > 0:22:04and the take-up has been excellent.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08It seems to me you've made a real success of it here.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And it looks like they won't be on the market for long.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14It's about people saying, "This place is going to work for me.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18"I'm going to live here. I'm going to bring my family up here."
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The properties that we've actually done already under Ownplace in Hull,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26just in the last six months, have all now gone under offer
0:22:26 > 0:22:27and that's a real success,
0:22:27 > 0:22:32and we think it's going to contribute to the regeneration of this estate.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37When we first saw novice renovators Steve and Tracey Jones,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41they'd bought an abandoned barn for £145,000
0:22:41 > 0:22:43and were keen to get work under way.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Amazingly, it took Steve and Tracey
0:22:47 > 0:22:50just eight months to turn that completely derelict barn
0:22:50 > 0:22:53into the family home of their dreams.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58And when we last saw the couple on Britain's Empty Homes,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02they showed us the results of all of their hard work.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Our original plans changed quite dramatically.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11We were going to be doing the big barn first
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and concentrating on this side of things later on,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17but when we thought about it,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21we realised that this would be able to provide us
0:23:21 > 0:23:25with more accommodation with the budget that we had.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Steve and Tracey ambitiously converted both the cart shed
0:23:28 > 0:23:33and the adjoining barn to create a modern, open-plan family space.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39But this mammoth project wasn't over yet.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42There was still the third and largest barn to transform.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Clearly, Steve and Tracey weren't finished there,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51so I've come back to Lincolnshire to find out what's been going on
0:23:51 > 0:23:54since my last visit - and just looking at the place from the front,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57it's clear there's been another big change.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02The Jones' converted barn is set in breathtaking countryside,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04surrounded by woodland.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07However, access to the property was always an issue,
0:24:07 > 0:24:08but not any more.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Hey, guys. Good to see you. Steve. Luke, how are you?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- Hi.- Tracey, nice to see you.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Big change here.- Yeah.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19What a transformation from the front.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23'They had to demolish one of the barns to open it up
0:24:23 > 0:24:25'and create an entrance courtyard.'
0:24:25 > 0:24:27There was a wood here before,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and that's quite an achievement to put a driveway through the middle!
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It was probably easier than what I expected it to be.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36It did involve taking up about 25 trees,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38excavating all the soil
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and the sub road put in and the gravel on top.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44And how nice is that now, Tracey,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48seeing the front of your pride and joy as you sort of come home?
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- It's just finished, so it's just given us that wow factor now.- Yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Just amazing, absolutely wonderful.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57It opened the place up, so that it really does give it that edge
0:24:57 > 0:24:59when you come down the drive and see the house.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I noticed the new gates are in, you finished off the wall -
0:25:02 > 0:25:05all these finishing touches, you've had an excuse to bring about.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- Yeah, it's all coming together nicely.- Yeah? I'm impressed.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13With the main part of the house done and dusted,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16it's given the couple a chance to address the exterior of the property
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and add all the finishing touches.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And they're about to embark on the final stage
0:25:21 > 0:25:23of their ambitious project.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Plans have been drawn up for the remaining enormous barn.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30What would happen inside this barn?
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Well, inside, we'd have
0:25:31 > 0:25:35a mezzanine going about two-thirds of the way across
0:25:35 > 0:25:38with two bedrooms and a glass balcony
0:25:38 > 0:25:42looking onto an open-plan lounge area and kitchen at that end
0:25:42 > 0:25:44with, again, the views of the castle.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46You seem to have endless drive.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49You seem to have buckets of enthusiasm for this.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Has that diminished at all or are you still raring to go?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- It's... Finances have diminished a little bit.- Right.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57But in terms of what we want to achieve,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00no, I think that's still there.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It's just little by little, now.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07It's a shame we couldn't go full-on and get it finished and all done,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09but we'll get there eventually.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Many people start things, they can't finish them.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Very few make this kind of progress in the amount of time you've had.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19What is it? What have you done?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It's my wife! The driving force.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Does it come down to you, then, Tracey?- Absolutely.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- When I want something done, I need it done yesterday.- Very good.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40It's incredible what Steve and Tracey have been able to achieve here.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44When you think about what they started with, in many ways,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47the odds were against them. People thought they must have been mad,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50but it's been a real privilege and a pleasure to see their progression
0:26:50 > 0:26:52over the years on this programme,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and with their drive and determination and dedication,
0:26:56 > 0:27:01look where they are now. They have the most fantastic family home.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd