0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes has been a mission to show
0:00:05 > 0:00:08what can be done to revitalise and transform
0:00:08 > 0:00:11some of the UK's estimated one million empty properties.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15- Hi, there. I'm Joe.- Hi, nice to see you.- Nice to meet you.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19In this series, I'll be catching up with some of the people who took the plunge
0:00:19 > 0:00:24and staked everything on turning unloved houses into bespoke family homes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Today, I'll be catching up with a couple from an earlier series
0:00:32 > 0:00:37who were inspired to take on an abandoned property after we showed them some of Britain's empty homes.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40This is a brilliant space. So much light coming through.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45We'll also catch up with the empty property officers, who dedicate themselves
0:00:45 > 0:00:48to turning abandoned properties back into usable homes.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The property looks absolutely brilliant.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53A complete transformation.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And we'll be tracking one community's last-gasp attempt
0:00:56 > 0:01:00to save swathes of Victorian terraced housing from demolition.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03There is a commitment from the council and housing associations
0:01:03 > 0:01:06to retain these houses in these streets, which is fantastic news.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Back in 2009, we met Martin and Louise Worsley,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12who were looking to trade their London flat
0:01:12 > 0:01:15for a characterful period house in the country.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Martin and Louise had been renting a two-bed flat in south-west London,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and were looking to buy their first place together.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29We've been officially going out for about 18 months,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33but we've known each other from nearer eight years.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I've been a firm believer in charity cases, supporting the needy,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and looking after Lou is one of those opportunities
0:01:40 > 0:01:42to give back to society.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45When love blossomed, Louise had moved from the country
0:01:45 > 0:01:47with her dog Meg into Martin's bachelor pad.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Which is absolutely gorgeous,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54but it's underneath the flight path, which makes it a little bit noisy.
0:01:54 > 0:01:564.30 in the morning they start. Nnng!
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Louise was working from home, but Martin works in the City
0:02:00 > 0:02:03so they needed to be close to London,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06putting them in that expensive commuter belt territory.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Not that that lowered their sights.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I've always been a fan of Victorian and Georgian houses,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14similar to the ones you find in Pride And Prejudice,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18something that really has a lot of character and history about it.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22The main thing is space. We both love big, open-plan houses,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26and either have a big garden or have a small garden but access into fields.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Jules Hudson met up with Martin and Louise to show them
0:02:31 > 0:02:35a rather dilapidated, empty Victorian property that might fit the bill,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38in the heart of the idyllic village of Grayshott in Hampshire,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and at just under an hour from London by train,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44perfectly suited for Martin's commute.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48This place is one of the oldest buildings in the village, about 200 years old.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52That aside, it hasn't really been touched since the '30s,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56so there are loads and loads of beautiful original features in here.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02The previous occupant was a protected tenant who had lived there all their life,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05but when we visited, it had been standing empty for seven months
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and was on the market for £300,000,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12exactly half of Martin and Louise's £600,000 budget.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19I like it. I like the features, in particular the fireplace.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's bigger than it looked from the outside
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and it's great seeing the natural light coming in, so high ceilings...
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- On the right tracks. - On the right tracks? Brilliant.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Well, there's lots more to explore. Come and have a look through here.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Come into here, Louise, because I'm thinking this would be the kitchen.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39You've got lovely brickwork reveals around the doorway.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Over the years, this place has been all kinds of things.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It's been a laundry, it's been a cafe, it's been a B&B.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49This goes through to a kind of utility area. Look at this.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53I do like the features, but if you could knock through this wall, make it larger,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55it makes it very interesting.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The upstairs was split into two entirely separate areas.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The main section, reached by the stairs in the hallway,
0:04:02 > 0:04:07led up to three bedrooms. And then there were more stairs at the back.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I've got a few plans here which will help us
0:04:10 > 0:04:13make sense of this weird geography. Come and have a look up here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:19At the top of the back stairs was a second area, which contained a loo, a bathroom and this...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Wow. - This is enormous, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27- It just goes on and on and on. Still interesting?- Yes.- Definitely.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- OK, good.- A challenge. - Well, you're going to be in London paying for it all.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35You're going to be here working, though, and we've got a perfect little office space for you.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Come with me. Come and have a look outside.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44OK. In fairness to you, Louise,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48it's not the acres that you perhaps might have dreamt of,
0:04:48 > 0:04:53but I did bring you out here to promise you somewhere to work, and what I'm suggesting is this.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54It's an old laundry.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59- But it would offer you somewhere to actually go to work.- My commute.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Yeah. Well, let's do the commute. Come on, follow me through here.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- I think this is quite a useful little space, really.- Yeah.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- It would be a really cosy place to work.- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Obviously, it needs a new roof and a few other bits and pieces,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19probably a damp course, and at least you've got it separate from home.
0:05:19 > 0:05:25- Interesting?- Yeah.- Very much so. - Good. Worth coming?- Definitely. - Excellent.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28So, things were off to a good start.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Later, we'll see what Martin and Louise thought of the second property
0:05:32 > 0:05:35they were shown around - an empty three-bedroom semi-detached cottage
0:05:35 > 0:05:37in a beautiful rural setting.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Throughout Britain, it's not just private buyers like Martin and Louise
0:05:41 > 0:05:44working to turn deserted properties into functioning family homes.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Local council empty property officers work tirelessly
0:05:47 > 0:05:50to track down the owners of abandoned houses
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and get these places back into circulation.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56A year ago, we caught up with empty property officer
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Jason Hall in Waveney, north-east Suffolk,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03on his way to check up on a house he was well acquainted with.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07After sitting vacant for eight years, it had finally been bought
0:06:07 > 0:06:12by a local developer with a £10,000 grant from the council.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Today, I'm going along to have a look at progress,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18so we can get some people moved into the property.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Jason was meeting the developer to see how the plans were progressing
0:06:22 > 0:06:26and to find out when new tenants would be able to move in.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- Hi, Philip. How are you?- All right. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Much of the house was not only uninhabitable,
0:06:34 > 0:06:35but it was also unsafe.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39While there was still plenty to do,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42things had clearly moved on since Jason's previous visit.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47OK, it looks a lot different out here now.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I take it that's a new addition. What have you done in the roof?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54We've re-roofed it, we've re-insulated the roof,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- put a new dormer on. - What's in the dormer?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- That'll be a shower room.- OK. - The windows are being replaced.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- I mean, this room, from memory, this was the old kitchen, was it?- Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Obviously, you've taken the whole lot down. What's it going to be?
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- This'll be kitchen, small utility room, bathroom.- Yeah.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14There's lots going on. Have you come across any problems?
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- The main problem is, this entire house is built on filled land.- OK.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22So, we had to go down six feet to hit it sand and soil to put the foundations in,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24but we've got past that stage now.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And along with those changes, new foundations had been laid,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36and also, a new staircase to allow for safe access to the top floor of the property.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Wow. This one is a lot different to when I came last, as well.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45That section was all timber falling in, broken, wasn't it?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- That's where the pigeons were getting in.- Yeah, I remember it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- The skirting is to match the character of the house.- Yes.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- So the taller ones. - Yes, the taller skirtings.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Big question now is, when is it going to be finished?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00The extension goes up next week, so six weeks,
0:08:00 > 0:08:01two months at the outside.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Not too long to wait now, then. - No.- Excellent. Well, I mean,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07you can see from now the way it is and the way it's coming together,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09it's going to make a fantastic family home
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and we can't wait to get some people in it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Excellent. Thank you.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22A year later, Jason's come back to meet Philip
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- and see how the building has progressed.- Morning, Philip.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- Good to see you.- Morning.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28The property looks absolutely brilliant.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30A complete transformation from last time I came here.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I mean, it looks like you've done so much.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- This is how the property would have looked originally.- Yeah.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36We've had the brickwork cleaned up.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Because it was really dark, wasn't it, before?- Yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- Repointed it, tidied one or two of the arches up. New windows.- Yeah.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- New front door. - It looks really, really good.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- Do you want to have a look inside? - Yeah.- Excellent.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52This property is one of many in Waveney which has been
0:08:52 > 0:08:54brought back to life thanks to the council's drive
0:08:54 > 0:08:58to create social housing using their developers' grant system.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Wow. Again, the same as outside - what a transformation.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It looks absolutely amazing. Like I said, the quality
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and the standard that you've done it to in here
0:09:10 > 0:09:13looks really, really good. I mean, last time I came, no heating,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17there was nothing in here, was there? It was a complete mess.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19And it looks really modern and really good.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Basically, we've done what we would like to do.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25You know, what we thought was right for the house.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27It probably cost us about £40,000 in the end
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- to get all this work done.- Yeah.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33£18,000 of the renovation budget went on building a rear extension,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36which houses the kitchen and the bathroom.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40This, again, is all very different to last time.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Last time we'd have been stood in the back garden here, wouldn't we?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46And the only thing I can remember being there
0:09:46 > 0:09:48last time was just a single door.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51You've put in a nice family bathroom down here,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54cos there wasn't a bathroom in the whole place before,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57so it's nice to see there's one been put on the back here
0:09:57 > 0:09:59which looks really good.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Not only have we done that bathroom,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03we've also put another bathroom in upstairs,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05which is extra space, and I'll show you.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Excellent.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Upstairs there are three finished bedrooms,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and at the very top of the house,
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Philip has squeezed in a shower room.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Once we got the new staircase in,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19we managed to form a bedroom at the front
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and a second bathroom up here by creating the dormer window.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Excellent. Thanks for showing me around.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27It's been really, really good.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32When this house was taken on, it had been empty for at least eight years.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Now it's been turned into a comfortable home for a family
0:10:35 > 0:10:38who were previously on the council waiting list.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The property was in a really poor condition beforehand
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and now it's been completely changed around.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45It's had the extension put on the back,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and for the council, it ticks so many boxes.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50It brings an empty property back into use,
0:10:50 > 0:10:51it creates a decent home,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and it brings somebody off the temporary accommodation waiting list
0:10:55 > 0:10:58into permanent accommodation. I'm really pleased with what
0:10:58 > 0:11:00we've seen today.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Throughout the country, there are some spectacular homes
0:11:04 > 0:11:07slowly crumbling into ruins, but in ruins,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10there's always potential, and it can be truly inspiring
0:11:10 > 0:11:13to meet people who have invested their time, their money,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17their energy, rescuing once majestic family homes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24In Powys, mid Wales,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27architectural woodworker John Nethercott and his wife Annie
0:11:27 > 0:11:30turned an abandoned 16th-century manor house
0:11:30 > 0:11:32into a spectacular family home.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We drove into the yard and it was winter.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41It was gloomy, it was wet, it was really horrible,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43and the whole house was clad in concrete because I think they were
0:11:43 > 0:11:45trying to keep the weather out,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and there was this extraordinary lump on the front of the house
0:11:47 > 0:11:50which John said, "Ah, that's an oriel window."
0:11:50 > 0:11:53So we set to because of John's enthusiasm and knowledge
0:11:53 > 0:11:55as much as anything.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02And basically because of John's understanding of the genre,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I suppose, you listened to the house, really, didn't you,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I think is what it boils down to, and let the house speak.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13This property had been empty for over a year and a half.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17It was in quite a state when John and Annie discovered it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The real trouble starts with these things when you start
0:12:28 > 0:12:30taking out the stuff that you know doesn't belong
0:12:30 > 0:12:32to the original fabric.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36And we were very fortunate here for the house not to be listed,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39so we carried on letting the house speak to us -
0:12:39 > 0:12:41where the walls should or shouldn't be,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43where the windows should or shouldn't be.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45And it wasn't rocket science, to be quite honest.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47The house told us what to do next.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54We just decided to go for it,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56and I think if we'd thought about the amount of work
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and the amount of time and the amount of money
0:12:58 > 0:13:02it actually cost, it would have scared us, but having said that,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I didn't regret a single minute of it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08The couple snapped up this incredible place
0:13:08 > 0:13:11for the bargain price of £45,000.
0:13:11 > 0:13:18It took them 25 years to restore and cost them around £425,000.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23All of John and Annie's careful work paid off, though.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Their home was valued at over £1 million.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30And as an extra bonus,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33the manor was reinstated as a Grade II listed property.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I feel really proud that we've re-presented it to the world,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42because the person who built it in the first instance
0:13:42 > 0:13:45was a very fine craftsman, and to be able to re-establish it
0:13:45 > 0:13:48as a beautiful place is, I think...
0:13:48 > 0:13:51you know, I'm proud of it and I think it's a privilege,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- really, that we were able to do it. - Yes.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Earlier, we saw Martin and Louise Worsley explore
0:13:58 > 0:14:02an enormous 200-year-old house, untouched since the 1930s.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05But to give them perspective, we also took them
0:14:05 > 0:14:08to see a property couched in an acre of Hampshire woodland.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12'Six miles from a mainline station,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14'this three-bedroom cottage was handy
0:14:14 > 0:14:16'for Martin's commute to London.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20'It had only been empty for a month, so it was in far better
0:14:20 > 0:14:23'condition than the first property we showed them.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26'It was also well within their £600,000 budget.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:32- This is on the market for £475,000. - Wow.- The setting is stunning.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Right in the middle of the woods. Very rural.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37And unlike our earlier property,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- this one you could actually kind of move into.- Oh, right.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44And you do get an awful lot with it. Come with me.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48'Larger neighbouring properties were valued at well over £700,000,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53'so at £475,000, this was a bit of a bargain.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'Built in 1850, then extended in the 1950s,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59'this semi-detached cottage was a little on the small side,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02'but there was plenty of room for expansion.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's very airy. It's very light.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07There's lots of bright light coming in, which is great.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Once again, ceilings are surprisingly tall.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13What we're standing in now is effectively a 1950s extension,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16hence the greater proportions.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19As we go through, the old bit, well, it's all there too.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Come and have a look at this.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24You can see by the height of the ceilings that this is the old
0:15:24 > 0:15:28cottage-y bit. Here's your diner bit, and in there you've got...
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Not a badly appointed galley kitchen.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Certainly you could walk in and just get on with it if you wanted to.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37It's a nice, once again, light, airy space.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I like the idea that we can just walk straight
0:15:39 > 0:15:42out into the garden, having a little back door there.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'Upstairs, there was a new bathroom...'
0:15:49 > 0:15:51'Three good-sized bedrooms...'
0:15:52 > 0:15:54'And a shower room.'
0:15:54 > 0:15:56'But it was the garden that was the real
0:15:56 > 0:15:58'jewel in the crown of this property.'
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So as you can see, it is technically a semi-detached.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08Your bit is the white bit, the neighbours are the cream bit.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12But you also get an acre with it...
0:16:14 > 0:16:16..of that woodland. OK?
0:16:16 > 0:16:20So you've got a garden with quite an interesting kind of topology
0:16:20 > 0:16:22to it, and geography. So it's not all flat.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27You do get an acre of fun for Meg, a bit of garden for you
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and a very, very quiet spot.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Absolutely amazing, especially the acre of woodland put onto this.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It is just huge, and very exciting with such a great garden.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's quite a difficult fit, getting people that want to be
0:16:39 > 0:16:41so close to the capital, for obvious reasons,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45because essentially, we're up against commuter belt territory.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47But because it's empty, because it needs a bit doing to it,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52you know, you're well within budget, and all this land.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53And the woodland.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57'Later we'll find out what Louise and Martin decided to do
0:16:57 > 0:17:00'and whether they dared take the plunge.'
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Over a year ago, I was in Granby, Liverpool,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06where a phenomenal amount of houses lay boarded up and empty,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10making ghost streets out of once thriving communities.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'Row after row of increasingly dilapidated Victorian terraces
0:17:16 > 0:17:18'faced an uncertain future,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'and despite local residents wanting them
0:17:21 > 0:17:22'to be brought back into use,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'the reality was that the majority were earmarked by the council
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'for demolition to be replaced by new builds.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32'But the council's plans have been caught up in red tape
0:17:32 > 0:17:36'and bureaucracy, leaving hundreds of houses boarded up.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41'I went to meet Jonathan Brown, a town planner and member
0:17:41 > 0:17:42'of the Liverpool Civic Society,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45'who'd been campaigning to save these streets.'
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Help me make sense of this. When we're looking round here,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50we're not talking about a few houses that are boarded up,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51we're talking about streets and streets.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Why have they been boarded up for so long?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58You have to track back probably ten years or more, really, to understand
0:17:58 > 0:18:01that there's a policy to knock down over 20,000 houses
0:18:01 > 0:18:04across Merseyside because there were seen to be too many
0:18:04 > 0:18:06for the population that has, of course, shrunk
0:18:06 > 0:18:09since its height before the war.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It's just such a waste of building resources, but also money.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15There must be a lot of money tied up in these places,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- public money as well.- Absolutely.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Hundreds of millions has been spent in Liverpool alone
0:18:19 > 0:18:22just to buy up, board up and potentially bulldoze,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25although thankfully they have not yet been bulldozed.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27And now we're left in this limbo land,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29so the important thing is, where do we go from here?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31So how much hope is there
0:18:31 > 0:18:33that many of these can be saved from the bulldozer?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36As we can see, they're still in pretty fair condition,
0:18:36 > 0:18:37given the neglect that they've had.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39There's still the prospect,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I think, of putting people to work on them, to learn skills.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43For example, people who are unemployed
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and looking for a job could work and train in these houses.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48We know that there are investors lined up,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51keen to get stuck in if they can get hold of the properties.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I think, while they still stand, there is hope,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56but something needs to change, clearly.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59We would call on the government to sit down with the council
0:18:59 > 0:19:00and take a new approach, really,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and try and work with local residents to get this sorted out.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13It really is shocking to see buildings sitting here in this state.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15And it's not just a few of them. Street after street,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19whole neighbourhoods, that are now ghost towns.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21But there are still a few residents around here,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25and they're determined to keep the community sprit alive.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29'In the street where Eleanor Lee and Carole Foulder live,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32'only eight out of the 60 houses were actually occupied.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'These two were doing their best to keep their community alive
0:19:35 > 0:19:37'and the bulldozers at bay.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41'Alongside their long-running campaign,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'Eleanor and Carol had made it their mission to brighten up the street.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:48In a sense, this community felt like it got forgotten.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51People moved out, the buildings more or less boarded up.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55But you've taken it on and you've done your best to try
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and keep life here. How have you done that?
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Talk me through some of the little touches that you've done
0:20:00 > 0:20:02to reclaim control of the streets.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06We started connecting to each house that was lived in.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10So we started green links and then we started painting
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and then we just expanded, so that we'd done....
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Oh, it's over 50 houses now.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And it's quite a nice feeling when you think,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22"I'll do the house next door. That looks quite nice.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25"Put a few more plants in that one down there."
0:20:25 > 0:20:26And that's how it took off.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29There are some plans for development now.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31What are they? What's in store?
0:20:31 > 0:20:36The city council in our four streets, they own 130 properties,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41and they've put those as a block out to tender to a developer.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43There'll be some demolitions, I imagine,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45but the focus of it is refurbishment.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48On the face of it, that seems like good news.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50But what would YOU like to see happen here?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52At the moment, it's like one size fits all.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's like it moves as a block,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57and no individuals can buy into it,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00So our preferred option would have been
0:21:00 > 0:21:03to allow members...individuals
0:21:03 > 0:21:05to buy cheap
0:21:05 > 0:21:09and do them up at their own rate.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11There is still hope, so I wish you all the best with that.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Oh, there's a lot of hope. - Onward, onward!- Onward!
0:21:14 > 0:21:17That's exactly it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20'Today, 18 months on, and we've returned
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'to Granby in Liverpool.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'The houses in these streets are now safe
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'from the bulldozer.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31'The local council have vowed to regenerate the houses in the area
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'and are keen to work with local residents like Carol and Eleanor
0:21:34 > 0:21:37'so that together they can save these homes and at long last breathe life
0:21:37 > 0:21:40'back into Granby.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:44The idea of demolition was a terrible thing.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Because we literally lived in limbo for easily 20 years.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52We didn't know whether to put a new roof on our house...
0:21:52 > 0:21:54what to do.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And now,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58that has definitely been lifted.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Liverpool City Council have also been awarded £30 million
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to regenerate their housing stock.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Jonathan Brown hopes previous renovations in nearby streets
0:22:07 > 0:22:10will now be rolled out across Granby.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12We can see from our houses on the right here
0:22:12 > 0:22:15where these were renovated at the end of the '90s
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and we'd like to see this happen on Cairns Street.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Not rocket science, as they say. Simple renovations.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Roll it across these empty streets
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and allow people to do some of that work themselves, too.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Keeping their community together has been a long battle
0:22:28 > 0:22:30for Eleanor and Carol,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33but finally it's beginning to look like there is some light
0:22:33 > 0:22:34at the end of the tunnel.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37There is now a commitment from the council and the housing associations
0:22:37 > 0:22:40to retain these houses in these streets, which is fantastic news.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42That's a tribute to the residents,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46who've campaigned for a long time to save these streets.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Back in 2009, we met Martin and Louise Worsley,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55They were looking for a house with character, with space,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57with bags of potential.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00They were very impressed with the two properties we showed them.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So I've come back to meet them and find out what
0:23:03 > 0:23:05they did next.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09'In the end, Martin and Louise decided they weren't quite ready
0:23:09 > 0:23:10to leave London just yet,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'but thanks to their time on Britain's Empty Homes,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16'they caught the bug for taking on an empty property.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'And they found one of their own, in Southfields, near Wimbledon.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'This three-bedroomed terrace cost £585,000.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'It had previously been rented out as three separate rooms
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'and was very dated,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'complete with an outside toilet that housed the boiler.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- Good morning, how are you doing? - Very well.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Louise, nice to meet you. Martin. Who's this little fella?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39This is Toby.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41That's been a big change since we saw you last.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Very big change.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- How old's Toby now?- Seven months old. - Fantastic.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49When we saw you 3½ years ago,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51you looked at these two properties. What happened next?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55We thought long and hard about it and came to the conclusion
0:23:55 > 0:23:57that being a little closer into London
0:23:57 > 0:23:59is probably what we needed at the moment.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02So we spent some time looking around,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and we had some really good friends in the area,
0:24:04 > 0:24:05so we settled in Southfields.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- Let's look inside and see what you've achieved with your hard work.- OK.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19A brilliant space! so much light coming through.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Tell me what it was like down here and what you did.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24The wall used to be literally across here and the back door.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26The kitchen was in this area now,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29where we have the downstairs loo.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31So all of this bit is brand-new
0:24:31 > 0:24:34and it's worked so well for us.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37You open the bi-fold doors in the summer,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39you can have lots of people round.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Amazing, yeah, it's a really good space.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43You've pushed three or four metres into the garden
0:24:43 > 0:24:45but you still have a garden, which is crucial.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48This was about having not just a property with character, but space.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Where you're standing now, on the other side was a staircase
0:24:56 > 0:24:59that went all the way up, double the size of the width here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01That's hard to get your head round. You're saying these stairs
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- came up, turned and carried on going up here?- Yes.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07And you've got rid of those so you can extend
0:25:07 > 0:25:08- the front bedroom?- Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'Moving those stairs also allowed them to rip out
0:25:11 > 0:25:15'the old bathroom and create this beautiful, bright new one.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'But it did come at a price as the overall renovation budget
0:25:18 > 0:25:23'went from an estimated £70,000 to £100,000.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:26What sorts of problems did you have, cos there's always problems
0:25:26 > 0:25:28in a build this size?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30We decided to do everything in one year - get married,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32do the house.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35We thought we'd get it all done in 3½ months or so,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37so when we came back from honeymoon,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40there were some bits done but still a lot of work to be done.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42A bit of a shock,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45to say we needed double the amount of time to get the house done.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47The cost did start to go up. We managed to keep costs
0:25:47 > 0:25:49as much under control as possible,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52but the old adage of adding an extra 20%-30% on top
0:25:52 > 0:25:54of what you imagined - absolutely.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56This has turned out brilliantly.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58You have great space,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01lovely-proportioned rooms. You must be very happy with this now?
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Very happy.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'It may have cost them more than they estimated in both time and money,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'but in the end, Martin and Louise got EXACTLY what they wanted.'
0:26:08 > 0:26:12It's been quite a journey. You got married had a baby,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15there's even another dog, I think they've multiplied
0:26:15 > 0:26:17since you were last on the programme!
0:26:17 > 0:26:20We'd love to go into the country when it fits the lifestyle we want,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23but for now London works really well, on the outskirts,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27but we would definitely look for another empty home at some point.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29And that next property will be an empty property,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30so you've caught the bug?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Yeah, we love being able to stamp your own mark on it
0:26:33 > 0:26:36and renovate, so we'll definitely look for another property to do up.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Amazing. It's really good to hear.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's a wonderful home. I'm pleased it's turned out so well.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Hopefully it was worth the six months of extra grey hairs.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- SHE LAUGHS - Definitely.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- It sounds like it was, so many congratulations.- Thank you.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It's great everything's turned out so well for Martin and Louise.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00This is a really lovely home.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03And lovely to see they've reaped the rewards
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and all the benefits of taking on an empty property.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08So much so, I would say they're now hooked
0:27:08 > 0:27:10so when they eventually grow out of this place,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14I suspect they'll look to take on another of Britain's empty homes.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd