0:00:02 > 0:00:04Over the years, Britain's Empty Homes has been on a mission
0:00:04 > 0:00:08to show what 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 > 0:00:15Alison, hello. How are you?
0:00:15 > 0:00:18In this series, I'll be catching up with some of the people
0:00:18 > 0:00:22who took the plunge and staked everything on turning unloved houses
0:00:22 > 0:00:23into bespoke family homes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today, I'll be catching up with a couple from an earlier series
0:00:31 > 0:00:35who made the brave move of taking on one of Britain's empty properties.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39I'll be seeing how far they've got with creating their dream home.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43It's remarkable. This is the wow factor you were talking about.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44It is.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We'll also be visiting some of the derelict dwellings
0:00:47 > 0:00:50our property detectives have been working hard to save.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- This is the house. - This is the house, yeah.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I've been looking forward to this. I've seen it a lot worse than this.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It certainly looks a lot different.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00And we'll also be finding out if a group of local residents
0:01:00 > 0:01:05has managed to save a vacant Jacobean mansion from certain ruin.
0:01:06 > 0:01:0918 months ago on a warmer day than this
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I met Karen Dimmock and Jeremy Wilson who had just taken on
0:01:12 > 0:01:17a run-down three-bedroom terraced house in serious need of some TLC.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20They'd gambled by taking on an empty home
0:01:20 > 0:01:24in order to try and secure the right education for their children,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27but had they bitten off more than they could chew?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33When Karen and Jeremy bought this house
0:01:33 > 0:01:35in Hampton Hill, Richmond-Upon-Thames,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37it had been lying empty for four months.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42It's damp, it's old and needs an awful lot of tender loving care.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Their oldest son Luke had been offered a place at a local school.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49We had to make the decision between having a much nicer house
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and educating them, and in the end we decided that education
0:01:52 > 0:01:53was more of a priority for us.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55To afford a house in this affluent area,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59their only choice was to take on a wreck.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03So they bought their Victorian terrace for £369,000.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07It was their first renovation and they had a build budget of £100,000,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10but soon after they'd purchased the property,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13they uncovered some serious structural problems.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16We knew there were issues but not quite the scale of the issues.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Everything has to be done. Garden, every room in the house.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Every surface needs some kind of attention.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I'm slightly terrified that we'll run out of money, if I'm honest,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and not be able to get to the result.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Hi, guys, I'm Joe. Jeremy? Hello, Karen. How are you doing?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36- Very well, thanks. - Good. This is your new place.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39First of all, why here? Why did you choose this house?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42The location, really. We wanted to be close to our son's school
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and we didn't want him to live a commuter lifestyle.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Although it was much cheaper than anywhere else we looked,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50we'd have the budget to do what we wanted.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Very exciting plans. Shall we have a look inside?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58The structural problems here were so serious that Karen and Jeremy
0:02:58 > 0:03:00hadn't been able to move in with their family.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Clearly, you've come in and decided to get started by stripping
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- everything back, have you? - Absolutely.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The wallpaper here was 1950s Anaglypta with a thin underlay
0:03:10 > 0:03:14of polystyrene which actually was keeping damp in.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It was actually sweating the house and they had
0:03:17 > 0:03:21replacement double-glazed windows and in a Victorian house
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- it doesn't allow it to breathe. - We brought the surveyor in
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and he held his damp meter up on to this chimney breast and went,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29"I've never seen my damp meter go off the scale before"
0:03:29 > 0:03:31That was the scary moment when we thought,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- "What have we done here?"- He could just tell it was almost saturated.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- It was much worse than the original survey.- That's one surprise.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Anything else not come through on the survey?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46We've got a 30mm drop from one corner of the room to the other.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49You can see it, can't you? Standing here, it seems to slope down
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- towards that corner. - We were aware of that. It's obvious
0:03:52 > 0:03:55when you walk in the door that there's subsidence but I think
0:03:55 > 0:03:59we thought we'll be able to unpin, make this good relatively easily.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Karen and Jeremy have a dilemma on their hands.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Ideally, they wanted to build a loft extension
0:04:07 > 0:04:12but that would entail huge structural changes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16In order to get the loft in there, we'd have to put structural steels
0:04:16 > 0:04:19in this wall and another steel across here.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- OK.- All of which adds hugely to the cost of any conversion.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24We thought we had a healthy budget
0:04:24 > 0:04:26which was why we took the house on in the first place.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It was far and away the cheapest property we looked at
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and we figured if we had enough money to spend, we could
0:04:32 > 0:04:36make it good, but it increasingly looks as though the money
0:04:36 > 0:04:38we've put aside isn't going to be enough.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- It comes back to budget again.- It does. You look at a house like this
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and think of course we can do a loft conversion.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46There's loads of Victorian properties with loft conversions,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50but this particular property with its structural issues,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- it's much more complex. - You're good at geeing each other up?
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- We'll have to be. - I'm a perpetual optimist
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and Karen's a perpetual pessimist.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- Shall we head back downstairs? - Let's go.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05On a positive note, the couple had already obtained
0:05:05 > 0:05:08planning permission to extend the kitchen.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10This is going to be the wow-factor room.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We are going to take down these two walls
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and extend out into the side-return.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19We're also going to go four metres out into the back garden
0:05:19 > 0:05:21and have a wall of conservatory-style windows.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Obviously, it's a classic use of space in a Victorian terrace.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Enlarging the footprint. You'll have
0:05:27 > 0:05:29a great kitchen here and you're blessed with
0:05:29 > 0:05:33all that light coming in being south-facing. That's brilliant.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Later we'll see what happened when I sent Karen and Jeremy
0:05:36 > 0:05:39to meet a local couple who had faced similar setbacks,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44yet managed to realise their dream of a state-of-the-art family home.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Did you have any surprises that you uncovered?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48There were surprises, as there always are
0:05:48 > 0:05:51when you are working on a project of this nature within existing house.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Across Britain there are many houses, like Karen and Jeremy's,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58just waiting to be rediscovered and brought back to life.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Now, local council empty property offices carry out detective
0:06:01 > 0:06:05work round-the-clock, tracking down the owners of abandoned homes
0:06:05 > 0:06:09in a bid to tackle our chronic housing shortage.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Just over a year ago we met Enfield empty property officer David Carter.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20He was checking up on houses that had been vacant for two years.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22The current owner has called me and said, look, I need some help
0:06:22 > 0:06:24trying to get this house back into use,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28so I need to do a quick survey, see if it is eligible for a grant
0:06:28 > 0:06:30from the council and then I can talk to him
0:06:30 > 0:06:34about options for getting his house back into use as soon as possible.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37In the past, the house had fallen prey to squatters and was now
0:06:37 > 0:06:41boarded up and they've needed to get inside and assess the damage.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Oh, right, yes. Now, this...
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Straightaway this stands out to me as being a bit of a suspicion.
0:06:50 > 0:06:57A lot of the Artex, sort of, before 1990 was known to contain asbestos.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00This certainly looks pre-1990 and I'm going to have to get it checked.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04It's not a good start before I'd even got into the main part of the house.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09And the squatters had left the house in a terrible state.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12This fuse box has been tampered with.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17We've got wires have been sliced and fuses that have been missed.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20We are going to have to get the whole electrics checked out.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It wasn't just the electrics that were cause for concern.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Boiler looks like it's got some kind of "do not use,"
0:07:33 > 0:07:37so I'm sure that any gas safety engineer that comes in here
0:07:37 > 0:07:39is going to condemn that.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46The garden itself is evidence of the squatters.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49There's even a disabled buggy out there.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's all going to have to be cleared out.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It's going to have to be re-lawned as well out there.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Just a bit of a mess all round.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I'll go back, a pair of schedule of works for the owner,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06speak to him about getting the house back into use as soon as possible
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and we can get the house loved again.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It was a neighbour who alerted the council to the squatters
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and Dave wanted to give them an update.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I believe you've had quite a few years of problems.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Yeah, it must be at least three years.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27We had squatters in for about seven months
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and there was about 20 of them in there. It was...
0:08:30 > 0:08:32You know, it was an absolute nightmare.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Hopefully, I'm in touch with the owner now.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37He seems like he's got a plan for the house.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41I think we are going to be able to help him out with a grant.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So thanks for bringing it to my attention
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- I'm glad I've been able to help you. - No, that's fine.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- All right then.- Thanks for all your help.- Bye-bye, then.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Today, a year later, Dave's come back to visit the property,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57which has now been sold to new owners.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01He is keen to meet them and see what changes have been made.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Mr Osmond. Very nice to meet you. Mr Carter.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- Hello, nice to meet you. - How are you doing?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Fine, thank you. - So, this is the house.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- This is the house, yes. - I've been looking forward to this.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16I've seen it a lot worse than this. It certainly looks a lot different.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Yes, a lot, a lot, yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Do you want to lead the way? - Yes, OK. Come in.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And inside, this once dilapidated building
0:09:28 > 0:09:31has been completely transformed.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Oh.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Well, that's a big difference, isn't it?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40The staircase is the first thing.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44It was there, it was round the other side.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And there was that horrible little passageway
0:09:47 > 0:09:51with the Artex that we were worried about, with the asbestos.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53You've done a great job in here.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56An extension's been put in to make way for a fitted kitchen.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Yes, you've done a very good job in here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03The overall impression is one of space,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05whereas before it was all very crammed in
0:10:05 > 0:10:09and there was that boiler, which was condemned.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Upstairs has all been finished to a high standard.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- Yeah, it's a good size.- Yes, double.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Well, thank you very much for showing me around.- You're welcome.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24You really have changed this house for the better.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It was a really troublesome house from me.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30This house is now in tip-top condition
0:10:30 > 0:10:32and bringing it back from the brink
0:10:32 > 0:10:34has had a positive effect on the community,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37especially the next-door neighbours.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Since this new build has took over,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43he's really done up the property.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I've had a look around inside and it is absolutely beautiful.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It's a job well done by Dave and his team in Enfield.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Good news not just for the owner but for everyone who lives nearby.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Bringing an end to property back to life may be a worthwhile pursuit,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01but let's face it - it's never going to be easy.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04However, when you speak to people who've been through it
0:11:04 > 0:11:07they'll tell you the hard slog, the long hours,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09the late nights, are all worth it in the end.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Robin and Isabel Edwards bought a grade 2 listed
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Georgian farmhouse in Axbridge, Somerset,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21in the hope of creating a cosy home with enough space
0:11:21 > 0:11:25to entertain their expanding family and large circle of friends.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I used to cycle past this house on my way to work every day.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31We'd been looking for two years
0:11:31 > 0:11:33and this one came up on the market.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I recognised it as the house I cycled past and came to look around.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41You had to climb up a ladder into this room that we're in now,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43into the hayloft.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46I turned round and looked at the view from out of these windows
0:11:46 > 0:11:50which is to the Mendips and it just made me burst into tears.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54I called Robin on my mobile and said, "I've found the house!
0:11:54 > 0:11:56"You've got to buy this house!"
0:11:56 > 0:12:01The couple paid £316,000 for the dilapidated building
0:12:01 > 0:12:05which had been empty for four years and needed complete renovation.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12There was a huge amount of work to do from top to bottom.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16The rising damp was drowning the woodworm. It was that sort of house.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We devoted our life to doing this project.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22We were virtually here every day.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25We didn't go on holiday for ten months, a year.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29They knew they were taking on a massive challenge, but Robin
0:12:29 > 0:12:33and Isobel were convinced they had found the right home for them.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37We wanted a renovation that we could stamp our own identity on the house.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41There was no point in buying a house which was all up together
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and then ripping out a perfectly good kitchen.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46We had a party when we first bought the house
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and we had all our friends round for dinner.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52They all thought we were completely mad.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54For Robin and Isobel, buying an empty house meant
0:12:54 > 0:12:57they had a blank space into which they could incorporate some
0:12:57 > 0:13:02of the important artefacts they'd collected throughout their life.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05At the previous house, we found two stained glass windows
0:13:05 > 0:13:09in the garden, and we used one in the house we had in Berkeley,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and we've kept this stained glass under a bed for 30 years.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16We've incorporated it into the lounge door
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and it really seems to fit there.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21People say, "How nice that you've kept that old door."
0:13:21 > 0:13:25That's great, because they think it's an old door and it's not.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- It's new.- It's lovely stained glass, it's absolutely beautiful.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33They spent £230,000 renovating the farmhouse
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and did a huge amount of research
0:13:35 > 0:13:38into the traditional techniques and materials
0:13:38 > 0:13:41to restore it to its former glory.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Ten months after they began work, the renovation was complete.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52When finally they took down the scaffolding around the house,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56so many people came up and said, "Excuse me, is this your house?
0:13:56 > 0:14:00"We love it. We love the colour and what you've done with this house."
0:14:00 > 0:14:04There is this feeling that we've restored what was once
0:14:04 > 0:14:09a lovely house and the renovation's brought it back to life again.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This is perhaps something that we'll pass on to the next generation.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Here is a wonderful house and we had a part in saving it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's a good feeling.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Earlier in the programme, we met Karen and Jeremy Wilson
0:14:24 > 0:14:27who had bought this run-down terraced house
0:14:27 > 0:14:32only to discover some serious structural problems.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36To inspire Karen and Jeremy, I sent them to seek Tara and Guy Morgan,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40a couple who had to find some clever ways to overcome
0:14:40 > 0:14:43some similar problems in order to create their dream home.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Guy and Tara Morgan-Harris
0:14:48 > 0:14:53bought this three-bedroom 1980s detached terrace house back in 2008.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56We were both really happy as soon as we stepped in.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Even though it looked terrible, we were just happy.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03The couple dreamed of living in this cosy area near Twickenham Green
0:15:03 > 0:15:06but all the homes they looked at were out of their price range.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09My parents live very close by, on the green.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11It had everything we were looking for.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And also it felt right in the sense of
0:15:14 > 0:15:17loads of open space for the family.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20There's no way we could have done this if we hadn't bought it as it was.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22We were very lucky to find this house.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27They spotted the outdated 1980s house and undeterred,
0:15:27 > 0:15:32instantly saw the potential that others had missed.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Guy and Tara are both architects
0:15:34 > 0:15:36so were prepared for what was in store,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41but even the professionals got flustered by the trials of renovation.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44You're expecting a baby, hormones flying everywhere,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46all you want is your home finished.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49They now have a stunning family home with four bedrooms,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53a ground-floor extension and a separate office area in the garden.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55They feel all their hard work has been worthwhile.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56When you walked in,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59did you have a vision for what you could do with this place?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The front elevation was a complete facelift.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06We wanted something that would bring as much light in as possible and not be too...
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Out of keeping.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I'm surprised by how new the property was
0:16:11 > 0:16:13because, walking down the street,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16I'd assumed it was another Victorian facade.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We've changed it a lot from what it was.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Did you uncover any surprises when you took a look at the fabric of the building underneath?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25There were surprises,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28there always are when you're working with an existing house.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30For us, the main one was the joists upstairs
0:16:30 > 0:16:32on the first and second floors
0:16:32 > 0:16:34weren't where we thought they'd be or hoped they'd be,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and you can never tell until you pull it apart and find out.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Like Karen and Jeremy, Tara and Guy discovered that the existing
0:16:41 > 0:16:44first floor joists weren't strong enough to take the extra load
0:16:44 > 0:16:47required for a loft extension.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52We're thinking about doing a loft conversion but it's the structural issues which are making us consider
0:16:52 > 0:16:55whether it's going to be worthwhile doing the project,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58because it is costing such a lot to add one extra room.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00It's better to get the structure right.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02You can do the nice things over the years ahead.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Getting the structure right first is vital
0:17:05 > 0:17:07as it can save you time and money later on.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It's really good if you know a contractor
0:17:10 > 0:17:15or have friends or family that have used someone and can recommend them.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17That's always the ideal scenario.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22If you can't, a lot of it is to do with your gut instinct.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Guy and Tara extended the ground floor to enlarge the footprint
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and create a light and airy living space.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33One of the main design concepts was to open everything up
0:17:33 > 0:17:37as much as we can and to achieve that, we put in these sliding doors.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40They're quite straightforward, really.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Gosh. That's great, isn't it?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45This is very similar to what we want to achieve
0:17:45 > 0:17:47with having a completely glass wall
0:17:47 > 0:17:49on the back of the property.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Ours would be slightly more traditional
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and more like a conservatory, but I love the idea
0:17:54 > 0:17:57that you've got inside, outside living
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and you can have your dining room table out there, in there,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02while you're having a barbecue here.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04It's great. Really lovely.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- Would you like to come upstairs? - Love to.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Thank you.- After you.- Thank you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15This is the floor we created from scratch.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17This is all basically brand new.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The roof wasn't here before so this has given us
0:18:20 > 0:18:22an extra two double bedrooms and a bathroom.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Thanks to their remodelling,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Guy and Tara have a total of five bedrooms,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31plenty of room for the whole family.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Do you think it's worth it, taking off the roof, doing the rooms?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Do you think we should go with reinforcing the house
0:18:39 > 0:18:41just so we can create one room?
0:18:41 > 0:18:46Doing this part first, getting the main body of the house together, it's got to be worth it.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Finances aside, it will give you the house you need
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and the house you're really looking forward to having. Absolutely.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Later on I'll catch up with Karen and Jeremy
0:18:55 > 0:18:58to see if they've put all they've learnt into practice
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and successfully renovated their new home.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Throughout the country there are derelict buildings
0:19:07 > 0:19:10just waiting to be turned into beautiful homes.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Even the grandest mansion can fall into rack and ruin.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Last year I went to north-west Lancashire to see a stately home
0:19:18 > 0:19:20that was on the brink of collapse.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Bank Hall is a part Jacobean mansion originally built in the 1600s
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and extended during the 19th century.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Various titled families lived in this imposing building
0:19:35 > 0:19:39during its heyday. But vacant since the 1970s,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41it's been on a downward spiral ever since.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44However, more recently,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48the fortunes of this grand old building have changed for the better
0:19:48 > 0:19:51thanks to an organised group of local people who are determined
0:19:51 > 0:19:55to bring it back in from the cold and put it to good use.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I came here to meet Janet Edwards, chair of the Bank Hall action group.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04How is it it's got to this state?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Well, it's got into this state because it's a massive building
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and there's limited use for a building of this nature
0:20:10 > 0:20:13in the 21st century, so it's finding alternative uses
0:20:13 > 0:20:17for these old buildings, and I think that's been the big challenge.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The campaign group have come up with a plan to save Bank Hall
0:20:21 > 0:20:23by dividing it into a series of apartments,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25but with a number of agencies,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28including the local council and English Heritage, involved,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31getting the process started was proving difficult.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34How urgent is this? Is this deteriorating day by day?
0:20:34 > 0:20:38It looks like it should be, because there's no roof, there's no windows.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40No, it's desperate now. Buildings aren't static.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42They do evolve over the years,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and although it would be lovely to wrap it in mothballs
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and take it back to a previous time, that's not going to happen.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51So it will be a building that's changed, but I still think
0:20:51 > 0:20:55there's beauty in what we'll have when it is finally restored.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59Today, one year later,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Bank Hall is still looking derelict and abandoned.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06But a restoration project on this large scale
0:21:06 > 0:21:08was never going to be easy.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Things take time because, you know,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15there are lots of people involved in the process for saving Bank Hall
0:21:15 > 0:21:19and everyone has to agree and be confident that the scheme
0:21:19 > 0:21:23that's been approved to develop the hall is one that will work.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28But Janet and her action group have come a step closer
0:21:28 > 0:21:31to saving their beloved building.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Plans to turn this Jacobean mansion into 23 new homes
0:21:34 > 0:21:38have been drawn up and are now close to being approved.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40The clock tower.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43There will be areas where the public can have access to
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and this can be used for a whole variety of public activities.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Construction is pencilled to start in the near future.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53The clock starts ticking.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56We really cannot afford to let the planning consent lapse.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00There've been so many setbacks, perhaps, along the way,
0:22:00 > 0:22:05but I suppose if I take a deep breath and think about it, yeah,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I think it's going to happen this year.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Whether it's a mansion or a maisonette,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17doing up an old property requires patience and determination.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22I first met Karen and Jeremy Wilson a year and a half ago.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25They bought their derelict home in an affluent part of London
0:22:25 > 0:22:29so they could be close to their son's new school.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Despite structural problems,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33the couple had ambitious plans for the property.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Well, 18 months after my first visit, here I am back in Twickenham
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and I've got a good feeling about this one.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43I'm really keen to see how Karen and Jeremy have got on
0:22:43 > 0:22:45with turning their once-neglected property
0:22:45 > 0:22:47into their dream family home.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- Jeremy.- Good to see you again. - Karen.- Hi.- Good to see you.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- How are you both? - Very well, thanks.- Excellent.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58This is looking incredible from the outside. It really has changed.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- It has, hasn't it?- Has it finished on the inside as well?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- Pretty much, yeah.- So exciting. Can I have a look?- Yeah, come on in.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- Wow.- Do you like it?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Hasn't this changed?- Bit different, isn't it?- This is amazing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15First of all, I'm just try to remember what it was like before.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- There wasn't doors here, were there?- No.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- So, you've sort of knocked through. - Yes.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22And you have just made this so homely and so brilliant.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It is completely finished.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26We didn't have any period features here at all,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29if you remember the fireplace - there was really nothing there.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Just a few bricks, wasn't it?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34That's right, so we got a fireplace off eBay and had it restored
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and even the tiles there in the hall, I don't know if you remember,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40it was just floorboards, so we bought black and white
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Victorian tiles to pretend that it had always been like that.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44But you wouldn't know.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The character and the heart of the place is just so spot-on
0:23:47 > 0:23:49to what it would have been originally,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51but it's still warm and cosy.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53You haven't sacrificed the family feel to it.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Well, we wanted a period house, and unfortunately we couldn't find one.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- So we've made one instead!- Amazing.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02And in terms of affording it, you've sourced the materials yourself,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04you've gone for bargains here and there?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Yeah, yeah. We've become very, very wise
0:24:06 > 0:24:08to where you can get things for a quarter of the price.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- I've even done my bit of skip diving, it has to be said.- Really?- Yep.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13But that's what makes these projects work.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16That's the difference between completing or not isn't it, sometimes?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We had to get clever because we had to spend such a lot of money
0:24:18 > 0:24:20on unexpected structural problems,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and in the end you think, the nice part of the project
0:24:22 > 0:24:26where you want to spend the money is where we didn't have that much left.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Which I think you see, yeah.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Unexpected structural problems you said there.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33That gives me a hint of what we might talk about next.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Shall we go upstairs, because that's where you were facing a few dilemmas, weren't you?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- That's right. Come with me. - After you.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Wow. What a snug little bedroom.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46You did have lots of issues. You were going to have to reinforce the house
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and the plan was to go up into the loft.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52You were seeking advice about it, mulling it over. What's happened?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Well, it ended up being far too expensive.- Really?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57We took advice as to how much it was going to cost to put the steel in
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and we just couldn't justify doing it on the basis that it
0:25:00 > 0:25:03would be a room that we'd use maybe three or four times a year.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Now, looking out the window I can see another big change
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- cos that roof definitely wasn't there before, was it?- That's right.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- That's the kitchen extension. - That's the kitchen extension.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13- Come and have a look.- OK.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- A little bit different? - Beyond belief.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25You have completely, completely done it, haven't you?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28It's remarkable. This is the wow factor you were talking about.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31It is. We just wanted a room where we would spend most of our time,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33cos it's blatantly obvious that most people now
0:25:33 > 0:25:36spend their time in the kitchen, in the dining room, hanging out,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- and we just live in this room. - And if we just look outside,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I can see that you've extended the house, but you still have
0:25:42 > 0:25:45a really good sized garden and a patch of grass there for the boys to play.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That's right. It's not a huge garden,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50but it's big enough for them to play in if they want to.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52What was the cost then? How on budget were you?
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Was it about 100,000 was the actual overall budget for the project, wasn't it?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It was. We went about 10% to 15% over.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00That sounds pretty good.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03That includes things like the fireplace, so that's not too bad.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04- Wow.- That's everything, all up.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And you are going to enjoy this as a home now,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and it's a brilliant cosy home, but in the bigger picture,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13you've also put this house back in the community and society
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and after you other people will come and live here.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20It is a great home for many generations to come, so well done.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I'm so impressed and huge congratulations.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31I'm overwhelmed by what Karen and Jeremy have been able to do here.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35It is so nice to see a project finished with such style and quality
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and now lived in as a really warm, cosy family home,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and when you think of the challenges they were facing -
0:26:42 > 0:26:46structural problems and damp, they've really had all the big issues to contend with
0:26:46 > 0:26:50and they've done really well, they've come through them all,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53so this should be pure inspiration for anyone out there
0:26:53 > 0:26:58seeking to take on and renovate one of Britain's empty homes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd