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There are nearly a million homes lying abandoned in the UK | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
waiting for someone to breathe life back into them. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:09 | |
So whether it's a tired semi or a rambling mansion, | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
we are on a mission to rescue Britain's empty homes. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
Taking on an empty property isn't for everybody, | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
but if you want to make your money go that bit further | 0:00:28 | 0:00:31 | |
and create something that matches your individual needs, then it could be for you. | 0:00:31 | 0:00:35 | |
Today I'll be helping an environmentally-conscious couple | 0:00:37 | 0:00:40 | |
explore a possible eco-friendly renovation of a disused house. | 0:00:40 | 0:00:44 | |
I think you still can put solar panels on that roof. | 0:00:44 | 0:00:48 | |
'I'll be introducing them to homeowners who are reaping the rewards of their own eco rebuilds.' | 0:00:48 | 0:00:53 | |
When the meter reader came he backed out of the cupboard and he said, "You don't use much." | 0:00:53 | 0:00:58 | |
And we'll also be joining an empty property officer as she investigates | 0:00:58 | 0:01:02 | |
the plight of some of the nation's abandoned houses. | 0:01:02 | 0:01:05 | |
I can't see if there's an accumulation of mail. | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
Normally that's a telltale sign. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:10 | |
Many house-hunters are wary of taking on an empty property. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:14 | |
Cautious about taking on crumbling features and tatty decor, | 0:01:14 | 0:01:17 | |
often such buildings can sit on the market for months, even years. | 0:01:17 | 0:01:21 | |
But if you've got the vision to spot the potential in such a place, you could bag yourself a gem. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:26 | |
Gas technician David Hall and his wife, architectural student Heather, and their two daughters | 0:01:28 | 0:01:33 | |
plan to downsize to a smaller house somewhere near their present home in Ingatstone, Essex. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:40 | |
The whole outlook on it is to downsize, pay off some | 0:01:40 | 0:01:43 | |
of the mortgage and keep some money back to do the house how we want it. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
David and Heather are keen to be green, and what better way to start than by recycling an empty house? | 0:01:47 | 0:01:53 | |
They are hoping this would allow their £400,000 budget to stretch | 0:01:53 | 0:01:58 | |
so they can afford to install as many eco features as they can to lead a greener life. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:03 | |
More than just renovating a house, we're more after a lifestyle, really. | 0:02:03 | 0:02:08 | |
'The main reason really is being able to put in renewable energy so we can live sustainably.' | 0:02:08 | 0:02:15 | |
We're looking for something smaller so we can afford to put those features in. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:19 | |
'But it's not going to be easy being green, as they've never done an eco renovation before. | 0:02:20 | 0:02:25 | |
'I want to help them explore some options before they take the plunge.' | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
Heather, David, I rather like your story, because | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
you're saying you're not bothered about what kind of a property | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
you get provided it's empty and you can realise your ambitions to have a greener life. Is that right? | 0:02:34 | 0:02:41 | |
Yeah. I think it's more important for us to get | 0:02:41 | 0:02:43 | |
sustainable features into the house so we can live in a different way. | 0:02:43 | 0:02:48 | |
What features would you be looking to put into this new property? | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
We'd probably go underfloor heating, solar panels, rainwater harvesting. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:56 | |
Triple glazing, anything that we can afford we'll be putting in. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:59 | |
It's a good idea, none of us would argue about it, but it's often easier said than done. | 0:02:59 | 0:03:04 | |
It isn't easy at all, because it's quite an expensive thing to do to an existing home. | 0:03:04 | 0:03:09 | |
You know, you have to, there's a lot of things that you have to add | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
that you don't necessarily get payback for. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
But you are also downsizing... | 0:03:14 | 0:03:16 | |
-Yeah. -..to be able to afford this long term investment. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
How is that going to feel, going into something smaller? | 0:03:19 | 0:03:24 | |
We've lived in smaller houses before. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:26 | |
-Yes, but it's one thing going up, it's another thing going back the other way. -Yeah, I know. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:31 | |
Well, it's all going to be part of the lifestyle change. It's all going to all hopefully fall into place. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:37 | |
You've come to the right place. Hopefully we can equip you with | 0:03:37 | 0:03:41 | |
some useful ideas and inspire you to take it forward. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:43 | |
I mean, it is a big undertaking, but if anybody can do it, I'm pretty sure you two can. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:49 | |
Later I'll be introducing David and Heather to some green renovators | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
who have taken advantage of empty houses to create their eco dreams. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:58 | |
But first I want to set them a challenge. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:01 | |
Heather and David have very clear ideas about what they | 0:04:01 | 0:04:04 | |
are looking for, but will they be put off by the reality of a tired and rundown property? | 0:04:04 | 0:04:09 | |
I'm sending them to view a property | 0:04:11 | 0:04:14 | |
in the hope that they'll not only appraise it in terms of | 0:04:14 | 0:04:17 | |
an eco makeover, but also be able to spot how they could extend it to get the most for their money. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:22 | |
On the market for £310,000 this 1970s three-bed detached house | 0:04:24 | 0:04:29 | |
certainly fits their criteria. | 0:04:29 | 0:04:31 | |
There's ample scope here for a side extension that would | 0:04:32 | 0:04:35 | |
increase the size of the bedrooms and give them more space downstairs. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:39 | |
But will David and Heather see this and how it could be adapted to suit their green needs? | 0:04:41 | 0:04:45 | |
-It's quite boxy, isn't it? -Yeah, it is very box-like. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:48 | |
I'd want to take this wall out. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:50 | |
-Want to open it right up. -Yeah. | 0:04:50 | 0:04:52 | |
-This is all quite nice. This could all be opened up. -Yeah. The condition is perfect. -Yeah. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:57 | |
-We can do whatever we want. -Whatever we wanted to. | 0:04:57 | 0:04:59 | |
It's a good sign. Heather is flexing her architectural muscles. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:03 | |
Feels quite small to me. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
-Very long and narrow, aren't they? -Yeah. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
I guess this must be one of the smaller bedrooms. | 0:05:09 | 0:05:13 | |
Smaller bedrooms, yeah. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:14 | |
-Small. -Yeah, small again, isn't it? | 0:05:15 | 0:05:18 | |
-For me, the rooms feel too small to warrant doing all the changes that we are doing. -That we want to do. | 0:05:18 | 0:05:24 | |
When viewing vacant houses it can be tempting to dismiss individual rooms on first sight, | 0:05:24 | 0:05:29 | |
but often an opportunity to change the entire layout can be just around the corner. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:33 | |
So this is where all the room is. | 0:05:33 | 0:05:36 | |
Could you make another bedroom in here without compromising, you could almost put a wall through here, | 0:05:36 | 0:05:42 | |
have two bedrooms and then make that one bedroom at the front which would make that a bit bigger. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:48 | |
Because this is disproportionate to the rest of the house. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
-Yeah. The other two bedrooms are very small and very pokey and this is a nice bedroom. -Mmm. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:57 | |
Out in the garden they spot how the house could be expanded further. | 0:05:57 | 0:06:01 | |
I think just at the side there you could extend. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:05 | |
-What, come out here? -Yeah. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:07 | |
But what about any eco possibilities? | 0:06:07 | 0:06:09 | |
-If this is facing south... -Yeah. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:11 | |
..you could still can put solar panels on that roof | 0:06:11 | 0:06:14 | |
because it's, the pitch is going that way... | 0:06:14 | 0:06:16 | |
-Yeah, so you could put in on the sides. -You can have quite a lot of surface area. -Yeah. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:20 | |
I'm starting to feel a bit more positive about it. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:23 | |
This will be David and Heather's first attempt at | 0:06:25 | 0:06:27 | |
an eco renovation, so now | 0:06:27 | 0:06:29 | |
'they've had a little time to reflect on the house, I was keen to find out their thoughts.' | 0:06:29 | 0:06:33 | |
It was definitely interesting. It could be quite easily adapted, | 0:06:33 | 0:06:38 | |
easily remodelled. It was just a matter of changing things. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:41 | |
-Like changing the windows. -Yeah | 0:06:41 | 0:06:43 | |
Maybe taking a few walls out internally. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:46 | |
All of this costs, of course. We're talking sort of ideally £50,000 renovation spend. | 0:06:46 | 0:06:52 | |
Which is quite low. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:54 | |
Particularly when you are thinking of putting in some potentially expensive green solutions as well. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:59 | |
What would you do there? | 0:06:59 | 0:07:00 | |
Well, we would first of all utilise the roof space, put PV panels... | 0:07:00 | 0:07:06 | |
-Photovoltaic panels. -That will do the energy and the electricity. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:10 | |
Insulate right, triple-glaze the windows. | 0:07:10 | 0:07:12 | |
In general, then, I mean, as an example project, shall we say, | 0:07:12 | 0:07:17 | |
I get the feeling that this quite inspired you. | 0:07:17 | 0:07:19 | |
Oh, definitely, yeah. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:21 | |
I think the key thing today, then, is to give you some ideas, actually, | 0:07:21 | 0:07:25 | |
as to how you can best incorporate some of these green solutions into any property, frankly. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:30 | |
We've got a couple of properties for you to look at. We can pick the brains of the owners, | 0:07:30 | 0:07:34 | |
see what they've done and hopefully take those lessons away with you | 0:07:34 | 0:07:38 | |
as well as understanding some of the pitfalls that come with it. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:42 | |
'No matter what kind of empty property you choose to buy, the one thing they all require | 0:07:42 | 0:07:47 | |
'in their renovation is imagination and hard graft.' | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
When Oliver Carpenter and Sue Braithwaite spotted this dilapidated | 0:07:50 | 0:07:55 | |
bungalow in Martley, Worcestershire back in 2002, they knew that even though it was virtually condemned | 0:07:55 | 0:08:01 | |
it had the potential to provide them with the home they were after. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:04 | |
It was a sad house in a fantastic setting, and that's what appealed to us. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:10 | |
We realised that we could do something with the house. | 0:08:10 | 0:08:14 | |
Because it had irreparable structural damage, | 0:08:14 | 0:08:16 | |
Oliver and Sue had no option but to demolish the original bungalow | 0:08:16 | 0:08:21 | |
and in its place they were keen to build an eco-friendly house out of sustainable materials | 0:08:21 | 0:08:27 | |
complete with solar panels and a living plant roof to help blend the building into its surroundings. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:32 | |
I think what we are particularly proud of is the fact that all | 0:08:32 | 0:08:37 | |
the fabric of the building is locally sourced, and I think that's really important to us. | 0:08:37 | 0:08:43 | |
All the wood cladding is from the UK and the gravel is from five miles down the road, | 0:08:43 | 0:08:49 | |
and those sorts of things I think bring the house into some sort of context with its environment. | 0:08:49 | 0:08:56 | |
Although the majority of the building is new, there was one | 0:08:56 | 0:08:59 | |
part of the original house they decided to retain as a feature. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:02 | |
When we lifted up the manhole, there was this fantastic well, so we | 0:09:02 | 0:09:08 | |
built up another couple of layers, got a special piece of glass, and it now is an integral part of the house. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:14 | |
It also played a key function in the design of the house, | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
because, if you like, the well is a brick tower going down, | 0:09:16 | 0:09:23 | |
and that's why we ended up with the brick tower going up. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:26 | |
The bungalow cost them £220,000, and having spent a further £350,000 | 0:09:28 | 0:09:33 | |
on the rebuild, they have achieved not only an environmentally friendly house but also a fantastic home. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:39 | |
Obviously, technology has moved on and more ecological things | 0:09:39 | 0:09:42 | |
could be done now, but at the time it was as good a go as we could do | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
on our budget, and we've ended up with something that suits us. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:52 | |
You know, we now have a house that we love. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:56 | |
Houses that have been abandoned and neglected can quickly deteriorate | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
and, of course, they can attract crime, but help is at hand. | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
All across the country, teams of empty property officers are | 0:10:05 | 0:10:08 | |
hard at work trying to find out who owns them, | 0:10:08 | 0:10:10 | |
why they've been abandoned and to see what can be done about it. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:13 | |
Like the rest of the nation, Staffordshire has its share of abandoned buildings. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:20 | |
In Stoke on Trent, it's empty property officer Zainul Pirmohamed's job | 0:10:20 | 0:10:24 | |
to get the city's 3,500 vacant homes lived in again. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
I love getting hold of the owners, getting in contact with them and saying, "OK, this is the impact you | 0:10:27 | 0:10:32 | |
"are having on the community, what do you want to do with the property?" | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
and then finding a solution that meets their needs as well as meets the community's needs. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:40 | |
Today Zainul is responding to a call about a property that's been reportedly empty | 0:10:40 | 0:10:45 | |
for two years and has become a thorn in the side of the local community. | 0:10:45 | 0:10:49 | |
She makes a few rudimentary checks for signs of abandonment. | 0:10:49 | 0:10:52 | |
I can't see if there's an accumulation of mail. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:55 | |
Normally that's a telltale sign. | 0:10:55 | 0:10:57 | |
Because the glass is obscure, obviously we can't look through there. | 0:10:57 | 0:11:01 | |
I'm just going to have a look through. | 0:11:01 | 0:11:03 | |
Ah, curtains are closed, so we can't tell if it's furnished any longer by looking through there, | 0:11:03 | 0:11:09 | |
but generally it's not a bad property and it wouldn't take a lot to bring it back into use, | 0:11:09 | 0:11:14 | |
so it's important that the owner sits down with us and talks to us | 0:11:14 | 0:11:19 | |
and tells us actually what their plans are, why it's empty. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
Frustrated, Zainul needs to make further enquiries with the neighbours, | 0:11:22 | 0:11:26 | |
but just as she's leaving another neighbouring house catches her eye. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:31 | |
Hasn't been reported to us, but I would think it's an empty property as well. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:36 | |
With no response at the house, she takes photos for reference, | 0:11:36 | 0:11:40 | |
and where she thought she had one property to investigate she now has two. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:44 | |
-Hello. -Hi, I'm Zainul Pirmohamed from Stoke-on-Trent City Council. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
I'm here to investigate a complaint about an empty property just along from you. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:56 | |
-Do you know how long it's been empty? -It's been empty for about 18 months. | 0:11:56 | 0:12:01 | |
Do you see anybody visiting the property? | 0:12:01 | 0:12:04 | |
No, not since they moved out. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:06 | |
Have there been any problems at the property? | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
We've had the police to the property, the property has been boarded up, | 0:12:09 | 0:12:13 | |
-both the door and the windows and that was like that for absolutely months and months. -Really? | 0:12:13 | 0:12:19 | |
Garden overgrown. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:21 | |
You mention the garden, and that looks quite as if it's been maintained by somebody. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:26 | |
It's been maintained by the neighbours. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:28 | |
-So they are the ones keeping the lawn tidy. -Yeah, they were keeping the garden tidy. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:32 | |
Right. OK. I'm only here for one property, but I've noticed the one next door looks quite bad. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:37 | |
Yes, the one next door has been empty for at least three years now. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
Well, they've bought it and have been in the process of building. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:45 | |
-But it's a long time. -Yeah. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:47 | |
It just brings your property down, you know. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:50 | |
To be honest, if I came along to look at a property | 0:12:50 | 0:12:53 | |
and I saw those I'd think, you know, what sort of street is this? | 0:12:53 | 0:12:56 | |
It does look a mess, and although I've had a complaint | 0:12:56 | 0:12:59 | |
about the other one, I will get hold of the owners. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
-I will write to the owners of the other one as well. I want to know what the plans are. -Yeah. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:06 | |
-Thank you very much. -You are welcome. | 0:13:06 | 0:13:08 | |
I'll be back within the next three months to give you a quick update and let you know. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:12 | |
-That would be brilliant. -Thank you. Thanks for your time. Take care. | 0:13:12 | 0:13:16 | |
I'll do some searches, write to both owners, invite them in for meetings, find out why they are keeping them | 0:13:17 | 0:13:23 | |
empty, what the plans are, what the obstacles are, and then come up with some solutions. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:28 | |
What is clear is it's a lovely community here, | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
there's lots of people who have got pride in their homes, | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
and clearly, if the properties were put up for sale, | 0:13:34 | 0:13:37 | |
if they were put for let, I can imagine they would be in demand. | 0:13:37 | 0:13:40 | |
While Zainul is still trying to trace the owners of the first house, | 0:13:40 | 0:13:44 | |
she's since discovered the other house wasn't empty and building work has now restarted. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:49 | |
If you're thinking of renovating a tired old home, going down the green route | 0:13:53 | 0:13:57 | |
can have more benefits than just being kind to the planet. | 0:13:57 | 0:14:00 | |
There are grants available for many eco-friendly projects and some schemes, like solar heating, | 0:14:00 | 0:14:04 | |
can allow you to sell back any excess energy you generate to the National Grid. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:09 | |
Heather and David Hall are looking for a lifestyle change. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:14 | |
In search of the good life, | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
they want to find an empty property to turn into an eco-friendly home. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
-The condition is perfect... -Yeah. -..because we can do whatever we want really. -Whatever we want to. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:25 | |
Although they're very passionate about all things renewable, | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
they've never tackled a possible renovation project like this before. | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
So I'm introducing them to a couple of home renovators who have the eco know-how | 0:14:32 | 0:14:37 | |
in the hope their advice will be invaluable. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:40 | |
Covered in scaffolding, building very much in progress. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:44 | |
-What do you think of that? -It's hard to say, isn't it, really? | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
-It looks like an average semi. -Well, that's exactly what it is. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:50 | |
-I think very much the sort of thing you're prepared to take on. -Yeah. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:54 | |
But, of course, this one has the added bonus that within the conversion, at the heart of it, | 0:14:54 | 0:14:59 | |
are some fantastic green credentials which I think are very much the sort of thing that you'd... | 0:14:59 | 0:15:05 | |
-That we're looking for. -..want to do. | 0:15:05 | 0:15:07 | |
When Felicity and Carl Wallendes were looking to buy a property | 0:15:07 | 0:15:11 | |
in Headington, Oxford, back in 2009, | 0:15:11 | 0:15:14 | |
this vacant 1930s semi fitted the bill perfectly. | 0:15:14 | 0:15:17 | |
Although they'd never done a large renovation before, | 0:15:17 | 0:15:20 | |
the opportunities the house presented were too good to ignore. | 0:15:20 | 0:15:23 | |
It was clear that it did need quite a lot doing anyway. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
It needed complete re-wiring for a start, and re-plumbing, | 0:15:26 | 0:15:29 | |
and so we thought, as we've got to do quite a lot of work anyway, | 0:15:29 | 0:15:33 | |
why not do this eco-renovation at the same time? | 0:15:33 | 0:15:36 | |
Carl and Felicity were determined to include as many eco aspects into their redesign as possible. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:42 | |
For us it's important to do what we feel is right | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
and that's why we looked for an architect who'd be able to advise us | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
because we've got the opportunity to find out as much as we can about possible eco renovation | 0:15:48 | 0:15:54 | |
and do it now, while the house is a building site. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:56 | |
'What we'll end up with, we hope, is pretty much a zero-carbon house.' | 0:15:56 | 0:16:02 | |
These are the two responsible, this is Carl, this is Felicity. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:05 | |
Now then, the exciting thing about this is that you've really set about | 0:16:05 | 0:16:09 | |
making this a very environmentally friendly build, haven't you? | 0:16:09 | 0:16:12 | |
Can we explore a bit further and see what it is you're putting in, | 0:16:12 | 0:16:15 | |
cos I think this is going to be interesting for you. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:17 | |
-This is your new extension, isn't it, through here? -Yeah. Yeah. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:21 | |
-Then you've got this thing. -Yeah, this is... -This is very exciting. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:25 | |
This is an air-source heat pump, the part that will sit outside. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
-That's large, isn't it? -It is. | 0:16:28 | 0:16:31 | |
-So that's the bit that draws heat from the outside air... -Yeah. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
..and uses that, and that will supply | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
all our space heating and hot water. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:39 | |
On average we'll get four kilowatts of heat for every kilowatt of electricity it uses. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:45 | |
-Because it's essentially working like a fridge in reverse. -Yeah. | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
Taking the ambient air temperature, turning that around and giving you, what, 50, 60 degrees? | 0:16:48 | 0:16:53 | |
-Yeah, for the hot water. -Yeah. -A bit lower for the under-floor heating. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
What made you choose air-source over other types of renewable energy? | 0:16:57 | 0:17:02 | |
Well, it was our architect who put us onto the idea. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:06 | |
He recommended it. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:08 | |
Solar, it's fine in the summer, but you don't get much in the winter, | 0:17:08 | 0:17:13 | |
whereas this will work down to something like minus ten degrees. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:17 | |
And, as for insulating the rest of the house, I can see all that stuff | 0:17:17 | 0:17:22 | |
-stacked up behind you there, Carl. -That's an important part of it. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
We couldn't really have this without decent insulation. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
The first thing I would say for anybody who wants to do | 0:17:29 | 0:17:32 | |
any sort of eco renovation is insulate as well as you can. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
-Do that before you start tinkering with expensive sources of generation. -Yeah. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:41 | |
'While Carl and Felicity have minimised their carbon footprint, they've made sure | 0:17:41 | 0:17:45 | |
'they've maximised the potential in this previously empty house.' | 0:17:45 | 0:17:48 | |
It's hard to tell underneath the scaffolding, but what's going to happen up here? | 0:17:48 | 0:17:53 | |
At the top is the loft extension, so we've a loft room with en-suite. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:58 | |
Was there one there originally? I can see the neighbours have done it. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:01 | |
No, this house didn't have one, | 0:18:01 | 0:18:03 | |
so we thought it's great to have the extra space, so while we're doing all this let's put one in. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:08 | |
The planners couldn't say no if they've allowed it either side. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
-There's no problem with that. -No, no problem with planning for that. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:14 | |
I'm hoping that the pair of you are feeling quite inspired by this, | 0:18:14 | 0:18:17 | |
because this is a very manageable build in a very manageable building. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:20 | |
Exactly the sort of thing I'd hope you would think of taking on. How do you feel now, Heather? | 0:18:20 | 0:18:25 | |
There are elements of what you're doing that we would try to replicate. | 0:18:25 | 0:18:29 | |
It's all about choices, isn't it, and weighing out what's best for you | 0:18:29 | 0:18:33 | |
and what gives you the most efficiency and what you can afford. | 0:18:33 | 0:18:37 | |
-Mm. -But...I mean, it's just amazing. | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
I think you should all go up and have a good explore upstairs, | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
-have a closer look at these extensions and so forth, and I'll catch up with you all later. -OK. -OK. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:49 | |
'I do think this has been well worth showing to Dave and Heather.' | 0:18:49 | 0:18:53 | |
It's answered, I hope, one or two questions and inspired them as to the fact that you can | 0:18:53 | 0:18:58 | |
comfortably retrofit some of the very latest technology to an existing building, | 0:18:58 | 0:19:03 | |
and when this one is finished it's going to be a very efficient and very beautiful family home. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:08 | |
Later I'll be taking them to see an award-winning project | 0:19:08 | 0:19:12 | |
where green intentions are at the very heart of the design. | 0:19:12 | 0:19:15 | |
First, back in Stoke-on-Trent, | 0:19:17 | 0:19:19 | |
empty property officer Zainul Pirmohamed is following up a recent letter to an absent homeowner | 0:19:19 | 0:19:24 | |
whose garden had become a magnet for local fly tipping. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:27 | |
I wrote to the owner and the owner did go to visit the property | 0:19:27 | 0:19:31 | |
following receipt of my letter, and... | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
were quite alarmed to see the state of the property externally. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:40 | |
Following that, they tidied the property up, or that's what they have told me. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:45 | |
I'm hoping when I get there that the property's been tidied up and is now neat. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
It looks like the front's been tidied up, so somebody has definitely | 0:19:49 | 0:19:53 | |
been out to this property since we've written to the owner, | 0:19:53 | 0:19:57 | |
so the owners seem to have done what they've informed us they have. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:02 | |
Zainul checks to see if anyone is living there. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:05 | |
Well, the property has got a lot of belongings in | 0:20:05 | 0:20:09 | |
but it looks like it's storage, it's being used as a storage area. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:14 | |
There's belongings but not set out as if it's somebody's home. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:19 | |
Satisfied with the front of the building, she checks the back to see if it's just as tidy. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:24 | |
The trick is finding the right property. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:27 | |
It's this one. | 0:20:27 | 0:20:28 | |
Well, if there were any weeds and trees, they've all gone. | 0:20:31 | 0:20:35 | |
There's nothing there now, it's just a clean yard. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:39 | |
It's all been cleaned up, | 0:20:39 | 0:20:41 | |
as they said they would do. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:42 | |
It's a job well done, but Zainul won't close the book on this house | 0:20:42 | 0:20:47 | |
until she can ensure it becomes someone's home once more. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
It's important that they work with us to bring it back into use. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:53 | |
There is a housing shortage, and in this case the owner's said | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
that perhaps my letter, my conversation with him, | 0:20:57 | 0:20:59 | |
is the kick-start they needed to start something with the property. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:03 | |
And I've given them a few weeks to really make that decision before we sit round the table. | 0:21:03 | 0:21:08 | |
Heather and David Hall want to downsize and fulfil their passion | 0:21:13 | 0:21:17 | |
of finding a vacant house where they can create their eco-chic dream. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:21 | |
They've seen a '70s pad with potential. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:24 | |
I think you still can put solar panels on that roof. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:27 | |
And met some renovators in the midst of their build who've armed them with some invaluable advice. | 0:21:27 | 0:21:32 | |
Now I want them to see a finished renovation that is inspirational. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:36 | |
It's the complete green package, if you like, applied to the sort of property | 0:21:36 | 0:21:42 | |
that you will readily find on the market as an empty home. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:46 | |
This one. And the lady we're going to meet has done it all on her own. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:50 | |
-Wow. -And she's nearly 80. -Wow. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:52 | |
After the death of her husband, Averil Stedeford sold her house | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
and bought a 1950s semi to convert into her ideal home. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:02 | |
My vision was that I wanted it to be as green as it possibly could be | 0:22:02 | 0:22:08 | |
in every respect, | 0:22:08 | 0:22:09 | |
so I found an architect who knew how to make the vision into reality. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:16 | |
It's been a labour of love. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:18 | |
The project has earned her awards | 0:22:18 | 0:22:20 | |
and amongst Oxford locals the nickname the Green Granny. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
It was very important for me because I care about the environment | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
and I don't want to go on demonstrations or sign lots of petitions | 0:22:27 | 0:22:31 | |
but I've done something | 0:22:31 | 0:22:33 | |
really big that very few people have done and that lots of people admire, | 0:22:33 | 0:22:37 | |
and come to look at, and some people decide they'd like to do the same, and those were my aims. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:44 | |
'One of the main parts of the refurbishment was a ground-floor extension | 0:22:44 | 0:22:49 | |
'that Averil wanted to be as ecologically friendly as possible. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:53 | |
'It's made with sustainable products including fleece to insulate it | 0:22:53 | 0:22:57 | |
'and cedar wood to clad it.' | 0:22:57 | 0:22:59 | |
One of the things I love about your concept from the outset, Averil, | 0:22:59 | 0:23:03 | |
is that you've not just gone for green solutions but they are all from sustainable sources. | 0:23:03 | 0:23:08 | |
-That's right. -It sounds obvious but it doesn't always work out, does it? | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
No. You have to weigh it up, and I discussed the cedar with the architect for that reason | 0:23:11 | 0:23:18 | |
and I've spoken to a Canadian about it too, who says we've got so much it would roof the whole world! | 0:23:18 | 0:23:23 | |
-Really? -So don't worry about it. -So you're not doing any damage. Right. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:27 | |
But it's very important to take into account | 0:23:27 | 0:23:29 | |
not just how much your energy change is going to be afterwards | 0:23:29 | 0:23:33 | |
but how much energy is embodied in the building that you've put up. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:37 | |
'Another big feature Averil included in her renovation | 0:23:37 | 0:23:41 | |
'was an underground water tank that she uses to collect rainwater.' | 0:23:41 | 0:23:44 | |
That's the filter, and the water rink is way down there. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:48 | |
-What do you use it for primarily? -It flushes the toilets and serves the washing machine and the outside tap. | 0:23:48 | 0:23:54 | |
But it's one of those things that's pretty achievable | 0:23:54 | 0:23:56 | |
-compared to the big cost of things like ground-source heat pumps. -Yeah. | 0:23:56 | 0:24:00 | |
These are things that most of us could retrofit to our houses. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:04 | |
'Averil has also put solar panels on the roof of her house. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
'These not only provide hot water but also heat the underfloor heating system in the extension.' | 0:24:08 | 0:24:13 | |
If you want to heat a big room and you've got a little radiator, it has to be very hot. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:18 | |
If your radiator's the whole floor, it doesn't have to be very hot at all, | 0:24:18 | 0:24:22 | |
so even in the winter, when the solar panels are giving me water of no more than 40, | 0:24:22 | 0:24:27 | |
it's plenty to heat this. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:29 | |
Now, after all this investment and all this time, | 0:24:29 | 0:24:32 | |
what difference has it made to the running of this house, its carbon footprint if you like? | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
-Well, the estimate is that I've reduced my carbon emissions by just about 60%. -Wow. -That's amazing. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:42 | |
Which is very pleasing. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
And has that made a big difference to your outgoings? | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
It has made a significant difference to the fuel bills, yes. Yes. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:52 | |
It was really funny when the meter reader came. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:55 | |
He backed out of the cupboard and said, "You don't use much." | 0:24:55 | 0:25:01 | |
-I valued his opinion because he knows what's average for this neighbourhood. -Yeah. | 0:25:01 | 0:25:05 | |
-Yeah. -But that's interesting. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:06 | |
-Not only have you reduced your emissions by 60% but you've also got away with an extension. -Yes. | 0:25:06 | 0:25:11 | |
And I think that's a really useful thing for you to take away, Heather. | 0:25:11 | 0:25:15 | |
You know, don't be restricted by the property that you buy, | 0:25:15 | 0:25:19 | |
do think big if you need to, you can expand it without making a sizable impact on the environment, | 0:25:19 | 0:25:24 | |
-and you're going to create something which is going to run very efficiently as well. -Yeah. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:29 | |
So if David and Heather are able to achieve half as much as Averil | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
in the house they finally buy, I think they'll have done really well. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:36 | |
So, now then, that's it. | 0:25:36 | 0:25:38 | |
What are the key things that you'll take away from it, Heather? | 0:25:38 | 0:25:41 | |
Um... Well, I loved Averil's house, I loved the extension, | 0:25:41 | 0:25:47 | |
and that's really reassured me actually because I was very concerned about extending unnecessarily. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
Averil's house, the carbon footprint was still very low, | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
even though she had imported materials from Canada and Sweden and Denmark. | 0:25:56 | 0:26:01 | |
And how about you, David? We've seen some of the very latest technologies employed in both houses. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:07 | |
What are you going to take away with you? | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
I think it's going to make us think hard about the heating and hot water side of it. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:15 | |
I thought Averil's...her set up seems spot on to me, what she had. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:19 | |
-So it's been useful. -Very. -Very useful. Thank you. -Very useful. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
And in turn has that boosted your sense of confidence about taking on a major renovation in a green way? | 0:26:22 | 0:26:29 | |
Without a doubt. | 0:26:29 | 0:26:30 | |
You know, I'm even more fired up, I want to do it even more. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
I can't wait! | 0:26:33 | 0:26:35 | |
Well, as we've seen, taking on old buildings is all about passion. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:40 | |
Passion for architecture, a passion for design and in Dave and Heather's case a passion for the planet. | 0:26:40 | 0:26:46 | |
We've given them some, I think, very interesting green options | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
and now they're in a position to really pick and choose | 0:26:49 | 0:26:52 | |
which ecological solutions are going to work best for them and the property they end up with. | 0:26:52 | 0:26:56 | |
And as for Heather, well, she said she can't wait to get started. | 0:26:56 | 0:27:00 | |
Good luck, Dave. | 0:27:00 | 0:27:02 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:27:24 | 0:27:26 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:27:26 | 0:27:27 |