0:00:02 > 0:00:04There are nearly a million homes lying abandoned in the UK,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08just waiting for someone to breathe life back into them.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Whether it's a tired semi or a rambling mansion, we're on the search for Britain's Empty Homes.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26All across the country, properties are lying empty
0:00:26 > 0:00:28with no-one to call them home.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32But it doesn't have to be that way. And we are going to show you how.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36'I'll be taking a couple of first-time buyers
0:00:36 > 0:00:40'around two vacant houses in the hope of finding them the perfect family home.'
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's looking good so far,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and I'm just starting to picture knocking walls down.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51We're finding out why some of these places are lying empty and meet the
0:00:51 > 0:00:54people on a mission to change all that.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57This probably wins the prize for being the worst I've been in.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03And we'll be showing how once neglected houses have been turned into stunning homes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Now, the idea of taking on an empty property, in fairness,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09may not immediately appeal, but they are worth considering,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11because you can get a lot more for your money
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and it can be a fantastically rewarding experience.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Mike and Helen Turner have lived in several rental properties
0:01:19 > 0:01:21since they met 20 years ago.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24They're currently living in Sussex with their three daughters -
0:01:24 > 0:01:2915-year-old Alice, 12-year-old Nancy and six-year-old Phoebe.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Although they love the area, Mike and Helen can't wait
0:01:33 > 0:01:36to finally buy a house they can truly call their own.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Because we've been renting for a number of years,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42we have had the letter come through the door where, with no notice,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45we've got to vacate the property within four to six weeks.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48And being a mother and having three children, that gives us
0:01:48 > 0:01:53no security whatsoever and I want to do away with that once and for all.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58Empty properties are often in need of some serious renovation, so is Mike up for the challenge?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Certainly I'm happy to start from scratch.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05If it's a property that needs a lot of work, that's fine.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08It really depends - each property on its own merit.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14The two oldest girls are also keen to put their mark on a home of their own.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Yeah, I'm looking forward to changing it so it suits me and making it my own place.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21We want to paint it and have furniture to actually fit it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25But the girls better be prepared to get their hands dirty.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27We are, between us, very creative.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I think we'd really embrace the opportunity, and the girls
0:02:31 > 0:02:34are usually in agreement with what we think and what we want to do.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38They do a good job. They are very handy with a paintbrush.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Helen and Mike run a successful business from home,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43teaching music to pre-school kids.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47That, plus three kids of their own, means they need a lot of space.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50They've got a budget of £500,000,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but in an expensive area like Sussex, that won't go far.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So a cheaper house in need of renovation could be perfect.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Helen and Mike, very nice to see you down here.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Quite an interesting endeavour that you're undertaking.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05What are we looking for?
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Ideally for us, our dream would be somewhere on the edge of a village
0:03:09 > 0:03:12or more rural than that, that would be fantastic.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16We're looking for a four-bedroom house and some good living space downstairs.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21We do both actually need a good size office because we do work from home.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It's interesting that you are buying for the first time.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Quite unusual, I'd say, for a couple like you with such an established family.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31When Helen and I first got together,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34we rented a house and we fell in love with the place we were in and
0:03:34 > 0:03:38we fell in love with the village, and the whole sort of country thing.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41More recently, we've decided that we want
0:03:41 > 0:03:44to have a property that we can call our own and put our own stamp on it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47That's the joy of an empty property - you can get a lot
0:03:47 > 0:03:52more for your money and you do, of course, end up making it your own.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So the Turners are looking for a minimum of four bedrooms.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Lots of downstairs space, including ample office space for them both.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And the more rural, the better.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Even with £500,000 to spend,
0:04:04 > 0:04:10Helen and Mike would be hard pushed to find a newly renovated house that fits their bill.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17So, first up, we're at a vacant home right in the heart of the historical
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Sussex village of Robertsbridge.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21This cottage was originally a two-up,
0:04:21 > 0:04:26two-down Victorian house which was extended around 20 years ago.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The village location isn't quite as rural as they wanted,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33but it does tick all of Helen and Mike's other boxes.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36There are two bedrooms on the ground floor,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38as well as two bedrooms
0:04:38 > 0:04:42upstairs and a separate outbuilding that could be used as office space.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And, better still, there is heaps of potential to extend further,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49with planning permission already in place.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52No one has been living here for eight months now, and it's
0:04:52 > 0:04:56on the market for £430,000, so it's well within budget.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59But will its potential win over our first-time buyers?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Now then. What do you think?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I like the character.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11The fact that it's not just a square box of a room.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15As you can see, this is essentially the Victorian heart of the building.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18And that wall, in history, has been pushed out
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and the whole thing extended again
0:05:20 > 0:05:23to give you that area with a fireplace and so on and so forth.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28But there is that stud wall in between that and the kitchen.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30So, imagine the wall going.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33That would be great, wouldn't it?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Well, one of the things we talked about was this whole idea
0:05:36 > 0:05:39of having an open space, where we have a space
0:05:39 > 0:05:42while we are cooking and eating, and the kids are all in one room.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Let's explore the kitchen, because you'll get an idea of how it's going to work.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49There is currently a little downstairs WC in there,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52but the whole thing could be really opened up.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I think that's the sort of thing we would want to do
0:05:55 > 0:05:58straight away, really, is to start knocking it about.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I love your face, Mike. You can't wait to get into this, can you?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03No, it's looking good so far,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and I'm just starting to picture knocking walls down.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Let's go through there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'The original Victorian part of the house also has a dining room,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16'which leads on to the start of the more recent extension.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21'And now to those two downstairs bedrooms.'
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Yes, it's not really ideal.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I really would like them all on one level upstairs.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28We will have a fight, I think.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31About having to go through one bedroom into the next.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34That's the problem. That's the only access to this room here.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37So in terms of what it offers you
0:06:37 > 0:06:42potentially, is another big living room, if this wall here
0:06:42 > 0:06:45were to go. Now, two bedrooms are upstairs.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49However, you could potentially put it all on one level.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51That's quite a big bit of work.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56But it would free up all of this for whatever you want it to be.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Well, I think that would be ideal.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02That would make sense, it really would. And this can be quite a big family area.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04It would make a great family room.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10After a whistle-stop tour of the two upstairs bedrooms and family
0:07:10 > 0:07:16bathroom, we are off to see another great selling point of this house, the outbuilding.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21This separate structure houses a double garage, flexible downstairs
0:07:21 > 0:07:23space, and a 24 ft studio room
0:07:23 > 0:07:27that could make an ideal office for Mike and Helen.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28- OK, Helen.- Wow!
0:07:28 > 0:07:31God!
0:07:31 > 0:07:32That's amazing.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Well, I think this is our eldest daughter's house.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39But what about you, as a kind of workshop in which to work?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- To have people round to do your courses?- It would be fabulous.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I've never had my own area for my music classes.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- This would be fantastic. - Yes, easily doable.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Especially the big windows. - This ticks lots of boxes.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- It gives us office space, storage space.- It's fabulous. It's great.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57We like this.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01They are already approved plans to build on top of the current extension.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04This would give Mike and Helen the four upstairs bedrooms they're
0:08:04 > 0:08:10looking for, leaving them with a very large downstairs space to arrange however they want.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15A four-bedroom renovated house in the same area could cost up to £600,000.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19So we asked a local builder to give us an estimate for the proposed work
0:08:19 > 0:08:24and see how much Mike and Helen could save by choosing a home lying empty.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27And don't forget, whenever you're buying a house,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30it's always advisable to have a survey done
0:08:30 > 0:08:32to find out if there are any hidden problems.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37So, cost wise, that's going to be the rub, isn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:42Bearing in mind, £430,000 to buy it and you have £500,000 to spend.
0:08:42 > 0:08:48Coincidentally, a very basic job on getting the structure as proposed in the plans - £70,000.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- So that comes in... - That is bang on your 500 grand.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I thought you were going to say more, actually.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And I think you'd end up with a property that you would easily resell if you needed to.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Yes, I think it makes it a lot more attractive as a property, certainly.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05These days, we don't tend to talk in terms of investment.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08We tend to talk in terms of "can we move it on?"
0:09:08 > 0:09:12We're not looking at it as an investment, we're looking at it as a family home.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17And the difference that these plans made and the fact they're already approved,
0:09:17 > 0:09:23makes it substantially better than it is currently in the state it's in.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I'm glad Mike and Helen seem keen on this house,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30in spite of all the work it would take to make it their dream home.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It may seem like a huge mountain to climb, but restoring an old house
0:09:34 > 0:09:37can be incredibly rewarding and cost-effective.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41As we'll see from this north London home.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Just a few years ago, this double-fronted
0:09:44 > 0:09:48three-storey Victorian villa housed 11 dilapidated bedsits.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52They were in desperate need of care and attention.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54But in spite of its poor state, its owner knew
0:09:54 > 0:09:58the house was for her as soon as she walked through the door.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01He just showed me two rooms, basically, but I could tell
0:10:01 > 0:10:03it was an amazing house just from that, really.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And we said, "That's all right, that's fine. We'll buy it".
0:10:07 > 0:10:09She'll never forget how she felt
0:10:09 > 0:10:13when this run-down old building finally became her family home.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17When we got the key, we thought, "Let's get on with this and make this how we want it to be."
0:10:17 > 0:10:20So it was very exciting, yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24But as exciting as it was, the project was not all smooth sailing.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26The worst thing was we had a bit of a fire.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It was quite dramatic, just here in the kitchen,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33so that was quite hard because we had to start that corner again.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Now, instead of 11 bedsits,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40she has created a successful and stylish five-bedroom family home.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49And by being brave enough to resuscitate a neglected house,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51she's also reaped the financial benefits.
0:10:51 > 0:10:57She paid 30% less than she would have done if the house had been newly renovated.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59It is the perfect family home now, really.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02It's absolutely perfect. It's a really beautiful house.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04We are all very settled here.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Turning unloved and uninhabitable buildings back into homes again
0:11:14 > 0:11:16benefits more than just the owners.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20As abandoned buildings deteriorate, they become unsafe
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and can spoil the rest of the neighbourhood.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29Luckily, most local authorities have an empty property officer, whose job
0:11:29 > 0:11:33it is to get them lived in again. Sue Lee works for Amber Valley in Derbyshire.
0:11:35 > 0:11:42'I love the fact that what I do has a direct impact on somebody's neighbourhood.'
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Amber Valley covers about 100 square miles, and Sue has approximately
0:11:46 > 0:11:501,000 empty buildings under her watch at any one time.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55I'm off to a property where I've been working with a couple,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59trying to negotiate with the owner to persuade him to sell it to them.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04The house Sue is visiting today has been slowly deteriorating since
0:12:04 > 0:12:09the owner just upped sticks 24 years ago and never came back.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14John and Elaine Burton own a rental home next door to the place in question.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's really been a nightmare, because as we rent the property,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22people are no longer wanting to rent it, because of the state of the property next door.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And also we couldn't possibly sell it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Because, again, who would want to buy a property with a derelict next door?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32As John has lived in the village all his life,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34he knew the owner by sight,
0:12:34 > 0:12:39but because he left without a trace, John had no idea of his whereabouts.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42After spending years trying to find him, in January 2007, Elaine
0:12:42 > 0:12:48got lucky after typing the owner's name into an internet search engine.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50And lo and behold, he came up.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52He lived in Austria.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55She came running down, "I found him, I found him."
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I said, "No, it can't be true".
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Anyway, she printed a photo off, and I said, "That's him".
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Be it 24 years on, that's him.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07And so, the door's opened from there.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10John gave the information to Sue Lee,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and although the process has been a slow one, now, two years on,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18the Burtons have finally taken possession of the house next door.
0:13:18 > 0:13:25I can't praise the council enough for helping to get this thing sorted out. We've got three parties happy.
0:13:25 > 0:13:32We've got the council people happy, we've got the man who was selling it happy, and ourselves.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Sue has joined John on site today for an inspection.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Well, I must say, this probably wins the prize for being the worst I've been in.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Internally.- Damp, it's beginning to crack open.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52It wouldn't be long before it started caving in.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56The next step is for John to submit his plans to the council planning department.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00And providing they are approved, this little cottage will finally
0:14:00 > 0:14:01be given a new lease of life.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09I'm only glad we were able to help negotiate with the previous owner for you.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11But until the house is finished,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Sue will be keeping her watchful eye on it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I'm really hoping that things are going to move forward now.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22Obviously, what we don't want is for it now to sit with another owner remaining empty.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I don't think John would have pursued this if he weren't really interested
0:14:26 > 0:14:31in doing something with this property. I'm just really keen to see what's going to happen.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39So, if you think you've spotted an empty property lying unloved
0:14:39 > 0:14:43and abandoned near you, why not call your local property officer who can investigate further?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52After renting for 20 years in Sussex,
0:14:52 > 0:14:57Helen and Mike have decided it's high time to have a family house they can call their own.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01They're after four bedrooms in rural Sussex,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05with lots of downstairs space, including an office.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Our first time buyers have got £500,000 to spend
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and I think an empty home is their best bet
0:15:10 > 0:15:13for finding the space they need within budget.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20They really like the first house I show them, priced at £430,000.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Spend an extra 70,000 to give them the space they are looking for,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26but this could add up to £170,000 to its value.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Well, this ticks lots of boxes.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31It gives as office space, gives us storage space.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Now, I want to show Mike and Helen another home
0:15:38 > 0:15:41that's just waiting for new, loving owners.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44No one has lived in this place for over a year now.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49It's a Victorian gatehouse, set in gardens of approximately three-quarters of an acre,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52which gives it the rural setting on Helen and Mike's wish-list.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57This quirky building is currently much smaller than Helen and Mike are looking for with only three bedrooms
0:15:57 > 0:16:02and limited ground floor space, but the big plus is that the very
0:16:02 > 0:16:05large plot means there is loads of potential to extend.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12The downside of being a gatehouse, of course - it's by the road.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Which we can hear there.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18That is, of course, however, reflected in the price.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It is currently on the market at £325,000.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27So £175,000 under your proposed maximum spend. What do you reckon?
0:16:27 > 0:16:33First impressions, if you were to knock the back end off here and maybe try and mirror what is on
0:16:33 > 0:16:37the other side, it starts to make it look more attractive.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39What's interesting about this is that it's not listed.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Right.- So the sky's the limit.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Let's see our imagination go wild.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Well, why not?- Come and have a look inside, because it's unbelievable.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Great.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55The whole interior of this unique house is in need of modernisation,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but our first stop is the triple-aspect sitting room.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00What can I tell you about this?
0:17:00 > 0:17:051840, classic mid-Victorian, really.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10As a result, it was built to kind of show off the estate to which it was attached.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's all tall ceilings, as you would have expected at the time,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16big windows looking out onto the drive.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18So that the guys living here could keep an eye
0:17:18 > 0:17:21on what was happening, who was coming and going and so forth.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26But traditionally they would have been quite small families, so it's not a massive building.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It's light and airy.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32As you say, lots of windows so lots of light coming in!
0:17:32 > 0:17:34That's about the best you can say about it.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I can't see how you'd open the windows.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38The only escape I can offer you is that,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41for what its asking price is - 325 -
0:17:41 > 0:17:46you have 175 grand to play with, so let's get creative. Let's see
0:17:46 > 0:17:48what we can do.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Here on the ground floor are two bedrooms.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56There's also a bathroom with a separate loo and a small kitchen.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Have a think and start teasing out some of the ideas about how we might extend it.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07- How about going that way with the kitchen.- Yeah?- Right out.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It's a lot of building work for this place to make it into a family
0:18:10 > 0:18:13home, but, yeah, think of it going that way.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17There's a little toilet there and a little utility thing, a boot room.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21A door out to the back garden and all that could be opened up.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Down in the basement is a reasonable sized cellar.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And upstairs is a very quirky bedroom three.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37I mean, it goes on, beyond that huge chimney breast which dominates
0:18:37 > 0:18:39the central spine of the building.
0:18:39 > 0:18:47So you've got all these weird angles and gables running off that central axis, hence these crazy roof lines.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49So it's pretty difficult, to be fair, to see
0:18:49 > 0:18:54this space as it currently is being in any way practical.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59So, in many ways, it's about where it is, about the plot that it's in
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and what you do outside.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Now, a four-bedroom place in this area on the same size plot
0:19:07 > 0:19:09would cost in excess of £650,000.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14As this house has so much extension potential, we asked a local
0:19:14 > 0:19:18architect to estimate the cost of making it into a four-bedroom home.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Our architect is saying something in the region of about £150,000,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26which, in the context of the spend on the building at £325,000,
0:19:26 > 0:19:32plus the 175 left over, that is in the right realms of possibility.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It's a lot to take on.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38- Yes.- It is.- Yeah. There are some great things about it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The view is just fantastic.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43But it's spoiled by the road.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48I'm glad you've seen it, because I think it is an interesting comparative example.
0:19:48 > 0:19:55And it just goes to show what you can achieve for 325 in terms of plot size, but it's still within budget.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00So Mike and Helen have seen two very different empty homes,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03but will they be putting in any offers?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Find out later on.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Finding bargain homes that aren't being lived in can take a bit of effort.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16Empty property officer Sue Lee, whose beat takes in Amber Valley in Derbyshire,
0:20:16 > 0:20:21is continuing her mission to turn disused buildings back into homes again.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24There's various reasons why properties are left empty.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26You meet owners from all walks of life.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31Some of them are really amicable and we sort things out straight away with them.
0:20:31 > 0:20:37Others cause me a complete headache, but this one today is quite different.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42We are hopefully here today to try and find a good solution.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46This neglected four-bedroom detached house became run-down
0:20:46 > 0:20:50as its owners were elderly and unable to look after it properly.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53When they passed away, the family decided to sell it to a developer,
0:20:53 > 0:20:58but complications with the sale meant the developer pulled out two years ago.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Since then, it has continued to go downhill,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and has attracted vandals and the neighbours have complained.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11Today, Sue is meeting with an auctioneer to see whether he thinks he can sell it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- So somewhere behind here there is a house.- Mm-hm.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I don't think we'll go that way.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I'm glad I put my old suit on. Invariably, in every auction I do
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I have a property which is totally neglected.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30It might be boarded up, it might be abandoned, gardens overgrown,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32and it is very, very auctionable.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- That's rather nice, isn't it? - It is, yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The good news is that all the issues
0:21:38 > 0:21:41that could have prevented a sale on the house have been resolved.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Planning permission has also been secured to develop it further.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Now that's good, because from an auction point of view, that adds another dimension to the sale.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54So you may get your people who will want to renovate what's here and
0:21:54 > 0:21:58make a fabulous garden out of it, but you'll also get developers and builders who'll say,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02"I'll renovate the house and build something else in the grounds."
0:22:02 > 0:22:05So, is there hope for this empty home?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07It's a lovely old 1930s detached house.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13It's a crying shame it's as it is, but it's going to do really, really well at auction.
0:22:13 > 0:22:20Sue recently had a similar place in the same area sell at auction for £166,000.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23So it looks like this could be another case closed very soon.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I'm really pleased. I think this will be a great solution and I hope the owner thinks so too.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Renovating an empty house is one thing. But when you've bought
0:22:35 > 0:22:40a forgotten building that's barely got a roof, you really do need to use your imagination.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44When Susie Askew bought this derelict outbuilding as part of her
0:22:44 > 0:22:48North Devon farm, she knew she could turn it into something incredible.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It was potentially a very beautiful place.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Looking at the photographs, we must have had an enormous
0:22:54 > 0:22:58amount of vision, but I think we've now achieved it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04As it was just a shell when they bought it, Susie and her husband
0:23:04 > 0:23:09faced a mammoth task trying to turn it into the two-bedroom country cottage they'd imagined.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13The structure was quite difficult, because we had to raise the roof.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15None of the floor levels were straight.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16All the walls had to be redone.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19We were starting with virtually nothing.
0:23:19 > 0:23:2311 years ago, this old barn was worth no more than £20,000.
0:23:23 > 0:23:30Susie spent £100,000 transforming it into a cosy cottage, and now she's almost doubled her money.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's much more satisfying to make good something that is old.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39You've just got to have vision and guts, and go for it. I would do it every time.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49So, if you'd like to buy an empty property, let your local estate agents know exactly what you're
0:23:49 > 0:23:53looking for, and to inform you the moment one comes on to their books.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And if you spy a house near you which you think may be abandoned,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59contact your council's empty property officer.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02If the owner is known to them, they may be willing to
0:24:02 > 0:24:05approach them on your behalf to see if they'd like to sell up.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Back in rural Sussex, I've been showing Mike and Helen some options that could be
0:24:11 > 0:24:13transformed into a family home.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16They want four bedrooms with office space, as they work from home,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and they also want to be in the countryside.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I've shown them two very different properties,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25both with bags of potential to renovate and extend.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29But have I convinced them a home lying empty might be for them?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- How have you found it? - All in all, a very good day,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33and we've really learnt a great deal from it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37If nothing else, we've learnt that you have to take your time
0:24:37 > 0:24:39when you're looking at a property.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Rather than just rushing in and out with an agent,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44because the more that we were at both properties,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46the more inspired we became.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- Let's have a think about the first one.- We did start off saying we
0:24:50 > 0:24:55wanted rural, or on the end of the village, and the garden cottage is in a more central village location.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59But I have to say that, as Mike said, the more time we spent there
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and actually talked about it, it just had so much of what we need.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06And obviously it was great to be able to see the plans
0:25:06 > 0:25:10that have been approved, because then you can actually picture it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And to know it's affordable, that's the interesting thing.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18It's not a black hole. OK, so then we took you to something very different.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23We talk about projects in this game, but, my goodness me, there was a project!
0:25:23 > 0:25:25The old gate house.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29What were your initial thoughts as you walked through the gate with me?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32In a different location, it could have lots of potential.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Yes, the outlook, if you look across the fields,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37the path there, that was lovely.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Pretty, nice and quiet, except for that very busy road.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Yes, a very busy road.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48The girls aren't here, but what do you think they would say if you took them to that first house?
0:25:48 > 0:25:53I think we would certainly have the children wanting to move into the annex!
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I think if they would go outside,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00go in the garden and see all the space, the lovely, pretty garden
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- and the annex, that would just do it for them. They would love it.- Yeah.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08But I'm dying to ask now, the half a million pound question
0:26:08 > 0:26:11of your hard-earned cash - have we inspired you
0:26:11 > 0:26:14to buy an empty property and have we found you the right property?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16You've inspired us enormously.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I think we need to go away and have a really serious think
0:26:19 > 0:26:23about the Robertsbridge house.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26We just have to make sure that this is the right house for us,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31in the right village, and that we could feel comfortable and set down some roots here.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I have to say, it's been a real pleasure showing you around some properties in Sussex.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Just do let us know how you get on.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41We will do. It's been a lovely day. Thank you.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Exploring the potential of empty buildings like the two we have seen today can,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I think, with the right amount of vision, inspire buyers and encourage them
0:26:50 > 0:26:52to take on these unloved properties
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and hopefully turn one of them into their dream home.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:12 > 0:27:15E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk