0:00:02 > 0:00:04Across the United Kingdom, there are nearly a million homes
0:00:04 > 0:00:09lying unloved and unlived in, ready for someone to come along and give them a bright new future.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12So whether it's a tired semi or a rambling mansion,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17we're on a mission to rescue Britain's empty homes.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Empty properties come in all sorts of shapes and sizes,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32but the one thing they all have in common is the potential
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to inspire creatively minded buyers,
0:00:35 > 0:00:40people who can see through dilapidation to create their own dream home...
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Hi, Steve! '..which is just what happened to today's couple,
0:00:44 > 0:00:49'who fell so in love with an old Lincolnshire barn they leapt at the chance to buy it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54'With a big project ahead of them, I'm going to give them the benefit of my renovation experience
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'to advise them as they consider the initial plans for their dream home.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:02I mean, to many people, this is a classic black hole.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05'I'll also be introducing them to other people
0:01:05 > 0:01:08'who've taken on ambitious rebuilds to hear what they've learnt.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The biggest thing we've learnt is to count to ten before you lose it.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15And we'll be joining an empty-property officer,
0:01:15 > 0:01:20whose job is to save vacant buildings and get them occupied again.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Good grief!
0:01:22 > 0:01:24What a mess!
0:01:24 > 0:01:29Sometimes an empty property can just tug at your heartstrings
0:01:29 > 0:01:31and refuses to let you ignore its plight,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34even though the task of rescuing it would mean
0:01:34 > 0:01:37taking a leap into the complete unknown.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And that's exactly what former car salesman Steve Jones,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44wife Tracey and son Luke have done,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48staking everything they own on a derelict barn in rural Lincolnshire.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53When we first saw the barns, it was just literally, "Wow!"
0:01:53 > 0:01:55It was love at first sight. I had to have it.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00The reason we bought the barn was a complete lifestyle change -
0:02:00 > 0:02:03more peaceful, just the semi-rural quietness.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07It's just a nicer environment to bring our son up in.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12They bought the property for £145,000.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It stands in a two-acre plot and comes with full planning permission
0:02:16 > 0:02:20to turn it and the outbuildings into a five-bedroom house.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23And from the bedroom, glass balcony.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26There are also some old plans for conversion,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30which Steve and Tracey are using as a template for their own ideas.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36- But this is all uncharted territory. - We've got no experience in this.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39We've got project managers to help us,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43but a lot of the work's going to have to be done ourselves,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45because of budget constraints.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I've given up my job for hopefully about six months.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54My plans are to be there every day labouring
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and helping out where I can and doing what I can.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Taking on this project is not only a huge financial commitment for the family,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05it also means they have to live in a caravan for as long as it takes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10- Are you going to choose your bedroom?- 'I am terrified.'
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- I mean, nothing's going to go smoothly.- It scares me to death.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18But if I don't do it... It's an opportunity.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20In ten years' time, I'll look back and think I should have done it.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25A project like this is a major challenge for a professional developer,
0:03:25 > 0:03:31let alone a couple with limited experience and a modest budget of £110,000,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35so I want them to be sure they're making the right decisions from the very start.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- Hi, Steve!- Hi, Jules! - Nice to see you.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- Tracey, nice to meet you!- You too.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Well, this is quite something!
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- You've jumped in with both feet here.- Haven't we just!
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Haven't you just! How long were you looking at this place before you bought it?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Honestly? Once.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55JULES LAUGHS
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- Is this a moment of madness, Tracey? - It certainly is, yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Now you've got the fun bit of trying to figure out
0:04:01 > 0:04:03how you're going to turn this into your dream home.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07- Absolutely.- Yes. - So, you've never done it before?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I've done slight renovations - nothing to this scale,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13but I've done a couple of little things up in the past.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15But what can you do?
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- Are you a plasterer, a bricklayer, a plumber, an electrician?- No.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21We've got family. Family and friends.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25I mean, to many people, this is a classic black hole.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29If you're not careful on how you budget and plan this,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32you could find yourselves in a world of trouble.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Yeah.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I'm concerned the conversion could quickly overwhelm them, so I'm eager
0:04:37 > 0:04:42to help them spot potential pitfalls and avoid any costly mistakes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46They plan to spend 90,000 of their budget on stage one of the build.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52- Here you go! So, this is the main entrance.- Oh, my goodness!
0:04:52 > 0:04:57- So this is phase one, then?- This is going to be home for phase one, yes.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01The original idea is all the ground will be open-plan,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04we'll have the kitchen over the back,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07a dining area looking out through the views.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- And you're going to keep it vaulted like that?- Yes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12That's part of the character of the building.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- You know, you do need to see it. - Yes, it's going to be very bright.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20We're going to have lovely white walls, a lovely big wood burner.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25- What are you going to do with the floors? Wooden floors?- Yes. - Good. So, this is phase one.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- Let's have a look at phases two and possibly three. - Yeah, sure.- After you, mate.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- Thank you.- I love it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33This is a lot of work, though.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Steve and Tracey then plan to live in the completed barn
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and remortgage it to finance stage two,
0:05:41 > 0:05:46which is to convert the courtyard of animal shelters into more living accommodation.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50But I think there's a more viable way of doing this from the start.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52You're right to stage it.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57But actually, your £90,000, which is cash, effectively,
0:05:57 > 0:05:58isn't it, at this stage?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I would stretch that out around as much of the building
0:06:01 > 0:06:04as possible while still getting it habitable.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- Right.- There are key points to any staging.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09The first one is to make it dry and waterproof, so it's the roofs
0:06:09 > 0:06:11that need sorting out.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The next thing is going to be damp and floors.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19So we're talking damp courses, concrete, membranes, all that kind of stuff.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Once you've got to there, you're almost in business.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25And actually, if you are talking about something that's going to
0:06:25 > 0:06:27get remortgaged, there's more to remortgage.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30It's more viable. Can you sort of take it all in?
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- It's quite a thing, isn't it? - Yes, it is, but it makes sense.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'Now, whichever way you look at it, this is a big project.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'But for Steve and Tracey.'
0:06:40 > 0:06:42who've never taken on anything at this scale before...
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Well, to be honest, it's monumental.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48But they are sort of at the fun stage, the inventive stage,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52but also the most crucial, because this is the planning stage.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Getting that right is absolutely essential to making this project come together.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00As this could easily get the better of them,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I want them to be aware just how quickly that can happen.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So I'm going to introduce Steve and Tracey to some other
0:07:08 > 0:07:12gung-ho renovators who are grappling with a similar scale of build.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Taking on a complete wreck is a major lifestyle decision,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19so you have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23which is just what Carol and Brian Reece-Dylan braced themselves for
0:07:23 > 0:07:27when they spotted this traditional Snowdonian cottage back in 2008.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31When we saw this place, it was obvious it was what we wanted.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It was a little bit of seclusion, a view of the mountains
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and a house that really hadn't been touched and hadn't been renovated,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and all the things that were here originally
0:07:42 > 0:07:45were nearly all still here. We didn't notice the bad things.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It's only by looking at the photographs that we took
0:07:48 > 0:07:52after we'd gone home we realised what a bad state it was in, really,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and the fact that it's surrounded by reeds meant that it was sopping wet.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Fifty years of abandonment meant that while the cottage had retained
0:07:59 > 0:08:04its charm and original features, it was in desperate need of rescue.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07In parts of the house there was gypsum plasterboard, which clearly
0:08:07 > 0:08:12had just soaked up the damp, and it was just falling off the walls.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14One of the first jobs we had to do was to take out
0:08:14 > 0:08:17all of the cement, render and pointing from outside
0:08:17 > 0:08:22and replace that with lime render and lime pointing.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26I love windows, and I hate bad, awful PVC windows,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29so that was my project with the house, really,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32was trying to get the windows that would suit the house.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35That was a big journey, and eventually we decided
0:08:35 > 0:08:39what we wanted, and we had a joinery company make the windows for us.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46We have had to replace wood panelling because it was rotten,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and we've painted the new wood, but we've left the old wood intact,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54as it was, with the original paintwork on it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I didn't want a new, shiny house, really.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01I quite like the fact that it looks at least a little bit as it was.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04A clever mix of traditional
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and modern renovation has retained the integrity of the cottage
0:09:07 > 0:09:11while giving Carol and Brian a very modern home.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It is a very cosy place to be on a cold, wet winter's day.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Now, if you want to report a property that you think has been abandoned,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29contact your local empty-property officer.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Across the country, these committed teams are on a mission
0:09:33 > 0:09:36to get dilapidated buildings back into use.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41In Cardiff, waging war on its estimated 3,000 vacant homes
0:09:41 > 0:09:43is empty-property officer Steve Reid.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48He's on the front line, dealing with around 1,200 active cases at any one time.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53He's on his way to a house that's been empty for a year
0:09:53 > 0:09:57following the death of its owner, whose attempts to rebuild and remodel the house
0:09:57 > 0:10:01over time have left it structurally unsound and in a terrible mess.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05With family members unable to take the house on in this condition,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08the council have taken responsibility for it
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and now plan to sell it at auction on the family's behalf.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Today, they have to go in and clear it, and they have a big job on their hands.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19He started at the back, working towards the front,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23got halfway through and just left it, basically.
0:10:23 > 0:10:29He seems to have sort of built the new house around the old house.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Once he'd finished a bit, he'd take the original wall away.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36At the front of the house, he's taken away most of the side walls
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and just replaced them with timber hoarding.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The front door is still there,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45but he's bricked up with new brick around it.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Right, so that's one room cleared.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Still a long way to go.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07This back bit of the house is obviously the bit
0:11:07 > 0:11:09that he's actually built himself,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and he was working his way forward.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Everything's mouldy and damp.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It's all going to have to just go straight in the skip.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Steve is on hand to make sure nothing important is thrown away,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but it's a heartbreaking process.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33We try and keep as much of this as we think is relevant.
0:11:33 > 0:11:39It's quite sad, really, because, you know, this is someone's life, really.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44With the house now up for auction, Steve's hoping it'll sell to
0:11:44 > 0:11:46a developer who can turn it into someone's home again.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50There's that little glimmer of hope there now for us as the council
0:11:50 > 0:11:56and for the neighbours that within a year there could be someone
0:11:56 > 0:11:57actually living in there
0:11:57 > 0:12:01and the blight on the neighbourhood will be gone.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Often, buying an empty property is a bit like unwrapping a gift.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14You're never quite sure what you're going to get.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Any renovation can reveal a whole host of surprises,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21so it's as well to get as much advice and support as you can before you start.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Now, key to it is a good and reliable builder.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Often, the best way to find them is word of mouth,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31but you can also check with trade bodies, like the Federation of Master Builders.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And if in doubt, ask around and get some references.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Steve and Tracey Jones are on the verge of taking on
0:12:38 > 0:12:40one of the biggest challenges of their lives.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43On the spur of the moment,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45they bought a dilapidated barn in Lincolnshire
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- and staked their all on turning it into a dream home. - Cow sheds!
0:12:49 > 0:12:52With a hands-on approach but little renovation experience
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and a tight budget, they need to know their limitations
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and learn how to proceed with caution.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So I'm going to introduce them to a couple of novice home restorers
0:13:01 > 0:13:04who, like them, have jumped in at the deep end
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and have found themselves up to their necks in bricks and rubble.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13Right, guys. Well, now we are going to show you a renovation that is very much in progress
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and I think has some real parallels to what you are letting yourselves in for.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25When Carolyn and her partner Pete first saw their 150-year-old farmhouse,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29it was in a bad state, having been empty for two years.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32When we looked inside we were a bit horrified at
0:13:32 > 0:13:35how bad it actually was, but it had potential, so it was...
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Even if the floors had collapsed.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40They bought the building for £120,000,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43planning to do all the work themselves.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We saw the potential to make something
0:13:46 > 0:13:53that looked really quite nasty and uncared-for quite fabulous.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Pete and Carolyn had never done a renovation before,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and soon discovered that it's not until work starts on a house
0:13:59 > 0:14:03that it can reveal its not-so-welcome structural secrets.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09Since we started the project about two months ago, everything seems to have been a disaster.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We were quite close to...
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Giving up. - That's about the closest we have ever come to splitting up, isn't it?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Right, come and meet the two people at the centre of this chaos.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25- Hi. Hi, I'm Tracey. - Hello, Pete, I'm Steve. Hi, Carolyn.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So, what do you think, then?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31This is a building site. This is great.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35You've clearly knocked something down here, what was here before?
0:14:35 > 0:14:41Some old outbuildings here, which all the floors had subsided, so we had to knock them all down.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I think what's interesting about this build is it's structurally
0:14:44 > 0:14:47very similar in some respects to what these guys are looking at.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- And what experience have you got at doing this?- None.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You see, you're in very good company here, Steve.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57That's why we brought you here.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01And into the dining room.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This is the dining room, or will be the dining room.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07You've gone down to the bones. You have dug up all the floors here.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12I mean, you've got a long way to go, damp course has got to go in, concrete.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16There was an original wooden floor in here, but all the joists had collapsed.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21And when we took it up there was a four-foot gap underneath here.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Were you aware of any structural issues when you bought it?
0:15:24 > 0:15:29We knew there'd be some problems with it, just through the age of the building,
0:15:29 > 0:15:34but we didn't expect quite as many sort of problems once we started taking plaster off.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It has been very stressful.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40I think the biggest thing we've learned is to count to ten before you lose it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44OK. So this going to be your main living area?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48This is going to be the lounge. It's not too bad.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52A few little problems with damp on the inner walls and another one of the fireplaces
0:15:52 > 0:15:56which actually all collapsed when we took the old one out.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02There must be some moments when you just thought, "Why did we bother?"
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Yeah, but I think we go back to our initial vision of what we can achieve,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09what the end result is, what the end goal is.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- What are you thinking? - I'm just thinking...
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- Are you feeling daunted? - I am, extremely, yeah.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- But it's not putting you off, but it's perhaps, maybe, bringing it home a bit?- Yes. Yeah.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26'To show Steve and Tracey how a caravan on a building site can be made cosy,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30'they get a quick tour of the place Pete and Carolyn currently call home.'
0:16:30 > 0:16:32And here's the mini palace.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37Oh, wow! This is lovely.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41You know, we often say that renovation is not for the faint-hearted,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and this one is an absolute classic.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Pete and Carolyn are living on site, surrounded, as you can see,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50by rubble and mess, but they are determined to see it through
0:16:50 > 0:16:54despite the fact that almost everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58But their vision and, importantly, their sense of humour remains intact.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02This is a perfect project for Steve and Tracey to have a good look at,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and I'm pretty sure it's opened their eyes even wider.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10In a moment I'll be introducing them to some really experienced renovators,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15who successfully project-managed the extraordinary rebuilding of their home.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20But first, back in Cardiff, Empty Property Officer Steve Reid
0:17:20 > 0:17:23is responding to a call from a neighbour who is concerned
0:17:23 > 0:17:25that there may be rats in the empty house next door.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31With lots of the empty properties that we go and visit, you get problems with pests.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36Normally the house gets left with food still left in it,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and obviously that can attract rats.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45This is the actual property, behind the rather large hedge.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49If we can get in...
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Oh. Right, it's a little overgrown at the front.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Just to make sure there's no-one in before we go mucking around.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08It's a bit of a mess in there, actually.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Letters, bags full of rubbish.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17It's definitely... Definitely vacant.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20So I'll call on the neighbour now and see if we can get a bit more information.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Hi, there, Miss Andrews. Steve Reid here from Cardiff County Council.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Lovely, yes.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- About the problems with next door? - Right, OK.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31I've had a little look out the front, any chance I can come out the back
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- and have a little look at that? - Yeah, sure, come and have a look. - Thanks very much.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Right. Let's have a look, then.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- So does anyone come back and forward to the property at all?- Nobody.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Nothing at all?- No, no.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- All right to go on the wall?- Yeah. Watch you don't fall.- Try not to.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It's really overgrown, isn't it? The shed as well.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53The shed is hanging, isn't it?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56We'll have to is get pest control in to put some test bait down
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- to see whether any of it's taken. - Uh-huh.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Steve, is it? Hi. Pleased to meet you.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16What we can do is test bait along the actual fence line here.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20The bait is simply oatmeal, used to lure vermin,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23whose bite marks are then left on the bag.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Kevin will come back in a week, have a look, and he will let me know
0:19:28 > 0:19:35whether it's positive or not, and then if it is, we'll come along, we'll serve a notice on the owner.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41If they get it cleared, great, if they don't, we'll get contractors in and clear it on their behalf
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- and then send them the bill. - OK, that's lovely.- And sort it out.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Next it's back to the office, check the Land Registry,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52check the council tax, track down the owner,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55find out exactly what they want to do with the property
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and get somebody back in there.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Tracey and Steve Jones have bought an old barn in Lincolnshire,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and despite no experience, plan to live on site
0:20:09 > 0:20:11and renovate it mostly by themselves,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15drawing on additional help from family and friends.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17For a taste of things to come, I introduced them to
0:20:17 > 0:20:23a couple of fellow renovation novices who had just launched themselves into the great unknown.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28While Steve and Tracey plan to tackle much of their renovation themselves,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30they'll also need to employ professional help,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33so I want them to meet another pair of homeowners who did just that
0:20:33 > 0:20:37when they transformed a virtual ruin into a stunning home.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- There you are.- Wow.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- Have a look at that. - That is fabulous.- Superb.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47This is what the owners found at the back.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- Oh, my God!- Oh, no! - Oh, dear!- Good grief!
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah. It just goes to show what you can do.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58When Richard and Janine Johnson first saw what remained of
0:20:58 > 0:21:01this former 22-room Georgian country house,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04they knew even though it was on the brink of collapse
0:21:04 > 0:21:06that it was destined to be their next home.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10This house represents everything I've ever wanted in a house.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15When I first saw the house I just knew that Richard would be able to turn it into something beautiful.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20In the early 1800s they really did get their proportions absolutely spot on, in my opinion.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And so restoring something like that is a dream for me.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Empty since the 1960s and then slowly dismantled,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32it was stripped of bricks for use on the estate farm.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Richard and Janine were able to buy what was left of it
0:21:34 > 0:21:38for £220,000 back in 2002.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42And it's come a long way since then.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Hi, Richard!- Hi. - Nice to see you, how are you? - Nice to see you.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52- Hi, Janine. Let me introduce you to Steve and Tracey. - Hello. Pleased to meet you.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- Hi. - Hi, Richard, nice to meet you.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00We've just been marvelling at the extraordinary transformation that this building has undergone.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I mean, this place looks amazing,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06it just shows if you can put your heart and soul into it,
0:22:06 > 0:22:07look at what you can have.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Wow! This is beautiful!
0:22:14 > 0:22:16This is stunning.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- This is a hallway with a real statement about it.- It is, yeah.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- What do you think of that, Tracey? - Isn't that beautiful?- Yeah?
0:22:23 > 0:22:28- Love the colours. - Again, when we first looked through the front door, this...
0:22:28 > 0:22:31There wasn't a floorboard and all you could see was down into the cellar.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37The story goes that in the '50s it was used as a motorcycle repair shop, this side of the house.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Can you imagine this? - Can we continue through here?
0:22:40 > 0:22:45Is this... I'm going to say, I don't know, a snug? What would you call it?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49It's a snug in the winter time and sometimes we use it as a dining room.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52I really like not just that it is high-ceilinged,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56but that you have been able to retain these huge doors, which make a massive difference.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I mean, if I were going to take one thing away from this for your build,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I would think about, you know, making the doors that bit bigger
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- to allow things to flow between it.- Sure.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10As they set about the restoration, Richard and Janine knew that
0:23:10 > 0:23:12what was left of the original building was listed,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15so they had to preserve what they could.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20With no record to draw on as to how the interior of the house would have looked originally,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25they relied on historical research and have imaginatively recreated it as it might have looked.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30One of my primary concerns is I'm going to be doing a lot of the work myself.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Well, I'm somebody who gets his hands dirty, but I recognise that I have limitations.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40And my view is that if I can employ somebody who will do it better than I can, then I will employ them.
0:23:40 > 0:23:46And we found an enormously beneficial group of people who really worked together well.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49If they know each other, they won't let each other down,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and that is how it works best, from my point of view.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56They spent £750,000 on careful reconstruction,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and the property now has an estimated value of £1.4 million.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- Oh, this is lovely.- This is stunning, absolutely beautiful.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Now, on the picture that we saw of this place
0:24:09 > 0:24:14before you had so lovingly restored it, this is just an empty space.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18We just basically took the perimeter wall and rebuilt it,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21but we didn't mimic the internal structure,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25because we felt that seven or eight little rooms was not what we wanted,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28so we just made it an open... an open canvas, really.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35We often sit out there, pinch ourselves and wonder how the heck we managed to do it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And it can be tough, but there are some fun times in it as well.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42And you have proved admirably that it can be done.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Congratulations, guys. Well done.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48And although this is certainly a more expensive project
0:24:48 > 0:24:51than the one that Steve and Tracey are about to take on,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54the principles involved are exactly the same.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- It's been a great day, we have really enjoyed it.- We really have.
0:24:57 > 0:25:03And it's given us some good pointers on what we need to focus on and what's really important.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Now having seen our two projects today, Steve, you are very keen,
0:25:07 > 0:25:13I know, to do pretty much all of it. Has that changed your thoughts?
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Yes. I mean, I think I've got to be realistic in what I'm physically capable of.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Again, it's going to be a learning curve along the way,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and I may not be good at plastering when I start,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26but I think by the end of it I'll be able to plaster quite well.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Well, you never know. You chucked in your job to do this build,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32you could come out of this with a whole new career ahead of you,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34you could become a master builder yourself!
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Um, that's probably not one of my great plans...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- But you never know.- You don't, no.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Now, Tracey, when we first met, for all the excitement that this new project offers you,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49I did sense a certain anxiety about what the future may hold.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Now you've met our two couples today, do you feel a bit more confident?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- I do, yes, definitely, yes. - One of my work colleagues
0:25:57 > 0:26:00did tell me, he said, "Look, just go for it, you know?
0:26:00 > 0:26:05"Everybody else is telling you you're mad, but you know you can do it, you know? You will do it."
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- So, yeah.- Just be very careful about how you go forward
0:26:09 > 0:26:11in spending the money you do have,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and just, you know, take your time and really think about it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, I have to say that I have absolutely no doubt
0:26:19 > 0:26:25that Steve and Tracey are going to make a fantastic job of that glorious old barn complex.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28But what about the other couples we've met today?
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Pete and Carolyn still up to their necks in their renovation,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Richard and Janine enjoying the sunlight at the end of the tunnel.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39But if there is one message that I really want Steve and Tracey to take away from today,
0:26:39 > 0:26:45it's this - don't rush it. It's a renovation, not a race.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:01 > 0:27:04E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk