Rekha Patel Britain's Empty Homes


Rekha Patel

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Across the United Kingdom there are nearly a million homes lying unloved

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and unlived in, ready for someone to come along

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and give them a bright new future.

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So, whether its a tired semi or a rambling mansion

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we're on a mission to rescue Britain's empty homes.

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Even in the midst of a national housing shortage,

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empty homes continue to languish in our towns

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and cities slipping further and further into decline.

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But, every now and then, somebody spots one, steps in,

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and changes its fate forever.

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Today, I'll be passing on my experience of renovating

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an empty house, advising an intrepid first-time buyer who has

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already taken the plunge and bought a wreck.

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That's very damp.

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And I'll be introducing her to experienced renovators

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who've done it all before.

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You made this yourself?

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-I did, yeah.

-You're so clever.

-Thanks!

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Look at how big it is.

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We'll also be hitting the streets with an empty property officer,

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on their mission to bring run-down buildings back into use.

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This would be the point of entry, I imagine.

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Units like this, these double glazed units can be taken out

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in their entirety and just put to one side.

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Buying your first home is a huge step

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so you want to get it right from the start.

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Spotting the possibilities in an empty house

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and then maximising their potential,

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can not only deliver a dream home for a fraction

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of its final worth, but can also propel you up the property ladder.

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That's exactly what maths teacher, Rekah Patel, wanted to take

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advantage of when she decided it was time to move out of the family home

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and buy her first house.

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At the beginning, I wasn't really sure what I wanted.

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I've looked at terraces, detached,

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modern, old, and I just kept going back to the ones with character.

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To be honest, I didn't think I'd find a character home

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that I could afford, but I finally found the one.

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With high hopes, but a low budget of £160,000,

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Rekah figured buying an empty house in need of work would be

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an affordable way to get her perfect place.

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I'm a little bit scared about the renovation process.

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I mean, I am quite a practical person.

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I've done a lot of DIY with my dad and my brother.

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I am willing to learn very quickly as well,

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so I am looking forward to this.

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What Rekah eventually found was this Grade II listed Georgian cottage

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in the pretty village of Simmondley on the edge of the Peak District.

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The stone built, double fronted property has two bedrooms,

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two reception rooms and a private walled garden.

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-Hi, Rekah.

-Hi, Jules. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you too.

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-So this is what you've jumped into with both feet.

-It is, yes.

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It's beautiful.

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Now, let's just be clear,

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you're at the stage where your offer has been accepted.

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Yes, my offer's been accepted. I've done my survey.

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-So how much did it set you back?

-It set me back £162,500.

-OK.

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Well, that's on the face of it not too bad,

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but I can see, just looking at the line of the guttering there

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and so forth, there's a bit of woodwork that's gone amiss.

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But otherwise you think it's kind of sound.

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It is quite sound.

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It does need a lot of work, it does need a lot of work, but I'm willing

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-to put that work into it.

-Now how much have you got to spend then in cash?

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-About £15,000.

-To do it up a bit?

-To do it up, to start with.

-Yeah.

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And then I'll save up as I go.

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Because I'm on my own, it's not a bother.

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So, this is going to be quite a long-term labour of love, isn't it?

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Oh, it is, yes.

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But we've got £15,000 to really get it to a state where you feel

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-you can move in comfortably and get on with it.

-Yeah.

-OK.

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So, Rekah has found a great house in a great location,

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but with no renovation experience to transform it into her dream home,

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I want to help her decide on the scale of work

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she's prepared to take on and where she's going to need skilled labour.

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-Wow. Look at this old thing.

-I know.

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-That's going to go, presumably, is it?

-Yes. Definitely.

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What are you going to do in here, then? What's this going to be?

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Well, I'm hoping to have a kitchen/diner

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because my kitchen's through here, so this wall here is hoping to go.

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OK. And then it's going to open up through here into...

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This tiny kitchen.

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THEY LAUGH

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-Yes.

-Even for me.

-Even for you this is very small.

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But taking this out is going to be quite a number.

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Have you spoken to your friendly conservation officer about this wall?

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Yes, I have. She's seen the kitchen and she's seen how small it is

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and she does understand that this wall needs to be taken down,

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but she said you still need to apply for it.

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Again, this is one of the tricks of taking on a listed building,

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isn't it? You've got to absolutely dot all the Is and cross all the Ts

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because if you upset them and you do something that they don't

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-think is appropriate, you could find yourself in quite a bit of trouble.

-Yeah.

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Rekah's done well finding this place

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and I want to give her some ideas of what she can do to it.

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-Now, this is the living room.

-Very generous actually in space.

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I can see why this place has really captured your imagination.

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-Yes, I can imagine a log burning stove there.

-What's in here then?

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-Any ideas?

-No. I don't know.

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REKAH LAUGHS

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Do you know what? I think that's a salt cellar.

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Why would you have it in here though?

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-Traditionally that's where they were. Kept it nice and dry the fire would have been going...

-Right.

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-This is interesting, though. Ah.

-Ah.

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-That goes through to your kitchen.

-Right.

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-So you could have another door here into your kitchen.

-Right, OK.

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Again, you need to clear that with the conservation guys.

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But if you could, that could make the whole thing flow in a nice circular way.

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-Right. It's exciting, isn't it?

-It's really exciting!

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I really like it, actually.

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-This is my master bedroom.

-Wow.

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-Isn't it amazing?

-It's huge. You've clearly got a bit of an issue here.

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-Yes.

-That's very damp.

-Yes.

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It may be that the gutters simply aren't functioning properly.

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But you're obviously well aware of some of the obvious

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pitfalls that this place has. It probably needs rewiring completely.

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-It does need rewiring.

-The central heating.

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The damp, I suspect, is going to be the biggest headache for you.

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Because, until you get that right, there's no point pouring time

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and money into even basics like repainting, re-wallpapering,

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because it simply won't last.

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You've got to get the damp done. Both damp issues up here

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and stuff that's coming up from down below.

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I think the best thing we can do now is get

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you into a couple of properties where the owners have also gone

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through the process that you are about to embark upon.

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Figure out how they did it, learn from them and hopefully come back

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with a more detailed and focused plan for you to take on this place.

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OK. Let's go.

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Rekah's property is clearly an enticing proposition for anyone,

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let alone a first time buyer like her. But therein lies the problem,

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she hasn't got tens of thousands of pounds to throw at this straight away.

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It's going to require careful and meticulous planning

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to finally turn it round. But the good news is

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that whatever she lacks in cash, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm.

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Later, I'll be introducing Rekah to accomplished renovators who've

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taken on daunting projects,

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to show her how great things can be achieved once you have the know how.

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Taking on a renovation of any size

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is a big challenge, especially if you've never done it before.

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That's just what Catherine Cantin found when she bought this

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three-storey end terrace in North London in 2008.

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When I got the keys, that was probably the most exciting moment,

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walking in, in whatever shape the house was in. But just

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knowing that it was mine and knowing what I could possibly do to it.

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The house had been

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empty for six months

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when Catherine paid £825,000 for it.

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She then found an architect she trusted

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and set out on a renovation lasting ten months.

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I couldn't have done this without an architect.

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I don't have the foresight or the vision.

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And he walked in and his enthusiasm was very contagious

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because he could see exactly what he wanted to do

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and what he could do.

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I knew that wherever I lived it had to be liked

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and the architect has done some fantastic things.

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The first idea he had, which completely made sense to me

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and it was very simple, is to have a skylight at the top of the first

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set of stairs. So when you open the door, you're looking up into light.

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The top floor, where we have a butterfly roof and it's fabulous.

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So, normally in a Victorian house, it gets darker the higher up you go,

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it just seems to get lighter and lighter.

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Very greedily, we managed to get one in the kitchen and the extension

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of the kitchen and that's fantastic because the sun comes in there.

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Life resolves around food.

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I love eating. I love company, socialising and now I love having a garden.

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And the kitchen that is a living area and an eating area

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and just a hanging out in area and that I can open these doors

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and the kitchen becomes the outside, the garden comes into the kitchen.

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Having the nerve to take on a vacant property means Catherine has

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been able to tailor the house completely to her needs.

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At a cost of just under £600,000 for the transformation.

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I think I'll probably stop just right here. It's fabulous.

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It's everything I could have dreamed for, really.

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Even as we speak, there's probably an empty property

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in your town that's being investigated by a dedicated band

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of empty property officers. Trying to figure out why it's

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been abandoned and what can be done to get it back into use again.

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Andrew Vickers is the Empty Property Officer at Nottingham City Council.

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A former policeman with 30 years experience pounding

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the beat in the city, over the last two years alone

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he's found new owners for over 350 abandoned buildings.

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I particularly enjoy tracking empty home-owners down.

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I pride myself on having a fairly high success rate in finding them.

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I would say it is around about the 99% mark.

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Andrew gets around 20 new cases a month.

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But today he's dealing with one of his longest running ones.

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This morning, I'm going to visit a property that I've been invited

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back to look at which has been empty for about 20 years.

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A taxi office with three domestic properties above

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in a city centre location.

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Originally owned by a co-operative, the taxi firm was wound up

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in 1986 and the Victorian property has been empty ever since.

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-Hello, Sean, nice to see you again.

-How are you doing, Andrew?

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You all right? Come in.

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You've really done well with this.

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This was the taxi office and it was all falling apart.

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Complete mess, really.

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The building has been bought by two brothers whose father had been part

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of the co-operative who originally owned it.

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Now it's back in the family, their plan is to renovate

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the commercial part on the ground floor and the three flats above.

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There was an out house there with the steps coming down,

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-so that's all gone.

-It was a kitchen and a bit of a bedroom.

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My dad roughly worked here from 1965 as a taxi driver.

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So we've got a bond with this building.

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My brother and I have always come here as children

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and been took to and fro and we feel

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like we want to put it back into its former glory if you like.

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We're feeling proud that we have done it.

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It's just a family moment, you know,

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that we can put this back into our family and say,

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"Yes, we had it and we lost it and we've got it back again."

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Got some original features here. The original cast-iron fireplace.

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Yeah, that's right, that would have been with the coal fires.

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Many buildings in Nottingham

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are built on sandstone in which caves were often dug

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and used for a variety of purposes.

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And the builders have uncovered some at the rear of the old taxi office.

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So this would be a coal cellar with the black soot, the chute there.

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That's cut into the rock.

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Yeah, it would've been some kind of old cave.

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It's fascinating because you've exposed the bedrock again here.

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This is all Nottingham sandstone again and all the footings are laid

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upon this in probably the early 1800s.

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This has stood like this for 150 years. So presumably it's a good, solid base.

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Yeah, I would've thought so.

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Andrew's the main instigation here.

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The council have been great as well,

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but he's been a real help on getting this project back on track.

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I mean, it was one of his top priorities to get this

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property off the council's listings as bad properties in Nottingham.

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I'm really happy that this property is coming back into use.

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Since getting ownership,

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Sean and Damien have wasted no time at all in gutting this property.

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Starting work, they mean business.

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It was a mess and they're going to bring it back to life.

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I'm really happy with the progress they've made so far.

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For Andrew, it's been a long process, but ultimately worthwhile.

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After being left unused for more than 20 years,

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within the next six months this place will provide three

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much-needed homes and business premises.

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Now if you've ever wandered past an empty property

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and wondered what it's like on the inside,

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there are one or two tell-tale things that you can look for.

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Broken or damaged guttering could indicate that rainwater is getting

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into the walls and causing damp.

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Cracked walls could indicate subsidence

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and also have a look for cracked or broken roof tiles,

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that also could add to a whole host of problems with rotten timberwork.

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But for the experienced renovator, this sort of thing

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wouldn't really put them off because they'll know very well that

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such a thing could be bought for a bargain of a price.

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Rekah Patel has just bought her first house

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and is ready to leave her family home.

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She isn't shy of a challenge, which is lucky,

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as the empty Georgian cottage she's bought requires a lot of work.

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The damp, I suspect, is going to be the biggest headache for you.

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Being a renovation novice, Rekah

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needs the know how to tackle her Grade II listed house.

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So I'm going to introduce her to a couple who are part way through a major renovation,

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who can offer advice on the best way to approach a project.

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-What do you think of that?

-That is amazing. Absolutely fantastic.

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-Now, this was completely derelict.

-No way.

-Yes.

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It had been so for at least five years before these guys took it on

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and they have had to do absolutely everything.

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So it's a much bigger project than yours,

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but a lot of the principles involved here are the same.

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Simon and Sharon Stanton bought the old mill ten years ago.

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It dates back to the 1600s and additions built on in the 1820s

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make up the bulk of the current home, which had stood empty for five years.

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I used to live on a very busy main road with trucks going past

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and cars and people banging on the doors.

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I dreamed of somewhere quiet and this was the ideal spot, really.

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When Simon showed me the house,

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I was like, "Oh, it's just awful". I couldn't see the bigger picture.

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-I said, "Would you like to live here?"

-And I said, "absolutely not"!

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Still very much a work in progress,

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this renovation has been a gradual process over the past ten years

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with the work being done by builder, Simon.

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-OK, so as you can see this is the kitchen.

-Oh, lovely.

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Look at the range!

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THEY LAUGH

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-You are dying for a range in your new kitchen, aren't you?

-Oh, wow.

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Just give us a real sense, a picture of what this place was like

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when you found it, what, ten years ago?

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Oh, it was... All the windows were blocked up.

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It had holes in the roof. No floors. Vandalised.

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It's been hard work, but worth it.

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The other thing, I suppose, to look at is the walls and the lime plaster

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that you've got on there because this is a great remedy for damp, isn't it?

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That's correct, yeah. It breathes, you see.

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Whereas traditional plaster doesn't breathe.

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It keeps the moisture in, whereas lime plaster lets it breathe.

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-Right. Because I've had my survey.

-Oh right. And they said to damp-proof?

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-Yeah.

-It's definitely the way to do it in an old house.

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-You shouldn't put damp-proofing in old houses.

-Right, OK.

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-So, there you go.

-First bit of advice.

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First bit of advice.

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-Ah, Rekah, look at this. Wow! Come on in.

-Look at that. Look at that fireplace.

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I'm hoping to find one underneath that awful chimney breast.

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I mean, keeping the cost down is going to be a key thing here

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because you have effectively got 15,000 or so to make a start

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and it is really about priorities.

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Where you would start? Where did you start with this one?

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The roof. I got the roof sorted first. That's the major thing.

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Get a lid on it and just work your way down then.

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Sharon and Simon have also added an extension

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to the side of the old mill.

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Wow. This is amazing!

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-This is going to be quite a statement, this room, isn't it?

-Yes.

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It was a mill here originally which I knocked down

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and put planning in to rebuild it as an extension as part of the house.

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-Look at that fireplace.

-But this is not original to the building, is it?

0:17:240:17:30

-No. No.

-Is it not?

-No. No. I made it.

-You made this yourself?

0:17:300:17:34

-I did, yes.

-You're so clever.

-Thanks.

-Look at how big it is!

0:17:340:17:40

But with this, I mean, you are creating an enormous space,

0:17:420:17:46

Sharon, what's going to happen up there?

0:17:460:17:48

We could make probably eight more rooms upstairs,

0:17:480:17:51

but I think there's going to be possibly four.

0:17:510:17:53

But you are you are doing it to live in, not develop and sell.

0:17:530:17:56

No, definitely to live in. It's the family home.

0:17:560:17:58

So from all your experience, what would be your top tips?

0:17:580:18:03

Definitely to prioritise what is a necessity in your home.

0:18:030:18:08

You know, make sure you've got your working kitchen.

0:18:080:18:11

I would say that would be my first thing to do

0:18:110:18:13

and just not to cut corners.

0:18:130:18:15

-Save up and do it properly.

-Thanks for that.

-Make sense?

-Yes. It does.

0:18:150:18:21

-Excited still?

-I'm excited, but a little bit scared.

0:18:210:18:24

A little bit scared. Hopefully we haven't put you off.

0:18:240:18:27

The key thing is we're trying, really, to kind of open your eyes

0:18:270:18:31

to what the reality of taking on any renovation is all about.

0:18:310:18:33

Yeah, definitely.

0:18:330:18:35

You know, we often use the term a labour of love

0:18:370:18:39

when talking about renovations, but this really is the real thing.

0:18:390:18:43

Ten years on, Simon and Sharon are still plugging away,

0:18:430:18:46

creating a home that, by their own admission,

0:18:460:18:49

they would never ordinarily have been able to afford.

0:18:490:18:52

And as for Rekah, her insatiable enthusiasm remains undaunted

0:18:520:18:57

and lots of good ideas for her to take away for her own project.

0:18:570:19:01

Later, I'll be taking her to see a finished project which

0:19:010:19:05

I hope will show her that you don't have to have

0:19:050:19:07

experience in renovations to turn a wreck into a wonderful home.

0:19:070:19:11

But first, back in Nottingham, empty-property officer

0:19:110:19:15

Andrew Vickers is dealing with a typical problem case.

0:19:150:19:17

Today, he's en route to a property which is

0:19:170:19:20

a cause for concern for its neighbour.

0:19:200:19:22

I'm going to check up on a house that was reported to me last week,

0:19:220:19:25

which had been broken into.

0:19:250:19:27

The lady next door has reported it.

0:19:270:19:30

She actually caught some youths coming out of the property.

0:19:300:19:33

She's concerned for her own safety and that of her house.

0:19:330:19:36

This end terrace has been empty for more than a year.

0:19:380:19:41

It was the subject of a repossession order

0:19:410:19:43

and a new owner bought it in April 2010.

0:19:430:19:46

For the neighbour next door, it's been a real worry.

0:19:460:19:48

Living next to the empty property, at times, has been very frightening.

0:19:480:19:53

Broken windows, doors open, very threatening at times.

0:19:530:19:58

Properties like this, that are left empty, often attract

0:19:580:20:02

anti-social behaviour and, in fact, this one has been broken into recently.

0:20:020:20:06

Andrew's already contacted the new owner about carrying out work to

0:20:060:20:09

secure the house and today he wants to check that this has been done.

0:20:090:20:13

This window's obviously been hastily repaired.

0:20:130:20:16

This would be the point of entry, I imagine.

0:20:160:20:20

Units like this, these double-glazed units can be taken out

0:20:200:20:23

in their entirety and just put to one side.

0:20:230:20:25

It looks like this one's been repaired by the owner

0:20:250:20:28

and put back in.

0:20:280:20:29

Not every empty home-owner acts as promptly as that.

0:20:290:20:32

It's quite pleasing to see that somebody is taking a bit of trouble

0:20:320:20:35

over their property and responding to my requests.

0:20:350:20:40

Andrew now wants to reassure the neighbour about what he's found.

0:20:400:20:43

It looks like the new owner will renovate it and let it out.

0:20:430:20:46

-Let's hope that happens sooner rather than later.

-Hopefully. Hopefully.

0:20:460:20:51

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

0:20:510:20:53

When it looks empty it goes into a spiral of decline quite rapidly

0:20:530:20:56

and to nip it in the bud like this is a good thing.

0:20:560:20:58

It's good that the owner has acted promptly and got it repaired.

0:20:580:21:03

It looks as if it'll be back into use imminently.

0:21:040:21:07

In the coming months, once the house is renovated, it will become

0:21:080:21:11

a home again and be one more case closed for Andrew.

0:21:110:21:14

But he will be monitoring its progress closely.

0:21:140:21:17

Rekah Patel has just bought her first home.

0:21:220:21:24

She fell in love with this beautiful stone-built Georgian property

0:21:240:21:28

and was undeterred by the worn-out decor.

0:21:280:21:29

She's been introduced to Simon and Sharon

0:21:310:21:33

who are in the process of an exciting renovation

0:21:330:21:35

on an old sandstone property built in the 1820s.

0:21:350:21:38

And now I want to show Rekah a finished project to prove to her

0:21:380:21:41

just how much can be achieved

0:21:410:21:43

when you breathe life back into a period place.

0:21:430:21:47

-Wow!

-What do you think?

-It's amazing. Look at that wheel.

-Yeah.

0:21:470:21:51

-It's an old mill. 1716 this was built.

-Right.

0:21:510:21:56

If you take nothing away from this particular building, hopefully

0:21:560:21:59

its exquisite design and presentation will be things that will stick

0:21:590:22:04

in your mind and you can take some of those ideas into your own build.

0:22:040:22:07

Let's have a look. Let's get out of the rain.

0:22:070:22:10

When Margaret Nathaniel set eyes on this graceful old water mill

0:22:100:22:14

back in the 1990s, she instantly fell in love with it and was determined to

0:22:140:22:17

make it her home even though she had never renovated a property before.

0:22:170:22:21

-Let me introduce you to Rekah.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi, Rekah.

-Nice to see you.

0:22:210:22:24

Built in 1716, it was known as the Shovel Mill

0:22:240:22:27

because workmen's tools were made here.

0:22:270:22:29

A village landmark for centuries, after an 11-month renovation,

0:22:290:22:32

it was turned into a unique family home,

0:22:320:22:35

successfully combining contemporary taste with past traditions.

0:22:350:22:39

-Wow. This is beautiful.

-What do you think of the open-plan style?

0:22:390:22:43

I really like it. I really love it. Especially the A-frames.

0:22:430:22:46

We've seen two properties with A-frames now.

0:22:460:22:50

It sort of makes me want to knock my ceiling through.

0:22:500:22:54

-Now what do you reckon to the floor?

-I think it's beautiful.

0:22:540:22:57

It is the original floor, but from the floor below.

0:22:570:23:01

I asked could the floor be used and the builder said it could.

0:23:010:23:05

But they took the roof off and it was in inches of water

0:23:050:23:10

and I was really worried.

0:23:100:23:12

I thought, well, it's not going to be able to be used, but it was

0:23:120:23:15

and there are a few holes here and there, but I think that adds to it really.

0:23:150:23:19

Yeah, it is all part of the flavour, isn't it?

0:23:190:23:22

Going to the heart of reclaiming materials that may be in,

0:23:220:23:25

the building. So that's something you should really keep an eye out for,

0:23:250:23:29

but it's an absolute triumph. I think this is a lovely conversion.

0:23:290:23:33

In a way it is a bit upside-down, isn't it?

0:23:330:23:36

Yes, the bedrooms are underneath. They're on the floor below.

0:23:360:23:40

But I just think this room is so lovely to have the open aspect

0:23:400:23:45

and be able to look at the river and the wildlife.

0:23:450:23:48

The changing seasons, it's just fantastic.

0:23:480:23:51

-Ah, this is gorgeous, isn't it?

-Very nice.

0:23:530:23:56

Now this, we should add at this point,

0:23:560:23:58

is a whole new extension, isn't it?

0:23:580:24:01

Yes, the mill was taken down and rebuilt

0:24:010:24:03

and then this was added on as extra.

0:24:030:24:06

So were you able to use a lot of the stone that came

0:24:060:24:09

out of the original mill structure to face all of this extension?

0:24:090:24:13

-Yes.

-This is great.

0:24:130:24:14

I think this is the sort of style that would really suit your place, Rekah.

0:24:140:24:18

Yeah.

0:24:180:24:19

Things that I'm picking up on - the tongue-and-groove on the wall,

0:24:190:24:23

it's a really lovely device to give something a bit more texture

0:24:230:24:26

and character and the colours you've picked, I love them.

0:24:260:24:29

It's easy to paint yourself as well.

0:24:300:24:32

So if you're intending saving money that way...

0:24:320:24:35

I really like this multi-colour thing going on well, it's very nice.

0:24:350:24:39

It's kind of texture, isn't it? I think.

0:24:390:24:43

And then you can use the colours that are in something like that

0:24:430:24:47

in other places, then.

0:24:470:24:48

So what would be your final tips then?

0:24:480:24:51

I think, because of the age of the property,

0:24:510:24:55

to buy good quality things to go in it, don't cut corners

0:24:550:25:00

because in the end you end up paying more in things like the granite worktops,

0:25:000:25:05

the beech wood worktops, they don't cost an awful lot of money,

0:25:050:25:10

but I think if you get good quality things, they last longer.

0:25:100:25:15

-Well, that's a theme that's emerging from today, is quality.

-Yes.

0:25:150:25:19

I definitely will be taking that advice on board.

0:25:190:25:22

Margaret's renovation is a much bigger project

0:25:240:25:26

than Rekah will be doing at her house. But I hope it has given her

0:25:260:25:29

the inspiration to tackle hers with confidence.

0:25:290:25:32

Now then, Rekah, we've packed in a huge amount today.

0:25:320:25:36

It all started with you giving me a tour of your new home.

0:25:360:25:39

Now, have you had any more thoughts as to what you are going to do with it,

0:25:390:25:43

since we've had had our little tour of renovations?

0:25:430:25:46

Yes.

0:25:460:25:48

I think the main thing is the thing about quality

0:25:480:25:51

all the way through, from the builders to the materials that you buy.

0:25:510:25:56

So I think it is save and then do, save and do.

0:25:560:26:01

You see that's really important, I think,

0:26:010:26:03

because as you can see from Simon and Sharon's job,

0:26:030:26:06

I mean, they've been at it ten years and that's exactly what they've done,

0:26:060:26:10

saved a bit, built a bit, saved a bit, built a bit.

0:26:100:26:12

That's really going to be the pattern of your life

0:26:120:26:14

for the next two or three years, I suspect.

0:26:140:26:16

I think so, definitely, but I'm looking forward to it.

0:26:160:26:19

Very best of luck with it, Rekah. And enjoy it, have fun.

0:26:190:26:23

It shouldn't be a toil.

0:26:230:26:25

It should be something you find enormously rewarding,

0:26:250:26:28

-which I'm sure you will.

-Yeah, I think I will.

0:26:280:26:30

-Brilliant, well look, here's to you. Best of luck.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

0:26:300:26:34

You know, in meeting Rekah, I have rarely come across anybody

0:26:340:26:37

who's so excited about the idea of taking on a renovation.

0:26:370:26:41

Not least, of course, because it's her first home, but in taking on

0:26:410:26:44

an empty property, she's going to get exactly what she wants.

0:26:440:26:48

Now, of course, she can't do it all at once.

0:26:480:26:50

It's going to be a very measured approach,

0:26:500:26:52

but, step by step, I think she'll get there and what a place it'll be.

0:26:520:26:56

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