0:00:02 > 0:00:05Across the country, empty properties that could be homes
0:00:05 > 0:00:08are waiting to be brought back into use.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I'll be finding out why and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17And along the way I'll be doing some digging of my own
0:00:17 > 0:00:19to find out more about our housing stock, our heritage,
0:00:19 > 0:00:24and why we should be both reinventing and preserving Britain's empty homes.
0:00:34 > 0:00:41Restoring an empty home provides a unique opportunity to put your own personal stamp on a property,
0:00:41 > 0:00:46but also, with a serious shortage of available housing stock in the UK,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49more and more of us need to take the plunge,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and actually bring these derelict buildings back to life.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03On today's show, I'll be meeting a couple who are about to embark on an ambitious renovation project.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Wow! Look at that!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Does that make you quite emotional, the idea that you can keep this building going and...?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- I'm going to try, yeah!- Yeah.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Well, that's really nice to see.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I'll be finding out what's happening in the Brecon Beacons to combat housing shortages.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And we'll be joining one of the UK's empty property officers
0:01:23 > 0:01:26on her crusade to bring unloved homes back to life.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31My concerns are that it's such a prolific grower
0:01:31 > 0:01:36and there's the potential for it to start affecting all of the other gardens in the area.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Michael Donald and his partner Roz Havard recently bought this empty waste-metal workshop
0:01:47 > 0:01:50in the village of Broseley just two miles outside Ironbridge,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59I've always looked at it and always thought, "Wouldn't that make a lovely little cottage?"
0:01:59 > 0:02:05And never dreamt that one day it might become a home.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Roz and Michael got together through a shared passion for classic cars.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Two years later they've decided to take the plunge and buy a place together.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18- It will be our first home together, yeah, that's true.- Yes.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24- And the renovation is our first sort of adventure, if you like, into buildings together.- Yeah.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Despite being in a conservation area,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29the building narrowly escaped demolition.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I couldn't see a bulldozer going through that property.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38- It really deserves to be kept going, doesn't it?- Yes, yes.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40- And we'll do it.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42We'll try!
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I'm on my way to meet Roz and Michael
0:02:52 > 0:02:55to see for myself how big a project they've taken on.
0:02:55 > 0:03:02No-one's lived in these cottages for over 40 years, and I'm keen to hear more about their plans.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- I hear congratulations are in order. - Yeah.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07What happened recently?
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- We got engaged.- You got engaged! - We got engaged.- Wow!
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Well, many congratulations. Is this, therefore, sort of the first property you're taking on together?
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- Is that the plan?- It is.- Absolutely.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Fantastic. Well, all the plans are afoot.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- Shall we take a look inside and see what you've landed yourselves with? - Certainly.- Uh-huh.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38The property dates back to 1740 and was originally a group of separate workers' cottages,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41before being turned into a scrap-metal workshop.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Wow! Look at that!
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- It's just a shell at the moment, isn't it?- It is.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- And no foundations with a cottage this age.- Ah! - They're straight on to bare earth.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Eek! OK. But, you know, on the plus side it's a very unusual space.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- We believed it deserves to be preserved.- Yeah.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Does that make you quite emotional, the idea that you can keep this building going and...?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- I'm going to try, yeah.- Yeah.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10That's really nice to see.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah...
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Roz and Michael bought the whole place for £200,000
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and have a budget of £132,000 for renovations.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25They plan to turn the old workshop into a space for Michael to work on his cars,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29and the remaining cottages will be turned into their home.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- Ideally, we'd like to bring probably a two-storey extension out to where we are now...- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37..With probably two bedrooms, actually.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42These extensions, bearing in mind we are in a conservation zone, what sort of style are you going for?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I'd like them to look like they were attachments to the cottage.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50We will use the local tiles, obviously, and we will build in keeping.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52We want to build with Broseley brick, if we can.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- Yes, I'm going to start a collection of Broseley brick, cos they're hard to find.- OK.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- This is one of my projects. - You will be a fun guy to be around for the next year or two, won't you?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Collecting your bricks.- "I'll be off. I'm just off for some bricks!"
0:05:03 > 0:05:09The previous owner had permission to demolish the structures and replace them with new-build homes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The interesting thing is, although it had planning permission to destroy it and build new,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16it doesn't really have planning permission to convert it yet,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19so you're going to have to wade into that process.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24I have made some tentative inquiries with the conservation people who are very keen to help us
0:05:24 > 0:05:29with information, certainly, and contacts to help us to keep the original structure as much as we can.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34It's about getting to know the local planning officials, sharing your potential vision
0:05:34 > 0:05:36and sounding them out, seeing what they think is possible,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and also starting that process really soon, that's the key, isn't it?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Roz and Michael plan to get contractors in to do the structural work,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46but aim to do the rest themselves.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I like this place, guys. Talk me through the space.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Er, originally probably one cottage.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59- As they've used it as a workshop, obviously, they've ripped out the walls and the ceiling.- Yeah.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Our plan is to keep the roof height as it is now.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07It would have been very low, wouldn't it? You can see where the floors would have come across.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12We're looking to keep this space as our living room, if you like,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15with access to the outside and into the courtyard.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Yeah, lovely.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- When could you see it being finished?- I don't see it going much beyond three years.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I think we could do it within three years.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31I know how much you both love this building. Is there a worry that when engineers and builders come in
0:06:31 > 0:06:35they might say to you, "Sorry, that's got to go. We can't save that part of the building"?
0:06:35 > 0:06:40The thing is not to worry about it until such time as we're told we can't do this or we can't do that.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- We've got it in our head, so... - Stoic!- Stoic!- That's what I like!
0:06:44 > 0:06:45The calm, stoic approach.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Well, lovely to meet Michael and Roz.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Crikey! They've been lucky! These old cottages are just what they were looking for.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00They came up at the right time.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05So to give them a steer on how to proceed, later I'm going to take them to meet a couple
0:07:05 > 0:07:10who have transformed a very unusual empty property into a wonderful home.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And, I tell you, it wasn't an easy ride.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24With housing shortages in the UK, it's a travesty that so many homes are left uninhabited.
0:07:24 > 0:07:30But there's a team of people up and down the country who are dedicated to tracking these places down
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and ensuring they're put to good use.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39Sue Li is the local empty property officer for Amber Valley in Derbyshire,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42where she's got around a thousand empties on her books.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48When I see a new empty property, well, of course, I'm interested to know why it's empty,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51what position the owner's in and what we can do to help them.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Her aim is to turn vacant homes into affordable housing,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58helping members of the local community on to the property ladder.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Today, Sue is on her way to an abandoned house in Alfreton
0:08:05 > 0:08:07which has been on her radar for some time.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13The owner has so far been unresponsive,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16so the council's been forced to carry out essential works
0:08:16 > 0:08:19to prevent it from falling into further disrepair.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Just by looking at the old rotting window frames and doors,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31it makes it obviously look like an empty property.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34By changing those and having new ones installed,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38it will completely transform the front of this property.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Sue's in the process of enforcing a sale to get the house back into use.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49In the meantime, she needs to keep a careful eye on it to prevent any further damage.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Looks like the guttering's leaking up there.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Look at these trees now... growing up the side of the property.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07At the end of the garden Sue spots what she thinks may be a potentially dangerous plant.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I'm not an expert, but that might be Japanese knotweed.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17The weed spreads at an alarming rate and has been known to rupture manmade structures.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23My concerns are that it's such a prolific grower
0:09:23 > 0:09:28and there's the potential for it to start affecting all of the other gardens in the area.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33If Sue's suspicions are correct, it's crucial that she acts quickly.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I need to take this back and have somebody identify it for me properly.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40More investigation needed.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52Back at HQ, it's over to landscape officer Chris Beale for his expert opinion.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Yeah, the tall stuff there, that is definitely Japanese knotweed.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01- Bamboo-like stems, and that's just its yellow autumn colour.- Right.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- OK, so good luck with getting rid of that!- OK, thanks.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10Once Sue's arranged to have the knotweed removed, the enforced sale of the property can go ahead,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and the house can become a home once more.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Renovating an empty property can certainly drain your financial resources.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24But much more than that, it requires time, energy, patience,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28and, of course, plenty of support from your friends and family.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33But for those who aren't deterred by the long hours and the inevitable stresses,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36the results can be truly breathtaking.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46Six years ago, Tim and Lindsay Keyes bought this abandoned former chapel in Flintshire,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50with plans to turn it into a luxurious family home.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- It was derelict.- Empty shell. - An empty shell, yeah.- Nothing in it. - No floors...
0:10:56 > 0:10:58nothing, basically.
0:10:59 > 0:11:05We had to try and imagine putting the floors in, dividing the rooms up...
0:11:05 > 0:11:09It was a blank canvas, you can do with it whatever you want.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Built in 1865, this Gothic building was attached to the nearby convent.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23It was used as an orphanage until it closed its doors in 1977,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and has lain empty ever since.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36The Keyes paid £160,000 for the church and had the same amount again for renovations.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40But a build that was supposed to take 6 months ran behind schedule,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and ended up taking 11 months to complete.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46You expect to see progress every time you come
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and it can get you down, it can be disappointing.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55There are times when you just think, "What am I doing this for?"
0:11:55 > 0:11:58you know, "What have I let myself in for? We're nowhere near finished."
0:12:00 > 0:12:04But there are also times where it makes massive strides.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The creative vision is all down to Tim and Lindsay.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14They only called in an architect once it was time to draw up the final plans.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19The couple installed a second floor to create a more intimate space upstairs,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23but decided to leave the ground floor open to show off the building's Gothic grandeur.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31It's difficult to get the balance between old and new.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37We kept downstairs old more, didn't we, and the upstairs a bit more up to date.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- My favourite room is... - The cinema room!- Cos I'm sport mad!
0:12:45 > 0:12:48I could sit there all day, every day, and just watch sport.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I love it in there. Fantastic room.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I like it still looking like a chapel from the outside.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00- Yeah.- And then when you walk in you've got that wow factor downstairs,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and then upstairs is just like a normal family home, isn't it?
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But from the outside still keeping its original features, really.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This is a fabulous place to live, fantastic place.
0:13:20 > 0:13:26The Brecon Beacons in rural Mid Wales is one of the UK's most stunning beauty spots,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31and thousands of tourists flock here every year. However, for those born and bred here,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35there's a real housing crisis, and the shortage of affordable homes is a major issue.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42When people can't afford to buy or rent a house or flat in the place they were born and raised,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47it can threaten the very existence of our countryside towns and villages.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49And if we don't find solutions to this problem soon,
0:13:49 > 0:13:55it could change the character and the way of life of places like this for ever.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01As a national park, the Brecon Beacons are a protected conservation area.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04This means the building of new homes is discouraged,
0:14:04 > 0:14:10so getting empty properties back into use is a fantastic solution to creating new homes for local people.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Well, I'm on my way to meet someone who feels passionately about keeping the Brecon communities together
0:14:15 > 0:14:20and tackling their empty properties to create much-needed homes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Hi, David, how are you?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27David James is the rural housing enabler for the area.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33He liaises between Powys Council and the surrounding community to create affordable housing.
0:14:33 > 0:14:39Now, tell me a bit about the housing crisis that rural communities like this one are facing.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44We haven't built enough housing or the housing that we have built has been largely executive housing,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and we haven't built enough affordable housing in particular
0:14:48 > 0:14:50to retain younger people in the communities.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56So how important are empty properties in providing a solution to that problem?
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Massively important.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02So when you see small empty properties just left empty,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06when local people could be housed there, it's...I really get upset.
0:15:08 > 0:15:14In this little town itself there's probably a dozen properties that could be brought back into use.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18And that caters for local people who otherwise will move elsewhere.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's quite a lot for a small place like this.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25And there's a couple that you're particularly proud of because they have been turned around.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Yes, they're really fantastic.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Brilliant. Well, I can see your face light up when we talk about them.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- I think we should go and have a look. Are they just up here?- Yes.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38David's extremely proud of a recent renovation of two derelict cottages,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41a project completed using an interest-free loan from Powys Council.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46David, these look lovely.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- Let's pop inside and see what's happened to them.- OK.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53All right, well, look at this.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57It has... I can see a new floor, you've kept the old fireplace.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00New doors, new everything.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It has had a complete overhaul. It was in such a terrible state of repair,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06it just needed everything new.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11If I was just starting off, I think this would be fantastic as a starter home.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- And are people now looking round this?- Yeah, they are.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Only yesterday there were viewings all day, so any time now we're going to see people move in.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23I'd love to be here when they get the keys because they are the part that really make my job,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28and I know it makes the community proud as well, because, you know, you're helping somebody.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It's really inspiring
0:16:37 > 0:16:42to see empty properties being saved here, and not just their being brought back to life.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Importantly, they're being made available for local people,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48which is helping preserve the local community.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51With people as passionate as David on the case,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55there really is every reason to be optimistic here.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Earlier I met up with Michael and Roz at the old metal workshop
0:17:05 > 0:17:07which they plan to make their home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Now I'm taking them to meet another couple who painstakingly restored an industrial building.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Hopefully, Michael and Roz can pick up a few tips.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21What do you think?
0:17:21 > 0:17:27- It's amazing, it's beautiful.- Lovely. - So...it's quite a building.- It is. - Yeah.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32- It clearly has an industrial past. - Absolutely. - It's been a working mill.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36It's a William Hazledine design. He was responsible for many of the mills in this part of the country.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- And it looks gorgeous. - Yes, it does.- Doesn't it? Yeah. - But it didn't always look gorgeous.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Oh?- Really?- To help you visualise...
0:17:44 > 0:17:47That is incredible, isn't it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:51- So not only has it been lovingly restored...- They've extended it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54They have extended it. Very good, very observant.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So there are some similarities here, some big similarities.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- Let's go and say hello. - Thank you.- Lovely, thank you.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08When Martin Johnson saw the old mill at auction back in 1989,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14he was so sure it was the one that he bought it without even consulting his wife Ruth.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20I got home from work, the phone went and you rang to say I'd better come and have a look at this mill
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- because you'd actually bought it. - Yes.- So I packed the kids into the car, came down,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29and saw, as far I was concerned, a pile of rubble.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32But Martin could see greater things.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37That was 22 years ago,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41and Ruth and Martin paid £62,000 for the Shropshire mill.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43To me, this was a bargain
0:18:43 > 0:18:47because there was a wonderful building, although it was derelict.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50It had a lot of what I was looking for.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53To afford the building, or what was left of it,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Martin and Ruth had to sell their family home which meant they had no choice but to live in a caravan
0:18:58 > 0:19:02with their two young sons for the first six years of the build.
0:19:02 > 0:19:08We didn't have a great pot of money. We were both working full-time.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10We did it as we could afford it.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12We did a lot of it ourselves.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I'm a firm believer that the best things in life are hard-won.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20That one can go on my gravestone!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- Hi, guys, how are you doing? - Good.- Very well, thank you.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Michael and Roz here
0:19:30 > 0:19:32have just been looking at your lovely home and your garden,
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- and we played a bit of spot the difference with the original... - Here's one we did earlier!
0:19:38 > 0:19:44The first thing we noticed was that it has considerably grown in size. This is all extension, isn't it?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Yes.- Wow! These guys are thinking of also extending,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and they're struck, I imagine, by the similarity of style,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54that you've kept this look and feel. How have you done that?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Well, it's a lot to do with the bricks.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03We went to pains to source exactly the same colour and size of brick.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09Ruth and Martin painstakingly conserved the mill wheel and all its original wooden parts,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13which now take pride of place inside the house, which has six bedrooms,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16a lounge, a dining room and a cosy eat-in kitchen.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Well, you've already admired the outside, and now, coming in here,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26- you can see they're retained the inside as well. Very impressive. What do you think?- It's beautiful.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29It's what we were talking about before, about retaining something, a bit of history.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- How long did this project take? - LAUGHTER
0:20:35 > 0:20:3622 years.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Right. Please don't say that!
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Is that what you'd have imagined? Does that seem a bit of a reality check?
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Well, I don't think we have 22 years to get it finished!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Tell me about your planning? Was it in place when you got...?
0:20:50 > 0:20:51- The planning permission? - Yes.
0:20:51 > 0:20:59We bought it with a suggested plan, and for lots of reasons, for us, the plan didn't work.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We didn't like it, it wasn't big enough.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08We were sitting in the caravan for about six months, waiting to be able to start. We couldn't start.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- We resubmitted new planning. - You might not be in a position to start building immediately,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17but as long as you've got your planning permission in place, you can start when you want.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Otherwise, when you want to start,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22you might not have planning permission and that gets frustrating as you had for six months.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27- Well, it's been amazing to see in here. Shall we go into the next room?- Please.- After you.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Lead the way.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34They sourced reclaimed materials for the extension
0:21:34 > 0:21:38so the look and the feel of the new rooms would mirror those of the old building.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Well, the first thing to say is we're in the extension here,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46but it doesn't necessarily feel like it's a new addition.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Well, we didn't want just to put a square box on here,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and then Martin came up with the bright idea of, you know, using timbers
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and just making it a bit more interesting.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01It just makes it feel a little bit more that it belongs to the mill.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07We walked in and then I suddenly thought, "Hold on a minute! We're in the extension here."
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It just follows. It flows so nicely.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- It's like a wider version of ours, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17What we'd like to do is end with a building that basically looks from all angles
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- like it's been there a long time. - Always been there.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Well, guys, it's been amazing to look round your home.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28It's breathtaking inside and out, so thank you very much for taking the time to have us today.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Back in Amber Valley, Sue Li is continuing her mission
0:22:36 > 0:22:40to get Derbyshire's empty homes back into use.
0:22:40 > 0:22:46Today she's received complaints from neighbours about a vacant property, so she's come to investigate.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I'm here today to see a property that's been empty for around five years.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55The owner has carried out work to it but neighbours are now concerned,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59with nothing being done for the last year, that that's been abandoned.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02They're worried about vermin and that it's looking unsightly.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Sue last visited this house back in 2007,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but the situation at that point wasn't bad enough to warrant action.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19It's obvious work has taken place. There's a new kitchen. That wasn't there last time I came.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23There are no tools. It's just abandoned.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25So...
0:23:25 > 0:23:27it's a bit of a mystery.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Sue needs to ask the neighbours if they've spotted any activity at the house recently.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43- Good morning. - Morning. I've been looking at an empty property down the road,
0:23:43 > 0:23:49and I know work was ongoing at some point, but nothing seems to have been done for a while.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52It's about a year since anybody was there last.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- I know they've done the drive.- Yes. - And they've done some work in the house.- Yeah.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- But since then, I've not seen anyone there.- OK.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Thank you.- All the very best. - Thanks.- Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06It's a shame, really, because it's such a nice house, and such lovely surroundings.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09We could do with people in there and I hope the council can sort it out.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Determined to find out more, Sue heads round the back to verify neighbours' reports of mice.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23There are no obvious piles of rubble or rubbish or furnishings
0:24:23 > 0:24:28that might provide nesting materials or a place to live.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34There's no food waste. I can't say that this garden provides harbourage for vermin.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41But Sue quickly makes a link to where the unwanted guests may be coming from.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46What I can see here is lots of lovely open farmland and fields,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49which I would expect are full of mice.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I think you have to accept that, living at the back of this,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57mice will come from these fields, rather than from an empty property.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02This house seems completely deserted.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Well, almost!
0:25:05 > 0:25:09A least it provided a home for a bird at some point.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15I think it's really important now that I open up a dialogue again with the owner,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and find out what their plans are and what their barriers are, so we can support them
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and bring it back into use,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24because otherwise this may be the start of a more serious spiral of decline.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Back in Shropshire, Michael and Roz have been getting some invaluable advice
0:25:35 > 0:25:39from a couple who've taken 22 years to complete their labour of love.
0:25:39 > 0:25:45This place is a fine example of just how dramatic a transformation can be.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47How useful has it been to see it?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I mean, we're always had our vision,
0:25:49 > 0:25:57- but what it shows you is the fact that our ugly little brick box can be transformed, if you like.- Yeah.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Are you leaving here now just raring to go, to get stuck in?- Oh, yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- We'll get started when we get back, shall we?- Well, why not?- Why not?
0:26:04 > 0:26:09I mean, what it does tell you is the fact that you do need to push on with the starting parts of it,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14which we'd been sort of thinking, "Well, we've got to do this..." and we do need to make things happen.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18There'll be lots of challenges along the way but your cottages are something quite special,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and I know you'll turn them into your dream home, so I wish you every success.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31What a place this is! There's only one word for it...
0:26:31 > 0:26:34inspirational, and I know that Michael and Roz are going away very inspired.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38I hope too it's given them a sense of the timescale.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43These projects really can run on for years if you let them.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46But I know they'll be motivated to get started now,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49to get their planning in, to get building going,
0:26:49 > 0:26:56so hopefully before too long they can turn those lovely cottages into their prefect dream home.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:11 > 0:27:15E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk