0:00:02 > 0:00:06Across the country, empty properties that could be homes
0:00:06 > 0:00:09are just waiting to be brought back into use.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I'll be finding out why and what you need to do
0:00:12 > 0:00:14to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17And, along the way, I'll be doing some digging of my own to
0:00:17 > 0:00:21find out more about our housing stock, our heritage and why
0:00:21 > 0:00:25we should be both reinventing, and preserving, Britain's empty homes.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Everyone knows the signs of an abandoned property -
0:00:33 > 0:00:37overgrown gardens, boarded-up windows, peeling paintwork.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42But, for anyone brave enough to take one on, to nurture it, to put in the
0:00:42 > 0:00:47time and care, the transformation can be absolutely huge.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52And it doesn't just go for derelict houses. Abandoned shops, warehouses,
0:00:52 > 0:00:58even pubs, all have the potential to be turned into dream homes.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03On today's show, I'll be meeting the novice renovators who've taken on
0:01:03 > 0:01:04a very unusual property.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06So how non-existent is the budget?
0:01:06 > 0:01:08- Very small.- 5,000.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12- 5,000? Big pub?- Yeah.- OK.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I'll be visiting a unique building that's been given a lifeline.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It was an open-air ward, to do with tuberculosis.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- So they would have got their sea air from that top balcony.- Exactly.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And we'll be joining an empty property officer on a mission
0:01:24 > 0:01:28to turn derelict buildings into habitable homes.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30The last time I saw it, it was a dump!
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Yeah, I would say. Pigeons, rats...
0:01:35 > 0:01:40When Sarah Mazloom and Claire Howell decided they needed more space
0:01:40 > 0:01:42for Claire's expanding antique and vinyl business,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45they hit upon the idea of buying and renovating an empty pub.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49We've just purchased The Squirrel Inn, which is an ex-pub.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53It was closed down just over a year ago
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and we're looking to make it into a family home.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Set in the heart of the village of Wollerton in Shropshire,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02they knew immediately that this derelict pub was the one for them.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06I didn't want to just move to a normal house. I wanted a challenge.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I just said that if I move,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12it has to be something that's a bit unique and special,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17and something that we can both work on and do up, and make our own home.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19The pair mortgaged their house to fund
0:02:19 > 0:02:22the £140,000 purchase of The Squirrel Inn.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26But they bought the place without planning permission to turn it from
0:02:26 > 0:02:31a pub to a residential property so they're taking a huge gamble.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33The scale of the project is quite large.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37I've been a plaster and decorator for several years now
0:02:37 > 0:02:40but I've never tackled a project on this sort of scale.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46Sarah and Claire have just moved in and I'm meeting up with them
0:02:46 > 0:02:49to find out more about their plans for the pub.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54I'll also be introducing them to a couple who transformed
0:02:54 > 0:02:58a crumbling barn into a modern and airy family home.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- Morning, ladies, how are you? I'm Joe.- Hi, Joe, I'm Sarah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03I'm Claire. Nice to meet you.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Tell me about this place. What do you know about it?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We know that it was an old coaching house and we know it's
0:03:09 > 0:03:12definitely pre-1900 but that's all we've been able to find out so far.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- So what excited about this place? - It was just the location.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21It's fantastic. Superb views of the country and the potential and the size of the property itself.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Well, it's very much a pub from the outside.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28- I'm keen to see it from the inside, so shall we take a look? - BOTH: Yep.- Come on then.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Oh, wow, look at this. So, as soon as you enter, here it is.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40The bar's right there. And it's pretty much as it would have been when it stopped working, right?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Exactly as it would have been when it was last trading,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and we don't want to change anything about that.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47We still want to keep that look.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Because that's what attracted us to the place.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Yeah, I was going to say, why would you buy a pub?
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Because it's quite unusual, isn't it?
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Pubs are associated with having a good time, being around people, and that's kind of how we are.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01We're quite sociable people and we entertain a lot.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04We just want to keep that character and enjoy it for ourselves.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Wow. Well, there's certainly plenty of character with... it looks like a working bar.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The lamb hotpot, presumably, has cooled a bit. That's still on the board.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I wouldn't recommend that one!
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Whether they end up keeping the bar or not, until they get permission
0:04:19 > 0:04:23from the council for change of use from commercial to residential,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Sarah and Claire can't make any structural changes to the pub.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29However, provided their gamble pays off, this place has
0:04:29 > 0:04:34the potential to become a fantastic, quirky living space.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37So, while you don't have planning permission to change
0:04:37 > 0:04:40the use of the downstairs, what can you do with it?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Well, this space we want to turn into a sort of a library,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Gothic sort of area, with the fabulous inglenook fireplace.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Yeah, because you've got that to work with. I mean, that's great, isn't it?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Yes. And we'll keep the beams.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54We may strip them down a bit, make them a little bit lighter.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Just make it really nice and cosy.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Having been unloved and unlived-in for over a year,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Sarah and Claire have got a lot of work ahead of them,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07if they're going to make The Squirrel Inn feel cosy again.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11So I'll be doing all the insulating, of plastering, concrete screeding
0:05:11 > 0:05:12All that kind of stuff.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16And for new bathrooms, kitchens, things like that,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I've got lots of contacts in the trade
0:05:18 > 0:05:21so I'll be exhausting those over the next few months.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22That is quite useful.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25If Sarah didn't have a trade, and we didn't know people,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28then this would have been out of the question for us.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- OK.- Because the budget is almost non-existent.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32So how non-existent is the budget?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Very small.- 5,000.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- 5,000? Big pub?- Yeah.- OK.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40So a lot of work to do ourselves, yeah.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43OK, well, let's see a bit more, shall we?
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Upstairs, they plan to keep the existing three bedrooms and add a large ensuite to the master bedroom.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Well, very good. It's actually in pretty good condition.- Yeah.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- And you've even got a little kitchen just through there.- Yeah.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Eventually this will become a bedroom ensuite,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00once we've got the kitchen downstairs,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02but that's a long way off.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Brilliant, OK.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Downstairs, the industrial pub kitchen will become a study
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and what was the restaurant will become a large modern kitchen-diner.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I've got to say, I am worried for you.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I know you've got experience in the industry but on such a small budget,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19you need to get to a point where you're not living in a pub.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21You actually do get to make this your home.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25What's the timescale here? When would you like this to be completed?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29We're not really setting ourselves a timescale because I think that would be demoralising.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31For me, it's essentially a busman's holiday.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35I've got to go out and do plastering in order to come home and do the plastering!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- Gosh! So you've got quite a few years ahead of you.- Yes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Put it this way, there won't be a project after this one.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Renovation of a property this size would normally cost
0:06:45 > 0:06:48in the region of at least £20,000.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53So, with only £5,000 in their kitty, I'm a little concerned.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Well, this is a huge building which makes this a massive project.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58Frankly, quite overwhelming.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00OK, some things are in their favour.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04The fact that Sarah is a qualified plaster rather, that's brilliant.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But, even so, the ladies seem a bit nervous.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Completely understandable in this situation.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Later on, I'll be taking Sarah and Claire to meet a pair of seasoned home-restorers,
0:07:14 > 0:07:19who I'm hoping will be able to offer up some insight and give them some guidance.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's not just buyers like Sarah and Claire who are on the look-out for empty property.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Britain's empty homes come in all shapes and sizes
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and states of disrepair, and, up and down the country,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34there's an army of empty property officers who are dedicated to
0:07:34 > 0:07:39finding empty homes and making sure they're brought back into use.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46On the south coast, Mike Thompson is Thanet's empty property officer.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53He's on a mission to save this area of Kent's empty buildings from dereliction and demolition.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We currently bring back into use something around 100 properties a year.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00So, in the six years nearly I've been doing this, that equates to about 600 properties.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05With retirement in sight, Mike's determined to leave a lasting legacy.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08The most fantastic part about my job is seeing the transformation
0:08:08 > 0:08:11that takes place when a long-term empty property is brought back into
0:08:11 > 0:08:14use and provides much-needed family accommodation.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Mike deals with all manner of vacant properties but, today,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24he's on his way to oversee the regeneration of an entire street,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Bellevue Road in Ramsgate.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The council's very keen to see properties like this redeveloped,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34especially in the conservation area.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Mike's meeting with the developer and the architect
0:08:37 > 0:08:42who are in the process of turning the street into family homes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46The team are now four houses away from completion and they're looking for
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Mike's assistance in liaising between them and the planning office.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54We have seven of the derelict buildings which we're working on currently.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58At the moment, we've got one of the buildings complete
0:08:58 > 0:09:03and a couple have moved in, so that's sold already which is great news for us and for them.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Bellevue Road was a busy shopping street in the 1960s but,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11over the last 20 years, the rise of one-stop supermarket shopping
0:09:11 > 0:09:15saw many of the four and five-storey buildings go to rack and ruin.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Tell me what's been going on since I was last here.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Well, what you can see now is, you've got number 36 Bellevue,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24which is obviously the gutted old shop, which is derelict.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Number 34, the old newsagents, another derelict building.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And we're bringing them back to the same residential quality
0:09:32 > 0:09:35as you can see in number 32, 30 and 28.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38So the whole project now will be seven really good-quality family homes.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43You know, made from what was just a derelict street scene.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46To have been involved with a great... And credit to all of you.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Yeah, thanks, Mike. - Well, we're nearly there.- Yep.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52The Bellevue Road renovation programme has now been
0:09:52 > 0:09:56under way for five years, and it still isn't finished.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59At one end, it's a building site but at the other end,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03the street's first resident is concerned that the work is ongoing.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08Mike is bringing the good news that the building will be
0:10:08 > 0:10:11complete in three and a half months' time.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It was a bit of a gamble coming down here, Mike, as you know.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17We're the only ones here amongst all this bombsite, in a way.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Frank, someone has to be the pioneer.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22All being well, in a few months you'll have new neighbours.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- Oh, excellent!- That'll be great, won't it?- Absolutely.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- Instead of builders? - Yeah, instead of builders!
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's exciting and rewarding enough to be involved in bringing one
0:10:30 > 0:10:33empty property back into use, but when you're involved in a whole
0:10:33 > 0:10:36terrace of seven, to make such an impact on a street as this,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38here in Ramsgate, the council's particularly proud.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41This has been a really good day at work.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Of course, finding a vacant property
0:10:45 > 0:10:48in the right area at the right price is only half the battle.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Once you've got a hands on an empty shell, the real work begins.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58Because pulling a previously empty property back from the brink can be a real labour of love.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02When David and Min Pullen bought this former NHS property
0:11:02 > 0:11:04in a leafy enclave of South London,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08it was a wreck that bore no resemblance to a family home.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14We overlooked all the potential work that it needed and thought,
0:11:14 > 0:11:19"You know, this is the kind of house we want. This is the street we want to live in."
0:11:19 > 0:11:22They paid a staggering £955,000 at auction for the property
0:11:22 > 0:11:26but it would have cost twice as much had they purchased it as
0:11:26 > 0:11:29the fully renovated home they walked into one year later.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Buying this former GP surgery with no planning permission
0:11:33 > 0:11:37to turn it into a residential dwelling was a massive risk.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The biggest gamble was buying a house that was a commercial property
0:11:41 > 0:11:45with no guarantee that we would get permission to actually live in it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47So we had to buy it on those terms.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49We had to raise the money on those terms.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52And we didn't know at that stage, and didn't know for three months,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54if we'd ever be allowed to live here.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59By the time David and Min took ownership of the property,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02it had been empty for nine months.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06I suppose the hardest thing to look through was the fact that it was a hospital.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It wasn't even a case of someone else's decor.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11It was a reception desk.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It was medical cabinets, it was dentists' chairs.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16We've lived in Victorian houses before
0:12:16 > 0:12:19but we hadn't seen anything with these dimensions.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23The ceilings were much higher than we'd ever seen before.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The scope for renovation was huge.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Min and David were quick to spot some advantages of taking on an empty clinic.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34One of the main reasons why we wanted to do this was because
0:12:34 > 0:12:37we would never have been able to afford this house,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40had it been completed in this kind of condition.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- It was beyond our means.- Completely.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45So this was an opportunity for us to own a house and
0:12:45 > 0:12:48live in house like this which would have never come about otherwise.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And it's not just the family who are benefiting from all the
0:12:52 > 0:12:55hard work and money spent doing up the property.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59It's only after speaking to neighbours who have lived here for years and years
0:12:59 > 0:13:04that they were really pleased that this was back to being a family house again.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The biggest benefit of moving in here is really how much happier
0:13:08 > 0:13:12the family is because of the space.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The kids feel much more like they can spread out.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And, for us, having space where we can not see them for a while,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and not hear them upstairs, is fantastic!
0:13:22 > 0:13:27I never want to do it again. It was a big thing. I'm glad we did it.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- We don't need to do it again. - We don't need to do it again.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31This is exactly how we wanted it.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Of course, Britain's empty properties are made up
0:13:38 > 0:13:40of more than just houses.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Across the UK, there are all manner of buildings lying empty,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50many of them with fascinating pasts.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I've come to Brighton to see one such place.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It's a building of historical and architectural significance.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03It's been empty five years and it's at the centre of a scheme
0:14:03 > 0:14:07not only to rescue it, but to do its bit to provide affordable housing.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Until recently, the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital was not
0:14:12 > 0:14:15just at risk of falling into disrepair,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18it was at risk of being lost for ever.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22After 126 years of service, the building was sold to developers
0:14:22 > 0:14:26and the NHS moved to a nearby site in Brighton.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Now, of course, large institutions like the NHS are constantly
0:14:31 > 0:14:34modifying and centralising their services which can mean
0:14:34 > 0:14:37buildings like the Royal Alex suddenly become redundant.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39So, what do we do with them?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Because, left vacant, they're at risk of vandalism,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44dereliction and, ultimately, demolition.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Today, I'm going to be learning how properties like these
0:14:48 > 0:14:50can be rescued and reinvented.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- Hello, Graham.- Hello.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Local retired architect and member of the Clifton Hill Association
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Graham Towers was integral to the campaign to save this property.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07The local conservation association organised a survey to see
0:15:07 > 0:15:09what people wanted to do with the existing buildings,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13which showed a very strong support for saving the main building from demolition.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17We put pressure on the local authority to try and preserve the building.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21In the meantime, the developer, they were trying to get permission
0:15:21 > 0:15:27to demolish the entire site and replace it with 155 flats.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30The campaign failed to get the building listed.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But the developers were refused permission to demolish it
0:15:33 > 0:15:37as the hospital lies within a conservation area.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Then, in 2010, a report recommended that the original building,
0:15:41 > 0:15:46which dates back to 1881, be retained, but that the mishmash
0:15:46 > 0:15:49of outbuildings, erected over the years, could be knocked down.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I'm meeting with David Brown, head architect.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The plan is to turn the main building into 20 luxury apartments
0:15:55 > 0:15:57with a further 99 affordable new homes to be
0:15:57 > 0:16:00constructed on the site of the flattened outbuildings.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05Before we go inside, looking this frontage, what are you doing with it?
0:16:05 > 0:16:06Are there any changes here?
0:16:06 > 0:16:11The main change to this frontage will be that the later editions of the
0:16:11 > 0:16:16glazed balconies will be taken off to form terraces to the units within.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- It was an open-air ward to do with tuberculosis.- Ah.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24So when the children were sent here to recuperate from TB,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26they needed the fresh air.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The great Victorian belief in the sea air.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- So they would have got their sea air on that top balcony. - Exactly. That was it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- That's fascinating. Well, I think it's time we had a look inside. - Definitely. Let's go.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40The developers plan to keep as many of the original features
0:16:40 > 0:16:44as possible, and they're hoping these will provide an extra draw.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46This will be the main entrance hall and lobby
0:16:46 > 0:16:51and all the original features will be refurbished and retained.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The Royal Alexandra was saving local sick children
0:16:54 > 0:16:58until its last patient left the ward in 2007.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02It's good news that not only will this building be saved,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05but that affordable housing will be built around the site,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08enriching the community.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Oh, wow!
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's a big space. I assume you get two flats out of this.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14There will be two flats here, yeah.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17There'll be a corridor running up through the side of the room
0:17:17 > 0:17:21we're standing on at the moment, a flat at the end
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and then a flat in the middle here.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The thing about this building it's great
0:17:25 > 0:17:28because it comes from a really significant era in our history.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31The State, for the first time, by 1880,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34was really involved with public health and it started
0:17:34 > 0:17:38building specialist institutions like children's hospitals.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40But also, perhaps more significantly,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43there is such affection for this building in the local community.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47So, therefore, it is great that, between local campaigners like Graham,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50but also developers who are willing to take a risk,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54it's possible to breathe new life into a building like this.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56And, who knows?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Hopefully it will still keep going in the next century.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Earlier, I met Claire Howell and Sarah Mazloom who showed me
0:18:06 > 0:18:09their newly acquired disused pub The Squirrel Inn.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15The couple plan to turn it into a home but they haven't yet secured planning permission.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I'm taking them to meet a couple who faced similar planning restrictions
0:18:19 > 0:18:23when they bought their previously empty home.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27So, guys, this is the property I brought you to see.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- First impressions? - It's amazing.- Yeah, fantastic.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Originally it was a farmhouse attached to a barn.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35These guys bought it in 2006.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It was in quite a state and the whole thing, it dates back to before 1750.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43- Shall we go and have a look inside? - Yeah.- Yeah. Come on.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46In 2006, Lyndon and Suzanne Hallwell bought
0:18:46 > 0:18:51this 300-year-old farmhouse complete with barns and stunning views.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55It was a two-bedroom farmhouse to start off with, barn attached.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- I really liked it. - I really hated it. Yeah.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04Despite her misgivings, after a second viewing Suzanne saw the potential of the place
0:19:04 > 0:19:08and they snapped it up for £381,000 at auction.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12For me, the appeal of the property was the location.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15We ended up getting 26 acres of land around it,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19so it's a little slice of England for us,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23with a gorgeous property that we could make our home for ever.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Over the next three years, they set about transforming
0:19:27 > 0:19:30the farmhouse into a large and impressive family home.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32But it wasn't always quite so cosy.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36The couple braved freezing winters in a caravan on site in order
0:19:36 > 0:19:38to realise their ambitious vision.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Where you're standing now was the cowshed.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The room behind us was full of hay.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46There were cow stalls and feeding troughs
0:19:46 > 0:19:49that had been here for quite some time.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I loved this place and I hated it in equal measures.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Did you have to get planning permission before you did any work?
0:19:55 > 0:20:01Yeah, the barn was for agricultural use so to make it into a home we had to get the change of use.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04The gentleman we used who drew the plans for us
0:20:04 > 0:20:07was familiar with the council and they were familiar with him,
0:20:07 > 0:20:12so that they're not nervous about what potentially you might do to it.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16This would have been, after five years, crumbling around
0:20:16 > 0:20:21so you can make the argument that, actually, you're saving a building.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- These guys tackled it straightaway. - Yes.- Is that something now you're thinking about...
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I think it's moved up the list, in terms of priorities.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- So heating and insulation and planning.- Good advice then.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31Shall we go on through?
0:20:31 > 0:20:35After three years of discomfort, hard work and a renovation budget
0:20:35 > 0:20:40of £150,000, Lyndon and Suzanne have turned the farmhouse
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and barn into four large bedrooms, an amazing double-high kitchen
0:20:44 > 0:20:48and two living areas where Suzanne has really made her mark.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I built the fireplace at the back.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Wow!- All the stone on there, yeah.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57It's just patience, really, and taking the time.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And not being afraid just to give it a go.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Claire, does that encourage you as well, to see what can be done from scratch?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Yeah, definitely. I want to do some of it as well because, you know,
0:21:07 > 0:21:08that's part of it for us, to say,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11"Oh, well, I did that bit and you did that bit."
0:21:11 > 0:21:17These guys, I think it's fair to say, to be polite, are doing it on a particularly tight budget.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Any tips in terms of how you can save,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23or anything that you found was pretty useful?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Know which things you're happy to compromise on.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Ideally we'd have loved to have oak floorboards above us, but we put pine in.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35There are areas where you can kind of bring that cost back a bit.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I'll be catching up with Sarah and Claire later
0:21:37 > 0:21:40for their thoughts after seeing Lyndon and Suzanne's home.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45I'm hoping they've gleaned some useful pointers about renovating on a tight budget.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51But first, back on the Kent coast, empty property officer
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Mike Thompson is busy rescuing Thanet's vacant buildings.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59He's on his way to check on a property that used to house Butlins staff
0:21:59 > 0:22:01when Margate was a buzzing holiday destination.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Mike's been involved in the renovation process
0:22:04 > 0:22:07every step of the way and now it's nearing completion.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11The hotels themselves used to spread all the way along the seafront here
0:22:11 > 0:22:15and I'm really excited to see what's actually happened to this one.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18When the main Butlins buildings were sold off,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20this staff accommodation was left abandoned,
0:22:20 > 0:22:25before attracting the attention of independent developer Lance Coutinho.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- Hello, Lance.- Hi, Mike. How are you?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Nice to see you. I'm fine. You?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Yeah, I'm great, thanks.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32I'm excited about today.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I want to see the transformation I know you've started on this building.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Last time I saw it, it was a dump!
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Yeah, I would say. Pigeons, rats, all that sort of stuff.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Shall we go in?- Yeah, sure.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I like the finish in here. Look at that outlook.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I mean, what value that, eh?
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Isn't that fantastic! Straight out to sea, unobstructed.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- No buildings opposite at all.- None.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56This will sell the flat on its own, won't it?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- That's what sold it to me when I was looking before the auction.- Yeah.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Who wouldn't want to live here, eh?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05At first, Lance was refused planning permission as the district council
0:23:05 > 0:23:09has a policy which doesn't allow private houses to be turned into flats.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13But he and Mike joined forces to argue that the building had not
0:23:13 > 0:23:17previously been run as a private home and, in the end,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20planning permission for four flats was granted.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25We had to prove that this was not a dwelling house. It was an ex-hotel.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- That's right.- And they eventually accepted the evidence.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- But you were helped somewhat in that, weren't you?- Yeah.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I seem to remember a urinal block and a ballroom floor.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Hardly what you'd find in a normal house!
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- And all the electricity, gas, water supplies were coming from the hotel.- Yeah.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43So it was never an independent dwelling house.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I like your choice of materials, the style, everything about it.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- This is great. Can we look at the rest of it?- Yeah, sure.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- Let's go round the back.- Thank you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58We had a bit of a problem with the planners not wanting us to overlook.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- Right. Hence the obscure class.- Yeah, obscure glass, and raised a bit.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Yes, that's right. That gets over the overlooking, doesn't it?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- It's still bright. - You get the light in.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Yeah, it's still a bright room. - Absolutely.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15Kent county council have pioneered a No Use Empty initiative which
0:24:15 > 0:24:19helps landlords and developers apply for interest-free loans to do up
0:24:19 > 0:24:23empty properties and bring them back onto the market for rental or sale.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Without this initiative, Lance would not have been able to take on
0:24:26 > 0:24:29an abandoned property of this size.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- So you've actually got a garden area, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Which you're going to be able to what, section off?
0:24:35 > 0:24:41- I'm splitting it in two.- Mm-hm. - This flat here, the ground-floor flat, gets this half of the garden.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The first-floor flat will get the other half, an outside space
0:24:44 > 0:24:47that's accessible, that they can use for sunbathing, whatever.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Nice idea. Best of luck with the letting. What's the news on that front?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- Actually we've got people coming round today to see it.- Oh, great!
0:24:54 > 0:24:58That's what you want now, some decent tenants in, income coming in, job done.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- All the best.- OK.- Bye, Lance.- Bye.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Hi. You've come for the viewing? I'm Sam, nice to meet you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I'm Emma, nice to meet you.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Just over a year ago, this property was derelict but now,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12thanks to Mike and Kent council's proactive approach,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Lance's development is ready to be viewed by its first potential tenant.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21Probably two, three years ago, I couldn't have seen myself living in Cliftonville at all.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24But the way the area's sort of coming up and how nice the flat is
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and what he's done with it, it's absolutely superb.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Not in a million years could you ever imagine this being an empty property. It's absolutely superb.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I'm actually browsing auction catalogues now,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36looking for my next empty property.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38I've got the bug now.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42I really do enjoy renovating these types of houses.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I think Lance is making a fantastic job and, as he rightly said,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I think he coined the phrase of the day for me,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51"From homes for pigeons to homes for people!" Fantastic!
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Back in Shropshire, Claire and Sarah have been visiting a converted barn,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02in the hope that they can pick up some practical advice and design ideas
0:26:02 > 0:26:06for the pub they're hoping to turn into a home on a minuscule budget.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- How inspired are you?- Oh, it's an incredible property, inside and out.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13They've done a great job. The finishes are superb.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18And some great advice about what not to do, as much as what we should do.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21So you're going forward feeling confident, are you?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- Absolutely, yeah. Definitely. - Confident, inspired.- Yeah.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Still slightly daunted.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We wouldn't be human if we didn't admit that but we can't wait to get going.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Yeah, brilliant.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Well, Claire and Sarah certainly seem to have the vision and,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39most importantly, the energy to transform their derelict pub into their perfect home.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And, if the empty properties of Britain are going to be rescued and revitalised,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45well, you know what?
0:26:45 > 0:26:46It's going to take people like them,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50people that can see past the crumbling bricks and the leaking roofs,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and realise the fantastic opportunity
0:26:52 > 0:26:55to breathe new life back into abandoned homes.
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0:27:07 > 0:27:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk