Claire and David McAndrew Britain's Empty Homes

Across the country,

empty properties that could be homes are waiting to be put back into use.

I'll be finding out why and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.

And I'll be doing some digging of my own

to find out about our housing stock, our heritage,

and why we should both be reinventing and preserving Britain's empty homes.

It can be a daunting prospect,

taking on a forgotten house in a state of disrepair.

But beyond the broken windows and the overgrown gardens,

there's potentially a beautiful family home just waiting

to be discovered and given a new lease of life.

On today's show, a couple who think an empty home may be the answer

to their expanding family's need for more space.

I'm quite excited about the house, actually.

It's got the scope we're looking for to move on with our lives.

I'll be showing them what they could achieve on their budget.

What they've done with it is just

so similar to what you were talking about earlier, it's untrue.

And we'll be following a property detective

on her mission to bring Stoke's empty houses back from the brink.

It's important that we keep on top of this case, we don't let it slip.

We do mean business and we do want to see results this time.

Artist and gardener David McAndrew and his wife Claire,

a healthcare worker, think taking on and extending an empty property

may be the best way to achieve the spacious home they're looking for.

We thought an empty house might be a bit more within our budget.

We don't mind living in something that needs a lot of doing up

so it's something we need to look into, whichever property we go for.

The couple have two sons,

Elliott and Oscar, and with a new baby due in seven months,

they're looking for a house that is structurally sound and immediately habitable.

I mean, we would have to buy somewhere and move into straightaway, we couldn't afford not to,

um, with children, so that'll be lots of fun, I should imagine.

BOTH LAUGH

And it might be... It might be something we come to regret.

Claire and David are renovation novices

but enthusiastic DIYers, and with a budget of £170,000

to buy and to refurb, they're prepared to get their hands dirty.

We need to do a lot of the work ourselves.

Obviously, not jobs that we'd obviously need to get a heating engineer in...

-Contractors, yeah.

-Yeah, for jobs that needs doing properly, the electrics and things.

-Yes.

The couple are aiming to buy and renovate

a place before the baby arrives.

It's going to be very nice to stand back knowing

you've brought that house back to life, you've made it look like that,

that's a home for your family to live there as a family

and it's actually a home, not just a house.

I'm meeting up with David and Claire in needs to show them around

a three-bed house that's been empty since the owner died 12 months ago.

Habitable and with the potential to extend,

it could be just what they're looking for.

Although this 1960s semi requires modernisation throughout

and needs a new kitchen and bathroom,

the family could feasibly live here throughout the build.

From the back of the house, adding extra bedrooms shouldn't be a problem,

even if David and Claire decide to do this in the future,

as and when they've saved more money.

-Hi, I'm Joe. David?

-Hi.

-Claire?

-Hi, Joe.

Nice to meet you. How are you?

-Fine, thank you, cold.

-Cold?

-Yes.

Well, hopefully, this'll warm you up.

-This is the property I want you to see, OK?

-OK.

It's on the market for £140,000, so bang on budget in that respect.

It's a good size, but let's treat this as an exercise, really in what an empty property can offer.

-Without more ado, should we take a look?

-Certainly.

-OK.

Right, come on in, guys. What are your first impressions?

-It's a good size.

-It is.

-Are you a fan of busy carpets?

Oh, absolutely, we'd want to keep that(!) Have it cleaned and keep it.

No, perhaps we'd go with a different choice of carpet

and perhaps we'd probably take that fire and surround out as well.

-Definitely.

-The lady who lived here obviously did so

with a great deal of pride in her home so it is comfortable,

it's not got broken windows or anything.

As empty properties go, actually, it's in a very reasonable state,

so you could genuinely move straight in and tackle it room by room.

This is exactly the kind of thing we're looking for.

Nothing structural but certainly some hard work and decoration.

That's perfect.

And, of course, if we go this way...

..these have already been knocked through,

these two rooms joined,

-so come on through and we'll have a look.

-Brilliant.

And here's the dining room.

So, you've got that kind of slightly open plan feel to it.

-Yeah, I think I'd be tempted to...

-Take this out.

Yes, take this wall out and have a big family room

and block that up so we have an adult's room.

Right, you're already clearly thinking,

knock through or do something with it.

Because we wanted... A big kitchen is important to me

-and part of that is having it as a family room.

-Yep.

So there'd be some wallpaper stripping to get you started anyway?

Yes, we might splash out on a bit of plastering, call in a friend favour.

Might keep that.

-No, we're not keeping that.

-You quite like some of these style features.

You can see the appeal of the '60s. I mean, it is all pretty unique.

-Absolutely, yeah. But perhaps we might lose the carpet.

-OK.

Well, guys, as soon as we come out here,

there's a lot of potential, isn't there?

Yeah, certainly on the side of the house,

that's where I'd want to have an extension, definitely.

I think it lends itself to that.

-For everything you've said, this seems to suit you quite well, does it?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Absolutely, I'm quite excited by the house, actually.

It's got the scope that we're looking for to move on with our lives.

-And we'd probably be keen to put an offer in.

-Yes.

-Wow.

-Absolutely.

So, actually, if you do genuinely like this,

you're going to be very interested in the property I'll show you later

because it's the same period, it's the same size,

and comes with the same challenges and the same potential.

But you can take inspiration from what they've done.

-How does that sound?

-Fantastic.

-Fantastic.

We're all familiar with the sight of forlorn-looking houses left derelict and abandoned.

But luckily there's a dedicated team of empty property officers

up and down the country whose mission it is

to track down the owners of these buildings and get them back into use.

Zainul Pirmohamed is employed by Stoke City Council where she works

around the clock to get the city's derelict houses back on track.

We make a difference. And because we're passionate and because we want to change the look of the city,

I think that's really important

because the citizens of the city need that. So, for me,

having that passion makes a difference because it makes a difference to people's lives.

Today, Zainul is on her way to a terraced house in Hanley.

This is a long-term empty and has been on her radar for two years.

The council has put together a schedule of works

to bring it back into use.

The owner's deadline for completion is in two weeks' time

but work has been slow

and neighbours are complaining of vermin and pigeon infestations.

Zainul is on her way to the house with environmental health inspector

Adrian Derbyshire to check on progress.

-Not much going on.

-Nothing's changed on the externalisation at all, has it?

-No.

I think what we need to stress is the outside is priority.

-We want that secured, looking tidy.

-Which will, obviously, help the community.

-All right, brill.

And things aren't looking up inside.

Oh. Right, OK.

I just thought there would be...

the rooms were going to be in,

-and there would be floors.

-It looks like they started at some stage to do some renovation.

But a lot of work to do, a massive project.

I think what he's agreed to do that he'll put the windows

-and the door in.

-That's correct.

They're clearly going around boarding up

to stop the pigeons getting inside.

-And then we've agreed the floor is the next stage after that.

-OK, I'll make sure I've put that down.

Whilst the boarding now seems to be keeping the pigeon population out,

they've left their mark on their old home.

We went into that property, we couldn't stay there,

we had to do a quick inspection and out

because the smell was overpowering from pigeon muck, and the mess.

You could tell it's been used by the pigeons, coming in and out of there.

Zainul and Adrian must carry out a full inspection

and in the back yard, there is some improvement.

-OK, well, cleaned the yard pretty good.

-Yes.

-Did you put a gate on the schedule?

-I did, yeah.

Brilliant, so at least that'll be done. Look at that there.

I'm wondering if any kids get in here

and they're messing around with this board.

-If that glass...comes down on them.

-They need to put the new windows in.

Yes. Now we've seen this, we need him to really get rid of this glass.

-Yeah.

-It's pretty dangerous. It's secure but not safe.

-We'll get him back to redo it again.

-All right, cheers.

As works are behind schedule,

Zainul will need to put more pressure on the owner to speed things up.

It's important we keep on top of this case now,

we don't let it slip, so he realises we DO mean business

and we DO want to see results this time.

Since filming, the building has been secured

and new windows have been fitted.

The owner has drawn up plans with an architect to renovate the house

and work will start once planning permission has been granted.

OK, let's be clear,

taking on and renovating an empty home isn't for the fainthearted.

Years of neglect can lead to some very unexpected and,

therefore, expensive problems.

But the benefits of taking on a forgotten property

can, by far, outweigh the downsides.

Giving a house a second lease of life can provide you

with the home you've always wanted.

Mark Williamson and his partner Paula Faiers

took on the renovation of this 19th-century water tower back in 2009.

From the moment Mark set eyes on the red brick structure, he was smitten.

First time I came up the drive,

I turned in and drove up that long drive and I thought,

"Wow... Wow, it's got such a charm,

"it's unique, it's just... incredible place to live."

And I'm thinking, you know, "I've got to buy this.

"How can I convince Paula?"

THEY LAUGH

And so I worked on her very, very slowly and said,

"I found a lovely place, come and have a look."

And I said, "What did you think?"

She said, "Don't know whether I'd want to live out here."

Paula had reasons to be concerned.

This was a huge undertaking, even for Mark,

who's a builder by trade.

The kitchen was rotten, the ceiling was falling in,

I knew that there was a lot of work

and the building was in real poor state.

And just looking in there, I thought,

"Wow, what on earth have I let myself in for?"

The couple lived on site

in a caravan for the duration of the build.

At first, it felt like you were on holiday as a child.

-Six months on and you think...

-"I'm fed up with this holiday."

Yes, I'm fed up with this holiday, I want to go home.

There was days where I'd come from work and I'm here cutting holes in the tank,

and stuff, where I would have paid £50 for a bath. I really would.

In the end, they finished in just 10 months, well ahead of schedule.

-Our aim was the year. So...

-In for Christmas.

In for Christmas, that was the goal.

-Certainly didn't want to put the turkey in the oven in the caravan.

-No, no.

As well as carefully converting the original Victorian water tower,

Mark and Paula have added a sympathetic two-storey extension,

creating space for five bedrooms with the master

sitting in what was the original water tank, right at the top.

I would say the best part is the lounge,

where we can sit there and take in 360-view of the fields,

the wildlife, the sun setting.

It is just amazing being so well elevated, so high up,

and looking over unspoiled parkland is...unbelievable.

I think I would have to say...

that my kitchen

is...the nicest...

well, which I am most looking forward to being in, I think.

But has this towering achievement left them thirsty for more?

TOGETHER: Would we do it again?

I always looked at this as being a one-off.

I don't know if I'd want to do it again.

Yeah, but I would say,

bearing in mind how easily Paula adapted to it,

and how much hands-on she was,

it wouldn't worry me doing another one.

-I'd have to give up my job first.

-Yeah, I can see that.

I can't manage a job and do it as well.

Tottenham, North London, is well-known for its football club

but it's had more than its fair share of trouble, hitting the headlines again

last year when rioting broke out there and quickly spread.

Tottenham is one of the most deprived

and run-down parts of the capital.

Over the years, some pretty serious social unrest has grabbed

a few headlines here, but locals want to regenerate the area

and put Tottenham back on the map for the right reasons.

Tottenham Hotspur stadium lies just behind the high road.

The club's developers planned to extend the stadium

and demolish a row of empty historic buildings.

I'm meeting up with Alison Armour from the Tottenham Civic Society

and architect Hugh Thomas who fought a lengthy campaign

to stop this from happening.

What was the plan for these sad, boarded-up buildings behind us?

The original plan was to demolish the lot,

in order to replace it with open space, in front of the new stadium.

It would have meant the loss of at least a dozen listed buildings.

So you're determined to save these buildings. How do you do that?

We were given a meeting with the club's architects

and planning team, so we had a lengthy discussion

at their offices putting forward the points that we objected to.

That's key, isn't it?

Hugh, you came up with quite a novel solution of triggering some imagination?

Yes, what I've done is done some watercolours

to show what the village could look like if they were restored.

Have you got any?

Can we have a look? Because you painted them back to life. Wow!

So that's exactly as it would look, you do a little research

and you find out what the buildings and windows looked like and simply put it back.

Obviously, if you just plough through them,

you can never get that back,

that character it brings to the area and the local history.

No. Once they've gone, they've gone forever.

And a lot of the story of this High Street has gone with it.

What stage have you got to now with the campaign? Is there good news?

Spurs revised their plan in the light of the objections,

and they decided that four could be retained,

plus the public space.

And we've got a vastly improved public realm part.

It really is a work of art.

Here you've got a really good...

-through history of local architecture.

-Yes.

And it's going to stand well into the 21st century now,

you've managed to safeguard it.

-You must be delighted.

-Yes, we are.

-Job well done.

You've got to be impressed with this campaign,

and particularly the power of the art, of the watercolour involved.

Really helping people visualise the potential

but also the beauty of these buildings.

And now, if all goes to plan, right here in the heart of Tottenham,

you're going to have this amazing fusion

of new and old architecture together,

which should, fingers crossed,

inspire further regeneration throughout the area.

Earlier, I met David and Claire McAndrew and showed them

an empty house with the potential to become a spacious family home.

With lots of renovation questions on their mind,

I'm taking them to meet a couple

who turned a similar property into a stylish, modern abode.

Guys, here we are, this is the place I brought you to see.

It's a very similar period to the one we saw earlier.

What they've done with it is just so similar to what you were talking about, it's almost untrue.

I think you'll like this, I'm excited to show you around.

When Richard and Carol Hall bought this three-bedroom semi

in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, for £121,000,

it had been empty for 12 months.

On the first viewing, we were warned that

it wasn't going to be very nice,

and the smell wasn't going to be very nice. And boy, was he right.

I walked in, I walked through the house and walked straight out again.

I've got to admit, Carol saw further into it.

I was hanging onto it, saying, "Have another look,

"have another look, it's got potential."

Richard and Carol had a modest budget of just £30,000,

and Richard had to roll his sleeves up

and do a lot of the building work himself.

Mixing, and hodding bricks, at my age is a little bit difficult.

Instead of carrying half a dozen like the builders do,

I carried two or three, it takes twice as long.

But who cares? I found it very interesting.

But living on-site throughout the build had its own problems.

One of the worst moments that I think we can say we had

was when we didn't have a bathroom.

And we had to boil a kettle of water

and put it in a washing-up bowl, and have a wash in the utility area

because we didn't have any facilities to do so.

You work together. It can be stressful, you've got to be tolerant

and you've got to understand.

I don't think I'm the most tolerant of people!

The couple overhauled every aspect of the house,

from the wiring and the heating system

to opening up the downstairs to create an open plan living, kitchen, dining area.

Apart from the brick walls, there's nothing in this house

that you might see that we haven't put in it.

After eight long months, the renovation was finally complete.

When you look at the before and the after,

it's got to give you some satisfaction.

It looks fabulous compared to where we started.

I think we've made a nice, comfortable home

out of what was quite a horrible, smelly old shell.

I'm hoping that David and Claire will gain some useful tips

and inspiration from these seasoned renovators.

We'll go and look round properly.

You've got an extension on the side and the back,

and you remodelled the front, you had to move the door.

-Yeah. And remodelled the back.

-Same situation, fantastic.

I suggest we pop inside and examine your handiwork a bit closer.

-As long as you don't look too close!

-Come on, lead the way.

There are many similarities between this home

and the house I showed David and Claire earlier,

so it should really help them decide if it's the kind of renovation

they're willing to take on.

This is what I find interesting, the property we saw earlier,

exactly the same. A dining room at the back, wall, and a back kitchen.

This is what you talked about, knocking a wall out and extending it.

It's exactly what I'd imagined,

even down to having the large glassed area at the back.

It's exactly what I was picturing

when we were talking at the other house.

So this sits within your visualisation

-of what you would do, does it?

-Definitely.

This is a comfy family area, you've still got a table,

and the kitchen's really nice, it's at that end.

How did you come up with the design for the kitchen?

Basically, I knew what I wanted.

The hob in the centre, with the pan drawer underneath.

And just worked it out from there,

with the oven and the fridge freezer at the side.

I didn't want any of the appliances on show.

One thing Carol did do with that kitchen,

which was the brainstorm really, she actually sorted the kitchen,

designed it, measured it,

and then the builder built the wall in the right place.

He didn't build and then Carol designed the kitchen into it.

She did it first.

So if you can do that, if you can get your idea of what you want

and what units you want, and then put your wall in.

-It took eight months, the build.

-The build took eight months.

How did you cope in that time? What was it like living here?

You've got to say, it's difficult, it's not easy.

You've got to have a kitchen and washing facilities,

which, at certain times of the build, we didn't have.

So it is difficult, there's no doubt about it.

As long as you're prepared for it, then it's not a problem.

It's worth it, for as long as you live here for.

It's only eight months out of a whole lifetime in the house.

-So you're quite impressed with what you've seen?

-Absolutely.

It's so lovely done, it's so nicely decorated, it's really nice to see.

-OK.

-Having blocked up that door, we'll go back through the hall

-and take a look at your front room.

-Okey-dokey.

So, the main front room.

When you were doing this project,

how much of the work did you take on yourself?

I do all the coving and woodwork,

and then we do the wallpapering together,

which we've done a tremendous amount of

so we've got it down to a fine art as to how we do it together.

When it comes to the extension itself,

how involved were you in the actual building? Did you want to get stuck into it?

Oh, yes, I was into it every day.

It was literally, shovelling cement, shovelling sand, carrying bricks,

putting scaffolding up, everything needed to assist the builder.

-And that must have saved you money?

-Oh, yes, without a doubt.

David, is that what you have in mind?

Having a builder you'd work alongside on an extension,

or would you give it a go yourself and then bring in contractors?

No, give it a go myself, then ideally,

the things that I don't know about,

get contractors in and work alongside them, learn off them.

And then move forward from there.

Any final advice in terms of things for these guys to bear in mind

when they approach a project like this?

I think the first thing is definitely planning.

It's planning in your mind, and on paper as well,

what you want to do in the rooms and what you want to do externally.

Are you encouraged from what you've seen here,

are you up for this challenge?

If you get something like the spectacular results they have here,

if we can replicate that in the house we've seen earlier,

I think we'll be very lucky people

and our children would be very lucky children.

Back in Stoke-on-Trent, empty property officer Zainul Pirmohamed

is on a mission to save Britain's abandoned homes.

Today, she's on her way to a house in Abbey Hulton

that's blighted the neighbourhood for many years.

After much pressure from Zainul, the previous owner has now sold up

to a father and son team of developers

who snapped up the building for just £29,000.

Work is well under way,

and Zainul is here today to ensure the refit is up to standard.

'Last time I went into the property,

'it was a mess inside. It wasn't habitable.

'So I'm looking forward to seeing what the developer's done with it.'

-Hello.

-Frank, Richard. Thanks for agreeing to meet me here today.

-It's fine.

-It's looking lovely from the outside,

love those windows. OK, we'll have a look inside, thank you.

-Gosh, it's bigger up here than I expected it to be.

-Yep, opened up.

Talk me through what you've done.

We've put this partition up, managed to make another little room.

I'm just looking at the bathroom,

you're doing a good job there, lovely finish.

It's lovely up here, you've converted it from a two-bed to a three-bed

which makes it a lovely family home. Whilst we've got the two beds,

they still haven't got the potential for the bigger family.

So that's brilliant news. And it looks very different.

I like the wooden flooring. Wow! It looks like a new property.

-I thought you'd be impressed.

-You've done wonders with it.

I wouldn't recognise it for being the same property from a few years ago.

-I really wouldn't.

-Is it that long since you've been here?

-Yeah.

And I like the new kitchen.

My goodness, what a difference to what we had here!

You're not going to have any problems letting this property.

-Cos I'd move in!

-Yeah, I would!

-Lovely. What a brilliant job.

This is actually one of the best transformations I've seen.

I cannot believe... We go into a lot of follow-up properties once they're sold,

and I've not, to date, seen a finish as good as this.

And the standard here, it's absolutely brilliant.

In fact, Zainul's so impressed she wants to use the project as publicity.

Looking at that property, it just shows

what potential there is in empty properties.

I'm looking forward to coming back, seeing it fully finished with the carpets in,

and later, I'll see it when the tenant's occupied it.

Brilliant, it'll make a nice home for a family.

Back in Yorkshire, David and Claire McAndrew

have been visiting a house that's been transformed from a tired,

unloved and un-lived-in 1960s semi, into a bright, airy family home.

I'm hoping that this visit will have inspired them

to take on an empty property of their own.

Has this changed anything for you?

I think it's just solidified what we were hoping, really,

and it's proved what you can do

when you put your mind to it, and with some hard work.

It's really exciting.

And looking back to the house we saw earlier,

very similar to this in many ways,

is it one that's still in your mind, you're eyeing up?

Absolutely. I think as soon as we get a confirmed buyer for our house,

it's something we will go back and have a second look at,

-and think about putting in an offer.

-Wow, wow. That's pretty serious.

Absolutely. So, yeah, thank you very much for the experience.

I'm over the moon for you. Good luck with everything,

particularly with the baby on the way. And I hope you do it,

I hope you turn an empty property into your perfect home.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

Didn't that go well?

I think this was the perfect place for David and Claire to see.

I think it's really vindicated some of their ideas.

I hope it's inspired them and shown them what they want to do

is possible, even on a tight budget, if they're really determined.

They seem up for this.

I've got no doubts they're going to find themselves an empty property,

turn it into their dream home, and who knows?

It could just be the one I showed them earlier.

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