Joyce Saul Britain's Empty Homes

Across the country, empty buildings that could be homes

are waiting to be brought back into use.

I'll be finding out why

and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.

I'll be doing some digging of my own

to find out more about our housing stock, our heritage

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

Across Britain, empty and unloved buildings left derelict

are an all-too-familiar sight

and an eyesore for those who live near them.

But with imagination, these forgotten houses have the potential

to be turned into beautiful homes.

A welcome addition to their neighbourhoods.

'Today, I'll meet a woman who's keen to tackle an empty home,

'but has never done a big renovation project all by herself.'

This is actually something I'm taking onboard alone.

'We'll also meet a couple who discovered that going green

'doesn't always come cheap.'

We had an initial budget of about £150,000

and I think we're probably about £100,000 over the top of that.

'We're following the property detectives

'rescuing unloved and abandoned houses across the country.'

You can see the render coming off. It will all come down at some point.

'In Birmingham, Joyce is looking for an empty home to renovate.

'Recently widowed, Joyce wants a fresh start. A new chapter.'

My husband passed away about six months ago.

So I decided that the main thing to do was downsize.

I didn't need to have a three-bedroom house.

'She's just sold the family home for £250,000

'and is now renting and looking for an empty house to do up.'

I don't want to buy someone's ideas,

have to throw those out and then, you know, start again.

I want it to be a blank canvas.

'Joyce was the financial controller at her husband's construction company,

'but has never taken on a full renovation project all by herself.'

In the main, the thing that sort of would be more nerve-wracking

than anything is taking this project on alone.

'I'm meeting up with Joyce to find out more

'and to show her a house she may find interesting.'

'This bungalow is on the market for £182,500

'and has full planning permission in place for an extension.

'Joyce has a total purchase and renovation budget of £250,000.'

Joyce, this is the property I want to show you.

And what this is is a typical empty property.

The sort of thing you can find on the market at the moment.

So it's going to be good to assess whether you're up for this challenge

-and see what you think of it.

-OK.

-Sound good?

-Yes, it does.

-Great. Come on, let's have a look.

Come in, Joyce. This is the kitchen dining area. First impressions?

-'70s.

-Yes, very '70s, isn't it? Hasn't been updated for a while.

What is it you look for when you think about

the ideal kitchen dining area for you?

Well, number one, I want a state-of-the-art kitchen.

I can't really think how it would fit in.

At the moment, I'm thinking that wall's got to come down.

And all along here, bi-fold doors out to there.

So we have one big living space.

I like that you've got a vision for it.

Let's go and look around a bit more

and give you a sense of how the rest of the property's laid out.

'Joyce has hit the nail on the head.

'This bungalow clearly is in need of some serious updating.

'But alongside the kitchen, there's also a lounge, a bathroom

'and two bedrooms.

-Right. So here we have a bedroom.

-Pink.

-Pink. Exactly.

Tell me about your style. What would you do with a room like this?

How would you decorate it?

-I like the blacks and the creams and the golds.

-So quite rich.

-Versace type.

-OK.

So what I like is you don't seem phased by any of this.

Well, of course I'd have concerns. My major concern would be budget.

Because I'd probably go over budget and I can't afford to do that.

So that would be my major concern,

that whatever I wanted,

I could afford it.

Let's go and look outside. From there, we can get a view of the whole project, I think.

OK? After you.

I know you're nervous about the budget, but apart from that,

how do you feel about doing a project like this on your own?

In the past, my husband has always taken the lead.

So, you know, this is actually something

that I'm taking onboard alone.

So that is quite, quite daunting.

He would be hands-on because he could do it.

But I can rub down paintwork.

I'm good at housekeeping.

Later on, I'm going to show you a property that has some similarities,

but it has been completed.

It's come through the renovation process. It's no longer empty.

I think you've got a very good eye for visualising space

and knowing how you want a design and a layout.

What you don't have is the experience in actually doing that

and turning it into a practical reality.

So I think it's going to be really useful

-to meet the guy who's been behind this project.

-Most definitely.

They've been through it, had problems,

can share those problems with you, and that's something you can take forward.

That will give me a good starting point.

Now, when you're taking on an empty property,

you need enthusiasm and vision.

And I am pleased to say that Joyce has both of those in abundance.

What she doesn't really have

is experience of taking on this kind of project.

So later, I'm going to take her to see a completed renovation

just so she gets a practical sense of really what's involved.

'Of course, not every empty house makes it onto the market

'so it can be brought back to life.

'It's the job of councils' empty property officers

'to try and rescue Britain's forgotten homes.

'Steve Reed works for Cardiff City Council.'

It does become more than a job

because you find that even on your days off,

when you're out and about, driving around,

you spot empty properties and think, "I could do something with that."

And if it's in Cardiff, you think, "I'll make a note of that."

'In his nine years on the job,

'Steve has personally brought over 700 empty houses back into use.'

When I see an empty property occupied,

it's a great sense of satisfaction

that you've actually played a major part

in getting it back to this occupied state.

'Steve is visiting an empty house

'which has become of concern to some of the neighbours.'

The property I'm visiting is one we've been dealing with for a couple of years.

There's been several council departments involved.

The plan is for the council to turn it into social housing.

So the sooner we can get that done, the better.

'This house has been empty for two years

'as the owner died without a will.

'When someone dies intestate,

'it can be a long and complicated process to sort out ownership.'

We're here today to see if I can speed things up a bit

by highlighting some of the problems the property's causing.

Just around the back of the property,

I can see over the wall, you can see the render is coming off the wall.

There's trees growing out of the brickwork.

It's deteriorated quite substantially, really.

Because I can't see an awful lot, I'll go around the front

and call on the neighbour.

See if she'll let us through and have a look out the back.

'Steve's investigating a neighbour's claims

'that the empty house's poor structural condition

'is damaging their home.

'This may give weight to the council's claim for ownership.'

-Good morning. Steven Reed from Cardiff County Council.

-Yes.

-About next door.

-Oh, yes.

So I know you've got a problem with the rear garden walls.

So if I can come through and have a little look,

-see what we can find out.

-Yes, certainly.

Lovely. Thank you.

There's...where it started to come off.

That all just came down in one swoop.

There was trees growing up the wall

and my brother-in-law came and chopped them all down.

-The black there.

-This is from the guttering.

There's no guttering at all. It's all just damp.

You can see the render coming off again there.

So the whole thing is going to come down at some point.

When I came out the other day, I just took the washing off the line,

just got in, I heard this crash...

and the whole of this wall just came down.

-It was like that.

-I'll take photographs,

and then I'll go back to the office, get all the photographs together

and we'll write to the solicitors.

As long as something gets done.

-Pull it down or rebuild it or...just to make it safe.

-That's it.

That's what I worry about.

I go to bed thinking, "Is any more going to come down?" It worries you.

I'll do some photographs and then I'll come and see you before I go.

-All right. Thank you.

-'Steve gathers some more evidence

'to boost the council's case for taking over this house.'

It would be absolutely brilliant if somebody did move in.

It might take months, it might take years.

But it would give me peace of mind something is actually moving.

Something's happening at long last.

It's not good to get complaints about empty properties, but with this one,

the more we've got, the more ammunition we've got to badger the owner

into getting the problems resolved earlier rather than later.

So I'll go back to the office,

write up the notes and take it from there.

Taking on an empty home can be risky.

They're often full of hidden problems

that make your average buyer run a mile.

But for those with courage and vision,

disused dwellings can hold the key to a beautiful bespoke home.

'In 2008, Chris and Gabby Hooper

'were looking for an unusual renovation project in Somerset.'

We had looked at many, many houses in the West Country

and we'd always wanted a big, open-plan, party-type house.

And we realised the only way to do it was to find an old house

and, er...pull it to pieces, basically.

'After months of searching,

'the Hoopers found this 1930s semi in the town of Backwell.

'The house had been empty for almost three years and seemed to be ideal,

'but initially, one of them wasn't quite so keen.'

I could see that the house could be redesigned to fit our criteria.

So I saw the potential in it right at the beginning.

But Gabby was very, very negative about the whole thing.

Christopher kept throwing this leaflet or estate agent's brochure

under my nose and I'm going, "No, no, no".

I really couldn't see the potential,

but what I could see was the hard work.

And then Chris worked his magic.

'Chris and Gabby eventually agreed to buy

'and paid £380,000 for the house.

'They wanted to create a fully eco-friendly home.'

We wanted the house to be very green

and we went for Passive House standard,

which means there's no central heating,

there's no heating system inside the house,

apart from one wood-burning stove.

The house is supposed to generate enough heat to keep you warm,

which requires a huge amount of insulation to stop heat escaping.

'In truth, neither of them realised

'how complicated this kind of conversion would be.'

The whole project took way longer than we thought it was going to.

Once we actually got the builders onsite,

they tendered on the basis it would take 15 weeks to do their part.

It took them actually nearer a year.

We knew I was going to do quite a lot of the second fix,

but by this stage, we needed to move into the house.

We were spending too much money on rent.

And so we moved in in a very basic state indeed.

'In total, the renovation took Chris and Gabby over two years,

'which stretched their finances.'

We had an initial budget

we discussed with the architect of about £150,000.

And I think we're probably about £100,000 over the top of that.

Which is a bit scary.

But we didn't go into this

with the idea of we were going to make money on it,

we went into it with we wanted the house for the next ten years,

that the children can come, the grandchildren can come and enjoy it.

We never once said, would people who buy the house want this?

Which we have in the past.

It's just been completely what we wanted.

'The Hoopers found it's not easy being green,

'but despite their many challenges, they now have their dream home.'

We had our ruby wedding anniversary here.

We had the patio doors open most of the way,

people were in and out of the garden

and it really was...it worked as a big party-type house.

-It was exactly what we envisaged.

-It was. It was smashing.

'Across the country, empty homes are a big issue for councils.

'And in some inner-city areas, whole streets of empties face demolition.

'The city centre in Liverpool has enjoyed extensive regeneration.

'But not so far away, there are still areas where homes are derelict

'and abandoned and have been for years.

'Some of these houses would be perfect for first-time buyers,

'but they're often unable to afford them.

'The Riverside Housing Association

'is working hard to give first-time buyers

'the opportunity to get on the property market

'via their scheme called Own Place.

'I'm meeting with Tom McGuire of Riverside to find out more.'

Tom, this scheme, Own Place, how did it come about?

We had a lot of empty properties

in some very challenged inner-city areas.

And it was our hope that we could use some of those empty properties

that were unpopular, difficult to let

and make properties accessible to first-time buyers

who were increasingly unable to access home ownership.

Who was eligible? Did it have to be a first-time buyer,

someone who was going to live there?

It's a first-time buyer project.

Own Place is geared towards first-time buyers

who've got some other commitment to that neighbourhood.

People who will demonstrate a commitment to their street,

the property, the neighbourhood, the community.

'Riverside do up empty houses to a mortgageable standard

'and offer them at a 25% discounted rate to first-time buyers.

'On the condition they stay there for five years

'and agree to complete renovations.

'This arrangement keeps Riverside's average house price at just £45,000,

'which is achievable for many first-time buyers.'

We've had no difficulty marketing them.

We've done, by now, around 160-165 properties

and we've got very few of them left available for sale

so this is a successful programme.

'I'm keen to see how Riverside are giving first time buyers and empty houses a chance.'

Hello, Leanne.

'Leanne Wood has recently bought her house through Riverside

'and is overjoyed by the opportunity it's given her.'

How have you managed this? What was the house valued at and what did you pay for it?

The house is valued at £50,000 and a grant was given to us

-and we got a mortgage for £37,500.

-Brilliant.

So you had a budget when you came in to put a few new things in, did you?

Yes, because my nan passed away last year and left a few thousand

which I've been using to get the house up to scratch.

-To get it feeling like your home?

-Yes.

With that few thousand, would that have been enough to have a deposit for somewhere else?

We would never have owned a house if it wasn't for this scheme.

When you do come home and sit here, how does that feel?

Absolutely brilliant. I love it. I'm always made up to come home.

It's been really refreshing to learn about the Own Place Scheme.

I would imagine it's easy for big organisations to be inflexible or indecisive

when it comes to making the best use of their property.

But here we have an initiative that not only brings empty properties back into use

but crucially, makes them available and affordable

to the people who need them most, benefiting the local community.

Hi Joyce, I'm Joe.

'Earlier, I met Joyce, who's looking for an empty home to renovate

'after the recent death of her husband.

'I showed Joyce this bungalow which comes with planning permission in place to extend.

'I'm now taking her to look round a recently converted family home

'to get some tips and inspiration.

'In 2001, Peter Beck and his partner Juliette

'bought this empty building for £80,000.

'Constructed in 1911, for many years this was a bakery.

'Then, most recently, became industrial units.'

As soon as I walked inside, particular when I saw the wooden beams upstairs,

I was very excited and knew that it was going to be perfect.

I was concerned that someone else would be sharing

the same idea and put an offer in as quickly as possible.

Doing much of the work himself, qualified surveyor Peter

spent roughly £220,000 creating his ideal family home.

The whole concept has been to fashion our own property

and our own style of living and that has been the agenda.

There were times when you'd come in and look at the enormity of it

and wonder whether you were going to reach the finish line

because there was so much to do.

This house has been a real labour of love for Peter

but he and his family now have a spectacular and spacious home.

I know exactly what has gone into every inch of the building.

Having that much association with a building does leave you with a more intimate feeling

towards your building and a closer bond with it.

Here we are, Joyce, this is the building I want to see.

It was a bakery. It remained a bakery until the '60s and then became a factory

and then was converted after 2001 to a residential dwelling.

We will meet the man behind that conversion.

-There's plenty of inspiration here. Excited?

-Yes.

-Shall we go and say hello.

-Why not?

Hello, Peter. Hi, can we come in? Thanks.

-Look at that!

-Wow!

This renovation may be bigger than the one Joyce is planning,

but like Peter, she wants to create a very personal space.

Joyce, you don't want to get hands on,

but you do want to project manage it.

What advice would you have for Joyce if she's going to take on that role?

The biggest part you will play is understanding at what point

you need to involve what different trades.

You don't want to get an electrician and decorator in

and then a plumber who is going to strip the walls off again.

-It's figuring out all the key stages.

-Of course.

And lots of decisions to be made so you have to be available near the site or on the site.

I think there's an advantage in being available or being on site.

Inevitably, things cost more and things take longer than you expect.

When you're on site, you discover that there are decisions to be made.

Did that happen to you?

Yes, we discovered when we were digging the floor up

-that there was a well there.

-Wonderful.

Yeah, that's right. We could have filled it in straight away

but it turned out to date back to the middle ages.

It's granite so it has become a nice feature

that has added another £2,500 to £3,000 to the bill.

That's been really helpful to me because I hadn't thought about that.

One more thing, you knew the things that would happen.

You had experience of renovation.

But Joyce, if she's project manager, she needs to listen to her architect

and ask lots of questions to work out the schedule of work.

Yes, because you can end up losing some of the budget by spending money

on someone doing work that has to be undone by somebody else.

Those stages are important.

Peter has clearly worked very hard to divide this huge space into a comfortable family home.

Upstairs he's built three large bedrooms and a bathroom.

I'd like Joyce to see how he's made the most of this space.

Right, so this floor we're on now,

you basically designed where everything went?

That's right, yeah. Everything was open plan up here.

I really like how you've... I don't know if these are new beams or if you've exposed them,

-but they look good in this space.

-They do have a nice colour to them.

They cast a nice shadow, I think, onto the plaster.

At this end of it, having been through everything,

how satisfied are you that this is your home?

I think when you get to the end of the journey it's always a bit easier to say, "It wasn't so bad."

Of course there are times where you wonder if you'll ever finish,

and, you know, days on site when it's freezing cold and it is hard work,

and you hit your thumb with a hammer and things like that.

At the end of it, no, the point I'm at now, really pleased with it.

We're all really enjoying living here.

This is incredible. It's been lovely to look around.

-Thank you for having us, it's been great.

-It's been a pleasure.

I hope that it's been beneficial for Joyce

-and that she's probably got a few ideas or...

-Inspirational, Peter.

-I hope I haven't put you off at all.

-No, no, no, not at all. Thank you very much.

This feels like a really worthwhile trip for Joyce.

Later I will find out what she now thinks about tackling a big renovation project by herself.

In Cardiff, empty property officer Steve Reed is visiting a house

which has lain empty for four years.

The current owner, Suzanne Evans, bought this house

with a view to doing it up.

But repeated break-ins and vandalism caused Suzanne some serious delays.

Now she's simply run out of money for renovations.

The reason we're here today is to try to help the owner get rid of the property.

We're arranged to meet up with an independent property consultant,

who we've worked with in the past and has been successful

at moving on this type of problematic vacant property.

-Hi there.

-Toby Grovesnor is a local developer

experienced in getting long-term empties back on the housing market.

You've indicated that you'd like to sell the property.

Is that because you're just tired of dealing with all of these break-ins and problems?

It is rather frustrating. I'm still paying a mortgage on this.

And to come down every time to inspect it and think,

is there any more damage being caused?

An intense renovation followed by immediate occupation,

then that gives the property... you break the cycle, really.

That's the problem, if it's empty and it's a target.

But if somebody's living here, it won't attract the attention it has in the past.

Toby also wants to see what state upstairs is in.

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the house.

A team of builders could come in here in three weeks, the place could be turned around.

I've got lots of people on the books who potentially could

buy a property like this from you.

It's a good solid house. It just needs a bit of tender loving care.

I just need to make notes and see what needs doing,

then we'll see if we can find somebody to match you up with.

That would be great. So, feel free, have a look, take your notes.

Before agreeing to work with Suzanne, Toby checks the internal condition of the house.

Since filming, Toby has put together a proposal for Suzanne.

He's certain he can find a good buyer for the house.

We'll give it a few months and see what happens.

And hopefully Suzanne will be happy that she no longer has a property,

Toby will be happy because he's got some business.

The council will be happy because we'll have no more complaints

and another property reoccupied.

Joyce Saul is looking for a renovation project of her own.

We looked around a bungalow with planning permission for an extension.

And I showed her a bakery which has been converted into a family home.

So, having seen all of that, what about the open plan living space?

-Do you like how they've broken it into different living areas?

-I do. It's very inspirational.

Lots of design features, lots of light, lots of stainless steel glass, all the things I like.

Upstairs, they've used the eaves, they've opened up, haven't they?

Yeah. So spacious, lovely design features in the bathroom.

And the budget, you were a bit worried about the budget earlier.

It's very fixed, you can't go over budget.

Peter had good advice about building in contingencies.

-Has that made you feel better?

-Yes, yes. That's a really good idea.

The kind of things that happened to him,

where he had to dig the floor up, and it's a few grand here, a few grand there, will be useful.

Hearing everything he's been through hasn't put you off, has it?

You're still willing to get stuck in, gut a building and take it on?

-Well, this is very inspirational.

-Good! Good!

Well, I am pleased for you. Look, I hope you continue looking

and if you find an empty property, whether it is a bungalow or not,

you can do everything you want and make it your dream home.

-Yes.

-Good luck with the search.

-Thank you.

Well, I know today has been very inspiring for Joyce.

I think Peter was the perfect person for her to meet.

He's been there, he's renovated a large empty property

and he has some great advice.

So hopefully Joyce can now move forward with complete confidence

that she too can create a perfect home.

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