Christina and Karl Yau Britain's Empty Homes

Across the country, empty properties 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.

And along the way, I'll be doing some digging of my own

to find out more about our housing stock, our heritage and why

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

Rescuing an empty property is an incredible challenge

and is certainly not without its risks.

Planning permission, surprise structural weakness,

even the good old British weather can all put a dampener on your renovation dreams.

But with a clear vision and nerves of steel, even the largest challenge

shouldn't deter you from creating your dream home.

On today's show, I'll be meeting a couple of first-time renovators

who are on a wing and a prayer with the unusual space they've taken on.

When would this have last been used as a church?

I see some pretty obvious church features going on.

I'll also meet some brave souls who've already done up a derelict house.

We came here, walked in and I think we were a little bit taken aback...

Shocked, actually.

And I'll be following the property detectives, who track down

the owners of forgotten homes and help breath new life into them.

Quality development is to go back into its place and it has to look right.

Karl and Christina Yao spent years looking for a family home

in the picturesque village of Hartley Witney in Hampshire.

I've been around here all my life, I grew up in Hartley Witney and I've always known this church.

It's something which has always been in my memory.

We've been looking for a plot of land or a project for quite a long time.

We viewed a couple of different properties in the area

and we just absolutely fell in love with this.

Everything seemed to point towards it being a dream house in the village where I grew up

so we just decided to go for it.

This 770 square foot wooden church was built in 1876

and held regular services for nearly 110 years.

But as the congregation dwindled, the church fell into disrepair

and since 1988, it's stood empty and unused.

Karl and Christina a plan to transform this space into

a two-bedroom home with a living room, study and a second floor.

I really love the idea of starting with a blank canvas,

just being able to put all your own ideas, absolutely everything,

put walls were you want to have walls,

just make rooms what you want them to be, rather than actually have to work around.

The chapel had everything they were after, apart from one rather crucial element -

there was no planning permission.

We were told when we first found the church that we'd never get

residential planning permission for it, it was going to be commercial viability.

Despite locals telling them

they didn't stand chance of getting consent to convert the chapel,

the Yaos took a leap of faith and bought it for £170,000.

They actually agreed that it was better for this to be a residence

rather than a commercial building, so, we went for it.

It's taken a further two years

for planning permission to be granted

but it was worth the wait because now, Karl and Christina can begin

the delicate process of creating their dream home.

We want our children to grow up and have the same experiences in the village that I had when I grew up.

That's really important. The space has to work for all of us.

To save money, the Yaos and their three children will live in mobile homes on site

whilst the work is being carried out.

Christina is also taking time off from her job to help out with some of the basic building work.

Karl and Christina hope to have this ambitious renovation project

completed by next summer.

I'm meeting up with these first-time renovators

to find out exactly how they plan to do it.

-Hello, guys, I'm Joe.

-Hi, Joe, I'm Christina.

-Christina.

-I'm Karl, good to meet you.

-Karl. And this is All Souls Church.

-How did you find it?

-I found it on the internet two years ago now.

We fell in love with it. The area is absolutely fantastic.

The beauty of it I mean, you look at it on a sunny day like today, absolutely perfect.

I've always known this church but we never thought we'd ever own it or it'd come up for sale.

What's the benefit for you guys of buying an empty property like this?

Having the church and buying it without planning permission

meant that we got it at a reasonable price

and means we can afford to stay in the village in a property

that is over the price we'd ever be able to afford.

I'm really excited to see inside, so are you happy to show me?

Sure, follow me.

Wow! What an unusual space, this is fantastic.

It is very much still in its church formation,

it's just a big open space, isn't it? What are the plans?

We plan to put a second floor in.

We'll have two main bedrooms, one at either end

-with these massive feature windows that we've got.

-Beautiful.

When you talk about having two levels, that's what's going to give you a light feel at the top?

One in each of the bedrooms.

Do you have to take the floor down to get two levels in?

Yes, yes. We're lowering the floor slightly but underneath this

is actually quite low anyway, it's a floating wooden floor,

so as you jump around, it's like a trampoline at the moment.

I can feel a slight bounce to it. I bet the kids love that.

-Don't bounce too hard!

-You may fall through.

Stay calm, health and safety at all times.

One of the great things about buying a property with this kind of history

is that you get some quirky features.

You can't miss the big old organ as you walk in.

-Is this going to be staying?

-Unfortunately not, it's taking up too much space.

There's a lovely stained-glass window behind there

that you can't see, so the light's gone.

We do plan to re-use as much as possible.

We are going to re-use these knobs.

We're going to make coat hooks out of them.

We're going to make the children toy boxes out of the carcass and the wood from the organ.

So, there's a lot of potential to re-use some of the features and incorporate.

We will use whatever we possibly can in the whole building.

We absolutely love it.

It is always a gamble but you have to stack the odds in your favour, don't you?

There'll always be an element of risk

but you did research, which is important in knowing you'd be able to get planning permission.

We did a lot of research. We spent an awful lot of hours,

evenings, weekends, during the day,

just looking into everything.

Speaking to people who could give us advice, everything.

As much as we could -

we couldn't have found out anything more before we signed.

Although they were granted permission to convert the chapel,

it came that strict design limitations

so the Yaos will have to be clever with the space.

Where's the bathroom going to be?

Behind here, there's a storage cupboard outside which we're going to bring to the inside

and that'll be a downstairs shower room.

So, there's a little bit more room than we can see from here.

-You're going to push the wall out that way?

-Yes.

Where are the stairs, how will you get upstairs?

The stairs are over there somewhere. We haven't quite worked out how.

The stairs are over there by the door and they'll come in and then

go up in an L-shape up into the first floor.

I think we've got to grips with the space in here.

Let's pop outside and have a look at the full glory of

-God's building from the outside, shall we?

-Definitely.

This is an amazing property, but it's only when you see it

from outside that you realise quite what a challenge this renovation will be.

So, that's the inside, plenty ahead of you there.

What about the building itself? I've seen a few holes, how is it?

We have no idea, really.

We're going to have to take everything off.

All the cladding will come off, all the tiles will come off,

then all the structural wood inside will be assessed.

What about the structure itself?

We had a survey done and they reckon within the next

few years it will actually be falling down.

-Ah. Is that to do with the foundations?

-Lack of.

-Lack of?

There's very, very old foundations that aren't up to much.

There's a wooden plate that it rests on that's rotted.

So what do you have to do, underpinning?

Underpinning, we're doing a special toe underpin,

so then we can put a concrete floor in.

It's steel reinforced, loads of steel mesh and stuff going in there.

What is the budget?

-About 160 - 180,000, we'd like to complete it for.

-Yeah.

It's your first renovation, it's a biggie,

it's a massive project

but I'm sure if you do arm yourselves with enough information,

as you have been doing, I'm sure you can make it a success.

Even so, what we'll do for you is send you off to see a family

who've been through this, who can give you a reality check,

who can tell you if you're being way too ambitious

or over optimistic and hopefully, just get a bit of advice from them.

I'll meet up you later and find out how it went. Does that sound good?

-Sounds like a very good idea.

-Yes, I agree, that sounds great.

It'll be nice to see others going through what we're about embark on.

See you later.

That's a very interesting project. It really is a full-on renovation.

They're in good spirits and so they might be,

they've got over the first obstacle with planning permission.

But they are quite inexperienced.

They haven't done this before so to some extent,

their ideas, their plans, are all very theoretical on paper.

Therefore, it's going to be really good for them

to meet experienced home restorers who've been through this and

hopefully, that'll have an impact on their practical way forward.

Across Britain, there are many properties like the Yaos' church

which are waiting to be discovered and brought back to life.

Up and down the country, Empty Property Officers, employed by local councils,

are working tirelessly to get our abandoned homes put back into use.

Margate, south-east England.

Mike Thomson is a man on a mission to save the Kent coast's forgotten properties.

The government sets targets of building thousands and thousands

of new homes and there's all these properties lying empty,

wanting to be brought back into use.

Mike is meeting Tim, the council's Housing Improvement Officer,

to gain access to this empty home.

-OK, then, let's make a start.

-Right.

-We've got a window open there.

-Right.

This property was left empty

when its elderly owner passed away without leaving a will.

-There we are, Tim.

-Thank you. Postman's been!

Here's your mountain of mail.

During the lengthy probate period,

the place has fallen into serious disrepair.

-This by and large isn't too bad, notice-wise, is it?

-No.

There's not a lot immediately obvious in here to note.

Yeah, OK.

-Shame, isn't it really, when it comes to this?

-Yes.

-Still, onwards and upwards.

-That's right.

-Positive side - family accommodation.

-Yes.

-That's the next move, isn't it?

-Get it into family use again.

-That's right.

It's so derelict, the neighbours have complained to the council,

claiming it's causing damp problems to their homes and attracting vermin.

Obviously, this back door's been kicked in for quite a while,

because that ivy's had time to grow in there

-and establish internally.

-It's quite mature, isn't it?

-Tight margins on this one, Tim, with the values as they are?

-Yes.

The house is going to auction and when it does,

the council can issue an Improvement Notice,

which legally obliges the buyer

to undertake all necessary building works.

-Oh, right, somebody's come through here as well.

-Yes, indeed.

That's where the water's poured in above us here and it's come down

that wall, the other side of that wall and the outside wall

and done immense damage, as you can see.

Mike and Tim are carrying out an inspection

to prepare and serve an Improvement Notice

which will be included as a legal obligation in the sale.

We're anxious to get this one to auction as quickly as we can

because as soon as it's on the market, we've a better chance of getting some money back

not only to pay the costs, but also to leave some over for the beneficiaries.

It'll be expensive, but it will be saved and it will become a family house again.

The curious thing about renovating an empty property is not just

that you're responsible for rescuing a house but also,

that you get to start from scratch and create a home

with your very own personal stamp on it.

In London's Notting Hill, architect Robin Monotti did just that.

In 2008, Robin and his actress wife Vera,

were looking for a new family home.

On a first viewing, this abandoned house was a bit of a shocker.

The estate agent said that it was the worst condition property that he

had ever shown but thought we could do something with it.

So we came here, walked in,

and I think we were a little bit taken aback.

-Shocked, actually.

-We weren't expecting it to be what it was.

The 165-year-old building was split into flats

and had been empty for six months.

Mildly traumatised would be the summary of the emotion.

I think after we walked away from here, with some time,

we realised that that it was actually the biggest property that we'd

ever seen in our price range and I think that was the main aspect.

But after an epic renovation project,

Robin and Vera have transformed it

into a fabulous family home.

If I didn't have any experience I probably wouldn't have taken it on,

-we wouldn't have taken it on.

-Yes, I definitely wouldn't.

Even with Robin's professional expertise,

he and Vera discovered some big surprises along the way.

In total, the house ended up needing 32 steel joists throughout.

That wasn't all.

We had our first son that that was born six months into the project.

I remember that it was quite stressful to have to manage

-a newborn child...

-Work...

-Work.

And when it's for yourself, it's more stressful because you can't have emotional detachment from it.

Robin and Vera thought this project would take them 4-6 months.

It actually took them over a year and a half

and cost them half-a-million pounds.

The whole point is that we keep what we found that's worth keeping

and then we add to it and we're actually quite happy with this

contrast of one part of it, like the staircase, the landing,

the stained glass are the Victorian parts, or the outside,

whereas the inside, most other rooms being very modern.

It's still very much a honeymoon period with the house.

We still love it and enjoy every single second of being here, taking care of it.

-We're not leaving any time soon.

-No.

Undoubtedly, they came up against some serious challenges

throughout this spectacular renovation

but Robin and Vera now have a stunning family home

and at the same time,

they've saved a beautiful old property

from falling further into ruin.

Earlier I met Karl and Christina Yao, who took the plunge

and bought this abandoned church

without having planning permission in place.

After two years of campaigning their local planning department,

the Yaos now have full permission to turn it into a family home.

Of course, churches aren't the only type of properties

which can be turned into housing.

And if you know your way through the procedures,

obtaining a Change of Use doesn't have to be a scary business.

I'm meeting up with planning adviser, Graham Bell,

to talk through the pitfalls and how to avoid them.

From experience, what should people bear in mind

when trying to apply for Change of Use for a community facility?

The thing to do is do your research.

In that research you'll find out whether you're a unique facility, or one of many.

If you're one of many, you've got a much greater chance of yours being able to be converted.

It will help you immensely to find out that it just hasn't been

available, it's been standing empty and standing idle,

particularly at the current time.

Is it a misconception it's harder to get Change of Use on a listed property?

Not always. A listed building is a cherished feature.

Generally, the community doesn't want to see that fall down and fall into

disrepair, it wants it used, we all want it there for the next 100 years.

No-one's going to make your case for you,

you've got to do the research and find out

the best and strongest arguments to back up your planning application.

Absolutely, and with that, you've every chance of success.

Christina and Karl may have been successful in managing

to get permission to get convert this disused Hampshire chapel,

but the real work of turning it into a family home has only just begun.

So, to give them some helpful pointers and inspiration,

I've sent the Yaos to meet a couple

who undertook a similar renovation project.

The key thing about taking the project on was to get something that we wanted.

We were searching for the best part of five years

for a house somewhere nearby.

We looked at a lot of converted barns.

After a lot of searching, Janine and Roy Naismith

found their perfect home

in the shape of this ruined 16th century barn.

When we first saw the barn, it was in a terrible state.

It was completely derelict, it had trees growing inside,

dirt floors, no roof.

It was actually pretty difficult to picture what we were going to do

and anybody who came to see it,

all our friends thought we were completely mad,

that we paid all this money for...

-..a pile of sticks.

-A pile of sticks.

Despite the many structural issues,

Janine and Roy were smitten with the place.

After 18 months of challenging building work,

the Naismiths finally realised their dream.

From the wreck of an old barn,

Roy and Janine have created vast open-plan kitchen and living areas.

And they've found room for four bedrooms too.

I think that part of the house that gives me the most pleasure

has to be the kitchen because I look at it every day

and I think it's stunning.

I just think, it's the centre of the house and it's just so beautiful.

We did spend a lot of money and a lot of time designing it.

Everything we've put in here, you can look at it

and see that it's been put inside the barn.

In the future, someone will come and take out what we put in, put something else

but the barn will still be here,

being what it's been since the 1600s - a barn.

Although this barn renovation is on a much larger scale than

that of Christina and Karl's church, the principles remain the same.

I hope they'll be able to glean some valuable practical advice here.

This is the type of look I'm really after, the old meets new,

all the contemporariness.

With an open-plan look, how does it work with a family?

It looks fantastic, it looks contemporary,

but we've got a nine-year-old, a four-year-old and a thirteen -year-old,

so noise could be interesting.

You do have to have that space to separate.

We've made what we refer to as the media room -

double wall thickness, soundproofed, door closed

and we can't hear them, even with the PlayStation and the sound system

and we can get on with our lives if we've got guests in.

With regards to the actual curves and the design,

did you get a lot of help with this? It's fantastic, the way it fits in.

It's important to get the right people to help you.

We'd a fantastic architect, our builder was brilliant

and the kitchen designer had an impact on how the place looked.

Get the right people, it makes the difference.

TV area, lounge area, what do we call this?

Haven't got a proper name for it.

-I totally love the sofas.

-The sofas are fantastic, aren't they?

Were there many compromises you had to make?

When we first went out to look for stone floors, I knew what I wanted -

as pale as possible, I wanted that finish, which is honed,

and we went to this fantastic shop

and there it was, the perfect stone floor

but I think it was something like £85 a square metre.

My budget was 40. Simply can't afford to go for it.

I just went back out shopping again,

went to a different shop, found very similar.

It's not as beautiful as the one at 85

but I had to get beyond that because I had to stick to that budget,

especially when it was going to make such a huge difference to the floor

and this one ended up, I think, £42 a square metre, so it was half.

-Yes.

-But it's not half as beautiful.

-Shall we go and have a look at the rest of the house?

-That would be fantastic.

That's built into the wall...

It's really fantastic,

I really like it and the lights just really work.

How long did it take you to get them angled correctly?

So, this is our master bedroom.

I think the space is really great, actually, seeing it,

because I've always assumed that we'd have to have our bed here,

where you're stood but, I actually think it would work in the eaves.

-It's fine, yes.

-We've got about from here, we can stand in.

-That's all you need to get into bed.

-That's all we need to get into bed.

-Yeah.

So, I think this is actually very, very similar.

It's fantastic to see the whole thing...

This area, probably matches most closely something we're doing,

so this will be very close to our bedroom.

Seeing the Naismith's home

has certainly been an eye-opener for Christina and Karl.

Later, I'll be hearing how their visit

may have influenced plans for their own project.

Back in Margate,

Empty Property Officer, Mike Thompson,

is on his way to a large property on the seafront.

In its heyday, the Leslie was a thriving hotel.

But as local tourism declined,

many seaside establishments like this one closed down.

The local council has recently taken charge of this derelict building

with a view to redeveloping it into affordable family homes.

Today, Mike's meeting Tanya, one of Margate's Regeneration Officers.

-Hi, Tanya.

-Hi, Mike.

He's keen to check if the building

is structurally sound enough to take a redevelopment

or whether it will require full demolition and a rebuild.

Of course, you can get some idea of the size of it,

with the three houses actually knocked into one.

-How many rooms did we think there are here?

-50.

Take a bit of clearance before we can see really what we're going to be doing with it.

-Yeah. Quite a shock, isn't it, first time?

-It is, it is.

There's a lot to do and a lot to think about.

-A great acquisition for us.

-It is.

Takes out what could potentially be a damaging property to us

in the wrong hands and used in the wrong way. Good, good.

Properties like this are vulnerable to vandalism and theft.

Out the back, Tanya finds something of concern.

-Mike!

-Yes?

The site exit's insecure at the back here and there's a smashed window.

Oh, crikey!

The property's insecure, so we'll need to get that sorted out.

That's fairly recent, I'd say, this one anyway.

We'll have a look and back at the office,

first thing we'll do is get on to building control and the surveyors to sort it.

-We've got some people can do that?

-No problem.

They can get a contractor if they have to, but we can get somebody today to see to it.

Mike's worked hard to secure this building's redevelopment

and is feeling hopeful that the Leslie Hotel

can be given a new lease of life.

The main thing is, we've got it and we've secured it.

We've got to really think about what the best use of this property

is going to be and how we're going to get the most units

out of it and we have to think about the economics of it,

the best use of public money

and getting the right sort of housing back.

I think the important thing is, quality development has to go back in its place and it has to look right.

So, it's another success story for Mike

and the local Empty Property Officers.

Absolutely delighted with the result today.

The site will be used for family accommodation and that's what it's all about.

It's another potential risk to the area removed.

Christina and Karl Yao are embarking on

a challenging renovation of an empty church.

To get inspiration, the Yaos met up with Roy and Janine Naismith

who recently renovated a derelict 400-year-old barn.

I'm hooking up with Christina and Karl

to see how they feel now about their renovation project.

-Hi, guys, how was it?

-It was fantastic, a real eye-opener.

-Still feel happy about doing it.

-Good!

It hasn't scared me, it's inspired us.

It made us realise it's possible.

It's an open-plan property.

Has it helped you get your head round the layout of yours?

If we can achieve something like that, that would be fantastic.

It makes a lot of sense but I think overall,

we're still fans of the open-plan living,

but I think they've given us some insight

into which we'll think and maybe tweak a few things.

Having been through it and seen it,

how do you feel about your project, are you raring to go?

Oh, cannot wait! I want to go home and start it right now.

Christina and Karl have a great opportunity to turn a disused church

into an extraordinary family home.

Let's face it, they're not experts in building or renovation,

they're just ordinary people with a vision

and a lot of motivation, which really makes you think that

with the right planning and a little bit of inspiration,

really anyone can be part of saving one of Britain's empty homes.

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