0:00:02 > 0:00:06Across the country, empty buildings that could be homes are waiting
0:00:06 > 0:00:08to be brought back into use.
0:00:10 > 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 > 0:00:16And I'll be doing some digging
0:00:16 > 0:00:19to find out more about our housing stock, our heritage and why
0:00:19 > 0:00:24we should both be reinventing and preserving Britain's Empty Homes.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Whether it's city centres, suburban streets or country lanes,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37across Britain, disused dwellings left empty
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and unloved are an all too familiar sight.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43But look past the peeling paintwork, the broken windows,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47the overgrown gardens, and these forgotten buildings have the
0:00:47 > 0:00:52potential to be turned back into beautiful homes once more.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Today, I'll meet a couple who've bought
0:00:54 > 0:00:59an empty house in the country to renovate into their dream home.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We do plan to make some changes, so it won't be just a lick of paint.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05We'll see how this derelict hospital has been
0:01:05 > 0:01:08transformed into a spectacular family home.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11It was on the At Risk Register with English Heritage,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14and had been left to, just basically, to rot.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18And we're following the property detectives who rescue unloved
0:01:18 > 0:01:21and abandoned houses across the country.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23It does become more than a job.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26You spot these empty properties a mile off
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and think, "I could do something with that."
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Lyndon Hoare and John Clarkson have busy careers as an HR manager
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and software designer in the city.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40John and Lyndon currently live in London, but for years they've dreamt
0:01:40 > 0:01:44of escaping the rat race and moving to the countryside.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47They've recently bought this 1950s three-bedroom semi
0:01:47 > 0:01:51in the commuter village of Balcombe, West Sussex.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55It was the right location, it was the right price.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It's very much a foothold in the country.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The village is a really nice place. The people are friendly.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06It's not a house of great beauty, of itself, but it's very functional.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11The house cost £250,000, has laid empty for almost a year,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and is in need of a total refurbishment.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Structurally and fundamentally, it's pretty sound. But the interior
0:02:19 > 0:02:21of the house just needs everything doing to it.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25The right amount of work and the right kind of work was the thing,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28so it was a project that we could take on.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30This is John and Lyndon's first project,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34and they plan to do a lot of the work themselves.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35How much we do ourselves,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39how much we get professionals in for, it depends on the work.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42As much as we can, we'll do ourselves. All the painting,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45building kitchens and stuff like that.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46The couple have big ambitions,
0:02:46 > 0:02:52including a large rear extension, but a relatively small budget.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57The biggest costs will be plumbing, wiring and the extension.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00But we do reckon we could do all of that for £50,000.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I'm meeting up with John and Lyndon to find out more.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- This is your new place, is it? - Yes it is.- It is, indeed.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08Tell me, what attracted you to it?
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Well, for me it was the views, the fact that it's in a super area,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15an area of outstanding natural beauty, and as far as the house
0:03:15 > 0:03:19is concerned, it's a project that needs some work doing to it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24I think it's time for us to have a look inside. Shall we? Lead the way!
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Ah, OK. The first thing that catches my eye as we come in...
0:03:29 > 0:03:31the camping gear. You're putting that down
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- and staying here at the moment? - That's right.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37We tend to come down just for weekends,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and strip wallpaper or plant things in the garden, whatever we're doing.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So, is it superficial, what you have to do?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48We do plan to make some changes, so it won't be just a lick of paint.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53So it'll be re-plumbed, it'll be rewired, cavity wall insulation.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55In terms of the structure of the place,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57are you going to do much with the walls?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Enlarge any of the rooms? Are you happy with the size?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Mostly, they'll stay the same, we think.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04There's plans to put an extension out the back,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and that might mean the kitchen gets flipped into the extension.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10We could knock through and make this a more usable
0:04:10 > 0:04:11dining and living area.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Well let's have a look through the kitchen,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and maybe in the garden as well, see where you'd extend. Great.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Right, so this is probably very easy for one person,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- everything's around you, but not so good for the two of you.- It's pokey.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31There's only room for one person in here. We'd like it to be bigger.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So how much bigger would you like your kitchen to be?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Double it, at least.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'I'm keen to see what plans they have for the extension,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'and the rear of the house.'
0:04:42 > 0:04:45So looking at the back of the house now,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48where and how far out would you extend?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- About three metres from the very back line of the kitchen.- Right.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Budget and planning allowing, we'd like to come out,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57the whole width of the house.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And would it be one storey? What's above it at the back?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Right, well it depends who you're talking to, Joe.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06John's thinking about one storey,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10I'm thinking that we've got a small third bedroom,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and if we could extend into the roof space of the extension,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18that would give us more space and make it a comfortable third bedroom.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I don't think we can go two storeys on that budget.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- I think it's going to be one storey. - OK.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Having glass on the roof and letting light in that way appeals as well.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Bi-fold doors opening outside as well, and I just,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33it's easier to do those things on a one storey.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36So, let's talk numbers, then. How much is there
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- to play with in the budget? - Between £40 to £50,000.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I think, we decide what we'd like to do, we have a wish list.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48We get a sense of what that's going to cost and that's when we think,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52"Let's cut back on the wish list, and make it fit the budget."
0:05:52 > 0:05:56There's a lot ahead. It's going to be very interesting for you both.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59What's going to be useful is to take you to see a property
0:05:59 > 0:06:01that on the face of it looks different,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03different style, different size,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06but inside, been through remarkably similar challenges.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It'd be good to meet the couple who've done it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11They can answer a lot of questions for you,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and give you some good practical advice. How does that sound?
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- It sounds great.- That sounds like a really good opportunity, yeah.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Really good to meet Lyndon and John. I loved their enthusiasm,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and it's a really exciting project. It's their first one together.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30The problems, in my opinion, begin with this ambitious extension.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33They haven't agreed on whether it's going to be one or two storeys.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37The budget seems extremely tight, and when it comes to managing it,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40a lot of the time, they're going to be miles away in London,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45which is cause for concern. So, really important for them
0:06:45 > 0:06:47to meet a couple who've been through this,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50they've got the experience and they can pass on plenty of tips
0:06:50 > 0:06:55to Lyndon and John on how to keep their renovation on track.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Not every house is lucky enough to attract enthusiastic new owners.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Across Britain, empty property officers employed by local councils
0:07:03 > 0:07:07are carrying out detective work on our abandoned homes,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10working tirelessly to bring them back into use.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Steve Reed is one of the empty property officers
0:07:13 > 0:07:15for Cardiff Council.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17It does become more than a job,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21because even on your days off, you spot these empty properties
0:07:21 > 0:07:25a mile off and you think, "Oh, I could do something with that."
0:07:25 > 0:07:27In his nine years on the job, Steve has brought
0:07:27 > 0:07:30over 700 deserted dwellings back to use.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35When I finally see an empty property occupied,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39it's a great sense of satisfaction that you've played a major part
0:07:39 > 0:07:41in getting it back to this occupied state.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Today, Steve is visiting a house that's been on his books
0:07:44 > 0:07:48for a while, and is on the brink of being brought back to life.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52My involvement with this property is coming to an end, really.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56The visit today is just to let the valuers in, to have a look at it,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00hand over the keys, and for them to sell it as quickly as possible.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Steve has been granted a compulsory purchase order
0:08:03 > 0:08:07on this derelict house, and it's soon to go up for sale at auction.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09When it goes to auction,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12we put a condition on it that the owner has to renovate
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and reoccupy the property within six months.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Today, Steve is meeting with the auctioneer and the council valuer
0:08:18 > 0:08:21to discuss the best way to price and market the house.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Right, we'll have a look around inside but be careful,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28some of the floors are a bit dodgy, so... mind your step,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and we'll go and have a look.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It's been seriously neglected, and needs some major work
0:08:36 > 0:08:37to make it habitable.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- Gosh. That's not safe, is it? - No. That looks pretty dangerous.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46The joists are completely gone there, on the floor.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50That'd be quite costly to fill that in, wouldn't it?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Certainly, yeah. Certainly.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- It's not a bad kitchen, is it?- It's a good size.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Obviously, there's some damp penetrated in
0:09:00 > 0:09:03from the first floor bathroom, I would imagine.
0:09:03 > 0:09:09- With a bit of work on it, it could look...really good.- Definitely.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Moving upstairs, there are more structural problems,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16which will affect the market value.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21- D'you think you can sell this, Matt? - I don't think there'll be a problem.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I think the auction would be the right route to go down,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27you know, in terms of finding a cash buyer for you.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I'll just go through my findings in terms of the amount of work,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34judge that with a valuation, and I'll be in touch.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36I'll hand these over to you, now.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Great, I'll take them from you. Thank you very much.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Keep in touch and let us know how it goes.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Steve's part in rescuing this house is done.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The hope is it gets a good price at auction.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52It's a good feeling for us because we've brought it this far,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and now we can hand it over and relax a little bit
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and keep an eye on it. We'll keep monitoring it,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01to make sure that someone does move in, and once they're in,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04it comes off our books and we're on to the next one.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Taking on an empty property clearly isn't easy.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15It can involve months of exhausting, relentless and expensive work.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But if you've got the confidence, the vision, the know-how,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21then the rewards can be second to none.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27In Wimbledon, Peter Beckwith took on an extraordinary restoration,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31when he bought this 15-bedroom Victorian mansion.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Previously owned by a hospital trust, it came with four acres
0:10:34 > 0:10:39of grounds and had been empty and derelict for almost 40 years.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41When I came round, I was a property investor,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46and the main attraction was that it was four acres of free-hold land.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50So, my ideas were in terms of knocking the whole thing down
0:10:50 > 0:10:55and building some new modern housing or whatever.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00But in fact, when my wife and I walked round the Victorian building,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03it became quite clear to us that it would make a magnificent home.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Peter's used to taking on challenging projects,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09but he was over-awed by the scale of this renovation.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13What shocked us was we'd been told it was a Grade II listed building,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but we hadn't been told that it was on the At Risk Register
0:11:16 > 0:11:21with English Heritage, and had been left to, just basically, to rot.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26There was practically nothing in the building which was worth retaining.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Peter bought the house in 1997 for £2,000,000.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35He then spent almost another 2,000,000 totally gutting it
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and rebuilding all the interiors.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43The building was stripped back to, literally, the four walls,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46the chimney stacks and nothing else.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52And that was how bad the deterioration had set in.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53The roof is completely new.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58The window frames and all the woodwork has been replaced.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01The conservatory clearly is a new innovation,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and it's a tremendous environment where you can have the doors open,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07you can still watch your television,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and you can pretend that you're actually sitting out in the garden.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Overall, this was an epic year-and-a-half restoration,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19but now Peter and his family have a spectacular home.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21I mean, we spent money which
0:12:21 > 0:12:26a commercial developer would never have put in, but I knew
0:12:26 > 0:12:30that we were going to live here for 15, 20 years, maybe longer.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I knew we were going to enjoy it and, most importantly,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35our family were going to enjoy it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I think our children and grandchildren will say,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41"The old couple did a good job.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44"They created a lovely home for us and good on them."
0:12:47 > 0:12:50From the rescue of a derelict Victorian pile in Wimbledon,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53we're heading to Liverpool, where whole streets
0:12:53 > 0:12:58of period houses have been stuck in limbo for almost 20 years.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I've come to the Granby area of Liverpool, where
0:13:00 > 0:13:04a phenomenal number of properties are empty and boarded up.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Row after row of Victorian terraces face an uncertain future.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The local residents would like to see these homes brought back to use,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15but the reality is, the majority of these properties
0:13:15 > 0:13:19are earmarked for demolition, to be replaced by new builds.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Many trace Granby's problems back to the Toxteth riots of '81.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29These streets have been bought up by the council and earmarked
0:13:29 > 0:13:31for demolition and redevelopment.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The plans have got caught up in red tape and bureaucracy,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39leaving hundreds of local houses boarded up and empty for years.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43I'm meeting Jonathan Brown, a town planner and member of the
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Liverpool Civic Society, who's been campaigning to save these streets.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Help me make sense of this. We're not talking about a few houses,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54we're talking about streets and streets. Why so many?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56And why have they been boarded up for so long?
0:13:56 > 0:14:00You have to track back probably ten years or more to understand.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04There's a policy to knock down over 20,000 houses across Merseyside
0:14:04 > 0:14:08because there were seen to be too many for the population
0:14:08 > 0:14:11that has shrunk since its heights before the war. That's why
0:14:11 > 0:14:13these houses are in the state you see,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and the people who live here have been victims
0:14:16 > 0:14:19of this high-level bulldozer that's swept through this neighbourhood.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24It's such a waste of building resources, but also money.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27There must be a lot of money tied up in these places.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Hundreds of millions has been spent in Liverpool alone
0:14:29 > 0:14:33just really to buy up, board up and potentially bulldoze.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Thankfully these have not yet been bulldozed. Now we're left in limbo.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40So, the important thing is where do we go from here?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44So how much hope is there, that many of these can be saved?
0:14:44 > 0:14:48They're still in fair condition, given the neglect they've had,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51There's still the prospect of putting people to work on them,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54to learn skills. People who are unemployed
0:14:54 > 0:14:56could work and train on these houses.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00We know that there are investors lined up keen to get stuck in
0:15:00 > 0:15:02if they can get hold of the property.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05While they still stand, Joe, there is hope.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08But something needs to change. We would call on the government
0:15:08 > 0:15:11to sit down with the council and take a new approach,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and try and work with local residents to get this sorted out.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24It's shocking to see buildings sitting here in this state,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and it's not just a few of them. Street after street,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30whole neighbourhoods that are now ghost towns.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31But there are residents around here,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36and they're determined to keep the community spirit alive.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Only eight out of 60 houses are occupied in the street
0:15:41 > 0:15:44where Eleanor Lee and Carol Folder live.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47They've done their best to keep their community alive
0:15:47 > 0:15:48and the bulldozers at bay.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Alongside their campaign against demolition,
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Eleanor and Carol have made it their mission to brighten up their street.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58In a sense, this community felt forgotten.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01People moved out, the buildings were left boarded up.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06But you've taken it on and you've done your best to try
0:16:06 > 0:16:08and keep life here. How have you done that?
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Talk me through some of the touches that you've done
0:16:11 > 0:16:13to reclaim control.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16We started connecting to each house that was lived in,
0:16:16 > 0:16:22so we started green sort of links and then we started painting,
0:16:22 > 0:16:27then we just expanded so that we've done, oh, it's over 50 houses now.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31And it's a nice feeling when you think, "I'll do the house next door.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35"Oh, that looks nice. Put a few more plants in that one, down there."
0:16:35 > 0:16:37And that's how it took off.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43There are some plans for development now. What are they? What's in store?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47The city council, in our four streets, they own 130 properties.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52And they've put those as a block out to tender, to a developer.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55There'll be some demolitions, I imagine.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- But the focus of it is refurbishment. - That seems like good news.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But what would you like to see happen here?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03At the moment, it's like one size fits all.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08It's like, it moves as a block, and no individuals can buy into it,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13so our preferred option would have been to allow members of,
0:17:13 > 0:17:20you know, individuals to buy cheap and do them up at their own rate.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24But, what we're trying to do is, we're trying to negotiate with
0:17:24 > 0:17:29either, which ever developer wins, to see if we can secure some
0:17:29 > 0:17:34properties in this area, which will be owned by the community.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Because the members of this community have invested time,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40money and commitment, really.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Yeah, and it's off the back of your campaigns
0:17:43 > 0:17:45to keep the building stock, that it is now possible
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- for developers to come and refurbish.- Oh, I'm sure it is, yeah.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52You've managed to really pull together here
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and foster an amazing community spirit.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59So, with that kind of determination, who knows what can happen?
0:17:59 > 0:18:03And it's a very tough, enterprising community,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07who are used to surviving hard times.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Well, there is still hope so, I wish you all the best with this.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- Onward, onward! - Onward. And there is a lot of hope.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18What the ladies and other members of the community
0:18:18 > 0:18:22have been able to achieve here is really quite special.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24They weren't forced out, they've hung on in here
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and they've managed to create quite a unique spirit.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Who knows what's going to happen?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Hopefully, many of these buildings can be saved.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And it's good that a developer is taking a lead on that,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41but I also hope that people get a chance to invest here.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Local people, families, individuals,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47so they too can have a stake in this community.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Earlier, I met John Clarkson and Lyndon Hoare,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56who are renovating this 1950s semi in Balcombe, West Sussex.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58John and Lyndon have big plans, but need to agree
0:18:58 > 0:19:04on how they would extend the property for just £50,000.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06I'm bringing them to Tunbridge Wells in Kent,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09to meet a couple who've tackled a similar renovation.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Right, here we are. This is the property I want you to see.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I think you're going to like it. I'm excited. Shall we have a look?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- Yeah, let's.- Come on, then.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Executive film producer Tony Holce and his partner Marion Bird
0:19:24 > 0:19:26previously lived just two doors down
0:19:26 > 0:19:29from this Georgian end-of-terrace cottage.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The house was built for railway workers,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36and unusually, since 1940, only one family had lived here.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37It had been empty for 12 months,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41and hadn't been refurbished in 70 years.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45To walk into this place was horrendous!
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It was yellow with dried nicotine.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53You could see where pictures had been hung, you pulled out three-pin
0:19:53 > 0:19:56plugs and there was the shape of the plug, which caused us problems
0:19:56 > 0:20:00because you can never get rid of this unless you get rid of the walls.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05And Tony and Marion had to get their hands dirty to do the place up.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10The roof had to come off. Plumbing, drainage, completely rewired.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- Everything had to be renewed. - I mean, it was total renovation.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Yes, not just a refurb, it was...lots of rebuilding.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21They had an initial budget of £70,000 to renovate
0:20:21 > 0:20:24and add on this spectacular extension.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27But they eventually ended up spending around £100,000
0:20:27 > 0:20:29to get the house how they wanted it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I suppose if you start literally with a gutted building,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37you can actually say, "Right, it's ours to do what we want with."
0:20:37 > 0:20:42And I like to think that we've been sympathetic to the original building.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It's just lovely to have a mix of old and new.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48That's what's worked really well.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Come the winter, we spend a lot of time there with the open fire,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55shut the door and it's nice and cosy and old fashioned,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and in the summer we can sit out here,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02open the doors and I think that's what's worked really well.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06I think we'd have to go a long way to find something to match it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10This property was in a similar state to the one
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Lyndon and John are taking on,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16so I'm hoping they'll glean some useful advice from this visit.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19So, Marion and Tony, this is Lyndon and John.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- Welcome.- Hi.- In we come, very good. Look at this.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26My hunch is, it's right up your street.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I think this is absolutely gorgeous, I must say. I think,
0:21:29 > 0:21:35you've shown daring and creativity in taking down a wall here.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40And I love this. I love the height difference as well. It's really...
0:21:40 > 0:21:41No, it does work.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'The area I feel will be of most interest to John and Lyndon
0:21:44 > 0:21:46'is the extension.'
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Oh, wow.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54Right, so what d'you make of this? Very clean, simple, modern.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58It looks great. It really looks super. Lots of light.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Lots of light again, yeah, using the full length of the glass panels.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It's really given me a sense of what we could do with
0:22:06 > 0:22:09that space at the back of the house where we want to extend.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13It's nice, it's sleek, it's clean. It's simple. I really like it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17I love the light, I love the doors, we've talked about bi-fold doors
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and opening out onto the back yard, so, it's...
0:22:20 > 0:22:24it's exactly the style of thing we're looking for.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Was that reflected in your budget?
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Are your priorities that, of all the areas, you had to get this one right
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and you could spend more on the fixtures and fittings?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It was a priority. Yes, definitely.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Because we do live a lot in here, especially in the summer,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45cos you've got this lovely light. We've got no intentions of moving
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and probably not going to be doing it again.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I think it's the things that finally make it your house
0:22:51 > 0:22:52that cost the extra money.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57'Outside, I want John and Lyndon to get a sense of how clever
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'the design is for the extension.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Now, as we look up, we can see your extension,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06the brick goes higher than the room we were just in.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- So, have you extended a bedroom up there?- Yes, we squared it off.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13It was just a narrow bedroom, and we've extended it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- So, does that ring a few bells, guys?- Just a bit, yeah.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21I suppose, if you were to summarize it, here we see a middle ground.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25We have an extension on the lower floor, a bit of an extension
0:23:25 > 0:23:28on the top floor. You don't have to come out in a big block,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30but you've got a bit of both.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33How does that strike you as a possibility?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Very sensible, actually. I can see that working.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Definitely, I think the half and half solution
0:23:39 > 0:23:42would definitely be one that we would consider
0:23:42 > 0:23:46very carefully as a potential to extend our smaller third bedroom.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Just add an extra metre and a half, two metres...
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- It does make a big difference, yeah. - Huge difference.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56With the budget, these guys are trying to work out
0:23:56 > 0:23:58how far they can make their money go.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04So what did you budget it to cost and how much over did you go?
0:24:04 > 0:24:1160 to 70 was the budget, and it just topped 100,000.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14But then, you've got to work out what you set out
0:24:14 > 0:24:16to include in your budget.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21I think, in fairness, we weren't that far out with the actual build cost,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24but it was when you started looking at furniture,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28appliances, and this was what Marion and I projected long-term.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So, we wanted, we didn't care
0:24:30 > 0:24:33whether somebody moving in would like it or not like it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37So I think, that's the thing you two probably have to think about.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Is it going to be our home for the next 15, 20 years?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42In which case, just do your own thing.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Guys, it's been a pleasure seeing around your house.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I'm pleased it's turned out well.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- I hope it's been useful. - Really useful.- Very interesting.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54It feels like it's been really worthwhile for John and Lyndon,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and I hope they've been inspired by some of the ideas
0:24:57 > 0:24:59that have helped make this a beautiful place.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I'm keen to see what they'll take home from this visit.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08How impressed, how inspired are you with the style
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and the modern design of what you've seen here?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I'm definitely very impressed.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It's certainly given us a lot of food for thought and discussion.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And there's a view there that you can have a middle ground.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22You don't have to extend one or two storeys,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25you could do one storey and a bit of two storeys, yeah.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27I like that, I like that idea a lot.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- I think that can work, I can see how that can work for us.- Really?
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Very, very useful. It's been really valuable.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36And we can get the light and the space we wanted,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39but still make that bedroom more usable.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43It still comes down to money. How concerned were you to hear of,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46I mean, pretty large costs compared to your own budget?
0:25:46 > 0:25:52A little, but we'll probably do more hands-on, ourselves.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56And, erm, we haven't got as much fundamental stuff to do.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58So, not too bad, we might have to go up a bit.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02I suppose now, having seen this, visualised how it can be,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- it's time to go home, plan it and make those decisions.- Absolutely.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09We haven't talked to an architect, and that's the next thing.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12So this was the right time to be getting ideas
0:26:12 > 0:26:13and seeing what could happen.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- And you're going forward energised, motivated?- Definitely, all of that.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It's been a good day. Thank you very much.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23It's so good that John and Lyndon could see this place today.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26There are so many comparisons between what's here
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and what they'd like to do with their empty home. You know what?
0:26:29 > 0:26:35I think it's come at the right time, before they make any big decisions.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Yes, their budget is very tight,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42but with the good practical advice they've heard here,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I'm confident they can make their money go as far as possible,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49so that very soon, they too will have their own dream home.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:26:54 > 0:26:57E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk