0:00:03 > 0:00:06Across the country, empty properties are waiting to be brought back into use.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I'll be finding out why,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Along the way, we'll be following the Property Detectives,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17who track down the owners of these forgotten houses
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and help breathe new life into the communities blighted by them.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And I'll be doing some digging of my own,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25to find out more about more about our housing stock,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28our heritage and why we should be both preserving and reinventing
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Britain's Empty Homes.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39Now, we've all seen them -
0:00:39 > 0:00:43those sad, stricken structures lying abandoned and unloved.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46There are thousands of empty properties across Britain,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48waiting to be noticed and restored,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52and turning these properties into fantastic homes once more is
0:00:52 > 0:00:56a challenge that people up and down the country are taking on right now.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'On today's show, I'll be meeting a couple who bought what they hope
0:01:02 > 0:01:04'will be a fantastic family home, and I'll help them
0:01:04 > 0:01:08'to get advice and inspiration to make their dream a reality.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:10We've got six weeks.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Six weeks?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Yeah. So we've got of work to do.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Wow.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And we'll be following one of Britain's Empty Property Officers,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21working to get disused buildings back from the brink.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It's good news for the council, it's good news for the developer,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and good news for the locals.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29They won't have the eyesore to look out on.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32When Hannah and David Ohandjanian stumbled across this
0:01:32 > 0:01:37three-storey Victorian building in the centre of Rugby in Warwickshire,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40it had been empty for three years, after being used as offices.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46When we first saw it, we saw that it was in a bit of a state,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49but then we also immediately saw the opportunity to turn
0:01:49 > 0:01:52it into something beautiful and exactly what we wanted, because it
0:01:52 > 0:01:56had the space and it had the light, and also the location was perfect.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Having outgrown their current house,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Hannah and David felt that with some considered renovation,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06this period place would fit their family perfectly.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07We've got three small children.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10They're just going to be getting bigger,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and Dave hires an office at the moment, so we kind of thought
0:02:14 > 0:02:17that we could get a house that he can have an office at the home.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19We could combine the two.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22We could have the extra space, the extra living space for a family,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and also combine and save costs.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27After a successful application to get change of use
0:02:27 > 0:02:29from commercial to residential status,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32they then bought the house for £174,000,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and now plan to transform it.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38It was a lot cheaper than anything else
0:02:38 > 0:02:41we could have got for that size, and we've got the funds then
0:02:41 > 0:02:44that we could decorated exactly how we wanted.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48It's got the potential to be a really comfortable family home, right in
0:02:48 > 0:02:53the centre of town, and it's really perfect for what we're looking for.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'I'm meeting up with David and Hannah at their new home,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58'to see just what their options are
0:02:58 > 0:03:00'and hear their ideas for the renovation.'
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Hello, nice to meet you. - Joe. Hi, Hannah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- Hi, Joe. You all right? - Hi, David.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Now, guys. This is your place. So, tell me about it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09For a start, you got it for an absolute steal. How so?
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Well, it's been offices, but that's been three years ago.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13It's been empty for three years.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Right, so because you saw the potential of it,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17maybe you went where others wouldn't have dared go?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Definitely, because it's turned into offices,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22but it could still become a beautiful home again.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Yeah. Now, I can see a skip outside, so how long have you been in?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Work's obviously started.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30We got the keys about two weeks ago, and that's actually the third skip.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Third skip?- Yes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Brilliant. Let's go and see what you been up to.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36OK.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37'With a budget of £50,000,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40'the couple plan to turn this three-storey building
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'into a four-bedroomed family home with an office for David.'
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Look at this. So where were things when you first came in here?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Well, where Dave is, that would have been a little reception area,
0:03:52 > 0:03:53so there was a wall here.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Right.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And there, so we've taken all that out.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- That's the little reception window. - Yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00That's where the receptionist was.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02And this wall's going to come out as well? How does that work?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It is, yes. We can't just rip that wall down,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06because it's a supporting wall,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10so we're going to put an RSJ in there, and have it opened out,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12so it's nice and airy and spacious.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Goodness. And once you've got a big space here,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18what do you want to do with it?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20OK, so, down here, where we're standing,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22is going to be part of my office.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We're going to have a meeting room where we're standing around here,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and then through here's going to be a big, open-plan office.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Well, clearly a lot of confidence here.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I love how you've come in, ripped things out
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and you're smart enough to know what a supporting wall looks like,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37as well, so have you done this before?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Not really. We've done a bit of work on our current house,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41but nothing to this scale.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And have you got anyone to help you?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Hannah's dad is actually... - My dad's actually a builder.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Oh, right.- So we've been able to ask his advice,
0:04:48 > 0:04:49which has been really helpful.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Excellent. Is he consulting, or is he actually going to be hands-on with you?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- He's going to mainly be doing the kitchen area.- OK.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59And also working on the office, but our idea was to have specialists
0:04:59 > 0:05:03doing the specialist areas, so it's going to be crucial that we put
0:05:03 > 0:05:08hard work in as well, but we really want it to be right first time.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- Brilliant, OK. Let's continue, shall we? Shall we look through there?- Yes, why not?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Well, this is a really good space.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20So this is, what, going to be a kitchen-diner?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- Yeah, we're going to have the dining room table there.- Yeah.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Galley kitchen here.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- At the back, we're going to have a couple of sofas.- Right.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28And then the back wall is going to come out,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and we're going to have bifold doors.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It's our place we're really excited about, living space for the family.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Great, and you're working on this now.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40How soon, in terms of timescale, do you need all this to be done?
0:05:41 > 0:05:45This is the big thing we need to have done before we move in.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47The kitchen down here and the bathroom upstairs,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51so it's a comfortable place to live, even while we're finishing off
0:05:51 > 0:05:53some of the smaller things around the house.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55And when would you move in? What is the timescale?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57We've got six weeks.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58Six weeks?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Yeah, so we've got a lot of work to do.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05- Wow. What's dictating that? You've got to get out of your current place?- Yeah.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09And so, you're prepared, are you, to be living in a building site?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12You want if you areas to be nice, but you're going to just try
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and cope and get by with other work going on when you're here?
0:06:14 > 0:06:15Yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20In this area and the office that we seem, as well, it does look
0:06:20 > 0:06:23a bit of a building site, but the rest of the house is not too bad.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- It is liveable.- OK.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30'This is a big job to tackle, and it'll need a lot of hard work,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32'especially on the ground floor,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36'to make this once commercial premises into a comfortable home.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:40When you look ahead to the six weeks and beyond, what are your worries?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42What are your concerns about this project?
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I think mainly the timescale, isn't it? We haven't got long.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49We need to get a kitchen in, we need to get a bathroom in.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Relating to that is scheduling correctly so that we have things
0:06:53 > 0:06:59in place, workmen in place that will turn up, and also keeping within
0:06:59 > 0:07:02budget, and then with that in mind, also making it work how we wanted
0:07:02 > 0:07:07it to be, with our vision being fulfilled and not getting it wrong.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Well, it seems to me you're very much on the right lines.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12You've had some really good advice from your father, in terms
0:07:12 > 0:07:14of him being a builder, but what would be really good now is to see
0:07:14 > 0:07:18another place that's been renovated, and speak to the people involved.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I'm going to show you somewhere that, in many ways,
0:07:20 > 0:07:21is different to this.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It's on a much bigger scale, but don't let that put you off,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26because there's still loads of great inspiration,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28ideas, advice that you could take away.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30They were also first-time renovators as well,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33so there's a lot of similarities. Does it sound good?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Yeah, definitely. Looking forward to that.- Excellent.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Well, I really like this place,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40and I think David and Hannah have lucked out.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44It's huge, and they've got it for a very good price indeed.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Now, David and Hannah have got some help through Hannah's father,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but even so, they don't have much experience, so it's going to
0:07:50 > 0:07:53be really good for them to meet a couple who've been through this and
0:07:53 > 0:07:57can give them that extra little bit of advice to help them on their way.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Up and down the country, stricken structures are left empty
0:08:03 > 0:08:05and abandoned, waiting to be rescued.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And the people whose job it is to seek out these buildings
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and get them back into use are local council Empty Property Officers.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15In the Thanet area on the Kent coast,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Mike Thomson works to get houses on his patch lived in again.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Today he's heading to an iconic building in Broadstairs
0:08:22 > 0:08:24which has been converted into flats,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28but sadly became vacant and subsequently vandalised.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I'm here today to assess its loan eligibility, to see whether
0:08:31 > 0:08:35we could actually advance one of our interest-free loans on the property.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36I hope we can,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39because I'd dearly love to see this building brought back into use
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and provide much-needed accommodation for the area.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Mike's meeting the agent for the developer, Jeff Oliver,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49to see just what needs doing to the building.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Well, it's quite a project, isn't it?- I should say so.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's a big old Georgian building
0:08:54 > 0:08:57that's been rather left to fend for itself in recent years.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Shall we see what we've got? - Absolutely. After you. - Thanks very much.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The house had been divided up into 21 flats
0:09:03 > 0:09:04before the current owner took it on.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08While it stood empty, lead had been stripped from the roof,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11leaving considerable damage to the interior.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Ah, yes.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16So, if you look just in front of you there, Mike, you can see that
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- clearly been leaking for some time, where the lead has been taken away. - Yeah.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22So even today, we've got the rainwater coming in,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and we can see here how the ceiling has collapsed at some stage.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Because obviously, this is vital, isn't it,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29to get this roof buttoned up and get it secure.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Absolutely.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Once we stop water coming in, that's half the problem, isn't it?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36That must be the first aim, to keep the building watertight, preserve the fabric.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I agree.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41As with any abandoned building, Mike needs to check its condition
0:09:41 > 0:09:44before he can sign off the council's interest-free loan.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47So this, obviously, was a kitchen.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48Yes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- This is consistent all through the building, isn't it?- Correct.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54So we're talking about 21 kitchens, and 21..
0:09:54 > 0:09:5921 kitchens, 21 bathrooms, 21 central heating systems,
0:09:59 > 0:10:0021 of everything.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Yeah.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04So that's going to be a considerable expense, isn't it?
0:10:04 > 0:10:05Quite correct, yes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09The whole house needs a major renovation,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12but it will eventually provide much-needed housing
0:10:12 > 0:10:14for 21 families on the council's waiting-list.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15I'm very pleased to say, Jeff,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19that everything I seen here today qualifies for the loan.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22If we start with the roof, all the damage that's been done all
0:10:22 > 0:10:26the way through to the fabric of the building, to the ceilings,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28windows, kitchens, the bathroom.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We would welcome a loan application.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31Good, well, that's marvellous news, Mike.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I shall be very pleased to tell the developer that,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and I'm sure he'll be ecstatic about the whole situation.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I'm so pleased somebody's taken this lovely old building on.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It's good news for the Council, it's good news for the developer,
0:10:43 > 0:10:44and good news for the local people.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46They won't have the eyesore to look on,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50and it's going to provide some much-needed accommodation,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and we'll get a long-term empty building back into use, so it's great news.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Since Mike's visit, the loan application is being processed,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and the developer hopes to complete the work within six months.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Coming to the rescue of a derelict house and getting it
0:11:03 > 0:11:06back on its feet can be a great personal triumph, but it could
0:11:06 > 0:11:11also benefit the local area and, by bringing a property back into use,
0:11:11 > 0:11:16help reduce the huge demand we have for housing in our country.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21When Susan and Alan Chater spotted this 17th century stone barn
0:11:21 > 0:11:24just outside Sheffield, they decided to take a chance on it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28It was just a mess.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33Overgrown, stone walls, weeds. Just awful.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Dark, damp, and uninviting by any means.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The potential, I suppose, was there,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43and Sue certainly had the vision to see how it could evolve.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46They bought the barn for just under £200,000,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and set out on a renovation that would take them two years.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53There had been a preliminary design already done on this to get
0:11:53 > 0:11:55through the planning authorities, but the layout
0:11:55 > 0:12:00we weren't happy with, and it became obvious that we needed to reverse
0:12:00 > 0:12:03arrangement in this property, because the views are certainly at
0:12:03 > 0:12:07a higher level, so the living space and kitchen is at the higher level,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and the bedrooms are on the ground floor, which is a bit strange
0:12:11 > 0:12:13sometimes, going down to bed, rather than up to bed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17With the help of a local builder, the Chaters have created
0:12:17 > 0:12:20a contemporary home sympathetic to the original building.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25We tried to keep it so the original features would still be there,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28so we've kept the beams, and beams go all the way through the property,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32so that gives it this old-fashioned feel,
0:12:32 > 0:12:37but downstairs, I've been able to really modernise it, so we've got
0:12:37 > 0:12:41the modern bathrooms and bedrooms, so I've got the best of both worlds.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47As some of the windows were an unusual shape,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Susan and Alan came up with unique solutions.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51My sister-in-law, at the time,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55was doing some stained glass work, and she did a stained-glass
0:12:55 > 0:12:58window in each of the three slots, and then the builder fitted
0:12:58 > 0:13:02that in, and they worked out as a nice, special feature.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I always wanted to live in a place like this
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and I could never find one that I really liked, but we found it.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The beauty of this, and the beauty for anybody doing it is it's ours.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16We know we designed it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Yes, it did take a lot of hard work,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21but the end result was well worth it.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22Definitely.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29The UK is facing a housing crisis.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33For every two families that need a place to live,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35there's one empty property.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39There are nearly a million empty homes across the UK, and
0:13:39 > 0:13:43almost 300,000 of these have been abandoned for six months or longer.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Some empty properties stand alone. They're complete one-offs.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51In other cases, whole areas have fallen into decline,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53leaving large numbers of derelict dwellings.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Now, in these situations,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57it's really difficult for individuals or developers
0:13:57 > 0:14:00to really make a difference, and that's why the government have
0:14:00 > 0:14:04created a scheme to help turn around these abandoned streets.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Funding has been released to bring clusters of empty homes
0:14:08 > 0:14:09back into use.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14These clusters are in areas where at least 10% or 25 houses are disused.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I've come to meet Communities Minister, Andrew Stunell to find out more.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22So, how much money is the government making available,
0:14:22 > 0:14:23and what do you want done with it?
0:14:23 > 0:14:28We've got £50 million, and we're asking the partners to match us,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30so that's £100 million altogether.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Probably it'll be local authorities, most of the time, councils,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37but it might be housing associations or the voluntary
0:14:37 > 0:14:40and community sector, to come to us with a proposition
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and say this is what we want to do, to put the area back on its feet.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46So how does it actually work, then?
0:14:46 > 0:14:48If you've got a local authority or another partner coming to you,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51what criteria do they have to fulfil?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Well, the most important one is making sure there's value for money,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57because I'm afraid the history of this is littered with money spent
0:14:57 > 0:15:02on all sorts of projects which just never really delivered, so from our
0:15:02 > 0:15:05point of view, the key thing is to get these neighbourhoods up and in a
0:15:05 > 0:15:10smarter condition and put the plight which has developed behind them.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Will this government money fund any demolition?
0:15:13 > 0:15:14Absolutely not.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17This is about bringing empty homes back into use
0:15:17 > 0:15:21and we will not be paying anybody to demolish any homes.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'Well, that sounds promising, but I want to talk to
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'David Ireland from the Empty Homes Agency, to see if he thinks
0:15:27 > 0:15:31'this project will really make a difference to our housing problems.'
0:15:31 > 0:15:33David, how does this fund differ from funds that have been
0:15:33 > 0:15:35previously made available by the government?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38This is about groups of empty properties, and so whereas
0:15:38 > 0:15:41previous funds were about getting individual properties back into
0:15:41 > 0:15:44use and getting them into affordable housing, this is about dealing with
0:15:44 > 0:15:47a whole block of empty properties, like the ones we've got behind us.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50There would be little point in doing just one of those houses,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53because who would want to live in amongst all that dereliction?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57What you need to do is deal with all of them at once, which costs a lot of money,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and that's why there is a need for a fund.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So it really could make a huge difference to whole neighbourhoods?
0:16:02 > 0:16:04There are areas of the country where there are huge amounts
0:16:04 > 0:16:07of empty properties, and before it's been very difficult
0:16:07 > 0:16:09to bring all of those back into use at once,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12so I think this will help in bringing probably a fairly small
0:16:12 > 0:16:16number of neighbourhoods, but doing a lot of good in that small number.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18In Manchester, the council has registered an interest
0:16:18 > 0:16:23with the government regarding the Clusters of Empty Homes funding.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26If they're successful, then vacant buildings like this will
0:16:26 > 0:16:29hopefully be brought back into use by renovation
0:16:29 > 0:16:33without any demolition, but is it welcomed by the community?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I think it would make a big difference
0:16:35 > 0:16:38if the houses were filled, especially for people living around here.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I'd like them to be regenerated.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Families move in, make it a better community.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Because then if the houses are full, there's no destruction.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49It would be a good thing.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It wouldn't be a waste of money, no way.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Doing them up and re-let them, and then we'll be a community again.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59This initiative certainly has the potential to make a huge
0:16:59 > 0:17:01difference to lots of people.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Essentially, it's taking forgotten, abandoned neighbourhoods
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and giving them a complete overhaul, a new lease of life,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12so in just a few years, they can be thriving communities once again.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17'Back in Warwickshire, I'm with David and Hannah Ohandjanian,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'who bought an abandoned building which they plan to renovate.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'I'm taking them to meet a couple who took on a similar project,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'who I'm hoping can offer some invaluable advice.'
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Right, guys. This is the place want you to see. First impressions?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- It's beautiful.- Amazing.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Yeah, really attractive place, isn't it?
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It is a lot bigger than the house you're renovating,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39but don't be put off by that. There's lots of similarities here.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Plenty to compare and contrast, I suppose, so let's go and say hello.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43OK.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Lorraine Chamberlain and her husband Matt bought this impressive
0:17:51 > 0:17:57run-down Regency townhouse for £494,000 in 2008.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00We bought the building at auction.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02It hadn't been lived in for quite a while. It was all boarded up.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Even when it was derelict, you could see it could be quite nice.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And also, the size of the garden. Because we're in the middle
0:18:08 > 0:18:10of the town, the size of the garden is pretty rare.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13The house had been divided into four flats, so it required
0:18:13 > 0:18:17a lot of reconfiguring to turn it into a family home.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Planning was the easiest process, and we didn't think that we
0:18:20 > 0:18:23would get everything through the planning, and we did.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27They were very happy that we were turning it into a family house,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29so it's going from four flats, which were a real eyesore,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and derelict, back to what it used to be.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35The full renovation job of this four-bedroom, three-bathroom
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Grade II listed building took two years,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39and wasn't without its problems.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41We moved in at Christmas.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The builders were still in for a good six months, probably, everyday,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and then periodically after that.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50It's amazing to see the transformation.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54It was hard work, but we love living here. Just love it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It was definitely worth it. Definitely.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'We're visiting Lorraine and Matt today so they can share
0:19:00 > 0:19:04'the benefit of their experience with David and Hannah.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Right, so here we are. Really large, open kitchen-diner.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10What do you guys make of this?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12It's wonderful, yeah.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It's gorgeous. Yeah, it's just the kind of thing that we were looking
0:19:15 > 0:19:17to do in our place as well.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20So, start at the beginning, tell us how this came about,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22because I'm pretty sure you didn't come into lovely granite work
0:19:22 > 0:19:26surfaces in your kitchen, nice range and good space,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28so what was this place like when you took it on?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It was derelict, boarded up, wet inside.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35It was very closed in and dark.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The old windows at the back of the house were really small, compared
0:19:38 > 0:19:41to the big ones at the front, but we knew that we'd be living
0:19:41 > 0:19:44in the family area at the back, so we wanted to change the kitchen and
0:19:44 > 0:19:49make it more open, and overlooking the garden for the kids, really.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Any advice? Because you must have worked for quite a long time. This was a long project, wasn't it?
0:19:53 > 0:19:54It was, yes.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58We finally got the builders on site in March
0:19:58 > 0:20:01with the plan of being a six month to seven month project.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Right, and how long was it?
0:20:03 > 0:20:06We were in by Christmas, which is good, that was nine months,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08but then it was another year until we got the outside
0:20:08 > 0:20:10and the basement handed over.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12So it was very optimistic, I think.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And when it comes to builders and going through that process,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16any advice you'd pass over?
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Anything you wouldn't do it again,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20or you'd want to make sure the builders did next time?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22How did you find working with them?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Erm, the biggest problem we had was communication between everybody,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28at times, especially when things don't always go right.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31You need to make sure the builders have a foreman on site or
0:20:31 > 0:20:34something like that, that you can actually talk one-to-one with,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36rather than talking to six people.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Miscommunication, I guess, would be the thing.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Good advice there, keeping on top of the communication,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and actually, in your case, it's going to be on a slightly smaller
0:20:45 > 0:20:47scale, and you are going to be on site all the time,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50so just keeping a regular eye on exactly what's going on.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah, I think it's hit home a little bit that we need to be there
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and talking face-to-face with the workmen
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and overlooking a bit more than maybe we thought at the start,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03and calling in people like your dad, who knows what he's talking about.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Good advice, guys.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Very good.- Right, well, we've seen the kitchen, and lovely it is, too.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Can we go through and look at some of the rest of the house?
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- Yeah.- Lead the way.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19So, tell us about the money, the budget involved.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23It's such a big project, isn't it? It's a big property.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26What did you budget for a total renovation on this size?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We budgeted about 20, but then during the project,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33we added a few things on, or found a few things which grew it again,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36but not much more than that. Probably another 10%.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39OK, and these guys are going to do it on a slightly smaller scale.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41What would be your advice on where you can cut back,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45or where you can pinch the budget slightly to make it go further?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48It's really just prioritising everything.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52If you can put stuff off for a later phase, we tended to do that, as well.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And just keep asking questions, because when they say,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57"Oh, we can't do this because..."
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Or, "No, no, no, you don't want to be doing it like that,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01you want to do it this way", just to keep asking them why,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04because there will be some things they will just say
0:22:04 > 0:22:07you categorically can't do that, and there will be other things
0:22:07 > 0:22:10where you got to fight, because you know that's what you want.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12We wanted a slate floor in the kitchen.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Maybe we could have compromised on the slate floor,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17but in the long run, we didn't want to.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I think it's good that you pushed through with what you wanted,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22because it's a big project,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25and it's one of the things we really wanted to make sure that when
0:22:25 > 0:22:29we do it, it's right, but then also be smart about what we ask for.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Thank you, guys.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I'm pleased it's turned out so well, and I know you've got a few
0:22:33 > 0:22:36finishing touches, but you're so close to making this your perfect
0:22:36 > 0:22:39home, and great advice as well, so thank you for showing us round.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40No problem.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- Thank you very much. - Thanks, guys.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Back on the Kent coast,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Empty Property Officer Mike Thomson is returning to Cliftonville,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51to see 12 buildings he's helped get back into use.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56I'm really excited today at the prospect of seeing these properties
0:22:56 > 0:22:58brought back into single family dwellings.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00It's a great project and one that I'm really proud to be associated
0:23:00 > 0:23:03with, so I'm looking forward to today's visit very much indeed.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Mike's meeting up with the developer, Phil Goodlace,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09to check on the progress made.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Well, what a transformation in this road, I have to say.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15We've got them finished behind us, but we mustn't forget how we started off.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- They all looked like that, didn't they?- Exactly, yeah.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Tell me a bit about it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Obviously, back in the old days, they were houses,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and then they turned most of them into hotels,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and of course, after that, they tried to turn them into flats,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and we're trying to bring them back into houses again.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36These are the last three to be done, and people like what we're doing.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Yeah, it's great.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40For me as an Empty Property Officer, to have you singing
0:23:40 > 0:23:43from the same hymn sheet is absolutely brilliant, because when we're trying
0:23:43 > 0:23:47to regenerate an area like this, I keep putting the accent on families,
0:23:47 > 0:23:48but it's what we want to see come back,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and this project just epitomises that, for me.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Come and have a look inside.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Yeah, lovely.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Previously used as hotels and flats, nine of the 12 houses have
0:23:58 > 0:24:02now been renovated, and Mike wants to see how they've been finished off.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05What a lovely-sized room, Phil, isn't it?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08French doors out onto the garden.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Quite nice-sized garden.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Manageable for them.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Yeah, but it's a lovely-sized room, isn't it? Do so much with it, couldn't you?
0:24:18 > 0:24:22The houses are now large family homes, with six or seven bedrooms
0:24:22 > 0:24:23and a bathroom on each floor,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and they're in demand by Thanet residents.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30That's a nice-sized kitchen, Phil, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Yeah, it's functional for what we want.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Room for table and chairs, as well, if you want.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37We've actually just brought them back to the original houses,
0:24:37 > 0:24:43from the old days, so most people that have moved in here have said it's exactly what they want.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Just shows it can be done,
0:24:44 > 0:24:49and I think you've made a fabulous step towards regenerating this area.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Today's visit went really well, I thought.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Fantastic project, I'm really pleased to see this building
0:24:54 > 0:24:56is brought back as family houses.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's what we need, it's what we're crying out for,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and to think they've taken 12 in one road
0:25:00 > 0:25:02I think is absolutely brilliant. Fantastic.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Following Mike's visit, work is underway to complete
0:25:06 > 0:25:09the renovation of the final three houses.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14'I've been with Hannah and David, who've taken a chance on a disused
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'building which they plan to make into a fabulous family home.'
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'They've met a couple who've done the same thing
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'and have given them some great advice.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:26How useful has this been, guys, seeing a completed place
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and hopefully being able to visualise how yours
0:25:29 > 0:25:31will progress and turned into a home very soon?
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- It's been amazing, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36And it's encouraging that what it looks like before
0:25:36 > 0:25:38was horrendous, and now look at it, it's amazing.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It's nice to see a normal couple take this on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44They're not property developers,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47but they've had a vision of a home that they wanted to live in.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And how was the advice, particularly how to deal with builders,
0:25:50 > 0:25:51for example.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Yeah, I mean, personally,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I've thought about being there a lot more and talking and conversing
0:25:56 > 0:26:00and making sure the builders really understand exactly what we want,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and not being scared to hammer on about that over and over again.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Absolutely, communication's key, and also a sense of knowing,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09if you had to, what you would cut back on in your project.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Yeah, but then the things that we're really passionate about,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17that we really, really want in our new house, to really make sure that
0:26:17 > 0:26:20we really push those ideas forward and make sure we go ahead with them.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Well, I'm impressed with the progress you've made in two weeks.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I'm sure with your passion, your energy, your determination,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29you'll make it into a family home very, very soon, so I really do
0:26:29 > 0:26:32wish you the best of luck with it, and hope you can enjoy it very soon.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Thank you very much.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I really like Hannah and Dave.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I think they found themselves a wonderful place
0:26:38 > 0:26:40they can turn into a family home once more.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Perhaps more importantly, they've got bundles of energy,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45enthusiasm and termination.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I think today's been very useful for them.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Hopefully alerting them to a few of the pitfalls along the way,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and helping them to avoid a few of the mistakes
0:26:53 > 0:26:55they can't really afford to make,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and I'm sure, before very long, they too will have their dream home.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd