0:00:02 > 0:00:04Up and down the country there are empty properties
0:00:04 > 0:00:06just waiting to be brought back to life.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09I'll be discovering why and how you can turn a diamond in the rough
0:00:09 > 0:00:11into a gem of a home.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14We'll be following the Empty Property Officers
0:00:14 > 0:00:17whose job it is to track down the owners of these forgotten houses
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and get them back into use.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And I'll be finding out more about our housing stock, our history
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and why we should be both preserving and reinventing
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Britain's empty homes.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Now, we've all got busy lives
0:00:40 > 0:00:44so it's easy to pass by an empty property, without even giving it a second look.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47But if you do pause for thought, just for a moment
0:00:47 > 0:00:51to consider the impact these sad, solitary structures have on their immediate surroundings,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54then you may well want to join the growing numbers of people
0:00:54 > 0:00:58reinvigorating these buildings and restoring them
0:00:58 > 0:01:00to their former glory.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Hello, I'm Joe.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'On today's show I'll be meeting a lady who's bought an empty house
0:01:06 > 0:01:10'but is in need of advice and inspiration when it comes to turning it into a home.'
0:01:10 > 0:01:13This would be a sort of dining room, I suppose.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Well, this is the "not sure" room.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18We'll find out about a training scheme that's helping young people
0:01:18 > 0:01:21breathe life into abandoned buildings.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26There's lots of scope to get the apprentices real work experience to get them started in the industry.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And we'll be following one of Britain's Empty Property Officers
0:01:29 > 0:01:32working to bring derelict places back into use.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34And it's the last one in the street to be done, isn't it?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It completes the picture then.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Retired former air hostess Yvonne Ingley was looking for a new challenge
0:01:43 > 0:01:47when she moved back to her home town of Burton-on Trent from London nearly four years ago.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51When I was sent the details, I knew straight away it was the house I wanted.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55I wanted a project and this is absolutely wonderful for me.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58It's something I can be absorbed in,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02I can enjoy, it's exciting, it's stimulating.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Being the adventurous type, she decided to buy
0:02:04 > 0:02:06a property at auction,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10winning this three-bedroom 1930s house for £107,000.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15It was the first auction I'd been to and it was quite busy.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18The house I wanted was the second from last on the list.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20I had a set price
0:02:20 > 0:02:24of what I wanted to bid for and I got it for just over 2,000 my limit.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Yvonne's got a good idea of what she wants to achieve with her first renovation -
0:02:29 > 0:02:33although she knows she's not 100% prepared for what this project might entail.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37It's been very difficult to decide what to do with the house
0:02:37 > 0:02:43but what I want to do is have a sense of sitting and looking out at the garden.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I don't quite know how I'm going to do that.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51I'm meeting Yvonne at the house to find out just what she's taken on
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and help her decide what to do with it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:59Before she snapped it up, this 1930s semi had been left empty for six months.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- Hi, Joe.- Lovely to meet you. How are you?- Good, thanks. A bit cold.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- A bit cold. Now, this is your place, isn't?- It is, yeah.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- So what attracted you to this place? - Well, it's in a very nice area.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It's quiet roads.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15And the people around here are family people.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- And you found it at auction. - Got it at auction.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Brilliant, OK. A lot to talk about.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- Let's go inside and have a look, shall we?- OK.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23Let's skate our way across.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34- Right.- This is it.- Very good, so, let me get my bearings.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- A front reception room.- Yes. - The stairs as you come in.- Yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This would be a sort of dining room, I suppose?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Well, this is the "not sure" room. - Right, OK. And a kitchen out the back.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- Kitchen and a small utility room on the end of that.- Wow.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49What are you thinking? What are your plans?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I'm thinking of putting a kitchen in here
0:03:52 > 0:03:55and then extending the rear two rooms into one to make it
0:03:55 > 0:03:59a really lovely lounge with a view out of the garden.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- Oh, right. I can see the garden. It's a good size, isn't it?- Yes.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03It's quite a bold move.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07You're thinking of bringing the kitchen in here to the heart of the home?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Yes, I'm thinking about it
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- but I can't come up with an idea of how that could happen.- Right.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15It suggests you don't have a lot of experience of building extensions
0:04:15 > 0:04:16or that kind of renovation?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- No, none.- None.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20I can't imagine how it could look.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Yeah. Getting that step forward in visualisation is the tricky bit,
0:04:24 > 0:04:25imagining the finished product.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Yes. I can see it on a drawing,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31but I can't tell from a drawing what it's going to feel like.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37OK, so, yeah, it's not a huge kitchen but you've got the utility room there
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- and by pushing out, you double your size, don't you?- Yes.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45By opening this up outwards, you've got this fantastic view into the garden.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Yeah. That will be a nice square space, a really good space to use,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- lots you can do with that.- Yeah. - OK.- Hope so.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Upstairs in one of the three bedrooms,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Yvonne's builders have already started work putting in an en-suite bathroom,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03but it's clear there's a lot more to be done here
0:05:03 > 0:05:06to make it the comfortable home Yvonne's after.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08You have a clear view of the upstairs.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11With bedrooms, you know what you want in them and how to achieve it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Downstairs is where you have the worries.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- You're still not quite sure what it is you're after, is that right?- Yes.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20And because I'm not sure what I want to put there,
0:05:20 > 0:05:21I can't budget for it.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24If you can't budget for it, you're not sure if you can afford the extension,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27therefore when you're putting in your plumbing or electrics
0:05:27 > 0:05:30you're going right back to the basics and putting in the services,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32you don't know whether to put them in for the extension.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- So it's quite a vicious cycle, isn't it?- Yes.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40And for me, I'm retired and I don't have a private pension,
0:05:40 > 0:05:45so there's the worry that I will spend too much money on this
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- and not have enough to live on. - That really brings the reality home.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50You're walking a tightrope and you've got to get it right.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- A beautiful house and nothing to eat. - Yeah. What's the budget for this renovation?
0:05:54 > 0:05:58I had a very clear budget when I bought the house.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01As long as I could get the house within the price range I bought it for,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04that would give me £25,000 to spend on that.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Do you think you could extend downstairs,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09do what you're doing here and renovate the whole place?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Yes, I do.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15OK, later on, we'll go and see a property and I think it will be useful.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Don't be put off - it's a different shape and size to your house,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20but the point is, the way they've used the space.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23There's a lot you'll take from it in terms of inspiration.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25But also these are people who have been through a project,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27they've come out the other side,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30so in terms of budget and schedule of works and all those things,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I think there should be some useful help and advice there.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- Does that sound good? - Sounds good to me.- Great.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Well, Yvonne has great energy. She's very fun. Lots of enthusiasm.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43But there's two sides to this renovation.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46On the one hand, she knows what she wants with the front room.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51The upstairs bedroom she's designed a clever en suite for the front bedroom.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52On the other hand, she's a bit lost
0:06:52 > 0:06:56when it comes to the kitchen-dining-living area.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Got a vague sense of direction but hasn't really firmed up on it
0:07:00 > 0:07:04That's going to lead to all sorts of problems with schedule of works and budget,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so lots of questions still to be answered.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12And I'm hoping the property I take her to later will help with some of those.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Countrywide, empty properties are stagnating,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20unloved and derelict, waiting to be brought back to life.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's the job of our local Empty Property Officers
0:07:24 > 0:07:26to find these buildings, get them back into circulation
0:07:26 > 0:07:29so these houses can be homes once more.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35And on the Kent coast in Thanet, Mike Thompson's charged with that very task.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36Mike Thompson here.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Today he's visiting a place in the midst of a renovation -
0:07:40 > 0:07:42converting a house into three flats.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46There's our subject property
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and you can see clearly it's the worst one in the street by far.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52This property stands out like a sore thumb
0:07:52 > 0:07:53when you look at the others in the street.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56These are all beautifully restored with lovely frontages,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59so it's important that we get this project underway
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and we get this property looking like the rest.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The owner has been given a loan by the council to carry out the work.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Mike's meeting the owner's representative to have a look around.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- Chris, pleased to meet you.- Come in. - Thank you very much.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I see you've started stripping out already.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21- Yeah, we're making good progress. - Good.- Come through.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Thank you very much.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I'm here today to check commencement of works.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I can see it's certainly commenced. You've started stripping out.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- There's a fair bit to get rid of. - Absolutely.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Just been clearing everything out
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and I'll take you down to the basement
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and I'll show you what we've gone doing.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44So presumably, this will be a kitchen again.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Yes, the layout is staying pretty much the same down here.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49This will be the kitchen area. Through there you're got the lounge.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54- Layout will generally be staying as it is.- Fine. OK, good.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Mike wants to get a clear idea of the layout of the three flats in this conversion.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04So, presumably, Chris, bathroom stays where it is in this flat?
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Yeah, we're stripping out what we've got at the moment and putting in a brand-new suite in.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You've got a bit of rot in the timbers.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13We're going to get that looked at and once that's assessed,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16we'll do any replacements, but obviously...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Good. Fine, OK, good, thank you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21As the owner has been given funding from Thanet council,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Mike needs to check the progress and ensure that
0:09:24 > 0:09:26this abandoned building can be lived in again as soon as possible.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29What about timeframe?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32What was originally said was six to nine months,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34so we're confident we can stick to that.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39There's a fair bit to do, isn't there, Chris?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41The state of that window. That's got to be done.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Yeah, we're going to have to completely replace that window.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47But what we're trying to do here is keep whatever features we can
0:09:47 > 0:09:49that are true to the building, like the fireplace.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It's lovely to see those.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55In an old property when they haven't been stripped out and sold on for profit,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57to actually keep those...
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Because when the job is finished,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02an addition of a fireplace like that makes all the difference, keeps all the character.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Absolutely.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- OK.- Yeah, brilliant.- Onwards.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I'm pleased to say, Chris, I'm happy with everything I've seen. I think you've made a great start.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I can sign off the commencement of works now
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- and it's the last one in the street to be done.- Exactly. - It completes the picture.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23The street is done and it looks lovely.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Cheers, Mike, thanks very much, cheers.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Projects like this are much needed to help get people off the council's housing waiting list.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34When the developer completes the building work,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36this place will provide homes for three families.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40It takes real determination to resurrect one of Britain's many empty homes
0:10:40 > 0:10:44but that's what people up and down the country are doing,
0:10:44 > 0:10:50and if you put your faith in an abandoned abode, it could be an incredibly rewarding decision.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55And it took Judith Brook a great deal of courage
0:10:55 > 0:10:59when she decided to take a chance on these derelict agricultural buildings
0:10:59 > 0:11:03close to home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08From probably being about 18 I used to keep a horse in this building.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I used to look at it and visualise it as a house.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Now we always refer to it as the Tractor Shed
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and it was where my dad stored his tractor.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Judith was in the fortunate position that these buildings were part of her father's farm.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25They had been out of use for 15 years before she started work
0:11:25 > 0:11:29on transforming them into a family home.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I worked here every day to make this affordable for us.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35When deliveries came I helped with unloading them,
0:11:35 > 0:11:40I dug out in the trenches, any kind of labouring that was required.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46But the renovation wasn't without its challenges.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Planning were not looking at it favourably,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and so I asked the planning officer, the conservation officer, to come out
0:11:51 > 0:11:55and have a meeting and just say, "Look, what can we have
0:11:55 > 0:11:57"and what do we have to do to achieve that?"
0:11:57 > 0:11:59And they were great.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04They came out, had the meeting and said what they would allow, what they wouldn't allow.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Working closely with an architect and a local builder,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Judith spent 10 months on the renovation and £300,000.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14In less than a year, the house was complete.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The build process wasn't stressful at all.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I enjoyed it from the first day to the last day.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25But that's largely down to the good relationship that I had with the builder.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's a great lifestyle living here.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I'm really pleased that my children will get the same opportunities
0:12:37 > 0:12:40that I got of growing up in such a lovely environment.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48My advice to anybody doing this project -
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I'm sure that everybody that does it, wants to do it and is enthusiastic about it -
0:12:52 > 0:12:54but is enjoy it, it's a great journey.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00With just under a million homes standing empty in the UK,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03coupled with an increasing need for affordable housing,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07it just makes sense to bring as many forgotten and abandoned properties
0:13:07 > 0:13:10back to life as possible.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And, thankfully, there are people up and down the country
0:13:13 > 0:13:18looking at new and innovative ways to tackle the empty-property problem.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22an initiative has been set up to provide young people
0:13:22 > 0:13:24with apprenticeships
0:13:24 > 0:13:28whilst carrying out essential repairs to disused properties in the area.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I'm meeting up with Simon Meadows who heads up the scheme.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33What are we looking at here? How does it work?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35This scheme is part of an overall project
0:13:35 > 0:13:38where we're getting apprentices into long-term placements
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and long-term employment with local companies.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And we're working in partnership with Mansfield District Council
0:13:44 > 0:13:47to take properties which have major works
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and they may have been burgled,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53they may have been trashed by previous occupants,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57so there's lots of scope to get the apprentices real work experience
0:13:57 > 0:13:59to get them started in the industry.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- So an empty property gets brought back to life.- Yep.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And these apprentices get all the skills they need.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07We're multiskilling them. We have plastering,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09we have plumbing, we have decorating.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11The properties are renovated, which is great.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13The apprentices are getting the experience
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and we are getting apprentices into placements with companies as well,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18so it's a great success at the moment.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- OK, great. Let's go and have a look, shall we?- Yeah, great.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25At present, there are 7,000 people on the housing waiting list in Mansfield.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28And this property, empty for ten months,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32will soon be finished, providing a much-needed home for a family.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- Just mind the hole in the floor there, Joe.- Right.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38This is the kitchen that we've already started some working.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- Oh, yes. There's a new ceiling gone in. You've skimmed that.- Yep.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45- And this is the main living area, is it?- It is, this is the lounge.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50We've done a little bit of preparation works but we've still got most of the work in here to do.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51What state was this place in?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Tins property had actually been burgled
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and they'd stripped out all the copper pipe work,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57so we're re-piping all of the heating system.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01We've got the ceiling that we've replastered in the kitchen,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04decoration throughout, so lots and lots to go at in this one.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06It just shows what a liability an empty property is.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It can really be wrecked pretty quickly.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11You certainly wouldn't want to be a resident in this block,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13seeing that sort of thing happen.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15It's great to get them occupied and see people in.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19It's really exciting. It will become someone's home again quite soon.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- Yeah. And "home" being the word.- Yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24OK, let's see how they're getting on, shall we?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So how far are you off? It looks like you're getting there with this?
0:15:29 > 0:15:31We're probably about three or four days into it,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34so we've got another week's worth of work overall,
0:15:34 > 0:15:35so not quite half way yet.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39OK. And when you're done, it will be completely decorated
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- and ready for someone to move in. - Yeah. It will be ready to go.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45The only thing is the electrics and the gas that the council need
0:15:45 > 0:15:47to just make safe and connect after we've finished.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Good stuff.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Working on disused council houses like this allows the apprentices
0:15:52 > 0:15:56to be trained in practical skills which count towards a recognised qualification.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Hi, Conner. Can I interrupt for a moment?- That's fine.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Tell me, what is it you're doing on this property here?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Well, pretty much everything.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08It's a maintenance operation, so you can do the plastering,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and all the joinery, the brick laying and plumbing and everything.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14So a lot of satisfaction that this is going to be used,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- that you're bringing this building back to life?- Definitely.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Once you've been through this scheme,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21what do you see yourself doing?
0:16:21 > 0:16:25You're going to end up in the construction trade. Anything particular?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I'd like to do this pretty much - maintenance.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Cos it's everything. You're never just sticking to one thing.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It can get a bit boring if you stick to one thing but this is everything.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And how important do you think it is that empty properties like this
0:16:37 > 0:16:39are being brought back to life?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's a shame it's been abandoned as it has.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It's quite a decent big property and everything.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49It's a shame to see the way it's turned out.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52but it's more work for us at the end of the day, so that's all right.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I'm really impressed with the effectiveness of what is
0:16:56 > 0:16:59actually quite a simple scheme and everyone seems to be winner.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03The apprentices get the experience they need to enter the construction industry,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and the local community gets a home brought to life again.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10So just imagine if it can be rolled out across the whole country,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14all the opportunities that could be created for young people
0:17:14 > 0:17:18as well as all those empty properties becoming homes once more.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I'm with Yvonne Ingley, who's already bought an empty property
0:17:24 > 0:17:27but needs some advice on how to renovate it.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'I'm taking her to meet a couple in Stoke-on-Trent
0:17:30 > 0:17:32'who've already transformed a disused bungalow.'
0:17:32 > 0:17:35This has been empty for about a year.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37The thing to bear in mind when we go inside is
0:17:37 > 0:17:41you're not sure how to make your open space, where to put things, how it's going to work,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44so this is really potentially just a bit of inspiration -
0:17:44 > 0:17:45you can rule a few things in or out.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Plus the guys, Jim and Carol, have been through it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50So hopefully they'll have some practical advice.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Jim and Carol Scott inherited this bungalow
0:17:53 > 0:17:56after it was left standing empty for 12 months.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Just like Yvonne, they wanted a place they could showcase their own sense of style.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04We talked long and hard about everything
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and how we were going to have it
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and how it was going to work into our lifestyle as well.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I didn't really want to go with what anybody else wanted.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Carol dreamed of having a large open-plan living area
0:18:16 > 0:18:19at the back of the property looking out onto the garden.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- We like to have parties, don't we, family parties?- Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27So we like everything just open and easy.
0:18:27 > 0:18:34Unskilled when it comes to DIY, Carol and Jim left all of the renovation work to the builders.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38We decided we didn't want to do any of the building work ourselves.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40No. Leave it to the professionals.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47We've spent our retirement fund but we don't mind that. It's comfortable.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51They now live in a property that has individuality in abundance
0:18:51 > 0:18:55with lots of character, and they should have some great advice for Yvonne.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Hello.- Hello.- Come in.- Hi.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- Come in.- Thank you.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Oh, wow. Oh, wow.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15- Now, Yvonne, this is Carol and Jim. - Hi. Hi, Jim.- So...
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Quite a place. Does it have your wow factor?
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- What are you first impressions?- It's fantastic.- Where did this all start?
0:19:21 > 0:19:24You clearly made an impression here but I know it wasn't always like this.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Tell me what your house was like when you took it on.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- It had been empty for about a year. - Yes, it had.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- There was a small window here and a back door here.- Right. OK.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39- And a very small conservatory. Just about fit one chair in it.- Right.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- It was more of a lean-to, wasn't it?- Yeah.- And that was it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45This is exactly what I want.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It would never have crossed my mind to put in three windows. I've got space for that.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54- We just wanted plenty of light. - And this idea of the side door.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Because this is where my extension would go is this side of it,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I couldn't imagine what it would look like.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04And I didn't want these bi-folding doors, I wanted French doors.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- Talk me through the extension. Because you pushed out quite a long way.- Yes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12How did you know how much space you needed? How far to go out?
0:20:12 > 0:20:13How do divide up the space
0:20:13 > 0:20:17and also the fact that you went for a proper extension,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19not just a bigger conservatory.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22At first we looked into conservatories.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25And we decided we'd go for a proper extension.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- And you ruled out a conservatory? - Yes.- You were keen on a built extension.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34It's exactly what I was thinking of but couldn't have told you what it was.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38What I particularly like here is it doesn't appear to be one room.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Because you've got this separate area
0:20:40 > 0:20:42so you don't feel like you're in the kitchen.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44It means you can use this space how you want.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47You don't have to worry about there being doors in the way.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50So you've divided up a sitting area and a dining area.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And it's very easy to change the space round if you want a change.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55It's quite easy.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Carol and Jim have achieved a very similar layout
0:20:58 > 0:21:03to what Yvonne is hoping for in her recently purchased empty home.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The thing that stands out about your renovation is it included a huge extension.
0:21:07 > 0:21:13So, how much did that cost and could you budget quite accurately for it?
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Um, we didn't expect it to cost as much as it did.
0:21:18 > 0:21:24- The whole thing, I think, he quoted around 80-85,000.- Yeah.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I think the extension itself was probably 45 of that.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30How do the prices sound? That's quite a lot of money.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- It's more than you're budgeting at the moment.- Frightening.- Yes.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39But then my place is smaller and the other works are more cosmetic.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Did you have a schedule of works? Did you know how long it was going to take?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Was that something you could cling to?
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Yeah, the initial first month was demolition really.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I'd say it took him six to seven months to complete.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- With all the excavations and... - Is that what you expected?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57That's the sort of time scale he gave us.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Right, OK. Quite a stressful thing, quite a lot of upheaval.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Anything Yvonne should bear I mind as she embarks on hers?
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- I think you've got to keep your eye on it all the time.- Yeah.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- And if summat isn't going how you like, speak straight away.- Right.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Get it sorted. Yeah.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Because it is your money you're spending, not the builder's, isn't it?
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Yes. And I've got to live in it at the end of the day.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Yes, that's it, that's what we thought.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- But he always listened to us. - Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Great. Really good advice.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32I'm so pleased you've been able to tailor-make your empty property into a dream home really.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- So well done.- We do love it. - We do.- You do love it. That's great.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36It's really nice to see,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and thank you for letting us in and showing us round today as well.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- It's pleasure.- Thank you, thank you.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50On the Kent coast in Ramsgate, Empty Property Officer Mike Thompson
0:22:50 > 0:22:54is heading to a formerly disused building that's been brought back into use.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- Hello, Lawrie.- Hello, Mike, nice to see you again.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Lovely to see you again. Thanks very much for meeting us here today.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- What a transformation. - It certainly is.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09The developer Lawrence Waite has converted this once derelict chapel
0:23:09 > 0:23:12that stood disused for 20 years into three homes.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Today Mike wants to inspect the work that's been done.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Come and look inside, see what we've made.- I'd love to.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's nice and warm in here today, even though it's cold outside.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- Kitchen there. - That's a nice spec, isn't it?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It's pretty high spec, yeah.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Everything you need is there - oven, washing machine, the lot.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- Let's go into the lounge, shall we?- That's lovely, isn't it? Beautiful room.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Well, it's mainly because the windows are exactly the same
0:23:41 > 0:23:46and the doorways are exactly the same position as they always were in the chapel.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48The bespoke joinery, I think, is a joy.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51To see that quality of workmanship is still around to produce joinery like that.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Certainly is.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The chapel has undergone a complete renovation
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- including the addition of an upper floor.- Only just put it in.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04This was completely new floors up here, but as you can see,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08this used to be the roof of the building - no floor whatsoever.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11You've now divided it vertically and got three lovely houses out of it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Really, really lovely.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- Lawrie, thanks very much for showing me round.- My pleasure.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- I think it's a fantastic job. - Thank you very much.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Thank you very much. Bye-bye.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Renovated empty buildings like this are much needed for families
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and next door one's already moved in,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30so Mike's keen to meet dad Aaron and hear about their new home.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- This is lovely, isn't it?- It is. It's come to a bit of character.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Tell me, how did you find out about it?
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Basically, me and my partner were looking for somewhere to stay
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and we saw this place when it was a bit battered and getting done up.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49So we were looking on the websites a few months later
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and this one popped up and we thought, "We know that place."
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- What's it like to live here? - It is really nice.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I have my little boy
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and it's five minutes from the park, five minutes from the sea.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- It's really convenient for me and my partner really.- Thanks very much.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- You're welcome.- It's lovely. I'm glad you like living here.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Having met Lawrie today and one of his tenants, Aaron,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and seen what a lovely home Aaron and his partner are making,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I'm really pleased to have been involved with this project,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22taking an empty derelict shell and creating three family homes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23I think it's terrific.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I've been with Yvonne, who's just bought an abandoned house,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33and is planning to renovate it to make her ideal home.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38She's been getting some great advice from a couple who've already done what she wants to achieve.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Yvonne, in terms of inspiration and visualising what you do next,
0:25:41 > 0:25:42how useful has today been?
0:25:42 > 0:25:47Oh, it's been absolutely amazing. A huge relief off my shoulders
0:25:47 > 0:25:49because I had no starting point, even.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52At least here, I can go back and start to measure up,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57draw some pictures. It's given me ideas that I just would never have come up with.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59It's been absolutely wonderful.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Really? So it actually has helped you engage with what's in front of you.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I feel like I can start with a plan now
0:26:05 > 0:26:06of what I'm going to do
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and that will take form and shape quickly now I've got an idea
0:26:09 > 0:26:12of what I can do, rather than not knowing anything at all.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16That's brilliant. I'm so pleased to hear that today's been worthwhile.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18You've made a great start on your house already
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and I'm sure before long you'll make it an extremely comfortable home.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- So, very best of luck with it. - Thank you.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I think today has been genuinely really useful for Yvonne.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30She was struggling a bit to visualise the next step forward
0:26:30 > 0:26:32with her empty property
0:26:32 > 0:26:35but here there's been loads of inspiration from layout,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38where you put your windows, your doors, how you bring the light in -
0:26:38 > 0:26:40to loads of ideas to run with.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I'm sure she'll apply them at her empty house
0:26:42 > 0:26:46so she can create a home with that wow factor she's after.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd