Julia and Dominic Chapman Britain's Empty Homes

Across the country, empty properties that could be homes

are just waiting to be brought back into use.

I'll be finding out why

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

And along the way we'll be following the property detectives

who track down the owners of these forgotten houses

and help breathe new life in to the communities blighted by them.

And I'll be doing some digging of my own

to find out more about more about our housing stock,

our heritage and why we should be

both preserving and reinventing Britain's Empty Homes.

Take a walk around your local area,

and the chances are you'll spot a forgotten and unloved building.

Up and down the country, more and more house hunters

are seeking out these abandoned shells and successfully transforming

them into truly inspirational family homes.

'On today's show I'll be meeting a couple who are keen to tackle

'the renovation of a disused house and make it into their next home.'

More than happy to stay in a caravan, you know,

on the site, as well, while it's being built.

You would?

Yeah, I think so, I'm up for a challenge.

'And we'll be following one of Britain's Empty Property Officers

'working to breathe life back into vacant buildings.'

The door's been totally smashed through.

It's clearly been accessed, and quite a lot of damage

has been caused in here.

'For five years, Dominic Chapman and his wife Julia have lived happily

'in Berkshire with their two children,

'but now they need more space.'

Currently we've got a three-bedroom house,

but obviously, with a growing family, now we're looking for something,

really, that we could put our own stamp on.

The house that we've moved in,

we've done more aesthetic changes to it, but I think now

we really want to take on a property that's a real challenge.

'With Julia back at work full-time, they need some help

'with their young children, Sophia and Isaac.'

The area we're looking to buy in is around Oxfordshire area.

It's a little bit closer to the family and parents,

so have a bit of support for the children,

and there's some really nice schools, and this is an area that

I grew up in, and some beautiful villages around here as well.

The couple have a budget of £450,000,

but are renovation novices, so are willing to take expert advice

when it comes to specialist work.

Neither of us really have any major experience in that

sort of building, electrical, plumbing,

but Dominic's quite creative,

so I think he would take on that sort of role.

I'll be a little bit more project manager role, but we're definitely

not a couple that would stand back and let somebody else do everything.

No. We want to help.

-Yeah. Put our mark into it.

-Yeah.

'To kick-start their search, I'm meeting up with Julia and Dominic

'in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, to help them work out

'just what they're looking for and just how far their budget will go.'

This is the property I wanted to show you.

It's Georgian, 18th-century, it's got a bit of age to it,

so, first impressions from the outside?

It's very pretty. Yeah, very nice.

We've brought you here to treat this as an exercise,

so wherever you find an empty property,

they'll throw up certain challenges,

and this one is no exception, so it'll be interesting to talk

through the challenges and see how you deal with them and see if you're

up for that kind of a project, so shall we go inside and have a look?

-Yeah, love to.

-OK.

'This 18th century building has recently been used as offices

'and is on the market for £300,000.'

'With the potential to be a five-bedroom home,

'this could be a great buy for Julia and Dominic.'

So, here we are.

It's only been empty six months,

yet I don't think it's had any work done to it in years.

Yeah, no, it does look very dated, but, I mean, gosh,

it has got a lot of potential to it, I can imagine.

Yeah. What would you want to do if you came in here?

Would you take it all back?

Strip it out and see what's behind. See what we can reveal.

Does that work on a general basis, as well?

If you went into a place, you'd just want to get back to basics,

so you could do your own thing with it.

Yeah, definitely.

Looking at the wooden floorboards here, they are obviously original.

There could be potential to strip them back and varnish them, you know.

It's trying to keep some of the original features.

Exactly, I mean, you've got, right above us here,

amongst the spotlights, a wooden beam, and even in the hallway,

you probably saw as we walked in, some of those lovely tiles.

Some have been exposed and really taken care of,

others have been hidden under carpet, but there's a lot

to play with in this property,

and it's great when you can really keep your eye open to it,

-so let's wander through and we can get a bit of perspective.

-OK.

'It's a real mish-mash of rooms,

'some of which date back to the 16th century,

'so the place needs a lot of work

'but it's all achievable on Julia and Dominic's budget.'

Now, here is where we start to get a sense of really how strange

this house is.

This is the bit of the house that would go back to

the 16th or 17th century.

I presume you'd want to show that off or expose it if you were here.

Definitely.

-Keep that as a feature.

-Yeah.

You're just starting to look now, so it's a long, old journey,

but what are your worries about taking on a project like this?

I think, time, because we both work full-time, you know,

have two children, but we have got places to stay,

we have got family we can stay with, and we'd be more than happy

to stay in a caravan on a site, as well, while it's being building,

so time would be one, and obviously watching our budget concerns.

And also, we didn't really think about going into listed buildings until really now.

I mean, I need to understand about what you can and what you

can't do on this sort of level, but I think, once we've understood that,

then that would give us more of an idea of whether we take it or not.

Yeah. The common perception is "It's listed,

I can't really touch it, so I won't take it on."

There's actually a lot you can do with a listed property.

You have to speak to the local conservation officer,

you'd have to work out their mindset and what'll be permitted or not,

and I think that's what you have to remember,

that they'll be certain things that you can't change.

You certainly wouldn't be allowed to alter the windows, for good reason.

It's a lovely Georgian frontage, but there's still a reasonable amount you can do,

and obviously, if it is a listed place, Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings,

English Heritage, they will have free advice you can get from them

on specialist contractors if you need them for a project like this.

There's lots of help and advice out there,

but also, I want you to meet a couple who been through this.

They've got a fantastic renovation project which they've completed

which they now live in, and they've been through this kind of

project, OK, so I think it would be really useful to get some advice on

the points you've just raised there, and learn from their experience.

How does that sound?

-Yeah, that would be great, definitely.

-Brilliant.

-Learn a lot from that.

-Great.

I don't think Dom and Julia knew quite what to make of this place

when they first saw it, but as we've gone round,

as we've looked at some of the history and some of the features,

I think they've really taken to it, which is great to see.

I think they'd be up for a project like this.

Of course, they are first-time renovators,

so this would be a huge challenge,

taking on some very dated offices and turning them into a family home.

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

to meet a couple who've been through something similar.

They can offer them some advice, and really help them on their way.

'Up and down the country, stricken structures are left empty

'and abandoned, waiting to have life breathed back into them.

'And the people whose job it is to seek out these buildings

'and get them back into use

'are local council empty property officers.

'In the Waveney area of North East Suffolk, Jason Hall's the man

'who tracks down the owners of abandoned buildings.

'Today he's heading to a clifftop place that's been empty

'for the past 11 years and has attracted anti-social behaviour.'

We've had reports of further break-ins and metal thefts,

so I'm going along today just to assess the site,

see where we're at, and see what the next course of action is.

'Once the home of a local landowner, it has been used as a school

'in the past and is now in a terrible state of repair.

'Although the building has been boarded up,

'Jason's had reports people have been gaining access to it.'

This property is in absolutely prime location with regards to this area.

It's probably one of the nicest roads in the area,

it's got stunning clifftop views, which you can see out to sea.

We've had the whole place boarded up, and we've tried

to make it as secure as possible, and it's sad to see it that way.

The house was bought by its present owner in 2006

and has planning permission to convert it into 17 flats

and two houses.

But, sadly, work is yet to begin.

Jason needs to check on the current state of the place.

There's tiles littered all over the property,

all over the front garden, all down the front, here,

and it's where people have been up on the roof

and stripped the lead, and as they've done that,

there's obviously been tiles pinging off and flying everywhere, but as

it's loosened them, the wind gets up quite high,

it's going to blow tiles off,

and there's obviously quite a few that have slipped off and smashed.

We've got some really heavy items here that,

if they were to fall on someone's head, it would cause serious damage.

'Jason heads to the rear of the building to investigate further.'

So this is the main entrance to this building. It's wide open.

The door's been totally smashed through.

It's clearly been accessed,

and quite a lot of damage has been caused in here.

Basically all I need to do is make sure is this gets secured,

because if anybody comes in here,

there's sections of floor and ceiling missing, and if someone

was walking around in the dark, they could fall through,

so we need to get this boarded up as soon as possible.

'To find out more about the building

'and how it's been affecting the local area,

'Jason calls on a neighbour.'

It's a gradual deterioration, really,

in terms of taking lead, et cetera from it,

and the disruption we get along the road here.

Where's it going to end? It might be set fire to.

Well, we're going to make sure that it is boarded up

and made secure in the short term, and in the long-term,

obviously, we're looking to bring the property back into use

as to what it should be, and what the planning permission's for.

Well, that would be terrific. I mean, if you could speed things up

and get it all going that would be great, and we'd all appreciate that.

-That would be great, thank you.

-Thanks for your information.

Having inspected this property today,

it's quite clear there is a number of issues that aren't automatically

apparent from the front, and there's a real housing need in this area,

so it's definitely a property that I want to push to

make sure that something happens with it, but in the immediate time,

I need to contact the owner asap and get this boarded-up,

because it's a really dangerous property at the moment.

'Jason will continue to monitor progress here

'until the building is brought back into use.'

Taking on a derelict building can be hugely rewarding.

With hard work and imagination,

not only can you create a truly unique home,

but you can also safeguard our heritage for generations to come.

'When Michael Cullinane and his family

'decided to take on one half of a former prep school in Dorchester

'in 2010, they certainly needed plenty of vision.'

The main thing about the property

that really appealed to us was the size.

I mean, from the road, looking at it, it was four storeys,

so the sheer scale of the property, that really appealed to us.

The Cullinanes spent almost two years

working on this large end-of-terrace,

and they now have a four-bedroom,

three-bathroom family home with a vast 70 metre rear garden.

But it was a huge project to take on.

When we first walked into this house, it was vacant for two years, so it was incredibly damp.

There was water running down the walls.

Without us getting it at the price we did

and doing most of the work ourselves, it was impossible for us to afford such a property.

They renovated the house one room at a time,

with the whole family getting involved.

We bought the property for £265,000, and so far, to date,

I think we've spent between £85,000-£90,000 doing it up.

And I'd say, as an estimate,

it's probably worth about £500,000 at the moment.

By taking on this abandoned old school,

Michael and his family have ended up with a home they simply couldn't

have afforded had it been already renovated.

One of my favourite bits in the house is the hallway floor,

and that leads nicely to the actual original staircase, as well.

The original staircase is just stunning.

We've always wanted a kitchen-diner, and to actually, when we have parties, and dinner parties,

everyone's in the kitchen.

It's just the hub of the house, really.

This house has improved our family life completely.

It's given us the room to expand,

so I can see ourselves being here, well, for ever, really.

It's a bit of a for ever house.

'Restoring an abandoned property can be a richly rewarding

'experience, but if you take on a place that dates back centuries,

'the renovation can often require highly specialised work.'

Great Britain has a tremendously rich variety of buildings,

from medieval churches to the more humble Victorian terrace.

There are millions and millions of heritage properties.

The problem is that many of them are crumbling,

and there aren't enough people out there

with the traditional skills we need

to ensure their continuing preservation.

'I've come to Berkshire to meet Paul Simons,

'Chair of the National Heritage Training Group, to find out more.'

Paul, start at the beginning.

What are the key differences between historic heritage buildings

and modern buildings?

The biggest difference is the change of materials being used.

Old buildings breathe.

Basically, that meant that the vast majority of the material

you were using was porous.

Soft brick, local stone, lime mortars and plaster,

and it naturally lets water pass through it and evaporate.

When we look at these older materials

and these older techniques,

surely there is a whole different skill base that comes with those.

Well, there's a vast range of skills,

if you start to think about it, from the traditional timber framers,

wattle and daub, lime, traditional plasters.

The roof might be clay tile, a thatch,

and all these materials need different skills, different

abilities to be able to work with them properly and get a quality job.

So how important is it that we keep learning these skills

and keep reinterpreting them?

It's absolutely vital we get young people

to train on historic buildings, because the other worrying aspect of craftsmanship

in historic buildings is the age profile.

Most craftsmen are over 50 already.

And where can people go if they want to learn these skills?

English Heritage and Construction Skills set up something called

the National Heritage Training Group, so we have qualifications

available for heritage skills from NVQ level three upwards,

and employers have got incentives to take on young people now,

and put them through these heritage modifications, and what we've

got to do is get more young people on these training courses.

'For the apprentices Paul takes on,

'it's an opportunity to learn crafts which have been eclipsed

'by modern building techniques and are in danger of being forgotten.'

Now, you're at two different stages, right?

First of all, Sam, how far have you got on your training?

Well, I did three years at college, on modern buildings and stuff,

and then after I finished that, I came down here.

I've gone from making stuff from new timbers to repairing timbers

that are 800 years old and stuff, so it's a lot different.

And, Chris, where are you in your training?

I've been working here for just over six months now,

and I'm really enjoying it.

It's really good.

I love the history side of it, and the old school techniques.

If you had to say, what is the best part of this job,

the job you're training for?

Seeing the building being taken down and being put up again, repaired,

being brought back to life. That's what I love.

Well, guys, good luck with it,

and thank you for taking some time off to chat to us today.

-That's all right.

-All the best.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

'There are so many heritage buildings in our country that it is vital'

the traditional skills are kept going, so let's hope the

National Heritage Training Group,

as well as the apprentices I've met today,

can inspire other people to work in the heritage sector

and help keep Britain's history alive for future generations.

'Back in Oxfordshire, I'm with Dominic and Julia,

'who've decided a disused building

'could be the way to create their perfect family home.'

'We're off to meet a couple who did just that

'and have a stunning place and some great advice for them.'

Well, guys, this is the place I've brought you to see.

It's a Victorian warehouse conversion.

-First impressions as you walk in?

-Stunning.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

It's absolutely amazing.

Plenty of ideas, plenty of inspiration,

so let's go and say hello, shall we?

-Look forward to it.

-OK.

'Back in 1997, Andrew Goodwin and Louise Smith found a quirky, disused

'Victorian warehouse and snapped it up for £72,000.'

It basically was an open shed, stone-built with a slate roof.

It literally had slimy walls and greenery coming up through

the floors, and it wasn't fit to even put animals to live in it.

And I thought, "Yeah, this is for us.

"This is the way that we can achieve a large house,

"but at a fraction of the cost."

'Needing a complete renovation, Louise and Andrew were keen that

'the plans should be sympathetic to the original look of the building.'

It had got oodles of character, and all these ceilings were in,

and all they needed was stripping back to show them

in their full glory, really.

So we were intent on keeping as much of the original fabric as we could,

and just bringing it back to life.

I personally enjoyed all the buying of antiques and doors

and windows and door furniture, because everything, you know,

is giving the building its personality.

Starting from scratch with this derelict warehouse meant

they were able to create their perfect family home

in the most unlikely of places.

It's been an immensely satisfying project, really,

because to have seen it in its state, a very sorry state,

to now have it vibrant with life, a family living in it,

and see it in its full potential,

I think that's the most satisfying thing,

and now what's so nice is we can just sit in the garden and look at it.

'Louise and Andrew are meeting us to pass on the benefit

'of their experience and to inspire Dominic and Julia.'

Well, first of all, when you walk in here,

you'd never know that it was a warehouse for many years.

As you look down here, what are your first impressions, guys?

"Wow" is the first thing that comes to mind. It's absolutely beautiful.

It has a real Tuscany feel to it as soon as you walk in,

and it's just a real eye-opener.

It's beautiful. Done a good job!

Thank you.

Amazing how the Victorians crafted their warehouses,

complete with kitchens and everything!

This is how it was when you took it on, was it?

Oh, yes(!)

So, what state was it in, then?

-It was completely unliveable.

-Really?

Completely unliveable.

Yes. There were no partitions at all.

It was just an open space, which was a benefit in a sense,

because then we could plan our own house as we wanted it.

Let's talk about planning, then, because what

I haven't said to you guys is this was, and is, Grade II listed.

How did that affect what you were able to do with the property?

Well, it originally was purchased by a builder who secured

the planning consent for a change of use from the warehouse

to a residential dwelling, so that was half the battle done, really.

All we then wanted to do was vary that planning consent to turn

it into one house rather than two,

so we just then had to run the gauntlet

of the conservation officer,

who you need to make friends with quite quickly

if it's a listed building, and get them onside,

because they're the ones that actually stipulate what

they'll allow you to do and what you can't do.

But I think if you try and find a compromise, that's a solution,

really.

It just shows that this was listed,

and obviously you weren't afraid of that and you worked within

the parameters, but look what you can still create.

Yeah, it's amazing. I wouldn't have thought of that at all.

I thought a listed building, there's so much stipulation and structure

and it would be difficult to get past a few barriers, but if

-they're on your side, then it seems like a much easier process.

-Yeah.

Well, look, it's been amazing to see this kitchen.

-I suggest we continue the tour, if we can.

-OK.

After you.

Come this way.

'I'm really hoping that Dominic and Julia can take ideas

'and encouragement from what Andrew and Louise have achieved here.'

Wow.

Beautiful.

-Yeah, it's quite a feature, isn't it?

-Isn't it just?

So, this is kind of a second sitting room, is it?

Adults only.

Adults only, right!

Now, these guys are interested.

It's their first time taking on a project, you know,

when you find the right project.

When it comes to project managing, how much did you get involved?

These guys would like to get involved,

but talk us through how practical that is.

Well, we took the decision that we want somebody in the middle of us,

between us and the builder, really,

so we did go down the route of having a project manager, and we sat

around a table with the builder and the project manager, and agreed

our specification of works, what we wanted to finally end up with,

and then it was down to the project manager

to do the day-to-day running of the builder.

So it's quite restrained.

I thought most people would want to get really hands-on.

Yes, you do want to get involved, but it is emotional,

and actually having somebody who you trust and is professional,

dealing with builders and site managers et cetera,

honestly, it saves you so much anguish.

-Takes the pressure away, does it?

-Totally.

So, food for thought, there. Project manager, how does that sound?

I think I'm moving towards that, now.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, we've been open to ideas from day one as to which way we go.

I mean, it'll be a full-time job,

project managing something as developed as this,

-wouldn't it, so working full-time's not realistic, perhaps.

-No.

Any final advice?

These guys are very much at the beginning of their journey.

They're looking around now for possible properties to take on,

but if and when they do find one, what's the main thing

they need to bear in mind if they take on a big project like this?

If you're going to do it, just enjoy it, because it goes really quickly.

It's rather like having babies, and suddenly they're grown up

and doing their own thing, and this house has now grown up,

and we just live in it.

Really good advice. Thank you, guys. There's been lots of great advice today.

So, really grateful to you,

and amazing to see your quite spectacular home.

I'm pleased it worked out so well, so thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-It's absolutely beautiful.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-You too.

'Back in Waveney, in North East Suffolk,

'empty property officer Jason Hall is on his way to a house

'which he's been dealing with for some time.'

The things that we're looking at today are the general state

of the public facing areas of the property.

Does it fit in with the area?

Does it adversely affect the amenities of the area

and how everything looks?

This bungalow has stood empty for about five years,

and Waveney Council have made repeated requests

to the elderly owner to tidy up the front garden.

OK, well, we're in a lovely, quiet suburban street here,

with really well-kept front gardens,

and this place you probably would struggle to see

that there is actually a house behind the brambles and the bushes

and trees that are all overgrowing at the front of the property.

'Jason regularly checks up on houses like this to find out

'if any progress is being made to bring the place back into use.

'His goal is always to get vacant buildings lived in again.'

OK, we've got two overturned bins here.

We've got the black bin, which is the general waste, which isn't being

used, it's empty, it's not being used because the house is empty.

But the garden waste one is full of garden waste which has

obviously been cut from down the side here to keep a path clear.

Neighbours say that the path was kept clear to allow

the postman to come through and deliver letters.

'There are signs that someone is visiting this place,

'but it's not clear why the house is unoccupied.'

Through the letterbox, it just looks like any normal house.

It looks like someone's even living there, even though

we know that they're not, and they haven't been for about five years.

There's just normal things inside the door.

It's not particularly untidy.

Looks fine.

'Having seen that the house is in such a poor state,

'Jason will serve a notice to the owner which requires them

'to improve the appearance of the bungalow.'

'If this isn't done, the council can carry out the work

'and charge the owner for it.'

It is very overgrown. It's ideal for harbouring rats and foxes,

and we have had reports of both,

and the neighbouring properties have been treated for rats.

Rats have a health implication, so it's something that needs to

be highlighted on any notice that we serve.

Fingers crossed that will bring the owner to the site to actually

clear it and make it look a bit tidier,

and make a lovely family home.

It's just a waste of resources as it is.

'Jason will continue trying to contact the owner and hopes

'eventually to work with them to get the house lived in again.'

'Back in Oxfordshire, I'm with Dominic and Julia

'who've been getting some advice from a couple who've carried out

'a renovation on an abandoned building, just as they plan to do.'

Having had a look around this place,

how are you feeling about the idea of taking on a project

and potentially creating a home like this?

Even more so.

To actually see what they've done here, I think it'll work,

we can do it.

Now we feel like...

Yeah, want to get started, now!

-Touching distance, yeah.

-Exactly, yeah.

The advice on project management was quite strongly felt, actually,

and maybe something you hadn't considered before, getting a project manager in.

Definitely. I was all very keen to be the project manager, but I think

now, with our family constraints and work life, I think we probably

both agree that we should bring in a project manager to look after this.

As you look, now, how fearful will you be of listed properties,

having seen what can be done, actually?

Yeah, I didn't at all have any idea that you could do that

sort of different structure within a building,

so I'm definitely open now for listed buildings.

Yeah. Well, best of luck.

It sounds like you're in the right place at the right time.

I'm pleased you seen this at the beginning of the journey.

I think that's crucial, and I wish you all the best.

I'm sure you'll find your perfect place very soon.

-Hopefully. Thank you very much.

-Good luck.

I'm really pleased that Dom and Julia could see this place today.

Quite frankly, it's hard not to be inspired by it,

and it just shows they shouldn't rule anything out in their search,

be it listed properties, somewhere that used to have an industrial

or commercial use, or just somewhere that hasn't been lived in before.

They want a property with plenty of character,

and I think today has given the confidence

and inspiration that's what they can achieve.

I'm sure, before long, that's exactly what they'll have.

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