Rod and Jill Boulderstone Britain's Empty Homes

Across the country, empty properties are waiting to be brought back into use.

I'll be finding out why and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.

Along the way, we'll follow the property detectives who track down the owners of these forgotten houses

to breathe new life into the communities blighted by them.

I'll be doing my own digging to find out more about our housing stock,

our heritage and why we should be both preserving and reinventing Britain's Empty Homes.

Extensive property renovations are tricky, particularly when restoring a building that's long been empty,

yet all over the country, specialist tradesmen, skilled craftsmen and ordinary people like you and I

are putting their faith in these derelict shells and reshaping them to form truly unique homes.

Today, I'll be meeting an adventurous couple

who have started their retirement by buying an abandoned cottage.

It felt like somebody would come out from between the ivy

and offer you a cup of tea. There was still a heart in there.

I'll be finding out about a regeneration scheme

to bring a much loved derelict building back into the community.

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

working to bring disowned buildings back into use.

You can't tell whether someone's started a renovation project here or not. It's a bit of a mystery.

Retired couple Rod and Jill Boulderstone are embarking on a long-held ambition

to downsize and do up an empty property in need of some serious attention.

They've found just what they're looking for five miles from their home on the island of Anglesey.

As soon as we saw the property, we wanted it.

The size of the place, the location,

the amount of work, it was a challenge.

Before they could buy what remained of the stone cottage,

they had to carry out a considerable amount of work to the plot.

We had to strip all the ivy and all the growth, so that the structural engineer could look at it,

so that we could take the structural report to the council

and ask if we bought the property,

there would be the opportunity to have planning on it, which was quite stressful at the time.

Once planning permission was approved, the couple took the first step to fulfilling their dream

by spending £187,000 on the cottage,

and the rewards have been instant.

The little house hadn't seen the sun for 60 years

and the sun came through, and all of a sudden, it was like the little house came to life.

And the more we cleared, the more we fell in love with the place.

'I'm meeting Rod and Jill at their cottage to see what they've taken on and hear their ideas

'on how they intend to bring such a derelict building back to life.'

-Hello, guys. I'm Joe.

-Hello, Joe.

-Rod, how are you?

-I'm fine.

-Nice to meet you.

-Jill, good to see you.

This is amazing, but it's also one of the most derelict I've seen. What attracted you to it?

We lived in a similar property, but much larger, and Rodney was having trouble with the stairs.

For five years, we waited for something like this.

When we saw it advertised, we immediately got in the car and came looking for it,

but as soon as we just arrived, we knew we wanted it.

Rod, what did you feel when you came and saw this place?

Even in its dilapidated condition, it appealed to us.

It had that aura about it that attracted us.

We felt that we were comfortable here and we were prepared to go all out to get it.

It almost felt like somebody would come out from between the ivy and offer you a cup of tea.

Even though it was derelict, there was still a heart in there.

I love that you feel that warmth to it. So many people wouldn't be able to see past the lack of a roof.

-You had a strong feeling?

-We saw a sad little house because it was empty, but a happy house.

-Let's go and have a look round. You can show me your happy house.

-Aye, we'd love to.

'It's clear this rustic shell is a labour of love

'and they've already got the ball rolling with some professional advice.'

What did the structural engineer say and where do you start with this building?

As it was, he was quite pleased with some of the walls.

It's more dilapidated now than it was when we first cleared the ivy

because the ivy was keeping it together.

What is the grand plan? Will you use all the buildings as we see it now?

We want to use it exactly as it is. We don't want to destroy the character of it.

We feel that whoever created it in the first place just got it right.

Huge project, loads ahead of you. What's the budget for doing all this?

We had original costs of about 100, 110, but that depended on what the architect came up with

and our architect came up with either an upstairs or an extension out the back

and we decided on the extension out the back.

-Does the budget side of things worry you at all?

-Yes, it's the only thing that keeps me awake.

The whole context of the place we're completely and utterly happy with.

The only worry we have is money, money, money.

-I'd love to explore the building a bit further. Rod, you find it a bit tricky getting in and out.

-Yes.

-If you have a sit down, Jill, are you happy to show me round?

-Quite happy, yes.

-Let's go and explore.

'This isn't Jill and Rod's first renovation project.

'They overhauled their first home where they lived for 30 years,

'but with a young family at the time, they weren't as hands-on as they would like to have been.'

Wow!

So, at some point here, there was an upstairs room as well?

Yes, when we first bought it, you could actually go up the stairs, but since then, that's all fallen away.

Because you're living on site, you'll be here to project-manage or to keep an eye over the build?

I will keep my eye over the whole of the build and the project, the architect and myself.

He is going to be project manager. We will confer between us what we can afford and what we can't afford.

And he knows what our budget is.

That's really sensible. I know you've got renovation experience,

but having your architect project-managing it is brilliant and you can work closely alongside him.

We would like to be in this property next Christmas.

With my husband's health, another Christmas in the caravan wouldn't be beneficial.

We only wanted to use builders that had experience of renovating old property,

so we've been very selective with who we've had tender for the property

and the ones we've picked are the ones that enjoy the challenge of renovating an old house.

I think when you're in here, I can really understand why you both feel so strongly about this place.

I can see why you're so excited about it.

This is a really exciting project for Jill and Rod.

They've got no shortage of energy and enthusiasm and, crucially, determination.

That said, it's a massive undertaking, so I think it's going to be really good for them

to meet a couple who have been through all this and completed a similar restoration.

Across the UK, empty properties are lying dormant,

decaying and unloved, just waiting to be brought back to life.

It's the job of local council Empty Property Officers to find these buildings

and get them back into circulation, so they can rejoin the community and become homes once more.

In Cardiff, Empty Property Officer Steve Reed and his team have brought over 700 buildings

back into use during his nine years on the job.

Today, he's at the beginning of an investigation

he hopes will lead him to the owner of an abandoned house.

The property we're looking at today has been empty for about six years.

One of today's objectives is to see if we can find out what the name of the property is,

so we can do some Land Registry searches and check with Council Tax to see

if we can find out who the owners are, why it's empty

and if we can work with them to get it sorted out and reoccupied.

In more isolated parts of the country,

finding an address for an empty property is the first step in the process.

And in this case, little is known about this building,

so Steve is hoping he can begin to solve the mystery.

It's in a real, real mess. We could try and get in there to get a closer look, but this looks a bit dodgy,

so I'll see if I can find a safer way in.

It's clear this building has been empty for some time

and Steve spots some interesting developments at the rear of the property.

We can't really tell whether someone's started a renovation project here or not.

There's a JCB at the end of the garden there, so it's a bit of a mystery.

At the front of the house, signs of activity and building work are even clearer.

This door has been forced here, so this is open.

The original floor has been taken up and the base for a new one has been put down.

Some of the plaster has been knocked off the walls, so it does look

like someone has started renovation work here, but for whatever reason, they've just left it.

But there is one piece of crucial information Steve hopes to take away with him.

We haven't actually got the address of the property yet, but there's a load of mail here.

Without an address, we can't get details on the new owner.

Hopefully, there's something here. What's this?

There you go. We have an owner's name and the actual name of the property.

It's probably not the present owner, but we have the name of the property,

so we can go on the Land Registry and maybe check with Council Tax,

just to try and confirm the new owners.

It's the lead Steve was hoping for.

Finding the address means he can take his investigation back to the office

where he can hopefully track down the person currently responsible for this dilapidated house.

So we have the new name of the actual property, so I've put that into the Land Registry

and it's come up with one match,

so we have the last sale date, November 2011.

This is new information for us. We have a new name and address.

I'll get in touch with the owner and see if we can work with him to bring this back into use.

It's a beautiful property in a fantastic location.

It would make a really nice family home if we could get it sorted and back into occupation.

Steve has now spoken with the owner who plans to resume the renovation work and move in himself.

Repairing an empty property takes lots of time, energy and money,

but it can be rewarding in so many ways. There's that feeling of accomplishment,

but also the knowledge that you've turned a derelict house into a home once more.

When Barbara Charlton spotted this disused and uncared-for house in Cambridgeshire,

she was instantly captivated by it.

There was no "for sale" sign, but it was clearly empty and in very poor condition.

The garden was horrendously overgrown and we looked round the house.

As we went room to room, every room had something really special.

There was just so much in it that we thought we just have to have this place.

Having bought it for £485,000,

Barbara made the decision to carry out a slow renovation

and let the property guide the rebuild.

It's got a character of its own, so you're not going to come into a place like this and transform it.

You'll live here for a while and get the feeling of what works.

The place is full of original touches.

Things like the window latches were hand-made in a local metalwork shop.

The weather vane on the stable block was hand-made locally as well.

We thought we could make it a lovely family house,

but what we would do with it has been incremental as we've lived here

to make the house what it wants to be, rather than what you want it to be.

The house is a listed building, adding another dimension to the renovation.

Taking on a place like this, one of the things you have to take on board

is dealing with the listed building people in the council, and it's Two Star with English Heritage as well.

It can be very frustrating when you want to do something.

There's always a three-month wait or a six-month wait

before you can put it through the planning and the listed building approval.

The place had been empty for two years. The previous tenant refused to carry out any refurbishment work,

leaving many of the original features.

It was vital to keep as much of the original in place as possible.

Wherever we've been able to, we've re-used, recycled the original fixtures and fittings.

With the renovation behind them, Barbara and her husband Anthony are enjoying the fruits of their labour.

One of the nicest parts of the house is actually outside.

You can look across the fields, sit there in the afternoon, early evening, nice glass of red wine,

and...all peace and tranquillity. It's lovely.

The Charltons spent £60,000 on the renovation and firmly believe it was worth all the hard work,

time and money.

This project took over our lives for the best part of nine years, but I don't regret it.

A lot of the pleasure we get out of this place is seeing all the little things that we've done.

Living here is a real pleasure. Looking at what we've achieved and what we've built and grown,

it makes living in the house that much more rewarding and enriching.

'I'm in Dartford, Kent, to see a project that aims to revive an incredible building

'that's been unused for five years.

'Stone House Hospital is 150 years old. Sadly, in 2007, it was deemed unsuitable for modern healthcare

'and has remained vacant ever since.'

But the good news is it's not going to be empty much longer.

This Grade 2-listed building is being converted into much-needed accommodation,

but the developers have a huge task.

'I've come to meet James Woodmansee. He's in charge of the project

'and specialises in saving derelict listed buildings like this one.'

James, a stunning looking building, a huge project here. What exactly is the plan?

We've got 144 units, some new build and 98 in the refurb section.

-There are apartments, but mainly houses.

-How exciting is it to get stuck in to something like this?

It's very exciting. Each one brings its own problems and is as exciting as the next one.

It's the satisfaction of going through the hard work to get the end product that gives a nice feeling.

-Right. So shall we go and have a look?

-Yes, let's do that.

'Converting a Victorian hospital into modern homes whilst respecting its history is no easy feat.'

This is a brilliantly grand room. How do you balance all the history in here

with a flat or a modern-day contemporary residence?

You start off with keeping the space open. In this instance, there was no choice but to sub-divide.

Then the expertise comes in as to how to do it in a very sensitive, unobtrusive way.

We use the features wherever we can. An element will be open, but it'll be compartmentalised into units.

-This is a Grade 2-listed building, so what restrictions have you?

-A lot. These buildings,

they're a puzzle. If you change one bit, that has an effect on that.

All through, the slightest little change - you might need to make an en suite bigger -

so it's an on-going process of design and redesign. You live and breathe it day by day.

The first conversion is almost finished.

The result is a modern home which has retained elements of the building's past life.

'Local councillor Patsy Thurlow is a supporter of the project

'and wanted to honour the grandeur of the building by making it a focal point in the community.'

When these buildings sat empty, what was the council's view of what should be done?

We wanted it to be sympathetic with the buildings already here.

It would be easy to pull something down, but it's not so easy to build up something like this.

And although there are flats, apartments, houses,

they are all complementary with each other and they all fit in.

It's bringing life back to the area, which is what we wanted to see.

I really think this is a very special project.

No one makes buildings like this any more, so to knock them down or leave them empty is such a waste.

That's not what's happening here. It's being brought back to life

and renovated with great sensitivity to hold on to its history and also write the next chapter.

'Back in Anglesey, I'm with Rod and Jill Boulderstone, who have already bought the cottage of their dreams,

'albeit in a sorry state. I'm going to introduce them to a couple who kept a similar renovation on track

'and turned a derelict shell into a home.

'Chris and Sara Cheeney inherited the ruins of this barn from Sara's family.

'Like Rod and Jill's cottage, this house is off the beaten track and holds a deep connection for them.'

My grandfather used to use it for farming purposes.

They've got no records of when it was originally built. The barn stood empty for 50 years.

Sara's always wanted to live here. It's a fantastic place to bring up children, so that was our dream.

We just had to go for it.

The enormity of the project soon became clear to Chris and Sara.

When I started thinking about building the barn, I looked at the condition and it was shocking.

I wouldn't think for a minute that you could re-use the walls, but we couldn't knock it down.

-How were we going to do this?

-When you stood inside, it looked tiny

and you couldn't imagine that you could make it into a dwelling.

To me it was a massive project, but I was so pleased with how it turned out.

Chris and Sara's experience will hopefully give the Boulderstones a real insight into what can be done.

-Guys, tell us about this place. What state was it in?

-I've got some pictures here to show you.

-This is a very similar state to your place.

-Yes, it's incredible to see what can be done.

If anything, it's worse than ours.

OK, I'm itching to see inside, so lead the way.

'The derelict barn is now a modern cottage with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen

'and a living room. I really hope this couple can reassure Rod and Jill

'that there's light at the end of the tunnel.'

-Here we are in the kitchen. What are your first impressions?

-I really like it.

You've got the same small windows that we've got to have in ours.

And you've used the colour in a way that I would hope to use it. It's very pleasing to see

how it could work in our own property.

Guys, any advice on choosing a builder?

We were quite lucky that we knew an experienced builder, but we got another two quotes, so we had three,

but we knew who we wanted to use.

-We spent time with him, saw his plans.

-Did your architect supervise it or did you do it yourself?

Having a project manager was never an option. We were trying to keep our costs low.

-We never felt that we needed one.

-No.

-You did a lot of it yourself.

Me and the builder had a good rapport and he said, "We've got to be a month ahead."

So we had an hour together in the morning and that would decide what I would do that day.

I'd phone and order supplies or make sure the electrician was OK. Just keep a month ahead of yourself.

Any other tips for these guys about how to make their budget go as far as possible?

If you're not sure about something, ask the professional.

I would say to them, "What would you do if it was your house?"

And then he would open up and give his advice, which was generally better than your idea originally.

Guys, thank you for showing us round your home. I'm pleased it's worked out so well.

-I hope it's useful, getting a visualisation of what's ahead.

-It's quite enthralling to see

what we could be standing in at home. Thank you very much.

Back in Cardiff, Empty Property Officer Steve Reed is visiting a house he knows well.

With 2,000 homes on the long-term vacant list in Cardiff alone,

Steve takes a real pride in seeing once-abandoned dwellings realise their potential.

The property I'm visiting today is one that I've been dealing with for three or four years.

Work has started on the property, but we still need to monitor it to make sure work keeps progressing

and hopefully, within a few months, we can have this property reoccupied and off our books.

The new owner bought the house at auction for £94,000

and renovating the property was a bigger job than expected.

Morning, Mr Khan. Steven Reed from Cardiff County Council.

-Nice to meet you, sir.

-Can I have a little look around?

-That's fine.

The house has been desolate for five years. With holes throughout, it had become a serious hazard.

Wow. What a difference. I remember the problems it caused.

-Yeah?

-I remember in here there was a huge hole in the ceiling,

a hole in the floor, very dangerous to walk in here.

We put new joists in the floors and there were two joists that had been broken in the middle there.

And it was totally... The house was like that.

So I had to take old joists out and put steel in.

-There was a big hole next door as well, all rotting away.

-Yeah.

-Can I have a look at that?

The difference in here as well from the last time. There was no floor over there at all.

-Had the joists gone?

-Yeah. A couple had broken.

I put all new joists in there with the new floor.

And there was a hole in the ceiling. I put a new ceiling in.

It's very nearly finished inside. Can we have a look upstairs?

So far, so good.

Now Steve wants to see what progress Mr Khan has made upstairs.

This is the one with all the structural problems.

The sills had dropped and the lintel had cracked there.

-There was a big crack in that corner. And that side as well.

-Yeah, it looks so much better.

You're a very brave man taking on such a big project, but it's turned out really well.

That was a really good visit. Hopefully, within the next couple of months,

there will be a family living there. That's a good result for us and for the owner.

That'll be a long-term one off our books and onto the next one.

'I've been with Rod and Jill who are embarking on a renovation

'and are looking for some reassurance that their hopes can become a reality.

'They've been getting useful advice from a couple who successfully completed a similar renovation.'

-So how have you found today, guys? Has it been useful?

-Very much. It's a glimpse of what we hope to achieve

-and Sara and Chris have given us the benefit of quite a lot of useful information.

-Yeah.

And experience, really.

We were able to go away with a bit more enthusiasm to renovate our place,

-having seen what a good job they made.

-Did you find that it energises you and spurs you on?

-It does.

And there's the reassurance that it was much worse than yours and yet it can be transformed.

At the moment, we've got dreams, pipe dreams, but not the reality.

-We can do it!

-Guys, good luck. You've got a really exciting project and the determination,

-so you're halfway there. I'm sure you'll make a great job of it.

-Thank you.

-Thanks for inviting us.

Jill and Rod are at the beginning of a very long construction adventure, but what an exciting one it is.

Today's been really useful. It reassures them that it's absolutely possible

to take a disused rural dwelling and make a lovely home, but also great advice on choosing a builder.

I know they'll take that great advice with them and, before long, they too will have their dream home.

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