0:00:02 > 0:00:08Across the country, empty properties that could be homes are waiting to be brought back into use.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13I'll be finding out why and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19And I'll be doing some digging of my own to find out more about our housing stock, our heritage
0:00:19 > 0:00:25and why we should be both reinventing and preserving Britain's empty homes.
0:00:30 > 0:00:36Doing up an empty property can challenge even the most experienced renovator,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40whether it's restructuring internal layouts, managing huge budgets
0:00:40 > 0:00:42or tackling planning restrictions,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46but it's the promise of turning the dream into a reality
0:00:46 > 0:00:50that drives people on to bring an empty home back to life.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58'On today's show, a couple facing the challenge of rescuing a Grade II listed cottage...'
0:00:59 > 0:01:01This is the only water in the house.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05There's no bathroom, toilet. They didn't even have an outhouse.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11'A regeneration scheme that transforms empty properties into homes for people in real need...'
0:01:11 > 0:01:17It's nice to bring empty homes back into the community and get people that need them living in them.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23'And an Empty Property Officer tries to track down the owner of an abandoned abode.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Do you know anything about this property here, about the owner?
0:01:28 > 0:01:35'Surrey-based ceramic tiler Paul Helyar and his wife Lynn recently spent £300,000
0:01:35 > 0:01:40'on this rare, Grade II listed house in the sought-after village of Hascombe in Surrey.'
0:01:40 > 0:01:45When you're thinking of retiring, it's a nice place to retire.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48If you've got a romantic spirit, it's idyllic,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52far from the madding crowd, far from the madness of the city.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57- And we have sheep... - And there are sheep.- ..looking over the fence which is quite nice.
0:01:57 > 0:02:04'The cottage was previously owned by an elderly relative of Paul's who moved out into a retirement home.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07'Living in a listed cottage sounds like a dream,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11'but fixing this place up would give most people sleepless nights.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:16We've purchased basically an empty building with a very leaky roof,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20absolutely no insulation at all, no running water as such.
0:02:20 > 0:02:27- It's got one kitchen downstairs with a tap.- No facilities. - No bathroom.- No toilet.- No toilet.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34'The cottage next door was renovated for £200,000, but being a professional tiler,
0:02:34 > 0:02:40'Paul is counting on his experience and contacts to help them finish the job for half that amount.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:44We're hoping to do quite a lot ourselves.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Tiling kitchens, bathrooms, that's no problem.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52And the floor area downstairs being in stone is something I do all the time.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57'I want to see first-hand the scale of renovation that this compact cottage needs.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:01- Hi, guys. I'm Joe.- Pleased to meet you.- Paul, nice to see you.- Hello.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Lynn, how are you?- Fine, thanks. - This is lovely.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- What a cute cottage! How long have you had it?- Just over a month.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14- It's a bit older than that, though. It's about 1580s, the original part of the building.- Goodness me!
0:03:14 > 0:03:20- To prove it, we've got a key which is a couple of hundred years old. - That's a proper key.- Yes.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- You don't lose that in a hurry.- That is the only key of the property.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29- The only key?- Yes.- I have a habit of walking off with those things, so hang on to that.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- Let's have a look around, shall we? - Yeah.- Lead the way.- By all means.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Oh, wow, look at this!
0:03:37 > 0:03:43This is a proper country cottage. Front room here and fireplace, then this is your kitchen?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The kitchen. This is the only water in the house.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- The only water in the house is this tap here?- This tap. - And where would that water go?
0:03:51 > 0:03:56- Just into the floor outside.- Into the soil? It just drains away?- Yes.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's mind-boggling. It's amazing.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- Most of it is coming through... - It's coming back up.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06- There's no bathroom, toilet.- Wow! - Absolutely nothing. Just this one tap.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11- Where is your power shower, Lynn? - I'm waiting.- Still waiting? My goodness!
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- It had an outhouse attached to it? - It didn't even have an outhouse.
0:04:14 > 0:04:21This is classed as uninhabitable. You've got a bit of running water, but you have no sanitary stuff.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- It's classified as derelict.- Right.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28You're going to bring it through to the 21st century? And it's small.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We came in the front door, through the front room into the kitchen...
0:04:32 > 0:04:38Part of the charm of cottages like this is they're small, cosy rooms. Will you keep them like that?
0:04:38 > 0:04:44- No.- No? What would you like to do? - Some you have to because of the restrictions.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48It's Grade II listed. Anything before 1700 is Grade II listed.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53So, the front of the house, being all timber-framed, has to stay the same.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59But the back of the house which was an extension put on a few hundred years ago isn't all timber-framed,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- so that's where the potential is to add on.- Cosy?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It's definitely small at the moment and small is worrying
0:05:06 > 0:05:13because I'm not used to living in anything quite as small, certainly, so we'll put an extension on.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18- What is the vision? Why do you want to do this?- I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Yeah, yeah... You didn't?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23What were your first thoughts?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- I was crestfallen when I first saw it.- Really?- Yeah.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I think it's just so different from anything I'd seen before.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Fell in love, crestfallen.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37- LAUGHTER - It's quite a contrast between the two of you, isn't it?
0:05:37 > 0:05:42I know there's some roofing work going on. Shall we go and have a look upstairs?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Yeah, by all means.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48'Clearly, there's plenty of room for improvement here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54'But even though the cottage is small, it's going to be crucial to keep a check on the finances.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:58What's the plan up here? How is it going to be laid out?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02We've got a two-storey extension going through here.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08Where we're standing here is going to be an en-suite bathroom to a front bedroom here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13Two front bedrooms have to stay the same because it's a listed building. We can't touch those.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17There'll be another boxroom alongside the en-suite here.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- That's your office, the boxroom? - It'll have to be, I guess.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25So how far have you got? You've been working up here already.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30What's been happening? Have you come across any unforeseen problems?
0:06:30 > 0:06:36We have found quite a lot of rot in the roof, so we've changed several of the rafters already.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41That's where I see this new wood. How much do you think this will cost?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- I've allowed £100,000. I've borrowed the maximum amount I can borrow.- Right.
0:06:45 > 0:06:51The longer it takes, the more interest we need to pay and we haven't sold our house.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The problem is paying the interest on that loan plus paying a mortgage.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59That's the timescale problem. You can't go past six or seven months.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04- I can see why you might worry. Do you think he can do it?- I'm sure he can. I've got implicit faith.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I trust you to make a very good job of it.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09'This place has got potential,
0:07:09 > 0:07:14'but Paul and Lynn will need to be on the same page to make the best of it.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:21- Can you visualise it?- I can visualise it, but Lynn has great difficulty in visualising anything.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26You're struggling to jump off paper into just seeing and feeling your home?
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Yes, it's hard to imagine that you can create that much more space
0:07:30 > 0:07:34because of the restrictions and by it being a listed building.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37At this stage in the project, what are your key concerns?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Mainly seeing it through to the end.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47It would be unusual to finish anything, but it would make it a first if we could get this finished.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Quite a barbed comment. - LAUGHTER
0:07:49 > 0:07:54- I don't pull any punches, do I? - A nudge in the ribs, "It'd be nice to finish this time."
0:07:54 > 0:08:00It would be really useful for you both to meet a couple who have been through this
0:08:00 > 0:08:04with an equally historic property and have come out the other side.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07They'll have some really good advice and tips for you
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- to help you on your way. - That sounds a really good idea.
0:08:10 > 0:08:17'Being a tiler means that Paul is handy, but it's going to take more than a few new tiles
0:08:17 > 0:08:19'to make this place shine.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:26It isn't just Grade II listed buildings that need restoring.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Across the UK, there are properties lying empty that could provide much needed housing.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Local councils are taking action and it's the job
0:08:35 > 0:08:39of Empty Property Officers to find these buildings and get them back into use.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45In Amber Valley, Derbyshire, Sue Lee is on her way to a house that's long been a thorn
0:08:45 > 0:08:49in the side of the local community.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Today, I'm off to look at a property that I've been working on for the last three years.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57We're having to treat it as abandoned
0:08:57 > 0:09:03and it's a property I've had to respond to neighbours' complaints about, so we've taken action
0:09:03 > 0:09:09and today, I'll have a look at the work the contractors have done and consider our next steps.
0:09:09 > 0:09:16Sue has made every effort to track down the owner of the house, but this is his only known address,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20so while she inspects the work the council ordered for the roof,
0:09:20 > 0:09:26she plans to hand-deliver an invoice to cover their costs, as Royal Mail will no longer deliver post here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28As I expected, really.
0:09:28 > 0:09:34The mail is having trouble getting through because the brambles are just so overgrown.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40I might play GI Jane and try and post the letter. Or I can just tape it to the wall. But I prefer to deliver it.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43What I'm really interested in is the back of the house.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Oh!
0:09:47 > 0:09:50What's this?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Oh, my word!
0:09:54 > 0:09:58These are letters that I had to tape to the property.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I find it interesting that this letter has already been opened.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Who's had a look at this?
0:10:06 > 0:10:11This discovery indicates that someone could have visited the house
0:10:11 > 0:10:16and therefore, may be aware of the council's involvement.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Well, I do like this roof now. The contractors have done a great job.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24It's draining nicely into the guttering as well. That's good.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27But I cannot believe this garden.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It's so much more overgrown than I expected.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36I have served notice to ask the owner to do something about it.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But this is something we need to tackle now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I'll just get my camera and take some pictures of the roof...
0:10:45 > 0:10:48..for my records back at the office.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Now Sue knows one of her letters at the house has been opened,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57she wants to hear if the neighbours have any more up-to-date information.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02- Excuse me.- Hello. - I'm the Empty Property Officer at the council.- Oh, yeah.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08- Can I just ask you a couple of questions?- Yeah.- Do you know anything about the owner of this property?
0:11:08 > 0:11:12There was a young chap who lived there. The last time I spoke to him,
0:11:12 > 0:11:20it was a few years ago, he said he was working abroad and that's as much as I know.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23OK. Thank you for your time. Bye.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31Undeterred, Sue is hopeful someone on the street will know more about the elusive owner.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- Hiya.- Hello. I'm the Empty Property Officer at the council.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44- I was wondering if you were aware of that empty property across the road?- Yes, indeed.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- Is it having much of an effect, do you think?- Well, yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53We do have to look at it, but it's the neighbours I feel sorry for, on either side.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57They've had to put up with it for, goodness gracious, how many years?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59But yeah, a bit of an eyesore.
0:11:59 > 0:12:05I'm trying to find out a bit more about the owner. Do you know anything about him?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Nobody's seen him for years. He used to come and go.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11But I wouldn't have a clue where he was.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- Thank you. Bye.- You're welcome.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19With further information thin on the ground, it seems Sue's investigation may have gone cold.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Well, I've spoken to a few people who live near to this empty property.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32But I'm not really any further forward in finding out definitively where the owner is.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36So the next thing for me to do is deliver this letter
0:12:36 > 0:12:40and my previous correspondence that I found at the property.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Here goes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45The owner has 28 days to pay the council's costs.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50If he fails to do so, Sue will have no option but to serve him notice
0:12:50 > 0:12:55which could lead to the council eventually taking ownership of the building.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Job done.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03If you're in the market for an empty property, there are many ways to pick one up.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08Contact your local council's Empty Property Officer. Ask around family and friends.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Or talk with local estate agents and auctioneers.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It's not only the council and individual developers
0:13:14 > 0:13:18who are working to turn abandoned buildings into usable homes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I've come to South London to see the work of Habitat For Humanity,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26one of many charities working to bring affordable houses
0:13:26 > 0:13:30to some of the 1.8 million families on housing waiting lists.
0:13:30 > 0:13:36David Clare works for the charity who have secured this house in a residential street,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38perfect for a family in need.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45- What's going on here? - This is a turn-of-the-century, terraced property.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's been empty for over 18 months.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52We're converting it into a three-bed maisonette, then the lower ground floor, basement flat.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- Who would work on a project like this? Local tradesmen?- Yes.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02- But we also mix them with unskilled volunteers on site.- Where do they come from?- The community.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08And also from corporations in the City, who bring a donation as well, which helps subsidise the project.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14- It's the backbone of the charity. - You mentioned unskilled volunteers. It's the perfect description of me.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- Can I get involved?- Of course. We'll get you kitted out.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23'Once completed, this place will be used by the Housing for Women Association
0:14:23 > 0:14:30'to rehome women and children in vulnerable circumstances. Darren shows me what lies beneath
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- 'the surface of a project like this.' These are coming up?- Yes.
0:14:34 > 0:14:41So how's the project been going? What surprises have you found with this house?
0:14:41 > 0:14:47It's typical of what we're finding. A sag in the floor. You investigate and realise the brickwork is loose.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52We then have to take the bricks out. If you don't do it sympathetically,
0:14:52 > 0:14:58the whole wall could come crumbling down on you, like a big game of Jenga.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03- Damp's got in.- Yeah. You don't know until you start ripping it apart what the problem is.
0:15:03 > 0:15:09- I'll leave you to carry on. I'll join the volunteers downstairs, if that's OK.- Fine. Bye.
0:15:09 > 0:15:15'One of the unique aspects of Habitat For Humanity is the emphasis on using unskilled labourers
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'who are more at home in suits.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:23Hi, guys. Hold your fire. How are we doing? I'm Joe.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- Nice to meet you.- I can't hear a thing you say! Dust masks down?
0:15:27 > 0:15:34- Hi.- Hello. I'm Joe.- Miranda. - And?- Peter.- Hello, Peter. How are you doing?- Very well.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40- What do you normally do? Behind a desk?- I'm a marketing manager. Very different.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Not too much experience of Victorian chimneys and fireplaces?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Er, no. Not every day.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51And why have you volunteered here? What do you make of the charity?
0:15:51 > 0:15:56It's nice to bring empty homes back into the community.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02Previously I was working on the sewage and I have to say this is slightly nicer.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07- Miranda, you've come straight in at fireplaces.- That's my best forte!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- You avoided the drains!- Absolutely!
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- Shall I start ferrying these out? - That would be fantastic.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21It's really heartwarming to see people volunteering to work alongside the local tradesmen here.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26And they're bringing this beautiful building back to life
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and providing much needed affordable housing for many years to come.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36'Restoring an empty property can often be a huge undertaking,
0:16:36 > 0:16:41'but one with enormous satisfaction. Whilst creating a new home,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46'you're also helping to bring a building that's lost its purpose back to use.
0:16:46 > 0:16:53'That's just what Stewart and Leni Rothwell set out to do when they bought these listed stables in 2009
0:16:53 > 0:16:57'for £190,000. Being a construction engineer by trade,
0:16:57 > 0:17:04'Leni was adamant she'd go against the grain and design her own home, but Stewart wasn't sold on it.'
0:17:04 > 0:17:09My initial reaction was, "Wow! What a mess this place is!"
0:17:09 > 0:17:16It was an ex-builder's yard, overgrown, loads of rubbish, the buildings were falling down.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22- It was like a tip. - Yeah, just the scale of work and amount of work that needed doing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27That was scary. How much is it going to cost to get the whole thing done?
0:17:27 > 0:17:33But Leni assured me it had potential and so I had to really take her word for that.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40There was that instinct that pushed me to push Stewart. "This is great. It's fantastic.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42"It could make a great home."
0:17:42 > 0:17:48And give back a little bit of the character to this part of the village.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53- I received my instructions as to what to cut down...- Labouring!
0:17:53 > 0:17:59Yeah, so I was general labourer and bean counter in the background and Leni was project manager.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- That's pretty much right?- Yes.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07With a renovation budget of just over £200,000, work could begin,
0:18:07 > 0:18:12but being in a conservation area presented plenty of challenges,
0:18:12 > 0:18:19- including making allowances for local wildlife.- I had to struggle with conservation officers.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Because there were bats flying around, there could be a bat roost.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30The local bat man, let's call him, came for two evenings running and sat here from about 7pm
0:18:30 > 0:18:37until 2am, checking for any bat activity. At the end, his report said there may be. Nothing more.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41That scared me. You cannot say that in your report.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47We had to fight with the wording of every report before being submitted to the planners
0:18:47 > 0:18:53- to make sure they were conclusive and clear.- It wasn't just the home itself under the watchful eye
0:18:53 > 0:18:57- of the conservation officers. - Part of the planning condition
0:18:57 > 0:19:02focused on preserving and reinstating the orchard.
0:19:02 > 0:19:08The funny thing about the fruit trees was they insisted on exactly the same species as 80 years ago.
0:19:08 > 0:19:16We did have to refer to historical data of the region and then had to negotiate with landscape officers
0:19:16 > 0:19:23- exactly what trees we would plant. - You didn't ever think, "I wish I hadn't taken this on," did you?
0:19:23 > 0:19:30I had quite a few sleepless nights, but I was determined because I pushed so much for it.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I had to see it through. The only way out is to finish it.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40Once the roofs were back on, the walls had gone up, I started to have a feel for what it was like
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and I could start to see what Leni perhaps originally saw in it.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50- You never said that, that you warmed to the house then. - Yes. Yeah, I did.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55It is a beautiful property, a beautiful house to live in.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Finding an old place and renovating it has enabled us to have
0:19:59 > 0:20:03a far grander home, let's say, than we otherwise would have.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09It's probably worth 1½ times the amount that we paid. Would we have afforded a £600,000 house?
0:20:09 > 0:20:16- Definitely not.- The house sits so well within the surrounding environment.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25Back in Surrey, I'm with Paul and Lynn Helyar, who bought a Grade II-listed cottage
0:20:25 > 0:20:27in need of serious renovation work.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33'To help them realise their vision, I'll introduce them to a couple who did a similar job,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37'turning a 600-year-old derelict listed cottage into a cosy home.'
0:20:37 > 0:20:43- I think you can tell why I brought you here. First impressions? - Fabulous.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49- It's really beautiful.- It's a similar period to your cottage, late 16th century.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55Probably a little bit bigger, but no house is exact and this will have come up against similar challenges
0:20:55 > 0:21:01- in terms of modernising an old cottage. Shall we say hello?- Yeah. - If we could.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'Liz and Steve Toft weren't even looking for a fixer-upper
0:21:05 > 0:21:12- 'when they took a chance viewing this run-down local cottage.' - This place came up for sale.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18We thought we'd have a look, a little bit for being nosey, just to see what it was like.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22I was eight months pregnant and I went along just to humour you.
0:21:22 > 0:21:29But once inside, the couple saw the potential and were undeterred by the state it was in.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34- We just fell in love with it and definitely wanted to stay here. - It looked run-down,
0:21:34 > 0:21:39- but it wasn't falling down. - No. But it needed a lot of work.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44They bought the cottage in 2009 for £400,000
0:21:44 > 0:21:49and it took them two years and £186,000 to completely restore.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53We knew that it was a big project and, ultimately, we have
0:21:53 > 0:21:59this amazing house. And hopefully we'll be in it for ever more.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04- Hi, guys. Come in. - This is your living room.- It is.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09- Incredible. All the exposed wood. - Beautiful.- It is, isn't it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:15These guys are being very brave. Paul's very optimistic, Lynn's very worried.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21It's about trying to find a look and a style to marry the old with the new.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26- What was your approach?- We wanted to keep it as true to its original self as we could.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32Anything old, we did it traditionally even if it wasn't exactly how we'd like it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34We wanted to make it neutral.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40Have you thought further down the line, in terms of the style? Keep an old feel or be modern?
0:22:40 > 0:22:46- I think we've got to keep an old feel.- When you've got beams like this,
0:22:46 > 0:22:52- if you do anything mock, it stands out a mile.- I don't want it to look too modern anyway.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Looking over there, you've got the bread oven.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01This was all panelled and you could barely see the doors. It was amazing when you took it back.
0:23:01 > 0:23:09I can see how things could be, I suppose, because it doesn't exist at the moment. All I can see is
0:23:09 > 0:23:11how dark it all is at the moment.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Even new plaster and painting it white makes a massive difference.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22We sandblasted all of this to lighten it up and bring it back to how it should have been.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27There are always problems. How did you guys approach them?
0:23:27 > 0:23:33Use the conservation officer. Ours was really, really good, wasn't he?
0:23:33 > 0:23:39He said, "I expect you'll want to do this and that." We hadn't even thought about doing those things.
0:23:39 > 0:23:45If it wasn't for him saying about the fireplace, we wouldn't have done it and it's one of the nicest things.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50- Have you met your conservation officer?- He came round yesterday. - Oh, right.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56So you're building that relationship already, someone with good advice who knows their history.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00If you've got one tradesperson experienced in traditional methods,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04they go, "Oh, do you know so-and-so?" And then, "Wow!"
0:24:04 > 0:24:08You'd a run of four or five people who knew what they were doing.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13The knowledge of working in an old building isn't the same.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19There's almost a club where people share knowledge and you can find specialist trades.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24You're a tradesman, but there might still be someone who can help in that way.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29If you keep the right focus, you can get through it.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33When we started uncovering bits, it got worse before it got better.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38Then you have really good times when something suddenly comes together.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43- We'll start praying now! - Unfortunately, Lynn has no vision! - No!
0:24:43 > 0:24:49'I'm hoping seeing upstairs will be an eye-opener for Lynn as the proportions
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- 'are more in line with their own home.'- This is the main bathroom.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58'They've also incorporated an en suite into one bedroom.'
0:24:58 > 0:25:05- And this is Sebastian's bedroom. - 'It's a great chance for the Helyars to see how to maximise the space.'
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Everyone, please be careful down these stairs!
0:25:10 > 0:25:17'What I really want to show them is the modern extension, which will offer Lynn some living space.'
0:25:17 > 0:25:20So here we are in the extension.
0:25:20 > 0:25:28- Clearly not in the same style as the rest. You don't have old beams. - It's very nice, light and airy.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34- A totally different feel.- We want to open up some space outside just as living space, really.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40How useful is it having this space in terms of not being confined to the old footprint of the cottage?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43It just makes it a family home.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Let's come to the heart of it. How long did it take you?
0:25:47 > 0:25:53We originally thought 9-12 months, something like that. In the end, it took us 2½ years.
0:25:53 > 0:26:00- And what did it end up costing you? - We originally budgeted for about 187 to be sort of precise.
0:26:00 > 0:26:06- If these guys' budget is going the wrong way, what's your advice? Sort the structure out first?- Yeah.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12Don't think, "Oh, it's costing us a lot more, so we'll cut corners." Ultimately, it's a false economy.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You'll have to redo it.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19So priorities versus budget. Just always assessing that.
0:26:19 > 0:26:25- Now give Lynn some reassurance that it's all worth it in the end. - Most definitely. We love this place.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29It's exceeded expectations.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Our old house was a modern house, but we never felt as comfortable as we do here.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Maybe that's the key. Thinking about how you tailor it to yourself,
0:26:38 > 0:26:45- to the way you live your life. Maybe that will help you get really excited about the property.- Maybe!
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- Keep working on her, Paul. - Work in progress!
0:26:53 > 0:26:58- Guys, having had a look round, has this helped?- It's helped me. It's helped me a lot.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03It's a wonderful place. It shows me what it will look like.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Certainly something to live up to, isn't it? This is beautiful.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And this is the result of their positivity.
0:27:11 > 0:27:18- They've stuck together and come through.- It's nice to think you can achieve so much.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24- It's phenomenal.- You have an amazing property. There will be tough challenges and some low moments,
0:27:24 > 0:27:30but go through this together. These two did just that and look what they've achieved.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35- What a great home you'll have. - I do hope so. Thank you so much.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Thank you very much.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43It's been an absolute treat to see this place. Listed buildings can be notoriously tricky
0:27:43 > 0:27:49to get right, but to see one finished to such a high standard is just fantastic.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54For Paul, there's plenty of inspiration and it encourages him and his vision.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00For Lynn, hopefully, we're winning this battle and there's reassurance here that it can be done
0:28:00 > 0:28:06so together they can go forward and create their perfect home.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd