0:00:02 > 0:00:05Across the country, empty properties that could be homes are just
0:00:05 > 0:00:08waiting to be brought back into use.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I'll be finding out why
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and what you need to do to rescue a house for yourself.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18And along the way I'll be doing some digging up my own, to find out
0:00:18 > 0:00:20more about our housing stock, our heritage and why
0:00:20 > 0:00:25we should be both reinventing and preserving Britain's empty homes.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Renovating an empty home can be a life-changing experience,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37but you'll need to be brave, it'll push you to your limit.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41However, the benefits of taking on one of these buildings
0:00:41 > 0:00:42can be truly rewarding.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44On today's show,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48a couple who've bought a rundown Victorian house in North London,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52which they plan to restore and turn into an energy efficient home.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56We want to give it its 120 year service.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58We want to bring it back to life.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02A regeneration project dedicated to keeping alive the ancient
0:01:02 > 0:01:06craft skills needed to maintain Britain's historic buildings.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10We're teaching people about lime plastering, lime mortar,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13masonry - a whole range of different skills.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And one of the country's empty property officers
0:01:16 > 0:01:19on the trail of an abandoned cottage.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21It's great that we're there to provide housing for people
0:01:21 > 0:01:23and help people who are struggling.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Ian and his partner, Marcie, had always been dreamed of a self-build.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33But once they set eyes on a rundown Victorian house in North London,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37they realised they could be as creative with an empty property.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41I thought I would probably build a house rather than renovate
0:01:41 > 0:01:45a house, and there are challenges that come along with a renovation.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Part of that challenge is that
0:01:46 > 0:01:51they want to make this 130-year-old house energy efficient.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52For the past 20 years,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I've wanted to build a house that is very cheap to run.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59That uses very little electricity and uses very little gas.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04And I think this is going to be the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The Victorian house had been divided into three separate flats,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12and now Ian and Marcie going are to restore it to its former glory
0:02:12 > 0:02:13but with a modern twist.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15We want a house that's very up-to-date,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19that's using all of the most modern materials we can find.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Be that solar thermal, external wall insulation,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25be it all of the new airtightness materials you can get,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28to make it as energy efficient as possible.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But they're aware a house like this comes with plenty of history,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and they are keen to be sensitive to its heritage.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38The house was built in about 1885.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It was an absolute wreck, an absolute wreck.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46The floorboards were smashed up, the fires were smashed up,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49the wallpaper was peeling off the walls,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52there were holes in the roof, there was water coming in.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58It was a real feat of imagination to look through what was there.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01With a second baby on the way, they want to create a home that's
0:03:01 > 0:03:05not only energy efficient, but works for their expanding family.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I think the dream is a family house.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12I think we are really, really lucky to be in a position to
0:03:12 > 0:03:16kind of, hopefully, I mean, it's not done yet, but live out that dream.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Ian and Marcie certainly have ambitious plans,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and I can't wait to have a look round this grand, old house.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Tell me about this place. You've just bought this, have you?
0:03:29 > 0:03:33We bought it back in February. OK. It's an old wreck.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38We're hoping to do it up, do a full energy efficient renovation of it.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Wow! It's a stunning area.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Any area looks good on a day like today, but even so,
0:03:43 > 0:03:44that view is incredible, isn't it?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46The view kind of sold it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I think the view added a bit of value to the house. Good.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Well, look, it looks a bit tired,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54a bit in need of some love and care from the outside,
0:03:54 > 0:03:55shall we take a look inside?
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Sure. After you.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Ian and Marcie already have some plans in mind,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04but making a house of this size and age energy efficient
0:04:04 > 0:04:06isn't always straightforward.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Wow! First thing is the scale of coming in this house.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The height and light and space is incredible, isn't it?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It really is quite a grand scale.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19It's one of the things that first attracted us to the house.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23This window is south facing, so a lot of light comes into the house.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25And we're hoping to knock this wall down as well,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28which means that the light can then flood through the house.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31So when you started to explore, what sort of things are you finding,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33how big are the challenges with this property?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36We found a big recess underneath the floor,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38which is potentially great for storage,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42but we need to think about... How we use it. Yeah.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46We also found asbestos. Nice. Always a good moving in present!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It's gone now.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50We also found damp. Right.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55We also found this wall is busy splitting away from the house,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58so that's going to need to be tied in.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Various little surprises that we discovered.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Then upstairs, how many bedrooms is this going to be?
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Currently, it was sold to us as six bedrooms. Six?!
0:05:07 > 0:05:08It won't be six.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11How many are you having, are you having triplets? No!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It might look like that but no.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16It will be four bedrooms by the time we've finished.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I really like this. It's completely fair enough
0:05:19 > 0:05:21when people subdivide these into flats,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22if that makes good use of them.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But it's lovely to see these old buildings being used
0:05:25 > 0:05:27as the kind of family homes they were originally built as.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29It's a nice feeling, isn't it?
0:05:29 > 0:05:34We want to breathe life back into this building as well. It's a wreck.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40And we want to give it its 120 year service.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42We want to bring it back to life,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44we want to make it a house for our family.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Up at the top of the house, basic work has already started.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Wow!
0:05:50 > 0:05:54I thought the view out the front was good but that's absolutely stunning.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57What is the plan up here? This isn't going to be...
0:05:57 > 0:05:59You're going to have a couple of main bedrooms just below this,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02aren't you? Then up here, what happens?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05You've seen that we are already starting to, kind of, knock through,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07but we'll completely knock through here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And have a big studio space.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Now I know that one of the things you really want to do with this house
0:06:13 > 0:06:15is make it as environmentally friendly as possible.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17What are you thinking?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Well, we're going to insulate it very heavily,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25so we're going to externally insulate all of the walls.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28We're going to very heavily insulate the roof here as well.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33We're going to wrap this building in a giant duvet effectively,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37which extends over the roofs, extends down the walls.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40But we're also going to make it breathable
0:06:40 > 0:06:43by putting in a mechanical ventilation system.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Very ambitious plans.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I think it's a first for me on the programme,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50because we often talk about making these old buildings very breathable.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53And this is to seal them up and make them airtight,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56when it's sort of rickety and got loads of holes in it.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It's going to be really tough. You think you can do that?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00I hope so!
0:07:01 > 0:07:05As the building was formerly three separate flats, Ian and Marcie
0:07:05 > 0:07:09have a number of rooms that will need reconfiguring and redesigning.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13So, a big project ahead, huge project ahead,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17baby on the way, it's going to be a challenging 12 months.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21What are your biggest concerns at this point as you look forward?
0:07:24 > 0:07:29Money. Yes, definitely money. Timescales. Time pressures.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Materials, making sure we use the right materials
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and getting it right first time, I think, is the big issue.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Yeah. We'll take you to see a couple who have been through this
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and very successfully they've carried out a complete renovation.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49But also, they do have particular knowledge of
0:07:49 > 0:07:52environmentally-friendly techniques and building materials
0:07:52 > 0:07:53and all that kind of stuff.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So I think there'll be some really good advice there as well.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Hopefully they can set you on your way with confidence.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Sounds fantastic. Thank you.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07What an incredible property.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10You don't always find first-time renovators bold
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and brave enough to take on such a mammoth project,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16particularly with a baby soon to arrive. But why not?
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Surely anything's possible with hard work, thorough planning
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and a little bit of help.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30Sadly, derelict dwellings are an all too common occurrence across the UK.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32In Amber Valley, Derbyshire,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37400 properties a year are reported to the council as being abandoned.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It's the job of local council empty property officer Sue Lee
0:08:40 > 0:08:43to track the owners of these buildings down
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and bring these houses back into good use.
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Today, I am going to see a property that's a two-bed pre-1919.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It was brought to my attention through my usual
0:08:54 > 0:08:59processes of checking council tax records as to what's been
0:08:59 > 0:09:00empty for over six months.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05The owner no longer lived at the property and was unable to maintain
0:09:05 > 0:09:09the house, so Sue signed him up for a government-funded leasing scheme.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Emma, from the housing association, has taken on the lease
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and is going to show Sue what stage they are at with the cottage.
0:09:16 > 0:09:22Hi, Emma. Hi, Sue. Thanks for meeting me here. No problem. Nice to see you.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Here we are at one of the 21 properties we're now leasing
0:09:24 > 0:09:27under the Empty Property Scheme.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28So if we go around to the back,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I'll take you inside and let you have a look. Good, show me.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Under the Empty Property Scheme, the local housing association
0:09:35 > 0:09:38takes charge of the works and the house for five years.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42During that time, they rent it out as affordable housing
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and at the end of the five years, they hand it back.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Here we are. Lovely little kitchen.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Yeah, it's not in too bad condition, actually.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Can you tell me what you've done with the property so far?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58So far, myself and a surveyor have visited the property to
0:09:58 > 0:09:59identify what works are required.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01We've discussed these with the owner
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and agreed who will be completing which of those works.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Then we've got to a point where the owner was ready to hand over,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10so we've signed the legal agreement
0:10:10 > 0:10:14so that we will be in possession of the property for five years.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I've got the keys, so now we can hand over to the contractor
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and they can start completing those works.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I think it should only take between four to six weeks.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So we're in a position already to start advertising for a tenant,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29so that once those works are completed,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32very quickly we'll have the property occupied, back into use.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Excellent.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39I didn't think it would be such a short time frame. That's great.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The two-bed cottage is on the road to becoming a home once more.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Emma already has some potential tenants in mind.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50As it's a two-bedroom,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53we will be giving preference to those who've got children.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56So, a couple and a child or a single person
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and a child are quite likely to be moving into this property.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01It's good stuff. Thanks.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Sue is pleased for the plans for the cottage and delighted that one
0:11:04 > 0:11:09of Amber Valley's abandoned houses could soon be a family home again.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13It's always rewarding to meet our housing association partners
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and I know they're going to deliver,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17they're going to renovate this property,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20turn it into a family home. It's wonderful.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21It's great news
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and it's really the reason why I do enjoy my job.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It's wonderful, we can help people like the owners of this property,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32who are struggling, who have the best of intentions.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's great that we're there to provide housing for people
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and help out people who are struggling.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It's not just organisations who can save abandoned buildings,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43private owners can too.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So, if you want to take on one of Britain's empty homes,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50contact your local empty property officer or talk to local
0:11:50 > 0:11:54estate agents and auctioneers about abandoned buildings in your area.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Across the UK, many people are inspired to revive our abandoned
0:12:01 > 0:12:06housing stock and bring these forgotten buildings back into use.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Over in Hertfordshire, Irene Skellam has done just that.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Together with her husband,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Irene embarked on an adventurous plan when she bought a disused
0:12:15 > 0:12:20farm complete with farmhouse, outhouses and three kilns.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22The task in front of us was huge.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25The house needed an awful lot of work doing to it
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and so did the outbuildings.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32We tackled the house first and made that liveable.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I ran the house as a bed and breakfast for a while
0:12:35 > 0:12:40just to generate income to save up money to do the next outbuilding.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Whatever we earned on the property got ploughed back into it straightaway.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49As well as the main farmhouse, which was their home, they had
0:12:49 > 0:12:52planned to renovate the kilns and turn them into holiday cottages.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57But Irene's life changed completely when her husband, Rick, died.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58I thought I would have to move away.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03I thought that the kiln and the granary attached to it was
0:13:03 > 0:13:07such a big project that I'd have to sell it off to a builder.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It was actually on the evening of the funeral,
0:13:09 > 0:13:14talking to really good friends, when I mentioned that, they said,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18"No, why are you selling it to a builder?
0:13:18 > 0:13:20"You can do it."
0:13:20 > 0:13:22It was just, "Yes, I can."
0:13:22 > 0:13:27It was one of those comments that spurred me into action.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31So, Irene changed their initial plans to suit her circumstances.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33She sold the farmhouse
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and decided she'd turn the kilns into her new home.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It would be an 18-month-long mission
0:13:39 > 0:13:42to carry out this epic transformation.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I had to sell the farmhouse first to allow me
0:13:46 > 0:13:49to start on the kiln renovation.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54I'd spent hours walking around it. I knew it inside out.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58In my head, I'd already planned it anyway.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00But even with the end goal in sight,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03the reality of the condition of the kilns was a wake-up call.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06They smelt very, very strongly of beer.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09The roofs were leaking very badly.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The upper floors had huge holes in them.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17You had to be very careful where you walked or your foot would go through.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Downstairs, they were swimming in water.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23They were in a dreadful state, really.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Irene spent ?650,000 turning the kilns into her dream home
0:14:27 > 0:14:30as well as renovating a two-bedroom cottage next door.
0:14:30 > 0:14:37I've ended up with something beyond my wildest dreams.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I love the veranda and the garden
0:14:40 > 0:14:44because that's a beautiful entertaining space for friends.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50I love my natural stone floors with my underfloor heating.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52I love my kitchen.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56I love my bedroom and bathroom, pretty much all of it, really!
0:14:58 > 0:15:02For Irene, the process of reviving this disused farm
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and kilns gave her as much pleasure as living in it now does.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10I think my husband would be very cross at me having spent
0:15:10 > 0:15:14so much money on the build, but I think he'd be very proud of it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I just hope he's looking down and can see it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Reviving disused buildings isn't just about creating more
0:15:25 > 0:15:28housing stock, it's often also about keeping skills
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and methods of preserving buildings alive.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Across Britain, there are thousands of historic buildings at risk,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37many lying empty and unloved.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38Restoring these types of buildings
0:15:38 > 0:15:41requires specialist master craftsmen.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45However, often these days, they can be in short supply.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47I've come to Norfolk to visit a historic site
0:15:47 > 0:15:50in need of these highly skilled workers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Luckily the team in charge of this medieval building have plans
0:15:53 > 0:15:57to restore it, taking on local apprentices, who, in turn,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00will hopefully become master craftsmen.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03The plan is to turn it into homes and live/work spaces.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Heading up the project is
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Darren from the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Darren, really nice to meet you.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Tell me a bit about the building just behind us here.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16It's a Grade II listed building, formerly a merchant's house.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20There's been a building on the site for about the last 800 years.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Most of what we can see today is Georgian.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Although there is some late medieval fabric there as well.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The standing archaeology of the building is very interesting.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33So, what sort of state is it in now?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It's been empty for some time, has it?
0:16:35 > 0:16:40It's been empty for quite a long time, and rather neglected.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43The previous owner did a few repairs, but I should imagine
0:16:43 > 0:16:49some of the more complex issues were, perhaps, a bit beyond him.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Although medieval in origin,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55the building has had many different uses throughout the years.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Now the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust has stepped in to preserve it.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03This is quite an unusual space, isn't it?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06What are we looking at here?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Well, this is the remains of the shop that was
0:17:10 > 0:17:14converted from a merchant's house to a shop in about 1870.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15How are you going to use this space
0:17:15 > 0:17:19and what is the overall plan for the building?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The ground floor will be a gallery.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25We haven't got a gallery in Great Yarmouth at the moment,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27but we have a very vibrant art community.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30We're also going to have artists' studios.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32We'll have four artists' studios,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35one of those will be a live/work unit.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38And we're also going to have a three-bedroom residential unit.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43So, hopefully we'll be able to attract a family to King Street,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47so we'll get a rental stream from the artists' studios,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50we'll get a rental stream from the residential unit
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and that money will be ring-fenced to maintain the building.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Fantastic. So this is a sustainable project.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You're investing in it, but once it's invested in, it will keep
0:17:59 > 0:18:01itself, keep ticking over
0:18:01 > 0:18:06and keep maintained for hopefully generations to come.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11In each era, from medieval times onwards, work has been
0:18:11 > 0:18:15carried out on this building using the style and method of the period.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So the trick to conservation here is understanding what's gone before.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Darren, clearly there's a lot going on here. Talk me through it.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25What do you know?
0:18:25 > 0:18:27This is just one small section of wall in the whole building,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30but it's a very interesting narrative going on,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33which we haven't deciphered fully yet.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37But you can see that you have a more crude way of constructing with
0:18:37 > 0:18:38some beach pebbles,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43you've got a random mixture of different types of brick here.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Some earlier bricks.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It's all about reusing materials,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52which would have been done quite often in the past.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Literally cobbling together, yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59When you work out what you're going to do to conserve this, who does it?
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Are there local tradespeople in Great Yarmouth who have
0:19:03 > 0:19:04the skills to do this?
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Well...no.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08We have an acute skills shortage in Great Yarmouth.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12It's a nationwide skills shortage in traditional building skills.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14But in Great Yarmouth, it's particularly acute.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20So, what we've been doing recently is concentrating on training, to build a
0:19:20 > 0:19:24local workforce that can then repair buildings and maintain buildings.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27What sorts of skills are we talking about?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31We're teaching people about lime plastering, lime mortar,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35masonry, flint knapping. A whole range of different skills.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37So, it's a cycle.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39We can continue repairing buildings,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and we can eventually use our own people to do the work.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45You've got a lot on, haven't you?
0:19:45 > 0:19:49But it is a very, very interesting project
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and a very worthwhile building. Yeah.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55First and foremost, it seems this project is fantastic
0:19:55 > 0:19:57because it is saving this building.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Without that, this building may not have many more years left in it.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03But, actually, there's so much more to this.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06This is about investing in local people and the community.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10The fact that unemployed people have been trained in
0:20:10 > 0:20:13traditional skills is just brilliant.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Ultimately it means that the future of this building
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and many others round here will be secured for generations to come.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Back in London, I'm with Ian and his partner, Marcie, who bought a large
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Victorian house which they plan to restore and make energy efficient.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32But, with a baby on the way and budget concerns,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34they want to get it right first time.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So I'm going to introduce them
0:20:36 > 0:20:39to a couple who've carried out a similar renovation.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42This is the property I've brought you to see.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's a Victorian house, a little bit older than yours.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I think 1874. It's been lovingly restored.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53It's looking great at the moment. What do you think? It's massive.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55It looks as though it's in great nick as well.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Yeah, and it really wasn't. It was in a very similar state to yours.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Plaster blown, ceilings falling in,
0:21:01 > 0:21:06hadn't been updated or modernised in a long, long time.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08So, it was a complete renovation
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and they've done some really interesting things,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15ones that I think you'll be particularly keen to learn about.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18So, shall we go and say hello? Let's do that.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Chris Newman and Nettie Huntley from southeast London were keen to
0:21:22 > 0:21:25put down roots and buy a family home.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28But, with a shortage of affordable housing in London, they decided
0:21:28 > 0:21:31that reviving an abandoned house was their best option.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34In line with my business, I wanted to do a practical eco-renovation
0:21:34 > 0:21:37because that's what I specialise in.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41We also wanted to do something from a sort of stewardship of the planet
0:21:41 > 0:21:42and an environmental reason.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46We think that it's right that, if you can and you have the opportunity,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49it's a very worthwhile thing for us, other people and our children,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51to do the best we can with a property,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54to reduce its CO2 emissions and its energy use.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58We bought the house off a guy who'd been looking after his elderly
0:21:58 > 0:22:00mum here, who had sadly died,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03so he was here on quite a temporary basis
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and was really just camping in one room, it seems.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The building was in such a state that Chris and Nettie were
0:22:10 > 0:22:14initially refused a mortgage as the house was declared uninhabitable.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16There was a lot of peeling paint.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18As we got further down the line,
0:22:18 > 0:22:18all the plaster had to be ripped out because it was crumbling everywhere.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19all the plaster had to be ripped out because it was crumbling everywhere.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20all the plaster had to be ripped out because it was crumbling everywhere.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22all the plaster had to be ripped out because it was crumbling everywhere.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26The decor was very, very old. So, it was in a bit of a state.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Wasn't it?
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Wasn't it?
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Chris is, by trade, a specialist in energy efficiency,
0:22:32 > 0:22:33but despite this,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36he and Nettie had no hands-on general renovation experience.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41For us, the energy efficiency end of this renovation was the easy bit
0:22:41 > 0:22:43because of Chris's expertise.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44It was doing a renovation,
0:22:44 > 0:22:49everything else that comes with it that was really, really challenging.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Choosing paint. Choosing paint has taken me a long time.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53It's a bit of a bugbear.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Restoring and modernising an old building can become
0:22:58 > 0:23:00life consuming but now it's behind them,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Chris and Nettie are thrilled with the outcome.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06We're very proud of what we have achieved.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Hopefully, we aim to try and show people that you can...
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Anybody can do this if they're doing it, especially if they're doing a big renovation.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The additional marginal cost is very small.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21I think we estimate it's about 10% extra we spent on eco-uplift
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and we've shown people that it doesn't have to look funny.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27It can look like a normal, nice home at the end.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Chris and Nettie's experience should prove invaluable,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32given the similar age of the building
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and their shared ambition of making a Victorian house energy-efficient.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38What is your first impression when you come through?
0:23:38 > 0:23:42We've got a sitting room coming into a dining room coming into a kitchen extension
0:23:42 > 0:23:43and out onto the garden.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It's a lovely, sweeping feel, isn't it? It's stunning. What a beautiful house.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I hope we get the same kind of sense of space in our house.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51It's really, really lovely.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52What was the plan?
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Did you always know it was going to be three different spaces?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Or you wanted it all to be open? How did you think of it?
0:23:58 > 0:24:03We wanted it to be pretty open. We wanted the ground floor.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Upstairs is on lots of different levels.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It's quite piecemeal, in that sense.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10We wanted this space to just flow.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13We were very clear about that from the start.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Am right in thinking you were pregnant at the time? I was.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I became pregnant just after we bought the house.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I had a one-year-old and I was pregnant.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26And it was...
0:24:26 > 0:24:30In retrospect, it's done now, so I'm glad it's done!
0:24:30 > 0:24:33But we certainly asked for it. It was quite full-on.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Chris and Nettie spent 15 months
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and ?100,000 on making this their perfect eco-home.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47This is Ned's room, our youngest. Lucky Ned!
0:24:50 > 0:24:56I know you're itching to learn about some of the environmentally friendly aspects of the house.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58I think we can see those really well from outside.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Shall we step out there and you can tell us about them? Yeah.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08You can see three different things on the top level that we've done.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10On the side was a very difficult alley. There was a wall there,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14which we couldn't externally insulate because the alley would get too thin.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17We couldn't internally insulate the wall because the staircase is there.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Actually, we've enclosed it and removed it from the equation.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23That is now a buffering zone.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25The middle bit, we've externally insulated
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and that's putting about ten centimetres
0:25:28 > 0:25:30on the outside and rendering it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32That saves internal space but has brought that wall up
0:25:32 > 0:25:35to about 50% better than current building regs.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38The main bit of the house, where you can still see the bricks,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41we've INTERNALLY insulated, to a similar standard.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So we've put it on the inside of the wall and then replastered
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and tapered it where the windows are.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51That's a lot of insulation. That's a big duvet round a house, isn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It is a big duvet round a house, which is what we hope to do.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56How has that brought your bills down?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Has it had a noticeable impact?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01We haven't... We never actually lived in it before we did it.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05But we were able to model it and do an energy master plan on the property.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09We predicted, before we started, we were aiming for an 80% reduction.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12We've only been in it one year and it was
0:26:12 > 0:26:14one of the coldest winters on record.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18But we've used around ?350 worth of gas.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23In electricity, we get paid a lot more than we actually pay out.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28So net, all our bills are negative to the tune of about ?300.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Whoa!
0:26:29 > 0:26:31So you haven't paid anything for energy over that winter?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Correct. Yikes!
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I should say at this point, Chris is a specialist in this.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38This is why you are here, really.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41This is your business, isn't it, Chris? You do this for a living.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44I'd hoped you knew what you were doing. But that sounds incredibly successful.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47We're pretty happy. Those bills we're hoping to get them even lower
0:26:47 > 0:26:49because through that winter
0:26:49 > 0:26:52we had the front door off on some of the really cold days, as we were replacing that.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55There were still some holes because we were still working on it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Lots of draft points have been sealed up.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00We only put in a wood-burning stove partway through the winter.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Maybe next year, if it's not quite so cold,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06we can get down to ?150 for the whole year.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11How have you found this place?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14How are you feeling about it all at the moment? It's inspirational.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's really nice to see a project that's finished.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18We're at the start of our project
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and sometimes you can feel a bit overwhelmed by it.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But it's really nice to see that there is
0:27:23 > 0:27:26an end product that we can look forward to moving into.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Hope. Hope. There is hope. Yeah!
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Ian and Marcie's project is at a crucial point.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Yes, they've got planning permission but now is the time they have to decide exactly what they want,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39nail down plans and work out how they're going to do it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43It's been brilliant to bring them to see this renovation.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Loads of inspiration, lots of ideas they hadn't even thought of.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49And importantly, encouragement that their ambitious plans
0:27:49 > 0:27:54for an environmentally-friendly house really can work.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I'm sure, before long, they'll have their perfect home.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:26 > 0:28:28You ask us to get behind you and why should we?
0:28:28 > 0:28:30You're punching above your weight, aren't you?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Tell me what's going on.