Episode 71 Homes Under the Hammer

Hello! In these challenging times, do you think you could hack it

-in the world of property?

-If you get it right,

it can be an exciting way to earn money.

And it can be even more exciting making your purchases under the hammer.

There are tense moments in the auction room. Who'll make the right bid at the right price?

Yes, properties can change people's fortunes for better or worse.

So, what inspired the buyers on today's show?

'I travel to Orkney to see a cottage that could come at a cost. But...'

Maybe it's a price that you're willing to pay for such a fantastic location.

'We revisit a Berkshire cottage I first saw in 2007 when it was in a terrible state.'

If you're looking for a quick doer-upper, this is not the lot for you.

'And in Cricklewood, London,

'this place is crying out for structural improvements, but can they be done?'

As ever, the key with this is just to talk to the local planners.

'All these properties have been sold at auction and we find out who bought them and what they paid for them

-'when they went under the hammer.'

-Sold.

'Britain is often described as an island nation,

'but for some parts of the British Isles, that's more true than others.'

In the time I've been doing this show, I have travelled the length and breadth of the country

looking at property from Cornwall to Kent,

from South Wales to Lincolnshire.

But I've never been this far north.

In fact, this is about as far north as you can get in the British Isles.

Welcome to Orkney.

'For those of you who haven't have the pleasure of visiting the Orkney Islands,

'they're a collection of about 70 islands, less than a third of which are inhabited.

'The largest is called the Mainland, on which you'll find Kirkwall, the capital.

'Understandably, this landscape attracts many tourists, who are an important source of income here.'

Well, 15 miles from Kirkwall, across a series of causeways,

is the island of South Ronaldsay and the little village of St Margaret's Hope.

And that is where the property I'm here to see is located.

If you think the location is superb and you love seafront property,

then it doesn't get much better than this.

It's a cottage at a guide price of 45,000 quid. Let's take a look inside.

'It's not often that I come across lobster pots outside a property,

'but then the Noost, as this building is known, was previously a fisherman's store.

'It was renovated about ten years ago into one house and two one-bedroom cottages.'

# Wish I was a fisherman

# Tumbling on the seas

So, what's it going to be like? Well, it could've gone one of two ways.

It could've been a cutesy-wootsy, oldy-worldy, run-down place

or somewhere that's actually been done and, as it turns out, it's the latter.

As you can see, pretty much in tip-top condition. Not sure about the design they've gone for.

There's a kitchen unit here

and this breakfast bar, which really cuts into this room,

which is primarily, in fact, totally, the only room there is on the ground floor.

It's not huge. It doesn't have the big fire that I was hoping for.

But what it does have is a very practical feel,

and if you were looking at renting this place out, perhaps as a holiday let,

it's pretty much ready to go. Even things like fire extinguishers. Let's take a look upstairs.

Don't set your sights too high, I don't think it's going to take too long.

'There's no mains gas supply to the cottage,

'so heating is from electric heaters,

'and the oven it powered by bottled gas.'

One thing that I do like is that it's really nice and airy and light in here.

You've got lots of roof lights, which make a big difference.

Some cottages can feel a bit oppressive, but not this one.

This is your bathroom and loo, but it's only got a shower and there's not a lot of space

to get a bath in there. But, if you were renting it out, that would be OK.

One bedroom. Erm... Ooh, what's that?

Look at that. That is an interesting bit of damp going on there. I wonder if...

Look at that. Now, my guess is that above there is the old chimney.

I noticed there isn't a fire downstairs. That was one of the disappointments.

But, at some stage, that fireplace has been blocked off and they haven't put a breathe block,

one of those things with grills on it, in there for air to get into that chimney.

Water comes down through the chimney at the top, gets trapped inside the cavity wall of the building

and it causes that kind of damp. I don't know how far it's gone there,

but it looks like it's down the bottom of the wall, as well.

Easy thing to solve. Get one of those breathing blocks in there,

the whole thing will dry out, not a problem. Definitely needs to be done before you redecorate.

'Apart from the damp, everything appears to be in good order.

'So what else do you need to know about this charming waterfront cottage?'

Now, it shouldn't go without saying that, when it comes to buying properties

right on the side of the sea, there are certain issues.

Romantic as it is, when you get a high tide here and the wind blowing,

there is a danger, with this property and other seafront properties, of flooding.

I do know that five years ago, all the properties here were subject to serious flood damage.

It hasn't happened a lot, but it may be enough to put some insurance companies off insuring them.

So it's something to check out, something to be aware of,

but maybe it's a price that you're willing to pay for such a fantastic location.

'St Margaret's Hope grew from the herring industry in the 1800s.

'Fishing doesn't thrive as it once did, although the harbour remains very active.

'But does a local property expert think this is a good catch?

'Could someone net any profits here?'

The condition of the property is in very good order.

There's a small bit of dampness upstairs in the bedroom,

but otherwise it's in walk-in condition.

'As an investment, what sort of return could there be here?'

If the property was renovated to a high standard, it would be worth around £55,000.

'And rental?'

If the property is in good order, for renting, it should get a monthly rent of around £300 per month.

Because we're sitting in a picturesque village,

this property would rent out during the holiday season

for about the middle 16 weeks of the year and you'd probably get a rental of £250 per week.

Well, the cottage may be small, but it is in pretty good condition.

You could fairly well rent it out or move into it as it is.

And who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to spend some time in a place like this?

Let's find out who bought it when it went under the hammer.

The next lot I can offer you, what an attractive property.

A one-bedroom waterfront cottage up in the Orkney Islands.

Guide price here is just £45,000.

Bit of interest before the auction. I've also got a proxy bid. I'm going with the proxy bidder

at £35,000. You in, sir?

Can I go 36, yes? £36,000. £37,000 with the proxy bidder.

38. 39.

40,000. 41.

42. 43.

44?

44. I can go 44 and a half with the proxy bidder.

£45,000.

Yep, £45,000 it is. Proxy bidder's out.

Your bid at £45,000.

Anyone else coming in? £45,000.

It's the gentleman's bid at £45,000.

Your bid then, sir, at £45,000.

Sold for £45,000. Congratulations.

'So, for right on the guide price of £45,000,

'the new owners of the Orkney cottage are retired couple John and Betty.

'For them, this isn't a voyage into the unknown, more a homecoming.'

Betty, John, lovely to meet you both. Congratulations.

Tell me why you wanted to buy this place.

Well, we originally come from fairly close to this village.

-Do you? Actually from the islands?

-Yes, indeed.

Spent our childhood here and left a number of years ago and we've always come back,

so we saw this place advertised and we decided we would like to have something of our own here.

When did you move away from the islands?

-44 years, roughly.

-THEY LAUGH

'John and Betty may have left Orkney 44 years ago,

'but they return every year to see family and friends.

'The island still feels like home to them,

'and their move away was only because of John's work.'

-I joined the lighthouse service.

-Oh, great!

I was a lighthouse keeper for about five years. That was my first movement away from Orkney to live.

-Where was the lighthouse?

-Aberdeenshire, just off the coast.

-Rattray Head was the name.

-Was it a proper big, tall, white thing with the swoopy light?

-Oh, yes, it was.

-Big foghorn.

-Yes, yes.

-Outside the bedroom window, yes.

-Was it?

What's it like being a lighthouse keeper?

-Well, you walk round in circles.

-THEY LAUGH

# You got me going in circles

# Oh, oh, oh, round and round I go

'I'd imagine that being a lighthouse keeper's enough to drive anyone round the bend.

'And it's not ideal for a married couple. So, after five years, John gave it up.

'He then tried his hand at being a grocer and worked in insurance.

'They also bought a guesthouse in Fort William

'which they did up and ran for a number of years.'

So, what was it about this little place that appealed?

It's small, so easy to look after

and close the door and just go and it's in the village, which was nice.

Tell me what you're going to do to it.

Probably change the kitchen

and get rid of this.

The bathroom, probably tile it and flooring.

-Flooring.

-Yes. And decoration.

Right. And then what is the idea for it?

How are you going to use it? What are you going to use it for?

Well, mainly for our own use

and our family's use, just for holidays,

and then we've friends and so on who can come and use it, as well.

-Congratulations. I'm delighted for you and I look forward to seeing how you get on.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

'With a budget of £3,000 to £4,000 and a timescale of three to four months,

'John and Betty plan to turn it from its current gloomy state

'into a brighter, light house.'

# I am a lighthouse

# Worn by the weather and the waves

# And though I am empty

# I still warn the sailors on their way

So, John and Betty returning to the place where they grew up and are delighted, and who can blame them?

So, will they end up renting this place out to people other than family and friends?

Well, the thing is about family and friends, when they hear you've got a place in such an amazing location,

people you haven't heard from for a very long time suddenly come out of the woodwork,

so my guess is they won't. We'll find out how they get on later in the show.

'It was in the autumn of 2007

'when I first came across what would appear to be an idyllic period cottage in Berkshire.'

Welcome to Sonning Village.

Now, it's a place that's been on the map since Anglo-Saxon times.

You wouldn't believe from looking around me

that I'm just three miles from central Reading. It feels a world away.

But, of course, it's not, and that makes this an attractive location

which people are prepared to pay a premium for.

And for £300,000

you could buy a piece of this historic village.

'The cottage has two bedrooms and I hope the inside is as charming as the outside.'

This really is an exciting auction find.

English Heritage reports that this property dates back to the 16th and 17th century

and therefore gives it a listed status.

Down here, we've got a huge, long corridor, there's rooms running off it,

and at the back there, you can see an old kitchen.

We've got a reception room here with a period fireplace

and it's so typically got low ceilings, leaded windows everywhere.

But, sadly, it's in a real bad state of repair.

It needs a very kind owner to lavish some attention on it.

'What a find! It's not every day that you stumble across an old cottage

'that's so full of character.

'It's a renovator's dream to put it mildly.

'But if you think that's a lot of work, take a look at this.

'No, it's not a garden shed, it's the kitchen/dining room, a place that time forgot.'

OK, there's a lot of things to do and sort out with this property,

and I know that will put some people off,

but dropping this floor would be the first thing I would do.

Now, I'm only five-foot-five, so you can see how small this doorway really is.

So the kitchen, a disaster area at the moment.

But a great size and once these windows are cleaned,

it'll have lovely views out there to the garden.

Which, by the way, is 135 feet long.

'And what a garden it is! Or should I say will be?

'Yes, the to-do list goes on and on,

'but the potential is endless, as well.

'There's a big, open cellar next to the kitchen and a studio room out back

'that could be converted into a bedroom.

'But upstairs, well, that's the problem.'

Up here there are just two rooms.

If you can see beyond the mess, they are decent sizes,

but it's just so dark and those windows are tiny.

For a family, there's no bathroom upstairs,

which, to me, is always a downside.

'To fit a bathroom up here, you would definitely need an extension.

'But that's not so easy with this lot.'

A listed building is a building of structure

that is considered to be one of special architectural historical interest.

Grade II is of special interest, meaning every effort must be made to preserve it.

Failure to get listed building consent before carrying out alterations is a criminal offence,

so whoever takes this on can't touch a thing until consent is sought.

That can often be a lengthy process.

So if you're looking for a quick doer-upper, this is not the lot for you.

'No. And I think you might need deep pockets, too.

'This might have been guided at £300,000,

'but you'd probably need to spend at least 100 grand here

'just to get it back into decent condition.'

It's a period cottage in a beautiful location with a fantastic local pub.

I think that's all I need to say on this one.

Well, I most certainly have fallen for its charms.

Let's see who else fell under its spell as we go to auction.

What are you going to say? £250,000?

£250,000 I'm bid there in the middle. Thank you.

260 now. 260,000.

260. 270?

270. 280.

280 in a new place. 290.

290. 300,000.

Split it in half, 295.

295 I'm bid. 300 now?

Is there 296 anywhere else? You all done with it? I'm going to sell.

296. 297, sir.

298.

299?

300,000.

And 1. Thank you.

302, I'm bid.

303, sir?

304?

Certain?

304 anywhere else?

Thank you. No, no, no, I'll wait while you do the sums. 304,000.

5.

305,000.

Not really OK, is it?

305,000 bid. For the first time at 305,000.

Second. Third and last time. All done with it.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Congratulations, sir, it's yours.

'The winning bid was made by Fran and Nick.

'The purchase was very close to Nick's heart,

'as he used to run the local cricket team in Sonning.

'The family, including their two young children,

'have lived in Spain for the past two years,

'but have decided to move back to England for good.'

# Oh, my life

# Is changing every day

# In every possible way

It sounds to me like you're a very busy lady. What do you do?

I'm a project manager. I work for a hotel company in their head office and I run projects.

-In England, but you live in Spain.

-I do. I commute every week.

So how many days a week do you actually live in England for?

I'm generally here for four nights, from Sunday to Thursday, or from Tuesday night to Saturday morning.

So why have you decided to come back to England and live here permanently?

Erm, I decided to come back because I've been commuting for nearly two years

and it's been brilliant fun, but I think two years is enough.

And when I'm away overnight, the childcare aspect of it,

it does worry me, me being out of the country sometimes

and because it's very difficult for me to get back before then,

I just feel it's time to come back. But we do have a property over there

and we'll keep that and just go back for holidays.

'Wow. A holiday house in sunny Spain

'and now a Grade II listed property in Sonning.

'Fran fell upon this charming cottage quite unexpectedly.'

I was out on Saturday doing a supermarket shop

and as I went in, I saw a particular property paper I was looking for

just literally poking out of the bin.

It wasn't dirty, so I just grabbed it as I went into the supermarket, opened it

and there was the house, just staring at me, so I had to have it.

-It was meant to be.

-It was meant to be.

-What was your first reaction when you saw it in the flesh?

We came inside and thought, "Oh, my lord" when we saw it,

but we still liked it and so we made another appointment

and in the meantime, I phoned up the local council, Wokingham,

and got in contact with a conservation officer

to find out if we could do planning upstairs.

-So you did all of this prior to auction?

-Yes, and the architect.

We got an architect and got him down here on his own, and then we got them down together.

'Sounds like project manager Fran has put her skills to good use already.

'But for her, this is more than just a development. It's going to be her dream family home.'

# You're a dream to me

# Dream to me

'And she's going to do whatever it takes to achieve it.'

I want an extension at the back as far as we can go to square it up.

And then, with the upstairs, what would be ideal would be two bedrooms

but we probably won't get that, so I think we'll go conservative

and go for one extra bedroom and a bathroom upstairs.

So what's the worrying thing about this project, do you think?

Number one I think is getting the plans approved by the council.

Number two, the length of time the work's going to take, because obviously we can't live here

and I've got two little children. We're going to rent somewhere for six months.

If the building isn't ready, I don't want to be extending for another six months.

And I guess, thirdly, there's always going over the budget, which is always a concern.

-What's the budget? How much have you got to throw at this?

-About £150,000.

'That was back in 2007 when, armed with her 150 grand budget

'and extensive project plan, Fran started turning this from a hovel to a home.

'But when we returned eight months later, it was still very early stages.'

Four months ago, we submitted the plans to the council

and got approval on the target date we expected, which took 12 weeks.

# Oh, my life

'Great news for Fran. But this also meant it was time for the real work to begin.

'Later, you'll see how she transformed this cottage

'from its run-down state to a fantastic family home.'

'Coming up, I find a property in Cricklewood, London that might appeal to a minimalist.'

Look. This is all you've got. A sink.

'Three years after we first visited this period Berkshire cottage,

'we see if Mum did actually get it right.'

I thought my mum had really lost it this time.

'But first, it's time to test the waters in Orkney.'

As long as it doesn't come up too high, we'll be OK.

'If you were after a house by the sea, then the auction lot I saw

'in the wild and windy but absolutely beautiful Orkney Islands

'in the fishing village of St Margaret's Hope fitted the bill perfectly.

'Just yards from the water's edge, this one-bed cottage offered a cosy retreat

'and seemed ideal as a holiday home or holiday let.

'For £45,000, it was bought by retired couple John and Betty.

'They already knew the area well.'

We originally come from fairly close to this village.

-Do you? Actually from the islands?

-Yes, indeed.

Spent our childhood here and left a number of years ago and we've always come back,

so we saw this place advertised and we decided we would like to have something of our own here.

'So, armed with a £4,000 budget and a plan to do most of the work themselves,

'John and Betty set about upgrading the cottage.

'Nearly four months later, we're back.'

'From the outside, so far there haven't been any real changes.

'But step inside...'

'Time to wave goodbye to the dated old kitchen

'and bring on a new modern one.'

We took away the breakfast bar that used to run across here

and the rest of the older kitchen we took out.

We put in the new kitchen, tiled the walls,

we've done the new floor and the new heating system

and papered and painted the rest of the room.

'Upstairs in the shower room, the tired suite and flooring have been replaced

'with a more contemporary look.

'The large double bedroom has been spruced up and new radiators installed.

'And by sealing the chimney, the damp is a thing of the past.

'Along with the rooms, they've also brightened up that previously dark and dingy stairwell.'

We have stripped the paper off and repapered,

painted and put a new carpet down.

'So, despite the cottage being relatively small, it's now beautifully formed and finished.

'But at what cost?'

Our original budget was round about £4,000,

but we've gone over that by probably up to a couple of thousand pounds.

'They've spent £6,000 so far and there's a little exterior work still to go.

'But, for a total outlay of around £53,000,

'John and Betty have got a lovely holiday home in a place they know and love.'

It's absolutely beautiful. Nothing can beat it, really.

We live in the highlands and this is just different.

And we're two minutes off the local ferry when we get here

and it's just an ideal location,

sitting beside the water.

As long as it doesn't come up too high, we'll be OK.

'Well, John may joke, but flooding is a real concern for houses in the Orkney Islands

'and can be a factor in keeping property prices relatively low.

'How much of a gamble does John think they've taken with their seaside cottage?'

Historically, it doesn't flood very often,

and the last time it flooded was during a prolonged period of gales

and it coincided with very high tides,

and that was an extreme situation.

And everywhere on the coastline that had low-lying properties had the same problems.

I've known this area for a long, long time

and it doesn't suffer these problems on a regular basis.

'John's pretty confident that all his and Betty's efforts won't be washed away.

'In Scotland, it's usually solicitors

'who deal with the property sales, so we asked two of them

'what they thought of this cottage, with around £53,000 invested in it.'

It's good to see the house has been decorated, it's nice and bright,

new floor coverings and they've got rid of the breakfast bar,

which has made the main room that much bigger.

Nice property. It's been renovated nicely.

I've actually marketed this property a lot of years ago

and it's certainly in better condition than it was then.

'That's encouraging, although it might be in better condition than it previously was,

'but it's still in the same location.'

The main disadvantage is the flood risk.

That really would be a major concern if they were to sell it on.

'There are clearly some issues with potential flooding, which undoubtedly affects the value.

'But with £53,000 invested here,

'if they were to sell the cottage, what might it be worth?'

In its current state, I'd expect to get between £55,000 and £60,000.

Market it at somewhere around £60,000 to £65,000.

I haven't thought about selling it, but if I did, I would be quite happy with that.

'Between £2,000 and £12,000 profit is not too bad.

'And, of course, it would also have some rental potential.'

I'd expect somewhere around £300 per calendar month.

I think you could achieve possibly £300 to £320 per calendar month.

'£300 a month might only bring in £3,600 a year,

'but there's also the more lucrative holiday let market.'

Possibly you could achieve as much as £300 to £320 per week as opposed to per calendar month.

I had that sort of figure in mind myself

if we did intend to let it out, but we really don't have that intention.

'Clearly, if you wanted to maximise your return,

'renting the cottage out for holiday lets would be the way forward.

'But that's not how John and Betty want to use it.'

Just to use it as a holiday home and let friends and family use it, just enjoy it.

'With the views and scenery they have on their doorstep,

'whatever the weather, it's their perfect home from home.'

'Cricklewood in Northwest London looks like just another bustling part of the city,

'with busy roads and shops and businesses all vying to succeed.

'Yet step back from the main high street and you'll find quiet, tree-lined streets and open spaces.

'There's a real sense of community spirit here.'

Nowhere more so than here in Railway Terraces,

five terraces of cottages built around the 1860s

to house railway workers and named after prominent railway officials.

There's evidence that specific rows were for railway workers doing a specific job

and it enabled the railway company to control the lives of their employees.

They even had knockers-up to make sure that they got to work on time.

# Wake up, it's a beautiful morning

# Feel sun shining...

'So no need for an alarm clock if you live here. Just wait for the rap at the door.

'This was a place all about the community working together

'and even now, some sense of that still prevails.

'There's a monthly residents' newsletter and even an annual fete.'

The knockers-up have long gone, but the Victorian houses remain

and very cute they are, too.

The property I'm here to see is an end of terrace.

It has three bedrooms. Guide price - 245,000 quid. Let's take a look inside.

'From the outside, this end of terrace looks in good condition.

'There's a little garden at the front and an extension and a yard at the back.'

OK, through the front door and straight into basically your main living area.

This is the main part of the house. Nice size space, though.

I'd open up the fireplace to create a bit of interest.

Staircase there.

A strange wall here. I can say that because the kitchen itself

extends more this way and there's a bit of a dead space here,

which I would maybe want to utilise.

I think open-plan is the way to go.

Maybe take out this wall here, create a much nicer feel. Great thing to do with a small property.

The kitchen itself is not a bad size, but look, this is all you've got. A sink and this unit.

So there's scope to improve a lot.

But it's a good size space, so more like a kitchen family area I'd want to create here.

Interesting thing about the property, downstairs loo and bathroom.

I say interesting, because unusual for this part of London, I would say.

And doubly interesting because if you got rid of that and put it upstairs into one of the bedrooms,

you'd actually knock value off the house.

So, not a thing to do without getting some advice.

'The positioning of the bathroom over the potential loss of a bedroom or bedroom space is a juggling act.

'It depends on so many factors, from whether it's common in the area

'to whether you want to rent or sell the house. Weighing up these options is critical.

'Here, the key issue is whether there's an alternative to start with.

'Well, there are three bedrooms upstairs

'and it might be possible to sneak some space out of the master bedroom.

'But looking at the rather old 70s flat-roof extension at the back, I think there's a better solution.'

Before you get all excited about an extension,

there is, of course, the issue of planning.

So, what I suggest is that, as with all these cases,

you look at what people in the local area have managed to do.

For instance, this is what an original cottage would've been like.

That was the downstairs loo, that was the place you would've stored your coal or whatever.

That's the starting point. But look what some of the neighbours have achieved.

Love this one. I like the fact they've used the old brickwork but really modernised it.

Very nice indeed. The good news is that there doesn't seem to be a theme.

Lots of the houses have done different things, so that means a precedent has been set,

so you should be able to do what you want as far as the planners are concerned.

The only fly in the ointment is that, previously, this wasn't a conservation area

but recently it was made one, so anything that's already been done can't be used as a precedent.

As ever, the key with this is just to talk to local planners.

'But whether you do extend or not, I really like this place.

'Not only is it old-fashioned and full of character, but it has old-fashioned values, too.

'Yet we're only 25 minutes from Central London.

'What can a local estate agent tell us about the house and the area?'

I think it's a lovely alternative to a larger flat in the area.

Anybody with a cat, dog or child is going to want this house

as opposed to a flat without any outside space.

Here, you've got front and rear gardens. Yeah, it's absolutely lovely.

'Well, it's certainly charmed the estate agent, but this place does require a lot of work.'

It needs a lot of imagination.

It's... Tender loving care is an overused expression,

but it certainly needs that.

It needs new kitchen, new bathroom, redecorating,

it need rewiring, re-plumbing.

The bathroom is downstairs at the moment, and I think that the owner ought to leave it there,

because if they moved it upstairs, they'd lose a bedroom

and therefore it would become a two-bedroom house, which will affect the price adversely.

'OK, let's talk figures. If someone refurbished it to a high standard, keeping the three bedrooms,

'how much might they make on this property, that was guided at £245,000?'

If you were to rent this property out, per calendar month, you'd get in the region of £1,200 to £1,400.

If this house was finished to a good standard,

it would go on the market in the region of 350, 375.

'How much would those values change if you moved the bathroom upstairs and lost a bedroom?

Two-bedroom cottages on the market in this area at the moment are 325,

so it would make a significant difference if you moved it.

Well, a local newsletter and a fete in London.

Who says a sense of community has gone forever?

Actually, the house itself is wonderful, as well,

but I'm sure that whoever bought it was buying into that whole community spirit, as well.

Let's find out who that was when it went under the hammer.

Right, where do we go to? Lot 4 is an end-of-terrace three-bed house.

Do I have 2 anywhere?

2 sitting down. 200. 205?

205. 210. 215.

220. 225.

230. 235.

235. 240.

245. 250.

Coming to you. 255.

260. 265.

270. 270 down here.

271, coming back in, madam? 271? Just one more go?

271. Well done.

That's a crunch. 272.

Sorry, 272. 273?

You had a crack, well done. 272 down here.

273 anywhere else?

If not, 272. First time, second time,

third and last time, if you're all done.

Sold, 272.

'For £272,000, the successful bidder was Steve.

'He was actually bidding on behalf of his musician son, Harvey.

'It was Harvey who joined me back at the house to explain what he planned to do with it.'

-Harvey, lovely to meet you.

-You, too.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-I like this little place. Why did you want to buy it?

-Well, we were looking for an end of terrace

because I'm a musician and it means that the noise is not so much of a problem.

We saw this place, it didn't look like anything in the brochure, and when we looked around

and found it was in the middle of these three terraces, totally out of the way,

doesn't even feel like London. And the house itself, it's in no state at the moment,

but it's lovely and spacious and I'm going to come and live in it, I hope, when it's all finished.

Tell me more about you. You're a musician?

I'm only recently out of university. I studied music

and I am working as a freelance musician,

so I run the music at a parish church

and I teach music two days a week in a school

and the rest of the time, just do whatever gigs I'm offered.

-What do you play?

-I play piano and I sing

-and I do a bit of conducting, as well.

-Wow! What kind of music?

-It's mostly classical music, but I'm also a jazz pianist.

-Fantastic!

-You haven't got a piano around for a rendition?

-When you come back.

-You promise?

-I promise. That's the point of the house.

We're going to do lots of things to get a grand piano in here, basically.

# Sing us a song, you're the piano man

# Sing us a song tonight

'Before Harvey can tickle the ivories, he has a fair amount of work to do here.'

We've got two plans. There's the ambitious one and the not so ambitious one.

The not ambitious one is to do what almost every house,

many of the houses have done, which is to turn it from a three-bedroom house

into a luxury two-bed house with a bathroom upstairs.

But we're thinking more along the lines of keeping three bedrooms

and trying to max out the space we have.

Put a bathroom down here, nick a bit out of the kitchen

and also nick a bit out of the master bedroom and put a small bathroom upstairs, too.

And knock down the current 1970s extension and build a new one,

which will end up being a music studio to accommodate the grand piano.

That comes at a cost. Do you have an idea of how much?

Well, if we go through with this plan, it's going to be, we think, between £50,000 and £60,000.

-That's for the ambitious plans with the extension.

-Exactly.

And the less ambitious plans?

We'd think of spending up to £25,000 on doing it like that.

But, at the moment, we're swinging in favour of doing the big job.

Congratulations. We look forward to returning and hearing you play the piano.

-Thanks very much.

-Well done.

# Sing us a song, you're the piano man

# Sing us a song tonight

# Well, we're all in the mood for a melody

Well, what a great first home for Harvey.

And I think he's got some great ideas.

But, of course, it all rests on getting planning permission

for that extension to put his grand piano in,

and I think his ideas might need some fine tuning

before he finally pedals it to the local planning authority.

You can find out how he gets on later in the show.

Well, if you want your property purchases to bloom, timing is critical.

And you have to be flexible with your plans.

And not let time pass you by.

Let's see how today's purchasers got on.

'It was back in the autumn of 2007 when we first took a trip

'to the pretty Berkshire village of Sonning

'to see what, from the outside, at least,

'looked like an idyllic Grade II listed cottage.

'With exposed timber frames, it was the type of home that dreams are made of.'

# And oh, my dreams

# It's never quite as it seems

'But step inside...' MUSIC FADES

'..and it was more the stuff of nightmares.

'It was in a terrible state, from crumbling walls to holes in the ceiling,

'and a disaster area of a kitchen.

'A downstairs bathroom, a jungle of a garden,

'two dilapidated bedrooms, the list just went on and on.

'But project manager and mother-of-two Fran

'was prepared to pay £305,000 for the cottage.

'For her, it was a case of love at first sight.'

Well, I was out one Saturday doing a supermarket shop

and as I went in, I saw a particular property paper I was looking for

just literally poking out of the bin. So I just grabbed it, opened it

and there was the house, just staring at me, so I had to have it.

'Having put pen to paper to buy the cottage, Fran set about the task of making the cottage habitable again.

'But not only that, she had grand plans to extend and improve it,

'as she explained when we returned the first time, eight months later.'

We have planning permission for a bedroom and bathroom upstairs

and permission for an en suite in the master bedroom, as well.

'And as if that wasn't enough, they also had permission to extend the property.'

The kitchen on my right here will be extended three metres towards the back of the property,

into the garden, to make it a lot bigger.

The fourth bedroom here is going to be fully refurbished

and, through a walkway, will be connected, so it becomes part of the property.

In here, the courtyard will remain open

with lots of lovely plants in it, and it will let lots of nice light into the property.

'That was back in 2008. Fran had just got the green light to make it her dream cottage.

'Now, another two years on,

'we're back to see if Fran's plans have turned into reality.

'Not surprisingly, from the front, its appearance really hasn't altered.

'But is that classic beamed exterior now matched

'by the rest of the cottage? Well, let's step inside and see.'

'So, old has been blended with new

'to produce a really eclectic mix.

'Not only has Fran done wonders with the rooms that were here,

'but she's also increased the size of the cottage.'

Previously, it was very dingy and very narrow.

There was a massive arch just here and there was two more arches on the left.

So that's all been opened up now and made into a really big, family room.

In terms of the step, I did decide to keep it, though it is lower,

because that houses all our under-floor heating in there.

The original kitchen ended just here,

so this is a brand new extension, right out into the back, to make a really big family space.

'It's so hard to believe it's the same run-down space I saw three years ago.

'While doing the kitchen extension,

'Fran's also upgraded the ramshackle out-building,

'giving her that additional bedroom space.

'And the courtyard is now a secluded patio area.

'Despite the extension, the bathroom is still downstairs.

'But what a bathroom!

'How does it look upstairs?'

When I bought the property, there was only two bedrooms.

They were in a terrible state, full of lots of junk and rubbish.

It was really awful. And the bedrooms were full of holes, there was no plaster,

there was no carpet, the wood was falling to pieces on the floor. It was really a total mess.

First of all, I've done the extension for the third bedroom, which I'm really pleased with.

That's for my younger daughter, so she has a room.

And we've fully restored all the bedrooms cosmetically, as well.

'So with the original large double bedrooms completely refurbished...'

'..and with that extra bedroom in the extension, along with the downstairs bedroom,

'this cottage now boasts four bedrooms,

'so Fran's daughters, Sophie and Stephanie, have a bedroom each,

'something they certainly didn't expect when they first saw this cottage.'

It used to be really old and there were cracks in the walls.

You couldn't really walk into the garden, cos there were so many stinging nettles.

I thought my mum had really lost it this time.

'Now, with the cottage nearly complete, what do they think about what their mum has achieved?'

She achieved building it and putting nice photos up

and getting all the big tellies for us and making our rooms really nice.

I think she's done absolutely excellent on it, because she's put so much detail

and lovely pictures on it and worked so hard.

'Not only are the girls impressed with their mother's achievement,

'they also seem to be jumping for joy at getting a new home.

'But, of course, all these changes come at a price.'

I wanted to spend about 120 but, to be fair, that was probably a bit unrealistic.

So we spent just over 150.

But the finishings for the bathrooms and the kitchens I sourced very cheaply and did a lot of it myself.

'The £150,000 budget, on top of the £305,000 purchase price, plus costs,

'will see a total investment of around 460 grand.

'So, was it worth all the hard work?'

Whenever you have a listed cottage, it's never going to be perfect,

but she's adapted it very well indeed.

You have the benefit of a ground-floor bedroom,

which could be an office, and the bedrooms are a decent size.

I think the property is really nice.

A lot of character elements, exposed beams, high vaulted ceilings.

I do think that the fact that it's got a downstairs bathroom

will maybe put some buyers off, also the lack of parking.

However, it has character and it's in a very popular location.

'Pretty positive response there.

'But with nearly £460,000 in total invested here,

'is it likely to show a good return?'

I'd put this on the market for £475,000.

I'd put this on the market for approximately £480,000.

That's what I expected. That's absolutely fine.

'So possibly a small profit of £15,000 to £20,000.

'Not massive, but not bad. But, more importantly, Fran and family have a great new home.

'What's next?'

Unfortunately, we're going to sell the house on, because we're going to move

due to my daughter's secondary school education.

'So, after all her hard work, Fran wants to move a few miles down the road

'so they can be closer to Sophie's secondary school.

'So she's put the house back up for auction. I guess, as a project manager,

'she's used to finishing projects and then moving on.'

# It's not over

It's been a great experience.

A very hard challenge, very hard work

and, yes, before I get too old, I will do it again.

'So, nearly three years hard work has resulted in a fantastic renovated cottage

'and Fran can take what she's learned here onto her next project,

'whatever that may be.'

'If you wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern city life...

'..this three-bed former railway worker's cottage in Cricklewood, Northwest London, was ideal.'

# Shh, it's oh so quiet

'It's set in a row of properties with open communal spaces.'

# It's oh so still

'The area felt more like a village than part of the urban sprawl,

'and for recent music graduate Harvey, it hit all the right notes.'

# And so peaceful until

Well, we were looking for an end of terrace, because I'm a musician

and it means that the noise is not so much of a problem.

And the house itself, it's in no state at the moment,

but it's lovely and spacious and I'm going to come and live in it, I hope, when it's all finished.

'Harvey paid £272,000 at auction.

'Armed with a budget of between £50,000 and £60,000,

'he had grand plans not only to move the bathroom upstairs,

'but to create a music room to practice in.

'Now, 11 months on, we're back.

'Well, wow! He clearly got that planning permission

'as there's a fantastic new bigger and better extension

'replacing the tired, old one that was there before.'

I knew nothing about the property market or anything about building,

so it was very daunting to start with. The auction was terrifying.

And it's been a massive learning curve for me.

'Yes, because this hasn't just been a refurbishment.

'The house has undergone a number of layout changes,

'with the front door now leading to an open lounge and stairwell.'

It's been very stressful at times, very frustrating at times.

Overall, it's been a fantastic experience and I'm so grateful

to come out of it and have a place to call my own and be set up on the property ladder.

'And what a place he's ended up with,

'with a revamped lounge now leading to a completely transformed kitchen.'

Originally, this was a much bigger space.

We stripped out the much bigger kitchen and actually made it smaller

and created a little bathroom.

So we put completely new central heating and plumbing in

and everything's new. Granite worktops and all new cupboards

and appliances, and we're really happy with the finish.

'For a lot of people, getting the kitchen right is the most important thing. But not for Harvey.

'There was just one key room that had to work for him.'

Well, what was here before was a bathroom

in a much smaller 1970s extension.

And we knocked that down completely and we rebuilt,

and it was purposely designed as a music room,

so we soundproofed the whole thing.

It turned out well and I'm looking forward to making music here when I move in.

'Harvey plans to get a grand piano in here soon.

'Then he can practice to his heart's content in his custom-built room.'

Upstairs, we've opened up some of the loft space

to create a nice skylight effect.

'Though the banister rails need to be installed,

'this has transformed the gloomy stairwell into a light and open space.'

We've put a new shower room in.

We took a little piece out of the master bedroom, so now the rooms are more evenly sized.

'By taking some of the space in the large master bedroom,

'he's cleverly got a shower room up here

'yet retained the three bedrooms.

'Though he had a lot of input from his builder and architect,

'Harvey had to project manage the work. That was no easy task

'when he had so many changes to oversee.'

At first, I was planning to just spend about a day a week working on the house,

thinking it would work like that, but managing a building project doesn't work like that,

as I found out. You really need to be committed to it

and some weeks I wouldn't do anything, other weeks I'd be running around, finding materials,

having to make decisions very quickly, so that's been quite difficult to fit in

with already quite a busy lifestyle that I've got.

'Harvey teaches music two days a week, is a director of music at a church and a session singer,

'but he can now also add project manager and accountant to the list.'

It's cost me, as things stand now, just less than £60,000 for the whole renovation.

I imagine there's still a bit more money to spend on finishing touches inside and the work outside.

So I'm thinking it'll end up costing about £65,000.

'£65,000 spent on top of the £272,000 he paid at auction

'along with costs and fees takes his total outlay to around £340,000.

'Have all the changes he's made hit the right note?

'What do two local estate agents think?'

I'm pleasantly surprised. He's made what was a complete wreck

into virtually a family-size accommodation.

It's highly unusual to see two bathrooms in a house of this size,

so to actually get a decent size kitchen and a bathroom

and a second reception room on the ground floor is very impressive.

The owner's done a very good job. I think he's enhanced

all the important features of the house,

he's updated it, all the modern amenities have been included,

yet it still retains a nice period flavour.

'Harvey's hoping to take in lodgers to help bring in extra revenue.

'But what kind of rental return can he expect?'

I would rent this out in the region of £1,500 per calendar month.

The rental value for this house is something in the order of £1,500 a month.

That sounds great to me. It's very useful to have that,

because I need to think about how much to charge lodgers when they come and live with me.

'Well, that's encouraging on the rental front,

'but how would it fare if sold on,

'remembering that Harvey's invested to the tune of £340,000?'

I would suggest putting this on the market in the region of £395,000.

I think it's worth in the order of something approaching £400,000

and would suggest an asking price of 395.

That's really wonderful.

We haven't made a loss, which is fantastic, and there's a profit in there.

I'm just pleased that I've got my own place and that I haven't lost any money

and that I don't have to worry about the project any more.

'With a possible £55,000 profit,

'it sounds like, for Harvey, this was a really harmonious investment.'

HE PLAYS CLASSICAL PIECE

Well, we'll have more great stories for you next time on Homes Under The Hammer.

-We'll see you then.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

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