0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello and welcome to Homes Under The Hammer.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Now, for many people going to auction gives a chance
0:00:06 > 0:00:08to buy properties that are in need of a bit of work.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11That's right. People really like to put their own stamp and style
0:00:11 > 0:00:14on their property, and hopefully make a bit of profit along the way.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18And buying at auction could give you the opportunity to do just that.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47We love the buzz and the excitement of the auction room,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50because you can really sense the frustration and hope in the air.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Yes, and you never know how it's going to go until the final second.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58So let's see what tempted our buyers on today's show.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01We revisit Bristol to see if anyone
0:01:01 > 0:01:04got permission to change these former public loos.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Of course, if they don't get planning permission, all their money could disappear down the pan.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12In Burnley, this mid-terrace has been turned upside down
0:01:12 > 0:01:15by thieves who stopped at nothing.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19There's no floor! Gone! Bye-bye! History.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And the prospect of renovating this former Baptist Church in Mid Glamorgan
0:01:23 > 0:01:25leaves me weak at the knees.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30I always get a tingle of excitement coming into a place like this.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32All these properties have been sold at auction.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We find out who bought them and what they paid for them
0:01:35 > 0:01:37when they went Under The Hammer.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39It's yours, sir. Thank you.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47We're in Bristol to visit a property that caused a bit of a stink
0:01:47 > 0:01:52when I first saw it, way back in March 2005.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The auction guide price was an earth-shatteringly low £3,000.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58So I was desperate to find out more.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This city does have some stunning architecture.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Wills Memorial,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10some beautiful Georgian terraces, fantastic houses.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15So coming up for auction is this...
0:02:15 > 0:02:17# Flash!
0:02:17 > 0:02:19# A-ah! #
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's a public toilet.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24But is it a flash in the pan?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Well, this waterworks
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and the tiny piece of land it sits on under the bridge
0:02:29 > 0:02:32isn't quite the sumptuous property I was hoping for.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34But it's up for auction.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38I don't know. I guess we should have some fun with this.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Let's see how many puns about toilets I can get into one report.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Well, I suppose I'm going to have to be SYSTEMATIC
0:02:44 > 0:02:47about how I go about it.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I guess it's a CONVENIENT location.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Whoever buys it, will they be "clean around the bend"?
0:02:52 > 0:02:55And will they have to spend a "pretty penny" on it?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Four, not bad for a start.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Let's take a look inside.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I reckon we could really "loos" ourselves with this one.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08First off, it's an old block, probably built in the early '30s.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Like all good toilets, there are two sides, a ladies and a gents.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15A quick walk round to the side and you're in.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Well, it's certainly an ENGAGING project.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I'm not sure it's one that URINAL take on.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27What do you reckon?
0:03:29 > 0:03:30I DUNNY know.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33With a guide price of just £3,000,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38this lot could really wipe the floor with others I've seen in the past.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41But it doesn't have planning permission to be anything other
0:03:41 > 0:03:44than a public toilet, and that's why the person who buys this at auction
0:03:44 > 0:03:48is taking one heck of a gamble and will just have to go with the flow.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57So do you think I'm plumbing the depths? Heck, no. I'm on a roll.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00So, are you bowled over by the possibilities?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Are you flushed with excitement?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Or just scared s...stupid.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08One thing you've got to remember, at least you are buying at auction,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11so you won't find yourself in a chain.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Joking aside, this block is an interesting lot
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and it could become anything.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Someone might want to use it for storage, or perhaps as a boathouse,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22or maybe turn it into a shop.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Or, if they're really ambitious,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28they might want to try their luck and turn it into a residential unit.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Any change of use will inevitably require many,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34and possibly lengthy, dealings with the planning department,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but keep your fingers and toes crossed
0:04:37 > 0:04:39and you could be sitting on a bit of a winner here.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43So maybe this isn't such a daft thing to buy after all.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46If the purchaser could get planning permission
0:04:46 > 0:04:49then they could well expose the sweet smell of success.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Of course, if they don't get that planning permission,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55all their money could disappear down the pan.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56TOILET FLUSH
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Not bad. Let's go to the auction.
0:04:58 > 0:05:05Lot Two, former public toilets at Sea Mills Lane in Sea Mills.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12A single-storey building. Suitable for other uses, other than toilets.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Workshop, storage, we've had a variety of ideas for this.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27The guide is £3,000. Somebody start me at £3,000. Do I see £3,000?
0:05:27 > 0:05:32Two, then? £2,000 I will take. £2,000, thank you. Two, I have.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33Three, I am looking for.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36£3,000, thank you. Three, I have. Four now? Four.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39£4,000, thank you. Four, I have. Five?
0:05:39 > 0:05:44Four I have, five I'm looking for. Five, thank you. Six? Six.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Seven? Eight? Eight. Nine? Ten?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Want to make it 12 so we can go a bit faster?
0:05:53 > 0:05:5611, all right. Just a thought.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58No. 11, I have.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Are we done at £11,000? 12. 13.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The bid is against you now, sir. 14?
0:06:08 > 0:06:0915?
0:06:09 > 0:06:1016?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12I'd like to go a bit higher, but there you go.
0:06:12 > 0:06:1516? 17?
0:06:15 > 0:06:1618?
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It's still cheap. Very cheap.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22At £17,000.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25For the first time,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27for the second time,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31at £17,000, for the third and last time.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Sold to you, sir.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39The successful bidder, who paid £17,000, is Coley.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43He paid well over the guide price for this loo under the bridge.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47He's a barber by trade, so is used to grooming.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But will this toilet water be heaven sent?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- So, Coley, very nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59I have been so intrigued to know who would buy this place.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- You've bought a toilet. - You can say that at the moment.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06At the moment it is a toilet, but, hopefully, with the help of planners
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and a good architect, we could come up with something attractive here.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- So have you seen the internal features?- No, not at all.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13First time I've got the keys today.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15You haven't used the toilet?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I haven't had a chance to use them, I'm hoping to bless them.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Well, that is sounding dreadful!
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Should we go and look inside?- Let's go and have a look.- OK, come on then.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Well, it's got unusual kerb appeal.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I just hope Coley won't be disappointed,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30first impressions are so important.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Oh dear.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Not going to get much use of this as it is, am I?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I was hoping to find something attractive that I could keep and...
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Like what?
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Some old ornaments that some guy left when he built the thing.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Can we go outside and talk some more?- I think so. Good idea.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55So, listen, tell me a bit about you.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56What kind of a person buys a loo?
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Well, I've always been involved in property, as in buying it,
0:08:00 > 0:08:01doing it up, mainly letting.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I was looking for a smaller investment,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07which didn't involve such capital.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09This came along with the right price, right location.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13A Brownfield site, so potential for planning.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And it's something that I'd like to get into a bit more now,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19the development side, rather than the buying, doing up and rent.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21So when you saw this
0:08:21 > 0:08:24in the auction catalogue, what was your first reaction?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I knew the area quite well
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and I felt as though a residential dwelling here
0:08:29 > 0:08:31would go well with the planners.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Then the guide price was very good, and so then it was just a case
0:08:35 > 0:08:39of going to the auction and seeing if it would go for the right price.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The loo was guided at £3,000,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48but Coley paid over five times that at 17,000.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It could prove to be a major gamble because there's one minor problem that hasn't been solved.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58To get things clear, it doesn't have planning permission yet, does it?
0:08:58 > 0:09:01That's right, yes. I've spoken to the local council
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and they are in favour of some kind of development,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05as long as it's in keeping with the area.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08My biggest challenge is it's going to be that it's in a conservation area,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12so I'm going to have to be careful how I plan it and develop this build
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- so that it's in keeping with them. - So it's actually quite a large plot.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Yes, I'm thinking two one-bed flats,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20but possibly even a three-bed house, almost.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23That is very ambitious.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Although the plot of land is quite a good size,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28any building wouldn't be able to go right to the boundary
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and I suspect it would need to fit in
0:09:30 > 0:09:33with the appearance of the bridge.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36So in terms of specific plans, do you have any so far?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I am going to go with the eco-friendly type build,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and try and help the environment
0:09:41 > 0:09:45by making it look attractive as well as being environmentally friendly.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48The ground floor would be the same material as the bridge here,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50which is a stone type face.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52The second floor would be timber cladding,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55which would then blend in with the greenery around here,
0:09:55 > 0:10:00and the roof would be a ski slope type roof, to match the wall.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05- In a sense, it would blend into the corner.- What did your friends say?
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- Have you told them yet? - Yes, I've told them!
0:10:09 > 0:10:11The funny thing is my brother bought one last year,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- and done the same thing. - Your brother bought one?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Yes, so they're saying it's in the family now!
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Coley really has got the bug, but is he "round the bend"?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Well, there's two more in auction this month
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and if they're for the right price, I might go for another one.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- So you'll end up with a whole chain of them. - A whole chain of loos, yeah!
0:10:30 > 0:10:35Well, that was in March 2005.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38But when we returned to Bristol three months later
0:10:38 > 0:10:40there had been very little movement.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44We discovered that Coley's ambitious plans for the former public toilet
0:10:44 > 0:10:45had got a bit bogged down.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Well, originally the idea was to demolish the building and rebuild a new building.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53The planning department would rather see me extend what's currently there.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I am planning to go up a floor, so double the size.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Keep the current footprint, but increase the internal side of it.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Despite the former loos being in a conservation area
0:11:05 > 0:11:07and the proximity to the water requiring him
0:11:07 > 0:11:11to produce a flood risk assessment, Coley was undeterred.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14With a helping hand from his architect,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16he put in motion a revised plan.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18He's come out with some really good ideas.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We're going to put a balcony on the top floor,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and make the top floor our living area.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26The balcony also helps as a means of escape
0:11:26 > 0:11:29because this is a flood risk area.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35But it also became clear that Coley wasn't averse to making a quick profit on the loos as they stood.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I've had four offers since I bought it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43The best one is around the £30,000 mark, which I am tempted to do.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46I could walk away with a profit of around £13,000-£14,000
0:11:46 > 0:11:48without actually doing any work to it
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and it's not cost me more than £500 so far.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54And that was the route that Coley finally decided upon.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57He accepted an offer of £28,000,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01which gave him a pre-tax profit of around £10,500.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Not bad for a few months sitting on the loo.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07But over six years on,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09what has become of these former public toilets?
0:12:09 > 0:12:11You can find out later in the show.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Today, I am 40 minutes north of Manchester,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21in the old mill town of Burnley, Lancashire.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25In its heyday, it was one of the largest producers of cotton cloth
0:12:25 > 0:12:26in the world.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29# If I came back to the land of cotton
0:12:29 > 0:12:32# Would you love just me? #
0:12:32 > 0:12:37Victorian terraced houses built for the foundry and mill workers
0:12:37 > 0:12:42still make up a large proportion of the town's housing stock.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And just walking distance from the hospital,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and a short bus ride from the uni,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49is the property I'm here to see today.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's a two-bedroom mid-terrace,
0:12:51 > 0:12:57at the incredibly low guide price of £10,000-£15,000.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Surely this is going to be a bargain.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02But look at the security shutters.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Not exactly welcoming.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Time for a thorough examination, excuse me.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Get a load of that!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17There's the front door, there's the window.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22I mean, nothing prepares you for the state of this room.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I don't know what it is, there's loads of old stone.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I don't know what all this stuff is.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Look, there's just so much rubbish. You need to get a skip,
0:13:30 > 0:13:35you need to clear this lot out before you can even see this room.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Once you've done that, my guess is it's a good size.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42You've got central heating, it's a good space.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I'm just wondering what all that rubbish over there is.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I need to have a look.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53This is why there is piles of stone in this corner. Look at this!
0:13:53 > 0:13:57There's no floor! Gone. Bye-bye! History!
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Some naughty little person has been in here
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and scarpered with the original York stone flooring
0:14:03 > 0:14:08that these houses are so famous for having in their living areas.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10What a travesty!
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Now I know that York stone is a very expensive material to use,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and it's a top end desirable stone.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17Look at this!
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Whoever takes this on will need to take the rest of this up,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23lay down a damp proof membrane and then concrete over
0:14:23 > 0:14:27before choosing their carpet or their laminate flooring.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But this is a big old job and not a cheap one.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Let's hope the new owners view this property first,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38otherwise, it's going to be a huge shock to walk into this.
0:14:38 > 0:14:46# You have stolen my heart. #
0:14:46 > 0:14:50But if you look beyond the piles of rubble that used to be the floors,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the property does have two decent sized reception rooms.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And although the kitchen's on the small side,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59some new units will make it a perfectly serviceable space.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'The state of this place makes me wonder what surprises
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'lie in wait for me on the first floor.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Upstairs, it's not in bad shape. It feels really solid.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13You've got a good-sized room there.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Second bedroom there. Then...
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The bathroom! Look at it! It's in a right, old state.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Very similar to what's going on downstairs.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27That toilet belongs on that wall. That bath should be over there.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30My guess is, somebody's been in, ripped up the floorboards
0:15:30 > 0:15:32because of the copper piping underneath.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Again, that's quite valuable.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Whoever takes this on needs to think about this bathroom.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40A bit of money needs to be spent in here,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44but I will say one thing, it's good to see the bathroom upstairs.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48# Upside working
0:15:48 > 0:15:51# Downside hurting
0:15:51 > 0:15:54# Hear my echo
0:15:54 > 0:15:57# Dancing bear. #
0:15:59 > 0:16:04'The upside of the upstairs is that it all looks easily sortable.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'At the back of the property, it's much the same,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'the mess needs clearing and the roof looks OK.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'But those windows and doors are sure to need a bit of attention.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:21'We asked a local estate agent for his views on this two-bed terrace,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25'which went to auction with a guide price of ten to 15,000.'
0:16:25 > 0:16:27In all honesty, in my job,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31you see properties like this on a day-to-day basis.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I don't think for somebody who's got their head screwed on
0:16:34 > 0:16:37it's that big a task to actually get it sorted out.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Obviously, on the face of it, it requires some updating,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43some works to it in order to make it habitable,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47owing to what looks like a property which has been empty for some time, I would say.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53'If you sort out those flaws and get the place up to scratch,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56'what could the property be worth on today's market?'
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I think in the current market,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02with the levels of demand that there are out there, for this kind of property,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07you'd look at it being as a maximum in the region of 35 to £40,000.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'What kind of figure could it rent out for?'
0:17:10 > 0:17:15There's certainly a demand there now for rental properties in the area.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21I would think you could look somewhere around £300 to £325 per calendar month.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27A huge amount of work to be done to this neglected,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30old terraced house to bring it back to life!
0:17:30 > 0:17:36But what about that price, ten to £15,000. What a bargain!
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Let's see who was tempted when it went under the hammer.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Lot 162 is a mid-terraced house in need of renovation.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50£5,000, somebody start me at 5,000?
0:17:50 > 0:17:515,000, I've got here. Six, here.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Seven, I've got. Eight, nine,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57ten, £11,000, I've got. 12,000 here.
0:17:57 > 0:18:0113, got it. 14? Yes. 15?
0:18:01 > 0:18:0514,500? 15? 15,500 on my left.
0:18:05 > 0:18:0816. And a half?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Yes. 17. And a half?
0:18:11 > 0:18:1318. 18,500?
0:18:13 > 0:18:1719. 19 I've got. And a half?
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Got it.
0:18:18 > 0:18:2020,000. 20,500? No?
0:18:20 > 0:18:2420,500, 21? No.
0:18:24 > 0:18:2620,500, first time.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Second time, are we all done now?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Third and final time? Yes, we are.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Well done, sir, your paddle number, please.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38'Raising his paddle to confirm that successful bid of £20,500
0:18:38 > 0:18:40'was property developer, Patrick.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43'He bought the house with his friend, self-employed joiner, Paul.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:45MUSIC: The A-Team theme tune
0:18:49 > 0:18:52'They're both from Leeds and already own three properties together.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55'Will they be the A-Team to take this one on?
0:18:55 > 0:18:57'And, will their plan come together?'
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Patrick and Paul, it's fabulous meeting you today.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Boys, are they smiles on your faces, or not?
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Well...
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Because I know you haven't viewed this property
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and today is the first time you've ever seen it?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yes. That's right. We came in today, yes.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22We got the shutters off and we came through the door today and we were in shock.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Why were you in shock?- Well...
0:19:24 > 0:19:28I think we've had the thieves in and the Yorkshire stone had been taken
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and, you know, it was a mess, really.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I mean, quite a lot of surface debris but you can get past that.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Oh, yeah, no problem.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- But this is not what you expect to see.- No, no.- Not at all.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43You guys have got a lot of work putting this back together again.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- That's right, yeah. - That's added to your budget, hasn't it?- It has, yes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50It may have paid for you to have looked up the property prior to the auction.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Without a doubt, yeah.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- I think if we had looked, definitely we would have left it.- Yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59I've said it before, but what these guys have just said really
0:19:59 > 0:20:02hammers home that buying blind is a very risky business.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05You just never know whether that risk is going to pay off,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09or leave you ruing the day.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12# Think for a minute
0:20:12 > 0:20:16# Stop for a minute. #
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Paul and Patrick went to the auction to bid on a commercial property
0:20:20 > 0:20:25but when they didn't bag that one, they made a slightly dangerous decision.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Why were you getting desperate?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I always say, nobody should ever feel desperate in an auction situation
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- because that's when you spend too much money.- We just wanted to spend some money.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Yeah, that's right.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- Was it burning a hole in your pocket?- It was.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43The problem is, usually if you go to some of the auctions they last for an hour, maybe two.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45This, because we'd been there four-and-a-half hours,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49we felt like we wanted to get something out of the day, which was not a good way to buy.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Why did you decide this one would be a good one to bid for?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55We didn't actually decide anything, we just took a chance on it.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Patrick, he's right in what he's saying.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03For that amount of money, we thought it was a back-to-back
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and it happened to be a through terrace.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08I know it's in a bit of disrepair
0:21:08 > 0:21:11but it's nothing we can't knock into shape between us.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13It is, actually, not bad condition.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I mean, the walls look painted,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19everything is looking shiny, apart from the mess and the floor.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22What are you guys going to do to turn it around?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25We'll get this floor done, but a damp proof membrane,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27screed the floor,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29then paint it throughout.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Just put new carpet all the way through, where necessary.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34A few kitchen units.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38It needs a new front and back door and, whatever else is required.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41The bathroom suite wants sorting out.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We'll take it from there and see what happens.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So, boys, budget, have you made the list?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48How much will you need to spend to rectify this?
0:21:49 > 0:21:505,000.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52What?! £5,000 -
0:21:52 > 0:21:56kitchen, bathroom, stone, copper piping, £5,000?
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Definitely under five, no problem.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Patrick, you're very confident.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- So you think you can do this for under five grand? - Definitely, under five.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04What is your secret?
0:22:04 > 0:22:09The secret is, we're going to use the existing products in the bathroom.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12We're going to put a new kitchen in it and then paint it throughout.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I mean, a lot of it is superficial, really. Is not as bad as it looks.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18When we get it cleared out it will definitely be under five.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'Ambitious as it may sound,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'Paul and Patrick are determined to stick to that budget.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'Having paid £20,500 for the property,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30'they need to if they want a healthy return.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'But they're no strangers to a challenge.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34'Not only did they buy this property blind,
0:22:34 > 0:22:40'but, as they hail from Leeds, this area is also something of a question mark.'
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Why have you guys decided to invest in an area that you don't know,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47is it because of the price?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- Yes.- Just the price.- Basically, yes.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52And desperation that we weren't buying anything.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55You definitely wanted to spend your money on that day, didn't you?
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- We wanted to spend it on that day. - I'm really excited to see this place turned around
0:22:59 > 0:23:01because it can only go up.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04At the moment is not looking too hot.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- Good luck.- Thank you. - Congratulations. - Thank you very much.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Let's hope you stick to that £5,000 budget.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- Yeah, we'll see.- We hope.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Patrick and Paul went to the auction and bought this
0:23:15 > 0:23:17so as not to make a wasted journey -
0:23:17 > 0:23:20money burning hole in pockets springs to mind -
0:23:20 > 0:23:25But I think they're secretly quite disappointed
0:23:25 > 0:23:26with the state of this place,
0:23:26 > 0:23:31but Patrick is adamant he can turn this around for £5,000.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Join us later in the programme and you can see how they do.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40'Coming up, planning permission for this Mid Glamorgan Baptist church is looking tricky.'
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Mmm, the options are starting to narrow themselves a bit.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49'In Burnley, Patrick and Paul remind us of that golden rule
0:23:49 > 0:23:51'for buying property...'
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Never, ever buy anything unseen.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01But, first, what has become of these former public loos in Bristol,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04now they are under new ownership?
0:24:09 > 0:24:14Earlier in the programme, we went back to March 2005,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19when Coley bought this former public toilet in Bristol for £17,000.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23There was no planning permission in place for the site
0:24:23 > 0:24:28but Coley had rather grand designs to knock the loos down and put up a two-storey building.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34When we first returned three months later, no progress
0:24:34 > 0:24:39had been made, as Coley's initial planning application had been knocked back.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42His architect was wading through the red tape, associated
0:24:42 > 0:24:47with the plot being in a conservation area and a flood risk area.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Before any revised plans were submitted, Coley decided
0:24:50 > 0:24:55to sell the property on and pocketed a tidy profit of around £10,500.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Well, that was back in 2005.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Since that time, the property market is very different
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and the former public toilet has had three different owners.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It's been a long, drawn out process with the planning issues,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13the moving of a gas main
0:25:13 > 0:25:18and the requirement of a archaeological report into possible Roman remains.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21So, six-and-a-half years since we first visited,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24we're back to see if the current owner, Neil,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28a full-time property developer who lives just outside Bristol,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32has managed to unblock the problems of these old public toilets.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35# Let your love flow like a mountain stream
0:25:35 > 0:25:39# Let your love flow with the smallest of dreams
0:25:39 > 0:25:43# And let your love show and you'll know what I mean
0:25:43 > 0:25:45# It's the season... #
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That's a resounding yes.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Sitting on the site of the former loos
0:25:52 > 0:25:54is an upside-down, two-bed eco-friendly house.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57On the ground floor there's a study,
0:25:57 > 0:25:58a bathroom,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01the second bedroom
0:26:01 > 0:26:03and a utility room.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Upstairs, is the master en suite bedroom and the main living area.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Neil purchased the site in June 2011.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18It may have taken a long time, and several owners,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23but from the most unlikely of origins, something special has emerged.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26I'm very pleased we've been able to establish
0:26:26 > 0:26:29a very large kitchen/lounge/diner, which is very airy.
0:26:29 > 0:26:35A superb kitchen, huge windows, to pick up on that fantastic view.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38# I can see for miles and miles
0:26:38 > 0:26:41# And miles and miles. #
0:26:43 > 0:26:47When Neil purchased the site, a lot of the hard work had been done,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51including getting that all-important planning permission.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55The chap I bought it from had started digging.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57He'd demolished the toilets.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01He dug the foundations, he concreted them.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05But, in doing so, there was a Roman archaeological survey.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08There was a gas main going right across the site
0:27:08 > 0:27:11and he had extra deep foundations.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I think, all those three things put together,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16were a bit too much for him and he and his wife decided
0:27:16 > 0:27:19that he wasn't helping himself, so he put it on the market.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23So, for £69,000, Neil stepped in.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24He bought the site and the plans
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and spent an impressive four months finishing the project.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I inherited the full working drawings, which was great
0:27:32 > 0:27:36because that was part of the preparatory work.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I stuck to them within a gnat's whisker, shall we say.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I did change the odd bit of internal element
0:27:43 > 0:27:46because it was an improvement which could be made.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48The property has timber cladding
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and a special living roof which is covered in the plant, Sedum.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55As well as giving it a unique look, this is also designed
0:27:55 > 0:27:58to provide ecologically friendly, natural insulation.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The eco credentials of this place really are top-notch.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06# It's good to touch
0:28:06 > 0:28:11# The green, green grass of home. #
0:28:13 > 0:28:17I've tried to keep the house as eco-friendly as possible.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20The house has been insulated massively.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23The whole house has been soundproofed
0:28:23 > 0:28:27to ensure there is no noise from any traffic.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33For example, all the timber has been sourced from sustainable sources.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Neil's done all of this work with a view to selling the house on.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41In fact, I imagine he's spent a pretty penny on the former loos.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48The cost of this building has been unusually high
0:28:48 > 0:28:51because of the nature of the quality of the materials
0:28:51 > 0:28:55that have gone into it, the insulation, the eco-side
0:28:55 > 0:28:56and the general finish.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Overall, we've paid, including the cost of the land, just over £200,000.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07There's no doubt this is now a unique property.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11How do you start putting a value on it?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I wish I knew how much this would sell for
0:29:15 > 0:29:20because I would then know what to put it on the market at.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Because there is no comparison,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25it will only be worth what somebody is willing to pay for it.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29'We asked two local property experts
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'to share their thoughts on this one-off eco-house.'
0:29:32 > 0:29:36I think what the developer has produced is absolutely fantastic.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38The difference in the look of the street.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Obviously, the toilet before was very unattractive
0:29:42 > 0:29:45and this contemporary property that's here now, is superb.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48The developer has done a great job, it's a very unique site.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50I think it needed something just as unique to go here.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Something contemporary like this fits well.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I really like the views.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57I love the feel that you're almost in the countryside here,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00yet only a ten-minute drive away from the centre of Bristol.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06'Do they have a sense of what kind of rental the property might attract?'
0:30:06 > 0:30:09I think the house would rent well, especially given its location
0:30:09 > 0:30:11close to the train station and commuting links.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15I would hope to achieve circa £750 per calendar month.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I would estimate this property is likely to rent for something
0:30:17 > 0:30:20in the region of £750 per calendar month.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I'm not tempted at all because this isn't really...
0:30:23 > 0:30:25My intention was to sell it
0:30:25 > 0:30:29because I need to turn my money over to do the next project.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34'What about putting a resale value on the house.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'This may be one where they have to go with their gut.'
0:30:37 > 0:30:41It's an unusual property. There isn't anything like this in this area.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46I would expect, on the open market, to achieve between 180 to 190,000.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48My gut feeling on the value is likely to sell
0:30:48 > 0:30:51somewhere in the region of 180 to £185,000.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58'Well, those resell valuations would see Neil making a loss
0:30:58 > 0:31:00'of around £20,000 on the property.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02'Does that come as a surprise to him?'
0:31:04 > 0:31:08I don't see how they can compare the prices of this
0:31:08 > 0:31:09with anything in the area.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Nothing surprises me
0:31:12 > 0:31:16because it will only be worth what somebody will pay for it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20'Neil has had a third valuation from a different estate agent
0:31:20 > 0:31:24'of between 250 and £280,000,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28'which just goes to show you how even property experts find it hard
0:31:28 > 0:31:31'to put a value on something so unusual.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33'How has Neil enjoyed the project?'
0:31:33 > 0:31:37I think it's been a fantastic project.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I'm looking forward to selling it to somebody, somebody who will enjoy
0:31:40 > 0:31:45a fantastic house, with a beautiful view, superb communications
0:31:45 > 0:31:49and be living in something that has been built
0:31:49 > 0:31:52with an eco-friendly stance.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I'm in the village of Abercynon in South Wales.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Since the mines closed down in the 1980s,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05this has been a commuter place,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07easy access to Cardiff and the M4.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10It may not have too much work at the moment
0:32:10 > 0:32:13but if you're after scenery, it's just the place.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18There's a good range of local shops in the village and transport
0:32:18 > 0:32:21is pretty good as there are two railway stations close by.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Well, terraced houses like this are very typical of the area
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and the property I'm here to see isn't one of them.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36With a guide price of £18,000...
0:32:36 > 0:32:40up for grabs was this former chapel.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44# When you call my name
0:32:44 > 0:32:46# It's like a little prayer
0:32:46 > 0:32:48# I'm down on my knees
0:32:48 > 0:32:50# I want to take you there... #
0:32:50 > 0:32:53'It was built in 1905 while the area
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'at the back was formerly a 17th century chapel.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59'It seems to have stood the test of time
0:32:59 > 0:33:02'but access into the building isn't great.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06'These two rather steep sets of steps are the only way in
0:33:06 > 0:33:10'and that could be a stumbling block for any potential buyer.'
0:33:12 > 0:33:15I always get a tingle of excitement coming into a place like this.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18You never know quite what you're going to find.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23More often than not, old chapels like this are in a pretty bad state.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27But not in this instance!
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Absolutely wonderful, look at this.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34It doesn't look, on the face of it, like it's had too much,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38I don't know, water ingress or other stuff going on.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It doesn't smell too damp. It's a good start.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45There's some floorboards up here, that'll need investigating but one huge, great space.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Look at that organ, absolutely fantastic. Oh!
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Let's go and explore some more.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52# ..Let the choir sing... #
0:33:52 > 0:33:56'The organ is still in full working order
0:33:56 > 0:33:58'but isn't the only eye-catching feature in here.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03'Just look at the ornate moulded ceiling, beautiful.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05'The situation with the floor isn't attractive.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10'Some of the floorboards have been pulled up and it looks like there are some signs of damp.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13'I would get those dealt with as soon as possible,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'as in such a large building, you don't want damp spreading.'
0:34:16 > 0:34:20At the rear of the chapel, behind where that glorious organ is,
0:34:20 > 0:34:25you've got this extra area, probably used as a Sunday school,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28a function room, or whatever you want. There's loos here as well.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30What this really says is this building is massive.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32It goes on and on and on, doesn't it?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34I mean, the ceiling height in here isn't quite as high
0:34:34 > 0:34:37and yet I reckon you could probably take out that ceiling
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and go up even more into the rafters.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43All in all, it's a lot of property for the money.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48# All I do each night is pray
0:34:48 > 0:34:49# Oh, girl
0:34:49 > 0:34:52# Hoping that I'll be a part of you again some day
0:34:52 > 0:34:54# Oh, yeah... #
0:34:54 > 0:34:58'With this much space, I'm sure there were several potential buyers
0:34:58 > 0:35:02'praying they'd get their hands on this property.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04'At the back there's a small kitchen area.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07'Access to the balcony seating is from the entrance hall
0:35:07 > 0:35:11'where you get a chance to take in the glory of the chapel.'
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Now you're probably thinking, as I was when I first came in here,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16wouldn't this make the most fantastic house,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19or possibly convert it into flats?
0:35:19 > 0:35:21There's an interesting moneymaking idea.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23The problem is, I don't think you'd get planning permission,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27partly because planning wouldn't like the fact there is
0:35:27 > 0:35:31virtually no parking around here. What are your options?
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Currently, it's got classification as non-residential institution,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38which means you can possibly run it as a creche,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40maybe a library or an art gallery.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Then you've got to check whether those facilities are needed
0:35:43 > 0:35:46in this area and again I'm not so sure.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Suddenly, what seemed like a great idea...
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Mmm, the options are starting to narrow themselves a bit.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58'I still have faith in this place, though, it just needs right buyer
0:35:58 > 0:36:00'with a clear idea of what they want to do with it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05'Bearing in mind the relatively modest guide price of £18,000 for the chapel,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08'we invited a local estate agent to give us his thoughts.'
0:36:11 > 0:36:15First impressions is it's a very nice Baptist Chapel.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19It obviously has suffered some problems with damp penetration
0:36:19 > 0:36:20and wood rot.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24It's a very nice substantial building, recently been reroofed.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The potential uses for this building is going to be very difficult
0:36:28 > 0:36:30to assume, particularly because of the busy road
0:36:30 > 0:36:34and the yellow lines and the restricted parking in the area.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39It's really going to affect its value, depending on what use the planners will agree.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44'How much could this place achieve on the resale market?'
0:36:46 > 0:36:47Assuming this building was renovated
0:36:47 > 0:36:51and was continued to be used for its existing planning use,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I would expect it to achieve a value in the region of £60,000.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59'What if you decided to start a business from here?'
0:36:59 > 0:37:03If you were able to establish a good, profitable business here,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I think that would add more to the value of this building than anything.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09At the end of the day, you will be able to sell that business
0:37:09 > 0:37:15and achieve a price of two or three times the net profit from the business.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18On the face of it, a lot of property for the money
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and an interesting opportunity but the more you look into it,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25the more you realise the limitations of this place are considerable.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Still, maybe somebody got divine intervention
0:37:27 > 0:37:29when it went under the hammer.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Here's a property that has attracted a lot of interest,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37ladies and gentlemen.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41What am I going to be bid for this lot number ten in your catalogue?
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Who's got 25,000 to start me? It would be cheap at that.
0:37:45 > 0:37:4623, then, let's get on.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Who's got 20? It's worth a lot more than that
0:37:49 > 0:37:52and we've had a lot of interest in it.
0:37:52 > 0:37:5420, thank you. At 20,000, I'm bid.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59At 20, I'll take a half, if it helps. Half, thank you, madam. At 21,000.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I'll take another half. 21,500. Fill it up two, now?
0:38:02 > 0:38:06At 21,500, I thought there would have been hands everywhere at that.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09At £21,500...
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Two in the back. At 22, fresh bidder.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15At £22,000, standing in the back.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17I'm going to sell it, make it a half.
0:38:17 > 0:38:1822,500, thank you.
0:38:18 > 0:38:24Three, can I ask three? 23. You're out, sir. Half, can I again?
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Half, this is a hard way to do it in halves, isn't it?
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Fill it up 30, for me, sir. 30, thank you, that's more like it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Let's go in ones now.
0:38:31 > 0:38:3531, thank you, sir. That's better at 31,000.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Two, will you, sir? 32.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39At 32, three if you like.
0:38:39 > 0:38:4033, and again.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42For four, can I, sir?
0:38:42 > 0:38:45At four, 34, I'm bid.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48At 34, please be quicker, sir. Five, 35.
0:38:48 > 0:38:49Six, will you, sir?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52You bid quickly all the way. Oh, you're not going to stop?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Don't be driven out, it's only money!
0:38:54 > 0:38:59At £35,000, here is my bid and you're out in the back, sir.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01At £35,000...
0:39:01 > 0:39:03It's yours, sir, thank you.
0:39:03 > 0:39:09'That successful bid of £35,000 was made by husband and wife team, Kerry and Russell.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12'Kerry's a retired mortgage adviser
0:39:12 > 0:39:15'and Russell runs his own electrical wholesale company.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18'What in heaven's name have they got planned for this old chapel?
0:39:18 > 0:39:21'I met up with them to find out.'
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- Kerry, Russ, lovely to meet you both.- And you.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Congratulations! You looked like you weren't too sure about that.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34- I'm still thinking about it. - You're still thinking about it. Why did you buy it?
0:39:34 > 0:39:38We bought it to set up a recording studio for our son.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- There's another room behind this chapel.- A recording studio?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Why buy the whole of this place just to get that bit at the back?
0:39:44 > 0:39:4718 inch thick walls were one of the reasons.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Ah...
0:39:49 > 0:39:52This just happened to be a bonus that came with the rear part of the building.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Now we've got to find something to do with it.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59'It turns out that Russell and Kerry have come up
0:39:59 > 0:40:04'with an interesting idea for the chapel, very much in keeping with its heritage.'
0:40:06 > 0:40:09We decided to do civil weddings,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11civil wedding ceremonies.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Right.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It wasn't necessarily what I was expecting you to say, I have to say.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19What's your experience, Kerry, of building recording studios
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and running places that you're going to hold civil ceremonies in?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24A vast experience(!)
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Absolutely none whatsoever.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29# Going to the chapel and we're... #
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Kerry and Russell have faith that their son will have success
0:40:32 > 0:40:35with the recording studio,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38but they also believe their own idea of holding
0:40:38 > 0:40:40several wedding ceremonies will be a winner
0:40:40 > 0:40:42as they will have a slight twist.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46# ..Going to the chapel of love... #
0:40:46 > 0:40:49We did plan to do themed weddings.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Themed weddings?
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Well, if someone wants a Halloween wedding
0:40:54 > 0:40:56or a Disney wedding, whatever.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Any sort of wedding. - We can accommodate them.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02# ..Bells will ring
0:41:02 > 0:41:04# The sun will shine... #
0:41:04 > 0:41:05Themed weddings?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08That's a first here on Homes Under The Hammer. It's a novel idea,
0:41:08 > 0:41:12but getting the necessary planning permissions could be a challenge.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16The lack of parking is not ideal and could hinder things,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18as could another trickling problem.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20# ..The end of time
0:41:20 > 0:41:25# And we'll never be lonely any more. #
0:41:27 > 0:41:30We found out after we bought it that there's a small stream
0:41:30 > 0:41:32running underneath the floorboards.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36We came over with the builder to get an estimate...
0:41:36 > 0:41:37..for the dry rot.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41The builder said that it's not dry rot.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45He suggested replacing all the floor with concrete.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48He said, "Oh, the stream can be diverted."
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I said, "That sounds expensive."
0:41:50 > 0:41:53"No." he said. "A few pipes and a bit of gravel."
0:41:55 > 0:41:57I'm bowing to his superior knowledge.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59# Islands in the stream
0:41:59 > 0:42:02# That is what we are
0:42:02 > 0:42:04# No-one in-between... #
0:42:04 > 0:42:09With a timescale of six months, it should be full STREAM ahead
0:42:09 > 0:42:10for Russell and Kerry,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13but what sort of budget have they set aside to do the work.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Because of the area we're in, it's a deprived area,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18it's called a European Objective One area,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21there, hopefully, should be grants available
0:42:21 > 0:42:24to help us with retaining the building.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27A lot of it depends how long the grants will take.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30We are hoping, against hope,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33that we'll have a contribution of around 30,000
0:42:33 > 0:42:36towards the total spend, which is around 80,000.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39You're doing all this, primarily, for your son, it started out.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41- Yeah.- Aren't you a wonderful mum and dad?
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Tell me all about him, he has a band, does he?
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Yes, he's got a band.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48- It's very noisy.- It's heavy.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51What kind of music is it?
0:42:51 > 0:42:54What would you call it? Death Metal?
0:42:54 > 0:42:57DEATH METAL MUSIC
0:42:58 > 0:43:04He's 27 years old, hasn't got the greatest employment history.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07It's a chance for him to follow his dream.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09As long as it doesn't cost us too much.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13It seems to me, you're having an adventure at the same time?
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Absolutely. I'm really excited about it.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18What's next on the cards for you two?
0:43:18 > 0:43:23A chain of wedding arenas, maybe.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25- Or maybe not.- Maybe not.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- Listen, congratulations.- Thank you.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Lovely to meet you both.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Isn't this story just one of the reasons
0:43:35 > 0:43:39why Homes Under the Hammer is so brilliant?
0:43:39 > 0:43:42A chapel in Wales is now going to become a recording studio
0:43:42 > 0:43:47for a death metal band and a funky wedding chapel.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51There are so many hurdles to cross before we get to that point, where do I start?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53You just have to join us later in the show
0:43:53 > 0:43:56to find out how they get on.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02Well, finding good tradesmen is often the key to getting a project
0:44:02 > 0:44:05completed on time and on budget.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09Some people do decide to do the work themselves to maximise profit.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13Have our buyers been getting stuck in or just getting stuck?
0:44:13 > 0:44:14Let's find out.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19Back now to Burnley in Lancashire where this two-bed mid-terrace
0:44:19 > 0:44:20was bought at auction unseen
0:44:20 > 0:44:26by Leeds-based property developer Patrick, in the red jumper here on the right,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28and his joiner friend, Paul.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31The place has been turned upside down by thieves
0:44:31 > 0:44:35looking for valuable York stone flooring and copper pipes.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40- But this is not what you expect to see.- Not at all.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43You guys have got a lot of work putting this back together again.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46- That's right.- Without a doubt. I think if we'd looked,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48definitely would have probably left it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52But with a relatively modest budget and a timescale of just one month,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56these Yorkshire lads were determined to do their best.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59So a mere four weeks after our visit, we're back to see
0:44:59 > 0:45:03if they managed to rekindle the embers of this Burnley property.
0:45:05 > 0:45:10# Come on, baby, light my fire
0:45:10 > 0:45:15# Come on, baby, light my fire
0:45:15 > 0:45:20# Try to set the night on fire. #
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Well, the job's a good 'un.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26There may be some work left to do but Patrick and Paul
0:45:26 > 0:45:30have definitely got this property back on its feet.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34The biggest task was undoubtedly sorting out the floor that was no more.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38We just had to excavate down a little deeper
0:45:38 > 0:45:44and put in a damp-proof membrane and obviously batter tons and tons of concrete in,
0:45:44 > 0:45:49which was quite an arduous job through the narrow passageway in the kitchen.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53They've tidied up the back yard and introduced some pretty hefty
0:45:53 > 0:45:58security measures to deter any more would-be vandals.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Upstairs, the biggest job was sorting out the bathroom
0:46:01 > 0:46:05after thieves had made a mess stealing the copper pipes.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Well, the bathroom, there was a lot of work in the bathroom.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Obviously, the copper pipes had been stolen
0:46:12 > 0:46:14but they'd ripped the copper pipes from the boiler,
0:46:14 > 0:46:18ripped all the piping from the bathroom and the sink
0:46:18 > 0:46:21so the problem was finding out where the copper had been broken.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24We even thought about just replacing all the pipework
0:46:24 > 0:46:27but we managed to pick the microbore pipe up from the radiators
0:46:27 > 0:46:29where it teed into the 15ml pipe.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Then we had to replace all the floor
0:46:31 > 0:46:34because the floor had been ripped out as well.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36The toilet had been damaged so we put a new toilet in.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Obviously, it worked out quite well.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43In fact, it's all worked out so well
0:46:43 > 0:46:46that Patrick and Paul have already found a tenant,
0:46:46 > 0:46:49even before they got round to decorating the place.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53We had a decorator lined up but the tenant was so desperate to move in
0:46:53 > 0:46:56she said, "Do you mind if I do the decoration?"
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Obviously, we didn't have any problem with that
0:46:58 > 0:47:01and we said, "You can move," and she wanted to move in today.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03After the filming, she's waiting to get the keys.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06She's got some cash waiting, she said,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08so hopefully we can get some lunch today.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10THEY LAUGH
0:47:12 > 0:47:15But before they tuck into their Lancashire hotpots,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18what's the story with their budget?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20The Budget was 5,000 total.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25We came in under budget - 3,600 we spent.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Looking round, it's very hard to see it, but a lot of the work
0:47:28 > 0:47:34was flooring, plumbing, security, windows and carpets.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36- We didn't do bad there, did we?- No, no.
0:47:38 > 0:47:433,600 on top of their purchase price of 20,500
0:47:43 > 0:47:47makes a total outlay of £24,100.
0:47:47 > 0:47:52Have the boys learned anything from the process of doing this property up?
0:47:52 > 0:47:54I've learned a valuable lesson on this job.
0:47:54 > 0:48:00That is, never ever buy anything unseen.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03That's the biggest mistake I've ever made.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07In my opinion.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11But just how big a mistake was it?
0:48:11 > 0:48:14We asked two local estate agents to look around the mid-terrace
0:48:14 > 0:48:16and give us their thoughts.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21It's one of those properties that's quite obviously been done up
0:48:21 > 0:48:23to rent out, in all honesty.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26There are still things that the tenant coming in is going
0:48:26 > 0:48:28to want to do to the property in terms of the cosmetics,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31in terms of decorating, which I believe they are going to be taking on.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33I think if it had been me,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35I probably would have gone all the way and finished all the work.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38I may have looked at changing the bathroom suite
0:48:38 > 0:48:39and making that look a little bit better.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Making the kitchen as nice as possible because it is quite small,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46and certainly I would have finished all the decoration works.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48If they wanted to sell the property on,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51what do the experts think it could fetch on the resale market?
0:48:52 > 0:48:55For what work has been done,
0:48:55 > 0:48:57I would say this property's around £25,000.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00In the current sort of sales climate, you'd be looking
0:49:00 > 0:49:03somewhere in the region of 35 to £40,000, I would think.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06I think that's more realistic.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09We don't want to think that we've wasted our time.
0:49:09 > 0:49:14I think 35, if that's a conservative estimate, then that would be good.
0:49:14 > 0:49:1625 just seems a little bit too low
0:49:16 > 0:49:18with the sort of returns that we're getting on that.
0:49:18 > 0:49:23- But yeah, 35. We're happy with 35. - We're sound, yeah.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28A sale at the top end of those valuations, around 40,000,
0:49:28 > 0:49:33could mean a profit of almost 16 grand before fees and expenses.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36But with a tenant already lined up, Patrick and Paul will surely
0:49:36 > 0:49:40be more interested in the possible rental valuations.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42In the current rental market, I think you'd be looking
0:49:42 > 0:49:44somewhere in the region of £300 per calendar month.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49I would say the rental figure's going to stay around the £300 per calendar month mark.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53- That's on the nail that, yeah. - 325 actually. 75 a week.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57Which is what we've got but that's, yeah, that's what it is.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02We've got 325 which is as I say, 16% return. We're happy with that.
0:50:02 > 0:50:08This one meant a lot of to-ing and fro-ing from Leeds to Burnley
0:50:08 > 0:50:12for Patrick and Paul, will they be back at an auction any time soon?
0:50:12 > 0:50:16I would definitely do the auction again, without a doubt.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20I think what we'd do is rather than go out of the area,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23then obviously, we'd make sure that we bought within our boundaries
0:50:23 > 0:50:26and don't go any further, because there's plenty of properties there.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34Back now to South Wales
0:50:34 > 0:50:38and the village of Abercynon where husband and wife, Kerry and Russell,
0:50:38 > 0:50:42bought this former chapel at auction for £35,000.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45It was in a decent state of repair although I was struggling to think
0:50:45 > 0:50:47of what it could be used for.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51However, the couple's plan was to turn the back room
0:50:51 > 0:50:55into a recording studio for their son and his death metal band,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57and as for the chapel, they hope
0:50:57 > 0:51:01to perform civil wedding ceremonies there, with a slight twist.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04- We do plan to do themed weddings. - Themed weddings?
0:51:04 > 0:51:10Well, if someone wants a Halloween wedding or a Disney wedding, whatever.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12We can accommodate that.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Soon after Kerry and Russell bought this place,
0:51:14 > 0:51:20they discovered a small stream running underneath the floorboards, causing damp.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23But their builder had a quick solution to sort that out.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27He said, "The stream can be diverted."
0:51:27 > 0:51:29I said, "That sounds expensive."
0:51:29 > 0:51:32"No," he said. "A few pipes and a bit of gravel."
0:51:34 > 0:51:36So I'm bowing to his superior knowledge.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40A year and a half later, we've returned to meet Kerry
0:51:40 > 0:51:43to see if her and Russell's plan to conduct civil weddings
0:51:43 > 0:51:49has lived happily ever or if it's all ended in a messy divorce.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Well, sadly, no wedding ceremonies have taken place.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01There is no recording studio either
0:52:01 > 0:52:05due to concerns from the planning department about the potential noise.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10The hole in the floorboards has been covered up
0:52:10 > 0:52:13but the small stream underneath is still flowing freely.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17That's the only real evidence of any change, so why the lack of progress?
0:52:19 > 0:52:26Well, the plans that we had for the church have virtually come to nothing.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30We had the plans for the recording studio at the back
0:52:30 > 0:52:35and initially, we were going to conduct civil weddings at the front.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40Having spoken to the local authority informally,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43they didn't like the idea of the wedding reception.
0:52:43 > 0:52:50They were afraid of the noise, late nights maybe for the local community.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53We rethought the idea
0:52:53 > 0:52:58and we thought maybe we would use the downstairs as a training facility.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03It went before the planning committee with a recommendation for approval.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05The planning committee turned it down.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Unfortunately, all our plans have come to nothing.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14There was planning permission in place to run the chapel
0:53:14 > 0:53:18as a children's creche, but that didn't appeal to Kerry and Russell.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22What about the possibility of demolishing it and redeveloping the site?
0:53:23 > 0:53:25It would make a beautiful house
0:53:25 > 0:53:29but it would be a real shame to get rid of the pews and...
0:53:29 > 0:53:32The things we loved about it were the original charm.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35We really didn't want to change anything.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38We wanted to maintain the building as it is.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41So things really haven't gone to plan.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45How much money have they spent on the chapel to date?
0:53:45 > 0:53:49We've spent about £5,000 on acoustic reports
0:53:49 > 0:53:52that the local authority insisted on us having.
0:53:52 > 0:53:58Really, it's been a complete waste of money for us.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04It's a real shame that it's taken 12 months
0:54:04 > 0:54:07for the planning permission to be refused,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11but that is often the way. What's next for the couple?
0:54:13 > 0:54:18Well, the next plan, I think, is to sell it. We thought long and hard.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22Really, if we can't do what we want here then maybe the best thing
0:54:22 > 0:54:29is to sell it and for someone who can do what they'd be allowed to do here,
0:54:29 > 0:54:31for someone else to take it on.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39That really is a sad story and potentially an expensive lesson.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42With a purchase price of 35,000
0:54:42 > 0:54:45and costs of five grand on planning reports,
0:54:45 > 0:54:48that's a total outlay of 40,000.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53We invited along two local estate agents
0:54:53 > 0:54:55to hear their thoughts on this chapel.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02I'm not surprised in any way about planning issues.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04I've had a look at the outside of the building
0:55:04 > 0:55:06and around at the rear of the building.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08There's absolutely nowhere for people to park
0:55:08 > 0:55:12and that would be one of the major issues in this local area.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13In my opinion, on this building,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16I don't think there is any business venture to be had here.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19The only thing that I would suggest would be
0:55:19 > 0:55:25to possibly demolish the building and use the plot for further redevelopment.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29What about the option of using this place as a children's creche?
0:55:33 > 0:55:35It could be used as a creche.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39I think that there's obviously a need for one around here.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42I think it would be lovely done as a nursery.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46So, for a new buyer, a nursery might be the best way to go.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Let's talk about money. What could Kerry and Russell make
0:55:49 > 0:55:53if they put this place back to auction as it is?
0:55:53 > 0:55:56If they were to put it back into auction or to resell,
0:55:56 > 0:56:01I would look at £35,000 to £40,000.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03I think that they would be lucky to get their money back
0:56:03 > 0:56:08but as a guide price, between 40 and £50,000.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09Yeah. I think they're fair.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12I think that's what we would have expected
0:56:12 > 0:56:14and I think we'd be happy with that.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17So if they managed to achieve around £40,000
0:56:17 > 0:56:21then Kerry and Russell might just break even.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24It really has been a long and frustrating process
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and it's a shame that their plans haven't worked out.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31Has this experience put them off the prospect of heading to the auctions again?
0:56:32 > 0:56:36It certainly wouldn't put me off buying at auction again.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40We were just unlucky that our plans didn't work out in this case.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47Make sure you join us next time for more auction properties going under the hammer.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49- See you then.- Goodbye.- Goodbye.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd