Episode 77 Homes Under the Hammer

Hello, and welcome to the show.

Now, if you're interested in buying property,

you'll want to make sure you do that at the right price.

How do you know what the market is doing? Is it going up?

Or is it going down?

One way to find out is to take a trip to your local auction house.

Auctions are really exciting,

and you could easily be tempted to buy.

But to guarantee success, you need to do your homework first.

Let's find out what properties

created interest at the auctions on today's show.

There are big decisions to be made at this farmhouse in Kent,

but who's going to make them?

There probably will be a few arguments,

but because there are five of us,

there will always be a casting vote, I think, so...

There's space to consider in Stoke.

It's an attic space.

But there's no doubt about what needs to be changed

in this former council house in Cumbria.

Oooh, lovely. Burgundy-coloured suite.

These properties were all bought at auction.

We'll find out who bought them and for how much

when they went under the hammer.

£140,000, sir. Well done.

I'm in Kent, in the popular market town of Sandwich.

And I've got a big appetite for finding a property

that I can really get my teeth stuck into.

In medieval times, Sandwich was once a thriving port,

and in 1255, a strange cargo arrived at the quay.

The first elephant ever to arrive on English soil

was sent here as a gift for Henry III from the French King,

and was then taken on foot from Sandwich to the King's zoo

at the Tower of London.

Well, I'm not going to walk quite that far today.

The property I'm here to see

is just five minutes from this town centre.

Well, I just hope they didn't make the elephant

carry its own trunk all the way to London.

# Not even an elephant

# You won't look very elegant

# If you dredge the water from his trunk

# And don't provoke a bird

# I wouldn't even stir

# Cos he might take offence and you'd be sunk... #

So, here it is. It's a pair of semis.

Well, it looks like one big old farmhouse.

Now, it could be very attractive from the outside.

The guide price at auction was set at £150 to £160,000.

You're surrounded by all these fields.

I'm quite excited.

But before I get overexcited... A-ha.

Now, the first problem before I even get in the front door -

cracks, lots of them.

Come and have a look at this. Look.

Now, it really does concern me,

because you can see the lintel is actually cracked.

Look. There's a big one there.

Over here, even down on here.

Is there problems with the foundations?

Has this house moved? Does it have subsidence?

I'd definitely want to get that looked at thoroughly

before I even thought about buying this.

There is an air of abandonment about this property.

It's been split into two houses,

and it's been a while since anyone showed either a bit of love.

# Everyone calls at the house

# The house where nobody lives... #

So, front door to cottage number one,

straight into the lounge here.

Not a bad space. Little bit disappointing, actually.

I thought there might be a bit more character,

a nicer fireplace, traditional windows perhaps.

You do have a nice outlook -

a lovely big field, lots of open space to look at.

Bit of storage in here, but I can see there is a heater,

so there's no central heating.

It feels cold.

It feels as though nobody has lived in here for many years.

But a nice, spacious kitchen. Really good size.

Downstairs bathroom, and no access to out there,

because that little bit of garden belongs to house number two,

which is round there.

A bit of a shame, that.

However, this cottage does come with the land to the front,

so it's not all bad news.

Well, unless you don't have a lawn mower, that is.

# The weeds that grow up

# Just as high as the door... #

So, upstairs in the cottage, you've got two double bedrooms.

Really good sizes, actually.

And I think, once upon a time, this area was completely boarded-up.

But if I was to open the door...

# Da, da, daaa! #

Look! That is cottage number two.

And what a state.

What a contrast.

The first cottage needed modernising,

but this needs, well, a complete renovation.

# The house on my block

# That's abandoned and cold

# And the folks moved out of it a long time ago... #

The property was originally one farmhouse,

which has been extended and then subdivided over the years.

But there are definitely bits of history here I could well do without.

# It looks like it's haunted with the windows all cracked... #

Like its neighbour, it's got two double bedrooms upstairs,

and a living room, kitchen and bathroom downstairs.

And it's in a sorry old state.

But there are also layout problems to fix.

The two upper bedroom windows on the left

belong to cottage number one.

But the lower right-hand window is this cottage's living room.

And the windows downstairs to the left belong to the second cottage.

Are you keeping up? It's not really working, is it?

Also with this lot, well, you get a huge barn.

It looks nice, but it takes up most of the garden space,

so I think I'd be inclined to probably get rid of it,

so that leaves us with these two cottages.

Now, you could make it into one big, large family dwelling.

You would need planning permission to do that,

and sometimes councils are not that keen

to lose housing stock in this way.

But I think, in this case, where the property was so obviously

one house originally, I think you might just get the go-ahead.

Whether it is financially the best option,

well, that's another matter.

Or how about losing the barn, as I suggested earlier,

and - come with me -

extending right the way out to the side here

and squeezing in another cottage down there.

Then you could make three.

You've got quite a lot of options with this plot,

and it all depends on what your requirements are,

and if profit is important to you.

MUSIC: "2 Become 1" by The Spice Girls

So, it's one house, two semis or a three-cottage terrace.

With a guide price of between £150,000 to £160,000,

there could be a good investment here.

The question is, which is the right one?

Perhaps a local property expert could solve the puzzle.

I think with this house,

it stands well as a pair, and has been used as that for many years.

It would make sense to continue that use,

and if it were one large house,

the garden would actually be quite small for a family house.

And does he think a third cottage instead of that barn would work?

Probably the footprint here is too small to add substantially.

I think it's a question of adapting the space that you have here.

Supposing the cottages remained as two-bedroom semis,

what would they rent for?

Rental value of a two-bed cottage with parking here in Sandwich

is going to be region £600 per calendar month.

And what if it was resold?

A two-bedroom cottage here with parking

is going to be £165,000 to £175,000 each.

But what if the new owner

did decide to join the cottages back up again?

If this was made into a nice four-bedroom house

and with the benefit of the barn,

it's going to be certainly £400,000.

Well, will two become one, or even three?

Will this duo of cottages become one big family house,

or will the new owner decide two separate semis

is the best way to go?

Whatever option they go for,

they have got a lot of work to do first,

so, let's find out who bought it at the auction.

Got a guide of £150,000 to £160,000, and what may I say?

Does that mean £140,000? £140,000, thank you.

£144,000 is bid. And £146,000.

£146,000. And £148,000. £148,000.

And £150,000. Yes? £150,000.

£152,000. No? At £150,000.

Gentleman's bid on my right-hand side.

£152,000. And £155,000.

£158,000. £158,000. And £160,000.

£162,000. He's come back.

£162,000 the bid. £165,000, sir. £165,000.

£168,000. He's still out walking away.

At £165,000, then, for the first time.

£165,000 for the second time.

£165,000 third and final time.

Are you all done? Sold at £165,000.

And that successful bid was from Oliver.

He paid £165,000 for the cottages.

Oliver is a retired building surveyor

and has bought the property with his wife and three of his children.

I met up with them to find out what their plans were.

First, I chatted to Oliver and wife Amanda.

Congratulations. You bought yourself something serious here at auction.

Is this a family affair?

Have you all pulled together as a family to buy this?

Yes, we have.

All of our children inherited some money from a relative

a few years ago. It's been sitting in the bank since then.

We've been talking about the idea

of having a sort of family consortium,

and this was the one that just sort of fell in place.

So, Amanda, how do you feel about this?

Oh, quite excited, actually. Yes.

I think it's nice to have a project that we can all be involved in.

In the past, the children have sort of helped us

with decorating on other properties and things that we've done

and some of the construction work, but this time

they've put their money into it,

so they feel that they're really quite involved in it.

Oldest daughter Emma has already invested

in her own separate project,

so this family have a keen interest in property.

Perhaps they get that from their dad.

Oliver is a retired surveyor and conservations officer

and now works as a consultant.

He's restored many properties before and now

he has big plans to bring this property back to life.

We think we can probably get planning consent for a substantial extension

on the road end.

If that were to be successful, we think we can get two

three-bedroomed semi-detached cottages, quite spacious cottages.

-Fantastic.

-We think that's probably going to give us the best return.

We need to see if we can extend it to that extent in the first place

and then see how best to divide that space.

So what sort of budget are you looking at for the work here?

Well, it depends what we do.

The eyes went, "Oh, well, let's not talk about the budget."

It depends what we do.

At the moment, with the money that we've put in the pot,

if you like, we've got £30,000 allocated to this job.

If we end up just refurbishing what we've got, that's going to

-easily cope with it.

-Sufficient.

If we end up building a new extension,

then we're going to require some more funds, in which case,

we'll just chip in with some more to do that.

Well, I think you'll need to clear that

with the rest of the family first.

Talking of which, let's hear from the kids.

Sophie, Alex, John, congratulations.

I love it that this really is one big family affair.

Your mum and dad said you've all contributed to this project.

What a project! How do you feel about it?

Yeah. It needs a lot of work.

Yeah, I'm sure we're all going to get involved and do as much of it

as we can ourselves, so, yeah, looking forward to it.

Alex, do you have any experience,

cos your dad is counting on you guys helping him out, you know!

Not really.

I've been out on a few jobs with my dad to get a little

bit of experience, but this is going to be sort of the main

one for me in learning a lot about construction and stuff like that.

So, it should be good.

Sophie, how involved are you going to get?

I think the boys are going to be the more hands on.

Me and mum are going to be in charge of finances and things like that.

I'll still get my hands dirty and help out. So, yeah, really exciting.

Do you really think you're all going to get on?

Any family squabbles?

There probably will be a few little arguments,

but because there's five of us, there'll always be a casting vote.

It shouldn't be too bad.

A few toys will get thrown out the pram along the way,

I would have thought.

-We'll get there in the end, hopefully.

-Good luck.

It's a really exciting project and I can't wait to see the outcome.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

This really is going to be a family affair.

Oliver, Amanda and three of their kids, well,

they're taking on this project and hoping to make money out of it.

But will they get planning permission to extend

and will there be one, two or even three cottages here?

Will it be a case of family feuds or fun times for all?

You can find out how it goes later on in the programme.

I'm in Heron Cross in Staffordshire.

That there is one of the last remaining bottle ovens that's

actually standing in a pottery,

literally built into the building itself.

Fascinating and beautiful.

MUSIC: "Message In A Bottle" by The Police

These legacies of the heydays of the Potteries are very much part

of the character of places like Heron Cross,

which is a suburb just outside Stoke.

There are good commuter options via the A50

for the likes of Derby and Uttoxeter.

Well, close to the A50 is the property I'm here to see.

So would someone be taking pot luck if they decided to go for it?

Well, I don't think so. Three-bedroomed mid-terrace.

Very typical of the area. Guide price was £50,000 plus.

Let's take a look.

Oh, nice to see that. Bit of porch action going on. I love porches.

They're brilliant at keeping the cold and the rain and the wet

and the noise out of the main part of the house.

That's actually quite pleasant. Big ceilings, high ceilings.

Good-sized space. And then I really like this -

open-plan stairway.

It really gives... I don't know. It opens up the room.

In these kind of properties, it's always a bit of a question,

"Where do you put the stairs?"

Sometimes they're in the middle, blocking that off.

I think that actually works very well.

In fact, everything's looking pretty good. It continues.

Look at this kitchen.

OK, it might not be to everyone's taste, but pretty good condition.

A bit of a sparkle up, a bit of a professional clean in here

and I'd say this is useable as it is.

Classic layout - loo at the back, with the bathroom there.

All in all, fantastic little place.

Time I took a look up those open-plan stairs

to see if the joy continues.

So upstairs, and lots of space, just a bit of an odd layout.

You've got the bedroom at the front there,

then a kind of little corridor area there,

leading to a small bedroom there.

This, the third, fairly small bedroom.

I don't know what you could do to change this around,

but it is slightly small in comparison to the downstairs.

However, this house has one little trick up its sleeve.

Yes, if you think that's a cupboard over there to the right,

you'd be wrong, because behind it is a staircase

leading up to our surprise addition.

It's an attic space. Now, it's been boarded out,

but my guess is this wouldn't meet any building regulations.

So storage, play area, but not a bedroom.

An internal playroom would be the icing on the cake in terms

of a family home, except for one thing -

the outside space is hardly generous.

However, the inside is in good nick.

And for a guide price of 50 grand, there isn't a lot to do.

Does a local estate agent rate this property?

First impressions of this property are that it's a good size

and that it's not in too bad a condition at all.

There's even good news on that cramped outside space.

Behind the yard there is access to a communal garden

maintained by the council.

What sets this apart from its compatriots is the communal garden.

Having sold properties with those recently, they are very popular.

Big hit, but is there anything to be made

in terms of profit from this property?

What would it fetch on the open market?

It is in pretty good order, but with a little bit of money spent on it,

this property is going to be worth somewhere between £60,000 to £65,000.

Well, if that guide price of £50,000 plus is anything to go by,

then whoever buys this low-maintenance pad

is in for a healthy profit.

But how would it do in the rental stakes?

With, again, a little bit of work done to the property

for the rental market, I would suggest a figure

of somewhere between £425 to £475 per calendar month.

This property is going to appeal especially to families.

There are three bedrooms and, again, as we mentioned previously,

the communal garden is going to help sell it to a family.

Well, I don't know about you, but I think this is a lot of property

for that £50,000-plus guide price.

A great one to go for.

Let's see who agreed when it went under the hammer.

Lot 70, back to Stoke-on-Trent.

Three-bedroomed mid-terraced house, communal garden.

Lounge-diner, kitchen, double glazing, gas central heating.

So, lot 70, guiding was at 50. Shall we say 40 to start?

40 bid on the back row. At £40,000.

At £40,000. 42, I'm going to say now.

At £40,000. Standing at the back.

£42,000.

44?

£44,000.

46?

£46,000.

48?

£48,000

50?

At £48,000.

Do you want to go one?

You do. £49,000.

50? £50,000. Another one?

No.

£50,000 then against the back wall. At £50,000 I'm selling it.

Are we all done?

£50,000 then for the first time. £50,000 for the second time.

Third and final time at £50,000.

You've bought it, sir. Well done.

Sold to one very chuffed Rob,

who's got himself a very nice roomy three-bed house for a mere £50,000.

Nice one.

Rob has a bouncy castle business and is building up a property portfolio.

I met him and his dad at the house to find out what their plans are.

Rob, Bob, great to meet you both.

-How do you do?

-How are you, are you all right?

Good, yeah. Congratulations. Tell me why you wanted to buy this place.

Well, I've got a few in the area. This came up for auction.

-Thought we'd go for it.

-What was it about it that you liked?

-Three beds.

-From your experience, then,

what sort of difference does it make in terms of what you might get?

-£50.

-Right.

£50 a month.

OK, so that adds up over a year. Greater demand for those?

I think so, yeah.

OK, so is this a joint venture between both of you?

You're father and son, is that right?

-Father and son, yeah. I do the buying.

-And I do the work.

Oh, right.

Some of the work. Some of the work.

What's your background?

-Well, I was a newsagent for 30 years.

-Right.

You know, when I retired, which was nearly four years now,

I decided to go with Robert.

So Dad stepped in to help out.

-Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

-Slave labour.

-Yes.

-Yes.

It's for all them times when you were doing them paper rounds for nothing.

That's right, yes. Yes.

You can work for me for nothing now.

-Did you used to get him to do paper rounds for nothing.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, yes.

-For nothing?

-Oh, yes.

-Five o'clock in the morning?

-Yes.

-On your bike, freezing cold?

Not even the bike. He wouldn't get me a bike.

No, he was on the payroll.

I was when I was 16.

On the payroll at zero.

I started working full time for you when I was 16,

but from the age of 12, it was zero.

Right. So did you have an interest in property before?

I started about...

Just as we were selling the shop, I bought my first one.

-Right.

-My aim was to do ten in ten years.

I've done seven in three-and-a-half now.

-Whoa.

-I'm a bit in front of myself.

-Fantastic.

You see, they're so compact, they're in the same area.

It isn't as though they're...

-miles away.

-Right.

All seven of them are within half a mile.

Now, that is a smart move.

Any investor who develops properties in the same area is keeping

travel costs down when you need to oversee work, and it also

allows you to build up relationships with local maintenance contractors.

Rob's party-hire work is seasonal,

so he has the winters to work with his dad on the properties.

What made him buy this one?

Well, on the day, I actually viewed six.

I was probably only in here about four, five minutes.

I thought, "Yeah, it's a good size."

Yeah, just doesn't need a lot doing to it, as you can see, so...

-..we went for it.

-It's big, isn't it?

Much bigger inside than it looks from the outside.

-It does, yes.

-It's a good-sized property this one is, yeah.

What did you think when you saw it, Bob, for the first time?

Well, you want to see all fitted cupboards, there's a dishwasher in,

a fridge-freezer, a freezer.

I missed all those when I looked at it.

-All integrated in the cupboards.

-You didn't look in the cupboards.

Of course, it was a surprise when we saw it all, you see?

Wow, what a bonus.

Yeah, bonus. You're telling me.

-Fantastic.

-We don't know whether they work yet though, do we?

So, tell me what you're going to do to turn it around.

I think a lick of paint.

We'll get the stairs painted white, fireplace white.

Get the guys in, check the electrics out.

Get the plumbing checked.

There's a room up in the loft.

Somebody has already started boarding it,

so finish boarding it, plaster it out.

Get electrics up there.

That's about it, really. Just a general tidy up, really.

Yeah, well, I would have thought so, yes.

Usually they get ripped apart - new kitchens, bathrooms -

but as you can see, the kitchen's quite serviceable.

Bathroom, new suite.

-New bath.

-Don't know, we'll see.

He just loves spending my money.

HE LAUGHS

Yeah, that suite looks OK to me, Bob.

So what's the budget, then, for a few carpets and a lick of paint?

I don't think... About three. 3,000.

I would have thought so, yes.

And how long is it going to take?

Six weeks.

Up to two months.

-We don't rush, do we?

-No.

Unless somebody comes knocking at the door who wants to rent it,

then we get a bit of a spurt on, so...

But is it both of you going to be doing the work, or is it

mostly going to be Dad?

-Well...

-Mainly me.

-Well, no.

-You do your fair share. I'll be honest.

-I certainly do.

-No, he's good.

How could you say a thing like that?

Is it fun working together?

It looks like you have a bit of good banter going between you.

Yeah, yeah, we don't do too bad.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

He's like, "Don't bother with doing that, like."

-Sometimes we go home not speaking, don't we?

-Really?

Where we've had a bit of a to-do.

What could you possibly argue about when it comes to house renovations?

Well, you want to spend money what doesn't need spending sometimes.

Yeah, I do, yeah.

At the end of the day, I see it as a rental and getting it done

and getting somebody in as quick as we can.

Any idea what rental you're going to achieve?

I think we should do 475 on this one.

I've got another couple of three-bedders

and I get 480 for them so, yeah, 475.

Any idea what it might be worth by the time you've done it up?

At the end of the day,

it doesn't bother me about the worth cos it's a long-term thing so...

I'd heard it was on the market either last year or

-the year before for 70. I don't know how true that was.

-Right.

So, the portfolio is expanding?

Well, if we can get this one done quick...

We've got time for another one!

..we might be able to get another one in...

before the new season starts.

So, are you going to stop at ten or are you going to get the bug

and carry on?

-I don't know.

-Right.

Once you get past ten, it takes a lot more managing, doesn't it,

so I'll probably stick at ten.

Good stuff. Well, listen, congratulations to both of you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Thank you very much.

-And we look forward to seeing how you get on.

-Thank you.

Well, Rob spends his summer inflating bouncy castles.

Will he manage to inflate the value of this place with

help from dad Bob?

Or will it be a bouncy ride?

You can find out later in the show.

Still to come, how about this room with a view in this

former council house in Cumbria?

Even inside, there's room to breathe.

I mean, talking of space, brilliant. It's certainly not lacking in that.

For Rob and Bob, it's all about health as well as wealth.

-I shall carry on until I can't.

-It keeps you fit.

-It certainly does.

Now, we head back to the beautiful market town of Sandwich in Kent

and a tale of two semi-detached cottages, one of which just

needs some renovation, while the other needed a total overhaul.

Originally, it was a single house

and it had a confusing layout which, fortunately,

didn't bamboozle Oliver, his wife Amanda and their family who,

seeing its potential, bought the house for 165,000.

They plan to sell the cottages on once they've been given a new

lease of life, and were even eyeing up the land to the side.

We think we can probably get planning consent

for a substantial extension on the road end

and if that were to be successful,

then we think we can get two three-bedroom semi-detached

cottages, quite spacious cottages,

and we think that's probably going to give us the best return.

Oliver, a retired surveyor and conservations officer,

was hopeful of getting planning permission

for the newly extended property

but, failing that, they plan to renovate the two cottages

with a £30,000 budget and on a six-month schedule.

13 months later and the property looks a whole lot smarter from

the outside and there's an extension but not where we expected it.

So, the question is, is this one house or is it two?

Wow.

What they've delivered is a single stunner in the shape of

one restored house.

The dividing walls have gone to create one huge,

open-plan kitchen-dining area.

The house still has two separate reception rooms

but this time with some real character.

It's great the family have opted for one large house

but when it came to adding a new extension, there was no real choice.

On the very day that you came last time,

we cleared the ground around and found the main sewer connection

and right in a position where the foundations to the extension

would have gone and so that would have involved a huge

expense in moving it and so we very quickly started to rethink

and thought that the idea of putting it back as one property was

probably going to be the best

and then things sort of slotted into place from there.

Because the new extension fell under the permitted development

regulations, no planning permission was required

and it now houses a utility room on the ground floor and above,

two en-suite bathrooms for the refurbished side bedrooms.

Across the landing, the two other bedrooms have been renovated,

though one has given some space over to a new family bathroom.

And while it may look like a new house,

there's still some of the original charm about it.

We uncovered lots of features along the way.

The fireplaces were there,

they were boxed in, and we cleaned those up and put them back.

And the little pot-bellied stove in the dining area we quite liked

so we cleaned that up

and put it back even though it's not practical to use it.

Retaining that period feel works well,

giving the finished product a real touch of class.

And luckily, the cracks that I was

so worried about turned out to be just superficial.

I think it's a brilliant family project to take on.

I think we've all learnt a lot along the way...

-We certainly have.

-..and I think we're all pleased with what

we've achieved at the end of it so it's been brilliant.

The house has had a complete renovation from replastering to

new wiring, and while Oliver project managed,

Amanda dealt with the decor and sourced the building materials.

The lads, John and Alex, got stuck into the physical work

from dealing with the drainage to painting the final coats.

A real team effort, as John explains.

As a whole, it's been all right.

There's been moments but I think there's always going to be,

working with family, but, no, as a whole, I think

the project's gone pretty well.

Yeah, and with there being five of us,

we've always had a majority decision.

So we've had different views on different things we'd like to do,

but we've always sort of sat down, had a vote,

and it's always been resolved. So it's quite good.

From the new extension to the stunning kitchen,

this has been a first-rate renovation.

But that does leave the barn which, while repaired externally,

still needs work done inside.

That could very easily be a granny annexe or an office or a workshop,

or all sorts of other possibilities.

So we've made the decision not to fit it out in one of those options,

which would then restrict the market.

So as a repaired shell,

somebody buying the property could decide what they want to do with it.

Bad weather forced the team to extend their schedule

from six to 13 months.

So, how did their planned budget of 30,000 fare after renovating

the two cottages and turning them back into one?

Overall, we've ended up spending around 80,000 on renovation.

But we have included top spec on a lot of the products

that we've included in our kitchen, in our bathrooms,

and putting in a wood stove and things like that,

which were not really in our calculations to start with.

Add that spend of £80,000 to their purchase price of £165,000,

and their total outlay is £245,000.

Time to find out what two local estate agents

thought of the family's hard work,

starting with the agent who first viewed the property

before the renovation.

I think it's been done up and converted beautifully.

I think it's a very good layout.

I like the way the house is presented, because it retains

the nice character feel and atmosphere of the Victorian cottage.

And yet it's combined now with a good-quality kitchen

and very nice quality bathroom fittings.

I think what they've done is terrific.

They've made it into a very presentable family home.

I think it was a good idea to convert the two cottages

into one house.

It makes it a far more appealing proposition in the market today.

The family do want to sell the house on, so bearing in mind

that total spend of £245,000, what could a resale achieve?

If this property was sold now, I would expect it to achieve

something in the order of £350,000 to £365,000.

As a family home,

this property should achieve in the region of £340,000 to £350,000.

A little disappointed with those kind of values, really.

We thought that maybe it would head towards the 375,

maybe 400,000, something like that.

Because it is a really unique property.

So we'll just have to wait and see, I think.

It certainly is a unique property.

And the right buyer may well pay more.

But even with that top valuation,

the family could stand to make a pre-tax profit of 115,000

which, even after 13 months, is still a pretty good return.

And if they do decide to let the property,

there is a possible rental income of £1,100 per calendar month,

giving them an annual yield of just over 5%. Despite the family's

success with this renovation, it's not likely to be repeated soon.

Well, we've put a few projects that we're supposed to be doing

at home on hold, so I'm very hopeful that my new kitchen might happen!

-I've been waiting a long time for it.

-That's next!

I'm in Whitehaven, a pretty harbour town

and fishing port on the north-west coast.

It is also the location of a very interesting layout. Oh, yeah.

It was actually the first Georgian grid system

anywhere in the world and, allegedly, it formed the blueprint

for that most famous of metropolises with a grid system,

New York City.

Good bit of information for your next pub quiz!

Downtown Whitehaven is not Manhattan, but it has many charms.

You're never more than a few blocks from the coast

and the Lake District National Park.

In terms of work, it's within good commuting distance from Carlisle

and Sellafield power station.

This is a town that's seen a lot of regeneration,

but still has a great historic feel.

Well, today, I'm in the more modern bit,

on this former local authority housing estate,

on which the houses are largely in private hands nowadays.

And here's one example. It's a three-bedroom semidetached.

Had a guide price of £35,000 to £40,000.

Looks pretty big from the outside.

Let's take a look inside.

OK. Through the front door, stairs up to the bedrooms there.

Well, that is actually an interesting layout

because what it does do is create a really nice-sized lounge.

I'd like to see some French doors out onto the garden there, perhaps.

And you've got this strange thing here with a fireplace in it,

but that is actually revealing where the kitchen is.

So a sort of L-shaped lounge. Maybe a place for a dining table here.

I think that works. Through into the kitchen.

Well, it's all looking like it's in need of a bit of updating,

shall we say. But it's not a bad size.

And what other people have done on this estate with similar

houses is actually knock through there,

because you've got sort of a storage area and a coal shed -

exterior at the moment, but with a bit of clever brickwork,

you could incorporate that into this downstairs.

And then you'd have a really nice-sized space.

But, I mean, talking of space, brilliant!

You're certainly not lacking in that!

The kitchen units and downstairs decor is a bit dated,

and the carpets, hmmm, a bit busy.

But basically this is a good family friendly layout

and there's plenty of opportunity for improvement.

If the upstairs area is as light and spacious as this,

it'll be a pretty good deal

for anything like that £35,000 to £45,000 guide price.

So, upstairs and a traditional layout.

Three bedrooms - a small box-ish room there,

two large doubles on the back. So all good. Here we go.

That age-old debate. A separate loo and bathroom.

You've got the bathroom and stuff there and the separate loo there.

Lovely bit of two-tone and, ooh, love the burgundy-coloured suite.

Erm...

Are you making them into one or two or...

As you know, I quite like the fact we've got them both separate.

But a lot of people like the two not together,

so it'll all depend on who bought it.

If it was me, I'd leave it as it is.

Well, not entirely as it is.

As far as I'm concerned, the only place for burgundy is in the glass.

# And I'll say so long

# To the dreams that are gone

# On a count of the warm red wine... #

And with so many budget-priced small white fixtures available

these days, bathrooms can now be transformed relatively cheaply.

Well, this may be the smallest bedroom,

but I tell you what, it's got the best view.

Can you guess I'm liking this property?

And the outside appears to not have any major issues to tackle either.

The roof looks good and so does that garden.

Well, another advantage of ex-local authority houses is that they often

come with really nice-sized gardens, and that's certainly the case here.

You've got the bit at the front and then out the back, this sloping

but really good-sized plot.

The only thing to consider -

if you rented this place out then maybe your tenant isn't going to

look after a garden like this, but as a family home and the fact you've

got the woods at the back, all this space - absolutely marvellous.

I really like this house. Lots of space inside and out.

And that guide price of £35,000 to £45,000 seems to offer good value

for what could be a great family home.

Did the auctioneer who sold it agree with me?

First impressions of this property, it's pretty good, actually.

It's quite a large property. The rooms are generous proportions.

It needs an upgrade, it needs modernised,

but it's not a total refurb.

Nope, it's a property you could just decorate and put your own style on,

or take further, if you wanted to and could afford a bigger project.

Are there any obvious negatives?

The only slight downside to the property perhaps is, you can't

park outside your house.

But apart from that, yeah, it offers great potential.

A lick of paint, a new kitchen, new bathroom. Should be good.

And the potential resale value after a basic refurbishment?

If this property was fully renovated to a reasonable standard,

your asking price would be in the region of £65,000 to £70,000.

What about the rental income the house could generate?

I think you would achieve a figure in the region of £400

per calendar month.

Well, I like the location,

I like the fact that the neighbours seem to be really looking

after their houses and gardens, the house itself is solidly built,

lots of accommodation, and I love that guide price.

Yeah, it's brilliant.

Let's see who agreed when it went under the hammer.

Lot 14, semi-detached house.

The accommodation comprises the hall, L-shaped lounge-diner,

kitchen and rear hall to the ground floor.

To the first floor there are three bedrooms, bathroom and separate WC.

35,000 to 45,000. Who's here for this?

35. 30.

Need a bid. 30 here.

At 30 I'm away. At £30,000 then.

31 in the aisle. 32. 33. 34. 35.

35. 36.

36 I'm bid. 37, sir.

37 I've got. 38. 39.

39 I'm bid. 40. 41.

42. 43.

44. 45.

Shake of the head at 45. With you, madam, at 44.

Take a half.

44 and a half, 45...

45 I'm bid. Half?

Shake of the head.

First time, then, at 45.

Second time at 45.

All done, all out. £45,000, selling away...

You, madam, thank you.

And that successful bidder, paying £45,000, was Sandra,

a retired detective who lives locally.

# She is watching the detectives

# Ooh, he's so cute! #

I met her back at the property to investigate

why she decided to nab this three-bed property.

# ..Watching the detectives... #

-Sandra, great to meet you.

-Nice to meet you too.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

Tell me why you wanted to buy the house.

-Well, I've just retired after 32 years in the police force.

-Oh, wow.

Needed something to occupy my mind.

So I decided I would go to the auction and buy a house.

What was it about this house that particularly appealed?

The price, really, to be honest. I know the area quite well cos I was born and bred here as well.

Just purely the fact you've retired

-tempted you into property right now?

-Yes. I retired in January,

wanted to do two things -

first of all to put a new kitchen in the cottage that I live in,

and the second thing was to get myself a little puppy dog.

-Labrador, little girl, Jess.

-Jess.

-Is she good?

-She's brilliant.

Changed my life completely!

Well, with Jess as her sidekick,

it looks like Sandra is still going to be following LEADS in the future.

She's done up her own properties in the past,

so she's not a complete renovation novice.

Tell me about this house, what are you going to do to it?

Well, this is the first time I've been in it, would you believe it?

-I didn't view it before.

-What?

-I didn't get the chance to.

Let me get this right -

a detective, looking at the absolute minute detail, keen eye, clever...

That's your opinion, Martin!

..meticulous for detail,

and you didn't even look at it before you bought it?

I came and looked round the outside. Couldn't attend on the viewing dates.

As I say, I do know the area, do know how the houses are built.

Did know the layout, cos it's more or less the same.

I've got other family members that live close by,

so it's just the same layout as that.

So, yeah, took a risk, but...

-I read up - I read the legal pack!

-Thank goodness for that.

Ah, well - at least she did read the legal pack.

So, now Sandra's seen INSIDE the house, where is she going to start?

And what will her decision be on the bathroom and toilet?

Keep it separate, or knock it together?

Bathroom and toilet upstairs, they're separate - that needs to go into one.

There's three bedrooms. Erm...

I don't need think there's too much needs done with those.

The kitchen needs quite a bit of work,

and I'll probably knock out one or two kitchen walls.

So who's going to do the work?

Er, the team of workers that have just done my own house.

So I know their standard of work, and they're reliable.

-So what sort of budget have you put aside?

-I've put aside 10,000.

But with a contingency if it does go over that.

Are you going to get your fingers dirty at all?

I'll knock a few walls down and help, yes.

Probably do some decoration.

I'll sort the garden out, I'm a keen gardener. I don't mind that.

-And what's the timescale?

-Three to four months, I'm hoping for.

-Well, congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with it.

-Really looking forward to it.

-Look forward to seeing how you get on.

-Thank you.

Former detective Sandra not really using her super-sleuthing skills before buying this place.

Not even seeing it beforehand inside - tut-tut!

But I think she's got a good place here and, yeah, good plans for it.

How will she get on? You can find out later in the show.

Well, it's easy to put things off till tomorrow,

but time is money and delays can be expensive.

So have our buyers been busy, or let the grass grow under their feet?

Let's check them out.

We've taken the A50 back to Heron Cross,

just two miles from Stoke city centre, to this

three-bed mid-terrace, bought by Rob for £50,000 at auction.

Rob works with his dad, Bob,

who was a newsagent before they sold the business to go into property.

This is their seventh venture,

and they were looking at a £3,000 makeover budget.

So Dad stepped in to help out?

-Oh, yes.

-Slave labour?

-Yes.

It's for all them times when you had me doing them paper rounds for nothing!

-That's right, yes.

-You're working for me for nothing now.

-Did you used to get him to do paper rounds for nothing?

-Oh, yes!

-For nothing?

-Oh, yes.

Five o'clock in the morning, on your bike, freezing cold?

-He wouldn't get me a bike.

-He was on the payroll.

-I was when I was 16.

-On the payroll at zero?!

I started working full time for you, didn't I, when I was 16,

but from the age of 12 it was zero.

Seven weeks later, and we're back to see the changes.

# Well, change in the weather Change in the sea... #

Erm, what have we done?

We've replaced windows,

we've replaced windows on the front,

frames, put nice golden oak frames in.

Spruced up the kitchen.

We've put some downlighters in the kitchen there,

some kitchen lighting as well underneath the units.

Spruced up the living room, bathroom.

Downlighters in the bathroom.

Now, come on, there must have been some problems, though?

All the electrics were shot everywhere, so we've had to do electrics.

Carpeted all through, lick of paint - job done.

Father and son's property renovation is a winter warmer

from Rob's summer business of bouncy castle party hire.

I did actually go away for a week, so I was missing for a week.

Dad got cracked on.

-Did a lot of painting, didn't you?

-Certainly did.

-So, er...

yeah, Dad's done a hell of a lot of painting.

And not just painting.

Remember that half-finished loft space?

OK, yeah - up here in the attic, we re-boarded it,

we insulated it all.

Replastered, we've put electrics in, smokes, lighting,

repainted. It's looking quite well, I think.

I think the original budget was about 3,000.

We've gone over with the electrics

cos there was more electrical work that needed doing.

We've come in at about three and a half, which is not too bad.

Before we hear from our local property experts, remember,

Rob and Bob's spend so far has totalled £53,500.

So, how have they done?

I think the owners have done a great job.

It's very well presented, and I'm sure it'll appeal to tenants

and prospective purchasers.

The property's been done to a good standard throughout.

New carpets, fresh decoration.

Modern kitchen and modern bathroom

and obviously central heating and double glazing.

I quite like the kitchen and the bathroom.

They've done a great job with the cosmetic improvements and certainly benefited from it.

I also like the study area which has been created upstairs,

I think that will be very appealing to prospective buyers or tenants.

Looking around the property, there's nothing that I would have done differently.

I think the owners have hit the nail on the head with this one.

At the moment in Heron Cross, the majority of people

looking at a property of this calibre are investors.

There's not many occupiers looking to purchase,

however, they do create excellent rental returns for the investors.

Do our experts think there's a profit in this property?

If I was to put this property onto the market for sale,

I would advertise it at a price of £69,950

and expect to achieve a sale somewhere between that figure and £65,000.

-Oh.

-Yeah, that's what I was thinking, about that.

The current sales market, I would expect the property to achieve

in the region of £75,000.

-That's good, yeah.

-That's good.

Is a potential profit of between £11,000 and £21,000 enough

to tempt them into selling?

We've always rented.

You never had any intention...

I would never sell them. Always rent, always rent.

If I was to put this property onto the rental market,

I would expect it would achieve a figure somewhere around

£425 - £450 per calendar month.

In today's current climate, for rental, I would expect the property

to achieve around £425 per calendar month.

We'll get more than that. We're getting £475

per calendar month.

It's quite good.

Rob and Bob have already lined up a tenant

that will earn them a yield of over 10%.

The tenant came down to look at it.

She liked it and asked if she could put her own touches to it.

She's been popping down with pictures and curtains

and she's chosen the colour of the colour scheme.

Yes. Even the front windows were double glazed.

But she wanted this brown putting in...

She'd seen one at one of my other properties.

We even did that for her - put new windows in,

which really didn't need them.

-We'd have come in under budget, then, wouldn't we?

-Yeah!

HE LAUGHS

Yeah.

We're turning our attention to Whitehaven in Cumbria now

and this house, which we had under surveillance earlier.

# Private eyes

# They're watching you... #

It was apprehended at auction by former police detective Sandra

for the sum of £45,000.

I've just retired after 32 years in the police force.

I needed something to occupy my mind so I decided

I would go to the auction and buy a house.

Despite her sleuthing skills, Sandra didn't do all her detective work

on this property before buying.

-Let me get this right. A detective?

-Yep.

-Looking at the absolute

minute detail, meticulous, and you didn't even look at it before

-you bought it?!

-I couldn't attend on the viewing date.

I'll let Sandra off with a caution.

At least she did know the area well

and the type of house as she's local.

She bought it with the intention of refurbishing it

as a rental investment.

What budget have you put aside?

I've put aside £10,000.

-What's the timescale?

-Three to four months, I'm hoping for.

Five months later, has Sandra completed

her forensic refit?

# I'll give you something

# To write home about

# And I'll take you somewhere

# Show you around... #

This part of the kitchen was actually the external shed.

We've knocked two walls down, one along here, one along here...

and incorporated the shed into the kitchen

to give it a lovely big dining/kitchen area.

I'm pleased to see that Sandra has decided to open up this kitchen.

In fact, it's given the whole of the downstairs a more spacious feel,

extending through to the living room, which has

also had a full makeover.

There was an old fireplace, wooden panelling, everything.

Took all that down. Put a new fire in.

Put some new French doors

between the kitchen and the living room,

plastered all the walls.

All the walls were done and all the ceilings.

New flooring, new skirting - everything was replaced,

downstairs and upstairs.

Speaking of the upstairs, what about that separate bathroom

and toilet?

Did Sandra go ahead with her plan to knock it through

into one room?

Well, you know my feelings about keeping them separate.

I'm glad the burgundy suite has gone, though, replaced

with a modern white one, complete with shower.

The bedrooms have all been given a spruce-up

and carpeted throughout.

Even though it all looks good now, the job

hasn't gone entirely according to plan.

The builders that promised me that they would help

then said they were too busy, it would be three or four months

before they could help. I was in a bit of a quandary then.

Luckily, out of the mist, came a knight in shining armour

from across the road, an old friend of mine

who I didn't realise was a builder.

He came across. He'd heard I was having problems

and he offered to do the job,

which was fantastic.

It was just a couple of extra weeks I was delayed

before I got started.

Did she stick to her £10,000 budget or did she need to dip into

her £5,000 contingency?

We were on target and just slightly under when we finished

but then I decided I wanted to do the outside rendering as well

so that took me over my budget

by two grand.

That's a purchase price of £45,000 at auction

plus £17,000 in renovation costs,

making a total of £62,000 for this three-bedroomed house.

Let's find out if a couple of local estate agents

think that Sandra has made a sound investment.

The first thing that struck me was the fact that the property

was so open downstairs.

It's clear, it flows really, really well.

I think by opening up the space to make the kitchen-diner larger,

has maximised what they could do with this type of property.

It's a good-sized, family property.

First-time buyer, young couples will look for this type of house.

Sandra has spent a total of £62,000.

Was it money well spent?

I would value the property in the region of £80,000.

Minus taxes and expenses, that runs to a potential profit

of £18,000.

That's bang-on what I was expecting, to be honest.

That's how I'd figured myself, £80,000.

But all along, Sandra intended to rent this property out.

In fact, she already has a tenant lined up.

So what could this place achieve as a rental?

I think this property could get between £400 and £450

per calendar month.

£425 to £450 per calendar month.

I've agreed a price with my tenant.

He's paying £435,

so that works in well with that.

It looks like case closed with a healthy yield of 8.5%.

This house wasn't Sandra's only retirement project.

She also aimed to get a puppy.

-Sit!

-Meet Jess.

Sit down. Sit down!

# I see you... #

Come on. Bring it here.

Sit. Sit. Sit down, good girl.

Hmm. Between puppies and property development...

You're normally well-behaved, you.

..I can't quite decide which is the harder work!

That's it for today. Join us next time when we'll have

more interesting properties being sold under the hammer.

We'll have more flats, maisonettes and plots of land for you to follow

next time.