Episode 5 Homes Under the Hammer

Hello! If you want a great return on your investment,

property is an area definitely worth considering.

Yeah, but making money is not a foregone conclusion. There's lots

of traps you could fall into, which could cost you a few quid.

But one good place you can head to to find some property bargains

is your local property auction.

When you buy a property at auction, you have options -

-you can do up and sell on.

-Yeah, you can also rent it out

and really make it work for you in the long term.

Yes, or you might end up loving it so much

that it becomes your dream home.

Let's find out what today's buyers bought at auction.

In Mayfield, Derbyshire,

this old mill workers' terrace cottage has seen better days.

Work to be done, but I'll forgive it, cos I like it.

While in Walderslade, Kent, it's difficult to see

what needs to be done in this end-terrace property.

Whoa! My goodness me.

And in Lowestoft, Suffolk,

the problems in this four-bedroom terraced house are plain to see.

I'd want to have a closer look at this.

There's a bit of mould here.

All these properties were bought at auction.

We'll find out who got them and how much they paid for them

when these homes went under the hammer.

Congratulations, well done.

This is the village of Mayfield, just inside the Staffordshire border

and on the fringes of the Peak District.

Mayfield expanded around its textile trade and the local mill,

but its past isn't all about the industry.

It also has a historical claim to fame, because, in December 1745,

the retreating army of Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through here and

terrorised the locals, some of whom took refuge in the church behind me.

In their frustration, the army fired at the door

and you can still see the bullet holes here today.

# So when I'm feeling sad I'll dwell on the joy we had

# I'll wait for my own true love and Bonnie Prince Charlie... #

I hope I don't have a battle on my hands with today's auction lot.

Well, not far from the church, the mills and the village centre is

the property I'm here to see.

It's a three-storey, three-bedroomed house

and a guide price of £90,000 plus.

Now, the first thing you notice about it is

the garden's a little bit overgrown.

That's the front garden. And also...

you've got this, which is this long, thin strip of land,

which goes across this particular field here.

So, even before I've got inside,

I know it's a bit of an interesting property.

So, what's it like inside?

Nice little porch area here, always good for keeping the cold out,

and then through into your front living room.

Now, I'd like to have seen a big fireplace there.

Instead, all I can see is, like, the silhouette or whatever it is.

Markings of what was there previously.

So the good news is, there is, I think,

a big fireplace behind there waiting to be discovered

and that would be a lovely focal point for the room.

Moving on through a sliding door into a very dated kitchen.

Yes, you've got these units straight out of the 1920s, 1930s,

strangely enough back in fashion, believe it or not,

but you may end up getting rid of those.

You've got the range cooker here.

Again, get that checked out, it might work.

Devil of a job to take them out, they're very heavy.

But if not, then keep it.

And you might want to take out walls and things to increase the space.

Slightly less appealing, out the back there,

you've got the loo and the bathroom.

Not ideal - they're separate and they are down here.

So it's not ideal, but you know what?

There's work to be done, but I'll forgive it, cos I like it.

The retro look here really appeals to me

and, OK, OK, you might not agree.

You might want to junk them.

(Nobody ever listens to me, honestly.)

But I like some of the original fixtures and fittings.

I think this is a lovely, characterful place.

These terraced cottages were originally built for

the mill workers, so, admittedly, the layout over three floors

might need a tweak or two for modern living.

So let's take a look at the first floor.

So, up here, the house is simple and yet, actually quite surprising.

As well as the attic, you've got these two rooms on this floor.

Now, one thing you might want to consider is turning one of these

into a family bathroom, perhaps. But that would lose a bedroom,

so maybe there's some playing around to be done.

A medium-sized bedroom there and, to the front of the property,

you've got this really nice-sized room.

Now, you could contemplate, I don't know,

sectioning off part of this to create that bathroom.

It just needs a bit of thinking about, basically.

I love the space, it really is charming.

But one thing you are going to basically have to invest in

is central heating, because, at the moment, it's just storage radiators.

Mmm, yes. For me, storage radiators sometimes ring alarm bells.

You need to check there is gas available,

as you can't always assume.

The large attic room, now that could be a master en suite,

so putting a family bathroom on that second floor

does feel more like an option now.

I can definitely see this as the master en suite,

with its pretty fireplace and those great views of the garden.

Which takes me back to the great outdoors.

Now, you certainly can't knock the location.

You are surrounded by absolutely lovely countryside.

But the land which the property comes with is

sort of disassociated with the property itself,

cos that's the house behind me, you've then got this little garage,

and this is your rear garden.

As you can see, it could do with a bit of a mow.

But it backs onto open fields,

you've got this little shed at the end and do you know what?

You don't just get this.

Because, about 50 yards away from the property,

you've got your very own allotment.

Now, I absolutely love this.

There's something charmingly lovely, back to nature-y,

self-sufficiency about allotments and the fact you've got your own,

in which you can grow plants or flowers or vegetables.

It's a really nice thing to have, and the fact you're surrounded by

all this lovely countryside, again, is just the icing on the cake.

MUSIC: The Good Life

Ah! The good life indeed.

I'm well and truly taken with this spot and this lot,

guided at £90,000 plus.

But what did the auctioneer who sold it think?

These properties were built as

mill workers' cottages, which is

a little bit surprising, cos they're actually quite large,

although I think you get more of an impression of space

if you go upstairs than what you see downstairs.

Obviously, very dated. Um, got a lot of potential to it.

At the end of the day, though,

it's never going to be any more than a terraced house, is it?

An excellent point.

Whilst temptation may take over, always bear in mind that properties

have a ceiling price and you may want that to help guide your budget.

If fully renovated, what did the auctioneer think the maximum was

that this could sell for?

I would say you could push the value of this particular property

up to about £150,000.

Beyond that, I think it's a bit optimistic.

And how about rental returns?

Once renovated, I think this would have a rental value

of probably in the order of £525 a calendar month.

Well, there really is a lot to like about this house.

I like the location, I like the quirkiness inside,

I like the three floors,

I like the fact you've got the allotment and the land.

Let's see who liked it as much as me when it went under the hammer.

Unfortunately, we can't bring you the bidding for this lot,

but the successful bidders were Helen and Tom,

with a final bid of £113,000.

The couple have been together for nearly two years

and this is going to be their first home together.

Tom, Helen, great to meet you both.

Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Tell me why you wanted to buy this house.

It's just a nice area. Plenty of ground with it and, you know,

so it's just in a nice position, quite neighbourly and...yeah.

It's got loads of character as well, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-It has.

-Fireplaces and there's plenty of scope to...to improve it

-and get it how we like it.

-Right. So tell me how that process starts?

What are you going to do to it?

There's quite a lot to do. Starting with the utility room...

Well, that's what we'd like to make it, eventually.

Just through there, there's a toilet in one room,

bath and sink in the other.

We're hoping to keep a downstairs toilet, but knock right the way

through and then, to change that into a sort of porch/utility area.

Then, in the kitchen, obviously this needs a bit of work,

but we're in two minds about this one,

because it has actually got a bit of a retro feel and if we were clever

with it, we might be able to make it quite a quirky retro kitchen.

-Wow!

-It would be a lot cheaper as well, if we just painted things up

and, hopefully, it could look OK.

Well, some of it is definitely, definitely back in fashion.

Yeah, exactly, and, you know, you've got a big pantry space.

-There's a lot that could be to our advantage, really.

-Right.

Or if it looks like a dog's dinner

when we've tried that... MARTIN LAUGHS

..then we can just put a new kitchen in.

'At last, someone who agrees with me about these units.

'I hope they survive.'

# Don't....

# Don't throw me away! #

Helen is a commercial property manager and Tom's a farmer

and, between them, they have got plenty of skills

and experience to make the most of this property inside and out.

And Helen's brother is a builder and her uncles are in the trade,

so they'll be on hand to help get the work done,

which includes turning the smaller bedroom into a study, squeezing

a bathroom in upstairs and making the master suite have an en-suite.

And they are certainly not going to be rushing it.

And what sort of timescale have you put on it?

Well, so that there's less financial impact,

we will probably make it, you know, quite an extended timescale,

-so maybe a year, two years.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

I know you could do it quicker, but just, finance-wise, that's...

Are you not going to live in it all that time?

Well, hopefully, it'll work out and we'll be in sooner,

but if you're pessimistic, it's... THEY LAUGH

Well, you know, two years down the line,

still fiddling around, not being able to live in it.

No, hopefully, it'll be done by then. Hopefully a year, yeah.

And what kind of budget have you put aside, I mean, for the whole thing

or how much do you think it will cost by the time you've finished?

Well, there's a lot of work to do,

so it might cost about 21,000, we thought.

Right. It sounds like you've done your numbers, though,

-cos that's a very specific number.

-Yeah.

I've sort of gone through it with my uncle and brother, so...

-I hope they're going to do you a deal.

-Yeah, let's hope so.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic. Well, listen, congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with it.

-Thanks very much.

-I look forward to seeing how you get on.

-BOTH: Thank you.

Well, a first home together for Helen and Tom,

and a really interesting project.

Hopefully, with the help of family members, it won't take them

as long as two years to sort out.

That would be a real shame.

You can find out how they get on later in the show.

Chatham on the River Medway in Kent is a historically significant town.

Unfortunately, the Royal Naval dockyard closed in 1984,

but it's been redeveloped into a tourist attraction,

with lots of shops and restaurants.

Significant regeneration has taken place here,

which has had a very positive impact on property prices.

I'm a few miles from the centre of Chatham

in the residential area of Walderslade.

Well, the property I'm here to see is a two-bed terrace

and it had a guide price of £90,000-£100,000.

Now, you might wonder why I'm carrying a torch.

Ha-ha! Well, the auction catalogue

said you'd need one for the internal viewings.

So, I've come prepared today.

THEME FROM THE EXORCIST

Wish me luck. I think I'll go down this little path through the gate.

'Ooh, this place looks a bit creepy.

'When I signed up for Homes Under The Hammer, nobody told me I'd have

-'to deal with Homes Under The Hammer House Of...

-ECHOES:

-..Horror!'

Ah! Well, I don't think I'm going to need my torch just yet.

Gosh!

This is in such poor condition.

Wow! There's straw leading up the stairs!

Wallpaper is peeling off the walls!

Through here, the kitchen.

I can't imagine myself cooking a lovely breakfast in here.

I mean, it really is unloved, this house, in a very big way!

Through into the sitting room and, well, the carpet has just

completely and utterly disintegrated under my feet.

I mean, look, I don't ever think I've seen a carpet as bad as that.

There's cobwebs everywhere!

Oh, well. Onwards and upwards.

-MUSIC: Theme from The X Files

-Uh-oh!

OK, I can see I need my torch for this one.

Whoa! Ooh-hoo!

My goodness me.

Well, the higher up you come, the worse it gets clearly.

It's in a really bad way up here.

I mean, look, you've got a gaping hole up there.

There's loads of junk down there on the floor.

The thing that I can't work out is

there's just straw everywhere upstairs!

It's as though somebody's just emptied a rabbit hutch...

on top of the stairs.

Yeah. I think brave buyers only need apply for this one.

Now, fortunately, the battery-power filming lights

arrived from the van by the time we'd hit the second bedroom,

which was in a much better state of repair.

Well, everything's relative. But at the bathroom,

on the half landing, hmm, it was back to the chaos!

A quick glance back into bedroom one,

but this time with the battery lights,

proved that my imagination wasn't running riot.

It really is in that state.

What with that and all the straw everywhere, I kept expecting

a giant white rabbit to barge past me shouting,

-ECHOES:

-"I'm late, I'm late!"

Now, a closer look downstairs reveals a wooden conservatory

at the back of the house complete with sawdust.

There's also a brick-built outhouse,

useful for storing garden tools and rabbit food, etc.

But the overall condition of the rooms does give you

a whole new meaning to the phrase "urban decay".

Well...

Just look at the size of this garden.

The beauty of an end terrace is you only have neighbours on one side

and you do get some land to the side as well as to the back here.

Now, you might be thinking extension potential.

Hold that thought right there.

I've done my research and I know the ceiling price of a property

on this street is £150,000, even if it does have three bedrooms.

My inclination would be to enjoy this as the lovely large garden

that it is, without worrying about the cost of extending.

That's what I would do.

We called in a local estate agent who's very familiar with this area.

She should know about any good or bad points to the property

and its value.

It's got a beautiful plot. It's a lovely-sized plot.

You can't alter that in any respect, but its biggest downfall -

it has no parking.

It's got no off-road parking at all.

So, literally, whatever you do to it, even if you extend it,

you cannot get over the problem that it has no off-road parking.

The agent reckons that £150,000 would definitely be the top

resale figure, but what could it fetch as a rental proposition?

Once the property's renovated,

I think we'd be looking at around about £800 per calendar month.

Well, it might be a little on the dark side, to say the least,

but there is light at the end of the tunnel with this house.

If you can see beyond its current condition, well, it really is a good

size with its two double bedrooms and that really nice family garden.

So, let's see who agreed when this house went under the hammer.

Lot one.

It's a house for refurbishment with development potential.

And it's on a large plot, as you know.

Two bedrooms and bathroom on the first floor.

So, lot one, we've got a guide of 90-100.

Do I see £90,000 anywhere?

£90,000 on the way.

Now I'm looking for 92. 92?

92. 95.

95. 97. 97.

Fill it up to 100? 102.

Off to a brisk pace, passing the guide price band,

the packed auction room sees bids climb to 132,000,

where we rejoin the bidding.

And 32. And 33? No?

At 132 on the back wall.

First time, at 133,000, I've got.

And four now, sir. 134 I want.

Are we've all done at 133, then, for the first time?

134. 135?

At 134, then. Second row back, I have for the first time. 135.

136.

135, in the back row again.

136 I'm looking for.

If not, 135 for the first time.

135 for the second time.

The third and final time, in the camp, back of the room,

£135,000, all done?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yours at 135, sir, and the number?

Oh, I can't read that. ..Can you read that?

It's number 4438. Held aloft by Tom,

a seasoned property developer, at the auction with his daughter Kelly.

As well as property developing, they run a property maintenance company

and both live and work in the Chatham area.

'I met up with them back at the property in the garden.

'It's a lot brighter outside.'

-Kelly and Tom, congratulations.

-BOTH: Thank you.

-Now, father-daughter team.

-Yes.

What's the story behind you both wanting to buy this at auction

and what are you going to do with it?

We've got a maintenance company and we work for various boroughs

and also we buy and sell houses.

We've probably done 20 over the last 10 years, 12 years.

-So, Kelly, I'm right in saying your dad's a very busy man?

-He is.

He doesn't stop. I don't think he'll ever stop, to be honest.

What is your involvement going to be with this project?

Um, I'm going to work alongside Tom.

Um, A bit of everything. I always say general dogsbody, really.

Anything and everything I can do, I will.

-And are you involved in Dad's business anyway?

-Yes.

Yeah, I work in the office, um, for the borough side of things,

and do what I can when I can.

Tom, when you saw the property for the first time,

what were your thoughts?

I just thought it had a bit of potential.

The worse they are, the better you can do 'em.

It's as simple as that, really. You gut 'em out and start again.

So, if it's not quite as bad, we will still do the same job.

Start again, start afresh.

So, guys, have you got any idea in your mind

how much money you might be spending on this project?

I should think £20,000.

-OK. £20,000.

-£20,000.

We'll completely gut the property out.

It'll have everything brand-new - kitchen, bathrooms, the lot -

and we've done our homework, we've done 'em for so long now,

that it will be £20,000-ish.

So what will happen once the house has been refurbished?

You've spent the £20,000, it looks fantastic,

it's all ready for market.

Are you going to sell it? Are you going to let it?

We've just been talking about that. Um, we're not sure.

Um, if it reaches the price that we're hoping for on market,

probably sell. If not, rent it.

So how much do you think you would like to market this property for?

-Er, about 180.

-Really?

-Yes.

So it's got to be really all singing, all dancing,

-clean cut, looking fantastic.

-It will.

When you see this finished, it will warrant 180.

And I'm pretty sure, with the knowledge we've got,

that'll be the price we can get.

So what are you going to do to the exterior, cos I know you've got this

overhanging conservatory area at the back. With things like that,

-do you just pull it down and start again or will you revive it?

-No.

Pull it down and we may put a one-level extension on here.

We may not. We've got to think about that.

We may put a downstairs toilet in, a utility.

We may make the kitchen bigger and the dining room bigger.

We're going to be meeting up here with the architect,

just to go through and have a chat, and then we'll decide.

Sounds like it'll be a fantastic family house.

All the things that families need.

I think it will do a family perfect. A young family perfect.

Do you think you will extend it?

-Probably.

-So, on the day where you come to start clearing out,

will you be here? Do you really get involved?

Yes, yeah. I work at the office three days a week at the moment.

-Yeah.

-I've just dropped down a day,

so I've got four days that I can wangle with Tom.

-So, it's a real father-daughter team?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

How do you work together? You seem like you're mates!

-We are mates.

-We are. We are mates.

-Yeah, we are mates.

-We've always said that. We have a laugh.

-If she wasn't my daughter,

-I think we'd still be friends.

-Aw!

-Yeah.

-That's how it is.

-I mean, you can even call Tom "Tom", don't you? Yeah.

-Yes, yeah.

So how long is it going to take you to develop this property?

This property takes 16 weeks, start to finish.

-It'll be back on the market or rented out.

-I love it!

-16 weeks, not 14?

-16 weeks.

-Not 17? It's going to be 16!

-Are you sure?

-I'm sure about that.

When you've got a budget, stick to the budget.

When you've got a time, stick to the time.

Let's hope that 16 weeks runs smoothly

and I'm really excited to see how far that 20 grand does actually go.

-Yeah. Thank you.

-Tom, lovely to meet you today.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Kelly.

-And you.

-Good luck with the project.

-Thank you.

Well, I love Tom's philosophy -

the worse they are, the better you can make 'em.

It's just as well, Tom, because this house is pretty bad.

Sounds like dad and daughter Tom and Kelly, well,

they make a great team, but will this dark and dingy property

be hiding any sinister secrets beneath its shadows?

You can find out how this family get on later in the programme.

Coming up - in Lowestoft, Suffolk, Darren is hoping

his connections in the trade will keep his budget in check.

Call in a few favours here and there.

While in Walderslade, Kent,

Kelly and Tom are happy with their new kitchen renovation.

I think it's a really nice space now.

Let's head back to the picturesque village of Mayfield,

where I visited this three-bedroom terrace property

guided at £90,000 plus, with some spectacular country views.

# I'm going up the country Baby, don't you wanna go? #

Inside, and the house was in need of some TLC.

The kitchen was straight out of another era,

though not without its charm.

Slightly less appealing -

out the back there, you've got the loo and the bathroom.

Not ideal. They're separate and they are down here,

so it's not ideal, but you know what?

Work to be done, but I'll forgive it, cos I like it.

# Mmm, the closer you get the better you look, baby... #

Helen and Tom thought this house looked pretty good

for their first home together, paying £113,000 for it,

and they had big plans for the place.

With the help of family in the trades, the downstairs bathroom

was to go, making way for a new utility area and back porch,

meaning there was going to be a new master bathroom

on the first floor, stealing space from the back bedroom, as well as

the addition of an en-suite in the master bedroom in the attic.

And then there was the vintage kitchen!

We're in two minds about this one,

because it has actually got a bit of a retro feel,

and, if we were clever with it, we might be able to make it

-quite a quirky retro kitchen.

-Wow!

-It'd be a lot cheaper as well.

Or, if it looks like a dog's dinner when we've tried that,

then we can just put a new kitchen in.

'Helen and Tom planned to fit the renovations

'around their full-time work schedules, so gave themselves

'a comfy timescale of two years and a budget of £21,000.

'So, will they have their dream home?

'We returned THREE YEARS later to have a look.'

Oh, well, the vintage kitchen is no more,

but I have to say, it's looking good.

Helen and Tom knocked through the wall to what was the pantry

to add more space,

as well as uncovering this charming wood panelling under the stairs.

The kitchen now looks modern, but with a definite country feel.

Next door, which used to house that separate loo and bathroom,

has also had a rethink.

The bath and sink have been moved upstairs

and the space has been used to create this utility area,

while still retaining the downstairs toilet.

In the front of the house, the lounge has had a makeover.

The walls have been replastered, repainted

and the dated carpets have been replaced.

Helen and Tom also revealed the old fireplace,

which was hidden away before.

And they've been busy upstairs too.

They've built a new master bathroom fit for a family.

They did that by stealing space from the back bedroom,

which will now become an office.

But not to worry, because they still have the big bedroom

at the front of the house, which, like the rest of the property,

has been thoroughly renovated with fresh paintwork and new carpets.

And then, of course, there's the attic.

It's still awaiting finishing touches, but once completed,

it'll be a fantastic master bedroom with brand-new en suite.

Helen and Tom have put a lot of thought

into their first home together and it really shows.

It is quite an old house, so we were quite keen

to keep what features that we could and make the most out of them.

So, when we revealed things like this fireplace, and, also, I've been

able to make a bit of a feature of the fireplace in the top bedroom,

and also, with the panelling in the kitchen,

just some old features that we could make the most out of.

That has been quite a rewarding part of the process.

But whatever happened to preserving that retro kitchen?

We did have ideas to maybe keep it a bit retro,

but that just wasn't practical, cos the sink and other units,

they just weren't standard sizes any more,

so it was much more practical to take out all the units,

take the pantry out, take the Rayburn out,

which we sold on the internet,

and just make a more practical usable space.

Well, retro or not, the kitchen looks great.

So who did all the work on this renovation?

We have had a bit of help from family,

but it's been more an advisory paid role when they got round to it,

so, a lot of it, we have done ourselves, so anything

where you don't need a particular trade, so, demolition,

just preparation for the trades to come in,

and the decorating we've done ourselves.

We've done as much as we could ourselves.

DIYers - that's what I like to hear.

Always a good way of making the most of your budget.

And while we're on that subject...

I priced it up with my uncle and we said 21, absolute minimum of

what you could spend, but obviously, with it being our house

and we wanted to make it just right,

we have spent a fair bit more than that.

We've probably spent more around 28,500.

So we have spent quite a lot more, but because it's taken a while,

we've been able to manage our finances,

so it's not really been a horrible shock. It's been manageable.

Similar to the budget, the timescale grew too.

The pair had hoped to have the renovations completed in two years,

but the strain of managing a major project like this,

while both working full-time,

has meant it's taken over three years to complete.

But this has been a labour of love for the couple

and they clearly wanted to get it right.

But what will the property experts think?

We invited along two to find out.

I saw the property just after it was sold and it's looking good.

It's evident that they've put a lot of

thought into it, but then,

I guessed they probably would do, because I think

they're planning to come and live here.

So, when you're making something for yourself,

obviously, it's attention to detail, what you want personally,

rather than what you think the market might want.

So, I think it looks good.

I think the fittings are good quality and, yeah, I like it.

I think the standard of finish of the property is really good.

The kitchen has been done very well, and the bathrooms also.

That's all positive, then. Now, we know this isn't for sale or rent,

but they've invested £141,500 into the house.

The top rent suggested by one of the agents was £650 per calendar month,

which would mean a yield of 5.5%.

But what could it fetch on the resale market?

I think it would have a resale value in the order of £150,000.

The likely sale price of this property would be

in the region of £160,000.

160,000 would mean a potential pre-tax profit of 18,500.

But, of course, this won't be having

a "For Sale" sign up at any time soon.

So, what's ahead for Helen and Tom?

Well, we got engaged in May, um, so, now that Project House

is out of the way, then it's Project Wedding after that.

So, we'll just get started with the wedding plans, I think.

Congratulations and good luck in your new home, you two.

Lowestoft, Suffolk, the most easterly town in the UK.

The fishing industry that formed it has since given way to tourism.

But this now seaside resort has seen regeneration.

An 850-home mixed use development

will help secure the future of the town.

Now, this street might not feel like it, or even look like it,

but it's just a 15-minute walk away from the beach.

And grab yourself an ice cream when you're on the way.

Anyway, the property I'm here to see is this.

It's a four-bed, mid-terrace house

with a guide price of in between £65,000 and £75,000.

Wow, this is a long corridor.

Nice high ceilings, nice and bright, which is good.

We've got some old period features there, a couple of corbels.

Front room here is a decent size.

Nice big bay window, letting even more light in.

Not bad in there. To the second room down here.

Now, it's not a bad size. I have read the auction catalogue

and I'm pretty sure this is the fourth bedroom.

Now, if you don't need four bedrooms and you can get away with three,

you could think about knocking this wall down

to give you a nice big sort of lounge, front room area,

which I think would be a very good idea.

You've got your central heating as well. Double glazing.

What I've seen so far, I like.

Passing the stairwell on the left,

there's a breakfast diner, which has seen better days.

And next door is the kitchen,

which, again, will need a complete refurbishment.

However, whoever bought this might think about knocking through

that dividing wall to create an open-plan kitchen diner,

much more appropriate for a large family home like this.

And right at the back of the house,

there's just room for a downstairs loo.

But what about upstairs?

So, I'm into the bedroom at the back of the property.

This is above the kitchen.

I wanted to have a closer look at this bit of mould here.

Well, it doesn't feel damp to the touch,

and it can't be rising damp as we're on the first floor,

so it's probably due to a lack of circulation.

And there's a vent here, so I'm going to open that

and start the process, but I'd still get it checked out.

It never ceases to amaze me

how much distress can be caused by a simple lack of ventilation.

Black mould like this can cause breathing problems

and, if my theory is correct, it won't have been helped

by the condensation from the central heating boiler in the same room.

It's a growing problem too, because, the more we insulate our houses,

the more we trap condensation in.

Unsurprisingly, bathrooms are a mould hotspot.

One feasible remedy is to fit an extractor fan

triggered by humidity, rather than one that just runs on a set time.

The decent-sized front bedroom

and distinctively decorated back bedroom

are, thankfully, relatively free from mould.

I've just come outside to the garden.

Well, I loosely call it a garden,

because it's just full, overgrown with stinging nettles.

I have had a sneaky look next door, though,

and what they've done is put some lawn down and a few pretty plants.

So, if you can emulate next door,

a bit of lawn, get it looking nice and pretty,

I think you'd have yourself a nice back garden.

Gardening's not my forte, especially not with stinging nettles.

So I'm going to go inside, out of the way.

# Don't stand, don't stand so

# Don't stand so close to me... #

Time to find out more about the potential of this house.

What does a local estate agent think of the location?

Lowestoft has been through a regeneration process.

There's been a lot of money invested into places like Kirkley.

There is new investment in the town and lots of new shops opening.

I'm pleasantly surprised by this property.

It's a good value for money, spacious family home.

The property, although it does need some renovation works,

there is less to do here than I had first envisaged.

What's the opinion on the downstairs fourth bedroom?

I'd recommend marketing the property as a three/four-bedroom.

That way, it offers the flexibility

and versatility for people to adapt the property to their needs.

And, either way, it wouldn't affect the square footage.

It has a guide price of £65,000-£75,000.

What's its potential?

Once renovated, I would expect this property

to achieve on the open market in the region of £125,000.

-And rental?

-Once renovated, I would expect this property

to achieve around £600 per calendar month.

There's a lot of work that needs to be done in there,

but I think, potentially, it could be a lovely family home.

And it's also a lot bigger than what I was expecting.

But who was brave enough to tackle that back garden

full of stinging nettles?

Let's go to the auction to find out.

Lot 13 is the next lot.

Had a shedload of people round this property.

65-75 guide. So, where do you want to start me on this?

Middle of the guide, someone? 70? Put me straight in?

60, then?

60 and we're away. 62? 62, 64.

66. 68.

68? 70. And 2.

Bidding's fast and furious on the property.

We rejoin the bidding at £84,000.

At £84,000.

84,000 at the front. 85 now?

Going to sell at 84.

Take half anywhere. 84,500?

84,500? 85?

85? 85,500?

86.

No? 85,500.

At £85,500.

At the front, at £85,500 for the first time, second time.

At £85,500, third and final time.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Congratulations. Well done.

Gentleman on the third row in the middle.

The successful bid came from Darren, purchasing on behalf of himself

and his two business partners Dan and James,

who all work in the construction industry.

It's their first purchase together

and I met Darren back at their £85,500 asset.

-Darren, nice to meet you, sir.

-And you.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

Tell me why you bought this particular property.

I like the fact that it needed quite a bit of work. Obviously, I think

that reflected on the price we got it for at auction, eventually.

And I wanted it in an area that I could afford,

cos I had a limited budget with which to work with.

Where are your sidekicks today?

-Unfortunately, they are a bit camera shy.

-Oh, no.

-Yeah, so they decided not to be involved.

-So they left it to you?

-They've left to me, yes.

-What made you go into the property world?

To be honest, it was probably I wanted a bit of a pension pot.

Obviously, I'm getting a bit older now in life

and my pension's not going to play out much

and I thought that it would be nice to go into property.

It's something that I do on a day-to-day basis,

and I needed a couple of people to come in with me,

to obviously boost the budget that we had, and took it from there.

So did you all sit down and have a chat?

Did Dan and James get involved with the chat? And how did it go?

Well, initially, myself and Dan decided that we were going to do it

together and we got some money together, but it was still quite

a limited budget, so we decided that we needed one other person

and we thought, well, what skills were we missing between us?

We decided that a floor layer would be a good person to

bring on board and we managed to convince him to be part of it.

'Darren and Dan pulled their friend and floor layer James

'in on the project, which meant, not only are they able to access

'more money, but they could spread the risk.

'Clubbing together is a good way to get into property,

'but make sure you get it all official.

'You don't want any falling out later on.'

Tell me what about this property that you really wanted?

Well, I liked it, cos of the size of the property.

We had a lot of room for conversion. We didn't think

we really needed the fourth bedroom in it anyway,

so it gave a lot of scope to open up the dining room in the lounge,

so there was a bit of scope to bring it up to a nice-looking property.

'Yeah, I said that, didn't I?

'This would still be a decently proportioned house.'

-What's the budget for the whole project?

-The budget, hopefully,

we'll try stick to about 10-12,000, something like that, with trying

-to do a few deals, obviously...

-LAUGHTER

We'll try and call in a few favours here and there.

-That's a businessman's thought right there, isn't it?

-Exactly.

And with your 10-grand budget, Darren,

where's the majority of that going to be spent?

A lot of it's going to be on the kitchen. We're going to reinstate

the fireplaces that were in the lounge and dining room

and have been taken out beforehand, so we're going to put those back in.

We're going to put some high-quality vinyl flooring

-into the walk-through areas and communal-type areas...

-Yeah.

..and then a good quality carpet to the rest of it.

And how long are you hoping all this work's going to take?

Hopefully, about four to five weeks, with any luck, so we may decide,

looking at the condition of the walls, we might have to do

a bit more skimming works than we originally thought,

-but we'll just have to see.

-I know you've got

-your own construction company as well.

-Yeah.

-So, you've already got

a full-time job, so when are you all going to squeeze it in?

-It's all going to be weekend work for us, unfortunately.

-Really?

-Yes.

It will take 12-and-a-half weeks to get five weeks' worth of weekends.

But it's a good job we have weekends.

It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s

that a two-day weekend began to take shape.

In the 1920s, American car manufacturer Henry Ford

was more than happy to have his workers take weekends.

His theory being they were more likely to buy his cars

if they had the time to enjoy them.

Time off is a concept that Darren, Dan and James

won't be familiar with for the next few months.

So, what are your plans for the property once it's finished?

Are you going to sell it? Are you going to rent it?

The property definitely's going to be sold.

As much as we would like to do rental,

we're on a limited budget anyway and we can't do anything else

until we've sold this one on, but, eventually, we'd like to be

able to sell this one, buy another one, make a little bit more money,

then, eventually, go into the rental market.

And out the back, bit of a jungle out the back at the moment.

Bit of a jungle! We've yet to decide what we'll do.

We will do something with it,

but how much is left of the budget we'll have to see, I think, so...

-And who does it is anyone's guess at the moment.

-Yeah.

-You've got to draw straws for that.

-I think we'll have to.

-No-one wants to get involved in the stingers out there.

-No.

-I had a little tiptoe out there and it won't be me.

-No, it's not nice.

So, Darren, there's three of you.

-Yeah.

-How are the jobs going to be split up? Who's going to do what?

Well, I think I'm going to be doing most of the organising of it.

That's where my skills come in. But I am a qualified decorator as well.

Dan is a qualified carpenter and Jamie does all of our floor laying,

so we've pretty much got it all covered.

I think you'll be all right.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Hope it works out well.

-And I hope they do some work as well.

-So do I.

Now, this is Darren's first project and he's really challenging himself,

not just with the work he's got to do in there,

but he's trying to get it done within five weeks

and he's only working weekends.

Will he get it all done? You can find out later on in the programme.

So, we've seen the outcome of one of our properties -

-what about the other two?

-Yeah, have our buyers been ringing the changes

or is it just the same old, same old?

Oh, I cannot wait any longer. Ha-ha! Let's find out.

Now back to Chatham, one of the Medway towns

in north Kent, south-east England,

where, earlier, I looked around this unusual house

that hadn't seen the light of day for, well, quite some time.

The kitchen. I can't imagine myself cooking a lovely breakfast here.

I mean, it really is unloved, this house.

There was a general malaise about the place,

which had clearly not been occupied for some time.

It sold for 135,000, complete with rotting carpets

and a liberal dusting of straw everywhere.

The proud new owners - father and daughter team Kelly and Tom,

who were clearly used to dealing with this degree of dilapidation.

-KELLY:

-Make it bigger and extend.

-TOM: Yeah, make the kitchen bigger.

The worse they are, the better you can do 'em.

It's as simple as that, really. We gut 'em out and start again.

So, if it's not quite as bad, we will still do the same job.

It'll have everything brand-new - kitchen, bathrooms, the lot.

And we've done our homework, we've done 'em for so long now,

that it will be £20,000-ish.

So, what will happen once the house has been refurbished?

You've spent the £20,000, it looks fantastic!

It's all ready for market!

-Are you going to sell it? Are you going to let it?

-We're not sure.

Um, if it reaches the price that we're hoping for on market,

probably sell. If not, rent it.

So, how much do you think you would like to market this property for?

-Er, about 180.

-Really?

-Yes.

'I was a bit worried, as the agent had said £150,000 would be

'the ceiling price for this street,

'but Tom had plenty of ambition for this property.'

I know you've got this sort of, like, overhanging conservatory area

at the back. With things like that,

do you just pull it down and start again or are you going to revive it?

No, pull it down and we may put a one-level extension on here.

We may not. We've got to think about that.

We may put a downstairs toilet in. A utility.

We may make the kitchen bigger and the dining room bigger.

When you see this finished, it will warrant 180.

'And they set themselves a four-month timescale to do it all.'

We're back, eight months on, and with all the dust and debris,

I'm sure Tom and Kelly thought safety first.

# You wear your mask I'll wear mine

# They don't come cheap but they fit just fine

# You can be her and I can be him

# And we can go sink when the rest all swim

# Little by little by little

# By little by little by little by little... #

By moving the entrance to the bathroom,

Tom and Kelly have made it possible to fit in a separate shower cubicle.

A much brighter and cleaner environment than before.

The same can be said for the kitchen,

where pretty much anything done to it will have improved it.

Improved and enlarged it is,

taking a part of what was the dining area,

where the conservatory was accessed.

Also supporting the roof with an RSJ has enabled the opening up

into the brick-built outhouse, where the enlarged kitchen continues.

In the lounge, the chimney breast has gone,

as has the threadbare carpet and, as mentioned, access through.

It must've been a DIRTY job!

# You wear your mask I'll wear mine

# They don't come cheap but they fit just fine... #

Finally, back upstairs again for the two bedrooms.

The largest above the lounge has also had the chimney breast removed,

making a bit more space.

Whilst, in the smallest bedroom, the opposite is true.

It's even smaller!

Over to Tom for an explanation.

So, this is the back bedroom of the house.

Um, there was a cupboard there.

What we've done, we've stolen a bit of room from this room

and made the bathroom bigger,

so we could then put a walk-in shower in and move the bath over

and, obviously, it doesn't really notice in here, because that's where

the wall started in the first place.

The lean-to was just outside where the double doors are now.

Um, it was an old, horrible thing, so we've ripped that down,

put the double doors in and put a patio there as well,

so you don't have to walk out straight onto your garden.

Generally, overall, it's a lovely house for a family now.

I'm pleased with it all,

but the thing I'm most pleased with would be the kitchen.

Um, I think it's a really nice space now.

I do like a kitchen/diner myself

and I think it's a lovely kitchen - big area, nice family room.

Tom had been pretty sure it would take four months,

so why did it take longer?

It probably took us about five to six months in the end,

but that's because we weren't here every day working.

There could be a week or two went by with no trades on site,

because we were using our own, you know, fellas.

So it did take longer, but again, we're happy with that.

Not a problem.

Tom was confident the renovation, without an extension,

would cost £20,000, so how did the budget work out in the end?

We actually spent - doing the property up

and changing various things - 27,000.

One of the big cost items was

removing the huge leylandii trees from the back garden.

The overspend takes their total cost to £162,000, so what's it now worth?

We called in two local estate agents to take a look around the renovation

to give us their opinions and valuations.

First up, the agent who came here last time.

At the moment, there is a real demand for this type of property.

We're very short of properties at the moment, so there will be

so many people that will be looking to buy this.

This is my first time inside the property.

It's been done really nicely, to a good standard,

nice neutral colours as well,

which is really important for today's market.

So, let's get their valuations

and see if Kelly and Tom's latest project has turned a profit.

I would put this in the region of £185,000-£195,000.

In today's market, we would be looking to achieve

upwards of £185,000.

What the estate agent said is about what we thought and, actually,

we have sold the property for 190.

Well, that's a pre-tax profit of £28,000 and a cracking house.

Any tips for budding property renovators?

Just make sure you don't pay too much money at auction

and keep your costs down, keep onto the suppliers

for the best deal you can get and, at the end of the day,

if you do it right, you should come out with an OK profit.

Back now to Lowestoft on the Suffolk coast,

where I looked around this four-bedroom mid-terrace.

Nice high ceilings, nice and bright, though, which is good.

We've got some old period features there, a couple of corbels.

Front room here is a decent size, nice big bay window,

letting even more light in. Not bad in there.

To the second room. This is the fourth bedroom.

Now, if you don't need four bedrooms, you could think about

knocking this wall down to give you a nice big sort of lounge,

front room area, which I think would be a very good idea.

Upstairs, at the back of the property,

the third bedroom had a bad case of black mould

I thought had been brought on by the lack of ventilation

while the property stood empty.

There were two other reasonably-sized bedrooms,

albeit one having slightly unusual decor.

The property was purchased by

construction company director Darren, for 85,500 grand,

as part of a consortium with two of his building colleagues.

They had ambitious structural alterations in mind.

We didn't think that we really needed the fourth bedroom anyway,

so it gives a lot of scope to open up the dining room and the lounge.

So there was a little bit of scope

to bring it up to a nice-looking property.

After refurbishment, this, their first purchase,

was planned to be sold on.

The long-term plan -

to build a pot of capital to provide a pension income.

A five-week work schedule was calculated,

but spread out over weekend work only.

So they should have completed after 12-and-a-half weeks.

We're back, just over 21 weeks later, to see the result.

The dividing wall between the kitchen and the breakfast diner

has been opened up.

I wonder how many weeks that took!

# It feels like a party every time you come around... #

Quality units have been fitted, with integrated appliances.

It's a bit different!

At the end of the kitchen, a new downstairs loo.

At the opposite end of this long property,

the front room has a new fireplace feature,

perfect for adding appeal to any room.

# You make me love you like I thought I never could... #

A new fireplace graces the second reception room too.

But the planned knock through of the adjoining wall hasn't been achieved.

Upstairs, the middle bedroom,

previously blighted with black mould,

has had an anti-mould treatment and a repaint. And now...

# It's all good!

# It's all good! #

With new flooring throughout the house,

it's all good in the front bedroom too.

A new neutral colour scheme.

Minimal work was done in the bathroom -

a new toilet, flooring, shower over the bath and decor,

all of which will hopefully help Darren's retirement plans.

# We're gonna live forever Gonna do whatever

# If we stick together it will be all good... #

And you're no longer up against a brick wall in the final bedroom.

It's now in harmony with the rest of the house.

Outside, the prickly question of the garden.

It was perfect for a nettle soup addict and now...

# It's all good, yeah!

# It's all good

# It's all good. #

We have cleared all the nettles away.

That was quite a big job, really.

We did get a little bit of assistance with clearing that.

We had a few guys in for a few days clearing that all for us.

Well, it was a good result,

but why didn't the wall between the two downstairs rooms get removed?

There was a lot of work involving the pipework and the radiators.

There was also the, um, structural works that was involved

in doing that as well. Also, we took advice from local neighbours,

who said that they wished that they hadn't opened up the rooms,

so we left it as is.

Well, we always say it's worth doing your research.

Which bit of the renovation do you feel turned out best?

I'm very pleased with the staircase.

We spent a little bit of money doing whipping on the staircase carpet,

because the staircase sort of winds round.

It looks very nice when you're upstairs and looking down onto it.

The whipping, or binding, on the edge of the carpet

means it won't fray on the sides

and doesn't have to go the full width of the step,

giving a finish reminiscent of old-style carpet rods.

Was everything else clean cut?

We had an issue with a slight leak. The floor layers decided that,

when they were doing the flooring upstairs,

they'd put a pipe through with a nail.

I think we've all put a nail through a pipe at some stage.

If that was the worst incident, then it's not bad at all.

The 10-12 grand budget did spring a leak, though,

with unforeseen works, like a new boiler, being needed,

more electrical work than planned and a higher-spec kitchen,

resulting in a spend of around £17,000.

We're pleased with the outcome and what we spent, though.

To see if the open market is

as pleased with the group's efforts, we called in

two local estate agents to give us a market valuation.

First, the agent who saw the property in its raw state.

I think the layout of the property is very good.

I think that the vendor opening up the kitchen-breakfast room

is a really nice touch - it creates a real nice family space.

We would market the property as a three-bedroom. Obviously,

with the separate lounge and dining room, there is an advantage there.

I think, with the kitchen-breakfast room as well, there is a flow.

Um, I don't see somebody using downstairs as a fourth bedroom.

I suppose it depends on your circumstances.

Perhaps, for instance, an older member of the family

might like a bedroom downstairs.

Anyway, it's a flexible house and the guys have spent £102,500 on it,

so how much is it worth now?

Should this property be marketed for sale,

I would expect it to achieve approximately £135,000.

In the resale market, the property would be worth £135,000.

Well, the property actually has been sold. It was sold in two days and

we sold it for £134,000 and we're looking forward to the next one.

That's a pre-tax profit of £31,500.

Not bad for a first project.

So, what have the guys taken away from their debut property?

I think we've learned that we need to stick to a budget,

we need to look at the market that we're doing the property up for,

stick to a budget. We did tend to go a little bit overboard on,

sort of, our own whims, if you like.

And so, I think, next time, yeah, budget is the big thing.

Keep doing that, Darren,

and I think you'll be guaranteed a happy retirement.

So, that's today's offerings. Would you have done anything differently?

Yeah, do you think our buyers have done it right from start to finish?

Well, there are many more stories in the pipeline

and we'll have them for you here, next time on Homes Under The Hammer.

-Goodbye.

-Bye-bye.