Episode 57 Homes Under the Hammer

Hello. When it comes to property, getting a bargain

can sometimes be tough, especially in this competitive market,

but it can still be done.

Yes, you need patience, you need to dig deep, do your research,

and you can still come up trumps.

Yes, but where do you start, I hear you ask?

I would recommend your local property auction.

It doesn't matter what your budget is -

you never want to overpay for property.

Too true. But what about today's buyers?

-Did they get a good deal?

-Let's find out.

I'm down in Dover to see a period house

with an unusual installation.

Yeah, well, I like the fact it's kind of like some modern art feature

going across the floor.

Now it's not art, but Lucy knows what she likes

at this flat in South London.

Dun, dun, dun!

Look at that.

While in Wolverhampton,

this semidetached house might have to open up a bit

so I can really get to know it.

We've got a door that's locked, which just intrigues me.

All these properties have been sold at auction,

and we'll find out who bought them and what they paid

when they went under the hammer.

Are we all done?

Dover in Kent is, of course, known for its port,

castle and white cliffs.

But it's also the birthplace of

award-winning R&B singer-songwriter Joss Stone.

# Tell me what we're gonna do now

# Oh, oh, yeah, yeah... #

Well, seeing as you asked, Joss,

we're off to see a rather charming property,

which is only 15 minute's stroll from the coast.

Well, right by the side of this rather splendid church

is the property I'm here to see.

Guide price - £85,000 to £90,000,

which doesn't sound like a lot for this particular property.

It's a three-bed semidetached.

Let's have a look.

That guide price does seem a bit on the cheap side.

I hope I'm not being led up the garden path here.

So, what have we got? Oh, well, straightaway,

looks like it's in need of a little bit of updating.

Very old paintwork, and look at this amazing wallpaper.

That sort of dates the property very much.

But, you know, the good news is

it looks like some of the original features are still here

and that's one of the things we absolutely love.

Look at those doors, look at that fireplace.

Just strip those back,

they're there, just waiting for you to sort it out.

Little things like this panelling round the window -

absolutely gorgeous if that's just stripped back.

But, oh, dear...

# Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce... #

That isn't so nice.

Maybe that could explain that relatively low guide price.

As you can see, the floor in this corner of the room here

looks like it's sunk.

It's even pulled away the skirting there.

It needs to be investigated.

Let's carry on.

When they're not bouncing all over the place,

the floorboards are actually really lovely.

Nice and wide, so definitely strip these back.

Absolutely beautiful, they would be.

You've got quite an interesting layout

cos you come through the front door, right to the bouncy-floored room,

then left into this similar room over this side.

I know, very dated fireplaces, but it's all a bit sort of small,

especially when you come through here into this,

which I guess is, I don't know,

maybe additional bit of room that was built on at some point

over the house's history.

I'm wondering if it might be possible

to take out this wall, perhaps -

it depends what's above it - to create a slightly bigger room.

I mean, you could even go one step further and try and make

the whole of this big back part of the house open-plan

by taking out this wall.

Yeah, I know, it's a bit silly, isn't it, taking out ALL the walls.

But I don't know, that open feel would be really lovely.

Cos the kitchen itself, it's through this little narrow doorway,

it's all bolted on the back here.

It doesn't quite work.

So, take that one really big room

and, suddenly, a small house feels like a really big house.

Upstairs, the layout is just as wonky.

For me, the bathroom is far too big,

and you have this small room for a bedroom,

so I'd think about moving those around.

However, this house doesn't just have issues with what's up top -

it's also got something hiding down below, so...

# I'm going, I'm going

# I'm going deeper underground

# I'm going, I'm going... #

So, let's see if we can find out

what's going on with those floorboards.

Well...a bit of a surprise - down here, a cellar.

But, actually, what a nice space.

I mean, clearly, it's in a mess at the moment,

but this could be quite spectacular.

Really bizarre feature here.

This is the mains water pipe.

Yeah, well, I like the fact there's kind of like

some modern art kind of feature going across the floor.

Clearly, that would need to be sorted out before you did anything.

But there's some really nice touches.

How about this? Big, old fireplace there.

But that's not why I'm down here -

I'm here to see what is going on with the floor.

And...look at these joists -

they do not look to be in very good...

They don't look to be in very good condition at all.

That is...

..is really bad signs of...

..woodworm. Nice.

OK, so that's not very good.

DRAMATIC MUSIC

But that's worse.

This is the wall directly underneath

where the floor that I was bouncing on is,

and that, in case you don't know, is dry rot.

Not good at all!

It's working its way through the plaster,

it's going into the wood, it's actually destroying the house,

and that needs to be sorted out really quickly

before it does any more damage.

It's not the end of the world, though,

as it can be treated with a fungicide

once the source of the moisture is dealt with.

It's dry today, so it's not that obvious

to see where the water is coming from.

But it is a bit chilly,

and we have asked along a local estate agent

to brave the cold to have a look around this house

and give us their thoughts.

My first impressions of this property,

I think it's got a lot of character, really impressive.

They rarely come available on this street.

Obviously does need a lot of work to get it back into living condition,

but there is a lot potential here.

The words "rarely available" suggest

that though there is a lot of work to do here,

it could be well worth tackling.

So, how much could it sell for?

Once this property is completed,

I estimate it to be worth around £180,000 to £190,000

on the open market.

Well, charming is a word that's slightly overused

when it comes to properties, so I don't use it very often.

However, in the case of this place, I think it's definitely warranted.

This really is a lovely little place,

with potential to add value, yeah, and create a lovely home.

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

The guide price - 85 to 90.

Let's see, anyway. Can I see £85,000 for it?

In Dover at £85,000.

85, bid, I have.

And 87 now, do I see?

87, 87, and 90 and two.

92, 95, 97, 100, 102 and five and seven...

Well, as the auctioneer thought,

this lot was soon roaring past the guide price

and proved popular with a few bidders,

so we re-join the action at £130,000.

At £130,000 I've got.

Is that 130?

131, 132, 133.

At 133, sitting right at the back, for the first time.

134, 135, it's against you now.

135, if you wish.

135, and six. 136.

Said that last time, if you remember.

136.

At 135, then, in the back row, for the first time,

135 for the second,

third and final time if you're all done at 135.

Yours, right at the back.

The successful bidder paying £135,000 was Dean.

He came along to the house with his dad, Frankie.

# Hey, Frankie...! #

I couldn't wait to hear what they had in store

for this lovely property.

Frankie, Dean, great to meet you both.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Congratulations.

Was it one of those ones that you walk into the house

and just straightaway go, "Ooh, I like this"?

I liked it, yeah. Yeah.

It looks old, a lot of history,

couldn't see any visible problems with cracks or anything like that

on the first walk around the building.

Since then, you've discovered a few other things, have you?

-Lots of little problems, yeah.

-Small problems.

Since the viewing, it's been raining now,

so we've had lots of puddles congregating upstairs in the loft.

Right, and the subsidence bit?

I think it's basically just the beams.

It's not just subsidence of the building -

it's just problems with the beams.

Right. And have you had somebody check that out?

We've checked it out ourselves.

Well, that's a good synopsis, there.

Frankie, what's your involvement in the whole thing?

I've been helping Dean since I retired 13 years ago.

-Oh, wow.

-And...

didn't want my bones to cease up, so Dean says,

"Would you like to be my skivvy?" I said, "Yeah, why not?"

So definitely drafting in Dad's help, then.

Oh, yeah, yeah, and he picks my pocket.

Well, that sounds like a perfect relationship.

What do you think of the house?

I loved it and I encouraged him.

When we first came here,

I said, "Dean, this is the house to go for."

So then, you've got it now - what are you going to do to it?

Tell me the process from this point on.

Well, ground floor, this wall here, it's going to be taken back.

Oh, wow, big wall to take out.

Big wall to take out, but it doesn't look majorly supported above.

There's nothing above it.

But I will be getting that all checked out prior.

So, hopefully to extend the lounge.

That'll be nice.

French windows out there to look to the garden.

-In the kitchen, there's, like, an outdoor toilet.

-Yeah.

That wall's going to be taken backwards to extend the kitchen,

maybe just have a little basin and bathroom downstairs.

Upstairs, they're going to rejig the layout

by swapping the bathroom and box room around

so the house will have three double bedrooms.

The basement room will be converted into a games room

once, of course, all that dry rot has been dealt with.

And is the idea with all of this to sell it on once you've done it,

-or to rent it out?

-Undecided.

Most likely to be rented, but possibly to sell it on, maybe.

So, who's going to get involved in doing the work?

Is it going to be a joint thing?

You know, Dean is the main builder...

-Right.

-..and decorator.

I'll be doing the gardening.

-Oh, OK.

-Cracking the whip.

-And cracking the whip.

And the wife will be coming down occasionally and doing...

Cracking the whip over you.

It's a big family project.

She loves doing work on things.

How nice. And what's your experience, Dean?

Me, well, I used to be in computers.

-OK.

-I used to be a network manager in London.

-OK.

-Done it for 20 odd years.

-Right.

Had enough of it, got stressed, lost all my hair...

-Oh, no.

-..and decided to make a bit of a change,

so decided to do some building work, really.

-When was that?

-About seven, eight years ago.

-Right.

-So I started working with local builders.

-Right.

-Just got some skills up, now they're my good friends.

Any regrets about leaving the previous life?

Not at all, not at all.

-Never look back.

-Never look back.

Well, no. But you're enjoying it, you're your own boss.

-Healthier, my own boss, my own time schedule.

-Yeah.

Risks, obviously, but I've got Mum and Dad to fall back on.

Yeah, for backup, that's brilliant.

Dean is right on that.

Property development can mean risking your own money -

or Mum and Dad's.

Dean has a £15,000 to £20,000 budget,

which isn't much given the work needing to be done here.

But he will save money by doing the work himself

and is aiming for a fairly relaxed five-to-six-month timescale.

-The location, obviously, it's quite charming.

-Yes.

Right next to the church.

-Is that a real positive, do you think?

-I noticed that secondary.

-What?

-It actually noticed the pub the other side.

That was the first thing...

Funny how they're often close, isn't it?

Pub and churches are often very close to each other.

Yeah, do you think that's a real bonus?

Yeah, it is.

The land behind there, the views, it's a beautiful building.

-It's a nice location, really.

-Yeah.

-And it's the only semi in the whole street.

-Yes.

-The rest are all new builds, terrace.

-Yeah.

-So it has got character.

-Sure.

-So, listen, congratulations, well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely to meet you both.

-Thank you very much.

-Look forward to seeing how you get on.

-Thank you very much.

Well, I think Dean has got himself a charming little property here

and hopefully, with the help of Dad, Frankie, he will get it sorted.

A good realistic timescale,

but possibly a bit tight on that budget -

especially if that subsidence proves to be more of an issue

than he thinks it will be.

How will it all turn out? Only one way to find out.

Join us later in the show.

Lucy's in Wandsworth,

a place very much shaped by its position on the river,

with mills and breweries going up around the Thames.

Today, these have been replaced by swanky riverside developments,

with one-bedroom flats retailing at

an eye-watering price of £600,000 plus.

But move a few miles down the road, and you get a different picture.

Now, unfortunately, you don't get a scenic river view from here,

but what you do get is a two-bedroom flat.

It had a guide price of £300,000 plus,

which, compared to its riverside counterparts,

well, sounds very reasonable.

# What you get is what you see

# Ain't nothing more to it. #

Hey, who needs river views

when you get twice the space for half the cost?

So, inside the property...

Oh! It's painted quite a nice shade of grey.

Don't mind the colour, if I say so.

Lovely high ceilings, we've got a bathroom through there.

Really nice size bedroom, a second bedroom, and into the lounge.

Now, this flat, for a two bedder, it's spacious,

as I said, it's got the high ceilings.

If you compare this to a new build, you would no way get as much space.

I mean, the square footage here is fantastic.

Bit of storage through here, and then you've got the kitchen

which faces out to the front.

It's quite lively in this kitchen.

Lime green - not sure on that colour.

So, a little bit of decorating is in order, but a superb flat.

So, not too much work here.

All in all, a really nice, spacious two-bed flat.

Tick box.

With some good decoration and cosmetic changes,

this flat really could be nice.

But what could make it even better

would be some modifications to the layout.

This would make it compete with the more modern open-plan living

on offer at the new-build flats in the area.

Now, the only structural change I think I'd make with this flat

would be to open up this doorway.

It just feels a little bit pinched.

It would make the kitchen feel so much larger

and, also, be a lot more sociable for when you're entertaining.

But don't forget, before you make any structural changes

to a leasehold flat like this,

you will need permission from the freeholder.

Now, this will probably come at a cost,

which should be factored into your renovation budget,

and don't forget the freeholder can still withhold consent.

The stipulations and covenants will be laid out

in the terms of your lease

and, if you're in any doubt at all,

ask your solicitor to read through this for you,

because it'll be worth every penny.

Well, the good news on that lease is that

it still has another 109 years to run,

and it's owned by the local authority,

which might mean you have more room for negotiations.

They might even sell you the freehold -

for the right price, of course.

Am I right in saying that, in most flats, there's never enough storage?

The cupboards are always narrow and pokey,

you know, you've got to get the vacuum cleaner in there,

you've got to get the ironing board in there,

maybe you want to put your suitcase in there,

you could also need to store some of the linen.

You know what I'm saying? But in this flat?

Oh, no!

Dun, dun, dun!

Look at that.

MUSIC: Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss

I absolutely love that space - it's brilliant!

Is it just me, then?

Um, it could be, Lucy.

Seems like you're just having a bit of a Space Oddity moment.

Hmm, anyway, moving swiftly on,

I want to have another look at that garden.

So, back out the front of the flat

and I want to show you a couple of extra little perks this flat has.

Firstly, those two car parking spaces,

well, they come with it.

Now, secondly, it also has this little front garden area here.

So, no, it's not very private at the moment, can be a bit noisy,

but you could think about putting up a hedge and a bit of a fence,

just to make it look prettier.

And it's on the ground floor,

so you've got direct access straight out of this door.

So, all in all, I think it's a bit of a bonus.

If nothing else, it sets the property back from the road

and certainly provides a nicer outlook

from those much-needed double-glazed windows.

With two bedrooms,

this well-proportioned flat feels like it has the right stuff

to make a good investment.

But what does a local estate agent think?

I think there's some very smart people coming into the area now.

They're young professionals and they know what they want,

and they don't want to do DIY,

so if you can present something that is not bland but neutral,

that they can walk straight into - that's what they're looking for.

Wooden floors are very popular, smart kitchen.

But if it wasn't given that full renovation,

could this flat, that was guided at £300,000 plus,

be a good investment?

This property could sell for £475,000 in the right finish,

with rentals as much as £1,600 a month.

Well, as far as auction properties go, this flat is clean, it's tidy,

and it seems like it should be

a fairly straightforward project for somebody.

Fingers crossed. Who wanted to take it on?

Let's head to auction and find out.

Lot four is a two-bed ground-floor flat.

Wandsworth, high-value area.

Invite your bids on this.

Start at 310.

310.

315, sir.

320.

325.

330. 335.

After a slow start, the bidding was hotting up,

and we rejoin the bids for the flat now at 370,000.

370.

371, 372.

372. 37...

New spot. 373, 374.

375, 376.

375, first time, second time, third and last time.

If you're all done...

Sold, 375.

And what a battle, but the hammer finally fell at £375,000.

The successful bidder for

the two-bedroom ground-floor flat in Wandsworth was Farooq.

This was Farooq's first investment property purchase.

He was going to be helped by his son, Ibrahim,

who recently graduated from university

and was looking at property developing

as a possible career option.

# Give it a go, give it a go. #

Guys, congratulations.

You must be so pleased that you got this flat on auction day.

Yes, we are very pleased.

Now, this isn't your background,

because I know you've just graduated from uni.

Yeah, I just recently graduated from uni doing product design.

We've always had a keen interest in properties,

and it's also working with my dad as well.

Do you have any property knowledge yourself?

Well, I'm a retired chartered civil engineer.

We did a few projects, worked on terminal five construction

for four and a half years.

So, buildings is something you know about?

Buildings, yeah, that's correct.

So, when you walk into somewhere like here,

I mean, what can you tell me?

Well, I can see there's not much work to be done, it's simple,

not as heavy as what I'm used to.

This is going to be a breeze for you, isn't it?

Yes, it looks like, if I get a good builder.

# Airport! #

So, from working on the UK's largest airport,

Farooq will now be overseeing work on this slightly smaller project.

But what do they plan to do to lift this flat up

and make it fly in the local property market?

Can you tell me exactly what you're going to be doing inside the flat,

starting with the entrance?

I think, with the entrance,

-we're just going to redo the whole flooring.

-Yeah.

Hopefully do a bit of skimming to the walls,

completely redoing the bathroom.

What about the green walls?

-You're going to get rid of that, right?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yes.

What about the kitchen - any plans with that?

I think the kitchen, cos it's the most-used room in a flat,

so, basically, we're looking to do it to a very high standard

and make that as the most selling point for this property.

Are you going to make any radical changes to the property,

or are you going to leave it pretty much as it is?

I think, in terms of work,

we're probably going to look to break the kitchen wall,

and make it more open-plan living.

-OK.

-And, hopefully, if it falls into our budget, add an en suite.

So, where are you planning on putting that en suite?

The bedroom walls will be split,

so three quarters of it's going to go into the master bedroom

and the other quarter end's going to be in the smaller bedroom.

But it's only going to be accessible from the master bedroom?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Now, you will need permission from the freeholder to do that.

-Yeah.

-We'll be submitting drawings to them for approval.

And hopefully you are improving the flat,

-so there should be no problem there.

-No problems there.

-That's correct.

-So, what sort of budget have you guys got?

-About £30,000.

So, that's quite a healthy budget.

That's 5,000 contingency.

Along with the £30,000 budget,

they're hoping to turn it around in three months

and then place it on the resale market.

So, guys, tell me, are you spending

a lot of evenings pouring over the plans,

-discussing where to put things?

-Yes.

It's quite a nice father-and-son venture this, isn't it?

Yes, he does it all on the computer,

so he's got this special programme

where you can fix the furniture and all that.

It's a lot of convincing and talking and seeing...

When you say convincing,

-are you telling your dad what you think should happen?

-Yeah.

And it's up to him if he wants to listen at all.

-So, who's got the ultimate say here?

-I think my dad does.

You've got the ultimate say, but your son's really good

cos he's giving a very different eye.

-And my wife as well.

-Yeah.

She's more or less mostly for the front garden.

Are you two going to be doing any of the work yourselves?

I'm looking to hopefully learn as much as I can

from the current builders that we'll be using,

but I'll try and do the stud walling for the en suite myself,

-so I'll take on as much as I can.

-And all the flooring.

Maybe he'll start doing one of the bedrooms

to get the feel of it.

Surely you can do things like that? You can turn your hand at that?

And you'll be able to show your son,

-so you will be able to learn from the master.

-Exactly.

Guys, I'm really excited to see the outcome of this flat.

-Congratulations. Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, nice to meet you.

-Thank you.

Well, it's the first project for this father-and-son team,

so I'm sure there's going to be lessons for them to learn

along the way.

But most importantly,

will there be a decent profit at the end of all their hard work?

Join me later on in the programme

and you can find out how they get on.

Still to come, we make it three father-and-son teams in one show.

Now, that's a tall order.

He's already...

He's already taller than you, isn't he?

Back in Wandsworth,

we find out if Farooq and Ibrahim's father-son bond has held strong.

We're definitely going to keep in touch, basically.

We're heading back to the coastal port town of Dover now

to see a charming property that had period features

that put a real bounce in my step.

But, oh, dear.

That isn't so nice. As you can see,

the floor in this corner of the room here looks like it's sunk.

It's even pulled away the skirting, there.

It needs to be investigated.

And investigate, I did, down below.

Look at these joists, they do not look to be in very good...

They don't look to be in very good condition at all.

That is...

..is really bad signs of...woodworm.

That chomping woodworm and a myriad of other issues didn't put off

former network administrator-turned-builder Dean

from paying £135,000 for this at auction.

He and his dad Frankie couldn't wait

to sink their teeth into this project.

Although they had viewed the property before the auction,

some of the issues didn't come to light until after they'd bought it.

Since the viewing, it's been raining now,

so we've had lots of puddles congregating upstairs in the loft.

Right. And the subsidence bit?

I think it's basically just the beams.

It's not subsidence of the building -

it's just problems with the beams.

Right. And have you had somebody check that out?

-We've checked it out.

-You have?

-Yeah.

Between changing the layout upstairs and down,

as well as dealing with the rot and damp,

they've had a lot on their hands,

so I am not surprised we are back

a month later than their six-month timescale.

But Dean and Frankie haven't disappointed.

Saying goodbye to that partition wall and adding the French doors

has made the whole downstairs flow so much better.

They've extended the kitchen out, making room for the downstairs loo.

And it's a case of trading places upstairs.

The large bathroom and small bedroom have switched around.

Although it's fresh and modern, some original features remain,

which is nice to see.

Down in the basement,

the rot, damp and woodworm has all been taken care of.

It's not quite finished, but the plan is for it to be a games room.

The house looks great, though,

and it must have taken some real hard graft from Dean and Frankie

to turn this around.

Actually, the whole thing was a bit of a slog

cos it is such an old house.

All hidden things which, until you started demoing the place,

you started finding all of these things.

But, ultimately, it wasn't too much. It was a nice project to do.

It's nice to try and find a place which has some of the character

and the old things that you want to keep in there,

not just rip it all out and plaster all over it.

It's not always easy to preserve original features

like in this case, where everything has to be stripped right back.

But, thankfully, Dean has saved some of the house's original character.

But it's not just Dean who has been getting his hands dirty.

Dad Frankie has done a brilliant job of this garden.

Not bad for someone who is a self-proclaimed skivvy.

Yes, I was a skivvy, getting the paint.

"Gopher", they called me, isn't it? "Gopher" that and "Gopher" this.

So, yeah, I did most of the buying the stuff.

And I virtually did most of the logistics,

the pricing of the job, and this and all that.

So, yeah, that was my function.

He did all of the heavy lifting and shifting.

Well, now, most of the work is over, they must be very proud.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Stressful.

Yeah. But glad to see the end product,

from what it was to what it is.

My daughter from London came down, she gave a hand.

My wife came and did all the neat painting and all that,

so it was a family affair.

Oh, no, you don't, Frankie.

You're not trying to get us to Sly And The Family Stone.

I'm sick of hearing that song.

Besides, I'm sure we have something much more original lined up.

# We are family. #

Oh, well, maybe not.

But it works. Let's find out if Dean and Frankie have managed to stay

within their £15,000-£20,000 budget.

We're slap bang in the middle of that as it is now.

17.5, just under 17.5.

Still got a few more bits to purchase.

-But I think 17.5 is probably...

-17.5, just over that.

Really come within our budget, really.

So, that's a total spend so far of £152,500.

Have they made up their mind if it's for sale or rent?

-Definitely sell.

-Oh, yeah. Yeah.

I mean, we have got a London investor interested in the place.

He's approached us, he's given us a price.

So, we might go for him, we don't know.

See what the situation is.

Well, let's see if asking the opinion of two local estate agents

will help make up Dean and Frankie's minds.

First, the agent who saw it last time.

I think the changes to the layout downstairs are ideal.

You've got a nice, big-sized dining room,

a good-sized lounge and the kitchen, and it flows are a lot better.

It's always good to keep period features

cos people like a central point in a house.

They have sympathetically kept the fireplaces,

which gives it a bit of warmth.

So, the agents are warming up to this property,

but will the sales values hold a candle

to the offers they have already received?

We'd market this property at £170,000.

I think this property would be worth £185,000 to £190,000.

-That's what we had.

-Well, as I said,

we've got a London property developer and he's offered us 190.

So, we might be going with him because he's definitely wants it.

If they clinched that deal,

that would be a pre-tax profit of 37,500.

So, this father-and-son team have definitely pulled this one off.

Will Frankie be continuing his role as skivvy-cum-Gopher?

Yeah, yeah. Till I drop dead. Yeah.

No.

I'm retired now

and retirement is not what it's cracked up to be.

You know, just sit in the armchair, watch television.

You need to be doing something.

Yes, doing well so far.

We get on well anyway.

It's no problem. I don't do a whole day's work.

I do as much as I can. So, yes. I'm quite happy with that.

The city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands

is twinned with three cities around the world.

Subotica in Serbia,

Klagenfurt in Austria,

Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

Which really isn't relevant to the property I'm here to see,

but some smart alec back in the office thought it would be funny

to make me pronounce those three names.

Well, the joke's on them cos I nailed it first time.

Anyway, back to the job in hand.

So, three miles away from the centre of Wolverhampton

in this not so quiet cul-de-sac is the property that I'm here to see.

Now, normally, parking is a bit of a nightmare,

but, as you can see behind me, there is off-street parking

in this ex-local authority house

that's got three bedrooms and a guide price of £60,000 plus.

Let's get inside.

# Shall we go inside?

# Go inside and look around? #

Right. What have we got?

We're in straight into the hallway, straight off the front garden

into a quite a decent-sized hallway.

Stairs going up to the bedrooms

with some really strange, old-fashioned carpet.

In here, we've got a door that's locked, which just intrigues me.

I need to know what's on the other side of that door.

Radiator here, so we've got central heating.

Lots of space underneath the stairs there for storage

and textured wallpaper everywhere.

Downstairs toilet, which is good.

In here, we've got just a bit of storage.

And the back door going out to the garden.

Follow me in here to the kitchen.

Here, we've got what I would consider a good-size family kitchen.

Yes, it's not in great condition,

all these units would need to be changed, flooring,

everything would have to be done from new here.

But a good-sized kitchen all the same.

And, we go through here, into the living-lounge area.

Again, it's not huge.

It's a decent enough size to get your sofas in and your television.

Again, very seventies-eighties style.

From what I've seen so far,

this place just needs to be stripped back to the bare brick.

Get some nice paint on there, get some new floors in,

brand-new kitchen, just tidy this place up.

And, of course, it turned out

that so-called mystery door leads to here.

# And I have found an answer

# I don't think you don't care. #

The only surprise about what's behind this door is the wallpaper.

That's not working for me.

I'd keep the other door and plasterboard this one

with a nice finish.

Upstairs, I've found some features

that rekindle my enthusiasm for this property.

That is a good-sized first bedroom.

To my right, you've got the family bathroom.

It's not the biggest

and you would have to put a brand-new suite in there.

And just round the corner, you've got the other two bedrooms

which are all good sizes.

I'd be inclined to try and keep hold of those very pretty fireplaces

in some way, shape or form.

But, like in most ex-local authority houses,

this place has been built well,

it's got good-sized rooms, and the configuration is spot on.

I like it.

# I know what I like

# I know what I like

# I know what I like to do

# Well, what about you? #

Nothing new, then, another overgrown back garden, but it is some size.

I think, just a bit of TLC out here, a bit of hard work

and this would be as good as the neighbours.

I also wanted to have a look back at the property,

just to see if there's anything wrong

with the tiles, the roof, anything like that.

All I've spotted is a little bit of rendering

that needs to be either patched up,

or you could restart it and do it again.

Also, is there enough scope to bring the house

just a little bit further out?

You've got a big back garden -

you wouldn't lose a lot of that, but you'd gain a lot of space inside

if an extension was an option.

That's all down to budget,

that's all down to what you want to do with the property in the end.

But it's just an option.

To weigh up the options,

we've invited along an estate agent from the auction house who sold it

for his thoughts on this ex-local authority semi.

The property itself could stand an extension on the back.

The garden's big enough to take it,

so you're not going to lose any of the usability of it by doing that.

Having said that, the property is of quite as reasonable size as is,

and I think, in doing that, you might very well prise it out of

the local area pricing for it.

So, there's a risk of over-developing

if you're not going to live in it.

What kind of sales figures could we be looking at, though?

Once the property's renovated,

depending on what standard they've done it to, obviously,

I would imagine that you'd achieve

in the region of £115,000 to £120,000.

Now, this place does need a bit of work doing to it,

but it's got a bit of space on the outside,

a bit of space on the inside.

It's a classic Homes Under The Hammer ex-local authority property,

and I like it.

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

And lot 32, which is a vacant, freehold semidetached property,

standing back from the road, Wolverhampton.

Lot 32. Ladies and gentlemen, how much for this one?

60.

60, go on. 60, sir.

Thank you. Number 950 at 60,000.

Can I have five anywhere?

Well, 62, then. 62.

A lady's bid. 64, sir.

66, madam?

66 bid. 68, sir.

70, madam. 70 bid.

72, sir. 72 bid. 74, madam. 74.

76. 78? 78.

Lady's bid. Standing, 79.

1,000. 80 now.

80. 81, sir.

Are you sure, sir? I'm disappointed in you.

At £80,000.

It's a lady's bid. Going for 80,000.

I'll take £1,000 anywhere.

£81,000. A fresh bidder. 81.

Madam, come back in at 82?

Fresh bidder, jumping in right at the end.

At 81,000. Can I see your paddle number, sir?

At 81, for the first time.

Second time. At 81.

Third and the very last time.

It is yours, sir.

The successful bidder was Ismat. He paid 81 grand for this house.

I met him and his son, Mosun, back at the house

to find out their plans.

-Ismat, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

Mosun. Nice to meet you, too.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

Tell us about this place.

Why did you like it? Why did you buy it?

Well, the reason I bought this house is it's right next door to mine,

so not very far from my house,

so I can check it from my window.

-Convenience, then, is it?

-Yeah, yeah.

So, tell me how this came together.

Whose idea was it to look at houses?

It was mine, to be honest.

I'm into, I do plumbing and heating, bathrooms and kitchens.

Mostly property maintenance.

And, sometimes, we just say job creation for myself, as well.

I just want to get involved and do this in future.

-Did you read the legal pack?

-No.

-Did you view the property?

-No.

-So, you just bought this blind?

-Bought it blind.

-Really?

-Yeah.

I could really tell you off here, but we're on TV, so I better not.

-Definitely.

-You've got to have a word with him, Mosun.

-Yeah.

-Not allowed to do that any more.

-No. You should read the legal pack.

-There you go. You see.

So, you got lucky. You're a lucky man, honestly.

-Isn't he? Isn't he just.

-Yeah.

Tell me what you're going to do in the house.

You going to be hands-on? Going to get people to work for you?

Well, most of the, apart from plastering, and, well, painting.

I don't like painting.

Apart from plastering and painting and rendering outside,

everything else is going to be done by myself.

So, Mosun your dad's going to be doing the plumbing

and all the other hands-on work. What's your job?

-What are you going to do?

-Maybe, in my free time,

I'll be coming around asking my dad, what shall I do?

And probably be doing some painting, some decorating, maybe,

even some designing.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-He wants to be my boss.

Well, Ismat...

You know what I mean? In time, be careful, looking over your shoulder.

I know. He's already...

-He's already taller than you, isn't he?

-Yeah.

Something else Ismat hopes will grow is the value of the house.

Ideally, he'd like to sell it on for a profit

but, as he lived so close by,

he's happy to keep it as a rental property, as a long-term investment.

Either way, he'll need to get his hands dirty

and turn this place around.

-So, what are the plans for the house?

-Well, the plan...

Let me give it a good touch.

New bathroom, new kitchen,

and I'll do something with the downstairs toilet.

Possibly put a shower tray there,

I can fit a 700x700 shower tray.

Then at least they have, the person who actually rent or buy it,

possibly, have a shower downstairs

and have a bath and shower upstairs as well.

Because over the bath, I'm going to put a shower.

At the end of the day, I'm a qualified plumber, so I can do them.

You can do all that stuff on your own, can't you?

And it would cost a lot.

So you're keeping the downstairs toilet and you're adding a shower -

-is that correct?

-Yeah.

-OK.

And upstairs? What are your plans?

Upstairs, exactly the same as it is, just neat, much neater.

And out the back, you've got a really big back garden, Mosun -

are you going to get involved in that?

Yeah. I think he wants me to get involved in the back garden.

Do a lot of grass cutting, get some waste out.

I've got a gardener!

Any good with a lawnmower, getting it all chopped down?

Yeah. It's going to be a bit of hassle, but it has to get done.

-It has to be done.

-OK. New bathroom, new kitchen,

all those things you want to try. We want a shower downstairs.

There's a fair bit of work that you've got to do.

-Oh, yeah.

-So, what is your budget?

Between five to seven.

Between five to seven grand?

That's not my labour - just material.

-Cos I'm going to be doing the work.

-OK.

And how long's this job going to take you to do?

About, say...

I'd like to finish it in two months.

But I said it depends how busy my own work is.

So, I'll put the customer first.

So about between two to three months.

With the help of your son...

-I think you'll be OK.

-I'll be all right, yeah.

-Without him, I think you'll struggle.

-Definitely.

If he's going to jump over full-time, then...there you go!

I can finish it in two months, definitely.

Good luck. Ismat, good luck.

-I wish you all the best.

-Thank you.

-Mosun, good luck to you.

-Thank you.

I think Mosun will learn a lot from his dad on this project.

First and foremost,

make sure you read the legal pack and view the property.

Saying that, I think they might've got away with this one.

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

Well, we've found out the fate of one of our buyers -

what about the other two?

Has everything run like clockwork, or has the clock stopped ticking?

Yes, well, we're not going to give them any more time.

Let's find out how they got on.

It was in the southwest London area of Wandsworth

where Lucy tracked down a two-bedroom, ground-floor flat.

Despite its eye-watering guide price of £300,000 plus,

actually, for this part of London, not only could it be a good buy,

but there was still room for improvement.

Now, the only structural change I think I'd make with this flat

would be to open up this doorway.

It just feels a little bit pinched.

It would make the kitchen feel so much larger

and also be a lot more sociable for when you're entertaining.

And the people who felt there was more growth to come

were father-and-son team Farooq and Ibrahim,

who paid £375,000 at auction.

This was a new departure for them both.

I just recently graduated from uni doing product design.

We've always had a keen interest in property

and it's also working with my dad, as well.

Do you have any property knowledge, yourself?

Well, I'm a retired chartered civil engineer,

We did a few projects,

worked on terminal five construction for four and a half years.

So, buildings is something you know about?

-Yeah. That's correct.

-So, the plan was that Farooq would offer guidance

and help to Ibrahim to get

his fledgling property career off the ground.

And they had a budget of up to £35,000

and hoped to complete it, ready for the resale market in three months.

And now, nearly seven months later, we're back.

Right. Talk about kerb appeal.

This place has now got it in spades.

With a sheltered garden area and well-defined parking space.

And let's hope that this is a sign of what's to come.

Wow! This is really the way to make the most of the space they had.

Seems they took your advice, Lucy.

Basically, we used to have a wall here, so we've taken the wall away

and we've created an open living space.

We've had to refurbish the whole kitchen,

so we've added the new units, new worktops, new appliances.

We've also added a toughened-glass splashback

to give that contemporary, modern look.

And, most importantly, those key lime green walls

are not there any more.

That rather chic and crisp style is in evidence in the bedrooms,

but what about in the bathroom?

Great job.

So, who deserves the pat on the back?

Dad was over my shoulder just guiding me, if anything went wrong,

or anything like that. But the majority of the work was 50-50.

We both did it together.

They did have tradesmen in where needed,

and other family members helped too.

With guidance from Farooq, Ibrahim tackled the floor and tiling.

How did he partnership work out?

Well, we did have ups and downs, as expected.

But, on the whole, it went smoothly.

We're definitely going to keep in touch, basically.

Well, that's good to know.

But are there any thoughts of going it alone, then?

# Solo, I'm riding solo, solo. #

I think I'll probably do a couple more and watch over the builders

and how they do it and get some...

hands-on experience and then take it from there.

Sounds like a sensible plan.

And you can certainly see Ibrahim's design skills

already coming to the fore with the look and feel of this place.

But it was down to Farooq to keep their £35,000 budget in check.

We've exceeded that amount, up to about £40,000.

I think the biggest cost was the front garden

but it added to the kerb appeal so, naturally,

as soon as you look at the property you want to come and look at it

and, hopefully, it will sell quicker so it'll pay off in the end.

Ibrahim could be right,

but a £40,000 spend on top of their £375,000 purchase price does mean

they have £415,000 invested in this two-bedroom ground-floor flat.

So, the kerb appeal might bring house-hunters in,

but will the design and look of the flat convince them to buy?

What do two local property experts think?

First, the agent who saw it last time.

I saw this property seven months ago and it was a real shambles.

One of the biggest changes has been the open-plan kitchen.

A lot of people love that now.

It's a very communal area and it lets a lot more light in, as well,

and I think they've done it very well.

And the layout of the kitchen is also very good

because what you see is quite an attractive vista as you walk in.

I really, really like it, actually.

I wasn't expecting such a high finish.

I love the colour of the flooring,

I love the fact it's semi open-plan

and, most of all, the location's absolutely outstanding.

One of the great things outside was that they had off-street parking,

but they also had barren land around it.

They've really made the most of it.

They've fenced it off, made it a bit more private, bit of grass,

bit of patio, so I think it's going to be a very usable space,

even though it's facing the road.

I think the finish is exactly what is trendy at the moment.

It's modern without being ultra modern and I certainly don't think

anyone's going to walk through the door and dislike it.

Yes, but how much money will they need to pay

for a property that Farooq and Ibrahim have invested £415,000 into?

I think when the property's fully finished,

it would go on the market at £525,000

and be very comfortable in the current market at that price.

If I was to put this on the market right now,

I'd value it between £500,000 and £525,000.

It's slightly higher than we anticipated

but it is on par with what we were expecting to get.

So, should they sell it on, as hoped,

they could see a pre-tax profit of between £85,000 and £110,000.

That's got to be encouraging enough

for them to do more properties in the future.

Our aim is, hopefully, to get to a stage

where we can build a house from scratch

and design every single aspect of it.

Well, that's my aim. I don't know about Dad's.

I'm hoping to continue for two more years

until Ibrahim stands on his feet.

You know, then I shall be drifting out.

And then, Ibrahim, you're on your own.

# I'm riding solo, solo. #

Time to head back to Wolverhampton,

where I saw this semidetached property.

It may have been stuck in the past decor-wise,

but what it did have going for it was overall size.

Downstairs had the bonus of a small toilet

and there was plenty of room in the kitchen.

There was also a lot more room outside.

It is some size.

I think, just a bit of TLC out here,

a bit of hard work and this would be as good as the neighbours.

I also wanted to have a look back at the property,

just to see if there's anything wrong with

the tiles, the roof, anything like that.

All I've spotted is a little bit of rendering

that needs either to be patched up,

or you could restart it and do it again.

Buying this at auction for 81 grand

was plumber and heating engineer Ismat,

who should perhaps listen to his son Mosun just a little bit more

when buying properties in the future.

-Did you read the legal pack?

-No.

-Did you view the property?

-No.

-So, you just bought this blind?

-Just bought it blind.

Really? You've got to have a word with him, Mosun.

-Yeah. I will.

-Not allowed to do that any more.

Nah, you should read the legal pack.

There you go, you see.

So, you got lucky.

Lucky man, honestly, isn't he? Isn't he just?

Well, you may have heard of the saying,

the harder you work, the luckier you get,

and Ismat was planning to work hard and do most of the work himself.

But how lucky was Ismat going to be?

# Well, I'm a lucky man

# With fire in my hands... #

Well, if a lot of hard work makes you lucky, then here's the proof.

The kitchen is so much better.

The little downstairs toilet has seen some big changes

with a full-size shower where the cupboard used to be.

The sealed-up doorway has been opened up

and offers a different way to make an entrance.

The huge brick fireplace has been replaced with a small one.

So much better.

Upstairs, the bathroom is also looking much smarter.

The one thing I am sad to see go, though,

is the fireplaces in the bedrooms.

But I'm very impressed with the changes outside.

To the front, the wall has been rebuilt and widened,

so it's easier for cars to park.

The exterior has also been re-rendered

but the back garden was really where the hard work started.

It took four skips and a lot of elbow grease for Mosun

to get rid of everything in this garden.

Which now has plenty of space

for Ismat and his kids to have a kickabout.

Good save, young man!

Now Ismat is finished,

how did he find tackling the work here while working for his clients?

Well, the good thing is, I had work in Coventry, so finished that,

and, after that, the luck was on our side that my work was slightly slow

and then it just gave me enough time to carry on with this project.

Most of the work's done by myself,

apart from plastering and some of the electrics,

and I've carried on with the rest,

central heating, up and down the house, decorating.

Plus, thank you to my wife for painting.

OK, so Ismat managed to get his wife involved, as well,

but what was his son Mosun's contribution?

I did designing, painting,

mainly helping my dad do the central heating,

which I'm not qualified but I just gave him a hand.

We had a bit of arguing.

I told him not an easy person to work with. You know.

I says, "Can you bring some elbow?"

Instead of elbows, he was bringing teas and things like that, spanner.

He was getting the wrong one and that was making me angry.

I said, "Come on, man. You have to start learning."

Sometimes very easy, sometimes very hard, but...

Especially when I'm tired.

But you can get along with him when you are used to him.

So, Ismat is a bit of a taskmaster, is he?

That will explain how they got the work done

in his timescale of two to three months.

We managed to, finally, managed finish and complete the project

in exactly two months.

We bought the property on my birthday and finished it on his.

Between my birthday and his - exactly two months.

So, mine's special because it's a finishing touch. Best.

No, I'm special because I had it on my birthday.

I'm only joking. He's my special.

Aw! It's great to see these two getting on

after work months of work together here.

Now, what would really be special is if they manage to do the work

within the planned five-to-seven grand budget,

but since Ismat wanted to do the work to the best finish possible,

he has actually spent £10,860.

Ismat wasn't sure if he was going to sell or rent when we last saw him.

So, has he made his mind up yet?

Well, currently, it's agreed to go and rent to a person I know.

We'll stick to them,

and, in the meantime, I'll still decide.

Maybe, if I have a good offer, I'll just go and sell it.

Well, let's see if we can make things a little clearer for him.

We've asked along two local estate agents

to give us their opinions on the finished house.

Last time I came, a couple of months ago,

they've undergone a modernisation programme

that turned the property into a rather lovely house.

Now, it looks the bee's knees.

All the rooms are now painted white,

which is a good neutral colour

for people to put their own stamp on when they move in.

The main benefits here are three really good-sized bedrooms,

a nice, fitted kitchen and a good-sized living room.

There's also a garden at the rear.

And, a big plus, the downstairs toilet,

which is always very, very handy for people.

All very positive, but will the agents' valuations help steer

Ismat on whether renting in the meantime is the best option?

He has already agreed to rent the property out

for £580 per calendar month.

That's a yield of 7%.

And both agents thought that was about right.

But could selling it offer him a quick profit on his investment,

which is just under 92 grand.

If we were to put this property up for sale,

I would recommend an asking price of £115,000 to £120,000.

So, I would envisage him selling in the region of £115,000.

Although, I think, I would probably be inclined

to try for a little more and he may have to come down.

120 would have been all right.

115 is a bit low because, to be honest,

the way I've done it, it's got to go to 120.

Nothing wrong with having pride in your work.

So, what's next for Ismat?

I'll have a short break...

..to look after my customers

and then, let me see if I decided to sell,

then I'll go for the next one.

Mosun, you won't let Dad do the next venture on his own, will you?

-Of course. Without me, it's going to be hard for him.

-Oh!

Very good. He's my main man here.

Well, property auctions happen up and down the country all year round.

With so many stories to tell, we never stop either.

So, join us next time for more Homes Under The Hammer. Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.