Episode 57 Homes Under the Hammer


Episode 57

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Transcript


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Hello. When it comes to property, getting a bargain

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can sometimes be tough, especially in this competitive market,

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but it can still be done.

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

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and you can still come up trumps.

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

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I would recommend your local property auction.

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It doesn't matter what your budget is -

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you never want to overpay for property.

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Too true. But what about today's buyers?

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-Did they get a good deal?

-Let's find out.

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I'm down in Dover to see a period house

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with an unusual installation.

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

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going across the floor.

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

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at this flat in South London.

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Dun, dun, dun!

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Look at that.

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While in Wolverhampton,

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this semidetached house might have to open up a bit

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so I can really get to know it.

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

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All these properties have been sold at auction,

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

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when they went under the hammer.

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Are we all done?

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

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castle and white cliffs.

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But it's also the birthplace of

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

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# Tell me what we're gonna do now

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

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Well, seeing as you asked, Joss,

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we're off to see a rather charming property,

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

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Well, right by the side of this rather splendid church

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is the property I'm here to see.

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Guide price - £85,000 to £90,000,

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

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It's a three-bed semidetached.

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Let's have a look.

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

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

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

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

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Very old paintwork, and look at this amazing wallpaper.

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That sort of dates the property very much.

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But, you know, the good news is

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it looks like some of the original features are still here

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

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Look at those doors, look at that fireplace.

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Just strip those back,

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

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Little things like this panelling round the window -

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absolutely gorgeous if that's just stripped back.

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But, oh, dear...

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

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That isn't so nice.

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Maybe that could explain that relatively low guide price.

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

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looks like it's sunk.

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It's even pulled away the skirting there.

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It needs to be investigated.

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Let's carry on.

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When they're not bouncing all over the place,

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the floorboards are actually really lovely.

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Nice and wide, so definitely strip these back.

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Absolutely beautiful, they would be.

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You've got quite an interesting layout

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

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then left into this similar room over this side.

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

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especially when you come through here into this,

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which I guess is, I don't know,

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

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over the house's history.

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I'm wondering if it might be possible

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to take out this wall, perhaps -

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

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

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

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by taking out this wall.

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

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

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

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it's all bolted on the back here.

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It doesn't quite work.

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So, take that one really big room

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

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Upstairs, the layout is just as wonky.

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For me, the bathroom is far too big,

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and you have this small room for a bedroom,

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so I'd think about moving those around.

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

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

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# I'm going, I'm going

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# I'm going deeper underground

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

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So, let's see if we can find out

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what's going on with those floorboards.

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

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But, actually, what a nice space.

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

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but this could be quite spectacular.

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Really bizarre feature here.

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This is the mains water pipe.

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

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some modern art kind of feature going across the floor.

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

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But there's some really nice touches.

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How about this? Big, old fireplace there.

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

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

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And...look at these joists -

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

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

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That is...

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..is really bad signs of...

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..woodworm. Nice.

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OK, so that's not very good.

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DRAMATIC MUSIC

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But that's worse.

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This is the wall directly underneath

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where the floor that I was bouncing on is,

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

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Not good at all!

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It's working its way through the plaster,

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

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and that needs to be sorted out really quickly

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before it does any more damage.

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

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as it can be treated with a fungicide

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once the source of the moisture is dealt with.

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

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to see where the water is coming from.

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But it is a bit chilly,

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and we have asked along a local estate agent

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to brave the cold to have a look around this house

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and give us their thoughts.

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My first impressions of this property,

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

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They rarely come available on this street.

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

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but there is a lot potential here.

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The words "rarely available" suggest

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

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it could be well worth tackling.

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So, how much could it sell for?

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Once this property is completed,

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

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on the open market.

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Well, charming is a word that's slightly overused

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

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

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This really is a lovely little place,

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

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

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The guide price - 85 to 90.

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

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In Dover at £85,000.

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85, bid, I have.

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And 87 now, do I see?

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87, 87, and 90 and two.

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

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Well, as the auctioneer thought,

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this lot was soon roaring past the guide price

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and proved popular with a few bidders,

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so we re-join the action at £130,000.

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At £130,000 I've got.

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Is that 130?

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131, 132, 133.

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

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134, 135, it's against you now.

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135, if you wish.

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135, and six. 136.

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Said that last time, if you remember.

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136.

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

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135 for the second,

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

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Yours, right at the back.

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The successful bidder paying £135,000 was Dean.

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

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# Hey, Frankie...! #

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

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for this lovely property.

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Frankie, Dean, great to meet you both.

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-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Congratulations.

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

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

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I liked it, yeah. Yeah.

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It looks old, a lot of history,

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

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on the first walk around the building.

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

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-Lots of little problems, yeah.

-Small problems.

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Since the viewing, it's been raining now,

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

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Right, and the subsidence bit?

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I think it's basically just the beams.

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It's not just subsidence of the building -

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it's just problems with the beams.

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Right. And have you had somebody check that out?

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We've checked it out ourselves.

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Well, that's a good synopsis, there.

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

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

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-Oh, wow.

-And...

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

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

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So definitely drafting in Dad's help, then.

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

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Well, that sounds like a perfect relationship.

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What do you think of the house?

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I loved it and I encouraged him.

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When we first came here,

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

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

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Tell me the process from this point on.

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

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Oh, wow, big wall to take out.

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

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There's nothing above it.

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But I will be getting that all checked out prior.

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So, hopefully to extend the lounge.

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That'll be nice.

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French windows out there to look to the garden.

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

-Yeah.

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

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maybe just have a little basin and bathroom downstairs.

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Upstairs, they're going to rejig the layout

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by swapping the bathroom and box room around

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so the house will have three double bedrooms.

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The basement room will be converted into a games room

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

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

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-or to rent it out?

-Undecided.

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

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

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Is it going to be a joint thing?

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You know, Dean is the main builder...

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-Right.

-..and decorator.

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I'll be doing the gardening.

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-Oh, OK.

-Cracking the whip.

-And cracking the whip.

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

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Cracking the whip over you.

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It's a big family project.

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She loves doing work on things.

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

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Me, well, I used to be in computers.

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-OK.

-I used to be a network manager in London.

-OK.

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-Done it for 20 odd years.

-Right.

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

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-Oh, no.

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

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so decided to do some building work, really.

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-When was that?

-About seven, eight years ago.

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-Right.

-So I started working with local builders.

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-Right.

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

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Any regrets about leaving the previous life?

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Not at all, not at all.

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-Never look back.

-Never look back.

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

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

-Yeah.

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

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Yeah, for backup, that's brilliant.

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Dean is right on that.

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Property development can mean risking your own money -

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or Mum and Dad's.

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Dean has a £15,000 to £20,000 budget,

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

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But he will save money by doing the work himself

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

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

-Yes.

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Right next to the church.

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-Is that a real positive, do you think?

-I noticed that secondary.

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-What?

-It actually noticed the pub the other side.

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That was the first thing...

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

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Pub and churches are often very close to each other.

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

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Yeah, it is.

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

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-It's a nice location, really.

-Yeah.

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

-Yes.

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-The rest are all new builds, terrace.

-Yeah.

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-So it has got character.

-Sure.

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-So, listen, congratulations, well done.

-Thank you very much.

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-Lovely to meet you both.

-Thank you very much.

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-Look forward to seeing how you get on.

-Thank you very much.

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

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

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A good realistic timescale,

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but possibly a bit tight on that budget -

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especially if that subsidence proves to be more of an issue

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than he thinks it will be.

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

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Join us later in the show.

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Lucy's in Wandsworth,

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

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with mills and breweries going up around the Thames.

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Today, these have been replaced by swanky riverside developments,

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with one-bedroom flats retailing at

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

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

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

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

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

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which, compared to its riverside counterparts,

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well, sounds very reasonable.

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# What you get is what you see

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# Ain't nothing more to it. #

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Hey, who needs river views

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when you get twice the space for half the cost?

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So, inside the property...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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I mean, the square footage here is fantastic.

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

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which faces out to the front.

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It's quite lively in this kitchen.

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Lime green - not sure on that colour.

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

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So, not too much work here.

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

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Tick box.

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With some good decoration and cosmetic changes,

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this flat really could be nice.

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But what could make it even better

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would be some modifications to the layout.

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

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

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

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would be to open up this doorway.

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It just feels a little bit pinched.

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It would make the kitchen feel so much larger

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

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

0:15:500:15:53

to a leasehold flat like this,

0:15:530:15:55

you will need permission from the freeholder.

0:15:550:15:58

Now, this will probably come at a cost,

0:15:580:16:00

which should be factored into your renovation budget,

0:16:000:16:03

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

0:16:030:16:07

The stipulations and covenants will be laid out

0:16:070:16:10

in the terms of your lease

0:16:100:16:12

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

0:16:120:16:14

ask your solicitor to read through this for you,

0:16:140:16:17

because it'll be worth every penny.

0:16:170:16:19

Well, the good news on that lease is that

0:16:190:16:21

it still has another 109 years to run,

0:16:210:16:24

and it's owned by the local authority,

0:16:240:16:25

which might mean you have more room for negotiations.

0:16:250:16:29

They might even sell you the freehold -

0:16:290:16:31

for the right price, of course.

0:16:310:16:33

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

0:16:330:16:37

The cupboards are always narrow and pokey,

0:16:370:16:39

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

0:16:390:16:42

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

0:16:420:16:43

maybe you want to put your suitcase in there,

0:16:430:16:45

you could also need to store some of the linen.

0:16:450:16:48

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

0:16:480:16:51

Oh, no!

0:16:510:16:53

Dun, dun, dun!

0:16:530:16:55

Look at that.

0:16:560:16:58

MUSIC: Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss

0:16:580:17:01

I absolutely love that space - it's brilliant!

0:17:030:17:07

Is it just me, then?

0:17:070:17:08

Um, it could be, Lucy.

0:17:080:17:10

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

0:17:100:17:14

Hmm, anyway, moving swiftly on,

0:17:140:17:15

I want to have another look at that garden.

0:17:150:17:18

So, back out the front of the flat

0:17:190:17:20

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

0:17:200:17:24

Firstly, those two car parking spaces,

0:17:240:17:27

well, they come with it.

0:17:270:17:28

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

0:17:280:17:33

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

0:17:330:17:37

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

0:17:370:17:39

just to make it look prettier.

0:17:390:17:41

And it's on the ground floor,

0:17:410:17:43

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

0:17:430:17:46

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

0:17:460:17:48

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

0:17:480:17:51

and certainly provides a nicer outlook

0:17:510:17:54

from those much-needed double-glazed windows.

0:17:540:17:57

With two bedrooms,

0:17:570:17:58

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

0:17:580:18:02

to make a good investment.

0:18:020:18:04

But what does a local estate agent think?

0:18:040:18:07

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

0:18:080:18:11

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

0:18:110:18:13

and they don't want to do DIY,

0:18:130:18:15

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

0:18:150:18:19

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

0:18:190:18:22

Wooden floors are very popular, smart kitchen.

0:18:220:18:26

But if it wasn't given that full renovation,

0:18:260:18:28

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

0:18:280:18:32

be a good investment?

0:18:320:18:33

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

0:18:330:18:38

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

0:18:380:18:42

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

0:18:420:18:47

and it seems like it should be

0:18:470:18:48

a fairly straightforward project for somebody.

0:18:480:18:51

Fingers crossed. Who wanted to take it on?

0:18:510:18:53

Let's head to auction and find out.

0:18:530:18:55

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

0:18:580:19:01

Wandsworth, high-value area.

0:19:010:19:04

Invite your bids on this.

0:19:040:19:06

Start at 310.

0:19:060:19:07

310.

0:19:070:19:08

315, sir.

0:19:080:19:10

320.

0:19:100:19:12

325.

0:19:120:19:14

330. 335.

0:19:140:19:17

After a slow start, the bidding was hotting up,

0:19:170:19:20

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

0:19:200:19:24

370.

0:19:240:19:25

371, 372.

0:19:250:19:28

372. 37...

0:19:280:19:31

New spot. 373, 374.

0:19:310:19:33

375, 376.

0:19:330:19:37

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

0:19:370:19:43

If you're all done...

0:19:430:19:45

Sold, 375.

0:19:450:19:48

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

0:19:480:19:52

The successful bidder for

0:19:520:19:54

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

0:19:540:19:59

This was Farooq's first investment property purchase.

0:19:590:20:02

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

0:20:020:20:05

who recently graduated from university

0:20:050:20:07

and was looking at property developing

0:20:070:20:10

as a possible career option.

0:20:100:20:11

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

0:20:110:20:14

Guys, congratulations.

0:20:180:20:19

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

0:20:190:20:22

Yes, we are very pleased.

0:20:220:20:24

Now, this isn't your background,

0:20:240:20:25

because I know you've just graduated from uni.

0:20:250:20:27

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

0:20:270:20:30

We've always had a keen interest in properties,

0:20:300:20:33

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

0:20:330:20:35

Do you have any property knowledge yourself?

0:20:350:20:37

Well, I'm a retired chartered civil engineer.

0:20:370:20:41

We did a few projects, worked on terminal five construction

0:20:410:20:45

for four and a half years.

0:20:450:20:47

So, buildings is something you know about?

0:20:470:20:48

Buildings, yeah, that's correct.

0:20:480:20:50

So, when you walk into somewhere like here,

0:20:500:20:52

I mean, what can you tell me?

0:20:520:20:54

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

0:20:540:20:58

not as heavy as what I'm used to.

0:20:580:21:01

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

0:21:010:21:03

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

0:21:030:21:06

# Airport! #

0:21:060:21:08

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

0:21:100:21:12

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

0:21:120:21:16

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

0:21:160:21:18

and make it fly in the local property market?

0:21:180:21:21

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

0:21:210:21:24

starting with the entrance?

0:21:240:21:26

I think, with the entrance,

0:21:260:21:27

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

-Yeah.

0:21:270:21:29

Hopefully do a bit of skimming to the walls,

0:21:290:21:32

completely redoing the bathroom.

0:21:320:21:33

What about the green walls?

0:21:330:21:35

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

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yes.

0:21:350:21:38

What about the kitchen - any plans with that?

0:21:380:21:40

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

0:21:400:21:44

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

0:21:440:21:47

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

0:21:470:21:51

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

0:21:510:21:54

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

0:21:540:21:56

I think, in terms of work,

0:21:560:21:58

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

0:21:580:22:00

and make it more open-plan living.

0:22:000:22:02

-OK.

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

0:22:020:22:06

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

0:22:060:22:09

The bedroom walls will be split,

0:22:090:22:10

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

0:22:100:22:13

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

0:22:130:22:17

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

0:22:170:22:19

-Yeah.

-OK.

0:22:190:22:21

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

0:22:210:22:23

-Yeah.

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

0:22:230:22:27

And hopefully you are improving the flat,

0:22:270:22:29

-so there should be no problem there.

-No problems there.

-That's correct.

0:22:290:22:32

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

-About £30,000.

0:22:320:22:36

So, that's quite a healthy budget.

0:22:360:22:38

That's 5,000 contingency.

0:22:380:22:41

Along with the £30,000 budget,

0:22:410:22:43

they're hoping to turn it around in three months

0:22:430:22:45

and then place it on the resale market.

0:22:450:22:47

So, guys, tell me, are you spending

0:22:500:22:51

a lot of evenings pouring over the plans,

0:22:510:22:53

-discussing where to put things?

-Yes.

0:22:530:22:56

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

0:22:560:22:58

Yes, he does it all on the computer,

0:22:580:23:00

so he's got this special programme

0:23:000:23:02

where you can fix the furniture and all that.

0:23:020:23:05

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

0:23:050:23:07

When you say convincing,

0:23:070:23:09

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

-Yeah.

0:23:090:23:11

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

0:23:110:23:14

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

-I think my dad does.

0:23:140:23:17

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

0:23:170:23:20

cos he's giving a very different eye.

0:23:200:23:21

-And my wife as well.

-Yeah.

0:23:210:23:23

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

0:23:230:23:27

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

0:23:270:23:29

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

0:23:290:23:33

from the current builders that we'll be using,

0:23:330:23:35

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

0:23:350:23:40

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

-And all the flooring.

0:23:400:23:43

Maybe he'll start doing one of the bedrooms

0:23:430:23:45

to get the feel of it.

0:23:450:23:47

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

0:23:470:23:50

And you'll be able to show your son,

0:23:500:23:52

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

-Exactly.

0:23:520:23:56

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

0:23:560:23:59

-Congratulations. Well done.

-Thank you very much.

0:23:590:24:01

-Thank you, nice to meet you.

-Thank you.

0:24:010:24:03

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

0:24:030:24:07

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

0:24:070:24:09

along the way.

0:24:090:24:10

But most importantly,

0:24:100:24:12

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

0:24:120:24:15

Join me later on in the programme

0:24:150:24:17

and you can find out how they get on.

0:24:170:24:20

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

0:24:200:24:25

Now, that's a tall order.

0:24:250:24:26

He's already...

0:24:260:24:28

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

0:24:280:24:30

Back in Wandsworth,

0:24:310:24:33

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

0:24:330:24:37

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

0:24:370:24:40

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

0:24:440:24:48

to see a charming property that had period features

0:24:480:24:50

that put a real bounce in my step.

0:24:500:24:53

But, oh, dear.

0:24:530:24:54

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

0:24:580:25:00

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

0:25:000:25:04

It's even pulled away the skirting, there.

0:25:040:25:07

It needs to be investigated.

0:25:070:25:10

And investigate, I did, down below.

0:25:100:25:13

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

0:25:130:25:17

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

0:25:170:25:19

That is...

0:25:190:25:20

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

0:25:220:25:26

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

0:25:260:25:29

former network administrator-turned-builder Dean

0:25:290:25:33

from paying £135,000 for this at auction.

0:25:330:25:37

He and his dad Frankie couldn't wait

0:25:370:25:39

to sink their teeth into this project.

0:25:390:25:41

Although they had viewed the property before the auction,

0:25:410:25:44

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

0:25:440:25:48

Since the viewing, it's been raining now,

0:25:480:25:50

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

0:25:500:25:54

Right. And the subsidence bit?

0:25:540:25:56

I think it's basically just the beams.

0:25:560:25:58

It's not subsidence of the building -

0:25:580:26:00

it's just problems with the beams.

0:26:000:26:01

Right. And have you had somebody check that out?

0:26:010:26:04

-We've checked it out.

-You have?

-Yeah.

0:26:040:26:07

Between changing the layout upstairs and down,

0:26:070:26:10

as well as dealing with the rot and damp,

0:26:100:26:12

they've had a lot on their hands,

0:26:120:26:14

so I am not surprised we are back

0:26:140:26:16

a month later than their six-month timescale.

0:26:160:26:19

But Dean and Frankie haven't disappointed.

0:26:190:26:22

Saying goodbye to that partition wall and adding the French doors

0:26:230:26:28

has made the whole downstairs flow so much better.

0:26:280:26:31

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

0:26:350:26:39

And it's a case of trading places upstairs.

0:26:420:26:45

The large bathroom and small bedroom have switched around.

0:26:530:26:57

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

0:26:570:27:01

which is nice to see.

0:27:010:27:02

Down in the basement,

0:27:060:27:08

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

0:27:080:27:11

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

0:27:110:27:15

The house looks great, though,

0:27:150:27:17

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

0:27:170:27:20

to turn this around.

0:27:200:27:22

Actually, the whole thing was a bit of a slog

0:27:220:27:24

cos it is such an old house.

0:27:240:27:26

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

0:27:260:27:33

you started finding all of these things.

0:27:330:27:35

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

0:27:350:27:39

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

0:27:390:27:44

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

0:27:440:27:47

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

0:27:470:27:49

It's not always easy to preserve original features

0:27:490:27:52

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

0:27:520:27:56

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

0:27:560:28:00

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

0:28:000:28:03

Dad Frankie has done a brilliant job of this garden.

0:28:030:28:06

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

0:28:060:28:10

Yes, I was a skivvy, getting the paint.

0:28:100:28:14

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

0:28:140:28:17

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

0:28:170:28:21

And I virtually did most of the logistics,

0:28:210:28:23

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

0:28:230:28:26

So, yeah, that was my function.

0:28:260:28:28

He did all of the heavy lifting and shifting.

0:28:280:28:30

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

0:28:310:28:35

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Stressful.

0:28:350:28:38

Yeah. But glad to see the end product,

0:28:380:28:41

from what it was to what it is.

0:28:410:28:43

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

0:28:450:28:47

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

0:28:470:28:51

so it was a family affair.

0:28:510:28:53

Oh, no, you don't, Frankie.

0:28:530:28:54

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

0:28:540:28:57

I'm sick of hearing that song.

0:28:570:29:00

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

0:29:000:29:04

# We are family. #

0:29:040:29:06

Oh, well, maybe not.

0:29:060:29:08

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

0:29:080:29:11

within their £15,000-£20,000 budget.

0:29:110:29:13

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

0:29:130:29:17

17.5, just under 17.5.

0:29:170:29:20

Still got a few more bits to purchase.

0:29:200:29:24

-But I think 17.5 is probably...

-17.5, just over that.

0:29:240:29:28

Really come within our budget, really.

0:29:280:29:32

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

0:29:320:29:37

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

0:29:370:29:41

-Definitely sell.

-Oh, yeah. Yeah.

0:29:410:29:44

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

0:29:440:29:48

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

0:29:480:29:51

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

0:29:510:29:54

See what the situation is.

0:29:540:29:55

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

0:29:570:30:00

will help make up Dean and Frankie's minds.

0:30:000:30:02

First, the agent who saw it last time.

0:30:020:30:05

I think the changes to the layout downstairs are ideal.

0:30:070:30:10

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

0:30:100:30:12

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

0:30:120:30:15

It's always good to keep period features

0:30:150:30:17

cos people like a central point in a house.

0:30:170:30:19

They have sympathetically kept the fireplaces,

0:30:190:30:22

which gives it a bit of warmth.

0:30:220:30:24

So, the agents are warming up to this property,

0:30:240:30:27

but will the sales values hold a candle

0:30:270:30:29

to the offers they have already received?

0:30:290:30:32

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

0:30:330:30:36

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

0:30:360:30:41

-That's what we had.

-Well, as I said,

0:30:410:30:44

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

0:30:440:30:48

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

0:30:480:30:52

If they clinched that deal,

0:30:520:30:55

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

0:30:550:30:57

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

0:30:570:31:01

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

0:31:030:31:07

Yeah, yeah. Till I drop dead. Yeah.

0:31:070:31:09

No.

0:31:110:31:13

I'm retired now

0:31:130:31:15

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

0:31:150:31:18

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

0:31:180:31:20

You need to be doing something.

0:31:200:31:22

Yes, doing well so far.

0:31:220:31:24

We get on well anyway.

0:31:240:31:26

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

0:31:260:31:29

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

0:31:290:31:34

The city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands

0:31:400:31:43

is twinned with three cities around the world.

0:31:430:31:46

Subotica in Serbia,

0:31:460:31:48

Klagenfurt in Austria,

0:31:480:31:50

Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

0:31:500:31:52

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

0:31:520:31:56

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

0:31:560:31:59

to make me pronounce those three names.

0:31:590:32:01

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

0:32:010:32:04

Anyway, back to the job in hand.

0:32:040:32:07

So, three miles away from the centre of Wolverhampton

0:32:070:32:09

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

0:32:090:32:14

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

0:32:140:32:16

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

0:32:160:32:21

in this ex-local authority house

0:32:210:32:23

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

0:32:230:32:28

Let's get inside.

0:32:280:32:29

# Shall we go inside?

0:32:290:32:32

# Go inside and look around? #

0:32:320:32:35

Right. What have we got?

0:32:350:32:37

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

0:32:370:32:40

into a quite a decent-sized hallway.

0:32:400:32:42

Stairs going up to the bedrooms

0:32:420:32:44

with some really strange, old-fashioned carpet.

0:32:440:32:47

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

0:32:470:32:52

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

0:32:520:32:55

Radiator here, so we've got central heating.

0:32:550:32:57

Lots of space underneath the stairs there for storage

0:32:570:32:59

and textured wallpaper everywhere.

0:32:590:33:02

Downstairs toilet, which is good.

0:33:020:33:04

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

0:33:040:33:07

And the back door going out to the garden.

0:33:070:33:11

Follow me in here to the kitchen.

0:33:110:33:13

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

0:33:130:33:19

Yes, it's not in great condition,

0:33:190:33:21

all these units would need to be changed, flooring,

0:33:210:33:24

everything would have to be done from new here.

0:33:240:33:27

But a good-sized kitchen all the same.

0:33:270:33:29

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

0:33:290:33:33

Again, it's not huge.

0:33:330:33:35

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

0:33:350:33:39

Again, very seventies-eighties style.

0:33:390:33:42

From what I've seen so far,

0:33:420:33:43

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

0:33:430:33:46

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

0:33:460:33:48

brand-new kitchen, just tidy this place up.

0:33:480:33:52

And, of course, it turned out

0:33:520:33:54

that so-called mystery door leads to here.

0:33:540:33:57

# And I have found an answer

0:33:570:34:03

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

0:34:040:34:07

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

0:34:090:34:13

That's not working for me.

0:34:130:34:14

I'd keep the other door and plasterboard this one

0:34:140:34:17

with a nice finish.

0:34:170:34:19

Upstairs, I've found some features

0:34:190:34:21

that rekindle my enthusiasm for this property.

0:34:210:34:24

That is a good-sized first bedroom.

0:34:240:34:27

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

0:34:270:34:29

It's not the biggest

0:34:290:34:31

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

0:34:310:34:33

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

0:34:330:34:36

which are all good sizes.

0:34:360:34:38

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

0:34:380:34:43

in some way, shape or form.

0:34:430:34:45

But, like in most ex-local authority houses,

0:34:450:34:49

this place has been built well,

0:34:490:34:51

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

0:34:510:34:55

I like it.

0:34:550:34:57

# I know what I like

0:34:570:34:59

# I know what I like

0:34:590:35:02

# I know what I like to do

0:35:020:35:05

# Well, what about you? #

0:35:070:35:09

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

0:35:090:35:14

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

0:35:140:35:16

and this would be as good as the neighbours.

0:35:160:35:19

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

0:35:190:35:21

just to see if there's anything wrong

0:35:210:35:24

with the tiles, the roof, anything like that.

0:35:240:35:26

All I've spotted is a little bit of rendering

0:35:260:35:28

that needs to be either patched up,

0:35:280:35:29

or you could restart it and do it again.

0:35:290:35:31

Also, is there enough scope to bring the house

0:35:310:35:35

just a little bit further out?

0:35:350:35:36

You've got a big back garden -

0:35:360:35:37

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

0:35:370:35:41

if an extension was an option.

0:35:410:35:43

That's all down to budget,

0:35:430:35:44

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

0:35:440:35:47

But it's just an option.

0:35:470:35:48

To weigh up the options,

0:35:520:35:53

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

0:35:530:35:57

for his thoughts on this ex-local authority semi.

0:35:570:36:00

The property itself could stand an extension on the back.

0:36:000:36:05

The garden's big enough to take it,

0:36:050:36:06

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

0:36:060:36:11

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

0:36:110:36:17

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

0:36:170:36:23

the local area pricing for it.

0:36:230:36:27

So, there's a risk of over-developing

0:36:270:36:29

if you're not going to live in it.

0:36:290:36:30

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

0:36:300:36:34

Once the property's renovated,

0:36:340:36:35

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

0:36:350:36:37

I would imagine that you'd achieve

0:36:370:36:39

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

0:36:390:36:43

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

0:36:450:36:48

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

0:36:480:36:50

a bit of space on the inside.

0:36:500:36:52

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

0:36:520:36:56

and I like it.

0:36:560:36:57

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

0:36:570:37:00

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

0:37:020:37:06

standing back from the road, Wolverhampton.

0:37:060:37:09

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

0:37:090:37:11

60.

0:37:110:37:13

60, go on. 60, sir.

0:37:130:37:15

Thank you. Number 950 at 60,000.

0:37:150:37:17

Can I have five anywhere?

0:37:170:37:19

Well, 62, then. 62.

0:37:190:37:21

A lady's bid. 64, sir.

0:37:210:37:23

66, madam?

0:37:230:37:25

66 bid. 68, sir.

0:37:250:37:27

70, madam. 70 bid.

0:37:270:37:29

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

0:37:290:37:32

76. 78? 78.

0:37:320:37:35

Lady's bid. Standing, 79.

0:37:350:37:37

1,000. 80 now.

0:37:370:37:39

80. 81, sir.

0:37:390:37:41

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

0:37:410:37:44

At £80,000.

0:37:440:37:46

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

0:37:460:37:48

I'll take £1,000 anywhere.

0:37:480:37:50

£81,000. A fresh bidder. 81.

0:37:500:37:53

Madam, come back in at 82?

0:37:530:37:55

Fresh bidder, jumping in right at the end.

0:37:550:37:57

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

0:37:570:38:00

At 81, for the first time.

0:38:000:38:02

Second time. At 81.

0:38:020:38:04

Third and the very last time.

0:38:040:38:06

It is yours, sir.

0:38:060:38:08

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

0:38:080:38:12

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

0:38:120:38:15

to find out their plans.

0:38:150:38:17

-Ismat, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

0:38:170:38:18

Mosun. Nice to meet you, too.

0:38:180:38:20

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

0:38:200:38:21

Tell us about this place.

0:38:210:38:23

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

0:38:230:38:25

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

0:38:250:38:27

so not very far from my house,

0:38:270:38:29

so I can check it from my window.

0:38:290:38:32

-Convenience, then, is it?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:38:320:38:34

So, tell me how this came together.

0:38:340:38:36

Whose idea was it to look at houses?

0:38:360:38:38

It was mine, to be honest.

0:38:380:38:40

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

0:38:400:38:44

Mostly property maintenance.

0:38:440:38:46

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

0:38:460:38:49

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

0:38:490:38:52

-Did you read the legal pack?

-No.

0:38:520:38:54

-Did you view the property?

-No.

0:38:540:38:56

-So, you just bought this blind?

-Bought it blind.

0:38:560:38:58

-Really?

-Yeah.

0:38:580:39:00

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

0:39:000:39:03

-Definitely.

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

0:39:030:39:06

-Yeah.

-Not allowed to do that any more.

0:39:060:39:08

-No. You should read the legal pack.

-There you go. You see.

0:39:080:39:13

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

0:39:130:39:15

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

-Yeah.

0:39:150:39:17

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

0:39:170:39:19

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

0:39:190:39:22

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

0:39:220:39:25

I don't like painting.

0:39:250:39:27

Apart from plastering and painting and rendering outside,

0:39:270:39:29

everything else is going to be done by myself.

0:39:290:39:32

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

0:39:320:39:34

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

0:39:340:39:36

-What are you going to do?

-Maybe, in my free time,

0:39:360:39:38

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

0:39:380:39:42

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

0:39:420:39:45

even some designing.

0:39:450:39:47

-Really?

-Yeah.

-He wants to be my boss.

0:39:470:39:49

Well, Ismat...

0:39:490:39:51

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

0:39:510:39:55

I know. He's already...

0:39:550:39:58

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

-Yeah.

0:39:580:40:00

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

0:40:000:40:04

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

0:40:040:40:07

but, as he lived so close by,

0:40:070:40:08

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

0:40:080:40:12

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

0:40:120:40:14

and turn this place around.

0:40:140:40:16

-So, what are the plans for the house?

-Well, the plan...

0:40:160:40:19

Let me give it a good touch.

0:40:190:40:21

New bathroom, new kitchen,

0:40:210:40:23

and I'll do something with the downstairs toilet.

0:40:230:40:27

Possibly put a shower tray there,

0:40:270:40:29

I can fit a 700x700 shower tray.

0:40:290:40:30

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

0:40:300:40:35

possibly, have a shower downstairs

0:40:350:40:38

and have a bath and shower upstairs as well.

0:40:380:40:41

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

0:40:410:40:44

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

0:40:440:40:48

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

0:40:480:40:50

And it would cost a lot.

0:40:500:40:52

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

0:40:520:40:54

-is that correct?

-Yeah.

-OK.

0:40:540:40:56

And upstairs? What are your plans?

0:40:560:40:58

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

0:40:580:41:03

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

0:41:030:41:06

are you going to get involved in that?

0:41:060:41:08

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

0:41:080:41:11

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

0:41:110:41:15

I've got a gardener!

0:41:150:41:17

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

0:41:170:41:20

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

0:41:200:41:23

-It has to be done.

-OK. New bathroom, new kitchen,

0:41:230:41:26

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

0:41:260:41:28

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

0:41:280:41:30

-Oh, yeah.

-So, what is your budget?

0:41:300:41:33

Between five to seven.

0:41:340:41:36

Between five to seven grand?

0:41:360:41:38

That's not my labour - just material.

0:41:380:41:40

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

-OK.

0:41:400:41:43

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

0:41:430:41:45

About, say...

0:41:450:41:47

I'd like to finish it in two months.

0:41:480:41:50

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

0:41:500:41:54

So, I'll put the customer first.

0:41:540:41:56

So about between two to three months.

0:41:560:41:59

With the help of your son...

0:41:590:42:01

-I think you'll be OK.

-I'll be all right, yeah.

0:42:010:42:04

-Without him, I think you'll struggle.

-Definitely.

0:42:040:42:07

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

0:42:070:42:10

I can finish it in two months, definitely.

0:42:100:42:12

Good luck. Ismat, good luck.

0:42:120:42:14

-I wish you all the best.

-Thank you.

-Mosun, good luck to you.

-Thank you.

0:42:140:42:16

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

0:42:180:42:21

First and foremost,

0:42:210:42:22

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

0:42:220:42:26

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

0:42:260:42:29

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

0:42:290:42:32

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

0:42:350:42:38

what about the other two?

0:42:380:42:39

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

0:42:390:42:43

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

0:42:430:42:45

Let's find out how they got on.

0:42:450:42:47

It was in the southwest London area of Wandsworth

0:42:500:42:53

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

0:42:530:42:57

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

0:42:570:43:01

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

0:43:010:43:04

but there was still room for improvement.

0:43:040:43:07

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

0:43:090:43:12

would be to open up this doorway.

0:43:120:43:14

It just feels a little bit pinched.

0:43:140:43:17

It would make the kitchen feel so much larger

0:43:170:43:19

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

0:43:190:43:23

And the people who felt there was more growth to come

0:43:250:43:27

were father-and-son team Farooq and Ibrahim,

0:43:270:43:31

who paid £375,000 at auction.

0:43:310:43:34

This was a new departure for them both.

0:43:340:43:36

I just recently graduated from uni doing product design.

0:43:390:43:41

We've always had a keen interest in property

0:43:410:43:44

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

0:43:440:43:46

Do you have any property knowledge, yourself?

0:43:460:43:48

Well, I'm a retired chartered civil engineer,

0:43:480:43:52

We did a few projects,

0:43:520:43:54

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

0:43:540:43:58

So, buildings is something you know about?

0:43:580:44:00

-Yeah. That's correct.

-So, the plan was that Farooq would offer guidance

0:44:000:44:03

and help to Ibrahim to get

0:44:030:44:05

his fledgling property career off the ground.

0:44:050:44:08

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

0:44:080:44:11

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

0:44:110:44:15

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

0:44:180:44:21

Right. Talk about kerb appeal.

0:44:270:44:29

This place has now got it in spades.

0:44:290:44:31

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

0:44:350:44:39

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

0:44:410:44:45

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

0:44:520:44:57

Seems they took your advice, Lucy.

0:44:570:45:00

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

0:45:000:45:03

and we've created an open living space.

0:45:030:45:05

We've had to refurbish the whole kitchen,

0:45:050:45:08

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

0:45:080:45:12

We've also added a toughened-glass splashback

0:45:120:45:16

to give that contemporary, modern look.

0:45:160:45:18

And, most importantly, those key lime green walls

0:45:180:45:21

are not there any more.

0:45:210:45:22

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

0:45:410:45:46

but what about in the bathroom?

0:45:460:45:48

Great job.

0:45:540:45:55

So, who deserves the pat on the back?

0:45:550:45:57

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

0:46:020:46:05

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

0:46:050:46:08

We both did it together.

0:46:080:46:10

They did have tradesmen in where needed,

0:46:120:46:14

and other family members helped too.

0:46:140:46:16

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

0:46:160:46:22

How did he partnership work out?

0:46:220:46:25

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

0:46:250:46:28

But, on the whole, it went smoothly.

0:46:280:46:31

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

0:46:310:46:33

Well, that's good to know.

0:46:330:46:35

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

0:46:350:46:38

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

0:46:380:46:41

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

0:46:430:46:46

and how they do it and get some...

0:46:460:46:49

hands-on experience and then take it from there.

0:46:490:46:52

Sounds like a sensible plan.

0:46:520:46:54

And you can certainly see Ibrahim's design skills

0:46:540:46:57

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

0:46:570:47:01

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

0:47:030:47:09

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

0:47:090:47:14

I think the biggest cost was the front garden

0:47:140:47:17

but it added to the kerb appeal so, naturally,

0:47:170:47:21

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

0:47:210:47:23

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

0:47:230:47:27

Ibrahim could be right,

0:47:290:47:31

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

0:47:310:47:36

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

0:47:360:47:41

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

0:47:420:47:45

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

0:47:450:47:49

What do two local property experts think?

0:47:500:47:53

First, the agent who saw it last time.

0:47:530:47:55

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

0:47:580:48:02

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

0:48:020:48:04

A lot of people love that now.

0:48:040:48:06

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

0:48:060:48:10

and I think they've done it very well.

0:48:100:48:11

And the layout of the kitchen is also very good

0:48:110:48:13

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

0:48:130:48:18

I really, really like it, actually.

0:48:180:48:19

I wasn't expecting such a high finish.

0:48:190:48:22

I love the colour of the flooring,

0:48:220:48:24

I love the fact it's semi open-plan

0:48:240:48:26

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

0:48:260:48:30

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

0:48:300:48:33

but they also had barren land around it.

0:48:330:48:36

They've really made the most of it.

0:48:360:48:37

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

0:48:370:48:41

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

0:48:410:48:43

even though it's facing the road.

0:48:430:48:45

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

0:48:450:48:50

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

0:48:500:48:55

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

0:48:550:48:58

Yes, but how much money will they need to pay

0:48:580:49:00

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

0:49:000:49:06

I think when the property's fully finished,

0:49:060:49:08

it would go on the market at £525,000

0:49:080:49:11

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

0:49:110:49:15

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

0:49:150:49:16

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

0:49:160:49:20

It's slightly higher than we anticipated

0:49:200:49:22

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

0:49:220:49:26

So, should they sell it on, as hoped,

0:49:260:49:28

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

0:49:280:49:33

That's got to be encouraging enough

0:49:330:49:35

for them to do more properties in the future.

0:49:350:49:37

Our aim is, hopefully, to get to a stage

0:49:380:49:40

where we can build a house from scratch

0:49:400:49:42

and design every single aspect of it.

0:49:420:49:45

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

0:49:450:49:47

I'm hoping to continue for two more years

0:49:470:49:51

until Ibrahim stands on his feet.

0:49:510:49:55

You know, then I shall be drifting out.

0:49:550:49:59

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

0:49:590:50:02

# I'm riding solo, solo. #

0:50:020:50:04

Time to head back to Wolverhampton,

0:50:100:50:12

where I saw this semidetached property.

0:50:120:50:14

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

0:50:160:50:19

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

0:50:190:50:22

Downstairs had the bonus of a small toilet

0:50:220:50:25

and there was plenty of room in the kitchen.

0:50:250:50:28

There was also a lot more room outside.

0:50:280:50:31

It is some size.

0:50:310:50:32

I think, just a bit of TLC out here,

0:50:320:50:35

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

0:50:350:50:38

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

0:50:380:50:40

just to see if there's anything wrong with

0:50:400:50:42

the tiles, the roof, anything like that.

0:50:420:50:44

All I've spotted is a little bit of rendering

0:50:440:50:47

that needs either to be patched up,

0:50:470:50:48

or you could restart it and do it again.

0:50:480:50:51

Buying this at auction for 81 grand

0:50:510:50:54

was plumber and heating engineer Ismat,

0:50:540:50:56

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

0:50:560:51:00

when buying properties in the future.

0:51:000:51:02

-Did you read the legal pack?

-No.

0:51:020:51:05

-Did you view the property?

-No.

0:51:050:51:07

-So, you just bought this blind?

-Just bought it blind.

0:51:070:51:10

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

0:51:100:51:12

-Yeah. I will.

-Not allowed to do that any more.

0:51:120:51:14

Nah, you should read the legal pack.

0:51:140:51:16

There you go, you see.

0:51:160:51:19

So, you got lucky.

0:51:190:51:21

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

0:51:210:51:23

Well, you may have heard of the saying,

0:51:230:51:25

the harder you work, the luckier you get,

0:51:250:51:27

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

0:51:270:51:32

But how lucky was Ismat going to be?

0:51:320:51:34

# Well, I'm a lucky man

0:51:360:51:40

# With fire in my hands... #

0:51:420:51:48

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

0:51:480:51:52

The kitchen is so much better.

0:51:520:51:55

The little downstairs toilet has seen some big changes

0:51:550:51:58

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

0:51:580:52:02

The sealed-up doorway has been opened up

0:52:060:52:08

and offers a different way to make an entrance.

0:52:080:52:10

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

0:52:130:52:16

So much better.

0:52:160:52:18

Upstairs, the bathroom is also looking much smarter.

0:52:220:52:25

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

0:52:340:52:36

is the fireplaces in the bedrooms.

0:52:360:52:39

But I'm very impressed with the changes outside.

0:52:420:52:46

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

0:52:460:52:50

so it's easier for cars to park.

0:52:500:52:52

The exterior has also been re-rendered

0:52:520:52:55

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

0:52:550:52:59

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

0:52:590:53:03

to get rid of everything in this garden.

0:53:030:53:05

Which now has plenty of space

0:53:050:53:07

for Ismat and his kids to have a kickabout.

0:53:070:53:10

Good save, young man!

0:53:140:53:16

Now Ismat is finished,

0:53:160:53:17

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

0:53:170:53:21

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

0:53:210:53:26

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

0:53:260:53:32

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

0:53:320:53:36

Most of the work's done by myself,

0:53:360:53:39

apart from plastering and some of the electrics,

0:53:390:53:42

and I've carried on with the rest,

0:53:420:53:44

central heating, up and down the house, decorating.

0:53:440:53:46

Plus, thank you to my wife for painting.

0:53:460:53:50

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

0:53:500:53:54

but what was his son Mosun's contribution?

0:53:540:53:57

I did designing, painting,

0:53:570:54:00

mainly helping my dad do the central heating,

0:54:000:54:05

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

0:54:050:54:07

We had a bit of arguing.

0:54:070:54:09

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

0:54:090:54:12

I says, "Can you bring some elbow?"

0:54:120:54:14

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

0:54:140:54:20

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

0:54:200:54:23

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

0:54:230:54:26

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

0:54:260:54:29

Especially when I'm tired.

0:54:290:54:31

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

0:54:310:54:34

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

0:54:340:54:37

That will explain how they got the work done

0:54:370:54:40

in his timescale of two to three months.

0:54:400:54:42

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

0:54:450:54:49

in exactly two months.

0:54:490:54:51

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

0:54:510:54:54

Between my birthday and his - exactly two months.

0:54:540:54:58

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

0:54:580:55:01

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

0:55:010:55:04

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

0:55:040:55:06

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

0:55:060:55:09

after work months of work together here.

0:55:090:55:11

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

0:55:110:55:15

within the planned five-to-seven grand budget,

0:55:150:55:18

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

0:55:180:55:23

he has actually spent £10,860.

0:55:230:55:27

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

0:55:270:55:32

So, has he made his mind up yet?

0:55:320:55:33

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

0:55:350:55:40

We'll stick to them,

0:55:400:55:42

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

0:55:420:55:44

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

0:55:440:55:49

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

0:55:490:55:52

We've asked along two local estate agents

0:55:520:55:54

to give us their opinions on the finished house.

0:55:540:55:57

Last time I came, a couple of months ago,

0:55:570:55:59

they've undergone a modernisation programme

0:55:590:56:03

that turned the property into a rather lovely house.

0:56:030:56:06

Now, it looks the bee's knees.

0:56:060:56:09

All the rooms are now painted white,

0:56:090:56:13

which is a good neutral colour

0:56:130:56:15

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

0:56:150:56:19

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

0:56:190:56:22

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

0:56:220:56:25

There's also a garden at the rear.

0:56:250:56:27

And, a big plus, the downstairs toilet,

0:56:270:56:29

which is always very, very handy for people.

0:56:290:56:31

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

0:56:310:56:35

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

0:56:350:56:39

He has already agreed to rent the property out

0:56:390:56:42

for £580 per calendar month.

0:56:420:56:44

That's a yield of 7%.

0:56:440:56:46

And both agents thought that was about right.

0:56:460:56:49

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

0:56:490:56:53

which is just under 92 grand.

0:56:530:56:55

If we were to put this property up for sale,

0:56:550:56:57

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

0:56:570:57:02

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

0:57:020:57:07

Although, I think, I would probably be inclined

0:57:070:57:09

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

0:57:090:57:13

120 would have been all right.

0:57:130:57:16

115 is a bit low because, to be honest,

0:57:160:57:18

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

0:57:180:57:22

Nothing wrong with having pride in your work.

0:57:220:57:25

So, what's next for Ismat?

0:57:250:57:27

I'll have a short break...

0:57:270:57:30

..to look after my customers

0:57:310:57:33

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

0:57:330:57:37

then I'll go for the next one.

0:57:370:57:39

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

0:57:390:57:42

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

-Oh!

0:57:430:57:48

Very good. He's my main man here.

0:57:490:57:52

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

0:57:550:58:00

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

0:58:000:58:03

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

0:58:030:58:05

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

0:58:050:58:06

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