Episode 59 Homes Under the Hammer


Episode 59

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Transcript


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Hello, and welcome to the show.

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Now, I've been in the world of property long enough

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to know that things don't always go to plan.

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Yes, you've got to take the rough with the smooth,

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and everything in between.

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But get it right, and it can be a worthwhile and lucrative experience,

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especially if you try your luck under the hammer.

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Another day, another three properties

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waiting to be transformed.

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But hopefully, it's not just the properties that are transformed,

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but also the lives of the auction buyers.

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Yes, I can't wait to see the plans for their projects and the stories

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-behind each of them.

-Yeah, well, we don't have to wait much longer -

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here are the three properties we are featuring on today's show.

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Things are too good to be true at this three-bed terrace in Liverpool.

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What is wrong with this house?!

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Nothing.

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And I'm green with envy at this end terrace in Derbyshire.

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If green is your colour, you might go crazy when it comes to bidding.

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Green is everywhere!

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And I'm rambling in the countryside in Cumbria,

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but looking around this former pub is thirsty work.

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Wonder what time last orders were.

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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 for them

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when they went under the hammer.

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It's gone, it's yours.

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I'm visiting Liverpool, famous of course for the River Mersey,

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The Beatles, and two little local football teams.

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Well, if you're looking for an affordable home or somewhere where

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the buy-to-let model still stacks up financially,

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you are not going to go too far wrong here.

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You've got Anfield football stadium around the corner,

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shops and amenities close by, and this is the house I'm here to see,

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three bedrooms, mid-terrace, guide price, wait for it, 40,000 quid.

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# I'm going down to Liverpool... #

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So for that kind of money, you probably think it's going to be a disaster,

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but you know what? First impressions are not too bad.

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I like the parquet floor, that would be really pleasant it was cleaned up,

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just get a sander and sort that out.

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Stairs, again, if they were stripped back, they would be rather beautiful.

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In its day, I'm sure this would have been a pretty grand house.

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Look at this staircase.

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It's little things like that.

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Yeah, pretty nice. Anyway, interesting layout.

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Two doors, there's one there, that is a bit weird.

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Another one here, and unfortunately...

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Major health and safety advisory here.

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That is not safety glass.

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You fall into that at speed, it would smash.

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Gosh knows what it would do to you.

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So that needs to go, obviously.

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But then continuing the good news into this room,

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more of this parquet flooring. Aren't they beautiful, honestly?

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But, yeah, it is a good-sized front living room,

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and then through to the rear one.

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Rear living room, pretty pleasant as well,

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and again the parquet floor continuing through,

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I really want to see that cleaned up, it would be spectacular.

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And then through into the kitchen.

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Now... This is going to need a bit of work, but...

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You've got to love that! Right, OK.

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That's an old doorway.

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Clearly either block it up properly,

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or maybe reconfigure this to have that as the entrance,

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I don't know how that would work.

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You would need to sit down with a pencil and paper and work that one out.

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But at least there is a doorway there, gives you a few options.

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And then the size of the kitchen itself, not too bad.

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Clearly you're going to make a big difference with what you do in here.

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Doors, doors, and more doors.

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Sliding doors, glass doors, doors boarded up,

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and then there's the kitchen.

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Those units, and the doors need to go, but so far,

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this is not too bad at all.

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Time to go out...

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doors.

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Well, at the back of the property, not exactly a huge garden,

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but at least it is some outdoor space,

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and you have got this all-important door leading onto an alleyway out the back,

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which is another access to the property, which is quite good.

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Looking down the row of properties,

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a few people have actually done extensions,

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and that is something you might consider - maybe a single-storey extension.

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But otherwise, just some nice planting in here,

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and it could be a really pleasant little space.

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A small extension under permitted development might be enough to make

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that kitchen a bit more family-friendly.

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After all, this is a three-bed house.

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So, upstairs,

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and I've just got to show you this amazing bit of decorating.

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Now, this is a decorating technique I have not seen in the 14 years of

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doing Homes Under The Hammer before.

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It's... Well, basically, nice embossed wallpaper,

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but then, at the joints, instead of matching the joints up,

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what you do is you stick a bit of polystyrene ceiling tile on there.

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That's a new one on me. Absolutely love it.

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But anyway, obviously that's all going to be stripped back, but it's

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just really interesting the ideas people come up with, isn't it?

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So into the first floor, of course.

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Bathroom, you know, funnily enough,

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these tiles are very much back in fashion.

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I don't know if you'd be able to re-do the bathroom and keep those tiles.

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Probably not.

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New suite in there and all that kind of stuff.

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Some reasonable sized rooms.

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Rear bedroom there, a really nice size, you've got these floorboards,

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which look, again, in pretty good condition.

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Bit more of a box room at the front on that side, but I've seen smaller.

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And then into what is, I suppose, the master bedroom.

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It mirrors that great bay window which you've got downstairs.

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And the windows themselves, double glazed, fairly new,

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so that is a big expense that has been saved.

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Doesn't smell of damp, doesn't look like it's had any leaks.

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What is wrong with this house?!

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Nothing.

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It's a good one.

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But did a local estate agent agree?

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What did he make of what I think is a rather fine house,

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guided at £40,000?

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My first impressions of the property is it is definitely a project

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property, for someone who wants to get stuck in.

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It is going to need everything doing - kitchen, bathroom, rewire,

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replaster, plumbing, so it is quite a lengthy process on this one.

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So it is not for the faint-hearted.

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For the more bold amongst us,

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what could the options be for this house once refurbished?

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Most people tend to buy to rent these out,

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because it is very much an investors' hub at the moment,

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there's quite a lot of activity with buy-to-let investors.

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So that suggests there might be good yields here at present.

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So, what could this house achieve?

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On completion of the work, with a full refurbishment,

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I'd expect this property to rent for

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between £500 and £550 per calendar month.

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And what about sales?

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On completion of all the work,

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I would anticipate this property to sell in the region of £85,000.

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Well, that initial guide price of £40,000 might have had you thinking

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this place is going to be an absolute disaster,

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but you know what? It's not. It's a good solid house.

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Yes, it needs a bit of tidying up, but that's about it.

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Can't go wrong, really.

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

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Three-bedroom terraced house, 40,000 is our guide.

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That seems like the right place to start for all of us, I think.

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Can I see 40 anywhere? Thank you, sir.

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The bid is 40. Can I see 42?

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44. 46. 48. 50.

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52? 4? 53 is a fair bid. 54?

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54, Cathy. 55, sir.

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With telephone bidders competing against people in the room,

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the 40 grand guide price was quickly left behind.

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We rejoin the bidders in the room at 59,500.

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59 and a half.

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60. 60.

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And a half? 61?

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No, you sure?

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Here we go, then, at 60,500.

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Gentleman right in front of me for the first time. Second time at 60 and a half.

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Back to you if you want to come in, you've got about three seconds.

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Third and final time at £60,500, with you, sir, are we all done?

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We are.

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Sold, well done.

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Not present at the auction, but having his dad make

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the successful bid of £60,500, was Harry.

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He's a sales executive for a door company,

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and I met up with him for a chat about his new acquisition.

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Harry, good to meet you.

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-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

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Tell me why you wanted to buy this house.

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I've just been looking in the area,

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I fancied a bit of an experiment over in Liverpool,

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because I've got other houses in Warrington and in the north-west,

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and looking at what you can get rental markets,

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what you've got to buy the house for,

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that was my main interest for coming over here.

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Right, so do you know the area particularly?

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Not really. I used to work in Aintree, which isn't too far away,

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so I kind of know it a little bit,

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and obviously near the football ground,

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but I don't have a great knowledge of the area.

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But I did enough research to give me a good feeling on it.

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So, talk through your research process and what you found out,

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and give me some actual numbers.

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Yeah, just looking on different websites in terms of rentals

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and speaking to estate agents.

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It's got a good rental income between 500 and 550,

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so I knew I could base my figures on that.

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Right, OK. And that's based on it being, obviously, done up.

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How much do you reckon it is going to cost you to get to that point?

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I shouldn't spend any more than 8,000 on this.

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-Eight?

-Yeah, without a shadow of a doubt.

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-Right.

-So I'll be disappointed if I go over eight

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because a lot of the work I'll do for myself.

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Obviously everyone in my family is in the trade as well.

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-Oh, are they?

-So I get a mates rate on, er...

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but I know it looks bad, but if you know what you're doing,

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this doesn't need as much spending on it as what someone

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would look at it and think.

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It's a surprisingly modest budget,

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but Harry has a few cards up his sleeve,

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as he works in the building industry,

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so he'll be getting mates-rates on trade and building materials.

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And, rather handily, he's done an apprenticeship in joinery.

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So tell me what you're going to do to sort it out.

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Everything! Everything.

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So, I mean, tomorrow, I've got electricians,

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got the plumbers in tomorrow.

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So it's that first fix, that will be done come Monday, so within the first week,

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I can get it skimmed.

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I'm not going to the extent of doing it back to brick,

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but everything needs to be done.

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Right. And you can do what?

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You can't do the electrics or the gas, obviously, but apart from that,

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can you fit kitchens and bathrooms?

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Yeah, so obviously anything which needs a certificate, I can't do,

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like you said, the electrics and what have you.

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But as soon as it's skimmed, every bit of joinery work I will be doing,

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the kitchen, can do the tiling in the bathroom, any flooring.

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So that is where I come in to it,

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and obviously all the painting, stripping

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and general labouring work, I can take that into account.

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And I'm hoping that doors are on his to-do list,

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but as he does doors for a living, I'm sure they are!

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But he'll be doing this as well as his day job,

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so he has a timescale of seven to nine weeks.

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What do you do when you're not doing up houses?

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Chilling, recharging the batteries.

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I'm mad on football, and to be honest with you, it's kind of got to a point now,

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it got to the end of the season, within a week,

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I was looking online for a house.

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And now I've bought one, so it's like, I need to get this done,

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eight weeks, season starts, and then, yeah, I can kick back and relax, then.

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You're a massive fan. Who do you support?

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I'm a Villa fan, so it is people like me who keep football going,

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isn't it? Because I've got Liverpool and Everton right on the doorstep,

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so I don't want to be seeing them going to the games when I'm working on that.

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So that's where I'm going to be with that.

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Oh, fantastic, and who is helping you?

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My dad's recently retired,

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and he's been touching his fingers for a part-time job,

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so we finished one up in September, and I got him working on that,

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so I have employed my dad now, you know, he's kind of carried me,

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and I give him a bit of money back by giving him a part-time job.

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-Oh, great.

-And he's handy, he's handy,

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so a lot of stuff like the painting and what have you,

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and the general stuff, giving me a lift, he can definitely help me out with that.

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Great, and probably quite nice that you can work together as well.

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Yeah, I spend a lot of time with him.

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They are big Villa fans as well, so we go to the games together,

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so we are very family-orientated.

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-Brilliant.

-So, yeah, it's good. It's a bit lonely, as well,

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if you're grafting on a house on your own,

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so it is good to have someone here with you.

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Good, well, great. Congratulations.

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-Good luck with it.

-Thank you very much.

-Looking forward to seeing how you get on.

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Well, Harry certainly seems to know his stuff,

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and he's done that all-important thing, which is his research.

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He knows that buy-to-let in this area definitely works out well

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from the numbers point of view. How will he get on sorting it out?

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He seems to have the skills as well.

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You can find out how it all turns out later in the show.

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Off to Derby now, and the town of Alfreton,

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which is said to have been founded by King Alfred the Great.

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So, will today's property be great, or not?

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The property I'm here to see, well, this is it.

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It's an end of terrace three-bedroom house with a guide price of £72,000 plus.

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Let's see what you get for your money.

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OK, what have we got?

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Pretty green wallpaper, which reminds me of my gran.

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In fact, I think my gran might have that exact same wallpaper.

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You have a wee cupboard here.

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Somebody has used it for their coats to hang up, and your fuse box.

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And then... Hmm... This is interesting.

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It's a shower room, it's only got a shower in it.

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So if you have somebody round for tea,

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there is nowhere to wash their hands or go to the toilet,

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but they can have a shower.

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Back through to our hall,

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and you have some wasted space under the stairs.

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If you want to keep the stairs as is,

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and it is always a bit of a job to reconfigure them,

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you could shut that off, somewhere to put a pram or a bike.

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And then you have two doorways.

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Let's go through this one first, into your reception room.

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Now, I can tell this has been knocked through.

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It was two smaller rooms.

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The wall was here, there's a beam across the roof,

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and also you can see the remnants of that wall,

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where it was on the ground.

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Central heating, lots of ticks so far,

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and then through this way brings us to our kitchen, and this kitchen...

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It is dated, it could do with being taken out, a new one,

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but if you just put in new appliances, it's perfectly serviceable.

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And there's an awful lot about this house

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that just needs a lick of paint.

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You certainly have a blank canvas to work with here,

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and I'd like to paint you a picture of this shower room with a toilet and wash basin.

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I reckon if you knocked into the cupboard next door,

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you'd have space. You might even be able to install a window.

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Time for me to paint a picture of what's on offer

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in the rest of the house.

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If green is your colour, you might go crazy when it comes to bidding.

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Green is everywhere!

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I kind of like it. You have a good-sized bedroom upstairs,

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and you also have built-in wardrobes and another good-sized bedroom.

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Now, your third bedroom is narrow, definitely more of a single.

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OK, you've got a toilet, little room for a toilet,

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and then another room with your bath.

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You definitely want to look into whether you can take down

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this wall and just open things up.

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Why not make it one spacious bathroom?

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Outside, you have a good-sized garden, pretty overgrown,

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needs some love and attention.

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But actually, it's not the weeds that are catching my attention.

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Up there on the roof are solar panels.

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A good thing for the planet, but you need to do your research.

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Do they comply with the microgeneration certification scheme,

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and have building regs?

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If the panels are leased and not purchased,

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the lender should always be asked for permission,

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because it's creating a long-term lease

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against the roof and the roof space.

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In the past, it has put mortgage lenders off,

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so make sure your solicitor checks the finer details,

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that all the guidelines comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

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An estimated 1.5 million homes in the UK have solar panels,

0:17:250:17:29

so it's certainly becoming ever popular,

0:17:290:17:32

which should also make any lenders less worried.

0:17:320:17:35

Although, on a day like today,

0:17:350:17:36

they won't be generating that much energy!

0:17:360:17:39

MUSIC: Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Zoe

0:17:390:17:43

But they will be getting a good clean.

0:17:500:17:52

We wanted some advice to see if this house has a bright future,

0:17:520:17:56

and asked along an agent from the auction house

0:17:560:17:59

who sold it for his opinion.

0:17:590:18:00

Demand for this type of property is always very good.

0:18:000:18:03

It is quite basic at the moment.

0:18:030:18:05

Kitchen's OK, bathroom ready to be replaced, general decor inside,

0:18:050:18:10

new flooring, and outside garden tidied up, really.

0:18:100:18:12

So, with a strong demand and with a 72 grand-plus guide price,

0:18:120:18:18

could this be an ideal quick-flip project?

0:18:180:18:21

In my opinion, the resale on the open market is likely to be

0:18:210:18:25

in the region of £120,000.

0:18:250:18:27

This is a solid house that wouldn't take much to really make it sing.

0:18:310:18:35

The layout could be improved,

0:18:350:18:37

and you would have to look into those solar panels.

0:18:370:18:39

Let's find out who saw the potential when it went to auction.

0:18:390:18:42

Well maintained, double-fronted three-bedroom end town house,

0:18:460:18:49

guide of £72,000.

0:18:490:18:51

Where do you want to be with this?

0:18:510:18:53

Bid me at £70,000. 68.

0:18:530:18:55

£68,000. 68 here, thank you, sir.

0:18:550:18:59

£68,000 is bid.

0:18:590:19:01

69 now.

0:19:010:19:02

70,000. 71, if you like.

0:19:020:19:05

71 is bid.

0:19:050:19:06

A couple of interested bidders took the bidding to £90,000.

0:19:060:19:11

90,000. 91. 92.

0:19:110:19:14

No? Thank you, sir. At the back of the room, £91,000 is bid.

0:19:140:19:18

92 in a new place.

0:19:180:19:20

93, sir. 94 now.

0:19:200:19:22

94. 95. 96?

0:19:240:19:25

No. At £95,000, I'm with you, sir.

0:19:270:19:30

For the first time... For the second time...

0:19:300:19:32

For the third and final time,

0:19:320:19:36

to paddle number 918, £95,000, it goes,

0:19:360:19:40

it's gone. It's yours. Well bought, sir.

0:19:400:19:43

The successful 95-grand bid was made by Steve,

0:19:430:19:45

who was bidding on behalf of his daughter, Lottie.

0:19:450:19:48

She's just 18 years old,

0:19:500:19:51

and came along with her 16-year-old brother, Luke.

0:19:510:19:55

They are amongst the youngest property developers

0:19:550:19:57

we've had on the show,

0:19:570:19:58

so I was keen to find out what they had in store.

0:19:580:20:01

Pleased to meet you. You're far too young and good-looking, surely,

0:20:040:20:07

to be owning a property.

0:20:070:20:09

Tell me the story here.

0:20:090:20:11

Well, we're both starting higher education in September.

0:20:110:20:15

I'm going off to uni, Luke's going to college, and we wanted something,

0:20:150:20:18

just a little project, to keep us occupied until we start.

0:20:180:20:22

So how have you got into it?

0:20:220:20:24

Is this something that your folks do?

0:20:240:20:27

My mum and dad have two apartments already, in Chesterfield,

0:20:280:20:31

and one abroad, which we didn't really renovate,

0:20:310:20:34

but my dad rents them out, and he's a landlord for those.

0:20:340:20:36

So it's sort of something we have a little bit of an idea of,

0:20:360:20:39

but it's a learning one to start off with.

0:20:390:20:42

Well, if you've been growing up with that from a young age,

0:20:420:20:45

you kind of soak it up, don't you?

0:20:450:20:47

Yeah, there's a lot of little things that we looked for when we actually

0:20:470:20:50

came to view the property,

0:20:500:20:51

which my dad had sort of told us about

0:20:510:20:54

before we initially chose this one.

0:20:540:20:56

And what was it about this property in particular that attracted you?

0:20:560:20:59

Well, my dad actually used to work in Alfreton.

0:20:590:21:02

He's a full-time firefighter, so he knows the area,

0:21:020:21:06

it is close to the A38, the M1, so we came with Dad.

0:21:060:21:11

Dad's sort of overseeing it with my mum, but you know,

0:21:110:21:14

we are taking the reins,

0:21:140:21:16

-as you would.

-Taking the reins, OK.

0:21:160:21:19

Now, Luke, how did you get involved?

0:21:190:21:22

Did Lottie say, "We got it, I need your help?"

0:21:220:21:25

Sort of, yeah. She was just like, me and Dad have bought it,

0:21:250:21:29

and roped me into doing it, you know, and here I am.

0:21:290:21:32

What would you have been doing in your holidays to make a bit of cash

0:21:320:21:37

if it wasn't this?

0:21:370:21:39

I clean part-time, so I'm a cleaner, just odd jobs,

0:21:390:21:43

so it would have just been that, really.

0:21:430:21:46

-Yeah.

-I don't do a great deal, to be honest.

0:21:460:21:48

I would sort of just be wandering around aimlessly,

0:21:480:21:50

-so just something to do.

-I love the honesty.

0:21:500:21:53

I clean, I work hard... I wander around aimlessly.

0:21:530:21:56

I don't believe that's all you do.

0:21:560:21:57

What are your hobbies, Luke?

0:21:570:21:59

I do play in a couple of bands, and I enjoy it,

0:21:590:22:01

so I do that from time to time.

0:22:010:22:03

I sometimes make money off it, but I mostly do it for fun, really.

0:22:030:22:07

What do you do in the band?

0:22:070:22:09

I play guitar and I sing.

0:22:090:22:10

What kind of music do you play, Luke?

0:22:100:22:12

Well, we play a lot of ska music, so like Madness and The Specials,

0:22:120:22:15

and stuff like that. It obviously gets people dancing,

0:22:150:22:17

-and it's fun to play.

-Is he good?

0:22:170:22:19

Very good. He's very modest.

0:22:190:22:21

All the band are very modest, but they are very good.

0:22:210:22:24

MUSIC: Our House by Madness

0:22:240:22:28

Yeah, it would have been "Madness" not to play that tune there.

0:22:320:22:36

Apparently mum Jane is the one they get their love of music from,

0:22:360:22:40

and Luke's going to study music performance in Nottingham,

0:22:400:22:44

whilst big sister Lottie is going to be studying nursing.

0:22:440:22:47

But before they start the new term,

0:22:470:22:49

they have got this house to think about first.

0:22:490:22:51

So what are your plans here?

0:22:530:22:54

Just cosmetic work, really.

0:22:550:22:57

Stripping the walls, repainting, new carpets.

0:22:570:23:00

Possibly a new kitchen, depending on, sort of, finances.

0:23:000:23:04

-Bathrooms.

-Yeah, the bathroom upstairs.

0:23:040:23:07

There is a wall partitioning the toilet and the rest of the bathroom,

0:23:070:23:10

so we are either looking at taking that wall down

0:23:100:23:14

or putting a small sink into the bathroom already.

0:23:140:23:18

-And then possibly taking the shower downstairs and putting a bathroom in there.

-OK.

0:23:180:23:22

Will your dad oversee a bit, because he's got experience?

0:23:220:23:25

Yeah, my mum and dad are overseeing quite a lot of the work that is going to be done,

0:23:250:23:29

but we will be definitely getting stuck in and helping out

0:23:290:23:32

-as much as we can.

-OK. And your budget?

0:23:320:23:35

10,000, including all the fees and costs.

0:23:350:23:39

OK. And your timescale to turn this around?

0:23:390:23:42

Two to three months.

0:23:420:23:43

Two to three months, OK.

0:23:430:23:45

And what's your plan for this when it's done?

0:23:450:23:48

We're looking to sell it on sort of straightaway,

0:23:480:23:51

and look on to the next project.

0:23:510:23:52

This is a great house.

0:23:520:23:54

I don't foresee too many problems.

0:23:540:23:56

-No, hopefully not!

-Hopefully it's your first of many.

0:23:560:23:59

-Yeah.

-Best of luck.

0:23:590:24:02

-Thanks, Lottie. Thanks, Luke.

-Cheers.

0:24:020:24:04

So, this is a first project for young siblings Luke and Lottie.

0:24:060:24:11

With their lack of experience, it could be worrying,

0:24:110:24:14

but then they seem really driven and mature.

0:24:140:24:17

And with a helping hand from Mum and Dad, they should have no problems.

0:24:170:24:20

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

0:24:200:24:23

Still to come, I'm weighing up the pros and cons

0:24:250:24:28

in this former pub in Cumbria.

0:24:280:24:29

At the moment, it is 2-0 to the pros.

0:24:290:24:32

I do like a pub, and I do like a pint.

0:24:320:24:34

And we will find out if there were any positives to working with family in Derbyshire.

0:24:370:24:42

Family bickering, family project, a lot of bickering.

0:24:420:24:45

Earlier in the show, I took a look around this three-bedroom terrace

0:24:480:24:51

with lots of original features,

0:24:510:24:53

but I wasn't keen on the non-safety glass doors, and where was I?

0:24:530:24:57

# There's things I'd like to say to you when you're back in Liverpool. #

0:24:570:25:03

Yeah, it is a good-sized front living room, and then through to the rear one.

0:25:030:25:07

Again, the parquet floor continuing through, so I really want to see that cleaned up,

0:25:070:25:12

it will be spectacular. And then through into the kitchen.

0:25:120:25:15

Right, OK. That's an old doorway.

0:25:150:25:17

Either block it up properly or maybe reconfigure this.

0:25:190:25:23

And who better to solve these glass door and blocked doorway problems

0:25:230:25:27

than Warrington-based sales executive to door manufacturer, Harry?

0:25:270:25:31

Who bought the house for £60,500 to add to his rental portfolio.

0:25:310:25:36

How much do you reckon it is going to cost you to get to that point?

0:25:370:25:40

I shouldn't spend any more than 8,000 on this.

0:25:400:25:42

-Eight?

-Yeah, without any shadow of a doubt.

0:25:420:25:44

-Right.

-So I'll be disappointed if I go over eight.

0:25:440:25:47

I know it looks bad, but if you know what you're doing,

0:25:470:25:49

this doesn't need as much spending on it as what someone would look at it and think.

0:25:490:25:52

Every bit of joinery work, I'll be doing, so the kitchen,

0:25:520:25:55

I can do the tiling in the bathroom, any flooring,

0:25:550:25:57

so that's where I come into it.

0:25:570:25:58

And obviously, all the painting,

0:25:580:26:00

-stripping and just the general labouring work, you know...

-Oh, great.

0:26:000:26:03

I can take that into account.

0:26:030:26:05

As an Aston Villa fan,

0:26:050:26:07

Harry wanted to complete the refurbishment in under eight weeks,

0:26:070:26:11

ready for the new football season.

0:26:110:26:13

Bet you wish you'd done this one, Dion,

0:26:130:26:15

to meet one of your former club's fans.

0:26:150:26:17

So let's see what Harry and his family did when we went back

0:26:170:26:21

14 weeks and one day later.

0:26:210:26:23

Well, I think Harry's done an amazing job refurbishing the parquet floor.

0:26:270:26:32

Parquet in French means,

0:26:320:26:33

"a small compartment," and this herringbone pattern

0:26:330:26:36

was most popular in the 1890s.

0:26:360:26:38

Harry did all the joinery in the house,

0:26:420:26:44

including the replacement of the glass doors.

0:26:440:26:46

Unbelievably, the kitchen cost just £350, and it's much brighter,

0:26:510:26:56

and the old doorway has been partition-walled properly.

0:26:560:26:59

I'm glad to see the back of the old polystyrene/wallpaper combo,

0:27:000:27:05

and the staircase has been painted and come up a real treat.

0:27:050:27:09

In the bathroom, old meets new, with a modern-designed suite,

0:27:110:27:15

and tiles sympathetic to the old style.

0:27:150:27:18

There's good news for original-feature fans,

0:27:220:27:25

because Harry's retained the upstairs doors, and they look great.

0:27:250:27:29

Harry calls himself a part-time property developer,

0:27:310:27:34

and he has the help of his retired dad.

0:27:340:27:37

He did have specialist trades in for the new heating, electricity,

0:27:390:27:43

and plastering.

0:27:430:27:44

But don't just take my word for it - let's hear Harry's highlights.

0:27:450:27:48

OK, so the general plan with the kitchen was to just try and open

0:27:510:27:54

everything up and make it nice and bright.

0:27:540:27:57

First thing that we did was we opened the doorway here,

0:27:570:28:00

and it had a false wall, so we reconfigured that round.

0:28:000:28:03

Then we get the light from the living room and the lounge

0:28:030:28:06

which is all coming together,

0:28:060:28:07

and it also means we can have the appliances in the corner,

0:28:070:28:10

so we can have the fridge over there, washing machine underneath,

0:28:100:28:13

rather than being in the outhouse outside,

0:28:130:28:15

so that's obviously a massive plus to have.

0:28:150:28:17

I'm so glad the parquet floor was restored,

0:28:170:28:20

but it's not necessarily a job I'd tackle on my own.

0:28:200:28:23

In the past, I think people had put dark layers upon layers,

0:28:230:28:26

and I definitely felt that in my shoulders

0:28:260:28:28

a couple of days after sanding it all down.

0:28:280:28:30

But, you know, we got it back to its original state,

0:28:300:28:33

and it's come up really nice.

0:28:330:28:36

In the end, Harry had to go back to the brick because of the damp issues.

0:28:360:28:40

They ended up having to do a full damp course,

0:28:400:28:43

which meant he had to delay other work until it was sorted.

0:28:430:28:46

Obviously, I had people booked in,

0:28:460:28:48

tried to be really organised with it,

0:28:480:28:49

but obviously putting them back two weeks, then they had work booked in,

0:28:490:28:53

there was a bit of toing and froing between tradespeople.

0:28:530:28:55

But it has been all right going over,

0:28:550:28:57

it's just a couple more weekends I've not been able to have a lie-in,

0:28:570:28:59

-but that is about it.

-In fact,

0:28:590:29:01

Harry reckons he has had just one full weekend off in the last three months.

0:29:010:29:05

He renewed the guttering and painted the exterior,

0:29:050:29:08

but were there any issues working with mum Kerry, dad Paul,

0:29:080:29:12

and girlfriend Katie?

0:29:120:29:13

The help that they've given me throughout it, you know,

0:29:130:29:16

was second to none, but this isn't the first,

0:29:160:29:18

it probably isn't going to be the last,

0:29:180:29:19

which they probably won't want to hear.

0:29:190:29:22

But they're well vetted in what they've done, and they've done a good job.

0:29:220:29:25

They're always learning as well, making mistakes,

0:29:250:29:27

but I'll sweep up after them, it's fine.

0:29:270:29:29

Harry said he'd be disappointed if

0:29:290:29:31

we went over his forecasted £8,000 budget, so did he?

0:29:310:29:34

I was able to penny-pinch a couple of times.

0:29:340:29:36

Obviously, the damp course set me over, so at the end of it,

0:29:360:29:39

I did it for 8,700.

0:29:390:29:41

Let's find out what kind of rental deal two local estate agents would

0:29:420:29:45

say would be appropriate for Harry's fifth rental house.

0:29:450:29:49

Having been in the property before, it's a total transformation.

0:29:520:29:56

It's nice and bright.

0:29:560:29:57

Kept the original features of the property, I really like it.

0:29:570:30:01

It's bright and it's light.

0:30:010:30:03

Seems to be a lot of windows.

0:30:030:30:04

I like the idea that the kitchen runs into the dining area,

0:30:040:30:07

it's nice and open-plan.

0:30:070:30:09

It makes for a nice lifestyle.

0:30:090:30:11

It's very popular lately, that sort of layout.

0:30:110:30:13

And I'm sure Harry could arrange to fit sliding safety glass doors in

0:30:130:30:17

the lounge, if being able to separate the rooms

0:30:170:30:20

would mean sealing a deal with a tenant.

0:30:200:30:23

Harry purchased the property for £60,500,

0:30:230:30:25

and spent £8,700 refurbishing it, so onto the figures.

0:30:250:30:30

It would be an easy let, between £500 and £560 per calendar month.

0:30:300:30:35

For the rental market,

0:30:350:30:37

I would put a valuation of somewhere in the region of £550 per

0:30:370:30:41

calendar month.

0:30:410:30:42

Harry's total spend, excluding taxes and expenses, is £69,200.

0:30:420:30:48

Taking the top rental figure,

0:30:480:30:50

that would equate to a yield of nearly 10%.

0:30:500:30:53

-How does that sound?

-Yeah, that's exactly what I budgeted for,

0:30:530:30:56

and that's what I'll be striving to get.

0:30:560:30:59

Now, why am I not surprised that Harry's not surprised?

0:30:590:31:02

That's because he did his homework thoroughly,

0:31:020:31:04

so will he be opening new doors in the near future?

0:31:040:31:08

I think there is just a certain element that is how far can I go?

0:31:090:31:13

How many can I build to a portfolio?

0:31:130:31:16

And I just love seeing the finished article,

0:31:160:31:18

taking the worst house in the street and then making it the best.

0:31:180:31:22

I do get a kick out of that.

0:31:220:31:23

And I'm assured by Dion that all the Aston Villa fans will get a kick out

0:31:230:31:27

of this piece of music, especially Harry and most of his family.

0:31:270:31:31

MUSIC: Ghost Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash

0:31:310:31:33

We have one brother who's a West Brom fan,

0:31:330:31:36

but he gets neglected from the games,

0:31:360:31:38

but even he says he's going to come to a Villa home game with us,

0:31:380:31:41

so we are definitely going as a family to the next game.

0:31:410:31:44

Here's to part-time property developing.

0:31:440:31:46

MUSIC: Ghost Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash

0:31:460:31:50

I'm in Cumbria, 15 miles north of the city of Carlisle,

0:32:000:32:04

in an area known as Debatable Lands.

0:32:040:32:08

Once a dangerous frontier where powerful warring families rustled

0:32:080:32:12

livestock and generally created mayhem.

0:32:120:32:15

Thankfully, the days of border reivers are well past,

0:32:150:32:19

and it's nice and quiet.

0:32:190:32:20

This is real countryside.

0:32:220:32:24

All you can hear are the birds, and the views are amazing.

0:32:240:32:28

This is proper ramblers' and dog-walking territory.

0:32:280:32:32

The property I'm here to see is a former pub,

0:32:320:32:35

with live-in accommodation.

0:32:350:32:37

It went to auction for £65,000 plus.

0:32:370:32:40

Wonder what time last orders were?

0:32:420:32:44

Sadly, time was called on this place two years ago,

0:32:440:32:48

and with an average of 27 pubs a week closing in the UK,

0:32:480:32:52

it's not uncommon to see them at the auction.

0:32:520:32:55

This one is starting to look a bit worse for wear on the outside.

0:32:550:32:59

OK, into the pub.

0:32:590:33:01

Could you restore this place and make it into a pub again?

0:33:010:33:05

You possibly could.

0:33:050:33:07

But it hasn't worked before, will it work again?

0:33:070:33:09

It's possibly going to be a bit of a gamble.

0:33:090:33:12

As there is a pub only two miles down the road,

0:33:120:33:15

which tells me two pubs in a small area, just isn't working.

0:33:150:33:18

But it is sad, isn't it? Sad to see another pub close.

0:33:190:33:24

I do like a pub and I do like a pint.

0:33:240:33:26

Well, there's no beer here and given the decline in this sort of business,

0:33:340:33:38

I reckon the sound of pork scratchings being crunched

0:33:380:33:42

will never be heard again.

0:33:420:33:44

What there is, is a very tired and dark space, and I do mean space.

0:33:440:33:49

Lots of it. This lot doesn't just come with a bar,

0:33:490:33:52

there's residential space as well, a lounge, kitchen,

0:33:520:33:56

bathroom downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs.

0:33:560:33:59

And if that wasn't enough, at the other end of the building,

0:34:020:34:05

there's yet more room.

0:34:050:34:07

OK, downstairs, as you come in the door,

0:34:090:34:12

you've got a bedroom and bathroom.

0:34:120:34:14

Down the corridor there, I can see three further rooms,

0:34:140:34:18

and in there we have another bedroom.

0:34:180:34:20

Into what looks to me like a dining sort of lounge area,

0:34:210:34:26

with kitchen over here.

0:34:260:34:28

Now, from what I've seen, there's a lot of space here

0:34:280:34:31

and don't forget, this is separate from the pub

0:34:310:34:34

and the accommodation over there.

0:34:340:34:37

The guide price is £65,000 plus. Bonkers.

0:34:370:34:40

MUSIC: Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal

0:34:400:34:43

It's certainly a gigantic bit of property for the guide price.

0:34:430:34:46

There's also a fairly big garden with some lovely views.

0:34:460:34:50

But there's a reason for that guide price.

0:34:500:34:53

This place is pretty remote,

0:34:530:34:54

so anyone looking for a business premises

0:34:540:34:57

couldn't rely on passing trade.

0:34:570:35:00

Potential buyers could be limited.

0:35:000:35:02

Perhaps a business that could utilise the land could work.

0:35:020:35:06

A small transport business or a market garden might work.

0:35:060:35:09

But what could a property developer do with it?

0:35:090:35:12

I think it's too big to be one dwelling.

0:35:120:35:14

You could break it up into two but I still think it's too big for that.

0:35:140:35:18

Three maybe, you might get away with it.

0:35:180:35:20

Not for me, I would completely total the building

0:35:200:35:24

and I would build three separate houses.

0:35:240:35:27

Two/three bedrooms,

0:35:270:35:29

a bit of parking at the side of the property

0:35:290:35:32

and back here you'd have yourself

0:35:320:35:34

a beautiful back garden overlooking scenery like that.

0:35:340:35:38

Which isn't bad at all.

0:35:380:35:40

Obviously, it would all be down to planning permission,

0:35:400:35:43

but that would be my choice.

0:35:430:35:46

With the ever-increasing demand on housing,

0:35:460:35:49

I think a nice two to three house development

0:35:490:35:51

would be right on the money.

0:35:510:35:53

But does a local estate agent agree?

0:35:590:36:01

If I was going to develop it, I would look at three units.

0:36:030:36:05

I wouldn't try and make one big house

0:36:050:36:07

or even two reasonably-sized houses,

0:36:070:36:09

I would go for three more modest dwellings,

0:36:090:36:12

appealing to local buyers.

0:36:120:36:14

This area tends to be expensive,

0:36:140:36:16

because the majority of properties are larger homes,

0:36:160:36:18

so younger people who want to stay in the area have very little choice,

0:36:180:36:21

so this would be an ideal spot,

0:36:210:36:23

because there are views

0:36:230:36:25

and reasonable sized gardens to go with each property.

0:36:250:36:28

This lot was guided at 65 grand plus,

0:36:280:36:31

so taking into account site clearance and building costs,

0:36:310:36:35

which could amount to around 300 grand,

0:36:350:36:38

could this approach work financially?

0:36:380:36:40

Prices in this area for two to three bedroom properties would be

0:36:410:36:45

in the range of £125-150,000.

0:36:450:36:47

So that does indicate there could be some profit to be made here?

0:36:470:36:51

What about the rental potential?

0:36:510:36:53

Three-bedroomed properties in this area would let for

0:36:530:36:57

between £500-550 per calendar month.

0:36:570:36:59

Right, where do you start?

0:37:030:37:04

This is a massive challenge and quite daunting.

0:37:040:37:07

You've got the pub, you've got the living accommodation

0:37:070:37:11

and you've got all this out here as well.

0:37:110:37:13

I can't wait to find out who was brave enough to take it on.

0:37:130:37:17

Let's go to the auction house and find out.

0:37:170:37:18

Nice one this. A lot of property for your money this.

0:37:220:37:24

£65,000 a guide, former public house,

0:37:240:37:27

occupying a pleasant rural site.

0:37:270:37:29

Let's not mess about, 55?

0:37:290:37:32

55 here, right, 55 I'm bid.

0:37:320:37:34

56, 57, 58, 59, 60, one...

0:37:340:37:39

So there was a real battle taking place for this pub.

0:37:390:37:42

We rejoin the bidding at £80,000.

0:37:420:37:43

80, 80 I'm bid.

0:37:430:37:46

One, two, three...

0:37:460:37:48

83 bid, 84, 85, 85 bid.

0:37:480:37:51

86, 87.

0:37:510:37:54

Here at 86.

0:37:540:37:55

At £86,000, on my left then, first time.

0:37:550:37:58

Second time, are we done?

0:37:590:38:01

At £86,000, all done, all out.

0:38:010:38:04

Cheers, madam, congratulations.

0:38:050:38:07

So the hammer fell at £86,000,

0:38:080:38:11

and the job lot of pub, house and land

0:38:110:38:14

were bought by local resident, Anthea.

0:38:140:38:17

So is it time for a celebratory drink?

0:38:180:38:21

Or has she got the bulldozers revving up as we speak?

0:38:210:38:24

I caught up with her to find out.

0:38:250:38:27

-Anthea, nice to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

0:38:270:38:30

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

0:38:300:38:33

This is an unusual building.

0:38:330:38:35

What attracted you to it?

0:38:350:38:37

Ah, well, this is only about 2.5 miles away from the family farm, so,

0:38:370:38:41

and... I used to drink here.

0:38:410:38:43

-Oh, did you really?

-And it was a fantastic place!

0:38:430:38:46

-Really, you used to drink in this pub?

-Yes.

-What was it like?

0:38:460:38:49

Oh, it was great. The steaks in this place that Kenny used to cook were

0:38:490:38:52

phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal.

0:38:520:38:54

People would come from miles around to come and do it.

0:38:540:38:56

So have you had your eyes on it for sometime?

0:38:560:38:59

Yeah, yeah, we've been looking to buy a property in this area

0:38:590:39:02

because it's quite close to the family business, so,

0:39:020:39:04

it's nice for us all to be together.

0:39:040:39:06

And this whole place has been a success

0:39:060:39:08

due to my mother-in-law who has been fantastic.

0:39:080:39:11

How come, tell us more about your mother-in-law?

0:39:110:39:13

She is a very generous lady.

0:39:130:39:15

She has actually fronted up this money for us.

0:39:150:39:18

Will she get involved as well?

0:39:180:39:19

Um, no, I don't think she will because she's far too busy enjoying

0:39:190:39:22

her retirement, and enjoying herself.

0:39:220:39:23

-Oh, good on her.

-She's jetsetting around everywhere.

0:39:230:39:26

-So what are your plans then?

-Well, hopefully, if the planners allow us,

0:39:260:39:30

we'd quite like to de-license it and turn it into

0:39:300:39:32

a bed and breakfast.

0:39:320:39:34

For walking holidays, dog walking, bring your own horse along,

0:39:340:39:37

go riding through the Kielder Forest.

0:39:370:39:39

That's cool, that's a very cool idea.

0:39:390:39:41

Would you run this place yourself

0:39:410:39:42

-or would you get someone to manage it for you?

-We'll run it ourselves.

0:39:420:39:45

My husband is in the army and also, obviously, works on the farm,

0:39:450:39:49

so I'd probably run this myself, but it would be ours.

0:39:490:39:53

Well, I think there's plenty of room to turn this place into many things,

0:39:530:39:57

and if you fancy running a B&B,

0:39:570:39:59

you might be surprised to know you need planning permission.

0:39:590:40:03

The planners will take into account the impact it might have on the

0:40:030:40:06

neighbours, and if you're in a tourist spot,

0:40:060:40:08

the amount of accommodation nearby might mean you get refused.

0:40:080:40:12

You'd also have to apply for change of use.

0:40:120:40:15

Drinking establishments are classed A4,

0:40:150:40:18

so if you wanted to turn it into a restaurant, you'd need a class A3.

0:40:180:40:23

Before this property can be put to any use, it needs a lot of TLC.

0:40:230:40:28

Tell me how you're going to reconfigure,

0:40:280:40:30

are you reconfiguring it?

0:40:300:40:32

-Are you changing the layout?

-Yes, I think some rooms,

0:40:320:40:35

like the one we're standing in is possibly going to be made into a

0:40:350:40:38

bedroom with an en-suite.

0:40:380:40:40

Knock a few walls through, maybe do a few en-suite bedrooms.

0:40:400:40:43

And how many bedrooms do you want to find?

0:40:430:40:45

Hopefully four or five for the bed and breakfast side,

0:40:450:40:48

and keep the pub area and bar area as a restaurant.

0:40:480:40:51

It's going to brightened up, spruced up,

0:40:510:40:53

it's going to have some lighting and a big sports screen put in.

0:40:530:40:56

-Yes.

-Obviously the end is going to be for our own living accommodation,

0:40:560:40:59

because we'll need somewhere to live!

0:40:590:41:01

Oh, so you'll be living on-site?

0:41:010:41:03

We'll be living on site as well, yes.

0:41:030:41:05

So what will your accommodation be like then?

0:41:050:41:07

Well, we've got three bedrooms upstairs and a little kitchenette downstairs,

0:41:070:41:11

and the sitting room, so,

0:41:110:41:13

a little log burner in the very small sitting-room, wood.

0:41:130:41:15

I can see a lot of country style coming in there.

0:41:150:41:17

And you've got the outside space as well.

0:41:170:41:19

You've got, you know, a car park on both sides, as well?

0:41:190:41:22

We've got the car park on both sides, we've got,

0:41:220:41:24

hopefully we're going to have some garden out the back,

0:41:240:41:26

I've got stables out the back that need to be re-done.

0:41:260:41:29

But, you know, the stables can wait.

0:41:290:41:30

They can just wait until everything else is up and running.

0:41:300:41:33

Tell me about the budget for this place.

0:41:330:41:35

It's not a small property.

0:41:350:41:37

There's a lot to do, there's a lot of planning permission

0:41:370:41:39

that's got to go ahead.

0:41:390:41:41

Um, we think that it's probably going to take 30,000

0:41:410:41:45

-to get everything done.

-OK.

0:41:450:41:47

I know, I noticed you'd like that.

0:41:470:41:49

Yes, yes.

0:41:490:41:51

I'm thinking yes.

0:41:510:41:53

I hope so for you. I hope so for you, I really do.

0:41:530:41:56

Well, you know, we've got our own earth movers and things like that,

0:41:560:42:00

being on the farm, we don't have to hire out for diggers and tractors.

0:42:000:42:04

Ah, that's where you'll save your money, then.

0:42:040:42:06

We'll save quite a bit of money using our own facilities.

0:42:060:42:08

And the work itself, who's going to carry out all the work for you?

0:42:080:42:11

Well, a lot of it's going to be done ourselves so...

0:42:110:42:14

You know, if you put a bit of graft behind it.

0:42:140:42:17

Yes, that's one of those things that doesn't seem to

0:42:170:42:20

frighten you at all, I'm getting that graft.

0:42:200:42:22

-Yeah. Farming does it to you.

-You just get on with it.

0:42:220:42:24

You just get on with it.

0:42:240:42:26

With horses, you don't have money!

0:42:260:42:28

That's very true! What about timescale?

0:42:280:42:30

30 grand budget, what about your timescale?

0:42:300:42:32

We're hoping to have everything done in three months.

0:42:320:42:34

OK. When we come back in three months, what are we going to see?

0:42:340:42:39

Well, I'm hoping that you'll just see a whole new bright and fresh,

0:42:390:42:44

you know, loved, lived-in place,

0:42:440:42:46

rather than this sad building that

0:42:460:42:48

-has just been left for a couple of years.

-Listen, good luck.

0:42:480:42:51

-Thank you very much.

-I've got confidence in you.

0:42:510:42:54

-Thank you.

-Take care.

0:42:540:42:55

All I can say is good luck, Anthea.

0:42:550:42:58

30 grand and a three-month timescale to turn this into a working B&B?

0:42:580:43:05

I'm not too sure myself.

0:43:050:43:06

You can find out how she gets on later in the programme.

0:43:060:43:09

Approaching a property renovation can sometimes be a bit daunting,

0:43:120:43:17

depending on where your property journey is taking you.

0:43:170:43:19

Yes, but those decisions can be really exciting,

0:43:190:43:22

like choosing between a high spec finish

0:43:220:43:24

or no frills to maximise that return.

0:43:240:43:26

Yeah, we've seen how one property got on,

0:43:260:43:28

but what decisions will have to be made on the other two.

0:43:280:43:31

Let's find out.

0:43:310:43:32

We're taking a trip back to Alfreton in Derbyshire,

0:43:350:43:38

where I saw a three-bed house that despite being tired,

0:43:380:43:41

was in generally OK condition.

0:43:410:43:42

There was a downstairs shower room which was a bit unusual,

0:43:450:43:48

and I also found a few issues with the layout upstairs.

0:43:480:43:51

OK, you've got a toilet,

0:43:540:43:56

a little room for a toilet, and then another room with your bath.

0:43:560:43:59

You definitely want to look into whether you can take down this wall

0:43:590:44:02

and just open things up.

0:44:020:44:03

Why not make it one spacious bathroom?

0:44:030:44:06

That aside, there wasn't too much to do here,

0:44:080:44:10

which was one of the reasons 18-year-old Lottie

0:44:100:44:13

paid 95 grand for this property.

0:44:130:44:15

She and 16-year-old brother Luke

0:44:150:44:18

were taking on a first project together.

0:44:180:44:20

You're far too young and good-looking, surely,

0:44:200:44:23

to be owning a property.

0:44:230:44:25

Tell me the story here.

0:44:250:44:27

Well, we're both starting higher education in September.

0:44:270:44:31

I'm going off to uni, Luke's going to college, and we wanted something,

0:44:310:44:35

just a little project to keep us occupied until we start.

0:44:350:44:39

It's certainly a different summer job,

0:44:400:44:42

and with the help of their dad Steve and mum Jane,

0:44:420:44:45

they hope to get the work done in three months' time

0:44:450:44:48

and for ten grand.

0:44:480:44:49

So it's time to check in four months later and see if this young brother

0:44:490:44:53

and sister team's first project has gone to plan.

0:44:530:44:57

# Like you imagine when you were young

0:44:570:45:03

# Can we climb this mountain I don't know

0:45:060:45:10

# Higher now than ever before I

0:45:100:45:14

# Know we can make it if we take it slow

0:45:140:45:17

# Let's take it easy Easy now, watch it go... #

0:45:170:45:21

There is still work to be done here,

0:45:210:45:24

but the finishing touches,

0:45:240:45:25

like the floors, are being picked by the new owners.

0:45:250:45:28

Yes, incredibly,

0:45:280:45:30

they sold the house just four weeks after purchasing it at auction.

0:45:300:45:34

This has meant the new owner has been able to have a big input into the renovation works.

0:45:340:45:38

So, we spoke to the buyers regarding downstairs, and they decided that

0:45:380:45:42

instead of having the new shower and toilet facilities,

0:45:420:45:46

they'd rather have it as a utility room,

0:45:460:45:48

so we're leaving that and just going to put sockets in for that.

0:45:480:45:52

And then the upstairs, the buyers said they'd rather have

0:45:520:45:55

the separation wall between the toilet and bathroom,

0:45:550:45:59

so we're leaving that as it is,

0:45:590:46:01

and it's turned out it's a lot less work

0:46:010:46:03

and a lot less money for us to spend.

0:46:030:46:05

Their initial budget for the work was ten grand,

0:46:050:46:08

and they've managed to come in just under that at £9,500 total spend.

0:46:080:46:13

The whole family has chipped in to keep the costs down.

0:46:130:46:18

I've done sort of mainly the

0:46:180:46:19

stripping and taking everything off.

0:46:190:46:22

Me and my little brother, Will, painted the fences at the front.

0:46:220:46:26

My dad cut the hedge, reseeded, cut the rose bushes back.

0:46:270:46:31

My mum's done all the gloss. Me and my dad have done all the painting.

0:46:310:46:34

-Luke's done...

-A lot.

-A lot of the garden work!

0:46:340:46:37

But as, sort of, time progressed, he had music commitments,

0:46:380:46:41

so he's not done as much in the house as he could have done,

0:46:410:46:44

but he did quite a lot of the more difficult and labour-intensive work outside.

0:46:440:46:50

As well as the fact I can't paint at all, so...

0:46:500:46:52

Yeah, Luke is not allowed

0:46:520:46:54

within two metres of a paintbrush when Mum's here.

0:46:540:46:57

Luke might have been banned from the paintbrush but he did a lot

0:46:570:47:00

of good work in the garden, which is looking much improved.

0:47:000:47:04

And although things have taken a little longer than the initial

0:47:040:47:07

three-month timescale,

0:47:070:47:09

firefighter dad, Steve,

0:47:090:47:10

had good reason for not being able to crack on with

0:47:100:47:14

the work straightaway.

0:47:140:47:16

Well, when we first started the project, my dad had

0:47:160:47:18

just had an operation on his back to have some of his discs removed,

0:47:180:47:21

so he wasn't sort of able to do some of the heavy lifting stuff that me

0:47:210:47:25

and my mum had to do sort of do together, but,

0:47:250:47:29

he's been a real help getting some of the more intricate jobs finished.

0:47:290:47:34

He's pretty much recovered now,

0:47:340:47:36

so, he's been doing loads of tiling upstairs.

0:47:360:47:39

It's nice to hear the whole family have been getting in on the act,

0:47:390:47:42

but there's one thing that's certainly not been fun for the whole

0:47:420:47:45

family - stripping back wallpaper!

0:47:450:47:47

I think the first initial big challenge

0:47:470:47:49

was getting the wallpaper off.

0:47:490:47:51

There were four or five layers of wallpaper, which when you steamed

0:47:510:47:55

half came off, and then the other half had to come after that,

0:47:550:47:58

so that was very time-consuming.

0:47:580:48:00

If any of us were doing things lower down,

0:48:000:48:04

Luke would be doing the higher-up steaming

0:48:040:48:07

and he would drip the hot water on my back!

0:48:070:48:09

Yeah, a lot of bickering, as well.

0:48:090:48:11

Yes, family bickering, family projects, a lot of bickering, but,

0:48:110:48:15

-we've had a nice time.

-Yeah.

0:48:150:48:16

I think the finished project looks really good.

0:48:160:48:19

It's everything we sort of hoped it would look like

0:48:190:48:21

and we're really, really pleased with it.

0:48:210:48:25

I think they've got every right to be pleased with their first project,

0:48:250:48:28

and for coming in under budget, and for selling it, too.

0:48:280:48:32

So what do two estate agents think of their handiwork?

0:48:320:48:35

The changes on this property are looking pretty good.

0:48:360:48:39

It's nice and fresh, nice and light, easy just to move straight on in.

0:48:390:48:45

The selling points of this property are, it's on a quiet street,

0:48:450:48:49

it's got a lovely front and rear garden,

0:48:490:48:52

and it's very sort of spacious throughout.

0:48:520:48:55

The standard of the finish is fine for this kind of project.

0:48:550:48:57

It's clean, it's tidy.

0:48:570:48:59

The layout is a classic layout of this style of house.

0:48:590:49:01

There's no reason to change it,

0:49:010:49:03

it works fine and it would cost a lot of money to change it

0:49:030:49:06

and I don't see it making much benefit.

0:49:060:49:08

Sounds like keeping that bathroom set-up the same

0:49:090:49:12

is a good move after all.

0:49:120:49:13

But have these first-time developers made good financial decisions

0:49:130:49:17

with their £104,500 investment?

0:49:170:49:21

On the open market, I would expect this property to sell somewhere between £115-120,000.

0:49:240:49:30

I envisage this property would sell between £115-125,000.

0:49:300:49:36

I think that's a pretty good sort of estimate,

0:49:360:49:38

for what the house is worth.

0:49:380:49:40

We're right in the middle of the valuation

0:49:400:49:43

which I think is really nice.

0:49:430:49:45

It's been a really nice family project that we've all had a lot of fun doing,

0:49:450:49:49

and it's definitely encouraged us to look for other projects.

0:49:490:49:52

Yeah, we all really enjoyed it, I think.

0:49:520:49:55

They sold the house for £120,000,

0:49:550:49:58

which means they made a profit of £15,500, minus taxes and fees.

0:49:580:50:04

Not bad for a first project.

0:50:050:50:07

So, what's next for this brother and sister team?

0:50:080:50:11

Well, next for me, I guess,

0:50:150:50:17

I'm just going to do as well as I can on my course, see where it takes me.

0:50:170:50:20

And I'm hoping to be a qualified nurse in three years' time,

0:50:200:50:24

and maybe move over to Australia once I've completed my degree.

0:50:240:50:27

Earlier in the show, I was 50 miles north of Carlisle,

0:50:330:50:36

looking around a former pub, with attached living accommodation

0:50:360:50:41

that had a guide price of £65,000 plus.

0:50:410:50:44

Unfortunately, I'd missed closing time by two years.

0:50:440:50:48

This watering hole had been empty all that time.

0:50:480:50:52

So I had my reservations about it working as a future boozer.

0:50:520:50:55

Could you restore this place and make it into a pub again?

0:50:570:51:01

You possibly could, but it hasn't worked before, will it work again?

0:51:010:51:06

It's possibly going to be a bit of a gamble.

0:51:060:51:08

MUSIC: Closing Time by Semisonic

0:51:080:51:12

What also wasn't working was the dingy living accommodation

0:51:180:51:21

attached to the pub.

0:51:210:51:23

But it wasn't exactly pint sized as it had three good-sized bedrooms.

0:51:230:51:26

Further to that, was a separate flat at the other end

0:51:260:51:30

the building containing another four bedrooms.

0:51:300:51:34

But I thought I'd best call time on this unconventional building.

0:51:340:51:38

I would completely total the building

0:51:380:51:41

and I would build three separate houses.

0:51:410:51:44

However, local horse-riding instructor Anthea,

0:51:440:51:47

who bought this place for 86 grand at auction wasn't going to get her

0:51:470:51:51

family's tractor and earth movers to flatten the pub.

0:51:510:51:55

When it came to this place, she'd had a serious case of nostalgia.

0:51:550:51:59

I used to drink here and it was a fantastic place!

0:51:590:52:03

-What was like?

-Oh, it was great.

0:52:030:52:05

The steaks in this place that Kenny used to cook were just phenomenal.

0:52:050:52:08

Anthea and her husband Richard now own a stake in this joint,

0:52:080:52:13

and she had plans for it.

0:52:130:52:15

We'd quite like to de-license it and turn it into a bed and breakfast,

0:52:150:52:18

for walking holidays, dog walking, bring your own horse along,

0:52:180:52:21

go riding through the Kielder Forest and...

0:52:210:52:23

-That's cool. That's a very cool idea.

-Yeah.

0:52:230:52:25

Obviously, at the end, is going to be for our own living accommodation,

0:52:250:52:28

-because we'll need somewhere to live!

-So you'll be living on-site?

0:52:280:52:31

We'll be living on site as well, yes.

0:52:310:52:33

She hoped to do the work in three months and for 30 grand.

0:52:350:52:38

A year and a half later, how's it gone?

0:52:400:52:42

There's no sign of a B&B.

0:52:470:52:50

But instead, the place is now one large house.

0:52:500:52:53

Anthea has raised the bar in style.

0:52:530:52:56

Transforming the accommodation from the dingy rooms

0:52:580:53:00

that were here before,

0:53:000:53:02

the living space has had a full damp-proof course,

0:53:020:53:05

and a log burner stove is to be installed.

0:53:050:53:08

It's going to be a cosy country retreat.

0:53:080:53:10

The downstairs bathroom looks sharp

0:53:120:53:15

with a new suite in contemporary colours.

0:53:150:53:18

While the master bedroom upstairs channels peaceful country living.

0:53:190:53:23

The rest of the upstairs is a work in progress.

0:53:270:53:31

But the wall dividing the two properties has been removed.

0:53:310:53:34

But did Anthea call time on the property's one defining feature?

0:53:340:53:40

The pub is de-licensed, but it's been kept as an entertaining space,

0:53:450:53:49

and I have to say I'm pretty jealous,

0:53:490:53:51

even though the taps are no longer operational.

0:53:510:53:54

So Anthea's rather unique country house is shaping up,

0:53:570:54:01

but this happy hour home has taken

0:54:010:54:03

far longer than the three months planned.

0:54:030:54:06

We did have a little issue with planning,

0:54:070:54:09

because we didn't actually start doing the building,

0:54:090:54:13

because we realised if we did start and the planners wouldn't allow us

0:54:130:54:17

to change the usage of it, then we would end up having to resell it,

0:54:170:54:21

because we couldn't keep it as a business.

0:54:210:54:23

Waiting for the change of use from commercial to residential delayed

0:54:250:54:29

the renovation by eight months.

0:54:290:54:31

Once they got the go-ahead,

0:54:310:54:33

family friend and builder Harry came in

0:54:330:54:35

and completed the works with his team.

0:54:350:54:37

But that's not to say Anthea didn't lend a hand.

0:54:370:54:40

Being as, you know, we are Cumbrian,

0:54:410:54:43

we have to do everything nice and cheaply,

0:54:430:54:45

so I did all the painting myself.

0:54:450:54:47

And being in Army quarters for years and years and years,

0:54:470:54:50

it's just magnolia, everything is magnolia,

0:54:500:54:53

so I was let loose with a whole new colour palette and, um...

0:54:530:54:57

I started off never painting anything in my life,

0:54:570:55:00

and as I've gone through the whole place,

0:55:000:55:02

I've actually got better and better and better.

0:55:020:55:04

But I do have a new respect for painters and decorators!

0:55:040:55:07

Despite Anthea's best efforts with a paintbrush,

0:55:090:55:12

the budget grew from 30 to £45,000.

0:55:120:55:15

We ended up going over because there was far more rewiring, and far more,

0:55:170:55:24

um, knocking back of walls than we thought there was,

0:55:240:55:28

and there was absolutely no point of, you know,

0:55:280:55:31

painting it and doing it if there's damp coming through.

0:55:310:55:34

So we just bit the bullet and said, right, knock them all back,

0:55:340:55:38

get them all damp proofed,

0:55:380:55:39

then we've got a building that's going to be, you know, warm.

0:55:390:55:42

In that case, let's give a warm welcome to two local estate agents

0:55:440:55:48

who we invited over for their

0:55:480:55:49

thoughts and opinions on the seven-bed house

0:55:490:55:53

which has cost £131,000 so far.

0:55:530:55:56

First impressions of the property are really good.

0:55:560:55:58

I do know the property, I haven't been in it before,

0:55:580:56:00

but I do know the house itself.

0:56:000:56:02

They've created really good residential space upstairs.

0:56:020:56:05

They've got bathrooms and bedrooms and all this kind of thing.

0:56:050:56:08

But I think what they've done with the bar as well,

0:56:080:56:10

keeping the bar in situ and having a games room, things like that,

0:56:100:56:13

-is a fantastic idea.

-First impressions of the property,

0:56:130:56:15

there's obviously an awful lot to take in,

0:56:150:56:17

very impressed with some of the alterations that have been made,

0:56:170:56:21

particularly the kitchen,

0:56:210:56:23

but the real centrepiece for me is

0:56:230:56:25

the fact that the bar area and pool table have been retained.

0:56:250:56:28

The entertaining space has won the agents over.

0:56:300:56:33

But the work upstairs is ongoing,

0:56:330:56:35

so what could the house be worth once complete?

0:56:350:56:38

When the property is completed, if it's carried on to the standard,

0:56:390:56:43

that the likes of the kitchen, the lounges and that sort of stuff,

0:56:430:56:46

if that carries on throughout the whole house,

0:56:460:56:48

I see no reason why you couldn't

0:56:480:56:50

market this property at probably £350,000,

0:56:500:56:53

maybe a little bit more.

0:56:530:56:54

If the property were finished to a high standard and specification,

0:56:540:56:58

I think we'd be looking at a guide price between £350,000 and £400,000.

0:56:580:57:02

I'm very happy with the valuation of 350 to 400.

0:57:020:57:06

I think that's fair.

0:57:060:57:08

Of course, Anthea's living in the house

0:57:080:57:10

but the higher value of 400 grand

0:57:100:57:13

could give her a potential profit of 269 grand, minus taxes and fees.

0:57:130:57:19

That's a good incentive to get the finishing touches done and dusted.

0:57:190:57:23

But in the meantime, Anthea, get the drinks in.

0:57:230:57:27

I love the fact that this place has

0:57:270:57:29

now got a new fresh breath of life in it,

0:57:290:57:31

and we haven't really changed much about the bar.

0:57:310:57:34

The bar is still exactly the same as it has been

0:57:340:57:36

for years and years and years.

0:57:360:57:38

And, of course, we've got a lot of friends round here,

0:57:380:57:40

so they come in and join us for a few drinks on a Friday night,

0:57:400:57:43

and it's just like old times.

0:57:430:57:45

Have today's property stories filled you with inspiration to pop down to

0:57:470:57:51

your auction room?

0:57:510:57:53

Or perhaps you just like watching the buyers

0:57:530:57:55

with a cup of tea in hand.

0:57:550:57:57

Either way, we have plenty more renovation stories for you,

0:57:570:58:00

so join us next time on Homes Under The Hammer.

0:58:000:58:03

-Bye-bye.

-Goodbye.

-Bye-bye.

0:58:030:58:04

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