Episode 68 Homes Under the Hammer


Episode 68

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Transcript


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Hello, welcome to the show.

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Now, possibly like you, we find the whole world of property interesting,

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exciting, even addictive.

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Yes, but in order to succeed,

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you've got to make sure that you buy at the right price

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and in the right location.

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Yeah, but one way you can do that

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is to head down to your local auction house

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and buy your next home under the hammer.

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You really do need to do your homework

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if you are buying a property at auction,

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because if you do that, you might just grab yourself a bargain.

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So will any of today's properties turn out to be great deals?

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Here's what people bought.

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Lucy visits this semi in Upper Beeding,

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which was missing something.

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Take a look up there.

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And in Walsall, I see a property that was, quite frankly,

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missing the point when it came to layout.

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Why is this wall here?

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And in Kent, I visit a plot that might be missing everything

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but the framework. However...

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You've got the Garden of England just over the road.

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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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Sold.

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Lucy's driven just over an hour from South London

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to the little village of Upper Beeding, in West Sussex.

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It doesn't have a huge amount of local amenities,

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but it's conveniently located for both the South Downs and the coast.

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It's a spot popular with young families and first-time buyers

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as it's comparatively more affordable

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than some of the neighbouring villages.

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This is a popular street

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as it is literally just around the corner from the shops

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and I'm told when something comes on the market around here,

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well, boom, it gets snapped up pretty quickly.

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Now, the good news is, I'm here to see one of these houses,

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a three-bed semi, and it had a guide price of £170,000.

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Now, the last property to sell on this street went for £315,000.

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So that guide price, well, it seems suspiciously low.

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A-ha! That does not fill me with confidence.

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Don't worry, we've taken safety advice,

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and it's not a hard-hat area,

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just one to be careful in.

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OK, now I know why the reduced price.

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Right. Devastation everywhere,

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smells really bad of damp or something.

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There's a bin in the living room, never a good sign.

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I mean, look, you've got plaster board missing from the ceiling

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and I'm not quite sure about this sort of leather-clad wall.

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You might need to get rid of that.

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So the lounge is not a bad size

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if you can see beyond all the stuff in here,

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and, whoa, it certainly gets a lot worse in the kitchen.

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Look at this.

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You've just got exposed wires everywhere

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and it really, really smells of damp.

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Not a good start at all.

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So, up to the first floor and the first thing I notice, look,

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is the lack of spindles here in the banister,

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but that is the least of your worries - take a look up there.

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I think it's obvious this house has suffered from fire damage.

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The first thing the buyer of this property needs to do

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is have a professional take a look up there,

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and I would recommend getting at least three quotes

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from businesses registered with

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the National Federation of Roofing Contractors before you even start.

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This could be a costly, big job,

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and, looking at the damage up there,

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I wouldn't be surprised if the whole roof needs to be replaced.

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It's not as simple as just patching a couple of holes

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with tiles on the roof

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as its structure might have also been undermined by the fire.

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And it's not just damage from the flames,

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there's also smoke and water damage.

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What you do need to do is get it watertight

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and then get in those dehumidifiers and heaters.

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So out the back, more of the same - there is stuff littered everywhere.

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But you don't want to venture too far because, look,

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there is a fish pond right here.

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You could imagine koi carp, having a nice view from the kitchen.

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But if it were me, I would have to fill that in,

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in fear of safety for my children.

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So that's a bit of a negative for me, but a real positive is -

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that is a gorgeous view.

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Well, it certainly looks better than the view at the front,

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which is about to be observed by an estate agent,

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who we called in for her views,

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starting with what work she would do here.

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Well, the first person I would bring in here would be a surveyor,

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a structural surveyor.

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The roof has obviously been very badly damaged,

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various floors have got very, very weak floorboards.

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Structural inspection surveys and engineer's reports don't come cheap,

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so what's the agent's best guess at the cost of the work?

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Oh, perhaps around about £50,000 to £60,000.

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If all that's done to a good standard,

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with a new kitchen and bathroom,

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what could it sell for?

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You're probably looking at around about £250,000.

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And on the rental market?

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We would estimate the property would rent out

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for £1,150 per calendar month.

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This property is shocking to look around,

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but if you can see past the fire damage

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and all the black and the damp inside,

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well, I think you do get a decent amount of house for the money,

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and maybe, well, it just looks worse than it actually is.

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So who was prepared to take a risk on their renovation costs

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going through the roof? Let's head to auction and find out.

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What do we say on this one? 160, if you will.

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160, thank you, sir.

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£160,000.

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Can I say £165 at the front?

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165. 170. Take 167.

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167. 170.

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168. 168.

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169. 169.

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170. 170. 171.

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The bids quickly climb in £1,000 steps

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and we rejoin the bidding at £179,000.

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179. 179.

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180. 180. 181.

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Have a think about it, it's at the front at £180,000.

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181, anywhere else, against you now.

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180,000 for the first.

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180,000 for the second.

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Third and final time at £180,000.

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Sold.

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The pleased-as-punch successful bidder was Angus,

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at the auction with his son, Ben.

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At just £10,000 above the guide price,

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the final bid of £180,000 secured him the property.

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Angus already knew about the fire in the house, as he lives next door.

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Lucy caught up with them at the property to find out more.

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Angus and Ben, congratulations.

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-Thank you.

-Well done. Now, I know you boys didn't have far to come.

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So why did you want to buy this,

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with the fire and everything that's happened here?

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Basically, just the opportunity arose next door, really.

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If I didn't go for it now, that's it, lost forever.

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It's nice to know it'll be done how you want.

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Now, you were at home when the fire actually started,

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did it not put you off,

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knowing there was so much fire damage in this house,

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and, you know, where do you begin?

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We had a good look from outside, we didn't have the keys,

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but the roof pitch is very fairly straight-forward, 4x2 structures,

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as far as we can see.

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So we didn't see it as a big problem, did we?

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-No, no.

-Angus is a farmer helping on his dad's farm

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and, yes, they do breed Aberdeen Angus there.

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He's also a fuel distributor and is financing all the work.

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Ben's a self-employed carpenter,

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and their friend Graham is a plumber and electrician, who'll be on board.

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It's a big area, 100 tiles.

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Tackling the roof, though, will mean

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entering the complex structural world of trusses,

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beams, purlins, rafters, ridges and bands,

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oh, and ceiling joists.

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So is Ben worried about the size of the task?

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We've done enough building in the past that, you know,

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throw on some plasterboard, it looks pretty good again, you know.

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-So it wasn't too daunting.

-You see, I'm a bit worried when you say that

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because I think this house is a lot more

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than just throwing on a bit of plasterboard - it's beyond that.

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I studied carpentry for two years at college,

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so that will really help me with the roof,

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you know, redoing the floorboards and things like that.

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Then you've got Graham which is, you know, just a font of knowledge.

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Just chop away all the old timbers and put new tiles where appropriate

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and reinsulate the roof.

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If it was an olde worlde house with huge gutters,

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it would be a different story,

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but, really, it's quite a simple structure.

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So I don't envisage a problem.

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-MARTIN:

-They seem confident,

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but it's advisable to get a structural engineer

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to assess the integrity of the roof and the repairs.

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If more than 50% of the roof needs to be replaced,

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then building regs apply on energy and fire safety.

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As ever, we recommend talking to Planning

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before embarking on any major jobs.

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So will Angus be adding to his current two jobs?

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Summer draws in, if you like, it gets quieter,

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so I'll have a bit more time to spend.

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I mean, hopefully, we will be able to crack on in a couple of months.

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As Graham said, get the roof on,

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and you've got yourself dry then, and do stuff underneath it.

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So how much have they forecast for all this work?

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With Graham's input, we reckon £20,000 should do it.

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£20,000 for the whole house or just for the roof?

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For materials and labour, yeah.

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So you think for £20,000, you can have the finished job here?

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The structure, yeah.

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The structure for £20,000.

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You know, we're doing it ourselves, you know,

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so we're not employing expensive builders, plasterers, plumbers.

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You know, Graham's really good at things like that.

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So that will all keep the cost down and, you know,

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we do think outside the box.

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We use a lot of things we've got up the farm and bits...

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So we think there's about £500 worth of 4x2 timbers,

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which isn't a lot, really, just the timbers.

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Some of the tiles will be reusable.

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Obviously, you're not going to use anything that's damaged,

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get new or good second-hand.

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Do you think you're at an advantage because you live next door

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and you know the house, you know the estate really well?

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I must admit, we looked at my house next door and the loft,

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they're really quite straight-forward.

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Yeah, I hope I'm not being too over-optimistic.

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Or naive perhaps?

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Or naive.

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Hopefully not, no.

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Maybe, maybe a little.

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Might be.

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We will see indeed, and, hopefully, Angus will decide

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whether to fit the shell out and rent it or sell it on.

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How long do you think it's going to take you to complete?

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A couple of months. I mean,

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the big thing is getting all the stuff out and that.

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Did you just really say a couple of months?

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That's only eight weeks.

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-Yes.

-So eight weeks, and that's to get the roof on

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and do the rest of the work.

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I mean, the house is in a really bad state of disrepair.

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-Yeah.

-Do you really think it'll only be two months?

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I mean, that will be you guys AND some, on the project

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every single day.

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Personally, I reckon kind of eight months.

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It all depends what time we throw at it, doesn't it?

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Yeah, this's it. Yeah, I'm thinking other things that we do as well.

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

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If you're free any weekends, we could do with the help.

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I could pop down, get my paintbrushes out.

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Sorry, I'm busy for the next year!

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Guys, it's been so lovely meeting you, good luck with this.

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-Thank you.

-And I really hope your budget does, you know, hold out.

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-Thank you.

-You have quite a bit of work to do here.

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-Just a bit, yeah.

-Good luck.

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-Lovely to meet you, Angus.

-You too.

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-And you, Ben, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

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This is no run-of-the-mill semi,

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it needs an awful lot of work,

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and I can't help but think, well,

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they're being just a little bit relaxed about the extent of it.

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Dad says two months, Ben says eight.

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Join me later in the programme, and you can find out how it goes.

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Off to the Black Country

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in the West Midlands now, and the town of Walsall.

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The local dialect is very distinctive

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with many unique phrases.

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Let's see if today's property is "summat busting" -

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that's something good to the rest of us.

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Well, about a mile-and-a-half from the town centre,

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in this nice residential road

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just off a main road, is the property I'm here to see.

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£44,000 was the guide price for this three-bedroomed semidetached.

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Now, £44,000 doesn't sound like a lot of money,

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but straightaway I'm noticing a few worrying things - that crack.

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Still, as ever, let's see what the inside has in store.

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Well, the door could do with a lick of paint. Ha-ha!

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I somehow think that's not going to be the worst I'm going to find.

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But let's just try and look at the layout.

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Original features. Look at that door, absolutely beautiful.

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I'd love to see that stripped back with the original stained glass,

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which is lovely.

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Oh, you don't have to walk very far.

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The floor feels like it's giving way there as well,

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which could tie in with what I've seen outside.

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But let's just focus on the layout for a second.

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Front living room there, very old and dated fireplace.

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In fact, the whole place smells and feels really dated,

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but nice-sized rooms.

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LOVE the half-timbered look.

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Yeah, fantastic(!)

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Stairs up to the bedrooms there

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and then through into, well,

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a sort of area of the house where you could definitely do with

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basically knocking down some walls.

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This little area here, I guess it's a sort of, I don't know what it is,

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it's not really usable because there isn't enough space

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either side of the door to get any cabinets or anything,

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so that's rubbish.

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Through to the kitchen. Now, why on earth - you know what I'm like -

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I like taking walls out, but this surely is a complete no-brainer.

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Why is this wall here?

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It needs to go, completely opening up this area,

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as do the polystyrene tiles.

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But I've still got these alarm bells going about the structure.

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I really want a structural engineer to check that out

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before I do anything.

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Opening up this kitchen would make a huge difference,

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but I do worry this house itself is opening up.

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# Until you came

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# It felt like my world

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# Was falling apart at the seams... #

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Out back, there's a garden that looks like it's been well-loved,

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a bonus, after all the problems inside.

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Well, upstairs, and there's one word that sums up the layout

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and that's bitty. It's just bitty, bitty, bitty.

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You've got this tiny room at the end here, you've then got the loo here,

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which is separate from the bathroom, which is here.

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It just, I know I'm a massive fan of keeping them separate.

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In this instance, no chance.

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Knock these walls down.

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Just, eurgh! This bit here really doesn't work.

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That, though, is another indication

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of these potentially serious problems.

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I am actually quite worried about that one because, yes,

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there's a crack on the front, mm-hm,

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but look, it's here, way into the house.

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I must be, I don't know,

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15, 20 feet into the house here, another big crack here.

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It's not looking good, is it?

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The bedrooms are a decent size,

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but the sinking feeling of subsidence never goes away.

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The floor slopes at an angle some mountaineers would find a challenge.

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Well, here in the front room, another slight structural worry.

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This wall here, obviously terribly, terribly damp at the bottom.

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I don't know quite what's going on.

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My guess is, well, it's going to be two things.

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Well, three things actually - coming down, coming in or coming up.

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Basically, they are the only ways that damp gets in.

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So probably outside, a gutter may have failed,

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otherwise, it could be the main damp-proofing,

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as I said, water rising up.

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Either way, it needs to be sorted.

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Quite a list of work needed at this house, guided at £44,000.

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What does a local property expert

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make of the potential subsidence problem?

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This area is a traditional mining area.

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There's an incidence of mine shafts in many places

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and properties of this age

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do tend to show signs of structural movement, longstanding,

0:17:040:17:08

but nevertheless, looking around,

0:17:080:17:11

there are areas of sloping to floors

0:17:110:17:13

and non-alignment of window and door frames.

0:17:130:17:16

Still worth checking it out, then.

0:17:160:17:19

After modernisation, what could it sell for?

0:17:190:17:22

From a sale point of view, on completion,

0:17:240:17:28

I would say perhaps £100,000,

0:17:280:17:30

£105,000.

0:17:300:17:31

And rentals?

0:17:320:17:34

On completion of the modernisation,

0:17:350:17:37

I think it would be somewhere in the region of £550 per calendar month.

0:17:370:17:41

Well, you could have some fun with the internal layout,

0:17:430:17:47

certainly in that kitchen area, taking out some walls - yes!

0:17:470:17:50

But before that, there's obviously some big issues to sort out,

0:17:500:17:52

the first one being that potential subsidence and the damp.

0:17:520:17:56

Get those sorted out before you do anything.

0:17:560:17:58

Who bought it? Let's find out when it went under the hammer.

0:17:580:18:01

So, a number of telephone bids on this lot,

0:18:010:18:04

but I will offer it to you on the guide at £44,000, may I say.

0:18:040:18:08

At £44,000, I have.

0:18:080:18:10

45.

0:18:100:18:12

£60,000, spoken bid.

0:18:120:18:14

61. 62. No. 62,

0:18:140:18:17

thank you, sir. 63 now.

0:18:170:18:20

63. I'm not going to halves, sir, yet.

0:18:200:18:23

63. 64, sir.

0:18:230:18:25

65.

0:18:250:18:26

No. At £64,000 then here.

0:18:260:18:29

It's the gentleman's bid at the back of the room.

0:18:290:18:31

At £64,000.

0:18:310:18:33

Now, I'll take a half if you like, sir.

0:18:330:18:35

64,500. 65.

0:18:350:18:38

We will stay in halves. 65.

0:18:380:18:39

65,500 on the telephone.

0:18:390:18:42

66. No.

0:18:420:18:43

66 in a new place, and thank you, sir.

0:18:430:18:46

66,500 on the telephone.

0:18:460:18:48

67, sir, and thank you.

0:18:480:18:50

It's in the room at 67.

0:18:500:18:51

A half again now.

0:18:510:18:53

At £67,000 for the first time.

0:18:530:18:57

At £67,000 for the second time.

0:18:570:19:00

At £67,000, sold.

0:19:000:19:03

It's yours, well bought, sir.

0:19:030:19:05

Twizzle your paddle for me, please.

0:19:050:19:07

£67,000 bagged a first auction purchase for Kevin and wife Cynthia.

0:19:070:19:13

They came along to tell me about their plans

0:19:130:19:15

for this sloping semidetached.

0:19:150:19:17

Kevin, Cynthia, great to meet you both.

0:19:180:19:20

-Nice to meet you.

-Congratulations.

0:19:200:19:22

-Nice to meet you.

-Tell me why you wanted to buy this place?

0:19:220:19:25

New career for Cynthia.

0:19:250:19:27

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

0:19:270:19:28

Yeah.

0:19:280:19:30

I'm looking to finish work at the job I'm in, and, hopefully,

0:19:300:19:33

if this goes well, then this is what I'll be doing from now on.

0:19:330:19:36

Brilliant. What are you doing at the moment?

0:19:360:19:38

I work at a golf course, doing the catering.

0:19:380:19:40

Great. So, what sort of inspired you,

0:19:400:19:43

the idea of getting into property and stuff?

0:19:430:19:45

Just watching it on the TV, really,

0:19:450:19:47

-and just thought it would be a good idea.

-Right.

0:19:470:19:50

Everybody else does it, so why not give it a go?

0:19:500:19:52

Absolutely. Good to hear.

0:19:520:19:54

And what do you do at the moment?

0:19:540:19:55

-I'm a golf professional.

-OK. Do you work at the same golf course?

0:19:550:19:58

-Yes. Same golf course.

-That's where you met, was it?

-Yeah.

0:19:580:20:00

-A long time ago.

-Fantastic.

0:20:000:20:02

So, why this house as the first one, then, for your new career?

0:20:030:20:07

-We viewed three properties, didn't we?

-Yeah.

0:20:070:20:10

And we bid on the other two, we didn't get those two.

0:20:100:20:13

And we bid on this, and we got this,

0:20:130:20:15

-and it was purely down to price, Martin.

-Right, OK.

0:20:150:20:18

And we think we can

0:20:180:20:20

turn it around, and, hopefully, sell it for a small profit.

0:20:200:20:23

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice house. It's got a few issues

0:20:230:20:26

which I'd like to talk to you about, I guess, first.

0:20:260:20:29

What do you know about the structural side of things?

0:20:290:20:32

It's in a mining area.

0:20:320:20:34

So I do know that.

0:20:340:20:35

So they will class all the ground around here as unstable.

0:20:350:20:40

And you can see...

0:20:400:20:41

When you look at all the properties around here, they are all...

0:20:410:20:44

There's cracks and the lintels are sometimes a little bit out.

0:20:440:20:47

But generally speaking, they all remain standing.

0:20:470:20:50

-So we should be fine.

-So you're not too worried about it.

0:20:500:20:52

No, when they're cheap.

0:20:520:20:53

Hopefully, not when we sell it.

0:20:560:20:58

Nice to know that it remains standing.

0:21:000:21:03

With a bit of luck!

0:21:030:21:05

Are you going to do a bit of remedial work

0:21:050:21:06

to sort out the cracks?

0:21:060:21:08

-I think so.

-Think?

0:21:080:21:11

I think the cracks that are here are fairly historical.

0:21:110:21:14

They have been here a long time.

0:21:140:21:16

So I don't think...

0:21:160:21:17

Fingers crossed, I don't think we're going to need to do any underpinning

0:21:180:21:21

or anything like that.

0:21:210:21:23

And it needs quite a lot of work,

0:21:230:21:24

but I don't think it's going to fall down.

0:21:240:21:26

You don't THINK it's going to fall down?

0:21:280:21:30

Kevin, that's optimism for you.

0:21:310:21:34

# Till the walls come tumbling down... #

0:21:340:21:37

I really hope the couple do get a structural survey

0:21:390:21:41

because it could affect the price when they look to sell on.

0:21:410:21:45

They do plan to put in a damp course,

0:21:450:21:47

so that should solve the patch in the living room.

0:21:470:21:50

What about other changes?

0:21:500:21:52

We are going to open the kitchen up. That is a no-brainer.

0:21:530:21:56

Because there is a studded partition in there.

0:21:560:21:58

We'll open the kitchen up.

0:21:580:21:59

The back room, put some French doors in there.

0:21:590:22:01

We want some French doors in there.

0:22:010:22:03

Which I think will be really nice

0:22:030:22:05

because I don't think it's worth spending the money on it

0:22:050:22:07

to actually knock it through to the kitchen,

0:22:070:22:09

-it would be too big then.

-OK.

0:22:090:22:10

The bathroom upstairs, that's a bit of a challenge.

0:22:100:22:12

-It is.

-It looks quite small.

0:22:120:22:14

But we are going to get the builder in,

0:22:140:22:17

and he's going to clear it all out

0:22:170:22:18

and we'll see what we've got.

0:22:180:22:20

But I think it should be OK.

0:22:200:22:22

We had the electrics checked out, didn't we?

0:22:220:22:24

Yeah, my son is an electrician and he likes me as well.

0:22:240:22:26

THEY LAUGH

0:22:260:22:27

So, what are YOU going to do, then?

0:22:270:22:29

What work are you going to get involved in?

0:22:290:22:31

Cynthia is going to project manage.

0:22:310:22:33

-Yeah.

-I'm going to do...

0:22:330:22:35

I'm going to do the garden.

0:22:350:22:36

So, let's go through the numbers, then.

0:22:360:22:38

You paid 67 for it at auction.

0:22:380:22:39

A few costs on top of that. Roughly what have you budgeted for the work?

0:22:390:22:43

So we are looking at spending up to 90.

0:22:430:22:47

So I think about 18,000.

0:22:470:22:48

-18,000.

-We've got a little bit of contingency in case.

0:22:480:22:51

And what kind of timescale?

0:22:510:22:53

Depending on builders again, isn't it?

0:22:530:22:55

-A month.

-I'd like to turn it over in about four months.

0:22:550:22:58

THEY LAUGH

0:22:580:23:00

I'd like to get it done within three to four months,

0:23:000:23:02

to be honest with you.

0:23:020:23:04

-Are you excited?

-Very excited, yeah.

0:23:040:23:06

I'm looking forward to it.

0:23:060:23:08

-Yeah.

-I'm looking forward to Cynthia having a new challenge.

0:23:080:23:11

Yeah, it's great.

0:23:110:23:13

Yeah, I'm looking forward to leaving my other job then.

0:23:130:23:15

Are you going to be on it full time then, pretty much?

0:23:150:23:17

Yeah.

0:23:170:23:19

And once this one is done, sourcing new properties and things?

0:23:190:23:22

Yeah, I'll have more hands on then

0:23:220:23:23

because I'd like to do a few little jobs myself.

0:23:230:23:26

But I can't at the moment because I'm still working.

0:23:260:23:29

Listen, congratulations.

0:23:290:23:30

-Good luck.

-Thank you, Martin. Much appreciated.

0:23:300:23:32

We look forward to seeing how you get on.

0:23:320:23:34

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:23:340:23:35

So, Kevin and Cynthia

0:23:350:23:37

embarking on their first property renovation project

0:23:370:23:40

as a career, certainly, for Cynthia.

0:23:400:23:43

I am a little bit concerned about this whole subsidence.

0:23:430:23:46

You've got to address it at this stage.

0:23:460:23:49

That kind of finger-in-the-air approach, you know,

0:23:490:23:51

you might mask the problem,

0:23:510:23:53

but it's just going to store those problems up for the future.

0:23:530:23:56

That really does need to be assessed.

0:23:560:23:59

How will they get on with the rest of it?

0:23:590:24:01

Tune in later and find out.

0:24:010:24:02

Coming up in Kent, I visit this plot...

0:24:040:24:07

Well, can you call it a plot?

0:24:070:24:09

I'd say it's more a potential...

0:24:090:24:11

..castle, home, forever home. Something.

0:24:110:24:14

Back in Walsall,

0:24:150:24:17

we'll find out what became of Kevin and Cynthia's falling-down house.

0:24:170:24:21

-Hopefully it will be...

-Keep our fingers crossed.

0:24:210:24:23

..saleable.

0:24:230:24:25

Back now to West Sussex and the village of Upper Beeding,

0:24:280:24:31

convenient for both the South Downs and the coast.

0:24:310:24:34

It was here that Lucy looked around this 1960s three-bed semi,

0:24:350:24:39

which had suffered pretty severe fire damage

0:24:390:24:42

and been left in this state for a year.

0:24:420:24:44

Take a look up there.

0:24:460:24:48

The first thing the buyer of this property needs to do

0:24:480:24:51

is have a professional take a look up there

0:24:510:24:54

and I would recommend businesses registered

0:24:540:24:56

with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors.

0:24:560:24:59

The property was bought by the family next door,

0:25:010:25:04

father and son, Angus and Ben.

0:25:040:25:06

Angus works on his dad's farm and distributes fuel,

0:25:060:25:10

and Ben is a self-employed carpenter.

0:25:100:25:12

The house went for...

0:25:120:25:14

-How much was it?

-At £180,000...

0:25:140:25:18

-Sold.

-Ah, that's right.

0:25:180:25:20

180,000.

0:25:200:25:21

Joining the father and son team was their friend Graham, a plumber,

0:25:210:25:25

electrician and general handyman,

0:25:250:25:28

who would do most of the internal work with Angus's help.

0:25:280:25:31

They'll probably put it just below the gutter.

0:25:310:25:34

If you get second-hand ones, they'll blend in much better.

0:25:340:25:37

Ben and Graham would take the lead on the roof.

0:25:370:25:39

It's a big area, 100 tiles.

0:25:390:25:42

Lucy was clearly concerned, given the amount of damage,

0:25:420:25:45

that they might be taking on a bit too much.

0:25:450:25:48

The roof pitch is fairly straightforward.

0:25:480:25:50

Throw on some plasterboard, looks pretty good again.

0:25:500:25:52

You know. So... Not too daunting.

0:25:520:25:54

I'm a bit worried when you say that, because I think this house

0:25:540:25:57

is a lot more than just throwing on a bit of plasterboard.

0:25:570:26:00

-It's beyond that.

-I studied carpentry for two years at college.

0:26:000:26:03

So that will really help me with the roof.

0:26:030:26:05

And you've got Graham, which is...

0:26:050:26:07

..you know, just a font of knowledge.

0:26:070:26:09

He'll be able to do the rest of it.

0:26:090:26:11

It looks like Graham certainly had his work cut out for him.

0:26:110:26:14

Their budget was 20 grand for all the building work.

0:26:140:26:18

And timescale? Well, they differed on that one.

0:26:180:26:21

-A couple of months?

-Did you just really say a couple of months?

0:26:210:26:23

That's only eight weeks.

0:26:230:26:25

-Yes.

-Personally, I reckon, you know, kind of eight months.

0:26:250:26:28

You can guess who was nearest with their estimate

0:26:290:26:32

when I tell you we are back two years, seven months,

0:26:320:26:35

26 days and two hours later to see the changes.

0:26:350:26:40

To a house that's been quite frankly redefined.

0:26:400:26:44

# I'll be redefined... #

0:26:440:26:47

Well, the roof doesn't look like it's had the fiddlers on,

0:26:470:26:50

it looks chipper.

0:26:500:26:52

Has there been a bit of spit and polish inside?

0:26:540:26:58

# Can you see me? I'm shining

0:26:580:27:01

# And it's you that I've been waiting to find... #

0:27:010:27:04

Looking good, and Angus reckons it's been the biggest budget item.

0:27:040:27:08

# You know that you make it shine

0:27:080:27:11

# It's you that I've been waiting to find... #

0:27:110:27:13

Have the bins been taken out?

0:27:130:27:15

# Can you see me? I'm shining

0:27:150:27:18

# And it's you that I've been waiting to find... #

0:27:180:27:22

Angus and Ben, take a bow.

0:27:220:27:23

It is unrecognisable.

0:27:230:27:25

But the most damaged area was at the top of the stairs.

0:27:250:27:28

How were the reparations up there?

0:27:280:27:31

# I'm going to be the one that you love

0:27:350:27:37

# That you love... #

0:27:370:27:39

There was damp behind the bathroom tiles,

0:27:390:27:42

and they found wet and dry rot in the ceiling joists.

0:27:420:27:45

Can you guess the next-biggest budget items?

0:27:480:27:51

No, it was central heating and electrics.

0:27:510:27:54

Ben's timescale was slightly nearer the reality.

0:27:550:27:58

But this house needed the full works.

0:27:580:28:01

# It's you that I've been waiting to find... #

0:28:010:28:04

Ben won the bet. I didn't really put enough thought into it.

0:28:040:28:08

And with commitments, work-wise,

0:28:080:28:11

and bereavement of Dad, his grandad,

0:28:110:28:14

put things back a lot.

0:28:140:28:17

That's why we are here today, a bit later than we should be.

0:28:170:28:19

So sorry to hear about your bereavement.

0:28:190:28:23

Angus has obviously had to spend more time

0:28:230:28:25

dealing with the family farm.

0:28:250:28:27

It makes the results even more creditworthy.

0:28:270:28:31

Admittedly, Graham was helping, but the roof must have been some job.

0:28:310:28:35

It was probably the easiest thing to do.

0:28:370:28:40

It was, actually. We thought it was going to be the hardest.

0:28:400:28:42

Off with the tiles, all-new timbers.

0:28:420:28:44

The membrane. And that was it, wasn't it?

0:28:440:28:46

Yeah, Bob's your uncle.

0:28:460:28:48

Yeah, from taking it off to...

0:28:480:28:49

..putting it back on again, three days.

0:28:500:28:52

Well, at least he didn't need the scaffolding for long.

0:28:520:28:55

To start with, you didn't think you'd need that,

0:28:550:28:57

but you soon realised...

0:28:570:28:59

Yeah. I thought we could have done it without but...

0:28:590:29:02

..you were right. I hate to say.

0:29:020:29:05

Yeah. One.

0:29:050:29:08

Now, chaps. No one-upmanship.

0:29:080:29:11

Has it been a steep learning curve for your first auction property?

0:29:110:29:14

We have learnt a massive amount from this.

0:29:150:29:19

I mean, from going from, you know, doing basic fencing and garden work,

0:29:190:29:23

that is what I do for a living, so, you know, I kind of...

0:29:230:29:26

I jumped into the garden, and, you know, I'm really pleased, you know.

0:29:260:29:30

Hopefully, the tenants will think the same.

0:29:300:29:33

-Yeah, when we get one.

-Yeah.

0:29:330:29:34

On seeing the finished product,

0:29:340:29:37

Angus decided to rent out the property.

0:29:370:29:40

At least he will be close at hand to keep the tenants in check.

0:29:400:29:43

Yeah. Keep an eye on them.

0:29:430:29:47

Ben stayed at his dad's house during the busiest times,

0:29:470:29:50

leaving his family at home,

0:29:500:29:52

which he was also refurbishing.

0:29:520:29:54

The home, not the family.

0:29:540:29:55

Put a lot of stress on the family and us.

0:29:570:30:00

I think we had a few arguments, didn't we?

0:30:000:30:02

But it is what it is.

0:30:020:30:04

You know.

0:30:040:30:05

Amazingly, they say the roof came in at two grand.

0:30:050:30:08

So in addition to the £180,000 purchase,

0:30:080:30:11

how much has all this cost?

0:30:110:30:14

We must have spent 35,000.

0:30:140:30:18

-Do you reckon?

-Yeah.

0:30:180:30:19

I suppose you know - you paid for it.

0:30:210:30:23

To find out if Angus can get his money back,

0:30:250:30:27

we invited two local estate agents along

0:30:270:30:30

for their valuations of this grand 215-grand spend.

0:30:300:30:34

You walk in, nice and open, very light.

0:30:360:30:38

Pretty rear garden.

0:30:380:30:40

Yeah, there's nothing I would change about the layout.

0:30:400:30:42

I think it works really well.

0:30:420:30:44

I think the property has been finished

0:30:440:30:45

to a very good standard throughout. It is neutrally decorated,

0:30:450:30:48

so it means someone coming in can paint it their own colours

0:30:480:30:50

if they want.

0:30:500:30:52

We know Angus has decided to rent, but if he did sell,

0:30:520:30:55

could he make a profit, and what sort of rent should he get?

0:30:550:30:58

I think the resale value of the property is approximately £285,000.

0:30:590:31:03

And the rental value of the property, approximately £1,200

0:31:030:31:07

per calendar month.

0:31:070:31:08

As it happens, the other agent said exactly the same,

0:31:080:31:12

making Angus a potential profit

0:31:120:31:13

before taxes and expenses of 70 grand.

0:31:130:31:16

Sale-wise, I expected it to be in that region,

0:31:170:31:20

with what is on offer around here.

0:31:200:31:22

Everything is negotiable.

0:31:220:31:24

I think 1,200 is very good rental.

0:31:240:31:26

Rental, yeah, I'm happy with that as well, really.

0:31:260:31:29

And it's a yield of just over 5%,

0:31:290:31:31

so any tips for anyone else trying this?

0:31:310:31:34

As we proved, it doesn't have to be done yesterday.

0:31:340:31:36

Yeah.

0:31:360:31:38

-And, Ben?

-Don't work with your father.

0:31:380:31:41

THEY LAUGH

0:31:410:31:43

Situated about five miles from Maidstone,

0:31:470:31:50

the beautiful village of Sutton Valence

0:31:500:31:52

has long been a place associated

0:31:520:31:55

with the English kings of yore.

0:31:550:31:57

Before the Battle of Hastings,

0:31:570:31:59

King Harold's brother, Leofwine Godwinson,

0:31:590:32:02

was the ruler of the manor.

0:32:020:32:04

Then, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,

0:32:040:32:08

the manor was granted to William the Conqueror's half brother,

0:32:080:32:12

Adam Fitzherbert.

0:32:120:32:13

So I think it's fair to say that Sutton Valence has royal roots.

0:32:130:32:18

Now, they do say that every man's home is his castle.

0:32:200:32:24

And today's auction lot might just give you the chance

0:32:240:32:28

to own your very own...

0:32:280:32:31

Well, it's not there yet.

0:32:330:32:35

But this piece of land could be the start

0:32:350:32:38

of you having your very own castle, home, forever home.

0:32:380:32:43

Something. It's got a guide price of £130,000 to £135,000.

0:32:430:32:48

And I can see it now.

0:32:480:32:50

You've got your drawbridge, you've got your turrets,

0:32:500:32:53

you've got your water...

0:32:530:32:55

CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS

0:32:550:32:58

The gatehouse.

0:32:580:32:59

The stables.

0:33:010:33:02

The Great Hall.

0:33:050:33:07

MUSIC STOPS

0:33:070:33:09

Um, maybe not.

0:33:090:33:10

But it doesn't hurt to have royally good dreams.

0:33:110:33:14

Now, this place obviously used to be an old farm building, maybe a barn,

0:33:180:33:23

back in the day.

0:33:230:33:24

But you know what's good about this plot? Come in,

0:33:240:33:27

it's got planning permission.

0:33:270:33:29

Yes. Not for a castle, obviously, but for a three-bed house,

0:33:290:33:33

which I think is the perfect, perfect dwelling

0:33:330:33:36

for this piece of land.

0:33:360:33:38

That is a massive bonus.

0:33:380:33:40

All you need now is a bit of imagination.

0:33:400:33:43

Imagine, if you will, these plans.

0:33:450:33:48

They come designed for a bungalow-style build.

0:33:480:33:51

Three bedrooms would be towards the east of the house

0:33:520:33:56

with a large open living area to the west.

0:33:560:33:59

Complete with kitchen area and family bathroom.

0:33:590:34:03

Sounds ideal. Well, almost.

0:34:030:34:06

So, when you buy at auction,

0:34:060:34:08

it's yours to keep,

0:34:080:34:09

and keep is a very apt word when it comes to this plot of land,

0:34:090:34:13

because you have to keep this metal frame.

0:34:130:34:16

You have to keep this footprint,

0:34:160:34:19

you have to keep the whole of this project, and build,

0:34:190:34:22

in keeping with its surroundings, so you have got restrictions.

0:34:220:34:26

So this place is definitely a case of finders...

0:34:260:34:30

Come on.

0:34:310:34:32

..keepers.

0:34:320:34:34

You also have to keep the roof,

0:34:360:34:38

and it should be made of metal to match the current structure.

0:34:380:34:41

But what kind of area do we have to keep within here?

0:34:430:34:46

Well, let me just do a little bit of...

0:34:460:34:50

# Counting

0:34:500:34:51

# Counting

0:34:510:34:53

# Counting

0:34:530:34:54

# Counting

0:34:540:34:56

# Counting... #

0:34:560:34:58

That's roughly 2,614 square metres.

0:34:580:35:03

Or 0.6 acres of land.

0:35:030:35:06

Which is not the largest footprint in the world.

0:35:060:35:10

In all my travels around this barn, I have spotted one obvious issue.

0:35:100:35:14

There are no services.

0:35:140:35:16

You know those things you totally take for granted normally?

0:35:160:35:20

Water, sewage, electricity, gas, telephone and broadband.

0:35:200:35:26

With any plot, you need to do your research.

0:35:260:35:29

Where will the services come from and how much is it going to cost?

0:35:290:35:33

If you are near the mains water supply, fine.

0:35:330:35:37

But more remote plots do need calculating

0:35:370:35:40

in the cost of boreholes for water

0:35:400:35:42

and installing sewage disposal systems.

0:35:420:35:45

There is another consideration as well.

0:35:460:35:49

Now, you won't have a very big garden at all

0:35:490:35:52

because the perimeters and boundaries of this plot of land

0:35:520:35:54

do restrict you, but I don't think it's a problem.

0:35:540:35:57

I'll tell you why.

0:35:570:35:58

Have a look at that.

0:35:580:36:00

You've got the Garden of England just over the road.

0:36:010:36:04

With the countryside as a garden and a metal structure as a home,

0:36:060:36:10

I imagine great things here.

0:36:100:36:13

# Imagination is funny

0:36:130:36:18

# It makes a cloudy day sunny

0:36:180:36:22

# Makes a bee think of honey

0:36:220:36:26

# Just as I think of you... #

0:36:260:36:30

What does a local estate agent think of this property,

0:36:320:36:35

guided at £130,000 to £135,000?

0:36:350:36:39

We invited him along to find out what he made of the proposed plans.

0:36:390:36:45

I've looked at the plans and they're very good.

0:36:450:36:47

I think they've made a really good use of the limited space.

0:36:470:36:50

It's not a big property, and I think ideal.

0:36:500:36:53

It has every bit of accommodation

0:36:530:36:56

that a young family or grown family would need.

0:36:560:36:58

When those plans have been put in place,

0:36:590:37:02

what could this hidden gem in the countryside

0:37:020:37:04

make on the sales market?

0:37:040:37:07

I would anticipate this property selling

0:37:070:37:09

at somewhere between £450,000 and £500,000.

0:37:090:37:13

So this might not look like much right now,

0:37:140:37:17

but a lot of the hard work has already been done for you.

0:37:170:37:20

It's got planning in place,

0:37:200:37:21

so you can move on this project as soon as poss.

0:37:210:37:24

Let's find out who was interested when it went under the hammer.

0:37:240:37:28

Lot 38, rural barn.

0:37:280:37:31

What are you going to start me on that one?

0:37:310:37:33

We've got a guide of 130-135.

0:37:330:37:34

130 to start me.

0:37:340:37:36

130, do I see? 130, I'm looking for.

0:37:360:37:38

No? 125 anywhere?

0:37:380:37:40

125, I'm obliged, sir.

0:37:400:37:42

I have £125,000.

0:37:420:37:44

I'm on the way. 128 now, I'm looking for.

0:37:440:37:47

128, do I see?

0:37:470:37:48

128 bid, I have.

0:37:480:37:50

130, it's against you.

0:37:500:37:51

130, I'm obliged.

0:37:510:37:53

132 now, if you like.

0:37:530:37:55

At £130,000, I've got, and 132, I want.

0:37:550:37:59

132, I have.

0:37:590:38:00

134, 134.

0:38:000:38:02

136.

0:38:020:38:03

Do I save? At £134,000, I have, at 136, I want.

0:38:030:38:08

If we're all done, then, at £134,000,

0:38:080:38:11

I will sell for the first time.

0:38:110:38:13

£134,000 for this stunning site for the second time...

0:38:130:38:18

Third and final time at £134,000, all done.

0:38:180:38:21

Yours at 134.

0:38:210:38:23

Picking up this plot at £134,000,

0:38:240:38:28

just a little under the top guide price,

0:38:280:38:31

was Alan, seen here on the right.

0:38:310:38:32

He will be helped by his brother, Dave, on the left,

0:38:340:38:37

and son, Liam, in the middle.

0:38:370:38:39

While Dave went to have a look around the site,

0:38:390:38:42

I spoke to Alan and Liam.

0:38:420:38:44

-Alan, nice to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you, too, Dion.

0:38:450:38:47

Nice to meet you, Liam, as well, kid. Congratulations, chaps.

0:38:470:38:50

You've got yourself a piece of land.

0:38:500:38:52

Why this piece of land?

0:38:520:38:53

It was affordable, I had seen it prior to the auction,

0:38:540:38:59

it had planning permission already passed.

0:38:590:39:01

Basically, I wanted to do something that I could put my own mark on.

0:39:010:39:05

-OK.

-And something that you can nurture into what you want,

0:39:050:39:10

because, although I've got to build to a plan, I can add in what I want,

0:39:100:39:15

I can choose my kitchen, my bathroom.

0:39:150:39:17

-OK.

-My flooring, so, yeah.

0:39:170:39:19

Are you building this to live in?

0:39:190:39:21

Yes. Yes.

0:39:210:39:22

-Oh, I see.

-Yes.

0:39:220:39:24

-That's why you're going to be so specific, then.

-Yes.

0:39:240:39:27

OK, what kind of things are you hoping

0:39:270:39:28

you can get your hands on and start to build?

0:39:280:39:31

Well, all of it, really.

0:39:310:39:32

-Yeah.

-And a bit of experience is good.

0:39:320:39:34

He's just come out of his apprenticeship as a carpenter.

0:39:340:39:37

-Oh, nice.

-I'm a carpenter,

0:39:370:39:40

so together, with the help of my brother...

0:39:400:39:43

-OK.

-..who's a carpenter.

0:39:430:39:45

Is he really?

0:39:450:39:46

Yes, we are going to transform this property

0:39:460:39:50

into a beautiful three-bedroom detached timber-framed bungalow.

0:39:500:39:54

You've already got planning in place, which is fantastic.

0:39:540:39:56

-Three-bed.

-Yes.

-Which is fantastic.

0:39:560:39:58

How's it going to configure?

0:39:580:40:00

Basically, behind me, there's two bedrooms going here.

0:40:000:40:04

-Yeah.

-There's another bedroom on the back.

0:40:040:40:06

-OK.

-And then the rest of it's almost open plan,

0:40:060:40:09

apart from a bathroom on the front, but it's mainly vaulted ceiling.

0:40:090:40:13

-Yes.

-So it gives you that feeling of light and airy.

0:40:130:40:16

A sort of contemporary modern look.

0:40:160:40:18

-Nice one.

-Wooden floors.

0:40:180:40:20

White walls. Yeah, I've got a few things I've got to stick to.

0:40:200:40:23

Because it's semirural...

0:40:230:40:25

-Go on, yeah.

-..and it was a barn...

0:40:250:40:27

-Yeah.

-..I've got to keep up the look of a barn,

0:40:270:40:30

so it's got to have a metal roof

0:40:300:40:32

but, like, a bespoke sort of contemporary modern metal roof.

0:40:320:40:35

It's got to have metal windows and it'll be cladded in larch lap.

0:40:350:40:39

-Wow.

-So just blend in with the countryside.

0:40:390:40:41

And he has other eco-friendly ideas, too.

0:40:430:40:46

He wants to generate electricity by installing solar panels,

0:40:460:40:49

which will get the best of the Kent sunshine.

0:40:490:40:52

Out with the old and in with the new.

0:40:520:40:55

Not quite.

0:40:550:40:56

At the moment, we've got to build round the metal portal frame,

0:40:590:41:02

we've actually got to build round it. But it'll be quite quirky.

0:41:020:41:05

-OK.

-We're going to vault the ceiling,

0:41:050:41:07

and you'll see some of the metalwork.

0:41:070:41:08

Yeah, give it that...

0:41:080:41:10

-..cosmopolitan...

-Yeah, yeah.

0:41:100:41:11

-Contemporary look.

-Cool urban look.

0:41:110:41:14

-Yeah, that's the one.

-Oh, good for you.

0:41:140:41:16

-Yes.

-Alan, tell us exactly how much it's going to cost you

0:41:160:41:19

to create your home.

0:41:190:41:21

I'm budgeting to approximately £100,000.

0:41:210:41:24

I've actually got to get electric to the property,

0:41:240:41:27

and I've got to get water here,

0:41:270:41:29

so I've budgeted those costs,

0:41:290:41:32

and I've even gone down to even hinges on the doors,

0:41:320:41:35

nails, screws, all the sundries.

0:41:350:41:37

My advantage is I've got some free help.

0:41:370:41:39

Yes. Yes, at the moment it's free.

0:41:390:41:42

At the moment it's free.

0:41:420:41:43

-Yeah.

-And what about timescale?

0:41:430:41:46

I'm looking about nine months.

0:41:460:41:48

We are going to be starting almost immediately.

0:41:480:41:51

So what about Dave, then? How is Dave going to get involved?

0:41:510:41:53

Because he's going to be helping you out, creating your family home.

0:41:530:41:56

-What have you got to do for him?

-I've got to return the favour.

0:41:560:41:59

He's going to do a similar project in the future himself,

0:41:590:42:02

so it's like tit-for-tat, really.

0:42:020:42:04

-OK.

-But it's family.

-You're sharing blood, sweat and tears.

0:42:040:42:07

-Yeah.

-I like it. I like it.

0:42:070:42:08

Well, I hope, in nine months' time...

0:42:080:42:10

..and when that 100 grand has gone out of your pocket,

0:42:110:42:13

you've got a beautiful family home to move into.

0:42:130:42:16

-Good luck.

-So do I. Thank you very much.

-All the best, Al.

0:42:160:42:18

All the best. Liam, all the best, kid. Good luck.

0:42:180:42:20

-Thanks.

-So there is a full family team

0:42:200:42:23

waiting to get started on this project,

0:42:230:42:26

and they're staying within the parameters of the plans

0:42:260:42:28

that are already in place. Which should speed things up a bit.

0:42:280:42:31

But what are they going to create?

0:42:320:42:34

Stay right there, and you'll find out later in the programme.

0:42:340:42:37

Well, earlier on, we saw how one property turned out,

0:42:410:42:43

but what about the other two?

0:42:430:42:45

Yes, will they look any different now,

0:42:450:42:47

and has all money been well spent? Let's find out.

0:42:470:42:50

Back now to Walsall in the Black Country,

0:42:520:42:55

where, earlier, I saw this three-bed, guided at 44,000.

0:42:550:42:59

£44,000 doesn't sound like a lot of money

0:43:010:43:02

but straightaway I'm noticing a few worrying things.

0:43:020:43:05

That crack. Still, as ever, let's see what the inside has in store.

0:43:050:43:10

Unsurprisingly, inside offered a whole host of problems.

0:43:120:43:17

Ooh. You don't have to walk very far.

0:43:170:43:19

The floor.

0:43:190:43:20

With the floors and the cracks, it looked like classic subsidence.

0:43:220:43:28

# I'm about to go to pieces

0:43:280:43:31

# Go to pieces, baby... #

0:43:310:43:35

And whilst you might think this is a classic case

0:43:350:43:38

of fiddling while Rome burns,

0:43:380:43:40

I was fretting about the layout.

0:43:400:43:43

There's one word that sums up the layout, and that's bitty.

0:43:430:43:47

It's just bitty, bitty, bitty.

0:43:470:43:49

# And I don't mean maybe

0:43:490:43:52

# Into little itty bitty pieces, baby... #

0:43:520:43:55

These problems were just itty-bitty ones to couple Cynthia and Kevin.

0:44:010:44:06

This £67,000 purchase was supposed

0:44:060:44:09

to kick-start a new career in property development for Cynthia.

0:44:090:44:13

And they seemed very relaxed about the cracks.

0:44:130:44:16

Too relaxed, in my opinion.

0:44:160:44:18

Are you going to do a bit of a remedial work

0:44:180:44:21

-to sort out the cracks?

-I think so.

0:44:210:44:23

For Cynthia's new career, this didn't seem like the easiest start.

0:44:250:44:29

Would an 18-to-20-grand budget,

0:44:290:44:31

and a four-month timescale be enough to flip the house

0:44:310:44:34

and fix those cracks?

0:44:340:44:37

# We'll break down the walls

0:44:370:44:39

# Find a place where we both can be safe... #

0:44:390:44:43

We're back four months later, bang on their timescale,

0:44:430:44:46

and I'm pleased to say the house is still standing.

0:44:460:44:49

But what's it like inside?

0:44:490:44:51

# Cos tonight we are together

0:44:540:45:01

# You bring me to life

0:45:010:45:04

# And my world starts to blur... #

0:45:040:45:08

It's a house brought back to life.

0:45:080:45:11

Upstairs, that bitty layout has been opened up,

0:45:110:45:14

with bathroom and WC joined together,

0:45:140:45:17

and the light decor in the bedrooms makes them feel much bigger.

0:45:170:45:21

Downstairs, they've wisely knocked out the wall at the kitchen,

0:45:230:45:27

dramatically expanding the space.

0:45:270:45:30

New French windows in the rear living room

0:45:300:45:33

give more light and access to the back garden.

0:45:330:45:36

And they've even found the space to add a downstairs loo.

0:45:360:45:40

The house has had a full rewire,

0:45:400:45:42

courtesy of Kevin's electrician son, James.

0:45:420:45:45

But the finishing touches are still being made

0:45:450:45:48

by builder Ray and his team.

0:45:480:45:51

Last time, Kevin and Cynthia

0:45:510:45:52

tried to brush off the question about the cracks.

0:45:520:45:55

So what's happened in regard to the structure?

0:45:550:45:58

The cracks on the exterior, we had those checked out,

0:45:590:46:04

and that was found to be historical.

0:46:040:46:07

All of this area is classed as unstable land

0:46:070:46:11

because it's ex-mining.

0:46:110:46:13

It was a concern, but if you look at most properties in this area,

0:46:130:46:17

they do have cracks.

0:46:170:46:19

We had to have every room, walls, ceilings, replastered.

0:46:190:46:24

A big relief.

0:46:250:46:27

But the positive structural work they've undertaken

0:46:270:46:30

has rearranged the layout upstairs and downstairs.

0:46:300:46:33

There was a wall just there,

0:46:330:46:35

so you came in through the outside door,

0:46:350:46:38

it just made sense to get rid of the wall.

0:46:380:46:41

Open the kitchen up. We had to put a steel in to support

0:46:410:46:45

the floor.

0:46:450:46:47

I wanted something where any colour appliances would go with it,

0:46:470:46:50

I know that might sound silly, but that's what women look at,

0:46:500:46:52

isn't it? If you put a green top on there,

0:46:520:46:55

you're not going to be able to put certain colours with it,

0:46:550:46:58

so that's why I just went really for the black and white in here

0:46:580:47:01

and I thought, "Well, you can put anything with that."

0:47:010:47:03

The bathroom, that was a challenge.

0:47:030:47:05

But the builder decided to put the toilet and the bathroom together.

0:47:050:47:10

Believe it or not, he made the bathroom a little bit smaller.

0:47:100:47:13

-Which was scary.

-Which was scary because we thought,

0:47:140:47:17

"Well, it's fairly small anyway," but it's turned out a good size.

0:47:170:47:20

But it gave a little bit more room to the third bedroom.

0:47:200:47:23

How has all this work impacted on their budget?

0:47:250:47:28

We had a very optimistic budget, which was 18 to 20,

0:47:300:47:34

and the budget was basically inexperience.

0:47:340:47:38

When we're finished tomorrow, we've ended up spending 33.

0:47:380:47:41

So do they feel that that overspend will hurt them?

0:47:410:47:45

We don't know what it's worth.

0:47:450:47:47

We've got an idea.

0:47:470:47:49

-Hopefully it will be...

-Keep our fingers crossed.

0:47:490:47:51

..saleable.

0:47:510:47:52

Get it sold and then off to the auctions for the next one.

0:47:540:47:58

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:47:580:47:59

And I'm dead excited about it now, now it's almost finished.

0:47:590:48:02

Let's hope there is still reason to be excited

0:48:020:48:05

after two local estate agents have seen it

0:48:050:48:08

and give those all-important valuations.

0:48:080:48:11

Let's start with the agent who saw it before the renovation.

0:48:110:48:14

My impressions of the renovation work is that it's really good,

0:48:150:48:19

it's very thorough and they've made a very nice job.

0:48:190:48:22

It's my first time in this property, it's very welcoming,

0:48:220:48:25

very light and airy and you can see that it's finished

0:48:250:48:27

to a really good standard.

0:48:270:48:29

Kevin and Cynthia plan to sell, and, with that overspend,

0:48:300:48:34

their total outlay is 100 grand.

0:48:340:48:37

Hmm. Remember, Kevin said they wanted to keep to a total of 90

0:48:370:48:40

with the fees. Hope they've not overspent.

0:48:400:48:43

OK, let's hear those sales valuations.

0:48:430:48:46

If this property was sold on the open market,

0:48:470:48:50

sale price would average between £105,000 to £110,000.

0:48:500:48:56

In my opinion, the property would achieve

0:48:560:48:59

a market value of around £105,000 to £110,000.

0:48:590:49:04

Well, we thought it might be worth a little bit more than that.

0:49:040:49:07

So we're probably going to advertise it more than that.

0:49:070:49:10

And if we don't get it...

0:49:100:49:11

..we'll keep it, we'll just rent it.

0:49:120:49:15

A small profit of between five and ten grand, minus taxes and fees.

0:49:150:49:19

What about rental figures if they decide to keep it?

0:49:190:49:22

From the rental point of view,

0:49:250:49:26

I would expect the property to achieve

0:49:260:49:28

somewhere in the region of £550 to £575 per calendar month.

0:49:280:49:34

If it was to be rented out on the open market,

0:49:340:49:37

it would achieve an average of £550 to £575 per calendar month.

0:49:370:49:43

I think that's more or less what we thought, isn't it?

0:49:430:49:45

I think that's good, considering the price

0:49:450:49:47

they've given us on the selling price,

0:49:470:49:49

I think that's a really good rental price.

0:49:490:49:51

At £575 per calendar month,

0:49:510:49:54

the couple could achieve a yield of around 7%.

0:49:540:49:58

They're going to try and put it on the sales market at £120,000,

0:49:580:50:02

and if it doesn't sell, they do have the option to rent it.

0:50:020:50:05

So will they keep going with property development?

0:50:050:50:08

We'd definitely do another one together.

0:50:100:50:12

Yeah. We work together anyway in our other jobs,

0:50:120:50:15

so it's not as if we're not used to being under each other's feet.

0:50:150:50:18

But on the next one, Cynthia will be doing more.

0:50:180:50:20

-Yes.

-And I'll be doing less.

0:50:200:50:22

THEY LAUGH

0:50:220:50:24

Hopefully.

0:50:240:50:25

Time to return to the right royally connected

0:50:330:50:36

Kent village of Sutton Valence.

0:50:360:50:38

This lot was guided at £130,000 to £135,000.

0:50:380:50:43

It might not have been fit for a king,

0:50:430:50:45

but the frame of this former barn

0:50:450:50:47

was certainly ready for the royal treatment.

0:50:470:50:50

It's got planning permission, yes!

0:50:500:50:53

Not for a castle, obviously, but for a three-bed house,

0:50:530:50:57

which I think is the perfect, perfect dwelling

0:50:570:51:00

for this piece of land.

0:51:000:51:02

The plans perfectly set out the layout of the property.

0:51:020:51:05

However, there were a few structural conditions

0:51:050:51:08

the buyer would have to adhere to.

0:51:080:51:10

The metal framework had to be kept intact

0:51:100:51:13

and a metal roof would need to be fitted

0:51:130:51:16

so that the property stuck with its architectural roots.

0:51:160:51:19

Undeterred by this was Alan, seen here on the right

0:51:210:51:25

with his son, Liam, and brother, Dave.

0:51:250:51:28

He bought the plot for 134 grand,

0:51:280:51:30

and it sounded like they had the skillset

0:51:300:51:33

to sort it out.

0:51:330:51:35

He's just come out of his apprenticeship as a carpenter.

0:51:350:51:38

-Oh, nice.

-I'm a carpenter.

0:51:380:51:40

So, together, with the help of my brother...

0:51:400:51:44

-OK.

-..who's a carpenter...

0:51:440:51:46

-Is he really?

-Yes.

0:51:460:51:47

..we are going to transform this property

0:51:470:51:51

into a beautiful three-bedroom

0:51:510:51:53

detached timber-framed bungalow.

0:51:530:51:56

They hoped to finish this build in nine months

0:51:560:51:59

with a budget of £100,000.

0:51:590:52:00

We're back three months on to see how they are doing.

0:52:020:52:06

Is it me or have we had quite a lot of carpenters today?

0:52:060:52:10

Oh, well, let's have some more...

0:52:100:52:12

MUSIC: We've Only Just Begun by The Carpenters

0:52:120:52:15

# And, yes, we've just begun

0:52:150:52:18

# Sharing horizons that are new to us

0:52:190:52:23

# Watching the signs along the way

0:52:240:52:29

# Talking it over just the two of us

0:52:300:52:33

# Working together day to day

0:52:350:52:40

# Together... #

0:52:400:52:43

Together, this carpenter family have got on with the structural part

0:52:430:52:47

of this unusual build.

0:52:470:52:49

Over to Alan and Dave.

0:52:490:52:51

We had this metal portal frame.

0:52:510:52:52

We couldn't put any timber work up

0:52:520:52:54

until we calculated where the timber was going

0:52:540:52:57

and what metal was in the way, so it had metal windows,

0:52:570:53:00

we had to cut those out, and the timbers had to be notched over.

0:53:000:53:03

Dave had to cut all the uprights from the gable ends.

0:53:030:53:06

Although, really, he's doing it all.

0:53:060:53:09

He double checks everything, he's more thorough.

0:53:090:53:12

He makes sure everything's level and accurate.

0:53:120:53:15

And if I'm not sure, I'll ask him.

0:53:150:53:17

But he never asks me. Because he knows.

0:53:170:53:19

Well, he hasn't sacked me yet.

0:53:190:53:21

Or tell me not to turn up.

0:53:210:53:23

Yes, so Dave's here. My son Liam is still here,

0:53:230:53:27

and Dave's showing him how to do bits and pieces.

0:53:270:53:29

It's not just Liam who is on a learning curve on this project.

0:53:310:53:35

Alan and Dave have been learning bricklaying and metalwork.

0:53:350:53:39

They're not tackling everything themselves, though,

0:53:400:53:42

and their structural engineer's calculations

0:53:420:53:45

have meant some changes to their original plans.

0:53:450:53:48

We were originally having a cut-and-pitch-style roof,

0:53:500:53:53

a traditional, like, hand-cut roof.

0:53:530:53:55

But the structural engineer wasn't happy with that

0:53:550:53:58

because he was worried about the spread.

0:53:580:54:00

So now it's got timber trusses.

0:54:000:54:02

It was fun putting it up in the wind!

0:54:020:54:04

Yeah. It was a windy day and we actually had...

0:54:040:54:07

We did have scaffolding round and we had laid two ladders out,

0:54:070:54:11

which were cushioned on the roof,

0:54:110:54:13

and the sheets are quite bendy,

0:54:130:54:14

and we thought he was going to take off like Superman

0:54:140:54:17

and end up in that tree.

0:54:170:54:19

But we managed to get him up there and you have to fix one side,

0:54:190:54:21

curve it over, and there's a sealant.

0:54:210:54:23

-Just a little bit different, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:54:230:54:25

Just a little bit different.

0:54:250:54:27

# I am, I am, I am Superman

0:54:270:54:32

# And I can do anything... #

0:54:320:54:36

This family team really could and would do anything for this build.

0:54:360:54:41

But did they run into any other challenges?

0:54:410:54:43

We had a contractor to do the trench,

0:54:450:54:48

which is the services for the water and electric.

0:54:480:54:51

Unfortunately, the contractor couldn't do our dates we wanted,

0:54:510:54:54

so we actually done the trench ourselves.

0:54:540:54:57

Dave's son, Chris, we used him

0:54:570:54:59

because he's got good skills on the digger,

0:54:590:55:02

he dug it all out and we all mucked in and we got the cables in.

0:55:020:55:06

It was all inspected by the water board, the electric.

0:55:060:55:10

Installing services really can prove to be a challenge for new builds

0:55:100:55:14

and can be costly, too.

0:55:140:55:17

But did Alan find it ate into his £100,000 budget?

0:55:170:55:22

The electric was more than I budgeted for.

0:55:220:55:26

The mains water supply is more

0:55:260:55:28

because the water mains isn't my side of the road,

0:55:280:55:32

it's the opposite side of the lane.

0:55:320:55:34

So they've got to dig the road up, close the road,

0:55:340:55:37

and I've got to pay for all that, so it's gone over budget,

0:55:370:55:40

so I'm up about £60,000 at the moment.

0:55:400:55:43

Realistically, with what's left to do,

0:55:430:55:46

I'm hoping to come in about £120,000.

0:55:460:55:49

-Do I get paid out of it?

-Approximately. Oh, yeah.

0:55:490:55:52

No!

0:55:520:55:53

Isn't it payment enough

0:55:560:55:58

to look at these gorgeous views every day, Dave?

0:55:580:56:01

The revised budget of £120,000,

0:56:010:56:04

added to the purchase price of 134 grand,

0:56:040:56:08

Alan is hoping to bring this property in for £254,000

0:56:080:56:13

in four months' time.

0:56:130:56:15

Now, let's find out from two local estate agents

0:56:150:56:17

if they think this project

0:56:170:56:19

is going to be worth all the care and attention.

0:56:190:56:22

First, what did they make of the property?

0:56:220:56:24

I think he's done a fantastic job,

0:56:240:56:26

there's a lot of thought that's gone into the creation of it,

0:56:260:56:29

and I love the vaulted ceilings.

0:56:290:56:31

Yeah, it's going to be a lovely, lovely property when finished.

0:56:310:56:34

I think the work that the guys have carried out so far

0:56:340:56:36

has been quite fantastic, actually,

0:56:360:56:38

and quite creative, to say the least.

0:56:380:56:40

Especially impressed with the tin roof,

0:56:400:56:42

wasn't expecting that to be of the standard that it was.

0:56:420:56:45

That's all sounding pretty positive, so if Alan decided to sell on,

0:56:470:56:51

could he make any profit on his £254,000 spend?

0:56:510:56:56

I could see the property, depending on when it's launched,

0:56:580:57:00

selling anywhere between 350,000 to 400,000.

0:57:000:57:04

On completion, I think the future value of this property

0:57:040:57:07

would be in the realms of £325,000 to about £350,000.

0:57:070:57:12

Yeah, great. I was looking at the value approximately 300,

0:57:120:57:17

so they are both impressive for me.

0:57:170:57:19

-Yeah.

-And I'm going to live in it, anyway,

0:57:190:57:21

but there's not a lot left in this life to make money on,

0:57:210:57:24

so property's always been a good, a good investment

0:57:240:57:27

and, so, yeah, it's all good news.

0:57:270:57:30

Even better news if Alan sticks to his new budget of 120 grand.

0:57:300:57:35

That would give them a potential profit

0:57:350:57:38

of £146,000 minus taxes and fees.

0:57:380:57:42

But have they enjoyed the experience of working together?

0:57:420:57:45

When you wake up in the morning, it's always good to know,

0:57:460:57:48

"Oh, I know where I'm going today. Yeah, I'm going to enjoy that,"

0:57:480:57:51

so, yeah, great, I would do it again and we've enjoyed it.

0:57:510:57:54

-It's been good fun.

-Good fun, yeah, definitely.

-Yeah.

0:57:540:57:56

We hope you've enjoyed the show,

0:58:000:58:01

and maybe learnt a few lessons along the way.

0:58:010:58:03

Yes, perhaps we have inspired you to have a go yourself.

0:58:030:58:07

Join us next time for more Homes Under The Hammer.

0:58:070:58:09

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

0:58:090:58:12

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