The Great House Giveaway Season 5 Episode 1
The Great House Giveaway S05E01
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LearningTranscript
00:00You can't buy a house.
00:04Throwing money away every month on rent whilst trying to save up for a deposit.
00:08It's not easy, is it?
00:11Well, how about I buy you a house at auction,
00:14pair you up with a complete stranger
00:18and give you the money to do it up.
00:22Then, in six months, when you've fully restored it, you have to sell it.
00:27But any profit you make is yours to keep.
00:33You could win big enough for the deposit on your first home.
00:37On the Great House Giveaway.
00:42Today, we're literally on the border between Wales and England,
00:46so this could go either way.
00:48In the county of Shropshire, we have Oswestry and Shrewsbury.
00:52Then, next door, we have Powys, home to Newtown and Welshpool.
00:56Average house prices in this neck of the wood is £262,000.
01:01Terraces around the £180,000 mark.
01:03Most people buy a house here to live in it,
01:06so we're looking for a do-or-upper at the cheaper end of the market.
01:10The price of property around here means a lot of first-time buyers
01:13are struggling to get that all-important deposit together.
01:16Well, that's where I come in.
01:18So let's meet today's wannabe developers.
01:22I'm Kelly, I'm 39, and I work as a lettings negotiator for a local estate agent.
01:28I live with my three children in a housing association property.
01:33I want to have that long-term security.
01:36I love my children. I'd like them to be at home for as long as possible,
01:40but I would like them to leave at some point.
01:42But I always want them to have a base that they can come back to.
01:45I think, actually, being able to own my own property
01:48will always be able to offer that for them.
01:51The ideal outcome from this project, obviously, is that we're going to make a profit.
01:56But I also do want to feel a sense of accomplishment as well,
02:00and I want to make my children proud,
02:02and that actually is something that is really important to me.
02:06Nervous? Excited?
02:07I am really excited, actually. Very nervous, also.
02:11But I think the excitement's just tipping me a little bit more there.
02:14I can't wait to see the house, and also who my partner's going to be as well.
02:18Let's not rush ahead of ourselves, please.
02:21Tell me a bit about yourself. Why aren't you on the property ladder right now?
02:25Well, I used to be on the property ladder.
02:27I actually bought my first house when I was 19.
02:30Got married, had children, but life changes.
02:33Got divorced, so that then meant that I went into private rented.
02:37It does become a little bit more difficult to actually get enough of the money
02:40and buy a home of your own.
02:42That's my aim, really, is to get back on the property ladder.
02:45That's why we're sitting here. Yeah, it is.
02:47I am excited. I'm really looking forward to finding the house and seeing what it's like.
02:50But we're missing someone. What do you hope they bring along to the process?
02:54A bit of manual strength will be good.
02:56I think a trade would be amazing.
02:58Perhaps it'll help with the budget.
03:00I can learn a little bit from them.
03:02If not, it's just someone that we can communicate well with.
03:05I think that's really important.
03:06Male, female, bothered? I'm not bothered.
03:08It'd be nice if it was a man, because then you get a male and a female perspective.
03:12But, you know, I'm just looking forward to meeting them.
03:15Well, shall we? Yes, please.
03:19I'm Grant, I'm 34, and I'm a joiner.
03:23Been in the trade doing site work, so that's like making houses,
03:26doing stud work, joists, roof trusses, you name it.
03:29First fix, second fix.
03:31Biggest project I'd say I've done is helped with a friend build his own house.
03:36I am definitely a jack of all trades and maybe a master of one, yeah.
03:41So I've got a girlfriend, we've been together for about two years.
03:44We live separately, which isn't ideal.
03:47I live in a shared house with a housemate, Joey.
03:51So this opportunity means the world to me,
03:53to be able to hopefully get a deposit for a house.
03:57It would change my life massively, just means I'm more settled.
04:02Hi, how are you? Take a seat, Grant.
04:04Hello, hi, I'm Kelly. Meet Kelly, Kelly, Grant.
04:08Kelly was hoping that her partner would be a trade of some sort.
04:13So I'm a joiner. Ticking boxes, Kelly?
04:16Yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah, for sure.
04:18And Kelly works at the other end of things, she's a letting agent, so...
04:21Yeah, I've got quite a bit of property knowledge,
04:23so hopefully we can get the right finish.
04:26Right, well, let's find these two a house.
04:28Property number one is bang on the border in the village of Llanyrmennech.
04:32I'm not kidding, half the village is in Wales, the other half in England.
04:36It's a three-storey mid-Victorian terrace,
04:39four bedrooms but no parking, and it's situated on the A483,
04:44the main arterial road into mid-Wales, hence the low guide of £30,000.
04:50Done up, it could be worth up to £160,000.
04:5340 miles away in Market Drayton is house number two, a three-bed semi.
04:58It's a bit dated, but does have central heating and is double glazed throughout.
05:03But the main thing this house is going for is land.
05:06It's a good-sized plot, and with bidding starting at £25,000,
05:10there's a lot to like, especially with an end value of £120,000.
05:15And the final property is in Telford,
05:18another three-bed semi with a large rear and front garden.
05:21It's a bit battered, needs a full refurb,
05:24is that a fireplace in the garden?
05:26But with a guide of £40,000, I'm not put off in the slightest.
05:30Done up, we're looking at £100,000.
05:35Of the three, which was your favourite? Kelly?
05:39My favourite property was property number two
05:42because it looked like a good family house.
05:44It looked like it had a good front and back garden, on-street parking,
05:48a little bit of age to it, so there could be some features.
05:51Could be quite a wide range of people that would be interested in buying that,
05:55and it looked mortgageable. OK, Grant?
05:57Property number three, the one in Telford.
06:00It's got a nice drive and a bit of garden, which I think is quite interesting.
06:04So, difference of opinion there,
06:06but of course, when we go to auction, anything can happen.
06:09Here's what did happen.
06:13For today's auction, our first house is just across the border in Powys.
06:17I love this house.
06:19This is a three-storey terraced house in Llanyminech.
06:23It's beautiful, but what's wrong with it? I'll tell you what's wrong with it.
06:26It's on the main arterial road, running right through between England and Wales.
06:30Very, very busy and no parking, but got to be worth the bid.
06:33I've got 40, so I'm looking for 50.
06:37Nice little property. 50 I have, 60.
06:4050? Wow, it's gone up in tens.
06:42Can I get in again? If you want it.
06:44Now's the chance to bid. OK.
06:46Stop going up in tens, please.
06:48Let's just calm down a bit.
06:5060, we've got our 65 then.
06:52Next bid, 65. Calm down, quiet.
06:54Otherwise, I'm going to sell at 60.
06:56You can't go up in tens to nothing.
06:58Right, for the first time at 60,000.
07:02Second time at 60,000.
07:05Third and final time.
07:09Sold. Thank you.
07:11Two clicks? 60.
07:13You just bought a very lovely terrace.
07:15Why was that? I don't care.
07:17I'm going to stick to my guns here.
07:19That's a good buy.
07:21Now, this doesn't happen very often,
07:23but I bought them the house that neither of them wanted.
07:26Kelly's favourite in Market Drayton sold for 117k,
07:30so there was no profit in it.
07:32And Grant's choice, the three-bed in Telford, went for 92,000.
07:36Again, zero profit.
07:38So I got them the only house that made sense.
07:41Let's hope they like it a bit more when they see it close up.
07:45Beautiful village.
07:47Lovely village, yes, it is.
07:49Nice quiet spot.
07:51Pardon?
07:53Not sure about that.
07:55It's a busy road.
07:57It is a busy road. You knew this.
07:59And there's a reason, you know, houses end up in auction.
08:02And this is why.
08:06So we all agree that the location is challenging.
08:09I say we all agree the location is challenging.
08:13But what don't you want to see behind the front door, Grant?
08:18Too much internal damage, you know,
08:21rotting or damp or anything like that, hopefully.
08:24OK, so if it's in fairly good nick, then you'd be happy?
08:27Yeah, of course, yeah.
08:29What about you, Kelly? What would you like to find in there?
08:32Yeah, I'd like to find some original features.
08:34It's got a chimney, maybe some fireplaces, something like that.
08:37Right, then. Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?
08:40I think it's fair, isn't it, Grant? Ladies first.
08:42Yeah, of course. Kelly, in you go.
08:44Be careful crossing the road.
08:46And pick up a hard hat on the way in.
08:48Right, OK, thank you.
09:05OK.
09:08Right, the little kitchen.
09:10Slight smell of damp.
09:12No way.
09:14What a small kitchen.
09:16It's unbelievable.
09:18Gosh, quite nice tall ceilings.
09:20Lovely door.
09:22Feature fire. It's obviously been lit at some point.
09:25Lovely bay window.
09:27Oh, this is bigger than I thought.
09:29I like it. Speaker on the wall.
09:32Original banister here, which is quite a nice feature.
09:37Shower room.
09:39Again, a rather retro toilet.
09:42It's quite small in here.
09:44Look at that old electric meter there.
09:47It's like a newish door.
09:50Go with the actual character of the house.
09:53Oh, it's another bathroom, which is very interesting,
09:57having two next to each other.
09:59I reckon definitely knock the wall through,
10:01make it into one big bathroom, maybe.
10:03Oh, the fireplace is beautiful.
10:08The windows are good.
10:09They do cut down on the road noise,
10:11so that's quite a positive.
10:13Nice Welsh dresser there.
10:15Look at the plastic coming off the walls there.
10:18Oh, dear.
10:20Why is there a sink in here?
10:22It's a bit random.
10:24Oh, deep stairs.
10:26Oh, my word.
10:28There's been a...
10:30Maybe a leak at some point.
10:33It's a good job I know a good pass through.
10:36Oh, this is steep.
10:40Squeaky floorboards.
10:44OK, this is different.
10:46Nice little space, really,
10:48but I don't think it would be a bedroom.
10:50Could make a really good office.
10:56Hey.
10:58Hey, Kelly.
11:00You said you wanted fireplaces.
11:02There you go. There's two.
11:04That's the good news.
11:06Right.
11:07Kelly, I'm not sure whether that's a smile or a grimace.
11:10I'm not sure either, actually.
11:12Yeah, Fury's out on that, actually, at the moment.
11:15Grant, what do you think?
11:17The layout as it is, it's tight, you know.
11:20It's quite a narrow house, really.
11:22The kitchen is non-existent, almost.
11:25And upstairs, Kelly?
11:27I think as a four-bedroom,
11:29just there's such a lack of reception space downstairs,
11:32I don't think that's ideal to market it like that.
11:35Maybe it could be a three-bedroom and an office.
11:38I would entirely agree.
11:40So I think we just have to be really clever and creative with the space.
11:44So let's talk money, shall we?
11:46Now, I did say that you can make a profit out of anything
11:49if you get it for the right price.
11:51Yeah. OK?
11:52This is the Laura house, and it was bought at auction for £60,000.
11:57Right. OK.
11:58All right, so there's a lot of items.
12:00Yeah, definitely.
12:01On top of that, I immediately tell you,
12:03you must allow for loan repayments,
12:06fees, interest, solicitors, etc, etc, OK?
12:10Your budget is £15,000.
12:12There we go.
12:13Hey, that's not bad, really.
12:15Guys, you've been handed a very challenging first project,
12:19but I think it's in good hands.
12:21I really do.
12:22You have six months, you have a budget,
12:25you have the keys, and you have my best wishes.
12:29Cheers.
12:30I need it.
12:38There's no question that this house is a real challenge.
12:42What the guys have got to do is kind of mitigate the negative...
12:47..and accentuate the positive.
12:49If they do that and recreate a lovely family home,
12:52then they can still walk away with a healthy profit.
13:04We bought a house that's bang on the border between Wales and England,
13:08in the small village of Clannaminesh,
13:10and given it to letting agent Kelly...
13:12It does need quite a lot of work.
13:14..and joiner Grant.
13:16It's a good job I know a good pastor.
13:18The good thing about it is that we bought a four-bed terrace for £60,000.
13:23And the bad thing about it is the location,
13:26right on the main arterial road that links Mid Wales
13:29with the rest of Shropshire.
13:31The windows are good, they do cut down on the road noise.
13:34I've given them £15,000 to do the place up,
13:37and I've a sneaking suspicion they're going to need every penny.
13:45So, day one, what do they do?
13:47Well, this is where Kelly's skill set looms large.
13:50They plan, something not a lot of our renovators tend to do.
13:54So, I think the best thing to do is if we start at the top of the house...
13:58Yeah. ..and make a list,
13:59and then you tell me all the things that you think need to be done...
14:02Yeah. ..and maybe we can make a list of the materials
14:05and make a little bit of an action plan.
14:07Planning forces you to prioritise.
14:10Get the big jobs done first,
14:12then you can see what you've got left to play around with.
14:15Do we want to go modern toilet,
14:17or do we want to look at the cost of one of those high-level systems?
14:21Yeah, if we can find one.
14:22So, if we do it where we have the door as we come in,
14:25we've got the window here, the loo will be there, maybe.
14:28Yeah. Yeah?
14:29So, I'm in love with the fireplace.
14:31I love the fireplace, but it really winds me up,
14:34the fact that the breast behind it, it overlaps here.
14:37I don't know why, it just really bugs me.
14:39New door frames.
14:41And how are we going to tidy up this window, do you think?
14:44Well, I don't know, because this window doesn't look like it's fit,
14:47I wouldn't say properly, but there's something going on, isn't there?
14:50Yeah. We're looking at all of this coming off then, aren't we, really?
14:53Yeah. Yeah.
14:54These are lovely, though, aren't they, still?
14:56And it's nice it's all original. Yeah.
14:58So, it'd be lovely to keep it.
15:00A lot of time spent getting them either.
15:02An awful lot of time. Yeah.
15:04Is that my job? Er...
15:06Yeah. I can help with that.
15:10These aren't necessarily original.
15:12Maybe they have been installed later. I installed them after, yeah.
15:15So, do you think there's a damp-proof course?
15:17I don't know. Or do we not know?
15:19So, we'll have to perhaps look into that.
15:21Yeah, do we investigate to find out? Yeah.
15:23Planning done, Grant's itching to get going.
15:26It's time to get to work.
15:28Grant's already cracking on.
15:30He's got his tools out and he's going to take the kitchen out.
15:33We really need to work on this kitchen
15:35to get as much space as we can in it,
15:37so we are starting here.
15:39She's right. It's the kitchen and the bathroom that sells a house.
15:45Oh! Oh, that...
15:47What is it now?
15:49Drop-ins. I don't know, actually.
15:51Anything else? It's like a...
15:53It's a little bit like it's vermin.
15:55Like rat drop-ins.
15:57Well, I think it's like maggots.
15:59You think it's maggots? Oh, OK.
16:03Hello!
16:05Kitchen cleared. It's time to investigate those walls.
16:12Oh, look. You can see the different wallpapers underneath.
16:15We're probably on probably about three or four layers.
16:20There we are.
16:22And you don't change your wallpaper in five years, do you?
16:25No. It's usually a bit longer than that.
16:27Definitely papered over the cracks.
16:31They didn't just paper over them, Kelly.
16:33They hid them behind furniture.
16:36So we're going to knock this plaster off the walls,
16:39but I think it's just literally just going to brush off.
16:43And good tidy up after it.
16:45I've got some new chisels, but I don't think we'll be needing them
16:48by the looks of this.
16:50Look at that.
16:52That's nuts.
16:54Literally.
16:57I see this a lot,
16:59especially in old houses with no central heating.
17:02Damp sets in and plaster falls off.
17:06I feel bad about making a mess.
17:10Got the brush ready. Yeah.
17:12And the shovel.
17:17I can't actually see now.
17:21Five days later.
17:24Five days later.
17:26The top floor is a blank canvas.
17:29You can tell there's a trade involved here.
17:31It's textbook tidy.
17:33Grant, I'm beginning to see, is a perfectionist.
17:37This is a house that will be done up to the highest standard,
17:40from floor to ceiling.
17:42Obviously, there's been cracks,
17:44probably a bit of movement in the building itself over the years,
17:47so it just needs refreshing, starting again.
17:50And what's the easiest way of doing that?
17:53So I'm going to go and get up in the loft space
17:55and kick it from the top,
17:57and hopefully it'll just all fall down.
17:59Good to go.
18:07And just in case you think that's overkill, think again.
18:10This young man has sought advice.
18:12With this house, it's the only way to go.
18:16So I've got a pass for a friend.
18:18He's been and had a look at the place,
18:20and he just recommends just replacing everything.
18:23By the time you've spent patching and filling and what,
18:26it's better off just to start again,
18:28and it's all refreshed and nicer.
18:30Totally agree.
18:32When a house has stood empty as long as this,
18:34then doing anything else would have been a false economy.
18:38Well, that's another job crossed off the list.
18:41At least we can see where we're going now
18:43and see what I need to do.
18:45Yeah, that's loads better.
18:47So now I think, obviously,
18:49tide up all the corners, get it all cleared out,
18:51clear the nails out of the trusses there,
18:53and then I'll probably batten it out,
18:55like cross-batten it,
18:57so that we can try and level out the roof a bit better,
19:00because these old trusses are all at different levels.
19:03So if we batten it out,
19:05and then I can pack it out to suit a nice level.
19:11Now then, whoever owned this house before
19:14had a penchant for staircases.
19:16It's like Jack and the Beanstalk in here.
19:18You just keep going up, and up, and up.
19:22Except Kerry and Grant have decided
19:24there's not much point going right to the top.
19:27Today we are going to rip the stairs out going into the loft.
19:30We've decided that this has got to come out
19:32because of the headspace coming up onto the second floor.
19:34We can't really have access into this bedroom very well
19:37with the staircase, so all in all,
19:39it was Grant's idea, and it's ideal,
19:41just to have a ladder that comes down.
19:43I don't think the attic space would ever have qualified
19:46as a fourth bedroom without further work
19:48to satisfy building regs,
19:50so this is probably the right way to go.
19:52And it's a nice, easy job
19:54to get Kelly started on hands-on renovation work.
20:01So, hiya, I'm Kelly.
20:03Shall we just get your helmet on?
20:05All right, yes, of course, mate, thank you.
20:09Ta-da!
20:16I'm not sure whether we might need a bigger hammer.
20:19It's very strong, isn't it?
20:21I think the staircase is stronger
20:23than the floor that it's leading up to.
20:26You know, it's quite challenging.
20:31It'll be so good when it's out,
20:33it'll make such an improvement for space, it'll be brilliant.
20:37Yay!
20:40You'll get there eventually.
20:42Really, really happy with how this looks.
20:44It's made it so much bigger, brighter,
20:46really happy with how it looks.
20:48Yeah, great job.
20:51Well, give yourself a big pat on the back, Kelly,
20:54because you made it happen.
20:56And next day, a few more people turn up.
20:59These are Grant's mates, and I'd say they mean business.
21:03Yeah, I've got people on every floor at the minute.
21:06Just scraping off plaster off the walls in every room,
21:10so it's all going, which is good.
21:13But it's a weekend, lads, so why are you doing it?
21:17I don't mind at all, I'll do anything for Grant.
21:20HE LAUGHS
21:22Kind of grovelled a little bit.
21:24Give me a hand, I need as many hands as I can,
21:27so if we can give them as much help as we can,
21:30I'll help them in the future, you know,
21:32to try and get this project finished for them.
21:34So he's going out of his way to help anyone, really.
21:39So, from a mate's perspective, is Grant onto a winner?
21:43We're achievable with Grant.
21:45How Grant is and how his business partner is as well,
21:50I think they'll do it in all fairness.
21:53And what exactly are the mates expecting in return?
21:57I haven't decided how he's going to repay me
22:00for the work I've been doing.
22:02I've only been here a day so far,
22:04but it's all going to add up to something spectacular, I think.
22:09Which is fair enough.
22:11These two are savvy enough to realise that the way you make money
22:15is to get the trades in for free.
22:17Talking of which, heard the one about the £100 kitchen?
22:20Kelly has.
22:22Kelly's been bidding on a kitchen online,
22:25so we're just literally waiting. I think it's got a few minutes left.
22:28Three minutes left. We've just been outbid.
22:30Right, OK.
22:31So I'm going to go right at the very end.
22:33It's only at £103, so, you know.
22:35But we have got a tight budget, so we have to make sure
22:38that every penny counts.
22:40So just wait a minute.
22:41So it's just on the countdown.
22:43Countdown, basically, yeah.
22:45I think it's amazing and, you know,
22:47I think that this particular one lends itself well.
22:49We've had a few ideas about sinks and things
22:51that this might work with.
22:53Shall I put more?
22:55Shall I just do that?
22:57I'll put 54p.
22:59You never know, it's all about the pennies.
23:01Yeah.
23:03Ooh, ooh, ooh!
23:04Can it count down?
23:06Six, five, four...
23:08Oh, oh! Three, two, one.
23:14Did we get it? Did we not?
23:16Did we get it, did we get it?
23:18Oh, no, we missed it!
23:20I'm £2!
23:22Oh, well, right, keep on looking.
23:26I thought we nailed that one.
23:27I thought we were going to get it.
23:29No worries.
23:30Not to worry, Kelly, there are plenty more kitchens in the sea.
23:33So the big question is, can this lot keep up the momentum?
23:37Taking a house apart is easy.
23:40It's the putting it back together that takes the time.
23:50We bought a Victorian three-storey house
23:53in the border town of Clannamon Ech for just £60,000
23:57and given it to joiner Grant and lettings agent Kelly.
24:01Oh, my word!
24:03It's a good job I know a good pass, right?
24:05They've taken one look at the place
24:07and basically taken it back to brick,
24:10with a little help from Grant's mates.
24:12I haven't decided how he's going to repay me
24:14for the work I've been doing.
24:16So now it's time to put the house back together
24:19with £15,000 in their back pocket.
24:22Then every penny counts.
24:26So Grant's at the house at the moment
24:28doing lots of physical work and jobs that need to be done.
24:32But part of my role in the development
24:34is actually trying to find and source
24:37good quality, cheaper materials.
24:39That obviously is new products,
24:41but also some second-hand products as well
24:43because we're on such a tight budget
24:45that we're just trying to save wherever we can
24:48and not sort of scrimp on the quality
24:50and the style and the design.
24:52These, for example, are the taps.
24:54We've been able to secure
24:56a really beautiful Victorian-style bathroom suite.
25:00We've paid £300 for this bathroom suite,
25:02which if it was to buy new,
25:05it would easily be £1,000.
25:07It's a rolled-up bath, it's beautiful.
25:09So those are the taps from it.
25:11And there's more good news.
25:13The second-hand kitchen that Kelly thought
25:16the sale fell through.
25:17Grant and I were actually bidding on the kitchen
25:20when we were working at Trevor House
25:22and I was so excited about it.
25:24I put my bid in and I thought we'd got it.
25:26And then, sorry, you've missed out on this item.
25:29And it was by a couple of pounds,
25:31so I was gutted, I was genuinely gutted.
25:33However, as fate was on our side,
25:36I was able to get a message after
25:38that did offer it to us
25:40for the price that we put the bid in.
25:42So I snapped the hands off
25:44and, fingers crossed, it's all going to be OK.
25:47So I've got to collect it.
25:49But I'm really excited to see it
25:51and I think it's going to be right for the house
25:54and look lovely.
25:57And while Kelly's doing the wheeling and dealing,
26:00Grant's getting on with the hands-on aspects of the job.
26:03Why can't beans just go on first time?
26:11OK, I'm all right.
26:14I'll be glad to get the middle floor done.
26:17It'll be a bit of an achievement after that.
26:21So, as long as I've got plenty of time to do the bathroom,
26:26I'll obviously spend some time downstairs then.
26:32But that's going all right.
26:38I am literally juggling everything at the minute.
26:41I'm juggling work and then obviously spending time here
26:44and then just trying to work out where I'm going to be
26:47with everything, so obviously ordering stuff,
26:49getting stuff to site,
26:51knowing what's coming up for me to do
26:54so that I can order stuff in.
26:56It's just a bit of a...
26:58It's hard going, don't get me wrong,
27:00but it's one of those, I'm used to it,
27:02so I am enjoying it, no doubt about it.
27:05Now, historically on the Great House giveaway,
27:08when you have a trade and a non-trade working together,
27:11well, one tends to do more than the other.
27:14Grant, he's pretty cool about the whole thing.
27:18Kelly's lovely, yeah.
27:19No, we're getting on really well.
27:21She's cracking on for things that are mind-numbing to me,
27:24like stripping the paint off the stairs.
27:26It's not easy, by any means, but it's not something I fancy doing,
27:29so she's doing a good job of that.
27:31It's not really, at this stage of the build now,
27:35I'm not going to say there's not much that Kelly can do,
27:38because she's doing enough,
27:40but all the stuff is probably predominantly me
27:43doing all of this kind of stuff, which Kelly doesn't really...
27:46She would give a hand, but I'm just used to doing it by myself,
27:50so I'm getting on with it.
27:53But, yeah, it's just...
27:56Hopefully, towards the end of the build,
27:58when Kelly can decorate,
28:00hopefully I can just take a bit of a step back a bit,
28:03because obviously I'm having time off work now to do this,
28:08so obviously I'll have to carry on earning money a bit later on, hopefully,
28:12so the savings are dwindling a bit at the minute,
28:15but it's all for the best, hopefully.
28:21Talking of money, you'll never guess what Kelly's found
28:24cleaning out one of the old fireplaces.
28:26Oh, there's an old penny.
28:28You can see an outline of what could be Victoria.
28:35All of the letters appear to be Latin.
28:39It's so faded, it's so hard to see.
28:41So that side, it looks like an arm's coming out,
28:47and perhaps she has a hat.
28:49It could be a holiday souvenir from somewhere,
28:51and I'm getting all excited.
28:53I don't suppose it's got any value,
28:55but it's a really interesting thing,
28:57I've never seen something like that before,
28:59so I think we need to get this cleaned up, just for interesting sakes.
29:03Might it be a rare collector's item worth thousands?
29:06Let's get a second opinion.
29:08Look what I found.
29:10Please say it's a pot of gold.
29:11Well, it is a coin.
29:12Oh, is it? Yeah.
29:13It is a coin.
29:14Oh, wow, look at that.
29:15Now, it could be, right, the ticket to our success,
29:17or it might just be, like, a little holiday souvenir
29:20that's worth, like, 20p.
29:21Let's have a look, then.
29:22Have a look.
29:24It was in the concrete in the fireplace.
29:26It's really old.
29:29It is old, but it's not as old as what you think, I don't think.
29:33I'm not trying to think it.
29:35I used to have a friend who used to do metal detecting,
29:38he used to show me some old coins.
29:39Oh, OK.
29:40Can you see how the print's so good on it?
29:43Oh, OK.
29:44But, yeah, it's a nice coin, that is.
29:46I'll have to remake what it is.
29:48Zeal, definitely, though, yeah.
29:49I won't go buying that Ferrari, then.
29:51I was going to say, yeah, not yet.
29:53Not yet, girl.
29:54Oh, hang on.
29:55Just in case, let's go for a third opinion.
29:58You never know.
29:59Oh.
30:02Yeah, it's worth about £5.
30:05Well, there you are.
30:06£5, £5, isn't it?
30:08You know what I mean?
30:09It's a coin very similar,
30:11and it's a collectible 1870 Spanish coin.
30:17And it's worth about £5.
30:19But it'd be quite nice to clean it up and put it,
30:21actually, as a little bit of a souvenir back in the house, maybe.
30:24Well, a five is a fiver.
30:26But Kelly's got another money-making surprise up her sleeve.
30:31This is the last bits of copper and metal and scrap.
30:34We did a big run.
30:36We're going to do our final trip to the scrapyard now
30:39to get some money from this old piping.
30:42And I'm really looking forward to telling Grant,
30:44because I've kept it a secret, what we've got so far.
30:48And I just hope he's going to be pleased with the final total
30:53of what we've been able to get back out of the house.
30:56Now I'm not going to spoil the surprise.
30:58Suffice to say, there's money in them old pipes.
31:02Grant's total for today's scrap being brought in
31:05will take to £196.94.
31:08Oh, amazing.
31:10And we came on Saturday, so we had £177.24p then.
31:15So the grand total for the whole of the house is £374.18.
31:19I'm so pleased with that. That's fantastic.
31:21Thank you so much. That's brilliant.
31:23See you again soon.
31:24Yes, absolutely. Bye.
31:26Oh, bless. Guess who she wants to tell first.
31:29Is it enough for us to go on holiday?
31:31Well, it depends where you want to go on holiday, mate.
31:34I'm happy with that.
31:36I know a nice house in Lannermonach.
31:39I'll write it in big.
31:41Da-da-da-da-da-da-da!
31:43That's not bad, is it?
31:45It's better than nothing, isn't it?
31:47It's better than nothing. That is better than nothing.
31:49I thought I was thinking about 200, 300 quid,
31:51to be honest with you, cos it's not...
31:53£374.22.
31:55Happy days, yeah. Happy days, yeah.
31:57Happy days indeed.
31:59All that scrap metal has more than paid for the kitchen.
32:02First fix electrics and plumbing are done, as is the boarding,
32:06which means it's time to plaster, but not in the way we're used to.
32:10So the plasterer, Luke, he's purchased a new spray plastering machine
32:15and it's waiting for delivery.
32:17It was meant to be being delivered today, but I don't think it's...
32:20Well, it hasn't arrived as of yet,
32:22and we're getting later on in the afternoon now.
32:24So we're hoping it'll be here by Monday to get on with the plastering,
32:28but if not, it'll just have to push it forward a bit.
32:31Now, spray plastering is pretty common on the continent,
32:35less common here, but I've got a feeling
32:37we're going to be seeing a lot more of it.
32:39Why? Simple.
32:41It takes less time, less manpower, and it dries quicker.
32:45You do need a machine, though.
32:47So what's the chance of this machine arriving today?
32:50Fingers crossed. I was promised it today.
32:53No sign of it yet, but we'll see what happens.
32:56Absolute worst case, we just refer to the traditional way
33:00that we've been doing it for the past 18 years.
33:03It's an ideal job to start this machine on,
33:07with it being a blank canvas, so...
33:09Three days later, there's still no sign.
33:13Yeah, the plastering machine didn't arrive,
33:15so we've just got one of the lads here today
33:17just starting to make a skim the traditional way
33:19on one of the bedrooms. That's good to see.
33:21Skim on the walls, that's a bit of a relief.
33:24Oh, my gosh, this is amazing!
33:27This looks fabulous.
33:29You've done it in good time as well, haven't you?
33:32Yeah, we'll see how far it gets today,
33:34and hopefully the machine will arrive at the beginning of this week
33:37so we can crack on with the spray plastering
33:39to hopefully get this house plastered.
33:42Psychologically, getting plaster on the walls
33:45when you've taken the project back to brick is a big boost.
33:49To have plaster on the walls just means there's skirting
33:53and architrave and decorating, and that room's done.
33:57And to be able to think that, you know,
33:59within quite a close distance ahead of us,
34:02we can finish a room completely,
34:04and then the same can go throughout,
34:06it's just such a relief, it's just such a relief.
34:09So they're four months in, and with just two months to go,
34:12if it was anybody else, I'd be worried.
34:15But these two seem to have everything in hand.
34:18Are they going to finish? Absolutely.
34:21Is it going to be worth their time and effort?
34:24Well, that depends how much somebody wants to pay
34:27for a period house situated on one of the busiest roads
34:31into Wales.
34:39A tall house on a busy road on the English-Welsh border
34:43is being given a complete overhaul
34:45courtesy of joiner Grant and Lettings agent Kelly.
34:49They're at that magical place called Plastering,
34:52which is about to be given a turbo boost.
34:55Yep, that spray machine has finally arrived.
35:00The plasterers are here, they've taken on a new machine
35:04that they're doing spray plastering.
35:06They've been on a course to do it,
35:08but so this is the first time on a big job
35:10to actually do a full house, so it's good.
35:13And, yeah, they seem to be doing all right with it.
35:16But the delay has cost them.
35:18I'll say it once and I'll say it again,
35:20in the renovation game, time is money.
35:23In an ideal world, we would have been further ahead
35:27with this project, but it hasn't happened.
35:31So, yeah, we're just doing the best in what time we've got.
35:35We've got probably about a month, hopefully, to sell the house
35:38and just, fingers crossed, that's going to be long enough.
35:41I want this house on the market in three and a half weeks.
35:44It's going to be the optimum time to sell it
35:47and I don't want to miss that opportunity
35:49because if we are too slow,
35:52we potentially are going to hit tricky waters
35:56in relation to market conditions
35:59and being able to achieve the most that we can
36:03and our time's going to run out, you know?
36:05The six months are going to be up
36:07and so we haven't got that luxury of waiting for a better offer.
36:11So, yeah, three and a half weeks has got to be on the market.
36:14So, in the time they have left, these two throw everything up the place.
36:19With the walls plastered, then second electrical and plumbing fixes
36:23get the go-ahead, which then means
36:25Kelly's second-hand kitchen at last gets a new lease of life.
36:29All that's left is the bathroom and painting.
36:32Told you, when a house starts to come together, it happens quick.
36:36And before you know it, you're calling in the estate agent.
36:45Hiya. Hi, you all right?
36:47You had a look around? Yes, I have had a look around.
36:50It's a lovely property, honestly. You've done a cracking job with this.
36:53Oh, thank you. Really nice.
36:55I think the quality of what you've done, really good.
36:59I can't see any reason why it shouldn't sell.
37:02Good. I'm just a little bit concerned about the road and the garden
37:06and things like that, but I guess if it's the right price point...
37:10Exactly. I can't see any reason why...
37:13You put it on the market around about the 140 mark.
37:16OK. Oh, that's good, that's good.
37:18That's a bit more than I thought, actually.
37:20So, that's encouraging. Again, it's the quality. OK.
37:23So I can't see any reason why you won't be able to sell at that point.
37:26Brilliant.
37:29I'd call that a result. Why?
37:32Well, let's go back in time, shall we,
37:34to when we were the only bidders for a tired ramshackle terrace
37:38next to one of the busiest roads into mid Wales.
37:41This was a proud house that had seen better days.
37:45From the dated kitchen to the pokey drab bathroom,
37:48this was a house screaming out for love.
37:51Well, with Brad and Kelly, it hit the jackpot.
37:55It wasn't the house they wanted, but they made the best of what they had.
37:59And, boy, look at it now.
38:04The freshly painted yellow front door gives you a clue
38:07that this Cinderella will go to the ball.
38:10It's modern, light and airy.
38:13I love the statement floor, the living room inviting and cosy
38:17and keeping that fireplace gives a nod to a more impressive past.
38:21The kitchen, second hand? Surely not.
38:24And keeping the period door showcases the hidden gem of a backyard.
38:29The second floor is now home to a sumptuous, luxurious Victorian bathroom,
38:34while the third floor now houses two good-sized bedrooms
38:38thanks to Brad's idea of removing the staircase up into the attic,
38:42which now presents itself as a very useful storage area.
38:46Team, you've done well. Now, let's find you a buyer.
38:51I have to admit that when we bought this dilapidated old townhouse,
38:55right where England meets Wales, and gave it to Grant and Kelly,
38:58I quietly thought it was borderline whether they had any chance of making any money.
39:03Yes, it's in a very beautiful part of the world,
39:06but it also sits right on one of the busiest arteries running between the two countries.
39:11Did they pull it off? Time to find out.
39:16Kelly. Hi. How are you? All right, thank you.
39:19Now, before we go any further, this should be two of you. This should be.
39:22But of course, for personal reasons, Grant can't be with us today,
39:25so you are here to represent the team. OK, I'll do my best.
39:28OK, well, on that point, when you say you'll do your best,
39:34I'd better look around this place, and I think you did your very best.
39:38Oh, thank you.
39:40My favourite detail is the original wooden rail running all the way up,
39:44That's just so lovely. Thank you.
39:46Yeah, whose idea was that?
39:48Well, it was my. I did suggest it, and then I did have to pass it.
39:51This is the whole point. You see, you're being too modest here.
39:54I know that Grant jumped in with the labour and did all the work,
39:58but I can definitely see your professional eye on this place.
40:01Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.
40:03Let's talk money. This house was bought,
40:06and I have to say, at the time, it seemed like a lot of money to me,
40:10for £60,000.
40:12Looking around now, you go, is that all? Yeah.
40:16You were then set a budget of £15,000.
40:19Now, you did rather wander over that.
40:22Did we? Yes.
40:24Just shy of £5,000 over it, £4,953.
40:28Where did that go?
40:30Well, just the cost of materials and labour, really.
40:34I mean, everything that we bought was considered.
40:37We did have to get it finished, and we did have a timescale in mind,
40:40so sometimes you do have to go and just get what you can,
40:43but I think Grant would agree,
40:45we didn't spend on something that we didn't need to spend,
40:48and for the sheer square footage of this house
40:50and the fact that it went back to Rick,
40:52if we've done it all for under £20,000, I actually...
40:55OK, it's more than you gave us,
40:57but I think we're still quite proud for that, actually, because...
41:00Sorry, you know, it was a hell of a lot of work.
41:03Well, that's being told.
41:06You stand up for yourself.
41:08Well, you know, I think, yeah.
41:10I completely agree, because, you know, I know myself.
41:13With old houses, you think, OK, that's that,
41:16and you peel away a layer and you go, oh, ouch,
41:19and then you peel away another layer and you go, oh, no.
41:22And at the moment, with the economic situation, fiscal situation,
41:25you know, you have to get materials.
41:27They're not quite as available as they perhaps were historically,
41:31and that can affect the price of them as well, so...
41:34OK. You know, it has an impact.
41:36But that's where we are. Yeah.
41:38So, overall, you spent...
41:40Renovation, you spent just under £20,000.
41:43Now let's go through some other figures. OK.
41:46So the big one on this house, and it's one to look out at auction,
41:50is a whopping buyer's premium of nearly £6,000.
41:54Then add on £23,037 for everything else,
41:58which includes the interest on the loan to buy the place.
42:02Put it all together, cos this is the real world.
42:04Yeah, it's a lot of money.
42:06Put it all together, we end up with costs of £108,990.
42:13Anything above that is in your pocket.
42:18I feel quite confident without...
42:20Because, I don't know, I don't know.
42:23It's a good house, I don't know.
42:25But we needed people to walk through the door,
42:28maybe a couple of people to walk through the door and like it,
42:31that's the question mark. Isn't it just?
42:33There we go, then.
42:35This house was put on the market after much consideration
42:39for £139,995.
42:44I feel that for the square footage, that's right,
42:47but did the location hinder that top end?
42:50That was my concern.
42:52A lot of people were interested initially. OK.
42:55That kind of really whittled down quite quickly. Right.
42:59Two interested parties. OK.
43:02Of those two interested parties...
43:07..only one put an offer in.
43:09Oh, OK.
43:11Well, Kelly...
43:14..this house sold...
43:17..for...
43:23..£139,995.
43:25Oh! Yay!
43:28Literally... Bang on!
43:30..for the asking price. Oh, fantastic!
43:32Better news than that,
43:34it's a cash buyer,
43:36they're local, they know exactly what they want,
43:39and they want this house.
43:41They wanted it immediately, OK? Wonderful.
43:43So I wish that Grant was here with us now.
43:45Oh, it would have been amazing. You've done such an amazing job.
43:48You've been such a good team, you've complimented all the way through.
43:51That means that you have made a profit,
43:53and I am going to tell you right now,
43:55when I first gave you the keys to this house,
43:57OK, you've overcome them, you've overcome that location
43:59by the work you've done here,
44:01and it means that you've made a profit of £31,005.
44:06Congratulations. Oh, thank you!
44:09That's all. Brilliant.
44:11Absolutely. Thank you so much.
44:13I cannot tell you that you...
44:15If it hadn't been finished to the standard you finished it to,
44:18and if it hadn't been so well thought out,
44:20that could have scuttled us.
44:22That's amazing. I am so thrilled.
44:24I am so thrilled.
44:26And I think that we sort of smashed it for this road, really.
44:29I think it's probably one of the most expensive in this road, you know.
44:32So... This is why. Yeah.
44:34This is why. That's amazing.
44:36The cleverness of your team and the hard graft you put in,
44:39that's absolutely thoroughly deserved.
44:41Well done. Thank you so much.
44:46What this place proves is that if you get it for the right price,
44:49you're prepared to put in the hard work,
44:51as well as having an eye on a quality finish,
44:54then whatever the issues, there is a profit to be made in any house.
44:58Well done, Grant and Kerry.
45:24Well done.