Tonight I’m meeting two sets of developers who have fallen for the old world appeal of two very different properties. But they do have one trait in common: they’re about as far away as you can get from being successful 21st century homes.
The London property market is now so ludicrously expensive that for many would-be property developers, taking on low cost, high risk developments seems like the solution. But it’s only a tactic for the seriously brave because it can go seriously wrong.
In Streatham, South London, dog sitters Jodie and Matt want a lot more out of life, and they’re about to get it. They’re taking on a worn out Edwardian house, while living on site and looking after up to ten animals at a time. They’re hoping the three bedroom property is the answer. It needs a major overhaul, but the building is handsomely proportioned and has bags of potential. Factory manager Clive Jacobs has been married to his wife Deborah for five years, but for all of that time they’ve been lodging with a relative. They’re now at crisis point, but are hoping this ex-council house in Aldershot will finally finance a place of their own. The difficulty is this is an uninspiring property on a busy road that’s totally outdated on the inside.
Don’t be fooled by the modest 2 bedroom property that Richard & Isabel have just just bought on the outskirts of Chiswick, West London. They plan to double it in size to create an enormous, luxury family home. But they’re not doing this by something as simple as a loft or side extension; they’re excavating tons of earth from beneath the house to make a whole new lower ground floor.
In Mansfield, bouncers Danny and Sean make an unlikely pair of developers. They've taken on a Victorian terraced house and are determined to do it all themselves on a non-existent budget. Meanwhile, near the Ironbridge Gorge in Telford, two couples are joining forces to take on a challenging 60s property. It's on a ridiculously steep hill and the layout is shockingly outdated.