Presenter Dion Dublin discovered a “massive” problem in the living room of a three-bedroom end-terrace in Stoke on today’s episode of Homes under the Hammer. The presenter of the hit BBC daytime show was sent to look at the house, which had a guide price of £70,000 to £75,000.
“As kerb appeal goes, it needs a bit of help but you have got off-street parking,” he told viewers.
After entering the property, the former Premier League star quickly comes across a significant problem that needs immediate attention.
“I can actually see that the lounge has got a massive dip in it here,” Dion explains. “I’m sort of in a dip. It’s sort of dropped. I’m back up here to normal level and there’s another big dip here as well. So you’ve got two huge bows in the floor. This floor area has completely gone.”
Dion then points out two areas of damp either side of the chimney breast.
“I’m pretty sure that’s got into the timbers and completely destroyed them,” he explains. “The flooring needs to be sorted. Once that’s done – good size. Good window, loads of light. But get the flooring done ASAP.”
There is better news, however, as Dion’s tour of the property progresses.
“Oh wow, this is a good sized kitchen and it looks in good condition I’ve got to say,” he says in today’s repeat episode.
Dion Dublin in the living room
(Image: BBC)
“A lot of this I think you’d be able to keep. Tweaks in the kitchen that’s all you need.”
Dion then comes across the downstairs toilet which contains what appears to be a recently-fitted boiler.
“You might save yourself a few quid on keeping the boiler but I’d want to check everything,” he said. “There’s not an awful lot down here that’s worrying me which is good news!”
Dion finds a “good-sized bathroom” upstairs and says the bedrooms just require cleaning and redecorating although he finds that the main bedroom has been split into two with a false wall put in place.
Local property developer Adam
“This bedroom is a good size, it’s fine, but that (the smallest room) for me is not a bedroom,” reckons Dion. “It’s more of an office, a nursery at a pull. But the whole of upstairs is not in bad condition at all. It needs decorating. No major issues for me.”
Despite being “completely overgrown”, Dion was pleased by the size and potential of the back garden. “That is impressive,” he beams. “I think that is a good project to get hold of.”
Dad-of-two Adam was the successful bidder at auction, snapping up the house for £85,000. It turned out that the local property developer had lived in the same street as the property for a number of years.
The new kitchen
(Image: BBC)
He told Dion: “I used to live down the street, six doors down. With having sold it last year, I knew roughly what I’d be able to get for this house fully renovated and it was a bit of nostalgia too!”
Adam set himself a budget of between £17,000 and £20,000. He expected to complete the work within four to five months, adding: “I do all the work myself other than the electrics and gas.”
The living room before the renovation
(Image: BBC)
In terms of the bowing lounge floor, Adam planned to rip it all up and put in new joists. He also intends to put in a new kitchen and bathroom.
The BBC cameras returned to the property 16 weeks later. The living room floor had been fixed and completely transformed, while the kitchen and bathroom had been modernised to a high standard. A more energy efficient boiler was also fitted.
The front and back garden had been transformed – with Adam managing to stay in budget by spending just over £19,000. It took the overall spend to £104,000.
The new-look living room
(Image: BBC)
Adam planned to sell the property. With that in mind, Homes under the Hammer sent in an online estate agent who valued the house at £140,000 to £145,000.
“That’s a little bit lower than I expected,” admitted Adam, who was planning to put it on the market for offers in excess of £150,000. Achieving that would give him a very impressive pre-tax profit of £46,000.
Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you – it’s FREE