A damp and mould-ridden Stoke bungalow with a collapsed kitchen ceiling was completely transformed on today’s episode of Homes under the Hammer. Presenter Dion Dublin visited the rundown two-bed cul-de-sac property which had an auction guide price of £100,000.
The former Premier League star was not impressed with the smell when he walked into the home.
“Oh wow,” he said. “OK, as soon as you come in, you can smell damp. When you look around you can see damp. The damp and the mould has got into the carpet here as well. And the kitchen is in a bad way. We’ve had some severe water damage in there. All the ceiling has fallen through. I was hoping it was going to be a little bit prettier than this! That’s not a great start.”
Although Dion was impressed with the “really spacious” lounge, he found mould all over the walls and ceiling.
“You’re going to have to roll your sleeves up with this one,” he said to viewers of the popular daytime BBC show.
(Image: BBC)
(Image: BBC)
The condition of the two bedrooms and bathroom were better by comparison although they needed complete modernisation.
Dion said: “I don’t mind the layout at all, everything is in the right place. Lots and lots of positives but lots and lots of work to be done.”
Outside, the bungalow had its own garage and a “decent sized” split-level back garden that badly needed tidying up. The successful bidder at auction was software and printing business owner Luke.
He snapped up the property for £110,000. This was his second project having previously appeared on Homes under the Hammer when he and business partner Paul transformed a time-warp Longton bungalow.
(Image: BBC)
(Image: BBC)
Luke explained to Dion that the mould and damp was caused by a frozen pipe bursting while the property was vacant. He said the water had been leaking for days on end before the issue was discovered.
With a budget of £25,000 to £30,000 and working alongside Paul and his sister’s boyfriend, Luke expected the work to be completed in seven weeks. He said the walls would be stripped back to the brickwork and a new kitchen and bathroom installed.
(Image: BBC)
(Image: BBC)
Dion said to him: “So this is your second bungalow. Is this the way forward? Are you the bungalow king now?”
A laughing Luke replied: “Yeah, we’ve done two bungalows overall. It’s partly inspired by you guys advising me the first time around that bungalows are definitely something to look into.”
The BBC cameras returned to the property nine weeks later – and it had been completely transformed.
Luke told viewers: “We got the house in quite a state – water damage, mould on walls. It really needed everything gutting.”
(Image: BBC)
Work was still ongoing in the back garden with decking yet to be fitted. Luke said that they had come in on budget with about £25,000 spent overall. That meant a total outlay of £135,000.
Scott Light, from SDL Property Auctions, returned to value the property and was very impressed. He valued it at £180,000 to £190,000 – much to the satisfaction of Luke, who was looking at a pre-tax profit of £55,000.
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