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#Love It or List It- Brilliant Builds
#Love It or List It- Brilliant Builds
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00:00This time we're looking back at two brilliant builds which were about making maximum impact with a minimum budget.
00:06You've basically spent £28,000 on making your house look £48,000 better.
00:13With two canny couples and Musulsof determined to make every penny count.
00:19I'm not going to muck around with knocking that down, not at this budget.
00:23But will my glorious New Horizons...
00:27Well...
00:28Beat Kirsty's super frugal solutions...
00:31We never thought about that, did we?
00:33To answer the big question...
00:36Are you going to love it?
00:39Or list it?
00:45You must sit with people quite regularly now whose ambitions and hopes just simply don't tally up with the costs of today.
00:54I deal with that very quickly. I'm like...
00:56That ain't possible.
00:57That ain't possible.
00:58It's really, really important that I don't over-promise and that I just say, this won't be possible.
01:04It's very difficult because naturally you want to enhance the value of the house.
01:09The key to my job is to encourage a build which is both adding to the value of the property and making it attractive to the widest possible group of buyers and doing what that family wants for themselves.
01:26Back in 2023, we visited Maidenhead, a highly desirable commuter town that was home to Nilesh, Raki and their daughter Isla.
01:37They were a growing family who were divided over moving closer to grandparents or staying in the community they loved.
01:43Originally from Leicestershire, they bought this four-bedroom detached house in 2021.
01:49After moving in, Raki and DIY enthusiast Nilesh have made the place their own.
01:54What we've accomplished here is great with regards to aesthetics.
01:58We've worked so hard to decorate it and get it to a point where we can live in it and it's just so lovely.
02:04But although they're both proud of the home they've created, they can't agree over what to do next.
02:11I'm on team Lovett because this house has become a home, really.
02:17It just offers everything that we need and I think with a bit of tweaking and a bit of unlocking the potential, we could really, you know, be here for years and years.
02:27But Nilesh does not agree.
02:29And I am team Listit because the current disconnected kitchen with the dining, with the lounge attached, it doesn't work.
02:37It's easy to see why the ground floor isn't working now that there's a baby in the family.
02:46The lounge at the front has been taken over by Isla's toy collection.
02:50The dining area is mostly used as a thoroughfare to the study and garden and the kitchen is small and isolated from the rest of the living space.
03:01On the first floor there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom and in the loft is the main bedroom and an en suite.
03:08We do love living here, but the reality of doing certain things and opening up different spaces all come at a significant cost.
03:20So it's trying to make those dreams a reality. I think that's quite difficult.
03:24Don't worry, Nilesh. Value for money renovations are my speciality.
03:28I'm confident that Kirsty is going to come out with some fantastic ideas that are just going to absolutely blow Nilesh's mind and see where we go from there.
03:38Good luck, Kerstors.
03:41Thanks very much, but it's Phil who needs all the luck he can get.
03:46There's no luck involved, Kirsty, just years of experience.
03:51Are you sure this is right?
03:51It's the right address, that's all I can tell you.
03:54OK. One day it won't be the right address.
03:56I know, I live in fear of that.
03:59Hello.
04:00Come on in.
04:01Pleasantries exchanged. Let's get down to business.
04:05So hit us with it. Who's on Team List It? Who's on Team Lovett?
04:08So I'm Team List It.
04:10I'm Team Lovett.
04:12What attracted you to the house to start with?
04:14So we had one eye on starting a family and it was one of the main drivers for moving.
04:19So we wanted more space, but now having lived in it with a child, we realise that there are some challenges with that.
04:26I'm finding that as Isla's growing, she's becoming more interactive, so I'm having to constantly run in and out of the living room to the kitchen.
04:34I do notice something.
04:36I am sure Isla is the most adorable small person that ever lived.
04:41And she has taken over the house.
04:44She has.
04:44I mean, blimey.
04:46She's got so much stuff now, but it's only going to get more.
04:48It's only going to get more.
04:49And there's no place for us to escape.
04:51She's the Imelda Marcos of the tiny toy world.
04:54It's allowed.
04:55It's allowed, but perhaps put the stuff in one space.
05:00What else have you debated doing?
05:02We kind of want, well, I definitely do want better connection to the garden.
05:06I'd love to feel as well massive bifolds.
05:09I would love that.
05:10And what would be the reasons for moving?
05:12I'm thinking, you know what, maybe get that open plan living space downstairs.
05:17But also, the other part of it is that since Isla's come along, like, our families are in Leicestershire.
05:22Two-hour drive, you know, they're managing for now.
05:25Yeah.
05:25But part of me is thinking, what if we were to move closer to home in Leicester, that would be great.
05:30Well, let's have a look around.
05:32Yeah.
05:36Isla's arrival has changed what Nilesh and Raki need from their home.
05:40And I'm going to have to rework the layout to suit how they live now.
05:44Well, there's a few issues, obviously, but I don't think they're insurmountable.
05:50No, nothing.
05:51No, it's totally not insurmountable.
05:54But it's not going to be simple.
05:56I'm going to have to think carefully about how to spend my £20,000 Lovett budget
06:00and deliver the maximum impact with the minimum spend.
06:04I mean, that's quite a solid wall, and that is an original outside wall.
06:09So I'm not going to muck around with knocking that down, not at this budget.
06:14Most of your money will be a new kitchen in the wall, and that's about it.
06:20If I'm going to persuade Raki to join Team List It, I'm going to have to improve on what they already have here.
06:26Very nice main bedroom.
06:31I've got a list it budget of £450,000 to £500,000.
06:36But seeing as we're heading north to the Midlands, where house prices are, on average, up to 50% cheaper than Maidenhead,
06:43I'm sure I'll be able to find somewhere that gives this young family everything they're after.
06:48But don't forget, there's over £23,000 of stamp duty and moving costs to pay Phil.
06:56That's more than my entire budget.
06:59Let's talk about the search. What I'm going to look for.
07:02Ideally, if we could keep the four bedrooms, but I'd be willing to go down to three
07:06for a really wow space downstairs that's open plan, that would suit our family life,
07:13and some connection of the open plan space into the garden.
07:17The purpose of this would be to get closer to family in Leicestershire.
07:21Yes.
07:22And could I search into Leicestershire, or is it somewhere between here and there?
07:26We'd still want to be commutable to London.
07:29So we'd want to be sort of an hour away maximum.
07:32Thoughts on towns, villages, countryside, where you at?
07:36We're quite open with that, aren't we?
07:39We're quite keen to see what you'll find us, Phil.
07:41All to play for.
07:42Game on.
07:45I'm going to enjoy this search.
07:47While Phil is his typically chipper self, I've got a £20,000 Lovett budget to make
07:58this house work for the whole family.
08:01And I need to ensure that every penny of that is wisely spent to make an impact at the back
08:06of the house, where the main problems lie.
08:08The kitchen has got to be opened up so it feels connected to the rest of the house,
08:14and I've a plan that will do just that.
08:17This house is lovely.
08:19The only thing that doesn't work in this house is the kitchen.
08:22And £15,000 to £20,000 is a perfectly respectable amount for changing the kitchen.
08:29Got your pencil?
08:30Yeah.
08:32Turn over your page.
08:33Oh, wow.
08:37By removing the side access door and the wall between the kitchen and the current dining
08:43room, I'll create the open, family-friendly kitchen Nilesh and Raki crave.
08:48The entrance to the study will have a large, moveable glass partition installed, creating
08:54a playroom for Isla with storage for all her baby stuff, freeing up the living room to
08:59become the adult-focused space that they've been missing.
09:03Lastly, there's a budget-dependent option to change the doors to the garden with a picture
09:08window and fixed seating for a dining room.
09:11Now, I like the idea that we're now having, reclaiming this space.
09:16Yeah.
09:16How it is, is the table becomes absolutely central.
09:20OK, yeah, yeah.
09:21They sit and do their homework.
09:23Homework.
09:24Eat.
09:24They sit and eat.
09:25Yeah.
09:26And I do like the idea of, yeah, making that the focal point, because I think that's 100%
09:30what's missing at the moment.
09:31Yeah.
09:32And that space is being not used.
09:35Definitely Kirsty's suggestions.
09:36I think they tick all the boxes in terms of having that open kitchen, that socialisation,
09:43but also being able to see Isla.
09:45Yeah.
09:45And having that nice open plan flow, but also having the possibilities to separate those
09:50spaces as well, I think is really important.
09:54Do you know what was interesting about that particular job?
09:59Is that it's very difficult to explain to people how fast children grow.
10:04Yes.
10:05You have this light of your life, their little Isla, their little girl, and they were really
10:10decorating and altering the house around her needs.
10:14We're often talking about that, trying to forecast and plan for a life that you're not in yet.
10:19Yeah.
10:20Yes, when baby is really small, you're in that and you're totally engrossed in it.
10:23And you can't see beyond.
10:27You can't see when they're five or six, because you have no idea what it's like.
10:29Every single family you work with, every single job you do feeds into this wealth of experience of the mistakes you can make if you do the work based on your life now.
10:44Yeah. What you did there was use the space that they already had much more effectively.
10:50Yeah. Kitchens are surely the most expensive room to renovate or redo, but they're also the most important, most valuable room.
10:57You can really reduce your spend on the kitchen if you decide to stay with your current plumbing, gas, electrics, et cetera.
11:07There's a lot of tricks of the trade to getting a lot of freshness out of a kitchen.
11:13From a growing family to a shrinking one. In 2023, Kirstie and I were in the historic market town of Stratham to meet Wilma and Frank.
11:22So you got your 10 quid bet, have you?
11:24And your dreams.
11:27A couple who were swinging between loving the family home and listing it and fulfilling a lifetime dream of moving to the sea.
11:34Definitely winning.
11:35The cause of their conflict was this four bedroom detached house that was the family home for 25 years.
11:42I am team lover because the potential of this house is massive if we do the right things to it.
11:49I'm team listed. The house is too big now. We've got all this extra space that we're not really doing anything with.
11:58After a disco brought them together, they bought this detached house 25 years ago and raised their two sons here.
12:05Cheers.
12:07Eldest son Michael has flown the nest and David is soon to follow.
12:12And while Wilma and Frank can't agree on what to do next, there's no argument over their home's biggest issue.
12:18We really need to sort out the conservatory now because it's just dated and out of place.
12:24Built 21 years ago, the ageing conservatory has been a playroom for the boys and then a teenage hangout with table tennis and snooker, but is now unloved.
12:34We really don't use this space.
12:36The only people who are really in the conservatory are the dogs.
12:39And while there's plenty of space where it's not needed, there's not enough in the kitchen diner when it is needed.
12:47We had the large island with the breakfast area built 10 years ago.
12:51It means the dining area is now quite tight if we're entertaining friends and family.
12:56So, for example, at my dad's birthday in January, we had everybody packed round the table and the two boys were sitting at the breakfast bar separate from everyone else because we really couldn't get any more people round the table.
13:07We haven't refurbished the downstairs of the house because we don't quite know what to do with this conservatory.
13:14The underused conservatory accounts for 20% of the ground floor, where there's also a large living room, a small work from home study, a guest WC, a utility room and a kitchen diner, which, although it's been reconfigured, does not give them the entertaining space for large family gatherings that they hanker after.
13:35But getting these two to share the same dream could be tough.
13:41Well, we'd better get started then.
13:46Hello.
13:47Hello.
13:47So lovely to meet you.
13:49Please come on in.
13:52Who wants to love it?
13:54Who wants to list it?
13:56I would like to list it.
13:58And I would like to love it.
14:00How long have you been here?
14:01What's the kind of background?
14:02It's been our wonderful family home for 25 years, but it's a new season.
14:07We're working differently.
14:09It's time to move into a new chapter.
14:11And my dream to live by the sea could be a reality, Phil, if you can find us the right home.
14:17Of course.
14:18So, Frank, what's not to like about this plan?
14:21I just think that we've had such great memories here.
14:26I love Straven as an area.
14:28I've got lots of friends here.
14:30We've got a great golf club.
14:32I may be wrong about this, Frank, but I don't think the west coast of Scotland is short of golf clubs.
14:38Good point, Gervais.
14:39There is quite a few, but I've played them all.
14:40And the main thing that we really need help on, professional help on, is this conservatory.
14:47What do you both think should be done with the conservatory?
14:52It's not in a good state of repair, so we need to take it down and either do something else or extend the garden again.
14:58We need to look around it.
15:00Have a look around.
15:01That's what you need to do.
15:01Back in 2023, we travelled to Straven, where Wilma and Frank were at loggerheads on what to do with their family home of 25 years.
15:19The potential at this house is massive, if we do the right things to it.
15:24I've got a budget of £350,000 to convince Frank to join Wilma on Team List It and opt for a new life beside the sea.
15:34But don't forget, there's over £15,000 of stamp duty and moving costs to add to that, Phil.
15:39Money that would be better spent, invested here in the home they already both love.
15:45Wilma and Frank can spend up to £50,000 to turn their higgledy-piggledy downstairs into a free-flowing, living, entertaining space.
15:53But I've already spotted a simpler, cheaper solution.
15:57Conservatories should make you feel that you can make more of your garden.
16:02This one just seems to sort of restrict the garden, really, and create zones which you don't need.
16:10Do I recommend the cost-efficient option, retaining and refurbishing the conservatory, or do I rip it up and start again?
16:18They've tasked me with setting out a design for a build budget of £50,000, so I have to give them that.
16:25Turn over both pages.
16:29And you look at your conservatory.
16:32So my plan is goodbye conservatory, hello sunroom, giving them the usable space that they do need, with a large dining area, a comfy snug and bifold doors out onto the garden.
16:47Part of the wall and the bay window would be removed, allowing easy access from the current kitchen, which would now have more usable space.
16:57And the entrance through to the living room would be widened, making the spaces better connected.
17:03So basically, this that we're in now becomes your kitchen.
17:07OK.
17:08Good for that.
17:10It is a lot to think about.
17:11It is.
17:12Meanwhile, Phil is desperate to go, oh, there's something by the side.
17:18We just need to go away now and look at the plans in detail.
17:23It'll be, you know, it'll be time well spent and it'll improve the house.
17:28No end.
17:31Four months after Kirstie and I first visited Maidenhead, work had started at Racky and Nuresh's three-bed semi.
17:38I was quite anxious for just, you know, for the wall to come down on day one, but that's just not the way things work.
17:45But now the wall's come down, so that's been quite transformative.
17:50So it's nice to finally see a big difference.
17:52Although Nuresh and Racky have gone with my idea to remove the kitchen wall, they've decided to go their own way with another aspect of the build.
17:59One of Kirstie's plans was to do away with the door to the garden and turn that into like a picture window with seating for the dining table.
18:09And whilst that was quite a cool, unique idea, we felt that that just wasn't quite right for us.
18:14We've always enjoyed having direct access to the garden via that route.
18:18And I can just see Isla, when she's eventually found her feet and she's running around, it's just going to be great for her to get straight into the garden.
18:25Racky and baby Isla have gone to stay with family in Leicestershire, leaving Nuresh to oversee the build, and I think he's secretly loving it.
18:36And while they're all away, the wall that isolated the kitchen from the rest of the house has been demolished, creating what will become the new open-plan kitchen diner.
18:46The side access door has been bricked up and new bifolds installed to give better access to the garden.
18:55Back in Straven, Wilma and Frank wisely decided not to spend their full £50,000 budget on a build, and instead went for something much more frugal.
19:07It was always an option to make the unusable space usable again by refurbishing the conservatory rather than replacing it.
19:14The plan that we're working with is to put a new glass roof on the conservatory.
19:18So that's going to become our new extended dining space that we can make as big as we ever need it.
19:24We're going to refresh the kitchen, and the area that's currently our tight dining space is going to become our snug.
19:30So we're back to the full plan. Thank you, Kirsty.
19:35Four months after our first visit, Kirsty wanted to catch up with Frank and Wilma.
19:40I am in a pub in Wolverhampton, but where I really want to be is in Straven, talking to Frank and Wilma.
19:47Fill me in.
19:48So I think it's fair to say that since we last saw you, the summary of it all is that we are replacing all the glass on Monday,
19:57using a completely different type of glass, which has a similar energy rating to a solid roof, but you still retain all the light.
20:05Re-glazing the conservatory will certainly make it more habitable, and will dramatically reduce their total spend from £50,000 to £25,000.
20:14Taking your old conservatory, making it a workable dining space, and therefore giving yourself a snug where your dining was,
20:22creates the sort of family kitchen that you were after.
20:26Anyway, thank you so much.
20:28I'm so sorry I'm not there to see it in person, but I will be.
20:33You take care, lovely to chat.
20:34And you, bye!
20:43In Maidenhead, Nilesh and Raki were undecided on their family home.
20:49I'm on Team Lovett, because this house has become a home, really.
20:55It just offers everything that we need.
20:57And I and Team Listit, because the current disconnected kitchen, with the dining, with the lounge attached, it doesn't work.
21:08In Straven, Frank and Wilma had made a canny decision to refurbish their ageing conservatory, instead of knocking it down.
21:16And in doing so, saved half their budget, bringing their build in at under £30,000.
21:21And while Frank and Wilma were saving money, I was taking Nilesh and Raki on a tour of Northamptonshire, to potentially spend their £500,000 listit budget.
21:32I started the search with a fully renovated four-bedroom semi in Kislingberry, which was on the market at £450,000.
21:40So, here we have a four-bedroom semi, completely refurbished, no DIY.
21:52Takes all the boxes, sir.
21:53How does that all sit with you?
21:55Let's see.
21:56OK.
21:57Come on, then.
21:58On the ground floor, it's a spacious entrance hall, a bright bay-windowed living room, utility room, and a modern kitchen diner.
22:10Exactly what they're missing at home.
22:12Wow.
22:13This is what I'm talking about, Raki.
22:17You're looking worried.
22:19Bill, I think we've got this one in the bag.
22:21It's open, it's bright, it's light, it's lovely.
22:24You could entertain all of the extended family really happily.
22:28This is exactly what we're looking to create.
22:30Yeah.
22:31Why don't you have a look upstairs, count the bedrooms, enjoy the bathrooms, and I'll see you in a moment.
22:36Come on.
22:38This is pretty cool, man.
22:39On the first floor, there are three bedrooms, two with en-suites, and a family bathroom.
22:46Up one more floor to the loft is the main bedroom, which, with its own en-suite,
22:51is almost 70% bigger than the one back home.
22:59It's nice and bright, actually, isn't it?
23:02Very impressive.
23:03That view is incredible.
23:05It's quite narrow.
23:06That's true.
23:10This room's quite nice.
23:12Really, really nice.
23:14Great view of the garden here as well.
23:16Yeah.
23:17Shall we go down and have a look and meet Phil?
23:19Yeah, I think we should.
23:20Should do the deal.
23:22It's impressive, Phil.
23:23It is, isn't it?
23:24I'm very impressed.
23:25It's done to how I would like it.
23:27Yeah, I just think it's been well finished.
23:29Yeah, very well finished.
23:31So we're in the right kind of patch.
23:33Yeah.
23:33To London and getting to family.
23:35Yes.
23:35But it should fill us with hope that we're on the right track.
23:40But Phil, you've set the bar pretty high, so...
23:43Let's see if we can raise it.
23:44Yeah, yeah.
23:45Let's do it.
23:46I hope not.
23:48Come on, have faith.
23:53I certainly kept the faith because my next house was an absolute stunner.
23:58A four-bed detached house in Earthlingborough at the top end of their £500,000 budget,
24:05but with all the hallmarks of a forever family home.
24:08There we are.
24:11Oh, wow.
24:13Good response.
24:15That's not the response I should be doing.
24:18I've got you.
24:20That's a little nature reserve that's only used by...
24:22There's about 20 houses and they all pay into it.
24:24It's beautiful.
24:25Ah, yeah, so you maintain it.
24:27Yeah.
24:27Okay.
24:28Raki, what's going through your mind?
24:32Speechless?
24:34Um, no, outside.
24:36I mean, that is beautiful.
24:37Just that bit out there is stunning.
24:38Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:39Isla would love that, wouldn't she?
24:41Let's have a look round.
24:43Did you hear that, Kirstie?
24:44Even baby Isla's coming over to team list it.
24:49I am very excited to be able to show you this one.
24:53Okay.
24:54Big, generous, lovely first impression in the hallway.
24:57Come on through here.
25:00The sense of space is sensational through here.
25:02It's a huge kitchen.
25:04Yeah, it's massive.
25:05Massive dining table.
25:06Have everybody round.
25:07Exactly what we're trying to create at home, isn't it?
25:10Yeah.
25:10That it would never be like this?
25:12No.
25:12Yeah.
25:14Look of disappointment there, Raki.
25:17Um, why don't you have an explore?
25:19Lovely.
25:19Sure.
25:19Great.
25:20Sounds good.
25:23Oh, wow.
25:24This is quite a generous office.
25:25Oh, gosh, yeah.
25:27I didn't expect that.
25:27I wasn't expecting it to be that big.
25:29No, I thought it was literally this bit here, so...
25:31Could even be a playroom.
25:32Yes.
25:34Yeah, much bigger than I realised or thought.
25:36And it's quite nice to be able to walk out into the garden from here as well, isn't it?
25:40Really impressed with that, actually.
25:43That's it, Nilesh.
25:44Keep plugging the team-list-it positives.
25:47It's opening your eyes, isn't it, to see, you know, how we could live.
25:50I can see the benefits of listing.
25:53What you can get in these areas is probably a lot more than what we can get down at home.
25:57But equally, we haven't finished our project yet,
26:00so let's see what happens with that.
26:03Six months after our first visit to Maidenhead,
26:11the build was complete, and decision day was upon us.
26:20So.
26:21Mm-hmm.
26:22It's done absolutely nothing, and it's a great big practical joke.
26:30Hello.
26:31Hello.
26:32Hi.
26:33Come on in.
26:33Come on in, guys.
26:38Previously, the wall that separated the cramped, impractical kitchen
26:41from the under-utilised dining room
26:43made it impossible to keep tabs on baby Isla while cooking.
26:47But now, by removing that wall,
26:50they've created a bright, stylish, open-plan, family-friendly space
26:54with a sleek new kitchen in an elegant shade of grey
26:58and a breakfast bar that allows Isla to watch her parents while they cook.
27:04And smart, glazed sliding doors that give visibility throughout,
27:07allowing the whole family to stay connected.
27:11Ooh.
27:12Ooh, I love the colour.
27:14It looks sensational.
27:15And it's big, it feels big.
27:17Does it, yeah?
27:18Big.
27:18Good.
27:19Really smart, really slick.
27:20So the kitchen isn't any bigger, it's just been redone, is that right?
27:24Yes, yeah, reconfigured.
27:25We wanted to get a nice big window again to just get lots of light in.
27:29Similar thing with the doors have been widened here.
27:32Yeah.
27:32And the obvious thing is obviously the kitchen wall came out.
27:35There's not been an extension.
27:37No.
27:38But it feels like it.
27:39That window being changed is absolutely revolutionary.
27:42Yeah.
27:43It really, really works.
27:45Thanks to some very smart thinking, Nilesh and Raki have come up with lots of clever ways to get the most out of their limited budget.
27:53And some of the small cost-effective changes they've carried out have made a big difference.
27:57This is a really big kitchen from what was a little galley kitchen.
28:05Sure.
28:05And we're really trying to utilise the space.
28:07So even in that tiny little gap there, we've put a little larder in there as well.
28:12It's about increasing usable space.
28:14Yeah, yeah.
28:15But I think now it kind of, everything evens out.
28:18It's more intriguing with the rest of the property.
28:19Yeah.
28:19Is that a radiator?
28:20Yeah.
28:21It's very cool.
28:22It's very cool.
28:24It's really cool.
28:25Well, I'm very impressed.
28:26My plan was to enlarge the doorway to the office and install a foldable glass partition.
28:33But they've gone for a different, but still very nice, alternative.
28:36Your decision not to make that into a playroom.
28:41Yeah.
28:42Tell me about that.
28:43With that being an external wall and then the drop-down in floor level and ceiling height,
28:48it was becoming a much bigger project and the budget was not stretching.
28:52We'll just make this the wow space and then simply put a glazed door there,
28:56which allows you visibility into that room, which can be also an office or a playroom.
29:00I mean, it's very, very nice.
29:01Of course, it's only half the size of some of the kitchens that we saw on the search.
29:04Yeah, well, if you go up, yeah, but Phil, you were a long way from here.
29:07Yeah, we were.
29:08But that's part of the plan.
29:10You've totally nailed us, 100%.
29:11It's lovely.
29:13Nilesh and Raki have done an amazing job, transforming this space on a limited budget.
29:18But how is that transformation going to affect their decision whether to stay or go?
29:22It's time to find out what mum, dad and baby Isla have decided.
29:28You've done a beautiful job.
29:30But the whole search, I opened your eyes.
29:34Yes, and in fact, I know I inspired you with some of those houses.
29:37Access to family, bigger houses, still having access to London and cheaper.
29:43Yeah, I think it's about trying to find the balance.
29:46And I think that property that you showed us could work better for us.
29:49Yeah.
29:49But equally, we're trying to make the best of what we've got.
29:53Yeah.
29:53On that subject of doing a beautiful job here, the average valuation pre-work was £745,000.
30:01You spent £28,000 on it.
30:05If you were to contemplate moving today, this house would have an average valuation of £793,000.
30:14Oh, wow.
30:15So that represents a £48,000 uplift.
30:19That's brilliant.
30:20Really happy with that.
30:21That's an absolute challenge.
30:22That's great.
30:22Wow.
30:22You've basically, you've spent £28,000 on making your house look £48,000 better.
30:29Yes.
30:30Can't argue with that, can you?
30:31No.
30:31And it's a very, very interesting lesson in less is sometimes more.
30:36So that means we have more money to spend, Phil.
30:38Yes, here we go.
30:39That's the man.
30:40Are you going to love it?
30:45Or list it?
30:48We are going to...
30:52Love it!
30:56Poor Phil.
30:57It did occur to me that you might list it and stay in the area.
31:00She looks pleased.
31:02I think she's pleased.
31:02You are, aren't you?
31:03You're glad to be back.
31:04I think that also plays into it.
31:05Like, you know, this is where we've raised her.
31:07Like, you know, this is our...
31:09It's definitely for now.
31:10It 100% works.
31:12It's been such a great process, though.
31:13It's been super fun.
31:15Like, we've really enjoyed it.
31:16And we're just looking forward to enjoying the space now.
31:18Yeah.
31:19Yeah.
31:19We're going to have everyone over.
31:21Yeah.
31:24I went into that decision conversation quite confident because we'd seen amazing houses
31:30up in Leicestershire.
31:32But I think the difficulty was, obviously, I hadn't seen what you'd helped them with.
31:36But Raki had been up in Leicestershire, living close to her parents.
31:40Yeah.
31:41But she'd actually been missing her friends.
31:43Yeah.
31:44And was quite keen to...
31:45Get back.
31:46...to get back.
31:47And I think she'd really enjoyed the build.
31:49We've always given advice about having a contingency, a financial sort of cushion.
31:5410%.
31:54Is it as much as 10% now?
31:56I think you should go into every build, not expecting it to go over, not wanting it to
32:02go over, doing everything in your power to prevent it going over, but factor in that it could
32:10go over by 10%.
32:11Well, did they spend $28,000?
32:13So it was quite way over budget.
32:15In percentage terms, a long way over budget.
32:17But they were happy.
32:18It was a great result.
32:19It was a great result.
32:19We're looking back at brilliant builds that made maximum impact with minimum spend.
32:32I mean, you could do so much with this, but not with that budget.
32:37In Maidenhead, Niles and Raki spent £28,000 future-proofing their house with an open-plan
32:44kitchen diner, a separate study, and kid-friendly spaces.
32:48Frank and Wilma in Straven were at a different stage of their life, as soon-to-be empty nesters,
32:54and were still open to a sea change for the future.
32:58Wilma wanted me to find them a place on the west coast of Scotland, with a sea view and
33:03ideally golf course access for Frank.
33:05And only I could do that.
33:09We started our search in Inverkip, a village on the coast, around 50 miles from their home
33:15in Straven, and as they hadn't viewed a property for over 25 years, it was a big day.
33:22On the market for offers over £290,000, this first property really was a top-flight offering.
33:29So, minutes from the marina, minutes from the beach, selling the dream here.
33:36Yes.
33:36Oh, no, this is the dream.
33:37This is the sort of different lifestyle.
33:39This is Wilma's dream.
33:41What's not to love.
33:42What's not to love.
33:43The compromise here is there is an outside space.
33:47OK.
33:47But there's so much outside space all around you.
33:51Come see what you think.
33:52Thanks.
33:54Inside, this beautiful apartment has an open-plan kitchen living dining space that's made for
34:00hosting fun family get-togethers, something they've been struggling with at home.
34:05And the cherry on top is the breathtaking views over the coast.
34:09Kirsty certainly can't give them that.
34:12Come on in.
34:12So, we have a great big flat here.
34:15Oh, wow.
34:17We did see open plan living.
34:20Right, calm.
34:22Wow.
34:23It's 80 square metres, this room.
34:25You've got proper entertaining space.
34:27I'm so pulled over to that kitchen window.
34:29Come and have a look.
34:31Oh, my goodness, there's the Isle of Butte.
34:34Gosh.
34:35Yeah, it's where I used to spend all my childhood.
34:38In Butte, yeah, yeah.
34:41This is great.
34:42Utility room here as well, yeah.
34:45It's a big space, isn't it?
34:46It's a big space.
34:48Why don't you go and have a look at the bedrooms?
34:49Nice.
34:51They are very, very happy.
34:53Frank is trying not to like it, but he can't help himself.
34:57There are three good-sized bedrooms, all with en-suites, perfect for when friends and family come to stay.
35:04So, first up for Team Listit, how are we doing?
35:09Amazing.
35:10This is an almost perfect apartment.
35:12It's pretty good, isn't it?
35:13It's pretty good.
35:14It ticks so many boxes in terms of the space to entertain, bedrooms and their size.
35:21Frank's not looking very happy about things over there.
35:24So, yeah, I think it's what I start.
35:27Got to say, you've got my head turning a bit.
35:29Some of the views and stuff are great, but really the size of the bedrooms and the size of the whole apartment is fantastic.
35:36Strong start.
35:37It certainly is.
35:38It's going to get stronger as well, Frank, don't you?
35:40Oh, dear, so I do.
35:41Excellent.
35:47Three miles down the coast, my next property was in Scalmorley, overlooking the Isles of Bute and Arran.
35:54On the market for offers over 385,000, this detached bungalow boasts spectacular views across the Firth of Clyde.
36:02And there's an extra bonus for Frank, too.
36:05The golf club's just up there.
36:10Oh, wow.
36:12Look at the view.
36:13Well, I tell you, it gets better from up there.
36:16Let me get you in there and show you the view from up the top.
36:19OK.
36:19OK.
36:24Now, this room, well, it sells itself, really.
36:27Oh, my goodness.
36:29Look at the view.
36:31Wow.
36:32Can we go out there?
36:33Come on.
36:35Ta-da!
36:38Wow.
36:39This is a view.
36:40What a view.
36:42I've sensed Frank's coming over to team this time.
36:44I do, too, Bill.
36:45Just keep going.
36:47Not completely at the moment.
36:49Of course, we've got the view.
36:51Yes.
36:51What more could he want?
36:52I love Frank, you know it makes sense.
36:59That was a really interesting search.
37:01Fairly classic example of kids having left home.
37:04They wanted to free up some cash.
37:06They didn't need the family house anymore.
37:08Yeah.
37:09I think even when downsizing makes every bit of sense on paper, it's still hard to pull off.
37:15It's emotionally hard.
37:17And actually, practically, it's hard because people are used to having their big couches or their dining table and having people round and things like that.
37:26I think that it's so important.
37:28I always encourage it.
37:30And encourage people to get it done early.
37:32Get it done early.
37:33It's exciting.
37:34Do it while you can still enjoy it.
37:36I think if people get it done early, it's very invigorating.
37:40And it's a new sense of life and it's exciting.
37:43And the problem is our system of buying and selling is so badly broken that unless you really have to move for a reason that's an imperative, you don't.
37:53But it costs money.
37:54Yeah.
37:54You're going to have some duty to pay and all of that.
37:57All of that, yeah.
37:58But it's just great to be in Scotland.
37:59I love Scotland.
38:00I love Scotland.
38:00West Coast of Scotland, house hunting, happy days.
38:03What's not to like?
38:04Yeah.
38:06Well, we might like it, but was the lure of the coast enough to make Wilma and Frank list it?
38:14After five months of work on their home of 25 years, it was decision day in Straven.
38:25Oh!
38:27You didn't book the good weather, Phil.
38:29No, I've left it behind today.
38:30I know, but it's not good enough.
38:34Hello, it's lovely.
38:35How are you doing?
38:36Guys, it's freezing.
38:37Come on in.
38:39Nice to see you.
38:40What are you doing?
38:41The wet weather can't dampen my enthusiasm to see the couple's renovation.
38:49Now the kitchen diner has been given a new lease of life.
38:52And the conservatory is giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
39:05The living room also has a new look with soft, peaceful blues and sleek grey sofas replacing
39:10the dated damask wall paper and peppermint pattern seating.
39:18Does look super smart.
39:19I'm always quite nervous coming into these places.
39:23What's happened?
39:24Let me be your guide, Phil.
39:28The couple had the kitchen units professionally spray painted and they look amazing under the
39:33natural light flooding in from the refurbished conservatory.
39:37The conservatory is now the entertaining space for family and friends that the couple desperately
39:47desired.
39:49The kitchen's replaced.
39:50Upcycled.
39:51Upcycled.
39:52What do you mean?
39:52Yeah.
39:53Taken apart and all painted and all sprayed.
39:56The work surfaces and the backsplash were done on site, but everything else was taken away
40:01and painted.
40:02Yeah.
40:03Love it.
40:04Genius.
40:04Really?
40:05It's the first time someone's really, really done it.
40:07Because I've wanted someone to do it for so long.
40:11That's great.
40:12So it's new handles.
40:13No, it's actually not.
40:14No, new handles.
40:15I didn't like anything more than the ones we had.
40:18But they look completely different when they've got the colour.
40:21Yeah, the shine and the buff, the buff them up.
40:23A small, budget-priced kitchen would cost around 8K on average to purchase and install.
40:30The spray painting cost three and a half grand, and this looks as good as new to me.
40:36You had a table up there before, and it was all quite tight.
40:39That was where you were spending a lot of time, and it was a bit cosy.
40:41It's funny you should mention that, Phil.
40:43Because, basically, another room has been added onto the house.
40:48Hasn't it?
40:49It has an effect.
40:50Yeah, it has an effect.
40:51The dog room.
40:52The dog room.
40:52Yes, the dog room, yeah.
40:53That was the dog room, you're right.
40:57It is now the orange room.
41:02It looks absolutely fantastic.
41:07Sharing an evening meal under the stars and then relaxing on the bonket with a glass of wine,
41:12this is the new life Wilma and Frank were dreaming of.
41:16I've got to ask, this was the dog room.
41:18What have you done with the dogs?
41:19They're in there, in the dog house.
41:21They've got a new bed in the snug.
41:25They've got a new bed, and yeah, they'll be in the snug.
41:27It's all well and good, Frank, but you can't see the Isle of Bute, can you?
41:31I mean, I mean...
41:32No, no.
41:32Forgive me.
41:33We can't see Aaron.
41:34But, Bill, let me tell you, there is the Isle of Iona, one of my favourite places in the world.
41:40It's lovely, but it doesn't achieve your aim.
41:43It doesn't.
41:44Of the new lifestyle.
41:45It doesn't.
41:46It achieves mine.
41:46We're not too worried about you today, Frank.
41:50I think we should sit down and have a little drink and I think.
41:52I think we should.
41:53Yes.
41:54Sounds good.
41:54It cost just under £20,000 to refurbish the conservatory, which took Wilma and Frank's total spend on the renovation to £25,000.
42:07I'm impressed by all that Kirsty's done to help the couple with their renovation.
42:11But I'm also excited because the new look they've given their home will certainly make it more appealing to younger families if they choose to sell and begin a new life by the sea.
42:23I particularly liked the flat in Invercayb.
42:27Yeah.
42:28That flat was all about lifestyle.
42:30Mm.
42:31You could see the sea and you could see Bute and you could probably just about see Cumbray from the kitchen and the dining area.
42:37The actual flat itself was incredible and it was, it kind of really opened my mind to, well, this is what you can get for your money.
42:47The average valuation for this property prior to the work you did was £361,000.
42:53Right.
42:54The average valuation now is £388,000.
43:00Excellent.
43:01Only about a grand more than what you've spent, but in this market, for anyone to do work, which doesn't add on any space, and to come in having not lost any money, absolutely, you would recoup.
43:19That's really good to hear.
43:21Wilma.
43:22Frank.
43:25Are you going to love it?
43:28Or are you going to list it?
43:31We are going to list it.
43:40Bless him.
43:41Bless him.
43:41He so needed that.
43:43Have you taken that away from him?
43:47I think what you've done to this house is so clever.
43:51You've transformed it.
43:54This house now is for a family.
43:56It's a family house.
43:57We want a different lifestyle now.
43:59How exciting.
44:00Yeah, indeed.
44:01I'm deeply jealous.
44:02No, it is really exciting.
44:04You're making me think I should go home and move.
44:09I think ultimately, we're always going to come to a conclusion that we thought was right for the lifestyle in the next stage.
44:16So, you know, although we started in different camps, we were journeying these months together that brought us to this decision.
44:25We've got to do what's right, so we've come to the right decision.
44:29Six months later, Frank and Wilma are having the best of both worlds, taking their time to find a new home that's just perfect and enjoying the better living space in their current one.
44:44We've viewed a few properties, I think three or four in the west end of Glasgow and the west coast.
44:52So we've seen a few that we quite like, but obviously it's down to whether we, you know, we sell this place and when that happens.
45:02It's been really nice to get used to living with a new space.
45:05You know, there's things that we did which are fantastic.
45:09So there's things that we're actually really enjoying from being here.
45:12So we're not in any desperate rush, but it's about trusting the timing and finding the right place.
45:18Yeah.
45:22So another really good example where the space didn't get any larger.
45:25No.
45:26It just got better.
45:27Yeah.
45:28And it felt completely different.
45:30Kitchen looks sensational.
45:31Yeah, it did.
45:31They just had it sprayed.
45:33They found someone who, who comes to the house and just re-sprays the kitchen.
45:37It was very clever.
45:38And I would really encourage people to do that.
45:40I think we're going to see more of it.
45:41Yeah.
45:41Yeah, I've never, I've never seen it done before.
45:43Yeah.
45:43It made an awful lot of sense.
45:45Although I love what they did to the house.
45:46I think it was that situation was less about the house and whether it worked or not.
45:51It was more to do with the fact they wanted a change of life.
45:53It was next stage of life.
45:55I don't know what it is about the coast, but people do move to the coast at a certain stage in life.
46:03I think the thing about the sea is that when you have the time to appreciate it, it's a wonderful thing to have close by.
46:09It's invigorating.
46:11Yeah.
46:11Different stages of life.
46:12And very different builds.
46:14But both under 30 grand.
46:15Yeah, very successful.
46:16And very beautiful.
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46:45¶¶
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