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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 Musulsock 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, have 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
01:16and making it attractive and making it attractive to the widest possible group of buyers and doing what that family wants for themselves.
01:28Back 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.
01:48And since 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.
02:05But 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 Love It because this house has become a home, really.
02:17It just offers everything that we need.
02:19And 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.
02:26But Nilesh does not agree.
02:29And I am team listed 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.
02:56And 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.
03:05And in the loft is the main bedroom and an en suite.
03:08We do love living here.
03:14But 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.
03:23I think that's quite difficult.
03:24Don't worry, Nilesh.
03:26Value 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.
03:36And see where we go from there.
03:38Good luck, Kirsty.
03:41Thanks very much.
03:43But it's Phil who needs all the luck he can get.
03:46There's no luck involved, Kirsty.
03:48Just years of experience.
03:51Are you sure this is right?
03:52It's the right address.
03:53That's all I can tell you.
03:54OK.
03:55One day it won't be the right address.
03:57I know.
03:57I live in fear of that.
03:59Hello.
04:00Come on in.
04:01Pleasantry's exchanged.
04:03Let's get down to business.
04:05So hit us with it.
04:06Who's on Team List It?
04:07Who's on Team Love It?
04:08So I'm Team List It.
04:10I'm Team Love It.
04:12What attracted you to the house to start with?
04:14So we had one eye on, you know, starting a family and it was one of the main drivers for moving.
04:19So we wanted more space.
04:20But 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.
04:30So 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.
04:42She has taken over the house.
04:44She has.
04:45I mean, blimey.
04:46You too.
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.
05:32Isla'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.
05:45Well, 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.
06:10So 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 Listit,
06:23I'm going to have to improve on what they already have here.
06:26Very nice main bedroom.
06:31I've got a Listit budget of £450,000 to £500,000.
06:36But seeing as we're heading north to the Midlands,
06:38where 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.
07:00What I'm going to look for?
07:02Ideally, if we could keep the four bedrooms,
07:04but I'd be willing to go down to three for a really wow space downstairs
07:09that's open plan that would suit our family life
07:13and some connection of the open plan space into the garden.
07:18The 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.
07:30So 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?
07:38We're quite keen to see what you'll find us, Phil.
07:41All to pray for.
07:42Game on.
07:45I'm going to enjoy this search.
07:53Whilst Phil is his typically chipper self,
07:56I've got a £20,000 Lovett budget to make this house work for the whole family.
08:01And I need to ensure that every penny of that is wisely spent
08:05to make an impact at the back of the house, where the main problems lie.
08:10The 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.
08:35Oh, wow.
08:38By removing the side access door and the wall between the kitchen and the current dining room,
08:43I'll create the open, family-friendly kitchen Nilesh and Raki crave.
08:49The entrance to the study will have a large, movable glass partition installed,
08:54creating a playroom for Isla with storage for all her baby stuff,
08:58freeing up the living room to become the adult-focused space that they've been missing.
09:02Lastly, there's a budget-dependent option to change the doors to the garden
09:07with a picture window and fixed seating for a dining room.
09:11Now, I like the idea that we're now reclaiming this space.
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,
09:29because I think that's 100% what's missing at the moment.
09:31And then spaces being not used.
09:35Definitely Kirsty's suggestions, I think they tick all the boxes
09:38in terms of having that open kitchen, that socialisation,
09:43but also being able to see Isla.
09:45Yeah, and having that nice open plan flow,
09:47but also having the possibilities to separate those spaces as well,
09:50I think is really important.
09:51Do 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,
10:09and they were really decorating and altering the house around her needs.
10:14We're often talking about that,
10:15trying to forecast and plan for a life that you're not in yet.
10:19Yes, when baby is really small, you're in that
10:22and you're totally engrossed in it, and you can't see beyond.
10:27You can't see when they're five or six,
10:28because you have no idea what it's like.
10:30Every single family you work with, every single job you do,
10:34feeds into this wealth of experience of the mistakes you can make
10:39if you do the work based on your life now.
10:44Yeah.
10:45What you did there was use the space that they already had
10:49much more effectively.
10:50Yeah.
10:51Kitchens are surely the most expensive room to renovate or redo.
10:55But they're also the most important, most valuable room.
10:57You can really reduce your spend on the kitchen
11:00if you decide to stay with your current plumbing, gas, electrics, etc.
11:08There's a lot of tricks of the trade
11:10to getting a lot of freshness out of a kitchen.
11:14From a growing family to a shrinking one,
11:17in 2023, Kirsty and I were in the historic market town of Stratham
11:21to meet Wilma and Frank.
11:22So you got your 10 quid bet, have you?
11:25In your dreams.
11:27A couple who were swinging between loving the family home
11:30and listing it,
11:31and fulfilling a lifetime dream of moving to the sea.
11:34Definitely winning.
11:35The cause of their conflict was this four-bedroom detached house
11:39that was the family home for 25 years.
11:42I am team lover because the potential of this house is massive
11:47if we do the right things to it.
11:49I'm team listed.
11:51The house is too big now.
11:52We've got all this extra space
11:55that we're not really doing anything with.
11:58After a disco brought them together,
12:00they bought this detached house 25 years ago
12:03and raised their two sons here.
12:05Cheers!
12:07Eldest son Michael has flown the nest
12:10and David is soon to follow.
12:12And while Wilma and Frank can't agree on what to do next,
12:15there's no argument over their home's biggest issue.
12:18We really need to sort out the conservatory now
12:20because it's just dated and out of place.
12:24Built 21 years ago,
12:26the ageing conservatory has been a playroom for the boys
12:29and then a teenage hangout with table tennis and snooker
12:32but is now unloved.
12:34We really don't use this space.
12:36The only people who are really in the conservatory are the dogs.
12:40And while there's plenty of space where it's not needed,
12:43there'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
12:54if we're entertaining friends and family.
12:56So, for example, at my dad's birthday in January,
13:00we had everybody packed round the table
13:01and the two boys were sitting at the breakfast bar
13:03separate from everyone else
13:05because we really couldn't get any more people round the table.
13:08We haven't refurbished the downstairs of the house
13:11because we don't quite know what to do with this conservatory.
13:14The underused conservatory accounts for 20% of the ground floor,
13:19where there's also a large living room,
13:22a small work-from-home study,
13:23a guest WC, a utility room and a kitchen diner,
13:28which, although it's been reconfigured,
13:30does not give them the entertaining space
13:32for large family gatherings that they hanker after.
13:37But getting these two to share the same dream could be tough.
13:41Well, we'd better get started then.
13:43Hello. Hello.
13:47Hello. So lovely to meet you.
13:49Thank you. Please 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,
14:05but 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,
14:15if you can find us the right home.
14:17Of course.
14:18So, Frank, what's not to like about this plan?
14:22I 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,
14:33but I don't think the west coast of Scotland
14:36is short of golf clubs.
14:38Good point, Gisney.
14:39There is quite a few, but I've played them all.
14:41And the main thing that we really need help on,
14:45professional 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,
14:54so we need to take it down and either do something else
14:56or 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,
15:14where Wilma and Frank were at loggerheads
15:16on what to do with their family home of 25 years.
15:19The potential at this house is massive
15:22if we do the right things to it.
15:24I've got a budget of £350,000
15:26to convince Frank to join Wilma on Team List It
15:30and opt for a new life beside the sea.
15:34But don't forget, there's over £15,000 of stamp duty
15:37and moving costs to add to that, Phil.
15:39Money that would be better spent,
15:41invested here in the home they already both love.
15:46Wilma and Frank can spend up to £50,000
15:48to turn their higgledy-piggledy downstairs
15:50into a free-flowing, living, entertaining space.
15:53But I've already spotted a simpler, cheaper solution.
15:57Conservatories should make you feel
15:59that you can make more of your garden.
16:02This one just seems to sort of restrict the garden, really,
16:07and create zones which you don't need.
16:10Do I recommend the cost-efficient option,
16:12retaining and refurbishing the conservatory,
16:14or do I rip it up and start again?
16:18They've tasked me with setting out a design
16:21for a build budget of £50,000,
16:23so I have to give them that.
16:25Turn over both pages.
16:29And you look at your conservatory.
16:36So my plan is goodbye conservatory, hello sunroom,
16:39giving them the usable space that they do need
16:42with a large dining area, a comfy snug
16:44and bifold doors out onto the garden.
16:48Part of the wall and the bay window would be removed,
16:51allowing easy access from the current kitchen,
16:54which would now have more usable space.
16:57And the entrance through to the living room
16:59would be widened, making the spaces better connected.
17:03So basically this that we're in now becomes your kitchen.
17:07OK. Good for that.
17:10It is a lot to think about. It is.
17:11Yes. Thank you.
17:12Meanwhile, Phil is desperate to go,
17:14there's something by the state.
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
17:26and it'll improve the house, no end.
17:31Four months after Kirstie and I first visited Maidenhead,
17:35work had started at Racky and Nuresh's three-bed semi.
17:38I was quite anxious for just, you know,
17:41for the wall to come down on day one,
17:43but that's just not the way things work.
17:45But now the wall's come down,
17:47so 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
17:54to remove the kitchen wall,
17:56they've decided to go their own way
17:58with another aspect of the build.
17:59One of Kirstie's plans was to do away with the door to the garden
18:04and turn that into, like, a picture window
18:07with seating for the dining table.
18:09And whilst that was quite a cool, unique idea,
18:12we felt that that just wasn't quite right for us.
18:14We've always enjoyed having direct access to the garden
18:17via that route.
18:18And I can just see Isla,
18:20when she's eventually found her feet
18:21and she's running around,
18:23it's just going to be great for her
18:24to get straight into the garden.
18:26Racky and baby Isla have gone to stay with family in Leicestershire,
18:30leaving Nuresh to oversee the build,
18:32and I think he's secretly loving it.
18:36And while they're all away,
18:39the wall that isolated the kitchen
18:40from the rest of the house has been demolished,
18:43creating what will become the new open-plan kitchen diner.
18:46The side access door has been bricked up
18:49and new bifolds installed to give better access to the garden.
18:55Back in Straven,
18:57Wilma and Frank wisely decided
18:59not to spend their full £50,000 budget on a build
19:02and instead went for something much more frugal.
19:07It was always an option
19:08to make the unusable space usable again
19:10by refurbishing the conservatory
19:12rather than replacing it.
19:14The plan that we're working with
19:15is to put a new glass roof on the conservatory.
19:18So that's going to become
19:19our new extended dining space
19:22that we can make as big as we ever need it.
19:24We're going to refresh the kitchen
19:26and the area that's currently our tight dining space
19:29is going to become our snug.
19:30So we're back to the full plan.
19:32Thank you, Kirsty.
19:35Four months after our first visit,
19:37Kirsty wanted to catch up with Frank and Wilma.
19:40I am in a pub in Wolverhampton,
19:42but where I really want to be
19:44is in Straven talking to Frank and Wilma.
19:47Fill me in.
19:47So I think it's fair to say
19:51that since we last saw you,
19:52the summary of it all is
19:54that we are replacing all the glass on Monday
19:57using a completely different type of glass,
20:00which has a similar energy rating to a solid roof,
20:03but you still retain all the light.
20:06Reglazing the conservatory
20:07will certainly make it more habitable
20:09and will dramatically reduce their total spend
20:12from £50,000 to £25,000.
20:14Taking your old conservatory,
20:16making it a workable dining space
20:18and therefore giving yourself a snug
20:19where your dining was
20:22creates the sort of family kitchen
20:24that you were after.
20:26Anyway, thank you so much.
20:28I'm so sorry I'm not there to see it in person,
20:31but I will be.
20:33You take care. Lovely to chat.
20:34And you. Bye.
20:35Bye.
20:44In Maidenhead, Nilesh and Raki
20:46were undecided on their family home.
20:49I'm on Team Love It
20:51because this house has become a home, really.
20:55It just offers everything that we need.
20:59And I am Team List It
21:01because the current disconnected kitchen
21:04with the dining, with the lounge attached,
21:07it doesn't work.
21:08In Straven, Frank and Wilma
21:10had made a canny decision
21:11to refurbish their ageing conservatory
21:13instead of knocking it down
21:15and in doing so,
21:17saved half their budget,
21:18bringing their build in
21:19at under £30,000.
21:22And while Frank and Wilma
21:23were saving money,
21:24I was taking Nilesh and Raki
21:26on a tour of Northamptonshire
21:28to potentially spend
21:29their £500,000 listed budget.
21:32I started the search
21:33with a fully renovated
21:34four-bedroom semi
21:36in Kislingberry,
21:37which was on the market
21:38at £450,000.
21:45So here we have
21:47a four-bedroom semi,
21:49completely refurbished,
21:51no DIY.
21:52How does that all sit with you?
21:55Let's see.
21:56OK, come on, then.
21:58On the ground floor
22:01is a spacious entrance hall,
22:04a bright bay-windowed living room,
22:06utility room,
22:08and 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.
22:19I think we've got this one in the bag.
22:21It's open, it's bright,
22:23it's light, it's lovely.
22:24You could entertain
22:25all of the extended family
22:27really happily.
22:28This is exactly
22:29what we're looking to create.
22:30Yeah.
22:31Why don't you have a look upstairs?
22:32OK.
22:33Count the bedrooms,
22:34enjoy the bathrooms,
22:35and I'll see you in a moment.
22:36Come on.
22:38This is pretty cool, man.
22:39On the first floor,
22:40there are three bedrooms,
22:42two with en-suites,
22:43and a family bathroom.
22:44Up one more floor
22:47to the loft
22:48is the main bedroom,
22:49which, with its own en-suit,
22:51is almost 70% bigger
22:53than the one back home.
22:59It's nice and bright, actually, isn't it?
23:02Yeah.
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.
23:13Great view of the garden
23:15here as well.
23:16Yeah.
23:17Shall we go down
23:18and have a look
23:18and meet Phil?
23:19Yeah, I think we should.
23:20We should 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
23:28it's been well-finished.
23:29Yeah, very well-finished.
23:31So we're in the right kind of patch
23:32to London and getting to family.
23:35Yes.
23:35But it should fill us with hope
23:38that we're on the right track.
23:41But, Phil,
23:41you've set the bar pretty high,
23:42so...
23:43Let's see if we can raise it.
23:44Yeah, yeah.
23:45Let's do it.
23:47I hope not.
23:48Come on, have faith.
23:54I certainly kept the faith
23:55because my next house
23:56was an absolute stunner.
23:58A four-bed detached house
24:00in Earthlingborough
24:01at the top end
24:02of their £500,000 budget,
24:04but with all the hallmarks
24:06of a forever family home.
24:10There we are.
24:11Oh, wow.
24:13Good response.
24:15That's not the response
24:16I should be doing.
24:18I've got you.
24:20That's a little nature reserve
24:21that's only used by...
24:22There's about 20 houses
24:23and they all pay into it.
24:25It's beautiful.
24:25Aha, yeah.
24:26So you maintain it.
24:27OK.
24:28Raki, what's going
24:29through your mind?
24:32Speechless.
24:34No, outside.
24:36I mean, that is beautiful.
24:37Just that bit out there
24:38is stunning.
24:38Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:39Isla would love that,
24:40wouldn't she?
24:41Let's have a look round.
24:42Did you hear that, Kirstie?
24:44Even baby Isla's
24:46coming over to team list it.
24:49I am very excited
24:51to be able to show you this one.
24:53OK.
24:54Big, generous,
24:56lovely first impression
24:57in the hallway.
24:57Come on through here.
25:00The sense of space
25:01is 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
25:08to create at home, isn't it?
25:10Yeah.
25:10But it would never be like this.
25:12No.
25:12Yeah.
25:13Look of disappointment
25:15there, Racky.
25:17Why 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
25:28to be that big.
25:29No, I thought it was
25:29literally this bit here, so...
25:31Could even be a playroom.
25:32Yes.
25:34Yeah, much bigger
25:35than I realised or thought.
25:36And it's quite nice
25:37to be able to walk out
25:38into the garden
25:38from here as well, isn't it?
25:40Really impressed with that, actually.
25:43That's it, Nilesh.
25:44Keep plugging the team
25:45list at positives.
25:47It's opening your eyes, isn't it,
25:48to see, you know,
25:49how we could live.
25:50I can see the benefits
25:52of listing.
25:53What you can get
25:53in these areas
25:54is probably a lot more
25:55than what we can get
25:56down at home.
25:57But equally,
25:58we haven't finished
25:59our project yet,
26:01so let's see
26:02what happens with that.
26:03six months after
26:09our first visit
26:10to Maidenhead,
26:11the build was complete
26:12and decision day
26:13was upon us.
26:20So,
26:21it's done absolutely nothing
26:23and it's a great
26:25big practical joke.
26:26Hello.
26:31Hello.
26:32Hi.
26:33Come on in.
26:33Come on in, guys.
26:38Previously,
26:39the wall
26:39that separated
26:40the cramped,
26:41impractical kitchen
26:41from the underutilised
26:43dining room
26:43made it impossible
26:44to keep tabs
26:45on baby Isla
26:46while cooking.
26:47But now,
26:49by removing that wall,
26:50they've created
26:51a bright,
26:52stylish,
26:52open-plan,
26:53family-friendly space
26:54with a sleek new kitchen
26:56in an elegant shade of grey
26:58and a breakfast bar
26:59that allows Isla
27:00to watch her parents
27:01while they cook.
27:04And smart,
27:05glazed sliding doors
27:06that give visibility
27:07throughout,
27:07allowing the whole family
27:08to stay connected.
27:11Ooh.
27:12Ooh, I love the colour.
27:14It looks sensational
27:15and it's big.
27:16It feels...
27:17Does it, yeah.
27:18...big.
27:18Good.
27:19Really smart,
27:20really slick.
27:20So the kitchen
27:21isn't any bigger,
27:22it's just been redone,
27:23is that right?
27:24Yes, yeah,
27:25reconfigured.
27:25We wanted to get
27:26a nice big window again
27:28to just get lots of light in.
27:29Similar thing
27:30with the doors
27:31have been widened here.
27:32Yeah.
27:32And the obvious thing
27:33is obviously
27:34the kitchen wall came out.
27:35There's not been
27:36an extension.
27:37No.
27:38But it feels like it.
27:40That window being changed
27:41is absolutely revolutionary.
27:43Yeah.
27:43It really, really works.
27:45Thanks to some
27:47very smart thinking,
27:48Nilesh and Raki
27:49have come up
27:50with lots of clever ways
27:51to get the most
27:51out of their limited budget.
27:53And some of the small
27:54cost-effective changes
27:55they've carried out
27:56have made a big difference.
27:57This is a really big kitchen
28:02from what was
28:03a little galley kitchen.
28:05Sure.
28:05And we're really trying
28:06to utilise the space
28:07so even in that tiny
28:09little gap there
28:10we've put a little
28:11larder in there as well.
28:12It's about increasing
28:13usable space.
28:14Yeah, yeah.
28:15But I think now
28:16it kind of,
28:17everything evens out.
28:18It's more including
28:18with 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.
28:24Well, I'm very impressed.
28:27My plan was to enlarge
28:29the doorway to the office
28:30and install
28:31a foldable glass partition.
28:33But they've gone
28:34for a different
28:34but still very nice
28:35alternative.
28:37Your decision
28:38not to make that
28:40into a playroom.
28:41Yeah.
28:42Tell me about that.
28:43With that being
28:43an external wall
28:44and then the drop-down
28:46in floor level
28:47and ceiling height
28:48it was becoming
28:49a much bigger project
28:50and the budget
28:51was not stretching.
28:52We'll just make this
28:53the wow space
28:54and then simply
28:55put a glazed door there
28:56which allows you
28:57visibility into that room
28:58which can be also
28:58an office or a playroom.
29:00I mean, it's very, very nice.
29:01Of course, it's only
29:02half the size
29:03of some of the kitchens
29:04that we saw on the search.
29:04Yeah, well, if you go up...
29:06Yeah, but Phil,
29:06you were a long way from here.
29:07Yeah, we were.
29:08But that's part of the plan.
29:10You've totally nailed us.
29:11100%.
29:11It's lovely.
29:13Nilesh and Raki
29:13have done an amazing job
29:15transforming this space
29:16on a limited budget.
29:18But how is that transformation
29:19going to affect their decision
29:21whether to stay or go?
29:22It's time to find out
29:24what mum, dad
29:25and baby Isla
29:26have decided.
29:28You've done a beautiful job.
29:29But the whole search...
29:32I opened your eyes
29:34and, in fact,
29:34I know I inspired you
29:35with some of those houses.
29:37Access to family,
29:38bigger houses,
29:40still having access
29:41to London
29:41and cheaper.
29:43Yeah, I think it's about
29:44trying to find the balance
29:45and I think that property
29:47that you showed us
29:47could work better for us.
29:49Yeah.
29:50But equally,
29:51we're trying to make
29:52the best of what we've got.
29:53Yeah.
29:53On that subject
29:54of doing a beautiful job here,
29:57the average valuation
29:58pre-work was 745,000.
30:01You spent 28,000 pounds on it.
30:05If you were to contemplate
30:07moving today...
30:08Yeah.
30:08..this house would have
30:10an average valuation
30:11of 793,000 pounds.
30:14Oh, wow.
30:14So that represents
30:16a 48,000 pound uplift.
30:19That's brilliant.
30:20Really happy with that.
30:21That's great.
30:22Wow.
30:22You've basically,
30:23you've spent 28,000 pounds
30:25on making your house
30:27look 48,000 pounds better.
30:29Yeah.
30:30Can't argue with that, can you?
30:31No, and it's a very,
30:32very interesting lesson
30:34in less is sometimes more.
30:36Does that mean
30:36we have more money
30:37to spend, Bill?
30:38Yes, here we go.
30:40That's the man.
30:41Are you going to love it?
30:45Or list it?
30:48We are going to...
30:50Love it.
30:56Poor Phil.
30:57It did occur to me
30:58that you might list it
30:59and 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,
31:05this is where we've raised her.
31:08Like, you know,
31:08this 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
31:17to 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
31:26quite confident
31:28because we'd seen amazing houses
31:30up in Leicestershire.
31:31But I think the difficulty was,
31:33obviously, I hadn't seen
31:34what you'd helped them with,
31:36but Raki had been up in Leicestershire,
31:39living 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.
31:46And I think she'd really enjoyed the build.
31:49We've always given advice
31:50about having a contingency,
31:52a financial sort of cushion.
31:5410%.
31:54Is it as much as 10% now?
31:56I think you should go into every build,
31:59not expecting it to go over,
32:01not wanting it to go over,
32:03doing everything in your power
32:05to prevent it going over,
32:07but factor in that it could go over by 10%.
32:11Well, did they spend $28,000?
32:13So it was quite way over budget.
32:15In percentage terms,
32:16a long way over budget, yeah.
32:17But they were happy.
32:18It was a great result.
32:19It was a great result.
32:26We're looking back at brilliant builds
32:28that made maximum impact
32:30with minimum spend.
32:32I mean, you could do so much with this,
32:34but not with that budget.
32:36In Maidenhead,
32:38Niles and Racky spent £28,000
32:41future-proofing their house
32:43with an open-plan kitchen diner,
32:45a separate study,
32:47and kid-friendly spaces.
32:49Frank and Wilma in Straven
32:50were at a different stage of their life,
32:53as soon-to-be empty nesters,
32:55and were still open to a sea change
32:56for the future.
32:58Wilma wanted me to find them
32:59a place on the west coast of Scotland
33:01with a sea view
33:02and ideally golf course access for Frank.
33:05And only I could do that.
33:09We started our search in Inverkip,
33:12a village on the coast
33:13around 50 miles from their home in Straven.
33:16And as they hadn't viewed a property
33:18for over 25 years,
33:19it was a big day.
33:22On the market for offers over £290,000,
33:26this first property
33:27really was a top-flight offering.
33:29So, minutes from the marina,
33:33minutes from the beach,
33:34selling 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
33:45there is an outside space.
33:47OK.
33:47But there's so much outside space
33:49all around you.
33:51Come see what you think.
33:52Thanks.
33:54Inside, this beautiful apartment
33:56has an open-plan kitchen,
33:58living, dining space
33:59that's made for hosting
34:01fun family get-togethers,
34:03something they've been struggling
34:04with at home.
34:05And the cherry on top
34:06is the breathtaking views
34:08over the coast.
34:09Kirsty certainly can't give them that.
34:12Come on in.
34:13So, we have a great big flat here.
34:15Oh.
34:16We did see open flat...
34:18..flat and lemon.
34:20There you come.
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
34:36all my childhood.
34:37Your childhood?
34:37All my childhood.
34:38In Butte, yeah.
34:39Yeah.
34:41This is great.
34:43Utility room here as well.
34:45It's a big space, isn't it?
34:46It's a big space.
34:47It really is.
34:48Why don't you go and have a look
34:48at the bedrooms?
34:49Nice.
34:51They are very, very happy.
34:53Frank is trying not to like it,
34:55but he can't help himself.
34:57There are three good-sized bedrooms,
35:00all with en-suites,
35:01perfect for when friends and family come to stay.
35:06So, first up for Team List It, 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
35:17to entertain the bedrooms and their size.
35:21Yeah.
35:22Frank's not looking very happy about things over there.
35:24So, yeah, I think it's what I start.
35:27I've got to say, you've got my head turning a bit.
35:29Some of the views and stuff are great,
35:31but really the size of the bedrooms
35:33and the size of the whole apartment is fantastic.
35:36Strong start.
35:37Very good.
35:38It certainly is.
35:38You're going to get stronger as well, Frank,
35:40don't you, Brian?
35:40Oh, dear.
35:40Oh, dear.
35:41Excellent.
35:44Three miles down the coast,
35:49my next property was in Scalmorley,
35:51overlooking the Isles of Bute and Arran.
35:54On the market for offers over 385,000,
35:57this detached bungalow boasts spectacular views
36:01across the Firth of Clyde,
36:02and there's an extra bonus for Frank, too.
36:06The golf club's just up there.
36:08It's a golf club.
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
36:17and show you the view from up the top.
36:19OK.
36:19OK.
36:24Now, this room,
36:25well, it sells itself, really.
36:27Oh, my goodness.
36:29Look at the view.
36:31Wow.
36:32Can we go out there?
36:33Come on.
36:36Ta-da!
36:36Well, this is a view.
36:40What a view.
36:42I've sensed Frank's coming over to team this day.
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?
36:52Come on.
36:53You know it makes sense.
36:55That 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.
37:09Yeah.
37:09I think even when downsizing makes every bit of sense on paper,
37:13it's still hard to pull off.
37:15It's emotionally hard.
37:17And actually, practically, it's hard
37:18because people are used to having their big couches
37:22or their dining table
37:23and 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,
37:38it's very invigorating.
37:40It really is.
37:41And it's a new sense of life and it's exciting.
37:43And the problem is,
37:43our system of buying and selling is so badly broken
37:47that unless you really have to move
37:50for a reason that's an imperative, you don't.
37:53Well, 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.
38:00West Coast of Scotland, house hunting, happy days.
38:03What's not to like?
38:04Yeah.
38:04Well, we might like it,
38:09but was the lure of the coast
38:11enough to make Wilma and Frank list it?
38:14After five months of work on their home of 25 years,
38:18it was decision day in Straven.
38:20You 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 to see you.
38:36The wet weather can't dampen my enthusiasm
38:44to see the couple's renovation.
38:49Now the kitchen diner has been given a new lease of life.
38:58And the conservatory is giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
39:02The living room also has a new look
39:07with soft, peaceful blues
39:08and sleek grey sofas
39:10replacing the dated damask wallpaper
39:12and peppermint-patterned seating.
39:18Does look super smart.
39:20I'm always quite nervous coming into these places.
39:23What's happened?
39:26Let me be your guide, Phil.
39:28The couple had the kitchen units
39:30professionally spray-painted
39:31and they look amazing
39:33under the natural light
39:34flooding in from the refurbished conservatory.
39:42The conservatory is now the entertaining space
39:44for family and friends
39:45that the couple desperately desired.
39:48The kitchen's replaced.
39:50Upcycled.
39:51Upcycled.
39:52What do you mean?
39:52Yeah.
39:53Taken apart and all painted
39:55and all sprayed.
39:56The work surfaces and the backsplash
39:58were done on-site
39:59but 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
40:09for so long.
40:11That's great.
40:12So it's new handles.
40:13No, it's actually not.
40:14No, it's new handles.
40:15I didn't like anything more than the ones we had.
40:18But they look completely different
40:19when they've got the colour.
40:21Yeah, the shine and the buff.
40:22They've buffed them up.
40:23A small, budget-priced kitchen
40:26would cost around 8K on average
40:28to purchase and install.
40:30The spray painting costs 3.5 grand
40:32and this looks as good as new to me.
40:36You had a table up there before
40:37and it was all quite tight.
40:39That was where you were spending a lot of time
40:40and it was a bit cosy.
40:41It's funny you should mention that, Phil.
40:42Because, basically, another room
40:46has been added on to the house.
40:48Hasn't it?
40:49It has an effect, yeah.
40:51The dog room.
40:52The dog room.
40:52Yes, the dog room, yeah.
40:54That was the dog room, you're right.
40:57It is now the orangery.
40:58It looks absolutely fantastic.
41:07Sharing an evening meal under the stars
41:09and 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.
41:20In the dog house.
41:23They've got a new bed in the snug.
41:25They've got a new bed.
41:26Yeah, they'll be in the snug.
41:27It's all well and good, Frank,
41:28but you can't see the Isle of Butte, can you?
41:31I mean, forgive me.
41:33We can't see Aaron.
41:34But, Phil, let me tell you,
41:36there is the Isle of Iona.
41:37Isle 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.
41:47We're not too worried about you today, Frank.
41:50I think we should sit down
41:51and have a little drink and I think.
41:52I think we should.
41:53Yes, sounds good.
41:54It cost just under £20,000
41:58to refurbish the conservatory,
42:00which took Wilma and Frank's total spend
42:02on the renovation to £25,000.
42:07I'm impressed by all that Kirsty's done
42:10to help the couple with their renovation.
42:12But I'm also excited
42:13because the new look they've given their home
42:15will certainly make it more appealing
42:17to younger families
42:18if they choose to sell
42:20and begin a new life by the sea.
42:23I particularly liked the flat in Invercay.
42:27Yeah.
42:28That flat was all about lifestyle.
42:30Mm.
42:31You could see the sea
42:32and you could see Butte
42:33and you could probably just about see Cumbray
42:35from the kitchen and the dining area.
42:37The actual flat itself was incredible
42:40and it kind of really opened my mind
42:43to, well, this is what you can get for your money.
42:47The average valuation for this property
42:49prior 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
43:06but in this market
43:08for anyone to do work
43:09which doesn't add on any space
43:12and to come in having not lost any money
43:16absolutely 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
43:50is 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.
43:59That's exciting.
44:00Indeed.
44:01I'm deeply jealous.
44:02No, it is really exciting.
44:04You're making me think
44:05I should go home and move.
44:09I think ultimately
44:10we're always going to come to
44:12a conclusion that we thought
44:13was right for the lifestyle
44:14and the next stage.
44:16So, you know,
44:17although we started in
44:18different camps
44:20we were journeying
44:21these months together
44:23that brought us to this decision.
44:25Got to do what's right
44:26so we've come to the right decision.
44:34Six months later
44:36Frank and Wilma
44:36are having the best of both worlds
44:38taking their time
44:39to find a new home
44:40that's just perfect
44:41and enjoying the better living space
44:43in their current one.
44:44We've viewed a few properties
44:47I think three or four
44:48in the west end of Glasgow
44:50and the west coast
44:52so we've seen a few
44:53that we quite like
44:55but obviously
44:56it's down to
44:57whether we
44:58you know
44:59we sell this place
45:00and when that happens.
45:02It's been really nice
45:03to get used to
45:04living with a new space.
45:06You know,
45:06there's things that we did
45:07which are fantastic.
45:09So there's things
45:10that we're actually
45:10really enjoying
45:11from being here
45:12so we're not in any
45:13desperate rush
45:13but it's about
45:14trusting the timing
45:15and finding the right place.
45:18Yeah.
45:22So another really good example
45:23where the space
45:24didn't get any larger
45:25No.
45:26It just got better.
45:27Yeah.
45:28And it felt
45:28completely different.
45:30Kitchen looked sensational.
45:31Yeah it did.
45:32They just had it sprayed.
45:33They found someone
45:33who comes to the house
45:35and just re-sprays
45:36the kitchen.
45:37It was very clever.
45:38And I would really
45:39encourage people to do that.
45:40I think we're going
45:40to see more of it.
45:41Yeah.
45:41Yeah, I'd never
45:42seen it done before
45:43but it made an awful lot.
45:45Although I love
45:46what they did to the house
45:46I think it was
45:47that situation
45:47was less about
45:48the house
45:50and whether it worked
45:51or not.
45:51It was more to do
45:52with the fact
45:52they wanted a change
45:53of life.
45:53It was next stage of life.
45:55I don't know
45:55what it is
45:56about the coast
45:57but people
45:59do move
46:00to the coast
46:00at a certain stage
46:01in life.
46:03I think
46:03the thing about
46:04the sea
46:05is that when you
46:05have the time
46:06to appreciate it
46:07it's a wonderful
46:08thing to have close by.
46:09It's invigorating.
46:11Yeah.
46:11Different stages
46:12of life
46:12and very different
46:13builds
46:13but both under
46:1430 grand.
46:15Yeah,
46:15very successful.
46:16beautiful.
46:47English
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