Category: Property on TV

There was a new Location Location Location on last night

You can find out more here n Ch4

Kirstie and Phil meet two pairs of buyers who hope to make south-east London their home.

But with very specific requirements and a lack of time, Phil and Kirstie are going to have to really work their property magic to make these dreams come true.

Cruise ship workers Peter and Jason are desperate to end the years of living out of suitcases and hope to set up home together in the popular suburb of Beckenham.

Designers Nadine and Toby want a house that’s in need of serious refurbishment, with a 60ft garden, ideally with a flat front, and also with a `good narrative’ to boot… on a maximum budget of £350,000.

They like the big property (some sort of masonic hall attached) on at £350k.
They ask if £330k is too cheeky. Don’t think it was cheeky enough myself but it’s peopel acting as trustees so they’re holding out for a better price.

After the owner rejected this offer (and a higher offer) they eventually accepted an offer of 346k! Krusty said this was ‘good for a house that has been on the market 2 and a half years’!
It’s not good! I thought their budget was £350k tops so it means they won’t be able to do it up. They’ve put in full planning permission for changes. Worrying to hear them say “We need to get it warm, dry and safe” … isn’t it? UBOSM house looks like a huge project.

The entertainers struggle to decide between tow houses. They like the one with period features £292500 is offered but the other people who’ve offered are exchanging on their sale tomorrow so in a bid to hurry it up Phil asks what he can do to get the sale stitched up today – so they offer £295k and it’s a deal.

One of the Scottish Grand Design houses has been damaged in a recent storm – A house in Kilcreggan, Argyll and Bute, which featured in the Channel 4 programme Grand Designs, was damaged in the storm. Gail Young who took the picture said no-one was hurt.

View here on the bbc – it’s currently picture 6 of 26.
It’s the one where he sandblasted the inside.

This is actually for sale at the moment too

Architect and campaigner George Clarke invites you to join the campaign to fill Britain’s empty homes

Click here to sign up or find out more by watching the video

The 2nd series of Restoration Man starts this Thursday on channel 4 at 9pm
Series 2 – Episode 1 – Reeds Windmill, Kent

PRESENTER – George Clarke

After years of living away from their families, Pete and Nikki Fagg have moved back down south to Kent with the dream of restoring a derelict windmill that’s been owned by Pete’s family for over 100 years.

Locally listed, the windmill has been a roofless ruin since 1915, and its tapering structure overlooks an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of the county.

The build nearly comes unstuck when Nikki, who had recovered from cancer, suddenly becomes unwell again. George is on hand to advise, and support them on their restoration journey as they battle with Nikki’s illness.

for more info visit the Restoration Man Channel 4 page

You can watch the last one of the first serious on 4OD now –
Series 1 Episode 9
Medieval Hall and Mansion
George takes on the task of advising two families who have bought rare and nationally important buildings in Wales

Landlords from Hell – Channel 4 tonight at 8.30
See more on Ch 4 Dispatches page

Dispatches goes undercover in the property rental market again to find out what really happens when you’re without a roof over your ahead and desperate.

I hope it has some practical advice about what to do if you have a landlord from hell!

The Great British Property Scandal which is on Channel 4 on Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th December 2011. Architect and presenter George Clarke will front the series which will highlight the nearly two million British families who don’t have adequate housing, and the million-odd homes lying empty across the UK. Architect Clarke will set out to raise awareness of the issue and offer practical solutions for those affected.

Clarke argues that “the Government’s plan to build new homes is not necessarily the right approach,” and suggests ‘more cost effective and efficient ways to utilize the properties that are currently lying empty.” Clarke will also lobby central government and local councils to commit to re-using empty homes across the whole of the UK.

New program coming to Channel 4 very soon – The Great British Property Scandal

George Clarke and Phil Spencer embark on a crusade to tackle Britain’s housing crisis

Series 1 Episode 1
The Great British Property Scandal The Great British Property Scandal

George Clarke is shocked by the country’s senseless waste of housing stock.

Next Episode: Mon 05 Dec, 9PM on Channel 4

The Renovation Game is a new program on Channel 4.
Property show in which a crack team of up-and-coming builders and designers put their own fees on the line if they fail to raise the value of a property.

Next on Channel 4 Tue 08 Nov, 11AM
Missed one yesterday but it’s there to watch on 4onD so I will be switching it on shortly and writing a review.

Series 1 Episode 2
The Renovation Game

The team are in Oxfordshire to meet Pam and her daughter Tracey. Their detached three-bedroom house was brand new in the 1960s, but is now in need of a drastic makeover.

Series 1 | Episode 1 | The Renovation Game

Presenter –
Jonnie Irwin
Presenter
– Simon O’Brien

The team are in Brighton, at the home of Dave and Katy and their seven-year-old son Freddy. Katy’s a teacher and Dave works for a credit card company. They bought their house just over a year ago and had great plans for it as their first family home. But with no experience of house renovation, the funds have run out sooner than they expected.

Downstairs they’ve been left with a bit of a building site. They’ve spent thousands making it warm and water tight, leaving no money to add the finishing touches. With the piggy bank empty, their dreams for a new kitchen-diner have been turned into a living nightmare. The cheap and nasty kitchen units have given up the ghost and there’s not enough room for Katy’s culinary creativity.

Before any work begins, three local estate agents will value the house in its current state. With the valuation done, now it’s down to the Renovation Game team to add £15,000 to this house – otherwise their fees will be taken.

Can the team hit their target – and get paid?

I started to watch it last night and found myself reaching for the channel changer as it was garbage.

The program is using a huge vat of emotional tricks to make the viewers feel sorry for Ms Beeny and her family who might, we are told repeatedly, lose Rise Hall. We are shown clips of them ripping tiles off walls which are green with moss to a comical “I think it’s got damp” from Ms Beeny.

We are then treated to an explanation of why they need this huge house and the acres of land. Apparently they have four boys and boys need to run and they need this space!

If she really believes boys need so much space to run around in why isn’t she starting a charity for underprivaledged children who only have half an acre to much about in.

For someone so involved in property development I am shocked to see a program where she might possibly claim that she wasn’t aware of what the rules where, and has no supporting paperwork to back up her discussions with previous conservation officers. I’ve looked through enough plans online to see that notes from conversation officers litter the applications relating to listed buildings. If she has none of this to back up her meetings and none is recorded at the council then there is only one assumption to make.

I don’t care if Sarah Beeny loses Rise Hall. I think the whole program has been engineered for her to create plenty of publicity for the TV series, and presumably tie in book that will accompany it.
I think the use of her children in the program is unneccessary and aims to draw in sympathy from the veiwer. Perhaps this is another aspect of the program mistimed. In a period of not huge ecomomic growth, credit crunching times and generally the population feeling the squeeze, is a program about a rich TV presenter doing up her enormous house really good viewing?

Other Sarah Beeny related articles on this site include one about the planning permission. There are others too though!

If you think you have the stomach for it, then watch Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare at 4onD now.