- 5 weeks ago
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00:02this time we're catching up with some old friends today I'm back in color coats to see Mark and
00:09Suze six years ago they couldn't decide whether to love or list their four-bed mid-terrace home
00:18when I first met Mark and Suze their debate over their home in Tyneside seemed to be growing arms
00:24and legs no no definitely love it to settle this dispute once and for all nothing short of divine
00:36intervention was going to stop us are you being serious you are joking no way though it was both
00:46tears and smiles when we asked the all-important question I am pleased I think it's the right
00:53decision they've set me up now it was clear Mark and Suze were capable of incredibly clever jaw-dropping
01:01II good renovations I was not often I see something where I'm truly envious and so six years later I
01:09couldn't wait to go back up north to see the latest fruits of their labors the mark and Suze way
01:14is
01:15the right way and give them some pretty good news of my own your time has been worth money crazy
01:28when Mark and Suze first called Kirstie and I in to help back in 2019 it seemed my sidekick was
01:35feeling
01:35rather excitable I am very taken with color coats after suffering enough of Phil's driving I'm at the
01:45wheel for a change oh look at that it's a castle is a castle oh god I'm gonna drive down
01:54there look at the
01:55bridge this is why I normally drive because we actually get there the place we're trying to get
02:04to is the home of Susan Mark Drummond and their three-year-old daughter Cora they've been in a
02:09predicament for some time I am completely fed up in having the conversation of do we stay or do we
02:15go
02:15it's gone on for far too long yeah and I'm quite clear that I want to stay and I just
02:21need to convince
02:21you that that's the case Mark thinks it's time to move on from their lovely four-bed mid-terrace
02:27house I've been swiping at properties day after day what about this what about this just like well
02:32that's the same as ours that's not this this is not that there will be something out there tough job
02:37hopefully tough job we bought this house almost 10 years ago and I fell in love with it at first
02:43sight
02:44and our parents are like don't buy the first one you see so we viewed another 15 and we came
02:48back to
02:49this one but with the arrival of Cora the frequent visits of Mark's daughter Kayleigh and a new baby
02:55girl on the way the house doesn't function as well as it once did downstairs is not working for me
03:02the
03:04big wall would just keep walking around constantly between the kitchen the dining room I just want to
03:10get a sledgehammer to this for but Suze can only see the positives I love the location the size of
03:18the rooms but it doesn't offer a garden it doesn't offer a drive downstairs space Kirsty needs to bring
03:27out a massive wand to change the space wonder at the ready a Kirsty as always but you'll need more
03:37than a bit of magic to convince Suze to abandon her perfect coastal location whenever I come home I
03:42see the sea and I get a feeling of calm that comes over me and I love that and I
03:47just can't see us
03:50like replicating and what we've got I think would have to compromise as much as she loves the location
03:55Suze has a much deeper connection to this house in October 2014 after a long time of fair trying and
04:04eventually find out we were pregnant and we unfortunately lost a little boy just after a few
04:10hours when he was when he was born so our little Chester is is very much part of this house
04:17it would
04:19be a break in terms of the emotion in order to have to to give this up and move but
04:24there are happy
04:24memories attached to this house too with Cora's birth and another baby girl on the way Cora's team love it
04:31she
04:31loves this house and yeah oh just being kicked do you miss it no no definitely love it now that's
04:39what's called recruiting them early not to worry you Phil but it's girls against boys on this one
04:44four to two time to meet them I think nice looking house
04:52morning how you doing I'm Phil Phil Mark come in peace meet you hi Kirstie hi Suze come in come
04:59in
04:59get out the rain Mark you're wearing flip-flops Suze you're wearing sandals bear arms and it's
05:06posing with rain outside welcome to colour codes so there's obviously a good lifestyle going on here
05:15yeah yeah why would you even be thinking about moving well you're thinking about moving I I most
05:20definitely am NOT so for me the location wins this place over and I absolutely want to love it and
05:27I'm
05:28team listed good man I knew we were gonna get on for me we've been here for 10 years now
05:35as a growing
05:36family we're filling it fast and we don't have a garden at the rear for playing and entertaining and
05:44obviously storage is becoming an issue as we get bigger how many bedrooms we've got in this house
05:49we've got four but it sounds like you're gonna run out of space downstairs rather than upstairs on you
05:55yes but it's more than bricks and mortar keeping Suze here I do have a real strong emotional connection
06:01to to this property at the moment unfortunately we did lose our son just after a few hours after he
06:07was born so seeing us through the worst of times and would you say that trauma is keep it's to
06:14some
06:14extent keeping you here it's not the sole reason for keeping me here but that I think the emotion just
06:19tips it it would be hard for me to go it's understandable that Suze is attached to this house so
06:27we're more
06:27determined than ever to help them make the right decision for the future this room becomes a
06:33corridor yes all be it's a very nice corridor yeah quite a big but I can see their problem and
06:39actually
06:39the problem is going to get worse with the arrival of next baby and really you want to just get
06:44rid of
06:44that wall turn the table have yourself come into the sitting room this way your easy option is taking
06:51this wall out that's the simplest quickest cheapest method I agree but as the hallway provides a far
06:58escape route for both the front and rear of the house that wall can't be removed on top of that
07:04whilst I have 35 grand to solve the lack of the social kitchen diner in reality the ceiling price of
07:11the
07:11street is only 25 grand more than the house is currently worth so I don't want to overspend I think
07:21we'll have a look around upstairs I am a bit flummoxed actually because there just isn't the space it's not
07:29about the budget it's about the space and creating something which will add value I'd rather tell us a
07:36Phil search lovely area oh wow they have done a beautiful job on this house upstairs is amazing but
07:49downstairs has got some serious problems and I'm not sure the cast you'll be able to resolve them
07:54what's the pity aye I can tell your heart's bleeding for me Phil well with a sizable listed budget of
08:03370 grand I should be able to show them a property that has no problems upstairs or downstairs but you'll
08:11also have to blow eight thousand five hundred pounds in stamp duty as well as over five grand in moving
08:16and legal costs that's just under 14 grand better spent on creating their forever home here they have
08:23a beautiful house here's my take on it I think for her own self Suze has to make one last
08:31attempt to
08:32stay here mm-hmm and you can't make it bigger no you can make it different but you can make
08:37it bigger
08:42feels pretty smug he thinks you need to move and that he's it's like no contest but having said that
08:50I love the house but I can find you and show you houses that are a much better connectivity for
08:56family
08:57life so it's what would you need to see yeah so four bedrooms and either semi or detached good local
09:05amenities and good schools and public transport links big downstairs external storage or a garage fun
09:14enough I've just had a new idea when I was standing here he's just come to me no I didn't
09:20need to share
09:21it with you Phil no no you get going get on with your research Phil don't worry we got this
09:28we got
09:29this taped we've got it in the back no no I've got my mojo back I can practically hear the
09:35cogs turning
09:38well they should definitely list that much is clear Kirstie's got a great plan up her sleeve can't wait to
09:45hear it yeah yeah she may have a good plan but Phil's definitely gonna find something that ticks all
09:50the boxes that we require moving forward as a larger family I was feeling quite chipper until you had
09:58whatever just happened in your brain it's very very simple but I'm not gonna share it with you
10:09we need more space downstairs this doesn't offer it another house will I'm back in the lovely coastal
10:19village of color coats in North Tyneside where in 2019 with a new baby on the way Mark and Suze
10:26Drummond
10:26were arguing over whether to love or list their Victorian terraced home it offers so much and with
10:34a few changes I think it can really be the house that we need more than a few changes no
10:39whilst the
10:41future of their home remained in the balance Kirsty was formulating a cunning plan to convince them to
10:46stay which was so simple she almost missed it nope no need to overspend this needs to be the kitchen
10:58so
10:59it will be very much a kitchen diner with a pantry storage and what used to be the kitchen makes
11:07sense
11:08to me I just hope Mark and Suze are on board I thought about all sorts of clever things and
11:14then I came
11:15absolutely back to the simplest cheapest easiest solution because I genuinely believe it to be the
11:23best instead of extending and taking away from the little outdoor space they have the courtyard needs
11:34to become a room in its own right then inside I want to move the kitchen into the current dining
11:40room
11:40to create a big sociable kitchen diner to connect all the downstairs living spaces solving Mark's big
11:46issue with this house to maximize this area the old kitchen would become a utility room so laundry
11:52and household clutter would be kept out of the way this does mean that you get a big sociable kitchen
12:01which this room is that move of the kitchen and that bringing in of that utility space I think that
12:07will make a massive difference to how I use the house overall that's going to make better connection
12:12I like utility being here and we can kind of come in with bikes and go into here ditch stuff
12:17and then come in
12:18and do what we need to do yeah yeah it's about how to make someone's family life function better that's
12:25what we do and that's what we want yeah yeah my plan maximizes pounds and you could have another five
12:31grand
12:31plan to play with yeah walk by caravan with my plan with your plan yes I totally understand why Kirsty's
12:40telling us not to spend the full budget we've got to be realistic in terms of what we'll get back
12:45and
12:45the property if we did decide to sell but is it going to be a game changer that's going to
12:50keep us here for
12:51years it may be a short-term thing or yeah I think we've got food for thought a simple plan
12:58completely
12:59the right thing to do and you know what they were more receptive to it than I thought so fingers
13:06crossed that I've done the right thing whether that's helps them list it or not I think I've done the
13:14right thing and I think they see that you do your best Kirsty whilst I carry on my search for
13:21houses
13:21with all the space this growing family could possibly need Suze is adamant she wants to stay
13:28by the coast and seaside properties are going to attract quite a hefty premium so compromises will be
13:35faced but as of yet I've no idea what they might agree on so it's okay interesting would you take
13:45on a
13:45project I think we would take on a project we're not scared of you know getting our hands dirty or
13:51you
13:51know knocking down walls and things like that any other changes things that I should be aware of yes we
13:59have purchased a caravan caravan a caravan presumably it's made listing it more likely because you need
14:07someone to put it yes no well look no further than my next house it's just down the road in
14:17their
14:17favorite place color coats and complete with the perfect spot for a caravan pulling onto your own
14:25driveway that's bunch of your big semi-detached house I mean it is a busy road yeah but we're off
14:34it and we've got parking yeah and this is a lot safer than where we are at the minute opening
14:39the
14:40door and being straight onto the pavement yeah yeah and things only get better inside with a large and
14:48bright living dining room spacious kitchen three generous double bedrooms and a huge family bathroom
14:56plus a large mature back garden and a garage all this could be theirs for three hundred and forty two
15:03thousand pounds and it's still within a ten minute walk to the beach and Cora's primary school jobs are
15:10good and a lovely big bright hallway you're not gonna see many always like this I know the kitchen is
15:23a big
15:23old room it is yeah it's probably not your style but it's livable yeah thought-provoking sis yeah I'm
15:33trying to try not to smile it gives it away you'd read it on my face straight away it is
15:39well that smile
15:41will only get bigger when she sees the rest of the house next door the dining room could be knocked
15:46through to create an even bigger family kitchen I mean it would be a massive massive room if it went
15:52that way and then actually put I mean we've got doors on these but block a door block that off
15:57yeah
15:57that's what you would do straight away isn't it yeah it's priced at three hundred and forty two
16:03thousand okay okay it would be easily snapped up for the location yeah it's got real potential well why
16:11don't you guys have a look up the bedrooms so there's three doubles okay all really good interesting
16:17yeah but have a wonder okay cool well thank you very much actually Suze is looking even keener
16:27than mark which is a massive turnout for the books I'm delighted upstairs things only get better
16:36first thing I know it is straight away you can see the sea look it's a really nice space it's
16:44a big room
16:45this they're all good-sized doubles with plenty more potential in the loft to install a fourth
16:52bedroom and even an ensuite you do downstairs first yeah and then you do this when you've got more
16:58money but if it is gonna be forever then there's no rush because it's it's fine now is who we
17:05are as a
17:05family I couldn't agree more mark I can warm it up to enlist it here we go happy I don't
17:17want to say so but
17:18yes it surprised me and it has got that potential for us to do some renovations and make it work
17:27for us
17:29yeah I'd say that's a very good sign the team let's do oh not quite not quite I still love
17:35our
17:35house I absolutely do but the fact that it's you can't not you've just got to think the future now
17:41isn't you've got to think and that's that's probably what I haven't been doing the near three to five I
17:46can see it written on your face
17:55it's okay we'll move on Phil has done well yes definitely he has it's it's a great location it's on
18:06a great street it's got potential it's it ticks all of our boxes definitely I'm trying not to smile right
18:13now but she is oh yes she is Kirsty
18:17and I think Suze has practically listed it already
18:22ah Phil you're not going to shake Suze's faith in team love it that easily
18:31just five weeks after I gave them my plan for a bigger kitchen it seems that mark is on board
18:38they've embraced my ideas and started the build so it's back to colour codes to check on the start of
18:44the
18:44work funny how the weather often seems better with that fill around the Sun is out and I'm here on
18:50day
18:50one of Suze and Mark's build they are desperate to get that kitchen sorted out before the baby arrives
19:04well that was a kitchen they have really got cracking here as this room turns into a utility the
19:13relocation of the new bigger sociable kitchen is underway next door but there is a third room and
19:20that is the garden and if this is really gonna work there has to be an easy transition between the
19:27three rooms so making the garden feel like a room is real priority hello hello what do you want from
19:37this
19:37space I want a relaxing space so I can be sitting down at the end of the day with a
19:42glass of wine and
19:43know that the girls could be playing nearby and occupy themselves to some yeah some degree straight
19:51away I can see a fun play area by the outside tap perfect for a mud kitchen just one of
19:56those little
19:56bowls in set so you can put the plug in and splash around and play with the water it's like
20:01when you
20:01go camping exactly the same sort of thing grown-ups need areas in this space too so to make it
20:11feel
20:11more comfortable and relaxing I plan on dressing the yard with rugs plants and soft furnishings this
20:18will be a great chill out space but there's no time to relax in the Drummond household yet because
20:26within two weeks the new kitchen installation starts and that's not the only new arrival so this is a
20:34penny rose Drummond we have taken a better time off a couple of weeks we've given ourselves but um we're
20:41straight back into it yeah regardless whether we're gonna move or stay we still want to do it for us
20:47I
20:47think it'll make us stay yeah back in 2019 in color coats mark was adamant the time had come to
21:03sell
21:04up and move to a bigger family home but Suze was not convinced one of the main reasons of
21:11buying this house is that we we wanted to start a family and we had a pretty tough ride in
21:16terms
21:16of fair in terms of getting there and yeah I have a big emotional attachment to this house
21:23after viewing a spacious semi with me though Suze looked very like Team Listit's newest member
21:31happy I don't want to say so but yet
21:38well before you get carried away Phil Suze and Mark are getting stuck back into the work at home
21:44looks like they're enjoying making this their forever home
21:47what they are enjoying is all that DIY and building work I think it's given them a taste for more
21:53renovation so I'm taking them south of the time now to a property but it's quite radical but we'll
22:00really test how big a project they might be prepared to take on so you've never lived south of the
22:06river
22:06no never never wanted to live south of the river never we are going south of the river and I
22:14know that wasn't part of the plan but I have found something that's quite I thought you'd do this you
22:19know oh it will change everything but for the good or the bad well I'm feeling nervous yeah have you
22:27got one pound 80
22:29no you need one pound 80 you didn't bring your purse yeah I've got two pounds okay
22:35a moment there it's a good job it's me driving not class she certainly wouldn't have any cash cash cash
22:43just like the Queen well despite all the signs telling me this is possibly a bad idea I'm taking
22:51them to Castle Eden this very pretty village 45 minutes drive south and just a few miles in from
22:57the sea is home to the next place I've lined up which will get them thinking I'm either totally
23:02brilliant or totally balmy are you being serious you are joking no way yes it's an 18th century
23:13church with planning permission set in an acre of land and on the market for just a hundred grand I'm
23:20speechless so that is st. James's Church where worshiped stopped 2016 smaller smaller congregation a building
23:29that needed looking after it didn't kind of stack up so it now has permission for a four bedroom home
23:37it's great to listed it's phenomenal but I guess first things first is I should ask you do you have
23:43any issues
23:45with living in a church there I'm looking at the graveyard that's
23:51it's the garden imagine yeah I don't know yeah why don't we go in and I can show you the
23:58plans you get a
23:59sort of feeling of the place yeah sounds good yeah let me show you the way currently one vast open
24:12space
24:12plans have been agreed to install a mezzanine floor with four bedrooms and two bathrooms on an upper level
24:18downstairs the chancel will be a kitchen with a dining room beyond there's a utility room in the old vestry
24:25which leaves the huge nave and side aisles for an enormous sitting room but these guys did say
24:31they wanted much more living space can I have a go that's amazing come in do absolutely amazing
24:42first impressions it's to church it's pretty amazing yeah just thinking about what we've done to ours to
24:53this it's like a whole other level isn't it yeah this is available for a hundred thousand pounds it
25:01will without question make somebody a spectacular home very very difficult for anyone to put an
25:06accurate figure on what it would cost to do these plans but we've had a couple of people look at
25:11it
25:11they've come in at wildly different ends the spectrum um one was 160 and one was 400 I think with
25:18your budget you could be in here and living in here would you consider it is always it too much
25:25be
25:26honest I don't I don't think it would be too much I would definitely be off for the challenge but
25:32it's
25:33whether it would have to be right that we both wanted it someone's gone very quiet yeah what is
25:42concerning for me is the the fact that it will always feel like a church let's have one okay
25:50it's grand maybe a little bit too much work to do distant money it would be significant and we might
25:59want to stop making a few collections anything in that news hmm I think the offerings here are
26:09dwindling and I reckon I can still spook kirsty I'll send a copy of that to my friend and there's
26:16also
26:19dearest you're going to need divine intervention to be me I think that there is a project in us
26:33but this just feels too big it just feels too much you agree completely yeah yeah I agree yeah quite
26:42fun to come and have a look at that but you've got a lot of thinking to do while you
26:46finish the work
26:46at home yeah yeah and enjoy penny and kirstie and I will be back to ask that question yes yeah
26:54yeah do the
26:55rights do the rights a week later in search of my holy grail of a listed the time had come
27:09to find
27:09out what Susan Mark's decision would be absolutely beautiful day look at that beach I want to live in
27:18the coast I was just kind of reflecting on how things have changed here in the time well I mean
27:25the arrival of penny and the arrival of a caravan much to my surprise on the house hunt so that
27:33needs
27:34to be stored and the family's got bigger but luckily I've shown Susan Mark some fantastic houses with all
27:42the space they'll need for the kids and the caravan hope you're getting ready to buy me that drink
27:48castles you're unbearable when you're smug I should be paid extra for having to go in a coffee with you
27:55have to walk across the roads good job we're not pushing prams and looking after small children
27:59isn't it we're at the parking all the way across the street hello good morning he's whinging back the
28:07parking nice sense enough whinging Phil prepared to be wowed where once this family was kept apart
28:16living with a tiny galley kitchen separate to the rest of the downstairs now they can all be together
28:25cooking and eating in a stunning family size kitchen in the old dining room it opens onto the
28:30living room creating one big sociable space meanwhile the old kitchen has become an incredibly useful
28:37utility room such a simple solution has transformed this house and they've kept to the limit I set them
28:45for 25 grand which means they didn't go a penny over the ceiling price of the house it just it
28:56does
28:56look absolutely stunning this space feels enormous it really is I mean this is fantastic and you talked
29:05about wanting an open plan space and you've nailed it I mean it clearly is not as large as some
29:10of the
29:10places that we looked at together but it's still very nice how has it worked just over the last few
29:16days with people moving around and being in the same room it's delivered yeah yeah it really has it
29:23works it really really does work so the kids have been in there in the living room while I've been
29:27preparing tea yeah or mark at 13 grand the kitchen and its installation were the biggest costs but the
29:36guys save money elsewhere like sanding the existing floorboards and even this fabulous statement piece
29:43celebrating the whole family only costs 350 pounds who did that it's a local sign right there that we
29:54spotted some of his work in the shop window when we got to register Penny's birth didn't we so I
29:59got in
29:59touch and said can you do a custom piece for us I'm just checking it's movable that's all it is
30:06it is
30:07what happened to the old kitchen shall we go on then after you no no no despite not increasing their
30:17square footage Susan mark have maximized every inch of space in this house under stairs playroom surprise
30:24oh wow that's very cool it's a normal place to have a playroom that's a genius idea you're gonna set
30:31a
30:32trend with that by removing cupboards and decorating themselves they've created a great den for the girls
30:38for less than 50 quid they've also replaced the under stairs storage with a brand new utility room in
30:44their former kitchen you've really properly thought this through yeah I think we have yeah can we have a look
30:51outside yes see whether caravans gonna go outside the tired-looking backyard has been redesigned and
31:01decorated to create even more living space with areas for all the family to enjoy it's like another
31:07room yeah yeah Sun trap area where we can sit and have a nice G&T as the Sun goes
31:13down but that
31:14place for the kids to play and that's what we didn't have before did you make that I made that
31:19you didn't all pallets yeah oh my god all pallets yeah that's great I mean obviously it's taken all
31:26of the storage away for bicycles and no no no no no no no some more storage can be built
31:32Phil but it's
31:33just time a lot's been going on around here so I think it's about coffee time and sit down
31:37yeah let's do it let's do it let's do it come on yes before anyone gets carried away it's team
31:48listed still it's beautiful and you've absolutely maxed out what anyone could have ever done to this
31:56house but it does still have the issues that you started with which were things like storage and
32:02parking and and I think the houses that we looked at resolved a lot of those color coats absolutely
32:08nailed it yeah it was it was lovely nice house lots of potential I think it was at that point
32:13I
32:14probably overcooked it I thought if you were up for a project let's see how much you were up for
32:18a
32:18project so we went to see a church a characterful building with potential but no way way too much of
32:24a project for us yeah this house didn't work for you because it had a tiny kitchen it now has
32:31one
32:32family room in which you can cook eat and relax all together yeah I see kids playing working in this
32:40bit it's nice nice space it doesn't have a big garden so I couldn't resolve that situation but it
32:50definitely for the time being ticks every box okay so are you gonna love it or listed we are going
33:10to
33:12list it I am pleased I'm pleased I think it's the right decision good for you you've set me off
33:23now
33:25leaving a home that has seen them through their struggle to start a family the loss of baby Chester
33:31and then the joy of bringing their girls home won't be easy it's moving on yeah yeah it is doesn't
33:38mean
33:39you're forgetting the past homes are important but it is about the family on reflection I know that
33:47the memories always come with you and it will be hard to go when we do because I genuinely love
33:52this
33:52house both space is the issue and I think for you showing us a third property has given us the
34:00inspiration to say we think you could do something on this scale oh you could do anything I mean the
34:06talent that you've both exhibited well done congratulations she's off to the pub to buy me
34:12a drink I mean what could be better my days just just rocking and rolling now I feel proud of
34:22what
34:22we've achieved and it gives us that umph to say yes we can do it again and then Phil is
34:29this just
34:30opened our eyes the realization that that a project isn't as scary and bring on the next one
34:39much like their renovation Mark and Sue's did not hang about just three months after their decision to
34:45list they sold the terraced house and had an offer accepted on a 1930s semi
34:53one year later and around a month after their move Phil popped around for a nosy well it's not
35:00exactly a church but it does have garage parking and we're very close to the house I showed them
35:09hello good morning good morning what a lovely looking spot yes well don't have a look you haven't
35:15wasted any time no definitely not come in for Mark Sue's Cora and Penny who lacked room to grow in
35:27their
35:27mid-terrace home this four-bed semi has space in spades as well as a serious upgrade on kitchen
35:36size here they also have two reception rooms one for the girls and one for them win-win
35:47so we were together in November you wanted to list it and I didn't realize you were going to get
35:51straight onto it but what happened did you go out house hunting did you put the house on the market
35:56what happened this uh they were having a little browse now and again and this house popped up
36:01and we thought right let's go have a look at it and it's this that spurred us to get our
36:06house on the
36:07market we knew exactly what we wanted and what we wanted to do but it's the potential that the
36:13property has and it um it covered everything that we were looking for didn't it the work they did on
36:21their old place attracted a fair bit of interest and after 12 viewings and six offers they sold it
36:28within the week couldn't be any happier I had so much interest and a lot of that is is because
36:35of
36:35the work that we did with yourselves I see you've got some plans here mm-hmm you're not hanging around
36:41again yeah inspired by their last renovation Mark and Sue's have some pretty serious plans for
36:47reconfiguring their new home the main thing is to get that open plan kitchen dining with a separate
36:54living room this is a proper forever family home and I've no doubt they'll add the same stunning Drummond
37:01style they wound Kirstie and I within their last place it's felt like home so quickly which is great
37:07couldn't ask for more fantastic I'm so so pleased you really have walked it and the space upgrades
37:16only get better out the back oh it's vast yes it's nice it's really nice Cora and soon enough Penny
37:26will
37:26adore it with four bedrooms and a study upstairs there is so much extra space here for them to grow
37:35as a
37:35family and I know they love a project so I couldn't be happier for them so it's how does it
37:41make you
37:41feel reflect I mean you didn't want to leave that house when we first met you were going this is
37:46it
37:46I'm not going anywhere I was it was such an emotional process but when we made the decision that we
37:53were
37:53going to list it it was genuine and a lot of people got in touch on moving day saying I
37:59know it's going to
38:00be hard and it wasn't I felt like a weight had been lifted and it was so lovely just to
38:04come in here and
38:05have the space definitely the right decision to go I mean you guys have been through a lot but it
38:10must be so nice to go on you know what
38:11oh it is yeah it is yeah that that said it all that big that big deep breath just it
38:18feels right
38:19good for you I'm so pleased thank you for having me thank you well done
38:25it really was the perfect happy ending and now five years on I'm heading back to see what wonders
38:31they've worked with their new house and knowing this couple I expect it will be pretty special
38:46in 2019 Mark and Suze decided to list it less than a year later they were in their 1930s semi
38:54with
38:54great plans to make it their dream family home I'm back to see how that panned out
39:03last time I saw Susan Mark Penny had just been born and Cora was only three creating the perfect
39:09home for their growing family was always their top priority so I can't wait to catch up and see what
39:15they've done with what was a very traditional 1930s semi how are you good thank you so nice to see
39:23you
39:23both Mark and Suze have certainly been busy the downstairs lounge has had a complete overhaul
39:31with beautiful exposed brickwork replacing the old gas fire and an office for Mark and by reconfiguring
39:39the front entrance with a new door and window and knocking down the walls between the entrance hall
39:43kitchen and back reception room oh look at this
39:52they've not only created a wonderful open plan family kitchen dining living space but also opened up
39:58the hallway allowing that all-important flow and light to the downstairs so what you've done is the the
40:07thing everybody always wants which is the line of sight yeah one to back to have that degree of light
40:14coming into the house is just spectacular so we opened up all of this backspace first we knew that
40:22that was the biggest building work and getting all the glass in so lots of steel lots of knocking down
40:28the brickwork tough at times really tough at times let's be honest yeah I'm not surprised as they were
40:36living in the house with their two girls now six and nine how long has it taken a long five
40:43years and
40:44that wasn't because the build took that long it was saving up to get the next bit and the next
40:48bit and
40:48the next bit and in the garage now that's a multitasking room if ever I saw it utility gym tool
40:58shed a
40:59work in progress with the downstairs loo still to come that is brilliant that is really good clever
41:06spending and saving has been the key to this build and just like last time doing a lot of the
41:12work
41:12themselves one of the big projects that we're hoping to to do in the future is to put an outdoor
41:18kitchen on and that's why we've made this window a bi-fold one so that it opens up fully so
41:26that you can I'm
41:26obsessed by on the other side so you cook and you hand stuff out your hand drinks out you ban
41:31washing
41:33oh that is posh what did that cost oh what happened to mr. I'm watching every penny excuse me oh
41:46my god
41:49the bi-fold windows and doors cost around 5k but I have to admit it's money well spent when you
41:55can
41:55open up the back of your house to such a wonderful garden has having a garden been as good as
42:03you
42:03thought it would be even better we didn't realize how much time we would spend in it from putting out
42:09the washing on the line to having people around to the kids just being out and playing didn't see the
42:15huge trampoline there yeah it's made a massive difference yeah it's been great for home parties and
42:22entertainment we've got the kind of friends we just end up at each other's houses the ad hoc and
42:27you know everyone feels relaxed and welcome you know in our house just as much as we do in there
42:32so it's real sense of community and that that really adds to to how happy we are here and the
42:38work didn't
42:39end down here upstairs the main bedroom has been extended with an ensuite and dressing room oh my god
42:45is that what I think it is Sue's suggested put my TV into the wall which was the greatest thing
42:51she's
42:51ever said there's the most incredible family bathroom oh it's not often I see something where
42:57I'm truly envious but that that is that's it right I want to see the rest and as always they've
43:07maximized
43:07every inch of space I love beds in windows like that look at how much space we've got this is
43:16a
43:17craft room a home office and a guest room I need to like fix this in my mind and every
43:23single time I
43:24go and see one of these houses with someone I'm gonna be saying mark and Sue's yeah mark and Sue's
43:29the
43:30mark and Sue's way is the right way I might get that made up for them as another piece of
43:38wall art
43:39as you know I loved your old house and I really wanted to see what you've done with the new
43:45house
43:45and you missed us and I did miss you so not supposed to make favourites but quite genuinely there are
43:53things you have done with this house that I can take and suggest to people all over the country who
44:00have this house it's a blueprint for what to do cleverly with a 1930s house and I hope you're
44:07really proud thank you yeah I think we are I think you are there no you know there'll be another
44:20project
44:21or we'll be finishing this or making that but we do just need to have a restock on the finances
44:27yeah
44:27yeah well it's funny you should find out you know me and my little bits of paper obviously you know
44:34that you bought this house for three hundred and thirty thousand times yeah yeah and obviously you
44:39know that you have spent eighty thousand on it yeah the most recent average of the post renovation
44:45valuations in a market which was going up and is now flatlining more is five hundred and twenty
44:55eight thousand pounds I know wow I know oh we're gonna list it yeah so yes do you know you've
45:06got
45:06emotional there but I think yes like to hear that it's just that's a wow because we didn't think it
45:12would be that much no that is a wow it's a wow particularly in the in in the current environment
45:18I mean that means you've added a hundred and ninety eight thousand pounds of value to this house
45:24and I think it tells you something which is that your time has been worth money that's it's mad it's
45:33crazy but it's because of your vision but this is one of the cheeriest bits of paper I've got out
45:39of
45:39my pocket in a long time we'll frame it and put it on the wall we'll give you a call
45:44in five years
45:45time oh I want to come back you can come back soon I want to come back soon now Phil's
45:49off that's it
45:50Phil who that's me from now on it's been challenging but we're here yeah and I think that that valuation
46:00at
46:01the end is the really kind of the icing on the cake really and knowing that how much that that
46:08work
46:08we've put in has kind of paid off to this point so yeah I'm really happy it's outstanding I'm I'm
46:14shocked I was shocked they're clever and imaginative and energetic and they deserve all the money that
46:24they have added to the value of their own house because it's all their own work and it's just a
46:29joy
46:29to see
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