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00:00I've run hotels most of my working life.
00:04So we've got 23 rooms in-house tonight.
00:07Thank you very much to all of you.
00:09So I know all too well how brutal the hospitality industry can be.
00:13That is terrifying.
00:15We've put everything that we have into this.
00:17And this year the situation truly is dire.
00:20You've got me worried about that now.
00:22I have a lot of pressure to make sure that I deliver.
00:25With businesses facing spiralling energy, food and wage costs.
00:30I have a big sense of responsibility.
00:33And customers who have less money to spend.
00:36Frankly, sweet Fanny Adams.
00:38From country pubs.
00:39Careful of the dog.
00:41To seaside hotels.
00:42This has got to be done for Friday.
00:44I have somebody in here Friday night.
00:46Shepherd's huts.
00:47You've got a big one.
00:49To family guest houses.
00:51Makes me think of Scarlett O'Hara.
00:53They're all in desperate need of my help.
00:55She's just pulled up and I'm terrified.
00:58I'll be getting my hands dirty.
01:00Come on, the pint work.
01:03And delivering some hard truths.
01:05I think you're bonkers.
01:07Hello.
01:08To help owners across the country get back in the black.
01:12Something has got to change.
01:14We're very silent.
01:16Why?
01:16You're the expert.
01:17Before everything comes crashing down.
01:20We're just hoping we can catch it before it's too late.
01:24That is my challenge.
01:26Should I choose to accept it?
01:27And I do.
01:31This time, I walked in.
01:33I felt like I'm walking straight out again.
01:35Because it's like, ah!
01:36A luxury bed and breakfast.
01:38I had nobody January, February, March, April.
01:40You know, nothing.
01:41Stuck in a bygone era.
01:43It's as B&Bs used to be when the world was young.
01:46With a host.
01:46This was my bedroom.
01:48And then it just became dumping ground, really.
01:50Struggling to see the wood for the trees.
01:53Whether I do it today or don't do it today, nobody cares.
02:02Life-long musician and music teacher, 74-year-old Tony.
02:07Music has always been the deepest thing for me.
02:10Going to concerts, playing, the thrill of it all.
02:14Owns Appalachian Spring.
02:16Appalachian Spring, good morning.
02:17Near Totnes in Devon.
02:19110 pounds a night with breakfast.
02:21A 200-year-old, four-bedroom farmhouse surrounded by countryside,
02:26which she fell in love with 40 years ago.
02:29All the best, then.
02:31Bye.
02:31I lived in my very boring terrace house in London.
02:34We'd come down for a summer school,
02:36and a month later this house came up for sale.
02:38And I jumped on a train, babe in arms,
02:40and said, we'll give you the asking price.
02:42I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
02:47These lilies are self-seeded.
02:50I think they're just fabulous.
02:52It's my safe place and my utter pleasure.
02:56With roses and an arch.
02:59Tony and her late husband, Chris,
03:01brought up their two children here,
03:03Michael and Morwenna.
03:05What's so nice is because they're such late-baring.
03:08Well, they're absolutely glorious on the other side of the wall.
03:12We had some lovely times.
03:14My daughter, she is now a cellist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
03:18But after Tony and her husband divorced in 1991,
03:22and later her children flew the nest to London,
03:25Tony struggled to make ends meet.
03:27In the last 15 years, I've had to put the house on the market
03:30because I ran out of money.
03:33I couldn't pay off the mortgage each month.
03:37At one point, she was going to sell,
03:41but when the for sale signs went up and suddenly she just went,
03:45I don't think I can do this.
03:47It's too difficult to separate the memories.
03:50I put my father's ashes here,
03:52and then, you know, years later, my mum died,
03:56and obviously she went there.
03:58How can I leave them all behind, you know?
04:01So having pulled down the for sale sign,
04:04Tony made the decision to open her beloved home as a B&B.
04:08I played with the Royal Ballet touring orchestra,
04:12so I'd had a lot of experience of staying places
04:14and knowing what I liked.
04:17When Tony opened the doors to guests around 15 years ago,
04:20she offered three luxury double bedrooms.
04:24We've got a shower in the corner.
04:25It's a rather unusual setup, but it works well for the house.
04:28I was getting gross 17,000 a year,
04:32and now it might be 3,000.
04:35It's really worrying.
04:37Over the last few years,
04:38it's got harder and harder to get people through the doors.
04:43I had nobody January, February, March, April, you know.
04:45I mean, just nobody.
04:47She doesn't currently accept online bookings.
04:50She's been pretty anti that.
04:53While guest numbers dwindled
04:55and Tony reduced her letting rooms from 3 to 2,
04:59the house filled up in other ways.
05:03This was the Britain suite for guests.
05:06This part of the house now,
05:07guests aren't even allowed to see into it.
05:09It is shambolic.
05:12The house has become almost a sort of mausoleum of things
05:16that mean things to me.
05:18This was my mother's, and she left this to me.
05:21That is an incredible bronze.
05:24An item just conjures up not just a memory,
05:27but a whole portion of life.
05:30It's very stressful.
05:32I think that she would find it much easier to run the business
05:37if it was not full of stuff.
05:43Tony is being propped up by her savings,
05:46but they won't last forever.
05:49The absolute worst case scenario is she runs out of money
05:52and she has to sell the house.
05:55And for her, that would be a disaster.
05:58I can't possibly sell the house.
06:00It's also my heart.
06:02We can get guests, can we?
06:04Got to.
06:12I am driving through verdant, leafy Devon
06:18in an area that's quite near Totnes.
06:22Totnes has become known as a haven
06:25for those embracing alternative lifestyles.
06:30With its independent shops and vibrant bohemian community,
06:34Totnes, situated on the banks of the River Dart,
06:38together with the South Hams area,
06:40draws around 3 million visitors a year.
06:42I'm going somewhere that calls itself
06:45a luxury bed and breakfast.
06:47I'm very excited.
06:49I have ultimate faith in it, Alex.
06:52I'm willing to consider most things.
06:55Not sure about online bookings.
06:57Here we are.
07:00Well, apart from the solar panels,
07:03it's an absolutely picture-backed cottage.
07:08What horrors await within, though.
07:20Hello.
07:21Come in.
07:22Hello.
07:23Hello, I'm Tony.
07:24I'm Alex.
07:24Welcome.
07:25Welcome to Appalachian Spring.
07:26Thank you so much for inviting me to come here.
07:29Well, I think it's going to be very exciting.
07:32If you could design your perfect customer,
07:34what would they be like?
07:35Friendly people who'd enjoy my house.
07:37Right.
07:38And me.
07:39People who want a B&B experience,
07:41not just a bed.
07:42OK.
07:43How do people find you?
07:44I have a website.
07:45Right.
07:46So if I typed in bed and breakfasts near Totnes.
07:51That doesn't seem to come up very well.
07:53I think, darling, the world has changed massively.
07:58Now, the only way people book things
08:00are through online travel agents,
08:02booking.com and Airbnb and Expedia.
08:06But they do bring a lot of traffic to your door.
08:09OK.
08:10Are you happy to take me to my room?
08:12Yes.
08:12Well, I've got two rooms.
08:13Lovely.
08:14And I thought maybe you'd like to choose
08:14which room you'd like.
08:15That's very nice of you.
08:17Upstairs are Tony's two en-suite letting rooms.
08:21A very nice, bright room.
08:24So you've got your shower in the corner there.
08:26Oh.
08:27Usually.
08:28May I show you the other room
08:29and then you may make a choice.
08:32So it would be a double bed and a single...
08:34OK.
08:35And it's got a bathroom.
08:36I prefer a shower that's not in my room.
08:38So do you mind if I citate this one?
08:40Absolutely.
08:41Again, she'll be delighted.
08:42OK.
08:45I do think that a person's allowed a moment or two of privacy
08:49whilst soaping's one's nether regions.
08:53With or without an open shower,
08:56Tony's rooms let from £100 a night,
08:58including a farmhouse breakfast.
09:01I'm relieved to see there's drawers that one can put things in.
09:04There's even a cupboard.
09:06You know, lucky me.
09:08She seemed genuinely happy to have me here.
09:10Let's see how long that was.
09:13I think that Alex is easy to talk to,
09:17perhaps too easy to talk to.
09:18I suspect I'm going to be saying all sorts of things
09:20that I'll later wish I hadn't.
09:22This is a dying breed of bed and breakfast.
09:26It's as B&Bs used to be when the world was young.
09:30It's very 1990s.
09:32You just don't see much like this anymore.
09:37Oh, a holy Bible in my drawer.
09:39I haven't had that in ages.
09:42It's very much of its era.
09:45Luxury bed and breakfast.
09:48The true home away from home.
09:50This is not luxury.
09:52This is traditional.
09:54A traditional bed and breakfast
09:57offers a personal and relaxed experience
09:59within the host's own home,
10:01and Tony's given me the green light to explore hers.
10:15It's absolutely stocked full of stuff.
10:20This is the Britain suite, which used to be a letting room, and is now Tony's bedroom.
10:26There's kind of bits and bobs absolutely everywhere.
10:29Everything from glue, recharging toothbrush, some old stamps, a chocolate.
10:37I mean, I didn't really expect this, because upstairs needs a pin.
10:41And in Tony's living room, just off the kitchen, it's the same.
10:45You know, it's just a dumping ground.
10:48Do I dare?
10:53It makes me feel very anxious to be in this disorder.
10:59And it can't be pleasant for her.
11:04This just puts a whole new slant on the problem.
11:07Right.
11:08Gives me the ick.
11:20There is obviously a problem with stuff.
11:25You know, she's a musician.
11:27She can barely sit down to play the piano.
11:31In Totnes in Devon...
11:32I have nobody staying at all.
11:3474-year-old professional viola player, Tony...
11:37The house has to bring in income.
11:40...opened a B&B around 15 years ago in order to keep the home where she raised her two children
11:45and scattered her parents' ashes.
11:48Oh, God, it's such a mess.
11:50But since COVID, guest numbers have petered away.
11:54This is books.
11:55There's not many in 2025.
11:57And only her dwindling savings are keeping her afloat.
12:01Just a panic rises.
12:02I don't ever want to have to leave this house.
12:04I'm going to go out feet first.
12:08Upstairs, I've discovered too neat and tidy traditional guest rooms.
12:14But downstairs, in Tony's private quarters, I've uncovered disorder and disarray.
12:20No one would choose to live like this, really.
12:23Something has just got on top of her.
12:27And there's still one more room to see.
12:30Are you ready? Take a deep breath.
12:32Okay.
12:37There is quite a lot, isn't there?
12:39This was my bedroom.
12:41There's a shower and a basin and a loo.
12:44And then it just became dumping ground, really.
12:47This room has got huge potential for guest accommodation.
12:50But there is such a mountain of stuff.
12:54Woo!
12:55That I simply can't brush it under the carpet to start talking business with Tony.
13:00That's if I could find the carpet.
13:02No, it actually just needs me to have time to deal with.
13:06So, how to put this politely?
13:10I walked in and I felt like I'm walking straight out again.
13:13Because he's like, ahhh!
13:16Yeah, I thought you might feel like.
13:17Yeah, it could be such a nice room.
13:20It was.
13:20And then I brought all my mum's stuff.
13:22How long ago did your mother do?
13:24I think it's about two, three years.
13:26Every object has a memory.
13:28How are you going to have room for future if you're still kind of shoved full of past?
13:34I don't know.
13:35I find it very difficult to sort things.
13:39Because I get diverted all the time.
13:41I'd be doing six other jobs and just open the drawer and put something in on my way to something
13:46else.
13:46I lose things all the time.
13:48All right, well, I was...
13:49But not because it's untidy.
13:50Just because I put them down in random places.
13:52Yes, well, that's what untidiness is.
13:54I mean, I think that's the definition of untidiness.
13:58The sorting thing I now realise is probably my ADHD.
14:02It explains a lot of things.
14:05My mum's currently exploring late diagnosis ADHD.
14:09I grew up in this house with my mum and I can say without a doubt it affects every single
14:14aspect of everything she does.
14:17The big difference now is her beginning to understand in what way it affects how she is and how she
14:25does things.
14:2620 years ago, she wouldn't have known she had ADHD.
14:29You know, we all are much more aware of, you know, so many things.
14:35Adult ADHD referrals have seen a sharp rise over the last five years, with some research suggesting a 400%
14:42increase.
14:44Acquiring a late diagnosis for some can explain a lifetime of behaviour.
14:49Tony is obviously finding this quite freeing to discover that there's an actual reason that she behaves the way she
14:57does.
14:58Although the clutter in her private rooms is overwhelming, it's not preventing any bookings in her two upstairs rooms.
15:06But I think I know what is.
15:09I'm concerned that she's not on one of the big booking websites, because that is how people find you.
15:15And you've got to be in it to win it.
15:19What's that pile under there?
15:21I have no idea.
15:22So this is everything you might need to know.
15:25Before I confront Tony about online bookings, I want to find out how bad things are financially.
15:32So you took nothing in April?
15:34Nothing.
15:35And you took nothing in June?
15:37Nothing.
15:39I'm drawing on my savings every month.
15:41I'm not an expensive person.
15:44It's lucky, isn't it?
15:45And how much do you cost to run?
15:47Well, if I earned £12,000...
15:50Yes.
15:52..I wouldn't need to draw on my savings.
15:54Almost 10% of those aged over 66 choose to work, often due to financial struggles.
16:01And that trend is likely to continue.
16:05Needs 12k a year.
16:08I need to work out how many room nights you need to sell.
16:11Well, how do I do that?
16:12We've got £12,000, and you've got two rooms at £100 a night.
16:17Gives you £120 a year.
16:19You need 10 room nights a month.
16:22Well, that sounds...
16:24Surely possible.
16:25Yes, it does.
16:27But only if she accepts that she has to move with the times
16:30and join an online travel agency.
16:33What is your dislike of online travel agents?
16:36You've got to manage it.
16:37And, you know, I'm not very good at managing of it,
16:39but also just liking the personal contacts.
16:42We have to accept the old-fashioned ways of doing things
16:46are pretty dead in the water now.
16:48Hospitality has been taken over by online platforms.
16:51And if you're not visible on that, you're kind of invisible.
16:56So what's the worst-case scenario if I don't manage to fix this?
16:59I would have to move.
17:01But that sort of is unimaginable.
17:04I mean, my parents' ashes are in the garden.
17:07I've been here way over half my life.
17:09It is me now.
17:16The bed is really comfortable.
17:19I've had a good night's sleep, and she's got a nice product.
17:22We've just got to sort out the state of the rest of the house.
17:27Raising occupancy levels and income is one thing,
17:30but there's a bigger fix needed here.
17:32I've come up with a strategy
17:34that combines decluttering with a business revival.
17:38Good morning.
17:39Hi, doll.
17:40Studies show that there are strong links
17:42between ADHD and clutter.
17:45I'll just get the bacon and the eggs on the go.
17:49Are you going to sit down with me?
17:51That sounds a wonderful idea.
17:53Having a cluttered space can cause increased anxiety
17:56and chronic stress, as well as avoidance behaviour.
17:59And I think Tony is definitely avoiding the problem.
18:05That's lovely. Thank you.
18:07And now's a good a time as any to put my plan of action to Tony.
18:11Lovely.
18:12So, what I think, and I'm prepared for you to greet this with howls of outrage,
18:17is to try and reclaim that room as a bedroom.
18:20Oh, really?
18:21Yeah.
18:22I think a bigger room on the ground floor is rather an appealing prospect.
18:27Right.
18:27Because it's perfectly evident to me that you're capable of keeping everything immaculate.
18:33Because look at the kitchen, look at the bedrooms.
18:35An accessible ground floor bedroom is a big draw and will help Tony hit her 12 grand a year target.
18:41And it gives Tony a reason to chuck out the clutter which will free her from the stress it brings
18:47to her business and her life.
18:50It is that enormity of just not knowing...
18:53It is where to start.
18:55Where to start, how to start, and why today, when it could be put off to tomorrow.
18:59There's always something else I could be doing.
19:01And there ever will be.
19:03And now to reveal my strategy for success.
19:06I know somebody to help you who works with organisation and with neurodiversity.
19:14Really?
19:14Yeah.
19:15Yeah.
19:16All right.
19:16Well, I would be very interested to find out about myself.
19:21Okay, good.
19:23Of all the things I thought she might suggest, that was the one that never crossed my mind.
19:27Because one look at it, I can't imagine it could have ever been a bedroom again.
19:30I'm determined by the end of my time here that I'll give Tony the courage and conviction
19:35to transform this into a beautiful letting room and list it, along with her other two
19:40bedrooms upstairs, on an online travel agency site, an OTA.
19:46The thought of organising things is panicking me already.
19:49It's a huge undertaking, and I can't empower Tony alone.
19:54Amber, I assume?
19:55Yes.
19:56Do come in.
19:57Amber is my secret weapon.
19:59I'm hoping that you're going to be our saviour.
20:02No pressure.
20:04She's been a neurodiversity specialist declutterer for over two years.
20:09I can make excuses for why it's quite like this at the moment, but I won't.
20:14No.
20:15And to be honest, because there's not been a use for it, you've shut the door out of
20:19sight, out of mind.
20:20So these are all basically delayed decisions.
20:23Absolutely.
20:24Today...
20:25She's cut straight to the chase.
20:27I love it.
20:28I think today is about making those decisions, Tony.
20:32Should we just get stuck in and go for it?
20:35Okay.
20:36Yes.
20:36Yes.
20:37So, first of all, these suitcases, are they to keep, to go?
20:41Oh, no, I do use that one, and I use that one.
20:46Maybe not this one.
20:47Not really.
20:48I have used it, but I don't...
20:52I can do without it.
20:53Well, you don't have to do without it.
20:55No, not at all.
20:56But actually, I have another similar one that I do use more.
20:59I've got a lot of suitcases, really.
21:01Great.
21:02So, should we donate that one?
21:05Yes.
21:06Yes.
21:07It's a decision.
21:11I felt sick for Tony.
21:13She was trying to make the decision about which suitcases she's going to keep.
21:18But I think she's made the right decision.
21:21I will pack it up in my car and take it to charity.
21:24And that one up there?
21:28It's a very dear suitcase, but actually, it doesn't have wheels.
21:32No, and it's going to be heavy.
21:33Yeah.
21:35Okay, get rid of it.
21:36Are you sure?
21:38Definite?
21:39Yes.
21:39I've said goodbye to some cases that have been many miles with me.
21:45I used to love and use every week for decades.
21:49No memories fading.
21:51Gratitude.
21:55Hopefully, this is going to work.
21:58So excited.
22:00So excited.
22:11It stops the pillow falling down the back of the bed.
22:14Yeah.
22:15Is it something you want to use long term?
22:18Probably, yes.
22:19Yeah.
22:19B&B owner, Tony, is desperate to revive her business before she loses her beloved home of
22:2540 years.
22:27Actually, do you know what?
22:27I don't.
22:28I really don't.
22:32It was my mother's and I just thought it could come in useful.
22:37Is this, tell me if you're doing too much.
22:40It just makes me realise how stupid I am.
22:43It's not stupid at all.
22:45You know.
22:46As you say, it's easier not to make a decision than to make a decision.
22:49Exactly.
22:50To stay in her home, Tony needs ten nights booked a month.
22:53An accessible ground floor room is a real draw.
22:56So to help neurodivergent Tony reclaim this space, I've brought in Amber, a decluttering
23:02expert who specialises in ADHD.
23:05I think she's ready to start making decisions and letting things go.
23:11And already, the fact that she was like, yep, no, yep, is really positive.
23:15So while Tony's starting to make decisions...
23:18So donate?
23:22Um, give it to my friend.
23:23To your friend?
23:24Yep.
23:25Amber is arming Tony with strategies that would help her to keep her spaces clear in the future.
23:31I'm just going to write her name on it.
23:32Yep.
23:33So that constantly when you walk past, you think, I need to give that to Jenny.
23:35Yep.
23:36Rather than it becoming another thing in the kitchen.
23:39I'm going to give a brand new sheet to a friend that, um, by putting her name on it, I
23:44can
23:44put it in the car, and when I drive past their house, it's an excuse to stop off and have
23:48a cup of tea and give it to her.
23:51If it was just lying in a pile, it could probably continue to lie in a pile.
23:55It's so broken, darling.
23:57I'm so sorry.
23:58Do you want to give it a cuddle?
23:59Yes.
24:04Well done.
24:07It's much easier making a decision when somebody says, do you really need to keep this?
24:12I can just slightly feel a weight lifting off my shoulders at somebody else, stuffing
24:17it in the bag and done, sorted, gone.
24:19These ones, have you got that printer still?
24:21Well, I've got two.
24:23So one of the printers needs to go?
24:26I suppose so.
24:28I'm aware that this is difficult for Tony, so I've called for backup.
24:33Hi.
24:34Hi.
24:34Come on in.
24:35Tony's two children have come up from London.
24:3841-year-old professional cellist, Moenna, and 45-year-old civil servant, Michael.
24:44They have come to help make things better for you.
24:46Let's go.
24:47Okay, come on then.
24:49We've lived here for about 40 years.
24:53It's where my brother and I grew up.
24:55We've had so many family memories here.
25:03And so it's very meaningful for me.
25:06Some of this stuff and then half of it you go, why have you got one sock and a packet
25:11of lockets in amongst a chess box?
25:17Michael takes on the tech in the living room.
25:20It's three iPads.
25:21Who knew?
25:22While in the Britain suite, Moenna starts to free her mum's private lounge and bedroom from the stress of clutter.
25:30Oh, it's you, sweetie.
25:32I love it.
25:34But I want it to be clean using an old sock.
25:38How lovely.
25:39What I'm going to try and do is help her reclaim that room, because if it's a letting room, she
25:45seems to be very meticulous about how she keeps it.
25:48That sounds fantastic.
25:51And the plan seems to be working.
25:54Let's get rid of those ones.
25:55They have done so many years.
25:57To help decision-making easier for Tony, Amber has introduced a system of grouping and categorising for everyone to follow.
26:08Magnets, household.
26:09As soon as somebody sees how much of each category there is, it's so much easier to make decisions.
26:14What are they?
26:16These are Science 5 organisers.
26:19This is another one.
26:22Oh, my gosh.
26:23I've spoken to mum and I've said, if anything is worth more than £20 on eBay, we will keep it
26:28and sell it.
26:28And if it's less, we should just have it recycled responsibly.
26:31Mum doesn't get to enjoy the house because she's got stuff everywhere.
26:38How are you feeling?
26:40Honestly?
26:41Yeah.
26:41Quite excited.
26:42That feels like a massive leap ahead.
26:46With professional help and supported by family...
26:50You're doing really well, Mum.
26:53And that's hard.
26:55Tony has made huge inroads today, and although the mountain to climb is steep, she's finding a winning path.
27:04I don't just feel I'm just doing this on my own, and whether I do it today or don't do
27:09it today, nobody cares.
27:11And I just sink ever deeper into yet another thing on the floor.
27:14But when people are fighting my corner, that makes me want to get up again and keep fighting.
27:21But freeing Tony from years of clutter by reclaiming a ground floor room for guests is only part of my
27:27plan.
27:28The other is to move her bookings online.
27:31I don't like online booking.
27:33I like the personal touch.
27:34It's just me.
27:35Hiya.
27:36Good afternoon, Mark.
27:37How are you?
27:38So I've asked Tony's friend and neighbour, Mark, owner of the nearby cot inn, to try and persuade her.
27:45Do most of your bookings come through the internet?
27:4895%.
27:48Really?
27:49But presumably you're then on the computer working it all out all the time.
27:53You can literally see it all through a smartphone and monitor it through that way.
27:56It will transform your business.
27:58We used to give Tony loads of business.
28:00I used to use Tony for overflow, you know, when my hotel was full.
28:03And then they'd come and eat in the pub, and it worked both ways, and it was brilliant.
28:06But people just aren't turning up anymore without booking online.
28:10I like to know who's coming.
28:12I like to know, to chat to them and...
28:15But you can do all that.
28:16They can just book, and then you can give them a lovely phone call and welcome them or email them.
28:21No one's trying to stop you from communicating with them.
28:25It's just they have to be able to find you.
28:27It's providing you customers to you.
28:30That's it.
28:31And, you know, I can show you how to use it.
28:32Are you listening? Are you listening to the voice, the very wise and successful voice of reason?
28:39Globally, 65% of all travel bookings were made online in 2023,
28:44and that figure is expected to rise to 75% by the end of the decade.
28:50Commission can be up to 30% on a booking, which is a big slice of the pie,
28:55and she may have to increase her prices accordingly.
28:57But it's a trend that Tony just can't ignore.
29:02It's clear that he thinks it's the only way forward.
29:04It's clear Alex thinks it's the only way forward.
29:06I've got to be brave and learn how to do it.
29:09I'm hoping that Tony will find the courage of her convictions.
29:13One other point I want to convince her on is her positioning in the market.
29:18Mark's rooms are advertised as luxury and can command a price tag of £175 a night plus.
29:24I think that this represents what people would think of as luxury in the countryside.
29:31It's all very neutral.
29:33Nice chest of drawers, slightly bigger TVs.
29:37I feel like we should lean into your positioning more as a traditional bed and breakfast.
29:43OK.
29:44Yeah, I'm traditional.
29:45I like tradition.
29:46So, very happy with that.
29:48I was interested that she called that a luxury room, very plain bed coverings, which to me looks bland.
29:55And the people who come to stay with me think my things are more fun, which is why they come
29:58to me, if they do, which they don't.
30:03But all that's going to change, I'm certain of it.
30:08But the metamorphosis can only happen if Tony follows my instructions over the next two weeks.
30:15The two things that we're doing, the kind of clearing up and the getting you on booking system, are actually
30:20going to be the silver bullet.
30:22You'll immediately see a difference.
30:23OK.
30:25While I'm gone, Tony must turn the downstairs room into a letting room and get it on to an online
30:30booking site ready to go live on my return.
30:34And I would like you to channel your inner Alex Polizzi.
30:38Be quite deliberate in your actions.
30:41Hit it and you hit it hard.
30:43Give us a kiss.
30:45Thank you, thank you.
30:46Courage.
30:47You're doing great.
30:49See you in a couple of weeks.
30:50See you in a couple of weeks.
30:56I've kind of turned her life upside down a bit and encouraged her to be brave and be bold.
31:04But, you know, there's that terrible moment where you've broken all the eggs and you still have to make the
31:09omelette.
31:09And I just don't want to have left her in a worse mess than I've found her in.
31:18But over the next two weeks, Tony will be in good hands.
31:22Hello, Amber.
31:23Thanks for coming back.
31:24Hi, Tony.
31:24Nice to see you.
31:28Some people call it the pile of doom.
31:30I like to call it the pile of possibilities.
31:32Because you just don't know what's in there.
31:34Those are my school badges.
31:36Look, my girl guide badges.
31:38And it's not just Amber.
31:40There's another pair of glasses here that's not psychedelic.
31:43Tony's friends, Elka, Sandy and Dan, are on hand to help.
31:47It's just when one of us needs some help, we'll just all roll up, roll up.
31:53And Tony's certainly on a roll.
31:56Do you know, I really don't need that one.
31:59Quick decision made.
32:01A first time, there's a few nerves.
32:02It can feel a bit like, oh, I don't know what this is going to feel like.
32:05The second time I go, it's much more, right, let's get stuck in.
32:09Let's make decisions.
32:10Let's do this.
32:11I thought I'd be fighting tooth and claw to hang on to all my things.
32:17Do you know what?
32:18Just the manana and leaving everything, you know, I'm running out of time.
32:24I need to decide now.
32:26And progress is being made.
32:28Oh, my God.
32:30I haven't seen my window seat for 15 years.
32:33It doesn't feel pressured.
32:34That's what I love.
32:35And that gives me the courage to throw away things that I suddenly realise I don't need any.
32:39The clutter is reducing.
32:43Perfection.
32:43Perfect.
32:44But the online listing looms large.
32:48Good afternoon, Mark.
32:49Thanks for coming over.
32:50So I've asked neighbour Mark from the Cod Inn to help Tony take her first tentative steps towards joining an
32:57OTA.
32:58So you're gone here.
32:59I'm panicking already.
33:00Yeah, don't worry.
33:01OK.
33:03Right, OK.
33:04This is so easy, honestly.
33:06Yeah, you're then going to ask for my password.
33:08And I'm going to have to then try and find it.
33:09No, no, no, there's no passwords.
33:10There's no passwords.
33:10We're going to set new ones up.
33:13I'm going to have to face up to being online.
33:15And it's a step outside my comfort zone at the moment.
33:20Continue.
33:24At the moment, she's very scared of it.
33:26Click on that one.
33:27So it already knows you.
33:29But once she starts using it, she'll realise actually it's completely manageable and you're completely in control.
33:36Is the breakfast included?
33:37Yes.
33:37Is parking free?
33:39Yes.
33:40What about the garden?
33:42A quintessentially English garden?
33:44Why not?
33:45Now you're selling it.
33:46You have to be online now.
33:48There's no other way.
33:48I'm being very brave and I can't thank Alex enough for giving me that courage.
34:05I'm back in glorious Devon to see Tony.
34:09I left her in quite a mess.
34:11She was trying desperately to get a third bedroom ready for visitors.
34:15And I was encouraging her to join the 21st century.
34:19This is her last chance to make a success of her business and therefore keep her home.
34:27And I can't wait to see how she's got on.
34:30Hello, Tony.
34:32Welcome back.
34:36But enough of the niceties.
34:37I want to see if Tony's succeeded in creating a new letting room.
34:43Come on, come on, come on.
34:46I want to see it.
34:57At the Appalachian Spring Bed and Breakfast near Totnes in Devon, I'm on tenterhooks.
35:02Come on.
35:03Oh my gosh, I'm so excited.
35:05Come on then.
35:06When I left Tony two weeks ago, half the house was stacked full of stuff.
35:12And this room was crammed with clutter.
35:15Oh my goodness gracious me.
35:24Now the mountain of matter has vanished.
35:27The dumping ground is no more.
35:31Tony has faced her nemesis and won.
35:36Creating a room perfect for paying guests.
35:39I mean, this is as big a transformation as I've ever seen anywhere.
35:43This is my half.
35:44This is the guest half.
35:49Oh my gosh, that's amazing.
35:51And the drawers?
35:53Off of them.
35:54They're all empty.
35:55Empty drawers.
35:57Mon dieu.
35:59I would say that this is your nicest room.
36:02Ta-ta-da!
36:03I have at least in this become victorious.
36:07Darling, I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly impressed I am.
36:13I'm really amazed at what has been accomplished here.
36:18This is a big, big transformation.
36:22Obviously that's all my stuff, but it'll be covered up by the curtain.
36:25I don't mind all of this.
36:26I mean, it's not offensive in any way, shape, or form.
36:29This is a traditional home-away-from-home B&B, so some of Tony's possessions can remain.
36:36She's claimed back a big chunk of her house, and actually it feels quite joyous.
36:41A ground-floor room will appeal to a different clientele to Tony's upstairs rooms,
36:46so it will help in achieving the ten nights a month Tony needs to keep her home.
36:51It was horrendous, and now she thinks it's my best room.
36:55I mean, you can't get better than that, really.
37:00Now, has Tony made any progress in her private quarters?
37:04Well, it's not as bad as it was when you first came.
37:09One can, but dream.
37:11So, this is work in progress.
37:17It was asking a bit too much to turn around the house in two weeks.
37:23Tony's worked harder than I could imagine,
37:25and so I want to treat her to a bit of retail therapy for her new room.
37:32I think it's very nice.
37:33Good.
37:34You'll finish off the room beautifully.
37:36Well, that's what I was hoping.
37:37And perhaps I've earned a treat too.
37:40Mmm, what about me?
37:42I'm such a magpie, darling.
37:44I could send you a declutterer.
37:46Do you know one?
37:48I do.
37:51We may have transformed Tony's accommodation.
37:54That's quality.
37:55It's OK, isn't it?
37:57But I've still yet to realise my biggest ambition for her business.
38:02Getting her B&B on a booking website.
38:05Tony is looking at that laptop as if it is a box of venomous snakes.
38:10Online booking platforms are specifically designed to be easy,
38:15so people can basically manage them themselves.
38:18I have to be brave.
38:19You've got to be brave.
38:22Tony's neighbour Mark has been working with her to create the building blocks,
38:25but now it's up to me to persuade her to push the button.
38:30We're going to go live.
38:31Go live.
38:31Ta-da.
38:32This is, first of all, perfectly safe.
38:36And second of all, thousands of hotels use it, including my own.
38:44Including your own?
38:45Including my own.
38:46And to help Tony over the line, I've arranged for some moral support.
38:50Ah, more women.
38:52Hello, darling.
38:53How are you?
38:54Hi.
38:54We're just about to press the button that puts your mother's property on the internet for bookings.
39:01That's good.
39:02That's so exciting.
39:03She's a little bit nervous.
39:05I think this is going to be truly life-changing for both her and the business.
39:11So, Mum, I'm so proud of you.
39:13Thank you, Alex.
39:13Big kiss.
39:14Well done, Mum.
39:15Oh, that was nice.
39:17Now for the moment of truth.
39:20Okay.
39:21Complete registration.
39:23It says complete registration and open for booking or complete registration and open later.
39:30So, shall I do the one that says open later?
39:32No.
39:33No.
39:34Ready?
39:34Yeah.
39:35Steady?
39:35Yeah.
39:36Go?
39:36Yeah.
39:39Ta-da.
39:40You've just set your property live.
39:43Woo-hoo!
39:44The crowd goes wild.
39:46She's made her first slightly tentative.
39:50And I think, as with anything, the more often you try something, the easier it becomes.
39:55This is how easy was it to list your property?
39:58Extremely difficult.
39:59It's taken 20 years.
40:00Fairly.
40:03This is such a momentous occasion.
40:05I think it deserves a celebration.
40:10We're going to have a good old knees up this afternoon.
40:13Okay, lovely darling.
40:15Because she loves having her friends over.
40:17I've got some local sparkling wine.
40:20She's had this incredible life in Korea.
40:24To us, darling.
40:25And I think she's just become overwhelmed with the kind of avalanche that existence throws at you.
40:32From the bottom of my heart.
40:34Oh, darling, my pleasure.
40:38This is Alex, who has transformed some of the house.
40:43I just want you to know that Tony, literally five minutes ago, went live on her online booking platform.
40:51So, cheers.
40:53That's brilliant.
40:54Thank you, Alex.
40:54This is going to be amazing.
40:56So, anybody like to come and see my bedroom?
40:59Yes, me!
40:59It's the only offer I've had all day.
41:03So.
41:04Wow.
41:05Oh, my God.
41:07I can't believe that Tony did that.
41:12I'm just dead proud of Tony.
41:14Oh, wow.
41:16I remember this up to here with music and, oh, so much stuff.
41:22This is wonderful.
41:25It really looks like a really nice place to stay.
41:28I'm really pleased she's done it and it's going to transform her business and her life.
41:33This will market really well online, definitely.
41:37She's moved into the 21st century in terms of bookings, but people will still get that kind of old-fashioned
41:43welcome and the personal attention of a lovely person like Tony.
41:50I feel quite tearful, actually.
41:52Going online was just a watershed moment of panic, but I'm there and I've done it.
41:58Tony has moved with the Times, which I'm certain will bring her the £12,000 to secure her home and
42:03her future.
42:05But her traditional hospitality values still remain.
42:09And I hope that I've given her not just renewed vigour for her business, but tools for life.
42:15What I'm hoping is I've encouraged her to rethink of it as the nicer she makes it, the better it
42:20is for her.
42:21Darling.
42:23I'm really looking forward to seeing you again.
42:26I feel very strongly that it's about reclaiming her own place in the world.
42:33Bye.
42:33Bye.
42:34Bye.
42:36It's been the most amazing makeover of my business that I would have ever dreamt possible.
42:42So thanks to Alex.
42:45Thanks to everybody for...
42:48Wow.
42:50This is where my future is going to be.
42:57Hello, Alex.
42:58I thought maybe it's time for an update.
43:00The excitement is people actually are finding me.
43:03Who'd have known?
43:04My first guests have been in the green room and love it.
43:07So it's the best B&B they've ever stayed in.
43:10This month's booking is already over the target.
43:15And also, thank you for Amber.
43:17We've done a lot of clearing.
43:18I look forward to getting the Britain's suite looking beautiful.
43:21We'll get there.
43:49You
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