December 2nd 2024.
Unfortunately, things did not turn out as expected for the couple who purchased the Wales property, which was once known as the "cheapest house in Britain". They had appeared on the popular daytime show Homes Under the Hammer, which has been on air since 2003. The show follows the journey of individuals who buy homes at auctions that require some work to be done.
In recent years, the presenters of the show, Martin Roberts, Dion Dublin, Martel Maxwell, and Jacqui Joseph, have started revisiting properties that were previously featured on the show. One of these properties was purchased by Graham and Lima back in 2014. They bought a one-bedroom house in Blaenau Gwent for a mere £14,500, which was one of the lowest prices ever seen on the show.
The property, located in Brynmawr, was in a dire state of disrepair and was even listed with a guide price of £8,000. Martin Roberts himself described the house as "dodgy" when he first visited it. The only toilet in the house was located in a small outhouse in the garden, and the stairs were deemed unsafe to use.
Despite these challenges, Graham and Lima were determined to turn this property into their dream home. They had a budget of £25,000 and planned to do all the work themselves. Lima, who had some experience in painting and cleaning, offered her help, while Graham focused on the more technical aspects of the project.
However, things did not go as smoothly as they had hoped. The costs started to add up when an archeological survey was needed, and the firm responsible for rebuilding parts of the house went into administration. Despite these setbacks, the property was eventually refurbished, but at a heavy cost.
Years later, when Homes Under the Hammer returned to the site, they were shocked by what they found. The presenters were left speechless, and Graham and Lima's financial future was left in ruins. Lima explained, "From the very beginning, it was Graham's baby. He finished it to his own vision. Overall, I think we spent around £90,000, possibly a bit more."
In other words, they had gone over budget by £65,000 in their efforts to turn the property into something of value. Unfortunately, the value of the house only increased to around £55,000 to £60,000, resulting in a loss of over £30,000 for the couple.
Despite being restored and still standing today, the whole experience left Graham and Lima devastated. There are no records of the property on Rightmove after 2015, leaving it unclear if they were able to sell it and at what price. If you're interested in watching this episode of Homes Under the Hammer, you can catch it on the BBC.
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