These homes were so run down they were sold for just £1
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The incredible transformations of these Liverpool homes bought for just £1 will be showcased to the world this month.
The ambitious council initiative to sell off derelict properties in the city has been hailed a success as now scores of dilapidated buildings have been turned into stunning family homes.
The results will be shown on Channel 4's The £1 Houses: Britain’s Cheapest Street on Valentine's Day (February 14) at 9pm.
The programme charts the progress made by those involved in the first wave of £1 homes over the past two-and-a-half years.
The £1 homes, which are being released in tranches, are in rundown areas such as Anfield and the Webster Triangle. The boarded-up Victorian terraces have no plumbing, electrics, fixtures or fittings.
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
Liverpool John Moores University student Victoria Brennan, 30, was given a dilapidated two-bedroom house in Wavertree and a £38,000 loan from her parents to cover the costs of restoring it.
She said: “There is a stigma in the city that you have to have so much money in the bank to apply for the scheme. I was lucky.
"The overarching positive was the ability to own a property I could never afford on my own."
The programme preview states: “Liverpool City Council are selling off derelict houses - for just £1 each.
“But is this the dream scenario that it appears to be?
“The houses on offer haven’t been touched for 10 years, and the buyers must invest their own cash to renovate them, which is at least £40k.
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
“If the work is not completed within 12 months, the council can take the houses back, with no compensation.”
It adds: “The newcomers are relying on each other to build a solid community from scratch. This series, filmed over two and a half years, captures the highs and the lows of those gambling their savings to step onto the property ladder - trying to achieve ordinary dreams in extraordinary circumstances.”
The first episode on February 14 will feature childhood sweethearts Mel and Rob, who are desperate to give their kids a home through sheer hard graft and a tiny budget, reports Liverpool Echo .
But local shootings and the discovery of a bullet on their doorstep make them question their decision.
Meanwhile post-grad Victoria is endlessly optimistic in the face of adversity, and Rachael and Sam transform a derelict wreck into a stunning three bed home, albeit with no neighbours.
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
(Image: Victor de Jesus/UNP (Channel 4 images must not be altered or manipulated in any way) CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITY 124 HORSEFERRY)
A couple who bought a dilapidated house from the council for just £1 have revealed its amazing transformation.
Sam and Rachael Kamau’s property in Wavertree, Merseyside, was in such poor repair that they couldn’t even look inside because it was so 'dangerous' but they were lured in because of the space.
The family have released incredible photos to show what the property has been through over the last year.
Sam and Rachael's house had “a waterfall coming down the staircase” and a “bathroom with no floor” when it was handed to them by the city council as part of the Homes for a Pound Plus scheme .
They had been renting in Liverpool for 16 years after moving to the city from Kenya and decided to give the £1 homes project a go as a way onto the property ladder.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Have you bought a bargain house that you've completely transformed? Contact webnews@mirror.co.uk
But when they first looked around, they realised the scale of the task ahead of them, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Rachael explained: “When we heard about the £1 home scheme we thought why not? We had two growing girls who have always had to share a bedroom and the house was becoming far too cramped.
“When we saw this house, it was a bit of a shock.
“There was a waterfall coming down the staircase because the roof had no lining, the bathroom had no floor so you could see through to the kitchen, plaster was peeling off the walls. Everything needed doing, except replacing the bricks on the outside of the house.
“It was the worst house we’d ever seen and I know most people would have just turned around and walked away but what we saw, beyond the poor condition, was the space. And whatever needed to be done paled into insignificance to the space.”
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The Kamaus - who live in the house with their daughters Alexis, 12 and 19-year-old Anne, spent the next year and tens of thousands of pounds carefully restoring the property.
Today they opened their doors to the media - and to Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson - to show off their remarkable achievement.
Rachael said: “It’s been the best pound we’ve ever spent and the journey has been a real roller coaster.
“It’s been very tiring because we both work and we’ve been coming every single day since we got the keys and sometimes it felt like nothing was happening.
“Even by March we could only walk in the middle of the hallway because there were no floorboards but when that job was done and the new windows went in we felt like we’d turned the corner. Then it started to feel like a house. Not yet a home, but a house and that was a big moment.”
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
In June the family began to look at furnishings and colour schemes.
Rachael added: “Because we’d never done this before we couldn’t make our mind up.”
She added: “The first night was strange. It had been hard saying goodbye to our old neighbours and there were boxes everywhere but moving in felt such a huge achievement, we felt like we’d won the lottery. Then the next morning. All I can say is waking up in your own home is indescribable.
“There’s still bits we need to do and we’re still learning about what works and doesn’t but it’s all been worth it. Sam’s birthday is in December. That’s the first birthday we get to celebrate here and it will be a very special occasion.”
Homes for a Pound
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Homes for a Pound is one of the schemes Liverpool Council is using in a bid to bring around 6,000 houses back into use.
The Homes for a Pound Plus project involves 120 properties in the Garrick Street/Webster Road/Bird Street/Richardson Street area of Picton.
The properties are being released in three phases of roughly 40 properties per phase.
A total of one hundred families have now been allocated a property, with a further 350 families being considered for one.
To be eligible for a £1 home people have to live or work in Liverpool.
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Houses are only handed over on the condition that the buyer will bring them up to a decent homes standard and not sell it on for five years.
Mayor Anderson said: “What Rachel and Sam have done is truly inspirational. They’ve proved that with a bit of love and determination a once neglected house can be transformed into a dream home.
“We set up the Homes for a Pound scheme for families exactly like the Kamau’s. And the beauty of what they’ve achieved in that as well as creating as beautiful new home they’re helping to create a new community too, which is a real win-win for everyone.
“I’m delighted we’ve got lots more properties lined up for other families and we won’t be stopping there.
“Next month we’ll be launching a new housing company because we’ve got thousands of properties which can be brought back to life and we’re doing that because the demand is there.
“People want to get on the housing ladder and Liverpool is still regenerating, still growing and very much an attractive place to work and live.