Homes Under The Hammer

[Barquentine]

Does anyone else find it hard to believe how much renovation work people can get done for relatively small amounts of money on Homes under the Hammer? They go back three months later - the bathroom has been moved upstairs, walls moved, kitchen enlarged, new bathroom suite, fittings, repainted, hallways, landings, bedrooms all fitted out and painted, new kitchen units etc etc - all for £11.75! Well ok, maybe not £11.75 - but how can they get that much done for £9000? When I've asked for quotes for small jobs round my house they quote a few thousand. No way can you get all the work done they claim on that programme at those prices. If anyone out there knows how they do it please could you pass on the secret to share?

[tonyav]

Probably because the £9000 is for materials only.

[sandyRoe]

How much more would you need to add to that if labour was included?

[tonyav]

Not sure, sandy. But it would be a lot.

[ummmm]

They tend to do a lot of work themselves. Kitchens and bathrooms can be picked up fairly cheaply. A good DIY'er could fit them.

[woofgang]

They do the work themselves and/or have people who they know and work with often so they get a reduced rate because they are a continual source of work. They go to wholesalers and trade supplies for their stuff. A few years ago we had our kitchen redone by quite a posh local firm. We were very upfront about our budget and the bloke who we dealt with gave us loads of advice about how to make the money go further. We did all the stripping out ourselves and sourced all the small bits (sockets, lights etcet) ourselves searching on the net for the best prices. The firm got us trade on the cooker and fridge.

[silliemillie]

Barquentine - I do agree with you, I wish I could get my house refurbed on a few grand.

I do appreciate what the others have said, they do have contacts for materials ect and they do it themselves but the show is so disproportionate in that if they were doing it as a business as many are they would need to pay themselves a weekly wage and this should come out of the 'profits'.

Also Lucy or Martin will say 'John has made 10k after taxes & expenses' but after all the fees are paid they wont have much left will they?

Still love the show tho.

[Hopkirk]

I love the show for the musical puns.

Whenever they mention someone's job, or something else about them or the property, the music always has some relevance.

They must have such fun choosing it.

[woofgang]

I think they view the profit as their wages, also the "after taxes and expenses" comment, surely that includes fees?

having thought about this, my "man what does" charges 140 a day and does everything except plastering, brickwork and stuff that needs certification. So for that 9,000 you suggest, I could get 10 days work and 7000 quids worth of materials and stuff like skip hire. You'd get quite a lot done for that. This wouldn't be mates rates or trade prices, just what anyone would pay and I live in the south of the UK in an expensive area. The other thing to think about is that its not possible to tell the quality of things like bathrooms and kitchens on TV. What might look like a high end expensive suite might in fact be a budget one from B and Q.

[bednobs]

they say "before tax and expenses"

[sandyRoe]

I always thought the 'expenses' were estate agents and lawyers fees and maybe stamp duty.

[sandyRoe]

Not stamp duty, doesn't they buyer pay that?

[Quoi]

I have just finished renovating a house from top to bottom. Its a 3 bedroomed semi and I have had it completely plastered inside, new kitchen, new bathroom, all new woodwork, all new doors, completely painted the whole house inside and outside, all new flooring upstairs and downstairs.
Did most of the work myself except the plastering.
Its now ready to rent - total cost 6.5k when 3.5k of that was the plastering.
Trade accounts and the internet are the secrets.