Couple buys 'dump' house from council for £1 and turn it into £120,000 home
A couple has revealed how they purchased a house for just £1 before turning it into a £120,000 asset.
Debbie and Ste Hodge put "blood, sweat and tears" into the two-bed property, which they bought under a council regeneration scheme in 2020.
The couple admitted they were initially shaken when they first stepped through the door – armed with a £60,000 schedule of work from Liverpool City Council to bring it up to scratch.
The 19th century terraced house had been hit by fire and had crumbling walls, broken bricks and burnt joists.
Ste Hodge pictured in the property before renovations started (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)
The home needed a huge amount of work (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)But the couple worked 24-7, did most of the renovations themselves and in 12 months transformed it into a cosy home for just £30,000. After enjoying their first Christmas in the double-fronted home in the city's Wavertree district, the pair have been buoyed by a valuation of £120,000.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Debbie said at the time: "We never want to move because we have put so much of ourselves into this house. People thought we were nuts. We've crawled on the floors, we built the floors… it's a gamble we took and we love it. Our blood and guts have gone into it. If they'd give us next door, we'd do it again!”
Recalling the first time she saw the property, Debbie says: "It was just a shell. All the joists were burnt. It was terrible. Honestly, it was just stacks and stacks of bricks. There was nothing. My family were saying to me, 'You're mad'."
Every floor had to be replaced, chimneys were removed, the sinking kitchen was underpinned, all fittings were ripped out and the windows were upgraded.
Debbie in her new kitchen (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)Debbie and Ste used their savings and took a small loan to complete the work – and it was hard graft. "We were there until midnight with torches. We went seven days a week, we didn't miss a day," Debbie says.
She scoured local ads for bargains and bagged a £15,000 kitchen for a tenth of the price and a £4,000 bathroom suite for £1,500. They also picked up a slightly damaged £1,200 front door for £300. And, slowly but surely, the place came together.
The couple put in a huge amount of work (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)The council unveiled its Homes For A Pound scheme in 2013. A year later, bosses vowed that 6,000 empty houses would be brought back into use. Since then, 1,500 homes have been reoccupied – including 97 in the Webster Triangle, Wavertree, where the Hodges live. The couple say the sense of community in the Webster Triangle is a great example of how councils can return depressed areas to homely neighbourhoods.
The Hodges used to rent in Anfield and had struggled to get a mortgage. Debbie suffered a serious long-term illness and Ste's wages as a carpet cleaner were not enough to secure a home loan.
Debbie and Ste initially bought the property for £1 (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)Debbie says: "The council scheme was the best thing to happen to us. It brings communities together. When we moved in, there were only about three houses in the road occupied. But it's moving on now, it's coming to be more of a community and about half the street is filled.
"We've met all the neighbours and introduced ourselves. People come from everywhere, different areas, different countries. It’s a lovely community and I'm really settled here. I just love it. Once a month we clean the street and make it nice. The area is coming up, there are bars and restaurants opening further down the road… I just wouldn't move. I can definitely see the area getting better and we’ve never been so happy."
Their home is now worth £120,000 (Andy Kelvin/Triangle News)The couple have two daughters – Jade, who was 27 at the time this story was originally reported, a psychologist who has her own home, and teaching assistant Jenna who was 23 when their parents completed the renovation.
UK house prices fall again - down 3.2% from last year peak, says Nationwide
Debbie hopes the Homes For A Pound scheme will help young Liverpudlians like Jenna get on the property ladder. Under the purchase agreement, buyers must pay 25 per cent of the proceeds to the council if they sell up within five years. But the Hodges say they have no intention of going anywhere – and in four years, they will also be debt and mortgage-free.
Apple TV+ Criminal Record: release date, cast, trailer and how to watch for free
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
