08 March 2024 , 16:35
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Homes Under the Hammer host Dion Dublin is certainly used to entering properties that are in somewhat of a bad condition when they appear at auction.
But the latest property he was tasked to enter was in Stoke-On Trent and left in an "incredibly filthy" state, not to mention infested with rats - he refused to go in, leaving his BBC camera crew outside. During the episode, the 54-year-old presenter told viewers: "When you take on a property like this, in this condition, the first thing you're going to have to think about is skips and how many you're going to need."
Homes Under the Hammer host Dion Dublin refused to enter rat infested property (BBC)He added: "It all needs to go before you see what you've got to work with. Now, I'm not going to be going in there because there's sewage, it's incredibly filthy and there's signs of a rat infestation as well." At first glance, it seemed as though the decision was left to Dion alone but it turns out that the property was deemed unsafe by the local authorities.
The house was bought by married couple Yan and Clara at auction for £20,000, who hoped to renovate it and rent it out. Yan, who works as a truck driver appeared excited about the project and said: "It's like a hobby for me, I did houses with friends before, so I'm looking to do it in my free time."
However, it looks as though he may have bitten off more than he can chew as on further inspection the property had no plumbing or electricity. Yan added: "Everything needed to be done." But undeterred, Yan and Clara turned the property around and eventually rented it out to a family earning them £800 a month.
Mum sells home for £18,000 profit after sprucing up the garden
The property was deemed unsafe for the BBC crew to enter (BBC)But this was not the only home that underwent a transformation. Property developer Victoria bought a property for £165,000, which was double the price at auction, leaving Dion worried. BBC experts gave the house a guide price of £79,000 but was sold for £169,000 and Victoria gave herself a deadline of three months to complete the renovations.
She hoped to knock down the downstairs wall and open up the living room with French doors - and she completed the work within the narrow time frame. Victoria said: "One of the first things I did was put in some decking in the garden for whoever comes in to live here. A lot of work went into the garden to make it a usable space."
The property is now worth £200,000 which will earn her £850 a month in rent. Away from the camera, Dion's life was turned upside down when his sister Carmen sadly passed away in July 2022. Paying tribute to the 'heartbeat & backbone' of his family, Dion shared the news on social media. He told his 420,000 followers on Instagram: "Yesterday we lost our amazing sister Carmen, the heartbeat & backbone to our family."