‘Why do we get attached to inanimate bricks and mortar?’
The Great House Giveaway is back showing how to make money from property auctions
Actor turned property developer Simon O’brien knows a thing or two about character. Whether contained within the pages of a script or a title deed, the Liverpudlian presenter’s credentials make him the ideal host for renovation series The Great House Giveaway.
“There are easier ways to make money,” says the 58-year-old Garston-born presenter. Yet, it’s a moneymaking avenue increasing numbers of prospective buyers are turning to.
“What people don’t understand is that it’s so tough,” says O’brien. “I’ve been doing it for, what, 10 or 15 years now, maybe longer, and I still end up halfway through renovating a derelict property, sitting there with my head in my hands.”
Having begun his career playing Damon Grant in Brookside, O’brien’s subsequent sidestep into property development and presenting sees him join co-hosts Tayo Oguntonade and Carys Davies in the third series of the Channel 4 renovation show.
The Great House Giveaway pairs up first-time buyers with differing skill sets and then follows each duo as they battle to renovate an auction property – a process which sees contestants shed blood, sweat and tears as they stick to tight renovation budgets.
“You have to work backwards,” says O’brien of renovation budgeting, explaining that the “emotional” nature of a house purchase can often prove a stumbling block when it comes to property auctions.
“Why do we get emotionally attached to inanimate bricks and mortar?” asks the presenter. “People just fall in love with the property and that is always going to be your downfall, especially if you’re going to walk into an auction house,” he adds.
With the finished properties then going back on the market, any profit made is split between the pair. With the cash acting as a potential deposit, the ambitious show’s aim is to help contestants finally get a foot on the property ladder.
It’s a concept O’brien’s co-presenter and property expert Oguntonade, describes as “crazy”. Noting that a major part of the show’s appeal lies in its “relatability”, the money-savvy presenter – who bought his first property at the age of 22 – explains that “everyday working-class people” are the ones benefiting from the programme. With properties in need of renovation increasingly piquing the interest of prospective buyers, the past decade has seen a surge in demand for “doer upper” lots at auction, acting as a short-term investment.
“The current property market, because of affordability, is actually forcing some first-time buyers to consider a fix-me-upper, because it’s going to be cheaper,” says Oguntonade.
“Back in the day, people compromised to have two bedrooms instead of three, or they might move miles away from their family home. Nowadays, people compromise by buying a house that doesn’t have a working kitchen, because that’s all they can do to get on the property ladder.”