WALL FILLER HAS TV HOST DION ‘CRACKING UP’
But it doesn’t stop owner making a profit
HOMES Under the Hammer host Dion Dublin was in stitches when he found a homeowner had used a pair of old undies to fill a big crack in their wall.
The BBC show’s crew visited a twoup-two-down terrace on the market for £55,000 in Hartshill, which needed a full refurbishment.
The main problem was the chimney breast had been removed from the downstairs front room, but not upstairs. Whoever had removed it had not installed proper support to replace it, meaning a large crack had formed in the upstairs front room.
Another issue downstairs saw another crack plugged with a less-than-effective filler. Rather than use any proper material, someone had simply stuffed in a pair of pants to fill the gap.
It meant the cracks would need to be addressed before they became much worse. Fortunately, though, buyer Danielle, above, immediately seemed up to the task after paying bang on the £55,000 guide price.
Speaking to Dion afterwards, she said: “I believe that you can just stitch them (the cracks) back together. We’ll look at putting an RSJ or timber in there and then getting the wall stitched back together, so fingers crossed.
“It’s going to need a full rewire, because a lot of the electrics are quite old. With the gas, it’s going to need a new boiler because the boiler’s about 12 years old.”
With a budget of £15,000 and a time scale of three months, there was plenty to be done. Danielle added: “It’s in a good area and the price we got it for there’s margin to make a bit of money off it. I’m looking to either sell or rent, it just depends how much I spend on the property and then how much I can sell it for.
“The rental value round here is around £495 to £500, so just wait see. I’ve got a team of builders that I’ve used before and I’m going to do most of the ripping out.
“We can manage it. It’s not our first rodeo.”
Six months later, Danielle had proved she knew what she was doing, having a structural engineer examine the crack upstairs, who said it would need stitching. Luckily for Danielle, this was a low-cost option.
This involves removing some of the mortar on either side of the crack and then inserting steel bars which are then secured with a special bonding. She also added support on the lower floor in the form of an RSJ, or rolled steel joist often used to replace a load-bearing walls.
Things took a little longer, taking four months. She also went a little over budget, spending £17,000, for a total of £72,000.
“I just can’t wait now to get it rented and have someone here”, said Danielle. For resale the house was estimated at £90-95,000 for a profit of £23,000, while for rental it would be at £525 to £550pcm.
Danielle said: “It’s a straightforward project. I’m definitely making a profit and I’m happy.”