Had a real De Ja Vu last week when our very first house was on the TV programme Homes Under the Hammer.
We had been warned that the TV crews were at the house earlier in the year, so for the past 2 months I had set up the programme on series record. Fortunately we didn't have to watch them all as the synopsis always mentions where in the country the houses featured in the programme are located.
Last week the screen info mentioned "a 2 bedroom semi in Derbyshire", and I thought this could be worth a look. Sure enough, there it was the house that we bought for £4,150 back in 1974 was going under the hammer and was sold at auction for £59,000.
When we bought the house, we spent all our savings and didn't have enough money left to buy a kettle. We spent a few years in the house, knocking walls down and putting a nice new staircase between the two downstairs rooms. We also put in a fabulous stone fireplace which was all the rage back then.
Last week the screen info mentioned "a 2 bedroom semi in Derbyshire", and I thought this could be worth a look. Sure enough, there it was the house that we bought for £4,150 back in 1974 was going under the hammer and was sold at auction for £59,000.
When we bought the house, we spent all our savings and didn't have enough money left to buy a kettle. We spent a few years in the house, knocking walls down and putting a nice new staircase between the two downstairs rooms. We also put in a fabulous stone fireplace which was all the rage back then.
When we moved in the bathroom still had the original cast iron bath, complete with its own watermark half way up the side and a wonderful brown stain in the bottom.
Every week when the family allowance was collected, we went around to the tile shop to buy a box of tiles for the bathroom, which me and my dad put onto the wall. Low and behold, almost 40 years later there on the TV screen were the same tiles on the bathroom wall, with the same new bath well it was then, and bathroom fittings that we put in. The bath ahd cheap plastic taps, all we could afford and I remember fitting them and stripping the threads off. I took them back to the shop for replacement but they were still there also.
Every week when the family allowance was collected, we went around to the tile shop to buy a box of tiles for the bathroom, which me and my dad put onto the wall. Low and behold, almost 40 years later there on the TV screen were the same tiles on the bathroom wall, with the same new bath well it was then, and bathroom fittings that we put in. The bath ahd cheap plastic taps, all we could afford and I remember fitting them and stripping the threads off. I took them back to the shop for replacement but they were still there also.
The two upstairs bedrooms had a fireplace in each with a Adams cast iron fireplace, I took them out and dumped them at the tip, they are worth a small fortune today.
The whole house looked the pits on the TV programme and the back garden was no better, resembling something like the Amazon jungle, what had happened to all my lovely dahlias and the patch of asparagus that we lovingly planted. It was really strange watching your old house on TV.
However, once the people that bought the house at the auction had finished the renovation, it look fabulous and well worth the new estimated value of £110,000.
However, once the people that bought the house at the auction had finished the renovation, it look fabulous and well worth the new estimated value of £110,000.
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