We bought the Worst House on the Street – it had mushrooms in the walls and we had 10 days to find a builder
A COUPLE turned their unattractive newly bought house on their street into a beautiful home – with their journey documented in a TV show.
Series two of Worst House on the Street has launched on Channel 4‘s streaming service.
Presented by siblings Stuart and Scarlette Douglas, the format sees families transforming run-down houses into dream homes – while trying to not break the bank.
The new episodes have been available to watch as of Tuesday, July 16.
In series one, a pair of first-time buyers took on a decaying house in York, which was a 1960s time capsule.
Office manager Gemma, 34, and sales consultant partner Scott, 42 paid £195,000 for the crumbling home.
When their episode originally aired in 2022, viewers learned how the Victorian, three-bedroom property had been untouched for decades.
Some of the urgent issues requiring attention included cracked ceilings and nicotine-stained wallpaper.
However, one of the biggest surprises came when mushrooms were discovered growing in the kitchen wall.
It was clear the house needed some desperate TLC, while the pair budgeted £20,000 to complete the work.
Their hope was to fully transform the property in 14-weeks and stayed rent-free in an annex in Gemma’s mum’s house in the meantime.
Former A Place in the Sun presenter Scarlette described the house as a “diamond in the rough” – while estimating they could make over £100,000 profit if the quality was as high as similar properties in the area going for £320,000.
Upon meeting with Scarlette and Stuart for advice, the siblings first suggested transforming third bedroom upstairs into a large, stylish bathroom.
Although Gemma and Scott weren’t initially keen, they were persuaded after Scarlette said: “Because it’s not really a usable space, it’s actually devaluing the property.”
The couple set about stripping tiles and wallpaper from the house, ensuring it would be an empty canvas for the builders.
Gemma and Scott also saved the best part of £1,000 a week by doing the work themselves, as labourer costs were projected at up to £150 a day.
After stripping everything back, they found 150-year-old Victorian tiles in the hallway, deciding to clean and keep them.
Meanwhile, pulling the plywood off their inside doors revealed traditional Victorian doors.
Scarlette informed them that replacing each door could cost £125, however, dipping and stripping the existing seven doors could cost £200 in total while maintaining an authentic feel.
Both she and Stuart also advised keeping a downstairs bathroom, which can add five per cent to your property, as well as having a desirable outside space.
Following the transformation, the couple admitted they had spent over budget at £31,000, but Scarlette and Stuart were amazed at the result.
Gemma and Scott spent £250 renovating the outside of their house, adding a £50 gate, painting the door a dusky pink and adding gold fixtures.
Looking at the finished result, Scarlette: “This is a transformation.
“This goes to show you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on the outside to make an impact.”
After 14 weeks and £31,000, the couple had made around £72,000 profit, which is over 30 per cent profit.
Amazed, Scott said: “Hard work, that’s what it’s all about.”
Worst House on the Street airs on Channel 4.
