Dion Dublin warns buyers to 'steer clear' of property after spotting red flags
Homes Under the Hammer star Dion Dublin aired caution telling potential buyers to "steer clear" of one Merseyside property for a very good reason
Property expert Dion Dublin was exploring a well-known commuter town in Merseyside during Tuesday's (August 19) repeat of Homes Under the Hammer and was shocked to discover just how much work the right purchaser would need to undertake.
Even before stepping foot inside the Wallasey property, which carried a guide price of £35,000 at auction, the 56-year-old presenter sensed trouble brewing.
A massive yellow skip, overflowing with debris and positioned directly outside on the street, immediately caught Dion's attention and set alarm bells ringing. "Now there's a skip right outside and it's full, so something's telling me that something has been done in there," declared the presenter whilst gesturing toward the property.
The extent of the problems became crystal clear the moment he stepped through the front door of the two-bedroom, mid-terrace home. The home had been completely gutted with virtually no internal walls left standing - essentially reduced to nothing more than an empty shell, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Dion warned buyers 'steer clear'
During his assessment, Dion observed: "It's a big back to basics project," before noting: "You've got a bay window over there that is also single-glazed and that needs to be changed."
Article continues below
Attempting to highlight some positives, he remarked on the "large space" on offer and abundance of "bright natural light" flooding through each of the principal rooms. Following his complete inspection of the property, Dion expressed concern about the enormity of the task ahead and issued a stark warning to potential bidders that tackling this renovation would be no small undertaking. Dion declared: "If you're work shy and don't want to get your hands dirty, then steer clear of this one."
Dion had a feeling something was amiss
Nevertheless, despite his concerns, the presenter did acknowledge it might not be a chance he would be prepared to miss himself. He remarked on camera: "I've got to confess, I don't mind taking on properties in this condition, because you can start light. What I always say on the show, is do it once and do it right. Simple as that."
Offering guidance, the expert went on to explain: "What I'd say about this place if you're really the type of person that tends to get stuck in, I'm talking about rolling your sleeves up and blood sweat and tears. This is the project for you, if you've got a good timescale, a good team of builder and a decent budget, you've ticked all of the boxes."
Dion spotted a huge skip that was full to the brim
Ryan, who runs a building firm, snapped up the property for £79,000 at a remote auction in 2024. Following his winning bid and before he'd even begun work on the two-bedroom house, he already had someone keen to rent it.
He told Dion that he wasn't planning to sell but rather to let it out to help bolster his "pension" down the line. Dion was amazed that Ryan and his crew believed they could complete the transformation in merely six weeks with a budget of only £18,000.
Ryan swooped up the home for £79,000
When the programme revisited Merseyside five months afterwards to check on the same property, it had been completely renovated and appeared to meet excellent standards, with a tenant already settled in.
Despite their ambitious timeline and budget, Ryan and his team took the full five months to complete the project, exceeding their budget by £8,000 due to issues with an external shared wall and the need to weatherproof the entire property.
In total, Ryan invested £99,000 into the two-bedroom terrace. A local estate agent estimated that if sold, it could fetch up to £140,000, providing a pre-tax profit of £41,000.
However, Ryan was firm in his decision not to sell the property, expressing satisfaction with the current rent of £800 per calendar month he was receiving from his tenant.
Article continues below
Homes Under the Hammer airs weekdays on BBC One, from 11:15am.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Dion Dublin warns buyers to 'steer clear' of property after spotting red flags
Dion Dublin warns buyers to 'steer clear' of property after spotting red flags Homes Under the Hammer star Dion Dublin aired caution telling potential buyers to "steer clear" of one Merseyside property for a very good reason Property expert Dion Dublin was exploring a well-known commuter town in Merseyside during Tuesday's (August 19) repeat of Homes Under the Hammer and was shocked to discover just how much work the right purchaser would need to undertake. Even before stepping foot inside the Wallasey property, which carried a guide price of £35,000 at auction, the 56-year-old presenter sensed trouble brewing. A massive yellow skip, overflowing with debris and positioned directly outside on the street, immediately caught Dion's attention and set alarm bells ringing. "Now there's a skip right outside and it's full, so something's telling me that something has been done in there," declared the presenter whilst gesturing toward the property. The extent of the problems became crystal clear the moment he stepped through the front door of the two-bedroom, mid-terrace home. The home had been completely gutted with virtually no internal walls left standing - essentially reduced to nothing more than an empty shell, reports the Liverpool Echo. Dion warned buyers 'steer clear' During his assessment, Dion observed: "It's a big back to basics project," before noting: "You've got a bay window over there that is also single-glazed and that needs to be changed." Article continues below Attempting to highlight some positives, he remarked on the "large space" on offer and abundance of "bright natural light" flooding through each of the principal rooms. Following his complete inspection of the property, Dion expressed concern about the enormity of the task ahead and issued a stark warning to potential bidders that tackling this renovation would be no small undertaking. Dion declared: "If you're work shy and don't want to get your hands dirty, then steer clear of this one." Dion had a feeling something was amiss Nevertheless, despite his concerns, the presenter did acknowledge it might not be a chance he would be prepared to miss himself. He remarked on camera: "I've got to confess, I don't mind taking on properties in this condition, because you can start light. What I always say on the show, is do it once and do it right. Simple as that." Offering guidance, the expert went on to explain: "What I'd say about this place if you're really the type of person that tends to get stuck in, I'm talking about rolling your sleeves up and blood sweat and tears. This is the project for you, if you've got a good timescale, a good team of builder and a decent budget, you've ticked all of the boxes." Dion spotted a huge skip that was full to the brim Ryan, who runs a building firm, snapped up the property for £79,000 at a remote auction in 2024. Following his winning bid and before he'd even begun work on the two-bedroom house, he already had someone keen to rent it. He told Dion that he wasn't planning to sell but rather to let it out to help bolster his "pension" down the line. Dion was amazed that Ryan and his crew believed they could complete the transformation in merely six weeks with a budget of only £18,000. Ryan swooped up the home for £79,000 When the programme revisited Merseyside five months afterwards to check on the same property, it had been completely renovated and appeared to meet excellent standards, with a tenant already settled in. Despite their ambitious timeline and budget, Ryan and his team took the full five months to complete the project, exceeding their budget by £8,000 due to issues with an external shared wall and the need to weatherproof the entire property. In total, Ryan invested £99,000 into the two-bedroom terrace. A local estate agent estimated that if sold, it could fetch up to £140,000, providing a pre-tax profit of £41,000. However, Ryan was firm in his decision not to sell the property, expressing satisfaction with the current rent of £800 per calendar month he was receiving from his tenant. Article continues below Homes Under the Hammer airs weekdays on BBC One, from 11:15am.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
I went to Lidl early in the morning and paid £3 for 115 items of food
I went to Lidl early in the morning and paid £3 for 115 items of food Food shopping is a necessary expense, and we're all on the hunt for ways to save a few quid where possible. I bagged around £20 worth of food for £3 (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) Food shopping is an essential outgoing, and we're all searching for methods to trim a few pounds wherever feasible. From preparing shopping lists to being tactical about your choice of retailer, there are numerous approaches to maintain control over your weekly grocery expenses. Constantly seeking out excellent value, astute shopping correspondent Ray Bonsall was delighted to learn that Lidl provides a container of mixed fruit and vegetables for merely £1.50. These containers supply an assortment of 'too good to waste' produce at a substantially reduced cost. Ray explained: "Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I was excited to learn that Lidl sells a box of mixed fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. The boxes offer a selection of 'too good to waste' items for a much cheaper price, reported the Liverpool Echo. "I've tried my luck with other anti-food waste schemes before, including the Too Good To Go app, which allows shops, cafes and restaurants to sell surplus food for a much lower price. I've generally found them to be generous and well worth the cost, so I was keen to give Lidl's box a try." She added, "I set my alarm bright and early for 7 a.m., keen to avoid the boxes selling out. I arrived at the Lidl on Lime Street at 8:30 a.m. However, a friendly colleague told me to come back in 45 minutes as they were still preparing the fruit and veg. I was surprised that there didn't seem to be anyone else waiting around for the boxes." I set my alarm bright and early for 7am to get myself a box of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50 (Image: Ray Bonsall) Article continues below Ray was taken aback to find no one else waiting for the boxes. While she waited, she decided to try her luck at the Lidl on London Road, but was told there were no boxes available. A staff member clarified that while the boxes are typically available daily, they had a large stock assessment the previous day, selling around 20 boxes, meaning they didn't have any surplus stock today. However, he noted that most days boxes go on sale at around 8:30am. Ray continued, "I went back to Lime Street, and at around 9:15am, the boxes were ready. They hadn't been put out but I asked a colleague who brought two out for me having remembered that I'd been by earlier on. It seems it's worth double checking with staff if you can't see any displayed. "I bought two boxes, which were £1.50 each, bringing my total shop to £3. It seems it's worth having a word with staff if you can't see any on display. I purchased two boxes at £1.50 each, bringing my total spend to £3. "When the boxes arrived, I was overwhelmed by how much was inside. I could barely carry the two boxes, which were overflowing with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables from apples to aubergines. The amount of fruit and vegetables I got from for £3 from two of Lidl's 'Too Good to Waste' boxes (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) "Taking a closer look at the produce, all of the items were still fresh, and most had a good few days left in them. A few items, like some of the peppers and the courgettes, were smaller than normal shelf stock, and the aubergine was on the riper side." Ray observed that the carrots were also on the smaller side, and some had taken a bit of a battering, but they remained completely fresh and perfect for cooking. The remaining produce was exactly what you'd anticipate from any standard fruit and vegetable retailer. Several of the peppers were enormous. The apples and even the bananas were spotless and ideally ripe. Here's everything I received in each box: Box 1 Four bananas Six red apples One aubergine One small courgette One celery Three large bell peppers (red, orange and yellow) Approximately 20 small potatoes Approximately 20 small carrots Box 2 Five bananas Six green apples One aubergine One courgette Five peppers (mixed sizes) One celery Approximately 20 potatoes (mixed sizes) Approximately 20 small carrots A generous handful of green chillies The peppers varied in size but were still great value (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO ) Using Tesco's website, she worked out that buying the identical items in the first box would have cost her around £8.01. The second box would have totalled roughly £11.84. Therefore, for just £3, she managed to secure nearly £20 worth of shopping. Article continues below Ray concluded: "This doesn't take into account some of the smaller sizes, however, I still walked away feeling like I had secured a great amount of food for what I spent. Anything I don't use in the next few days I'll stick in the freezer. "It's also a great way of encouraging people not to dismiss food just because it is doesn't look the biggest or shiniest. A small pepper is still a pepper after all. It also saves endless thinking about what to eat and for the next week my meal planning will be dictated by what's in the box - so far aubergine curry, baked potatoes, potato salad, fried courgette spaghetti and carrot soup spring to mind."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
I paid £3 for two boxes of food at Lidl – the amount inside was overwhelming
Lidl are releasing boxes of mixed fruit and vegetables for £1.50 Food shopping is a necessary expense, and we're all on the hunt for ways to save a few quid where possible. From crafting grocery lists to being strategic about where you shop, there are several methods to keep the cost of a weekly shop in check. Always on the prowl for a good deal, savvy shopping writer Ray Bonsall was thrilled to discover that Lidl offers a box of assorted fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. These boxes provide a variety of 'too good to waste' items at a significantly lower price. Ray shared: "Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I was excited to learn that Lidl sells a box of mixed fruit and vegetables for just £1.50. The boxes offer a selection of 'too good to waste' items for a much cheaper price, reported the Liverpool Echo. "I've tried my luck with other anti-food waste schemes before, including the Too Good To Go app, which allows shops, cafes and restaurants to sell surplus food for a much lower price. I've generally found them to be generous and well worth the cost, so I was keen to give Lidl's box a try. She continued, "I set my alarm bright and early for 7 a.m., keen to avoid the boxes selling out. I arrived at the Lidl on Lime Street at 8:30 a.m. However, a friendly colleague told me to come back in 45 minutes as they were still preparing the fruit and veg. I was surprised that there didn't seem to be anyone else waiting around for the boxes." Ray was surprised that there didn't seem to be anyone else hanging around for the boxes. While she waited, she decided to try her luck at the Lidl on London Road, but was informed there weren't any boxes available. A staff member explained that while the boxes are usually available daily, they had a large stock assessment the previous day, selling around 20 boxes, meaning they didn't have any surplus stock today. However, he mentioned that most days boxes go on sale at around 8:30am. Ray went on to say, "I went back to Lime Street, and at around 9:15am, the boxes were ready. They hadn't been put out but I asked a colleague who brought two out for me having remembered that I'd been by earlier on. It seems it's worth double checking with staff if you can't see any displayed. "I bought two boxes, which were £1.50 each, bringing my total shop to £3. It seems it's worth having a word with staff if you can't see any on display. I purchased two boxes at £1.50 each, bringing my total spend to £3. "When the boxes arrived, I was overwhelmed by how much was inside. I could barely carry the two boxes, which were brimming with a wide variety of fruit and vegetables from apples to aubergines. "Taking a closer look at the produce, all of the items were still fresh, and most had a good few days left in them. A few items, like some of the peppers and the courgettes, were smaller than normal shelf stock, and the aubergine was on the riper side." Ray noted carrots were also smaller, and some had been knocked about a bit, but they were still perfectly fresh and suitable for cooking. The rest of the produce was just as I'd expect from any regular fruit and veg shop. A few of the peppers were massive. The apples and even the bananas were unblemished and perfectly ripe. Here's everything I got in each box: Box 1 Four bananas Six red apples One aubergine One small courgette One celery Three large bell peppers (red, orange and yellow). Approximately 20 small potatoes. Approximately 20 small carrots. Box 2 Five bananas Six green apples One aubergine One courgette Five peppers (mixed sizes) One celery Approximately 20 potatoes (mixed sizes) Approximately 20 small carrots A generous handful of green chillies Using Tesco's website, she calculated that purchasing the same items in the first box would have set her back around £8.01. The second box would have cost approximately £11.84. So, for a mere £3, she managed to snag nearly £20 worth of groceries. Ray concluded: "This doesn't take into account some of the smaller sizes, however, I still walked away feeling like I had secured a great amount of food for what I spent. Anything I don't use in the next few days I'll stick in the freezer. "It's also a great way of encouraging people not to dismiss food just because it is doesn't look the biggest or shiniest. A small pepper is still a pepper after all. It also saves endless thinking about what to eat and for the next week my meal planning will be dictated by what's in the box - so far aubergine curry, baked potatoes, potato salad, fried courgette spaghetti and carrot soup spring to mind."
