Fans of BBC's hit show Homes Under The Hammer are well versed with presenter Martin Roberts, known for his lively disposition and insightful commentary as he navigates viewers through a vast array of auctioned properties.
However, it was a certain tiny property that recently stood out, catching even Martin off-guard. Dubbed the smallest abode ever covered on the programme, Martin affectionately nicknamed it a 'doll's house'.
Tucked away in Pontycymer, a village nestled in the Garw Valley and not far from Bridgend, it's so smalls that Martin strolled straight by initially.
With a touch of amazement, he declared: "You are having a laugh, wow, blink and you'll miss it! But maybe there's more to this house than meets the eye? Well, if you thought it was going to be bigger on the inside, then you are wrong. You've basically got one room - that's it!"
Martin further explained that the sole room once served as a commercial space but thankfully had already been granted permission to convert to residential use. Then, noticing a tight staircase at one end of the 'house', Martin ventured down in hopes of uncovering a wealth of space beneath, reports WalesOnline.
Don't miss... Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts admits breaking major rule after warning [CELEBRITY]
On the lower level, a single room was in the midst of transformation into a shower room and bedroom, a renovation cut short as the plaster on the external wall oozed with dampness.
Martin expressed his bafflement: "It's all rather perplexing, it is rather a strange one. It's not often I'm lost for words but this one has me stumped. It might just be one of the smallest properties I've ever encountered in twenty years of Homes Under The Hammer. It is what it is - a doll's house. A lot of people's garages are bigger than this."
The miniature property entered an online auction with an initial guide price of £27,000 and found a new owner in Malvern-based postal worker and part-time property enthusiast Carol for £43,500. Meeting her in the diminutive dwelling, Martin was once again lost for words.
Carol disclosed: "It was a spontaneous buy - one minute and eight seconds before the auction finished. I didn't really read the auction pack either."
Carol admitted she only scanned parts of the legal pack, learning about its freehold status and potential flood risks, dismissing the rest as she prepared dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine. Within 68 seconds, she placed her winning bid on what is possibly the tiniest home to feature on Homes Under The Hammer, admitting: "I did read those two little things and then I pressed the buy button and I hadn't been to see it or anything, but we all have moments of madness."
Despite breaking two of the core auction rules from Homes Under The Hammer, Carol, who had previously spotted the house online, took a leap of faith on an alluring yet unvisited property because it seemed quirky.
Carol reflected on her rather impulsive decision: "It always gets exciting at the end of the auction so I thought I'd see what happens, and here we are! I like little challenges, I think this is going to be a little challenge. I did a drive by after the auction and I was thinking 'where is the rest of it? ', and I opened the door and I was like, wow there is no more, this is it. I think the school Wendy house was somewhat bigger than this."
With a modest budget of about £10,000 and with her electrician partner Steve at her side, Carol planned to revitalise the unique dwelling. She anticipated spending up to nine months on renovations due to concurrent commitments with another property's overhaul.
Speaking with Martin, she indicated that extensive work was required as much of the property's interior needed stripping and starting anew.
When the show revisited the tiny house 15 months later, the metamorphosis was remarkable. The damp had been addressed with new guttering, a relocation of the staircase helped optimise the bedroom space on the lower ground floor, and a new, well-designed compact staircase was in place.
After an awe-inspiring transformation, a once-unremarkable kitchen, shower room, flooring and decor have been completely transformed both inside and out, with Steve even crafting a storage shed in the adjacent outside space. This remarkable turnaround made the modest abode simply stunning.
However, there was an unexpected cost - the need to install a sprinkler system arose because the property had to adhere to 'new build' regulations following its shift from commercial use to residential.
An estate agent assessed the revamped residence and suggested it could fetch up to £60,000 on the market, slightly shy of the couple's total expenditure, which ultimately amounted to about £63,000. Carol overspent almost double the planned budget to make the property habitable and appealing and confessed she's somewhat hesitant to add up the precise costs involved.
But there is a silver lining: a local man approached the couple as he was interested in renting rent the property.
Steve recounts the journey: "We've done three properties over the last three years and the others are somewhat bigger than this, but this one has been more headaches than the other two put together!" Despite the challenges, Carol mused cheerfully: "But you can't put a price on the fun we've had! ".
