Homes Under The Hammer has seen one couple turn a stately local bank into a contemporary home – earning £2,000 per year thanks to their efforts.
Graham and Sally first spotted the bank in Knott End, Lancashire, when they would stroll along the main street, and always thought it would make a cosy home.
The couple entered an auction for the property and won out, splashing £142,000 on the redbrick two-storey building.
However, because the bank has an ATM installed in the wall, the couple will be paid £2,000 each year to allow access for the machine to be emptied and filled.
One downside comes with the ATM – it makes a constant whirring noise which can be heard throughout the house.
(Image: BBC)
Staff nurse Sally said: “We’re hoping we’ll get used to it and probably won’t notice it after a few weeks.”
Presenter Martel Maxwell visited them in their home to learn about the renovation they were planning on undertaking with a budget of £35,000.
Designed as a bank, the building was filled with beautiful features, from a striking staircase which Maxwell describes as a “standout feature”.
(Image: BBC)
She added: “So you have a sort of commercial, cold feel in parts, but then you have magnificent little details that I would always, always want to restore and keep.”
The upper floor originally housed the bank manager’s flat, fitted with a large master bedroom and a spare room.
Antique floorboards were an attractive feature in the home, which the couple planned to restore to their original glory.
(Image: BBC)
A slight drawback to the home was an enormous safe planted inside one of the rooms, which would prove difficult to remove.
Host Martel said: “It would be a big job to remove these safes, requiring the expertise of professional safe installation engineers with specialist lifting gear.”
When it came to renovating the space, the couple struggled to keep within their budget, spending around £60,000 in transforming the bank into their home.
Though the financial strain caused a headache, Graham and Sally were chuffed with the finished result.
As the couple got excited about moving in, the presenter added: “This has been a long journey but at last it’s ready to be a home.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
