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We're UK's best 'house flippers' making thousands doing up 9 homes in 12yrs

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We're UK's best 'house flippers' making thousands doing up 9 homes in 12yrs
We're UK's best 'house flippers' making thousands doing up 9 homes in 12yrs

A DIY-loving couple have have flipped nine houses in just 12 years.

Sarah and Graham Alderton sometimes spend only months in a property before fixing it up and moving on to the next project.

Sarah and Graham have flipped nine houses in just 12 years eiqdhiquuitqprw
Sarah and Graham have flipped nine houses in just 12 yearsCredit: Times Media Ltd
The DIY jobs have netted them a tidy £472,461
The DIY jobs have netted them a tidy £472,461Credit: Times Media Ltd

They've completed each one with no financial help from friends or family - and done almost all the work themselves, The Times reports.

It means the serial renovators have made a tidy £472,461 - but they have had to get their hands dirty along the way.

Dental nurse Sarah, 40, and plumbing and heating engineer Graham, 34, bought their first doer-upper in 2011, a year after meeting.

I'm a property expert - my guess for the cheapest time to buy a home this yearI'm a property expert - my guess for the cheapest time to buy a home this year

It was repossessed one-bedroom property in Bordon, Hampshire, and cost them £106,000.

The pair spent four months and £18,000 bringing it up to scratch, learning what they didn't already know from YouTube videos.

But soon after settling in, they realised the flat wasn't "home" so sold it for £135,000 in 2013.

They put the £11,000 profit towards a deposit for their next project - a £131,000 250-year-old cottage in Wiltshire.

The grade II listed building turned out to be a lot of work, requiring them both to spend all their spare time on the revamp.

Sarah said: "You did one job and it turned into six."

It also had no oven or hob, so the Aldertons cooked on a one-ring camping stove for a year.

At one point, half the downstairs ceiling caved in when an old unsupported fireplace hearth fell through the floor.

Once the property was finished, it sold for £187,500 which allowed the couple to buy a shabby Edwardian home in Ludgershall for £170,000.

This was in even worse condition than the last one, with a hole in the floor, dead bats and rats in the water tank and no boiler.

Inside Camilla's £850k 'guilty pleasure' country pad - and Charles 'hates' itInside Camilla's £850k 'guilty pleasure' country pad - and Charles 'hates' it

But once the restoration was complete, an architect nabbed the keys for £239,950.

After that, Sarah and Graham rattled through the houses - including an ex-council property which they flipped in just eight weeks.

"We were in a rhythm by this point," Graham said.

"We got the keys at lunchtime, hired a van, then went in there and ripped everything out the same day — the woodwork, the doors, everything — threw it in the van and rushed to the tip to get rid of it."

The low points seem to be persistent, but the highs far outweigh the lows.

Graham Alderton

To save money, Graham went to college to train as an electrician while Sarah became a domestic energy assessor so she could carry out her own checks.

But they still have to pay for architects, structural engineers and property inspectors, which can be expensive.

Their next homes saw them building an extension, knocking through internal walls, adding bedrooms and creating parking facilities - all "sure-fire" ways to boost house prices.

But they insist the two most important things to remember are not to assume you will make a profit and never buy above market value.

Their current home, Dolly Mixture Cottage in Burbage, is on the market for £750,000.

It was a derelict storage facility full of rats but it is now an idyllic detached three-bedroom family home with "character feel".

Despite not yet selling, Sarah and Graham have already bought their 10th house.

Sarah, who quit her job to renovate full-time, said: "Instead of children, we have this.

"It’s lovely to be able to put a house back for a whole family to enjoy again for years."

Graham added: "The low points seem to be persistent, but once you’ve finished, and you stand back and you can appreciate it, the highs far outweigh the lows."

They do almost all the work themselves
They do almost all the work themselvesCredit: Rightmove
The couple said that it's 'lovely' to do up houses and know that they will soon be enjoyed by other families
The couple said that it's 'lovely' to do up houses and know that they will soon be enjoyed by other familiesCredit: Times Media Ltd
They pick up tips on YouTube if there's anything they don't know how to do
They pick up tips on YouTube if there's anything they don't know how to doCredit: Rightmove
The Aldertons' current home Dolly Mixture Cottage in Burbage, Wiltshire
The Aldertons' current home Dolly Mixture Cottage in Burbage, WiltshireCredit: Rightmove
The property is on the market for £750,000
The property is on the market for £750,000Credit: HAMPTONS

Alice Fuller

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