What have you been up to?
I’ve been keeping busy with my own building projects and my first grandchild is due soon, so I’ve been doing some bits and pieces in my daughter’s house to get ready for the new arrival. There’s never a dull moment, there’s always work to be done. But I do enjoy it. There’s something very satisfying about taking something that’s broken or needs improving, and then you clean it and you fix it!
Tell us about Clean It, Fix It and what makes it stand out from other expert home makeover programmes?
I think it’s done with a lot of empathy. It’s important not to point a finger at people, because we can all find ourselves in a similar situation.
What we do is give people a platform that will hopefully help resolve some of the issues many of us face when trying to keep our homes tidy. We give people a foundation to build on, and continue to live brighter, happier lives.
If you could have one tool in your DIY bag that you take to every job, what would it be?
The things I always have on the job are a hammer, my braces and toolbelt. But, apart from a pencil and piece of paper, the most useful tool would be a cordless screwdriver.
You only had one day to transform people’s homes – how was that?
We were doing two days’ work in one day. They were very long days. We would start at 7.30am in the morning and sometimes we wouldn’t finish until midnight. But we put in the effort and time in to make sure the projects were complete.
It’s easy to fall into a negative mood when you see how much you need to take on on some of the projects, but we were all positive. We got stuck in as soon as we could.
What’s your go to piece of advice for people who want to make a big change on a small budget?
To plan it carefully, prioritise and budget accordingly.
Do you have any other projects coming up?
I’m currently filming the new series of Home Under The Hammer which has kept me busy, so viewers can also stay tuned for that.
