THE VIEW
of the football clubs I played for. With the help of Scarlette, I have developed and sold numerous properties which has obviously helped me transition into the world of broadcasting. I was nominated for Best Debut Presenter at the New Voice Awards 2022 which was very special.” They made their first television appearance together in a special edition of Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer’s Love It or List It as part of Channel 4’s Black to Front project. But as it was for many people, lockdown proved to be a difficult time for them. During the third lockdown, Scarlette was sat at home one cold, rainy January afternoon and saw a casting call for a new property TV show looking for contributors wanting to flip properties. As this was her domain, she called her agent, Alex, to find out exactly what the show was about and if they needed a presenter. He arranged a Zoom call and a screen test was secured for not only Scarlette but also for Stuart. A few weeks later they were offered the job co-presenting Flipping Fast alongside George Clarke. The show followed six teams across the UK who think they have what it takes to make the big time as property entrepreneurs, offering them a life-changing chance to start their own property business. Each are given a £100,000 investment to kick-start the business, competing against each other to see who can make a profit from property in just 12 months. The competitors get advice and support from George, Scarlette and Stuart and at the end, the most successful property flipper gets a cash prize of the £100,000 investment given to them at the beginning, plus their profit. Scarlette said, “We loved this series as we get the opportunity to offer straight-talking advice to budding property entrepreneurs. We didn’t always agree on the methods, but when it comes to achieving the best results, we’re on the same page.” They then fronted a Channel 4 series, Worst House on the Street which has just finished its third series and you can watch all the shows on catch-up. They shared tips and tricks to help thrifty homeowners pull off renovations far in excess of their budgets or expectations. It followed the duo using their expertise to help families transform run-down houses into dream homes without it costing a fortune! At the end of the project they revealed how much their innovation and cost-cutting had increased the value of the property by. They said, “Over many years, we have honed the skill of redeveloping properties while extracting the most value from the finances available. As brother and sister, our candid and honest relationship has helped us refine our process to achieve the best results. Together we have redesigned
"OVER MANY YEARS, WE HAVE HONED THE SKILL OF REDEVELOPING PROPERTIES WHILE EXTRACTING THE MOST VALUE FROM THE FINANCES AVAILABLE"
British College of Interior Design. It was a one-year online course and it was hard to go back to studying, but I am delighted that I managed to do it." Scarlette has also been working with Smart GB and Hive promoting energy efficiency, smart meters, boilers and insulation and said, “Everyone is so aware of the cost of energy these days, so as part of our mission to educate people it has been really interesting. I would advise anyone to look at which energy company they use as many of them offer some great incentives and offer good advice on how to save money. ” With so much property knowledge they have some excellent advice for first time buyers. “Research, research, research; as if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Look at the areas you are interested in and decide what is important to you. If you are a family does it have good schools nearby? Or if you need to commute does it have good transport links? If you decide to renovate a property then work backwards. Find your ceiling price and give yourself room for manoeuvre, as often the costs can run away with you, and then calculate exactly what you can afford. "It is easy to put your own stamp on a place to make it your home when you work out what to do with the interior space and decorations. It is important to get the right team around you when you buy – go to a mortgage broker who will find the best deals around for you from all the lenders and get a really good conveyancer so the process is smooth, which will speed things up. Also, ensure you have a good relationship with the estate agent as they will then let you know early when the type of properties you are looking for are coming on to the market. If you are planning to renovate, get a team of good tradespeople who share your vision of what you want." Scarlette and Stuart are both very talented and the future is looking bright indeed. We are delighted that they will be hosting our First Time Buyers Readers’ Awards later this year. The Awards are very exciting and everyone in the world of housing looks forward to them – so I think a fun time will be had by all! If you’d like to know more about Scarlette and Stuart please check out their Instagram account @scarandstu or @missscardoug
and renovated numerous properties, transforming them to become desirable and profitable homes. “We are now very excited that our brand new series, Can’t Sell Must Sell , will be on Channel 4. It’s a really great idea where people with homes which have been on the market for a long time with little or no viewings show their home to the general public who then say what they think of them. It can be quite brutal and very critical but that’s where we come in and help and advise the owners on what changes to make in order that they do sell. We both take on a house and we were delighted that after our renovations they were sold! We are all about educating and being entertaining and this new show is so fresh and there hasn’t been anything like this done before, so it’s really exciting.” They were also recently on the Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand up to Cancer , where they showed off their baking skills and Stuart came second. “Neither of us are great bakers. Scarlette likes to eat cake not bake and my wife is a really good cook and baker but it was great fun.” The list of shows they have appeared on is impressive, with Deal or No Deal , The 1% Club and Pointless Celebrities to name a few. This very busy duo certainly don’t let the grass grow under their feet. Stuart is in the process of buying a garden flat which he will renovate and turn it from a one bedroom to a two bedroom. “It will be the perfect home for a first time buyer or a downsizer. It is in Bournemouth, near to where I live as I am very particular about the location as I can be stubborn and like to control the process. I can project manage the renovation and I am always on the lookout for potential properties to work on.” Scarlette has been spending a great deal of time in America. She now has a green card and is studying to get her realtor licence in Florida so she can buy a property and renovate it too. “It’s very exciting and I have already found the perfect place which I would like to buy. I am also an Executive Producer for HTV and have a couple of shows in development at the moment. There might also be a possibility that our UK shows will be shown in America and if they are successful that will open so many doors for us both. Last year I also gained my interior design diploma from the
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