When expert Andy McConnell purchased a property he described as a “fleapit” in 2020, he was planning a “complete renovation”.
The home – bought for £230,000 – was described as “unfit for human habitation” and “unmortgageable”, but Andy, who has made millions in flipping houses, knew he was up to the challenge.
The star, who joined the Roadshow in 2005, admitted: “I bought it four years ago for £230,000 and it’s definitely gone up in value. It was a total fleapit when I bought it and unmortgageable.
“In fact, the particulars said it was unfit for human habitation so I thought it was just right for me and got £95,000 off the asking price.”
He added in 2024: “All I’ve done so far is install a new bathroom and new boiler but I’m planning a complete renovation.”
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One Antiques Roadshow expert made millions flipping homes (Image: Getty)
Andy has made more than £1million renovating and selling houses. In 1979 he spent just £2,750 on a two-bedroom cottage in Rye, East Sussex, back in 1979.
It was decrepit, and didn’t even have a flushing toilet. To use the facilities, Andy had to collect river water to flush.
Andy McConnell was living in a ‘fleapit’ (Image: BBC)
He explained to This Is Money: “I’ve always been handy so I did it up and turned it into a liveable place. Ten years later, I sold it for about £150,000.”
He bought three more homes in Rye for around £80,000, flipping them for more than £400,000 each. He splashed out on a manor house in France for £18,000 in 1988 which was later sold for £220,000.