BUYING a home is an expensive dream for many people – so one creative man decided to think out of the box to get on the property ladder.
Instead of buying a traditional home, Yohance, 31, bought an old warehouse unit and transformed it into a jaw-dropping two-bedroom home.
He paid £365,000 for the initially soulless office, which was half the price of residential properties nearby in Balham, south London.
On tonight’s George Clarke‘s Remarkable Renovations, which aired on Channel 4, Yohance showed host George around the old office, which looked world’s apart from a chic home.
George said: “It’s probably one of the most unhomely spaces you can imagine.
“A lot of people wouldn’t want to live in a building like this, everyone wants that picturesque Victorian, Edwardian or Georgian house, and you’ve gone – let’s say industrial.”
However, lecturer and development manager seemed optimistic about his purchase.
He added: “But it has potential, it has potential.”
Yohance shared how he planned to knock down nearly all the interior walls to create a modern, open-plan living space.
Meanwhile, upstairs he planned to add walls to make two bedrooms with bathrooms.
George said of the unique project: “In fairness it has a decent footprint, really high ceilings, but when you look around it is your classic commercial fairly bland boring office space, I mean that in the nicest way.”
Yohance agreed: “I imagine working here would be rather dreary.”
With a budget of £150,000 for renovation work, the first time buyer kicked off the building work with a target of finishing within six months.
He said: “This is my biggest financial risk of my life.
“It would be nice to have someone else to bounce things off of, who was equally in it.
“There are 100 per cent moments when I think ‘I’m not sure of this.’”
However, he stayed true to the vision, adding: “I’m pretty optimistic, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t do something like this, it’s too risky.”
One of his biggest challenges was getting light into the property, as it was connected to the adjacent warehouse spaces with no windows on the sides and back.
Thankfully Yohance – who has a degree in architecture – came up with a solution.
He added a light tunnel from the roof which would shine down a metal reflective tube to the downstairs space, and it worked perfectly.
This is my biggest financial risk of my life. I’m pretty optimistic, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t do something like this, it’s too risky
Yohance
Before the Grange Mills estate office was bought by Yohance in 2021, it manufactured paper and envelopes for 70 years, before being owned by a travel agency from the 1980s.
To pay tribute to its industrial heritage, Yohance left the old brick exposed and kept some of the original structural features.
However, he softened the look with lots of plants and unique furniture pieces.
When George returned to view the finished home he was amazed.
Gone were the ugly air conditioning units from the outside, and in their place were plant boxes, stylish windows and Yohance had painted the front a modern black colour.
Inside he achieved his goal of creating a contemporary home in the industrial building, and added a lounge, office, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathrooms and even a walk-in wardrobe.
George was further shocked when Yohance revealed he’d come in under budget at £120,000.
The TV host said: “You’ve come in under budget, shut up, no way.
“When you walk through that door it’s like going to a completely different world inside the building.
“It’s a calm, cool and sophisticated house.”
Yohance said it was also perfect for parties due to having no neighbours at weekends.
Proudly, he said: “It wasn’t easy, I put way more effort than I needed, but I got the outcome I wanted.”
Impressed George concluded: “The London property ladder is really difficult to get on; this was a really affordable way for him to take that first step.”
George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations aired on Channel 4 on Monday at 8pm
