Lucy Alexander is already a household name having co-presented Homes Under the Hammer for BBC1 every morning for 13 years. Since then, she has worked on a number of different shows and is now a presenter on A Place in the Sun for Channel 4. A massive fan of property, Lucy talks to Lynda Clark about her buying experiences, her TV career and offers her expert knowledge of buying for the first time
Photos: Mike Prior
Lucy is one of the most enthusiastic, bubbly people you are ever likely to meet. Her life hasn’t always been easy but she is so positive and up-beat about everything. We met as she was preparing to fly to Spain to present A Place in the Sun, but still had plenty of time to have coffee, delicious croissants and a catch-up. She is married to Stewart Castledine, a former Premier League footballer, and has two children of whom they are very proud. Leo, 19, who is following in his father’s footsteps and plays football at Chelsea, and Kitty, who plays Penny Branning in EastEnders. When she was about seven, Kitty became paralysed from an illness and is now a full-time wheelchair user. “Nothing stops her and it certainly doesn’t define her and she loves acting and is brilliant. She went to LAMDA and we were so delighted when she landed the part in this iconic soap.”
When Lucy was about 18, she made a couple of TV commercials and when she was paid her father very sensibly said that he would take the cheques so she didn’t spend it on clothes and going out! Her parents were always interested in property and they advised her to put the money into buying a home. Even though she was very young she decided to buy a two bedroom apartment in Clapham, south London, for £49,000 and her father acted as guarantor. She said, “At that point in my life I didn’t see it as an investment but I just loved the idea of being independent. I had various friends come and stay which helped out with the mortgage and I ended up living there for eight years. I eventually sold it for about £150,000, which was a good profit.”
She then met her future husband, Stewart, who was also interested in property, and he sold his house and they bought a place together in Teddington, which they did up and eventually sold. “It was really the start of the property bug for us both.” They have bought and sold many properties and do a great deal of the work needed on the houses themselves and get builders to do the bigger projects.
Lucy certainly doesn’t hang around if she sees a property she likes. At one point she saw one about 30 seconds up the road from a house she lived in so she knew the place and location well. “I knew it was in a terrible state but had masses of potential. I got to hear about it as it had been to auction and not sold. I did peer into all the windows though and it confirmed how awful it really was! It had been converted into five flats, which was also complicated; when we eventually bought it we wanted to turn it back into one house, which involved planning issues and jumping through lots of hoops. We also had to wait until all the tenants left before we could start work on it. It was a big risk but definitely worth it as it became a wonderful family home.”
But Lucy and Stewart then had an even bigger project and found a wonderful plot which had an old 1930s house on it. She said, “We decided to sell the Manor House and move just one more time. The plot was just around the corner from where we lived and so we knew the locality very well. We eventually decided to knock the original house down and only kept four of the walls and we completely changed the look and feel of the new house that we built. It is gorgeous and is a Georgian-style double-fronted house with a slate roof, sash windows and a huge front door.
“We painted it in a soft grey colour with white windows and it’s very pretty. It was a mega project and of course it took much longer than expected and cost so much more than we budgeted for, but it’s the perfect home for the family and we all love it here. Leo isn’t here all the time as he is on loan to Shrewsbury Town Football Club at the moment and lives there mostly, but he comes home as much as he can. We have made our house accessible with a lift and wider doorways and there is lots of patio area, which is better for Kitty than muddy grass to wheel over. We also have a gorgeous Cavapoo dog, called Teddy as he looks just like a teddy bear, and we all adore him.”
Lucy’s career has always gone from strength to strength. “I absolutely adored Homes Under the Hammer, but after 13 years I felt like I should dip my toe in the water and see what else was out there. I was approached by Carpetright to become its ambassador for all its brand new stores and new marketing campaign. I knew that if I took it on then I wouldn’t be able to work for the BBC any more but it was the push I needed, so I agreed.”
Then in a very short space of time she was approached by Channel 4 and given a number of different shows. She presented Best of Both Worlds. “This was a great show and basically I found a property for couples where one wants to live in the town and the other in the countryside. I had to think outside the box and try to find a home which combined both the joys of town and country living. We looked at three homes and everyone was blown away.
They always tell me that they would never have thought of looking at the places I showed them and many of them ended up buying one of the homes. It was very hard work and I had to drive all over the country and do lots of research beforehand and if they wanted to make an offer it was up to me to seal the deal.” She also presented Bang on Budget which was a home renovation show and Lost and Found showing the work of the dog rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as well as following dog owners as they searched for their missing pets.
“I was then approached by the BBC again as it had a show called The Customer is Always Right, where entrepreneurs from across the UK discovered how customers from different backgrounds felt towards their innovative products. I worked on two series and it was great fun and very successful.” Then we experienced the pandemic and lockdown and everyone’s lives changed radically. Lucy said, “It was a very difficult time for everyone but my mum became seriously ill, which was a shock and there was no work. I looked after my mum until she passed away, but I decided to buy a cottage in Whitstable which is where my parents lived and she adored it there, so I always feel that my mum gifted me that passion for the place and I love the sea, so it seemed the perfect thing to do.
“I bought the cottage after an old lady had died and it was a complete wreck. I did a great deal of work to it on a shoestring budget and was very strict that I kept to my budget and didn’t get carried away! Having the cottage was like therapy after I lost my mum. Actually, my mum was really enthusiastic about me buying a place there and she managed to come along to the viewing, and was very keen I went ahead, which was lovely. I painted the outside pale blue and installed new heating, a new bathroom and sanded the floors. It’s my bolt hole and I spend as much time there as I possibly can. Whitstable is famous for its sunsets and sometimes I drive down in my pyjamas and go straight to the beach, which is only about a minute from the cottage and watch the sunset – it’s stunning.
“Then I was sitting in my cottage one day and got a phone call from the head of Channel 4 telling me they were looking for a stand-in presenter for A Place in the Sun. I had watched the show all my life and knew the format so I was very excited. Four days later I was filming and secretly hoped they might give me a few more shows, which they did. I have now done 16 episodes and have been to Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Italy and I am due to go to Florida and the Caribbean soon. I love the people we find a home for and it’s wonderful to be part of their journey. We show them five possible places to buy and I get so excited as the week unfolds and they make their decision. It’s a dream job!
“Property is my passion and I have thoroughly enjoyed building our gorgeous new home. I’ve had to make some big decisions but if you don’t do anything a bit out of the ordinary in life you will always regret it. Go for gold and even if it’s a rocky ride it will be a stepping stone to lead on to bigger and better things. I am also delighted that Leo and Kitty have decided to buy their first home together. It makes sense for them to pool their funds and we are busy looking for the right place but I am sure we will find something they both like – I am chief project manager and loving every minute of it.”
Lucy has some very good advice for first time buyers and said, “During tough financial times, pooling funds with friends and family, if you can, is a great way to start. Buy if you can and then the home is yours. There is a big percentage of parents who are helping out their children one way or another, and the bank of mum and dad is becoming more and more popular.
“I think location is very important but there are some amazing places which may not be quite where you had thought of living and are really on the up. In these up-and-coming areas you will get more for your money and even if it’s not trendy or has a cafe culture it will eventually come. My advice is to buy the worst house on the best street, basically the ugly duckling, as from my experience a good location means that property prices hold their own. Everyone has a different list of things they need and want from a home, but things like transport links, proximity to shops and schools, are very important.
“It is vital to secure funds and it is sensible to make sure you have a mortgage offer in place before you start. If you don’t have a mortgage offer then it is pretty pointless to start house hunting as you could end up very disappointed. View as many properties as you can and make friends with the estate agent and regularly call them so you don’t miss out on anything new coming to the market. Visit the area at all times of the day and at weekends too. Chat to the neighbours and do all your research before you commit, to make sure it is the home for you.
“You should also add value to your home once you have bought it – even if it’s a new build you can change the door or knock through the garage and create a car port – it will then have your own personality stamped on it and will certainly add value and space.” Lucy is very keen on buying at auction and said, “If you buy at auction it will mostly be a wreck but you could make a lot of money. It is not for the faint-hearted and hard for first timers who are not cash rich, but if you can take the plunge and are young and have lots of energy then an auction property is the way to go.”
Lucy has a busy schedule but manages to juggle home and work so that everyone is very happy. “I just love what I do and couldn’t be happier. Life is full of fun and our house is always filled with laughter and I have my beautiful cottage by the sea, so I guess I have the best of all worlds,”
First Time Buyer is an exciting bi-monthly glossy which takes a stylish and comprehensive look at all the options available, setting them out in an entertaining and informative way, and helping potential customers navigate their way through what is often a daunting and complex process. We dispel the myths, reinforce the facts and arm the reader with the tools necessary to make their homeownership dreams a reality.
