Life in Liverpool’s £1 houses that went from derelict terraces to family homes

If you think of what you could buy for £1, a house is not something that would immediately spring to mind.

But this is the reality for residents in the Webster Triangle area of Wavertree, who signed up to Liverpool City Council’s ‘ Homes for a Pound’ scheme.

The flagship project launched in 2015, offered a select number of people the chance to buy dilapidated, derelict and tinned-up homes for just £1 and try and turn them into proper homes.

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Due to the poor condition the properties had been left in, many homeowners have spent tens of thousands of pounds bringing them back to life.

Liverpool City Council told the ECHO this week that 111 homes have now been completed in Wavertree as part of the scheme, with one left to be restored.

It’s unclear whether there are any future plans to renovate the houses that remain derelict in the Webster Triangle that were not included in the £1 house scheme.

The ECHO previously reported back in 2017 that a further 350 families were being considered for available properties in future phases of the project.

However, a council spokesperson confirmed this week that no future £1 houses are planned for the city.

To find out what happened to the £1 houses in the Webster Triangle, we headed down to the area to speak to the families that live there.

“It was not in a liveable condition when we got the keys”

Rashida Fareez, 32, and her husband Althaf, 36, signed up to the £1 house scheme in the Webster Triangle after renting in the L8 area.

The scheme involved over one hundred properties in Webster Road, Garrick Street, Bird Street and Richardson Street, which are located off Smithdown Road.

To be eligible for a £1 house applicants had to live and work in Liverpool and homes were only handed over on the condition that the buyer could bring them up to a decent standard within 12 months and not sell it on for five years.

Rashida and Althaf got the keys to their home in 2018 and moved in with their two children a year later, but Rashida admits it wasn’t an easy journey to get there.

Rashida told the ECHO: “We thought within £30,000 we could get the house like this but when we started on the house things added up.

“If we knew it was going to be so stressful we would have gone for something else. Once you get the key you have to finish it within one year.

“It’s a good opportunity for people to start up with, the main issue is you should have a lot more time to do it. You should be able to be flexible with your work.”

When the family first got the keys to the three bedroom house, Rashida said: “It was not in a liveable condition. Everything was broken. There was a big hole in the roof.”

The couple spent in the region of £60,000 to restore the property, which is now believed to be worth around £140,000.

Rashida said there is a real community feel in the area where neighbours look out for one another and her family plan to stay there for the long term.

Rashida said: “After we moved in we got to know each other [in the street], we’ve got friends and we all know the neighbours.

“It’s really nice now. It’s quite safe here.

“All of this street have got children. We have a good relationship with the neighbours.

“When I leave the kids outside for a couple of minutes they’re there to look after them.”

“We’ve been through hell and back living here”

Eddie Wright, 61, and his wife Mandy,58, have lived in their home in the Webster Triangle for the last 32 years – and they have seen a lot of changes in that time.

When they first moved into their home, the couple said the street was fully occupied by families and older residents, but years later the houses fell empty and they were the last ones living there.

Before the £1 house scheme was launched in the area, homes like the Wright’s were earmarked for demolition and rebuilding under the Housing Market Renewal Initiative.

However, the controversial scheme collapsed after David Cameron’s coalition government scrapped the funding in 2010, which later made way for Liverpool City Council to launch the Homes for a Pound initiative.

Under the previous HMRI proposals, Mr and Mrs Wright said they were offered £60,000 for the demolition of their home but they refused to move.

Mandy told the ECHO: “We’ve been through hell and back living here.

“People said ‘why haven’t you moved?’ But why should we? We wanted to stay. It’s always been our home.”

“We’re just glad people are in the street now and they’re are all nice people”

For many years before the £1 houses came to the area, the Wrights were the only residents living in the street along with their next door neighbours, who later moved out.

During this period, Eddie said the area became a target for anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping, with kids setting fires in the street.

But since the Homes for a Pound scheme came into force, the couple said the street has been completely transformed.

Eddie said: “It’s 100% better now. You can go out and feel comfortable in going out and you’re house is safe, whereas before we’d be taking turns at each going out. Someone would always have to be in otherwise the windows would be in.

“Obviously we’re happy because you’re getting people back in the street and we’re not going anywhere.

“We worked hard on this house because when we bought it it was a wreck, like these £1 houses, but fortunately enough I can do lots of work myself.

“We’re just glad people are in the street now and everyone in the street are all nice people.

“The downfall of these things is I hope in five years they don’t decide to move or rent them out.”

“When I had the opportunity to get a house for £1 it was a golden opportunity”

Another couple who were part of the £1 house scheme in the Webster Triangle is Sumera Mustafa, 40, and her husband Mani Azal, 43.

Sumera and Mani moved into their home in June 2020 with their three children after renting in Wavertree for over 15 years.

The couple claim they were initially told the work to restore the house would take around 4-5 months to complete, but after they experienced building problems they decided to finish the work themselves.

The extent of the work that was needed to turn the rundown four bedroom house into home, cost far more than the couple had initially expected.

Mani told the ECHO: “I had to take loans from my friends. I have taken loans from my mum – I requested her to send me money.

“I was expecting the house to be completed at £55-60,000 and it has gone far away from that experience.

“It was far away from that but at least we have the house now. Before that I was paying rent for 15-17 years – I’ve always lived in Wavertree.

“When I had the opportunity to get a house for £1 it was a golden opportunity for me but working with the builders was not a good experience.

“We’ve very happy here. We’ve got good neighbours and the community is good.”