Homes Under the Hammer

Hard to believe this series has now been going for nearly 20 years. Sadly, it's showing its age. There really is only so much that can be achieved by seeing houses bought at auction and later returning to see what the buyers have done with them. The early years, with Lucy Alexander and Martin Roberts were great fun. Their enthusiasm was infectious and there was great chemistry between them (even though they were only shown together briefly during each episode.) Adding Dion Dublin, as a third presenter, diluted the mix and further changes, after Lucy departed, haven't helped revive the show. The programme also seems to have run out of new ideas and seems to be covering the same types of property renovation over and over again. Occasionally, they even pick up the same people buying and renovating properties from different auctions. Too much repetition has put me off watching.

New episodes get 30% of the time slot's audience. It is cheap and cheerful TV that gets a big audience and costs the BBC very little.

So - it is successful... it is cheap. How can a licence viewer complain?

Whilst there are many many many DIY shows, there aren't that many that show shells of houses being renovated (Grand Designs isn't a fair comparison) and I think the presenters do a decent job to maintain the viewers interest considering the 100s of houses which have gone under the hammer.

Saying that, I do like to see episodes where people buy over-priced houses and are a little cocky about doing it up... and then make a pittance...

Hey - and if you don't like it, you can always turn over to Jeremy Kyle or Phil'n'Holly!

I love this show because it does what is needed. It shows before and after. The costs involved and general tips. Great for property enthusiasts.

The concept is quite reasonable and shows you can frequently buy property at auction for less than on the normal open market. However, the program would benefit from additional advice on buying at auction - after all that is the program title. For example, although costs are mentioned there is no indication of how much these are - e.g. auctioneer's costs, taxes payable when you sell, legal costs etc. When a potential profit is announced, it would be very useful to have an idea of the net profits. I would also like to know how properties are selected for the program - is it just pot luck?

I like HUTH and find the transformation of the various properties fascinating and really don't mind the over enthusiastic Lucy Alexander (in TV presenter mode) . She used to annoy the hell out of me but I guess I have got used to her. Martin seems to really know what he is talking about and is a pleasant enough presenter. My main gripe is the constant repetition of information - for instance when they go back to see what has happened with a property they run over all the owners details once again. HUTH is really a 30 minute programme stretched out to fill an hour. I imagine it has encouraged a lot of people to attempt the property market with varying results.