dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct dct

Lucy Alexander in rare husband admission as TV host ‘still recovering’ from home change

Lucy Alexander admitted she’s “still recovering” after a major home renovation.

The A Place In The Sun presenter married ex-Premier League footballer Stewart Castledine in 2000 and share two children together, son Leo, 18, who is also a footballer and daughter Kitty, an actress in EastEnders.

The property expert purchased her first property at 18 and not long after ventured into buying and selling with her other half.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, she shared: “I met my husband. And then we both did a little bit of buying and selling together. But I’ve always had a passion for property because I suppose it’s in my blood.”

The 54-year-old credited her parents for being “property savvy” as she opened up about her biggest project to date when she installed a lift in her current home to accommodate her daughter – who is a wheelchair user- following a battle with a spinal condition called Transverse Myelitis that left her paralysed.

The former BBC star, who quit Homes Under The Hammer in 2016, took some time off from work and underwent a massive home project which admittedly left her stressed after spending a lot of money.

“I think the biggest [renovation] to date was my current house that I’m living in,” she shared. “We wanted to sort of change it around.”

Lucy continued: “I wanted to install a lift because my daughter is a wheelchair user. So we installed the lift. We added some space, knocked part of it down and rebuilt a little bit more.

“It was very stressful. I spent a lot of money, and I’m still recovering from it now.”

The Channel 4 presenter admitted it was challenging to stick to a tight budget.

“Obviously, I was keeping down jobs,” she commented. “I was filming. I’m a mum, I’m working. My kids were still at home.”

Lucy went on: “It was like juggling all the balls, all the different things in the air. But I did enjoy it. I completely designed it myself. We had to think outside of the box because we wanted it to be acceptable.

“So it’s about designing an acceptable home that was going to work, look stylish and fit with my family and stay on budget, which I didn’t, obviously. Who does? No one ever does do.”

She concluded: “We went over budget, but it stands to reason. If I were to sell it today, I’ve done well. I never want to sell any of the housing stock.”

It has been estimated there are just over 1.5m properties abandoned and derelict across England and Wales, and Lucy, as campaign ambassador for Hidden Gems – backed by property lender Together – wants to shed light on the issue.

The presenter is calling for redevelopment support to help breathe new life into existing sites that have been abandoned.

Speaking about the campaign, she said: “There are so many abandoned homes across England and Wales. I think turning them back into dwellings or start-up businesses is what we all need to be thinking about.

“Instead of new builds springing up everywhere, we can utilise and reuse what we already have. Reuse our housing stock.”

Lucy Alexander is ambassador for the UK wide Hidden Gems campaign – which is backed by property lender Together. Lucy Alexander’s partnership with the Hidden Gems campaign seeks to raise awareness of the scope and scale of the UK’s abandoned and derelict buildings highlighting opportunities for restoration and redevelopment as a means to open doors to would-be homeowners and developers across our major cities, preserving our heritage and providing exciting opportunities for future generations.

Via

Leave a Comment