BBC Homes Under the Hammer couple 'had to call the police' after discovery at Chaddesden property

A couple standing on a building site.
-Credit:BBC


A Derby couple got an explosive surprise at their Chaddesden property on today's episode (Monday, January 13) of BBC Homes Under the Hammer. Lee and Laura purchased the Derby lot for £60,000 at auction.

This rare opportunity came along when a plot in a prime residential location became available, with existing planning permission for a four-bedroom townhouse. Describing the lot as "a developer's dream come true", Homes Under the Hammer host Dion Dublin discovered a shocking fact about the lot's initial development.

Whilst working on the site's foundations, Lee, who owns a building company, discovered a hand grenade in the bushes at the back of the plot. Lee said: "We had to call the police, and the bomb squad came down. They evacuated all the houses down here."

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After revealing this to the host, the family explained that the plot was otherwise ideal for a new-build home. Despite this big surprise, the family were excited to begin their building project, with even their children Amelie and Louis getting involved.

An empty plot of land for sale.
The Homes Under the Hammer family purchased a plot to develop their first new-build. -Credit:BBC

The couple planned to build a three-story home with a £170,000 budget that they could then rent out to generate passive income. Laura explained that they wanted it to be a family home with a high spec finish.

The house will have a large garden, a driveway with EV charging points and a heat pump to reduce carbon emissions. Carrying out the project is Lee's team of eleven employees and various contractors. Their goal was to finish the Derby property in 8-10 months.

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A local estate agent estimated that they would be able to rent the property for approximately £1,200 per calendar month on completion or sell for £325,000.

You can watch the episode on BBC iPlayer via the link here. It was broadcast at 11.30am this morning (Monday, January 13) on BBC1.