Homes Under the Hammer host says 'that's cause for concern' as he spots huge problem

Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts issued a warning to buyers after he spotted a huge problem with a property. During Saturday's instalment of the hit BBC programme, the presenter ventured to Swansea, Wales' second-largest city, to inspect a semi-detached house up for auction.

The property, with an asking price of £80,000, failed to impress Martin right off the bat as he described the kitchen as 'old and dated' and too small for a semi-detached home.

As he toured the house, he noted that while it was in 'reasonable condition' and had the makings of a fine family home, it still required considerable work.

Descending the stairs, Martin swiftly highlighted a substantial concern for potential purchasers, candidly cautioning: "There is one little fly in the ointment in what is otherwise a pretty good property and that is the fact that it's leasehold", reports Wales Online.

He pointed out that being leasehold wasn't inherently problematic, except that there were only 44 years remaining on the lease, which could deter mortgage lenders.

Martin elaborated: "You would need to look at potentially extending the lease or ideally buying the freehold. To extend or buy a freehold, you must have been the owner of the property for at least two years, so it can be a time-consuming operation."

He remarked: "It also means this place will likely have to be bought by a cash buyer as the present short lease will make it difficult to get a mortgage."

The situation didn't improve when Martin inspected the garden and noticed a crack near a drain, commenting: "There is something else that could end up a right dog's dinner. One thing I noticed straight away is look at all this concrete and how it's all over the place.

"Under normal circumstances I'd say 'Yeah, whatever' however the fact it's right by this drain gives me cause for concern and I wonder what it's doing to the foundation of the house."

Mark, who has dedicated himself to property renovation after leaving his job as an electrician, was the intrepid individual who decided to take on the challenge of refurbishing the house.

In response to Martin's worries, Mark said: "To be honest I think it's just a badly laid path because on the report that where in the legal pack there was no mention of anything untoward."

He further explained: "The biggest concern was that the lease was very short on it but that freehold can be bought because the previous owners already set the ball rolling so I contacted the freeholder and asked if I could continue with it and they said yes."

Having acquired the house for £105,000, Martin managed to complete the renovations within his £11,000 budget, and local estate agent Kayley Jones believes Mark has made a savvy investment as he prepares to put the revamped property on the market.

Homes Under the Hammer airs on BBC One and iPlayer