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A Russian model has teamed up with a stranger to renovate one of Liverpool’s oldest houses.
Anastasiya Kasimova helped transform the Grade II listed 17th century “haunted” cabin with builder Jamie Gould.
Their efforts will appear on a new show, The Great House Giveaway, which involves two strangers buying houses at auction, before making major renovations and “flipping” or reselling the property within six months, keeping the profits they make.
Anastasiya, 32, said: “I always seek to get involved in many projects and I have many interests to keep my mind busy, so when this opportunity arose, I applied immediately.
“Jamie is in the construction industry, so he did all the technical work and I helped with the DIY between modeling and when he was not working in the restaurant that I manage. We work really well together, although I did find it a bit strange to get a jump at 7am in high heels! “
Anastasiya, a former professional gymnast, moved to the UK when she was 15 and couldn’t speak a word of English.
The John Moore University graduate later enrolled in major modeling agencies in Liverpool and Manchester, and an agent in London.
She was previously the face of a makeup and skincare brand and was featured in a furniture company’s television commercial.
For her latest challenge, Anastasiya, who lives near Sefton Park with a collection of pets, including a talking parrot named after Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci, teamed up with Jamie, a 32-year-old electrician and builder.
Great House Giveaway presenter, Liverpool-born property expert Simon O’Brien, allocated them a budget of £ 110,000, and they successfully bid on Moss Cottage, Old Swan, dating back to 1642, the first year of the English Civil War.
(Image: Bevan Cockerill)
The show’s producers also provided contestants with a £ 12,000 renovation budget.
Jamie from Warrington said: “This is one of the oldest habitable buildings in Merseyside and when we first saw it it looked like a property with a lot of potential. But in hindsight it was probably one of the most difficult renovations we could have done, due to the age of the building.
“When we walked in, we found some moisture and saw that everything had been covered in hardboard in the 70s or 80s. We had to tear everything out, which was a huge job, but it was nice to be able to display original features like a Victorian iron fireplace. cast “.
Anastasiya said they were lucky that they didn’t discover more than they bargained for when renovating the 380-year-old cottage on Derby Lane.
(Image: Bevan Cockerill)
She said: “When we started filming, we heard that the house was haunted by the ghost of a child, who once lived there. Fortunately, I did not experience anything personally, but I was always quite cautious and only went in at night with friends and family. “
Jamie, who hired his father Clive, a 52-year-old builder, to help him with the renovations, said he hopes to put the proceeds into a deposit at his own home with his partner Alyson and their newborn daughter, Althea. .
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He said: “It was a fantastic and very exciting experience because it is a unique property. But it was a difficult renovation on such a tight budget. Althea was born about a month after we broke up and my partner was pulling her hair out because I had been working seven days a week for months. However, it will be worth it to be able to get a deposit for our own house. “
Specialty lender Together agreed to an endorsement deal, which included providing auction financing for contestants to purchase the properties, after Criccieth-based Chwarel Productions approached it.
The Great House Giveaway airs Monday through Friday at 4pm on Channel 4 and catch up on All4.
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