Sarah Beeny is a TV presenter and property developer who has presented an impressive number of shows including, ‘Help! My House Is Falling Down,’ ‘Double Your House for Half the Money' and ‘Sarah Beeny’s Selling Houses.’ Not forgetting a fantastic collection of books to give others her professional advice when it comes to the property world. She certainly likes to keep herself busy, and with her latest project, which sees her partnering up with cleaning specialist Kärcher, we chatted to her to find out more about the project.
Home and Garden on Female First
Hi Sarah! ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ have teamed up with Kärcher for their latest project. Could you tell us a little more about this and what they hope to achieve?
Yes it’s a really exciting project. They are teaming up to encourage people to have a think about their communities outside of their front door and so it’s saying if there is an area near you that is a little manky or in need of some TLC then why not put it forward, and if it’s the one that’s chosen then the Kärcher team and myself will turn up with the amazing team and they have amazing jets washers so we are going to jet wash the area.
You are supporting the campaign to help ‘Keep Britain Tidy.’ Are you passionate about protecting the environment?
Yes, I think it’s really important to think about. We are here for such a short Nano second in time, so it’s really important to look after the community. Every street and park we jointly own it. We think that it’s nothing to do with us but it is something to do with us and once we claim ownership of it then we can all get to enjoy it.
People can nominate an area that they feel needs a new lease of life. So how do people go about nominating an area in their local community?
They can go onto the website which is Kärcher’s Facebook page and put an area forward and upload an image. It’s really easy to do.
How will the chosen area be decided?
I think the one that we feel we can really make a dramatic difference too and it’s based on the community and how much they want it to be done. It’s a mixture of needs and desires to put forward your community for a makeover.
The winning area will receive a celebrity-style clean-up. So what should we expect to see once the makeover is complete?
Hopefully somewhere considerably cleaner (laughs) and hopefully it will be an area people will continue to use again. It’ll be a forgotten part of the community and then all of a sudden people will start to use it again. Instead of it being a forgotten area that nobody uses, people will start to use and enjoy it.
Can the public help out with the makeover?
Of course! We are expecting everyone to come down and lend a hand and to get stuck in.
Do you hope this project will inspire other areas and communities to keep their neighbourhood tidy?
I think so, the more people talk about it, the more people think about it and the more people think about it, the more people will act on caring and the more people will notice. First, you need to notice and then you’ve got to think about it and then you have got to do something about it, but first you have to notice, and I think this is the main issue to get people to notice.
What can people do to help make our environment more ‘green?’
It’s not just at home that matters. It’s the wider area. If you’re going for a walk take a carrier bag with you, pick up some litter. To be honest if we’ve got £30,000 spare and we want to create a job, let’s not invent jobs just for the sake of it, like picking up litter. Why don’t we have an extra teacher in every school, I think it’d be better to pay for a new teacher as I think it’s a waste of money to pay litter pickers just because people can’t be bothered to take their litter home or put it in the bin, I think it’s a complete waste of everybody’s money.
What advice can you give to families to keep their environment clean and tidy?
I would say the little things count. Don’t get too depressed about the big things. Take little steps, so if there is a crisp packet outside your door, pick it up, and put it in the bin, then that’ll be one less piece of rubbish in the area. You might think it’s only one little thing but it’s the little things that make the biggest outcome.
Research by Kärcher revealed that external mess and signs of neglect in an area can have a huge impact on property prices and could wipe around £8,000 off the value of a home. So as you are an expert in property, do you want to raise awareness to people who are thinking of selling their homes?
Completely. I think most people are now aware that if you live in an area with dumped washing machines, piles of litter and graffiti around, then it’s going to be worth less money. It shows that people don’t really care about the area that they live in and ultimately, that will affect the value of a property, it’s not rocket science, it’s just facts. So if you do take care of the area that you live in, it will make your home worth a lot more money. Also, it has a knock on effect, if you do a little bit then it may encourage other people to do the same. If people start to put window boxes out, then you’ll find your neighbours will do the same as they think “Oh, that looks nice,” so you are encouraging and making people aware of keeping their area clean.
Kärcher also revealed that 69% of people think litter and graffiti make an area look rundown. Why do you think people continue to litter and keep areas untidy?
I met a graffiti artist once and he said that he was making a point and making a political statement through graffiti. But I didn’t really understand that because he didn’t work, he was on the dole, so I don’t really get how you can make a political statement against a society you live in, but then live off the society you’re making a political statement about. If you’re making a political statement then you have got to not live off the society that you’re making a political statement against. If you work really hard and you pay into the society then you have every right to make a comment amount the society you live in, if you are just taking out but aren’t putting in then you don’t really have a right.
What other projects are you getting stuck into later this year?
Well I’m filming another series of ‘Double Your House for Half the Money.’ I’ve got a DIY book coming out and doing another show on ‘Rise Hall’ which comes out at Christmas and it’s about the history of Christmas.
Sarah Beeny is an ambassador for Kärcher Cleans Britain, a campaign brought to you by cleaning specialist Kärcher and Keep Britain Tidy to encourage people to clean up their local area. For more information and to win a professional Kärcher clean for your community go to the Kärcher Facebook page.
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