We love your property shows but in-between renovating houses and filming, do you ever get to see your husband Graham?
I don’t get to see him or my four sons (Billy, Charles, Rafferty, and Laurie, aged four to nine) as much as I would like. To be honest, I did a bit too much in 2012 so I decided to film one show this year and that’s this. If I’d done anything else my kids said they weren’t going to speak to me anymore!
You’ve been with Graham (Sarah’s business partner) for nearly 24 years and married for 11. What’s your secret?!
We’ve journeyed along well through life and we’ve been in business together for years. We used to spend every single waking hour together; it’s only when we stared to spend more time apart because of the kids that it became hard. On our ten-year wedding anniversary last year, we had a massive row and decided to divorce! The pressures of work and parenthood had become too much. But then we talked it through and decided that we didn’t want to get divorced and we are back on track now!
So what do you fall out about generally?
Every row we have is about having too much on and either one of us being too stressed. It’s not due to lack of compatibility. We both really want to do things together, and so we really begrudge the things that drive us apart. It makes us both cross and then we take it out on each other.
**How do you keep the spark alive?
**We used to go out every Wednesday night for date night. But recently I’ve been filming on a Wednesday and Thursday, and I can’t go out on a Wednesday without drinking too much wine - I have no self-control and nor does Graham. He encourages me to be silly and we always get carried away… and then Thursdays are always a struggle.
**Do you find other men attractive?
**Ha! Well when I look at my dating website site mysinglefriend.com I think, ‘Cor blimey!’ There are some gorgeous guys on there. I always pretend it’s all in the name of research but actually it’s about me having a good perv on the site!
**Tell us about the new series of Double Your House For Half The Money?
**It’s not so much about making money, It’s mainly about people who can’t afford to buy the house they really want so they get a similar house for half the price and transform it into a place that is just as good as the one they can’t afford! It’s about taking an ugly duckling and turning it into a swan and not lumbering people with big mortgages.
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What’s next for you?
**I’m due to start filming a one-hour special about Rise Hall (a Grade II listed stately home in Yorkshire that Sarah bought to restore with her husband). People always ask me; “What’s happened at Rise? So this will let people know!
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Have you got any other unfulfilled ambitions?
**I can’t imagine not working at all but I want to spend more time with my kids. This year I’m writing a book on DIY, but after that I want to write children’s books. It’s finding the time to do it. I’m hoping that I’ll get to 50 and be sitting there writing and not doing not much else!
Double Your House for Half the Money starts Tue 20 Aug, 8pm, C4
By Olivia Buxton