Rhys, aged 32, says he comes from 'humble' beginnings and a lot of 'hard work and graft' went into revamping the crumbling pile, which was left empty after its previous owner died.

The dad, a plasterer by trade, was given the keys to the house, in Cattedown Road, in January and two weeks ago the epic project came to an end.

Lauding his 'amazing' team of traders, Rhys is now on the search for his second property to transform.

Rhys dipped his toe in the property development market by first testing the water and renovating his own family home in Southway. Then, when this house in Cattedown came on the market, he decided to go for it and put in an offer.

He said: "This house was in a wreck; it was absolute garbage. It had been derelict for years. It's a sad story as the old guy who had it passed away; he left it to his son, but he was also elderly. The son started renovating it, but the poor man got ill so he moved on, and then it just sat there for a long time.

"I looked at some houses which really just needed a lick of paint and some plastering here and there, but then I walked into this house, and I thought, it's that bad, that it was the one. I thought, 'If we can do this, we can do anything'."

Having spent £50,000 on materials for the house, the property is now on the market for £270,000 with Pilkington Estates.

Rhys said: "There is nothing in the house that has been untouched. It's had a new boiler, new windows, new everything."