Gareth Maule's Griffithstown house on Homes Under the Hammer

Gareth Maule, 36, played for the Dragons, Scarlets and Bristol in his professional career.

Mr Maule appeared on the popular day-time television show Homes Under the Hammer.

Mr Maule, who is now a property developer and sports agent, said: "I did some property development alongside my career as a secondary income. My day-to-day is either getting very dirty with renovation or actually arguing with the powers that be with a rugby club."

The property in question was in Griffithstown near to where Mr Maule grew up. He bought the 3-bed property for £170,000 at an auction on November 9, 2023.

The property needed a lot of work done to it as there was no central heating, signs of possible damp in the walls, and the upstairs bathroom did not have a toilet.

The property needed a lot of work (Image: BBC) However, it had a spacious garden and offstreet parking.

Homes Under the Hammer presenter, Martin Roberts said: "At a starting point, I can see so much potential here."

Angie Davey, property expert from the firm that auctioned the home, Paul Fosh Auctions, said: "It's a great property. It has still got some original features including the old fireplaces. It's a great corner plot."

Mr Maule, who renovated his first home as an 18 year old, has his own property development company and they got the renovation done in under 5 months.

Mr Maule said: "There was nothing really major [to do], other than the floors."

However despite this, the house was transformed.

The single-storey extension became the new kitchen and dining area. The former kitchen was converted into a bathroom. The coal store and out toilet was made into a utility room.

Mr Maule's work transformed the property (Image: BBC) Local estate agent, Lauren Howells from Haart Estate Agents, said: "Coming here today I am absolutely blown away by the transformation. The standard of finish is second to none."

She said it could be expected to sell for £375,000, which was far more than the £250,000 previously predicted. 

Mr Maule said he spent in the region of £80,000 on the project, which was about £20,000 over his planned budget.

However, he said he does not tend to go for maximum profit, saying: "For me, it's about putting my stamp on the property and making sure it's not hanging around too long."