As the saying goes, where there's muck there's money and that couldn't be nearer the truth for artist, Joel Poole.

The creative genius swapped his former life working in the estate agency world valuing and selling homes for a new career.

The 44-year-old father-of-two was used to spotting real gems and helping would-be homeowners snap up the house of their dreams.

Joel worked his way up to branch manager with the Beresford chain of agents in a previous life.

But now Joel, a former pupil of Sandbach School, who did a BTEC in foundation art and design, has carved himself out a new career, again spotting real gems.

And his incredible talent, which includes clever sign writing with a philosophical twist, has made it on to TV in his amazing one-off works-of-art.

Joel is one of the artists used by the TV programme Money for Nothing, currently on BBC 1, where people go to recycling centres, reclaim objects which are then worked on by artists and sold on.

Joel is one of the artists used by the programme and his industrial unit, like an Aladdin's cave, can be seen during filming for the programme. 

"It would be wrong to call it just upcycling," says Joel, who is also in the process of renovating the family home in Bradwall Road, Sandbach.

"I don't like throwing anything out if I can. There's always another use for something.

"If another human being has put something together and built it, then it can be taken apart and put back together as something else.

"If nothing, hinges and screws can be reused for things I am working on as it's difficult to find them based on the old Imperial measures." 

Tucked away in Joel's incredible workshop and unit on the Zan Industrial estate in Wheelock, there's literally a treasure trove of objects and furniture.

Vintage saws dating from the 1950s and 1960s, part of the Money for Nothing programme, have been given a new lease of life with signwriting to run them into wall decorations.

An old fence panel has been recommissioned as a piece of wall art with the words "We're all a little bit broken" painted on in clever sign writing.

The programme makers have sent Joel his next commission – an antique gramophone record player which Joel has great plans for, turning it into a clever drinks cabinet, complete with sound!

One of his favourite pieces though is a battered old cabinet with sliding glass doors which has been restored and given a new lease of life with clever lettering on it.

"Nothing is perfect but it's possible to take old things and make them new by turning them into something a little bit different.

"It's a bit like furniture wearing its scars with pride. There's always a use for everything," says Joel who works on commissions but also has his own website where he sells work - https://www.populuxehomeboutique.co.uk/