Lesley & Kevin/Sue & Tim The House That £100k Built


Lesley & Kevin/Sue & Tim

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'Can you build your dream home for under £100,000?'

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Whatever it takes, we'll do it because this is where we want to be.

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'Architect Piers Taylor will help families facing dilemmas.'

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Why wouldn't you actually just take that wall out?

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Um...

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'While I, Kieran Long, will show them a world of inspiring design.'

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It really makes it feel like one, big, generous space.

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I love it. It's amazing.

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'And there are budget ideas for projects large and small.'

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This might not look much but this material is very, very versatile.

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'It's tough

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'but some will turn low-cost self builds into fantastic homes.'

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This is amazing.

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What a great space!

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'This time, Kevin and Lesley are planning an ambitious seaside home.'

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This is a chance to make a mark, really.

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'And Kevin loves clever design.'

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It's like popcorn in my head.

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Ideas are bouncing around.

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'But have they forgotten what's important?'

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I'm not sure where we want the kitchen.

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How about reconsidering the structure?

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'And we meet two old friends.'

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Welcome back. I'm so excited to be back with you again.

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'To try to help them complete an extraordinary home

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'nine years in the making.'

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Have you done this before, Piers?

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I've never done this before, ever.

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'Kevin and Lesley have lived on the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent

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'for decades.

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'Now they've found the perfect location to build a dream home

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'for their retirement.'

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Basically, it's the price of the view, isn't it, really?

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It's ever-changing.

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I mean, it's...

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-Every morning we wake up and it's different, isn't it?

-Mm.

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We're close to our family.

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It's lovely.

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A nice place to settle down and retire, if we eventually do.

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'The couple are downsizing.

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'They've sold their old home, spent 50K of the proceeds on their plot,

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'and moved into a caravan on site.

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'Lesley is regularly kept busy looking after three grandchildren

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'and she's also an artist in fused glass.

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'Kevin's a carpenter and builder with over 40 years' experience

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'and a perfectionist streak.'

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If I spend too much time on things,

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it's because I want it right.

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'Being in the building trade has had a big impact on the house

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'Kevin and Lesley have designed.'

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He has always been building things for other people.

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You don't always agree with their ideas

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but you have to do it because you need to earn money.

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Now, he's going to do whatever he wants.

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This is the exciting bit.

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Seeing the first bit of dirt come out.

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'The couple want to enter retirement mortgage-free,

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'so their budget is just £50,000.

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'Less than half the price per square metre of a regular self-build.

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'Kevin will have to do virtually all the work himself,

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'in between paid jobs.

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'He knows it's his last chance to create the dream.'

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We're not going to move.

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We're not going to do this any more.

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This is our final, final bit, final statement, really.

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We're having a curved roof, inspired by the sea.

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It's just got a lovely flow to it.

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And we're also going to have a curved, half-glazed wall,

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because I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. I love complicated stuff.

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'This sounds like an incredibly ambitious build for one man

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'with just 50 grand.

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'I'm worried this retirement dream will be impossible to achieve.'

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'To try to ensure Lesley and Kevin have something that's beautiful but

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'realistic, I'll be showing them examples of the very best

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'in recent design.

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'While Piers uses his years of experience as an architect

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'to challenge and improve their plans.

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'Our starting point is to scrutinise their home.

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'It's immediately clear it isn't a standard seaside bungalow.

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'The house's key distinguishing feature

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'is the wave-inspired roof,

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'which will be covered in sedum plants.

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'Directly underneath it is the mezzanine level lounge

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'with a wraparound balcony giving sea views.

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'Plus a staircase built into the curved wall,

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'leading down to the ground floor.

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'The dining area is in the centre with conventional rooms around.

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'A master bedroom and en suite...

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'..plus a family bathroom and a second bedroom.

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'The exact layout of the kitchen is undecided.

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'It's certainly a distinctive house

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'but is it what Lesley and Kevin really need?'

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The house that's been designed so far feels a bit fussy,

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like it's a bit overworked and, at the same time,

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not providing much quality for them.

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A bit fussy?

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For me, it feels like it's had an attack of the featurism,

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which is that it has had features added to it

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to make it more interesting.

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And, on paper, Lesley and Kevin have so much they can bring

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to this project. He's a really good builder and she's really creative,

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she's a stained-glass artist and the site is fantastic.

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With that they could build something extraordinary.

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But there's a sort of sense that Lesley and Kevin feel that

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for a house to be a dream house it has to have lots of features.

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Here, the biggest feature is the big, wavy roof.

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I have to put my cards on the table now and say, I hate the roof.

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-I just hate it.

-It's a strange building, isn't it?

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While there are these curvy, organic shapes,

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actually the rooms themselves are just chopped up in the plan

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-as little boxes.

-They are.

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It's the most conventional house underneath

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all these curves and features.

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At the moment, it seems, the biggest problem with the house

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is it's not making the most of what is a really spectacular location.

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It has a fantastic, dramatic view over this estuary out here.

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At the moment, the stairs block that view.

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I think, the stairs don't need to be as clever, somehow.

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They can be more subtle and then I think we need to find a way where

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you use the best bit of this, which is the view over that fantastic sea.

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'Kevin and Lesley have focused too much on things

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'that don't really matter

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'and the danger is they'll cost them dear in time and money.

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'Piers heads for Sheppey to persuade them to think again.'

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Lesley and Kevin's house has this big gesture of this roof

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that feels just gratuitous and wilful,

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as if it's just grafted on somehow

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to make the building more interesting.

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Actually, in a location like this, buildings don't need gestures,

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they just need to be good neighbours,

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have a great sense of place,

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a great sense of light,

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and actually then be quite simple.

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'Lesley and Kevin's house is also a low-cost house.

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'So, you need to think really carefully about how that money

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'is spent and the roof is expensive.'

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-Hi, Kevin.

-Hi, Piers.

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How are you doing? Good to see you.

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-And you?

-Hi, Lesley.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you.

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-How's it going?

-Basically, it's ideas now.

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We're at the stage now where we can change things, hence you being here.

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We get so engrossed in it that sometimes someone will come along

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and say, "Why don't you do this?" And you think, "Why didn't I think of that?"

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I'm not sure where we want the kitchen area, the dining area.

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That could go either end.

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-We're not sure.

-How about reconsidering the structure?

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No. I like the structure.

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We've really thought about the structure.

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But, in a way, the structure...

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The fabric of the building, is the architecture.

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That's the bit you need to get right and that's the bit, maybe,

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you need to rethink.

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'The plot has a fantastic location and that's the real key

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'to them creating an amazing house.

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'The raised deck of the neighbouring property shows the potential

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'for views.'

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It's beautiful, isn't it?

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I can see why you'd want to put your living room on the first floor.

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We needed a lounge to take advantage of the view.

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We were going to do a straight roof and then we thought,

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"Why not just do a nice, gentle curve?"

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It would be much more pleasing to the eye

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-and it would look really nice.

-Then we got curve crazy.

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Straight lines are easy, aren't they?

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The minute you start curving, it's...

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-Straight lines are easy and generally cheaper.

-I know.

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It's difficult to build, but I think that's part of it.

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I think, you know.

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If you're doing it for yourself, that's all part of it.

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What happens if you get fed up with a curved roof?

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-I don't think we will.

-No.

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I really don't think we will. It's an elegant shape.

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'Lesley and Kevin have fallen into a classic self builders trap,

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'giving showy design priority over creating a great space to live in.'

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The roof you see, when you arrive, after a while you won't notice it.

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-No.

-That's right.

-The spaces inside, those bits, they feel critical.

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-Mmm.

-Mmm.

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The building is built up over time and it's something that has been

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discussed between them over many months, if not years.

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I can't just come in and start changing things.

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I'm really trying to understand the raison d'etre for the building and

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see if it's as good as it can be for them.

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'Roof aside, Piers' biggest concern is the fancy staircase.

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'It'll block potential views,

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'use the best floor space and eat a huge chunk of that tiny 50K budget.'

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Here, there is consciously a decision

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to put the stair in the window,

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whereas a lot of people would put the table in the window

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and bring the stairs to the back.

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I quite like the idea of, you know,

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different levels going up and seeing that view.

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I think that's a primary bit of living space.

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I'll humour you with the roof because I get it but,

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I think you're doing the stair in a similar vein to the roof,

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like, it's a big gesture but, actually, it stops you living

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in the view.

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'Piers can see a way to transform the ground floor

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'and maximise the views,

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'simply by moving the stairs.'

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Could you creep your staircase in there, at the back of the plan,

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-so you arrive and then you look out of the view there?

-Mmm.

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Consequently, I would just invest in a stair

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that was at the back of the plan,

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so it becomes a really good sort of family house.

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-I know your kids are older but in terms of your grandchildren...

-Yes.

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..this is all about living in the view now, isn't it?

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'Repositioning Lesley and Kevin's en suite and family bathrooms

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'would create a space at the rear of the house.

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'The staircase, which is currently blocking views

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'and using prime living space, could then move to the rear.

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'A full height glass wall is now possible.

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'Moving the stairs creates a big family living and dining area

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'that takes full advantage of the views created.'

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I like it. I really do like it.

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I think we just got carried away with those lovely stairs

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going gracefully up the side of the building.

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And we didn't really look far enough ahead, you know,

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to actually living in the space.

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I really did have a problem with the roof, initially,

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and I have less of a problem with it now.

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Because the rest of the building really makes sense.

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It's planned well now. Money's being spent in the right place.

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'Now Lesley and Kevin are opening up their wall,

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'I want to show them a great example of how any of us can improve a home

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'with design choices which connect it to its surroundings.'

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I love this place. There's a certain sort of desolate beauty to it,

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isn't there? It's not quite like the Kent you're used to.

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Definitely not the Kent we're used to. It's fantastic.

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'Pobble House is a home in Dungeness on the south Kent coast,

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'designed by Guy Hollaway Architects.

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'Before we look inside,

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'I think the outside has valuable lessons because the materials are

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'carefully chosen to blend with the landscape.'

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Have you started to think about how you want to clad your building?

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It's the seaside, so salt air.

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So, we're looking at a silica render.

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'Seaside weather is tough on houses.

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'Silica render would be very resistant.

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'But rather than battle the elements,

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'some architects embrace them.

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'You can choose materials for your house or garden that improve as they

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'weather, making them fit even better into their surroundings.'

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I really love this larch.

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It's the colour of it, isn't it?

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-It's so beautiful.

-It is.

-I mean, it looks fantastic.

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It absolutely looks fantastic.

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'Larch is a good choice for cladding on a modest budget.

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'If you don't treat it, it weathers to a silvery grey.'

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I think it's also really cleverly done.

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There are two widths of board here,

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in different patterns.

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It gives it a little bit of irregularity, a bit of interest.

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The finish of that...

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It's just the simple details that make all the difference.

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'The most striking part of the house

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'is clad in metal called weathering steel.

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'It's specially formulated to develop a stable layer of rust when

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'exposed to the elements.

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'This protects the steel beneath,

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'removes the need for painting and looks great.'

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It adds interest to the building straightaway, doesn't it?

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It's obviously another material that is all about ageing.

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It sort of feels really at home with the washed-up on the beach things.

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-It does, yeah.

-This is a bit more expensive than some of the other

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materials. It's £175 a square metre.

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But I think it's lovely because it looks so permanent.

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This is not going anywhere. You know, it's rusted already.

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It's never going to change. It's got all that lovely colour and texture

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which, I think, adds so much character to the building.

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'The outside is beautiful and inside it's a wonderful example

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'of how you can make the most of views.'

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So, this is the light, airy, living space.

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What do you make of it?

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-Love it. Really love it.

-I really like it.

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Simple lines. Really done very well.

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Pretty straightforward. Pretty simple. Very light.

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All the materials are light and bright and white and the views

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-are fantastic, aren't they?

-They are.

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I love how the whole building has been oriented to take in these views,

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particularly the lighthouse,

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squarely on axis with this long corridor.

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That's a clever trick, isn't it?

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You're looking directly, right the way through the whole building.

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You have a key feature at the end of it, which is the lighthouse.

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'At £225,000, Pobble House cost far more than Lesley and Kevin's project

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'but you could use the principles applied here

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'to make any home better.

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'The key is working out how each living space relates to the landscape and

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'how the size and shape of the windows can enhance that.'

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This little slot somehow just takes in the horizon, doesn't it?

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I love the way it leads your eye down the long line of power lines.

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It really frames it almost, doesn't it?

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Your eyeline is perfect.

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'When you have views like these, keeping materials,

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'textures and colours simple focuses attention on what really matters.

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'Reflective surfaces like a splashback add another dimension.

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'Paint colours can affect the mood of an area

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'without dividing the space.

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'Unusual light fittings help soften and warm the tone of the room.

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'The combination of these simple elements can produce

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'a stunning interior.'

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This little chamfer here is a lovely detail that leads your eye

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towards the window, maximises the light coming in.

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If you can imagine lying in bed, it just helps the view a little bit,

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doesn't it? This kind of modelled fascia here that conceals the blind.

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All of that just makes a big difference, I think.

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A lot of people would think, let's just slant the wall back.

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There's a lot more involved in it.

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'It'd be easy for a bunk room to feel squashed and cluttered

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'but these bespoke beds make the most of every inch.

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'Just like everywhere else in the house,

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'the positioning of the windows connects you to the landscape,

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'while the white paintwork reflects light.'

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I really love this space. I think it's so well used.

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It's a fairly normal sized room, isn't it? There are six beds.

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-Six beds.

-It's sort of fun, isn't it?

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I think it's great. This is the kind of thing we want to do

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for our spare room for our grandchildren.

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-Oh, yeah.

-So they can have somewhere nice to sleep.

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This is quite interesting because they use it as storage as well,

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which is a great idea.

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I think, architecturally, this is such an exciting house.

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And always about views and a clever use of materials.

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Look at the floor, the way it runs all the way through seamlessly.

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Carrying right the way through, yeah.

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And I just think, isn't there some kind of real lessons there

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that don't need to cost a lot more

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but just bind the whole thing together as a space.

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'The house has given Lesley and Kevin plenty to think about.'

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We weren't taking much notice of it before, were we?

0:18:050:18:08

Now we realise it's quite important to think about the view.

0:18:080:18:11

You have to take the whole thing on board.

0:18:120:18:14

You have to look at absolutely every point, don't you?

0:18:140:18:17

-All those little bits do make a difference, don't they?

-They do.

0:18:180:18:20

They make the building, actually.

0:18:200:18:22

It's been a fantastic day with Kevin and Lesley.

0:18:240:18:26

I think they got loads out of this building.

0:18:260:18:28

If I had one concern, it would be that Kevin's first instinct

0:18:280:18:31

is always to zero in on the detail.

0:18:310:18:33

He loves to look at the gaps between pieces of wood,

0:18:330:18:36

or the way different pieces of cladding join.

0:18:360:18:38

I'm worried he might be losing sight

0:18:380:18:41

of the bigger, architectural picture.

0:18:410:18:43

How do these spaces work together?

0:18:430:18:45

How do you make a beautiful space for a meal, or for kids,

0:18:450:18:48

or your family to spend time in?

0:18:480:18:49

It's those that will be the test of whether their building is successful

0:18:490:18:52

in the end and not how two pieces of wood come together.

0:18:520:18:56

He has to keep that topmost in his mind.

0:18:560:18:59

'Back on site, ten months since breaking ground,

0:19:020:19:05

'Kevin's busy with the frame.'

0:19:050:19:07

At the moment, I'm basically making the side frames up of the top half

0:19:070:19:11

of the building.

0:19:110:19:13

'Many self builders would buy a bespoke frame.

0:19:130:19:16

'For Kevin, making it himself ekes out the budget

0:19:160:19:20

'and the craftsmanship involved is a pleasure.

0:19:200:19:23

'But there is a downside.'

0:19:240:19:26

It's slow. I've got to work as well.

0:19:260:19:28

That's the reason why it's taken that little bit longer.

0:19:280:19:31

I knew I'd be working as well as working on the house.

0:19:310:19:35

If I were to work on it full time,

0:19:350:19:37

I'd have probably had it built by now

0:19:370:19:38

but it's, er... I haven't got that luxury, I'm afraid.

0:19:380:19:41

'The couple are facing an additional complication.

0:19:440:19:48

'They're having to rethink almost their entire plan...

0:19:480:19:50

'..because they've had news there will soon be new housing

0:19:510:19:54

'within feet of their plot.'

0:19:540:19:56

We've got a development that's going to be overlooking our private amenity now.

0:19:570:20:01

We didn't think they'd allow it but it seems they have

0:20:010:20:05

for some unknown reason.

0:20:050:20:07

'Part of Lesley and Kevin's glass wall will be badly overlooked

0:20:080:20:13

'and their view will be blocked.

0:20:130:20:15

'Having inspired them to open up that wall, we need to find speedy,

0:20:150:20:18

'cost-effective ways around the problem they now face.'

0:20:180:20:21

'I think the answers may be in another new building

0:20:290:20:32

'that's also very close to its neighbours.

0:20:320:20:34

'It's the extension to Tate Modern in London

0:20:350:20:37

'by architects Herzog & de Meuron.

0:20:370:20:40

'It uses a range of ideas to create interesting views

0:20:410:20:43

'despite limited options.'

0:20:430:20:45

I wanted to bring you to a building that might not look like a direct

0:20:470:20:50

comparison to a house, a small house build,

0:20:500:20:53

but this is a building which has wonderful qualities of light,

0:20:530:20:55

great views and is a decent neighbour

0:20:550:20:57

to a very built-up context.

0:20:570:20:59

OK.

0:20:590:21:00

'The extension echoes the brickwork of the original Tate Modern building

0:21:020:21:06

'but uses the brick in a lattice format.

0:21:060:21:08

'Inside, it becomes clear there's glass behind the lattice.

0:21:120:21:15

'This allows indirect natural light to come in,

0:21:180:21:20

'making it perfect for an art gallery.'

0:21:200:21:22

It looks very solid from the outside.

0:21:240:21:26

On the inside, you've got this wonderful quality of light

0:21:260:21:29

that comes through there.

0:21:290:21:30

Dappled light, yes. It looks really good, doesn't it?

0:21:300:21:33

There's ways of filtering light,

0:21:330:21:35

that I think can be just as important as view.

0:21:350:21:37

Is this weren't brick, it could be a timber screen,

0:21:370:21:39

it could be much cheaper, more natural materials.

0:21:390:21:41

You still get that quality of light,

0:21:410:21:44

rather than just building a blank wall.

0:21:440:21:45

'This landmark cost around £260 million

0:21:450:21:49

'but any building with overlooking issues can benefit from finding

0:21:490:21:53

'ways to screen windows,

0:21:530:21:55

'rather than do without natural light.'

0:21:550:21:57

These are beautiful, these patterns on the floor.

0:21:580:22:00

It's lovely.

0:22:000:22:02

'While the brick lattice is all about light,

0:22:040:22:08

'the top floor of the building is all about the view.

0:22:080:22:11

'At Pobble House, the low slot window framed the shingle landscape.

0:22:110:22:16

'Here, a similar idea is pulled off on a grander scale.'

0:22:160:22:20

This is what it's all about.

0:22:200:22:21

I think this is just about the best view in London now.

0:22:210:22:24

It's all about how it's framed, horizontally.

0:22:260:22:29

Just that sense of the whole of London laid out like a carpet

0:22:290:22:32

all the way to the horizon and then this filtered light

0:22:320:22:35

coming from the hit and miss brickwork again.

0:22:350:22:37

Just like making sure you're focusing on what's really important.

0:22:370:22:40

-This is so much more effective than if it was just all glass.

-Beautiful.

0:22:400:22:43

Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?

0:22:430:22:44

It's a real trick of the architecture.

0:22:440:22:46

It's not just the view, it's the way that it's framed.

0:22:460:22:49

A very clever trick, isn't it?

0:22:490:22:51

'This view is unique but you could frame a tree on the horizon

0:22:540:22:58

'simply by using a tall, thin window.'

0:22:580:23:01

This is the payoff, isn't it?

0:23:020:23:04

Just the most unbelievable view.

0:23:040:23:06

We've seen it framed and presented to us through windows

0:23:060:23:08

but now we get to experience it. It's really fantastic, isn't it?

0:23:080:23:11

'The techniques used here show a window can be much more than a piece

0:23:130:23:16

'of glass fixed in a wall.

0:23:160:23:17

'Careful choice of placement, size, shape,

0:23:190:23:22

'and even a partial covering can all make a building better,

0:23:220:23:25

'regardless of the project's scale and budget.'

0:23:250:23:28

I guess your redesign has to take into account all the things

0:23:300:23:33

we've seen in this building.

0:23:330:23:35

Framing views, revealing them,

0:23:350:23:37

and then eventually allowing you to walk outside the building and take

0:23:370:23:40

-them in.

-Yes.

-Exactly right, yeah.

0:23:400:23:41

'It's now 11 months since Kevin broke ground

0:23:450:23:48

'but his paid work is still taking priority.

0:23:480:23:51

'He and Lesley are no closer to their retirement dream home.

0:23:510:23:54

'Piers heads to Sheppey to identify ways to deal with the overlooking

0:23:580:24:01

'problem and speed up the build.'

0:24:010:24:03

Usually you do all of your work in advance,

0:24:070:24:10

so you know exactly what you're going to build before you start.

0:24:100:24:13

Changing a scheme now, when it's already started,

0:24:130:24:15

that's pretty dangerous.

0:24:150:24:17

The big change is that originally, from here,

0:24:220:24:25

-you had a sea view, didn't you?

-Yes.

0:24:250:24:28

Now, you're going to have housing through this bit, aren't you?

0:24:280:24:32

-That's correct. Yes.

-That corner is still open to the sea, isn't it?

-That's it. Yeah.

0:24:320:24:35

'Leslie and Kevin were going to have a full height glass wall,

0:24:360:24:41

'but it's in the area that will now be overlooked by the new housing.

0:24:410:24:44

'Piers has a radical suggestion.'

0:24:440:24:47

What if you actually consolidated all of that into

0:24:480:24:53

a beautiful, big bay corner window,

0:24:530:24:57

and the wall curved below it?

0:24:570:25:00

-Oh, I see what you mean.

-Do you see what I mean?

0:25:000:25:01

Yeah, you're putting the windows on here.

0:25:010:25:04

Pushing it all out, so what you end up with

0:25:040:25:06

is a house that has then big...

0:25:060:25:08

-You know...

-A very interesting bay window.

0:25:080:25:12

What it would mean being inside that is that you would have

0:25:120:25:16

this beautiful, big, defined view at the corner of the room.

0:25:160:25:23

'Piers' suggestion does away completely

0:25:270:25:29

with the full height glass wall.

0:25:290:25:31

'Instead the mezzanine lounge extends out over the area

0:25:330:25:37

'that was the balcony,

0:25:370:25:41

'and the outside of the building gains a distinctive angular shape

0:25:410:25:45

'that compliments the curved wall.

0:25:450:25:46

'The ground floor can be made of blockwork and render,

0:25:490:25:52

'combined with conventional windows.

0:25:520:25:54

'These will save money and can be positioned exactly

0:25:540:25:57

'where they're needed for whatever new room layout is decided.

0:25:570:26:00

'Sliding doors allow the whole bay window to be opened up,

0:26:040:26:08

'and the large expanse of glass floods the floor below with light.

0:26:080:26:11

'Best of all, the bay window focuses the eye on the most impressive view

0:26:130:26:17

'in the house as soon as you come up the stairs.'

0:26:170:26:20

It's really interesting, yeah.

0:26:210:26:23

Yeah, that's really something to think about.

0:26:230:26:25

-Yeah, it is, I really like it.

-I think what you're not doing

0:26:250:26:28

is investing in expensive glazing on the ground,

0:26:280:26:32

which actually isn't really where you need it.

0:26:320:26:35

So you put in conventional windows that are cheap there...

0:26:350:26:38

-Yeah.

-And the expensive stuff just where the view is.

0:26:380:26:41

-Mmm.

-And the expensive stuff isn't as expensive any more

0:26:410:26:44

because it's standard, made up, you know, sliders.

0:26:440:26:47

'If the couple agree to it, and planning approve the changes,

0:26:490:26:52

'Piers' plan deals with the plot being overlooked

0:26:520:26:55

'and will be faster and cheaper to build than the glass wall.'

0:26:550:26:58

I was wondering whether it looked like a box put onto the building,

0:26:580:27:03

but I think it will look nice.

0:27:030:27:05

-I think it will look...

-I think it will look really good.

0:27:050:27:07

I don't think there will be a problem with that.

0:27:070:27:09

If anything, it'll enhance the building.

0:27:090:27:11

-Yeah.

-I think it's going to look really good.

0:27:110:27:13

It's going to save us money, which we need,

0:27:130:27:15

and it's also going to make a lot of difference in the sense

0:27:150:27:17

of build... You know speedier, it's going to be speedier, isn't it?

0:27:170:27:21

-Yeah, hopefully.

-Yeah.

0:27:210:27:24

'I think that change should help Lesley and Kevin,

0:27:250:27:28

'but it's still tough to combine self building with earning an income

0:27:280:27:31

'and keep going to the end.

0:27:310:27:34

'Piers and I have seen plenty of people struggle,

0:27:340:27:37

'including Sue and Tim.

0:27:370:27:39

'They were trying to run their Somerset farm and build just about

0:27:400:27:43

'the most ambitious house you could possibly aim for on 100K.

0:27:430:27:47

'In the last series we saw them create a fantastic exterior,

0:27:510:27:55

'but it was an empty shell, nowhere near fit to live in.

0:27:550:27:58

'They'd moved into a caravan while sorting out finances

0:27:590:28:02

'before beginning their build,

0:28:020:28:04

'and today, nearly nine years on, they're still there.'

0:28:050:28:09

The problem you've got,

0:28:110:28:12

we know we've got a house up there to build and we'll say,

0:28:120:28:16

we'll go and do three or four hours up in the house this afternoon.

0:28:160:28:20

Then you're a bit late finishing with the chickens, you come in here,

0:28:200:28:23

you sit down and then it's that motivation to get up and go out

0:28:230:28:26

and do something else and work through till six or seven o'clock.

0:28:260:28:30

After two years of doing it, it does become, you know,

0:28:300:28:34

you've got to really train yourself to make sure you go and do it.

0:28:340:28:38

'Just like Kevin, Sue and Tim's progress has also been slow

0:28:400:28:44

'because they've pondered every detail in search of perfection.'

0:28:440:28:48

We're always thinking of things and coming up with new things and

0:28:490:28:53

different ideas of the way we can do something.

0:28:530:28:55

It's always been a bit of make it up as you go along, hasn't it?

0:28:550:28:58

-Yeah, but...

-But actually, that's more fun.

0:28:580:29:01

'Now, nine years in cramped conditions

0:29:010:29:04

'have left them determined to get the house finished.'

0:29:040:29:07

We're so close to moving in now, up there now,

0:29:070:29:10

that it does get frustrating when we come down here.

0:29:100:29:14

It has been good fun, but now it's becoming a little bit frustrating,

0:29:140:29:19

the longer we stay in.

0:29:190:29:20

'So far, Sue and Tim have been building solidly for over two years.

0:29:230:29:27

'Throughout, Piers and I have tried to guide them through key design choices.

0:29:270:29:32

'Making second-hand glass and budget timber look like high-end bespoke...

0:29:330:29:38

'..and creating a beautiful staircase on a budget.

0:29:390:29:42

'But the couple postponed decisions on the layout of their first-floor

0:29:430:29:48

'living and sleeping area.'

0:29:480:29:50

What we will do is we will build without any internal walls,

0:29:500:29:55

but what we'll do is we'll walk around and we'll say,

0:29:550:29:57

what do we want, actually?

0:29:570:30:00

'The desire to keep the sense of space,

0:30:010:30:03

'light and the views was understandable.'

0:30:030:30:06

What I also get is maintaining the sense of the whole building,

0:30:070:30:11

as one beautiful cylinder and not a building that's subdivided

0:30:110:30:15

with little conventional doors.

0:30:150:30:16

'Now Sue and Tim are keen to crack on and move in,

0:30:190:30:22

'it would be easy to spend tens of thousands on the interior

0:30:220:30:25

'of such an ambitious house.

0:30:250:30:27

'But their budget was blown long ago by structural problems,

0:30:280:30:32

'and they can afford only a fraction of what's typical.

0:30:320:30:35

'Piers and I are returning to help them on this final stretch.

0:30:370:30:40

'The first challenge is finding a low-cost way to partition

0:30:410:30:44

'the bathroom and bedroom without resorting to a cubicle,

0:30:440:30:48

'in a room that's already full of right angles.'

0:30:480:30:50

Because it's such a fantastic open space,

0:30:520:30:55

we want to not have an en-suite cupboard in the corner.

0:30:550:31:00

It's got to feel open.

0:31:000:31:02

Open so that you can sort of feel the light and you've got the light

0:31:020:31:06

coming out from both these sides, but you want to hide the loo a bit,

0:31:060:31:11

you know? It's a question of how to achieve it, really.

0:31:110:31:14

'Sue and Tim have always been really observant about design,

0:31:150:31:19

'and bold about adapting it to their needs and budget.

0:31:190:31:22

'I want to show them something which might help them work out an

0:31:250:31:28

'interesting way of partitioning their bathroom,

0:31:280:31:31

'so I've asked them to meet me in London.'

0:31:310:31:33

-Hi, Sue. Hi, Tim. Great to see you.

-How are you?

0:31:330:31:36

-Are you well?

-Good.

-Lovely to see.

0:31:360:31:38

Welcome back. I'm so excited to be back with you again,

0:31:380:31:41

and you're still plugging away?

0:31:410:31:43

-Absolutely, chipping away.

-Yeah, chipping away.

0:31:430:31:46

I wanted to bring it to a building, in a way,

0:31:460:31:48

that sets the bar as high as possible.

0:31:480:31:50

This is Caruso St John's Newport Street Gallery.

0:31:500:31:53

It won the Stirling Prize this year,

0:31:530:31:54

so it's officially the best building in Britain this year.

0:31:540:31:57

I thought it would be interesting to take you to something that's not

0:31:570:32:00

a house but that has lots of characteristics

0:32:000:32:03

I think are subtly in common with your building.

0:32:030:32:05

'This gallery displays Damien Hirst's art collection.

0:32:080:32:12

'The buildings are a combination of listed former workshops and new

0:32:130:32:17

'additions, rather like Sue and Tim's house,

0:32:170:32:20

'The basic structure is essentially a large rectangle,

0:32:200:32:24

'but inside it's a different story.'

0:32:240:32:26

So, this is the space I really wanted to bring you to see,

0:32:290:32:32

which I think is kind of fascinating for all sorts of reasons.

0:32:320:32:35

It's quite subtle,

0:32:350:32:37

but when you start to look it's kind of a tour de force of materials and

0:32:370:32:40

textures and colours, but most of all

0:32:400:32:43

it has this beautiful organic curve,

0:32:430:32:46

leading you upstairs in what looks from the outside like a pretty

0:32:460:32:48

robust, square warehouse building.

0:32:480:32:52

I'm just wondering what lessons that might have for you.

0:32:520:32:54

You've created that wonderful shoebox of space,

0:32:540:32:58

up surrounded by the trees and the landscape.

0:32:580:33:00

What kind of curves and organic forms might add to that atmosphere?

0:33:000:33:04

It's wonderful.

0:33:040:33:06

I think that the curves are amazing.

0:33:060:33:08

Here there's the space and the light,

0:33:080:33:10

which is exactly what we've got at home,

0:33:100:33:12

and we do need something to break that up.

0:33:120:33:15

It's soft, isn't it?

0:33:150:33:17

Actually because of the different textures and the

0:33:170:33:19

different curves, it softens the whole building.

0:33:190:33:23

'The positioning of the roof light emphasises the curves.

0:33:230:33:28

'It's also another kind of organic shape.

0:33:280:33:30

I think that's also interesting to think about.

0:33:300:33:32

A very small touch, one curve like that just makes a huge difference,

0:33:320:33:36

-it's quite a powerful thing to experience.

-Yes.

0:33:360:33:38

'These forms suggest a curved partition

0:33:400:33:43

'between Sue and Tim's bathroom and bedroom could look amazing.

0:33:430:33:46

'The elements used to build them show how much choice

0:33:470:33:50

'of materials affects the finished piece.'

0:33:500:33:53

Let's take a look at the materials a bit more closely,

0:33:540:33:57

and the details of how they go together,

0:33:570:33:59

because it's only when you get close, I think,

0:33:590:34:01

that you notice these beautiful white bricks,

0:34:010:34:04

the white mortar and then this white concrete handrail.

0:34:040:34:08

That is so inviting, isn't it?

0:34:080:34:10

What I really like here, this combination of materials,

0:34:100:34:13

is that in a way it's kind of making the cheap elevated to something

0:34:130:34:17

extremely beautiful and cared for, through just detailing.

0:34:170:34:21

You've got this lovely contrast between this here

0:34:210:34:23

and this lovely sharp edge here.

0:34:230:34:25

'Each of the elements is a subtly different shade of white.

0:34:250:34:29

'The warmth and interest is created by texture and material,

0:34:290:34:33

'rather than contrasting colour.

0:34:330:34:35

'The concrete handrail is complemented by another in curving,

0:34:370:34:40

'painted wood.

0:34:400:34:43

'Sue and Tim now have plenty to think about.'

0:34:430:34:46

It's always been an exercise in work it out as we go along,

0:34:460:34:51

and we've always known that at some point we were going to soften it

0:34:510:34:54

down, curve it up and bring that into it,

0:34:540:34:59

and now is the time, really.

0:34:590:35:01

'A curved bathroom partition seems to appeal,

0:35:020:35:05

'but the question now is how to create it in a simple,

0:35:050:35:08

'cost-effective way.

0:35:080:35:09

'It's a challenge for Piers.'

0:35:110:35:13

I like the idea of using precast concrete,

0:35:140:35:17

like the architect did for the Newport Street Gallery,

0:35:170:35:20

but it is really expensive because it's precise and typically

0:35:200:35:22

it's made in a workshop with really precise moulds and jigs and so on.

0:35:220:35:29

And a small mould can cost thousands.

0:35:290:35:32

They haven't got thousands,

0:35:320:35:33

they've probably only got hundreds to make this whole wall.

0:35:330:35:36

So I'm going to probably just have a play with some plywood

0:35:360:35:41

and maybe see if I can make a curved bit of form work,

0:35:410:35:45

cast some concrete and just see how it looks.

0:35:450:35:48

'Ideally, Sue and Tim would like the partition to incorporate a seat,

0:35:500:35:55

'and the design needs to be made from elements small and light enough

0:35:550:35:58

'to be carried into the house.

0:35:580:36:00

'Piers needs to design something practical and beautiful.'

0:36:010:36:04

This is bendy ply that I'm going to use to make form work.

0:36:080:36:13

Form work is the cast, the mould for the concrete.

0:36:140:36:17

What's great about this is you can bend it and get some really

0:36:170:36:20

beautiful curves.

0:36:200:36:22

'Tim's on the farm caring for a calving cow,

0:36:250:36:28

'but Sue's joining Piers to explore designs and how to create them

0:36:280:36:31

'in practice.'

0:36:310:36:34

So what I'm thinking, if I draw it my way round, very crudely,

0:36:340:36:39

and at the moment there's a kind of bath that's now been placed there.

0:36:390:36:43

What I'm thinking is that this beautiful freefall concrete piece

0:36:430:36:48

that sits there, with a thickening that allows you to sit there.

0:36:480:36:51

If you look at it in elevation, it's this beautifully, tapering, curved

0:36:510:36:57

you know, piece, has a sort of thickening at the end.

0:36:570:37:02

The shape actually is going to be critical.

0:37:020:37:04

The shape's going to be great.

0:37:040:37:05

'The concrete curve could be built up from layers that are portable and

0:37:070:37:12

'mortared together once they're inside the house.'

0:37:120:37:15

We make it out of lightweight, white concrete.

0:37:150:37:18

White concrete?

0:37:180:37:20

-Yeah.

-I like the idea of white concrete.

0:37:200:37:23

-So that's where you sit, on the end, you see?

-Yes, yes.

0:37:240:37:26

Let's go and have a go.

0:37:260:37:28

'For this mock up Piers is using ordinary quick-drying concrete

0:37:300:37:33

'to make a scale model.'

0:37:330:37:35

It will take a bit of time to do it properly.

0:37:350:37:38

It could look spectacular, equally it could look...

0:37:380:37:42

pretty grim, if it's not done right.

0:37:420:37:44

'The first step is to create the former.

0:37:490:37:52

'These two strips of five millimetre ply were cut from a large sheet and

0:37:520:37:56

'work out at around £4 each.

0:37:560:37:58

'Once the desired shape is found,

0:37:580:38:00

'it's held in place with scraps of old timber.'

0:38:000:38:04

Have you done this before, Piers?

0:38:040:38:05

I've never done this before, ever.

0:38:050:38:07

Sorry, no, I've done it all my life, Sue, I know exactly what am doing!

0:38:090:38:12

Oh, God!

0:38:120:38:14

'Silicon sealant should stop leaks

0:38:180:38:21

'and oiling the ply helps remove the former once the concrete has set.

0:38:210:38:25

'Ply can be bent into all sorts of shapes and could also be used

0:38:260:38:29

'to make curvy, concrete garden features,

0:38:290:38:32

such as edging or planters.

0:38:320:38:34

So, this is very much just the first stab at seeing what's possible.

0:38:380:38:43

Already I have to say it's sealing harder than...

0:38:450:38:48

I thought it would, but it gives you a sense of the process

0:38:490:38:53

-and actually how beautiful the shape is.

-Mmm.

0:38:530:38:57

You're always going to have hiccups when you're doing something...

0:38:570:39:01

-Experimenting.

-Experimenting, aren't you?

0:39:010:39:04

What I've discovered today is the joy of curving this ply.

0:39:040:39:07

I thought it was all about the concrete,

0:39:070:39:09

but actually you could make the wall out of plywood,

0:39:090:39:11

which would be easier, maybe.

0:39:110:39:14

Yes. This is more fun, though.

0:39:140:39:16

-Mud pies and all that.

-Mud pie!

0:39:160:39:17

'Normally, the former would be lifted off once the concrete

0:39:200:39:23

'is fully set, but Piers is impatient to see the results.

0:39:230:39:27

If you're over here, you squint,

0:39:310:39:33

you take a big leap of imagination and you think,

0:39:330:39:37

"Well, actually that could be white concrete and it could potentially

0:39:370:39:40

"be beautiful."

0:39:400:39:42

-Tim's not here.

-No.

0:39:420:39:44

If he was here, what do you think he would be saying?

0:39:440:39:47

Er...

0:39:470:39:48

He's always up for a challenge...

0:39:480:39:50

'To be able to move into their home,

0:39:540:39:57

'Sue and Tim need a working kitchen

0:39:570:39:59

'but they're having to think laterally about it.'

0:39:590:40:03

If we're having the kitchen as part of an open plan,

0:40:030:40:07

you don't want it to look too kitcheny.

0:40:070:40:11

'They've decided to avoid wall units and hide base units and appliances

0:40:110:40:16

'within an island, but even the island shouldn't look typically kitcheny.'

0:40:160:40:20

The design evolved from the feeling of wanting something a bit more

0:40:220:40:25

elegant, a piece of lovely furniture basically.

0:40:250:40:28

The house is uncluttered,

0:40:280:40:31

it's seamless and therefore

0:40:310:40:34

that's how we wanted the kitchen to be.

0:40:340:40:37

A nice shape, but uncluttered and seamless.

0:40:370:40:41

'The couple like the idea of curvy shapes in the kitchen

0:40:420:40:45

'as well as the bedroom,

0:40:450:40:47

'so builder Lee and carpenter Matt are creating an island with

0:40:470:40:51

'curves inspired by boats - utterly different from a conventional,

0:40:510:40:54

'rectangular kitchen island.'

0:40:540:40:56

What will the final height of the work surface be?

0:40:580:41:01

I would say it's going to be 900, that suits you, doesn't it?

0:41:010:41:04

-Yes, for short people.

-Yeah.

0:41:040:41:07

'Sue and Tim have £3,500 for their kitchen,

0:41:070:41:10

'funded by selling a dumper used earlier in the build.

0:41:100:41:14

'Sue's managed to find a sink and all the kitchen units online

0:41:150:41:18

'for just £500.'

0:41:180:41:20

'The savings made have allowed them to take a risk

0:41:200:41:23

'on an unusual worktop surface.'

0:41:230:41:26

Cabin sole's arrived.

0:41:260:41:28

'They hope it will help the island look like furniture,

0:41:280:41:31

'rather than a kitchen unit.'

0:41:310:41:33

That is nice.

0:41:330:41:36

Put your hand on it, I'll let you touch it.

0:41:360:41:39

Have a sniff.

0:41:390:41:41

'Cabin sole is a traditional boat decking made from holly and teak.

0:41:430:41:48

'Tim will treat it with extra hardener,

0:41:480:41:51

'but even without it should be very durable.'

0:41:510:41:53

It's incredibly robust, because it's designed as a floor.

0:41:530:41:58

-As a boat deck.

-As a boat deck, and it might look weird

0:41:580:42:01

but we'll give it a go,

0:42:010:42:04

see what happens!

0:42:040:42:05

'There's a lot else to do besides the kitchen.'

0:42:070:42:11

Matt's got to finish this door.

0:42:110:42:14

We've got to finish the basin and then the bed,

0:42:140:42:17

put the bed up.

0:42:170:42:18

'Sue and Tim will need to fit a handrail on the staircase

0:42:190:42:22

'and ensure the balustrade complies with building regulations,

0:42:220:42:26

'whilst Sue has another big job on her hands,

0:42:260:42:29

'thanks to a money-saving idea.'

0:42:290:42:31

The scaffolding boards we bought second-hand.

0:42:310:42:35

We used them as our own scaffolding boards.

0:42:350:42:39

'Now they'll be used as flooring and Sue's had them shot blasted to

0:42:410:42:45

'highlight the grain and remove roughness and splinters.'

0:42:450:42:48

They feel lovely to walk on because they feel like thick wood,

0:42:490:42:53

which they are. I mean, OK, it's not lovely oak,

0:42:530:42:58

but then we don't have the budget for oak,

0:42:580:43:01

but we do have the budget for fourth-hand scaffold boards, so...

0:43:010:43:05

..that's what we've got.

0:43:060:43:07

'Scaffold boards retired from the building trade

0:43:090:43:11

'are also a great source of timber for furniture and garden projects.

0:43:110:43:15

'A 13 foot by 9 inch board starts at around £7 or £8

0:43:150:43:20

'and you may get a better deal by buying in bulk.'

0:43:200:43:23

This is a white primer which gives the boards

0:43:240:43:27

a slightly driftwoody look.

0:43:270:43:30

'Sue and Tim's build has been a long, slow affair,

0:43:300:43:34

'but they're clearly on the home straight.'

0:43:340:43:37

'Now I'm keen to catch up with Lesley and Kevin,

0:43:420:43:44

'who've also found it slow going.

0:43:440:43:46

'I'm back in Sheppey, a little over a year since they started.'

0:43:480:43:51

-Hi guys.

-Hi, Kieran.

0:43:510:43:53

How are you doing?

0:43:530:43:54

-How are you, Lesley?

-Good, thank you.

0:43:560:43:58

Good. It's nice to be standing on deck,

0:43:580:44:00

on your beautifully crafted block floor.

0:44:000:44:03

This will one day be your house.

0:44:030:44:05

-Yes, yeah.

-Hopefully.

0:44:050:44:06

It's nearly killed me, I mean we've been doing this weekends.

0:44:060:44:09

So it's... Well, I'm so busy, it's just been a nightmare.

0:44:090:44:12

But you're only getting to work on this on weekends?

0:44:120:44:14

-Yes.

-So really inching along.

0:44:140:44:16

It's inching rather than flying and that's the frustrating bit.

0:44:160:44:20

But having said that, I've got to...

0:44:200:44:22

Work's work. The work we're doing at the moment is quite a decent

0:44:220:44:25

-contract, so...

-But if you were to just do this at weekends,

0:44:250:44:28

how long would it take you to finish the house?

0:44:280:44:30

A month of weekends is only a week, isn't it?

0:44:300:44:33

-Yeah, yeah, exactly.

-I'd be on it forever.

0:44:330:44:35

'Within the next few months,

0:44:370:44:39

'Kevin's planning to take eight weeks off work

0:44:390:44:41

'to start building walls.

0:44:410:44:43

'Despite the slow progress, he's still relishing the process.'

0:44:430:44:46

It's enjoyable, very tangible,

0:44:480:44:49

and the great thing is because we're doing it ourselves,

0:44:490:44:52

ideas like these bay windows and stuff like that, it's just...

0:44:520:44:56

It's like popcorn in my head, ideas are bouncing around,

0:44:560:44:59

I think it's a fantastic process.

0:44:590:45:01

I'm really enjoying that part of it.

0:45:010:45:03

What about for you, Lesley? Are you impatiently watching this,

0:45:030:45:07

this kind of concrete and block thing waiting for it to happen?

0:45:070:45:10

I'm quite happy, yeah.

0:45:100:45:12

I'm quite happy waiting, I don't mind.

0:45:120:45:14

-In your nice comfortable caravan?

-Comfortable caravan, yeah.

0:45:140:45:17

I think it might be a bit too comfortable Lesley,

0:45:170:45:19

-you don't want to get out of there!

-It probably is, but, you know...

0:45:190:45:22

-I think you've got a point.

-I've learned, you've just got to wait.

0:45:220:45:25

I'm sorry we won't get to see the fine craftsmanship of it

0:45:250:45:29

-but maybe in another...

-Another life!

0:45:290:45:32

That's what I'm worried about!

0:45:330:45:36

'I'd love to see this building completed,

0:45:360:45:39

'but it will be nearly a year from now,

0:45:390:45:42

'and that's only if all goes exactly to plan.

0:45:420:45:44

'But, like Sue and Tim,

0:45:450:45:47

'Lesley and Kevin have a passion for their project and I hope they get

0:45:470:45:50

'their dream retirement home sooner rather than later.'

0:45:500:45:53

'Sue and Tim's project was always so ambitious,

0:46:000:46:03

'Piers and I sometimes wondered whether they'd ever have a habitable home.

0:46:030:46:07

'Then structural problems, the quest for perfect design

0:46:070:46:10

'and their farm commitments slowed them down,

0:46:100:46:13

'but they just battled on and now we're back to see the results.'

0:46:130:46:17

It's been nearly two-and-a-half years since Sue and Tim began work

0:46:180:46:22

on their ambitious home, and it's been many months since Piers and I

0:46:220:46:26

were last here.

0:46:260:46:28

What they achieved on the outside was really extraordinary,

0:46:280:46:30

but we've tried this time to help them achieve that level of ambition

0:46:300:46:34

on the inside.

0:46:340:46:35

So, have they finally got the open,

0:46:370:46:40

stylish and critically low cost interior they've been working so hard for?

0:46:400:46:44

-Hi, guys.

-How are you doing?

0:46:470:46:49

Good to see you, great to be back,

0:46:490:46:51

and great to see more progress on the exterior.

0:46:510:46:54

This was just one of the most ambitious builds

0:46:540:46:56

we've ever covered on the show,

0:46:560:46:58

and the glass is still looking beautiful.

0:46:580:47:00

You've done something about the colour, it doesn't look like it's trying to be natural

0:47:000:47:03

or the same colour as the grass, or the same colour as the leaf.

0:47:030:47:06

It sort of works with the Scots Pine, actually.

0:47:060:47:08

There's a little bit of bluey-green to the Scots Pine.

0:47:080:47:11

Previously without this colour you couldn't really tell

0:47:110:47:14

what sort of shape the building was,

0:47:140:47:16

but now you can see how it sits so beautifully in this context.

0:47:160:47:19

So, I'm really excited to see the finished interior

0:47:190:47:22

which we never got to see last time. Can we take a look?

0:47:220:47:24

-Yeah.

-Let's go.

-Great.

0:47:240:47:26

This is really amazing.

0:47:320:47:34

What a lovely space and what a beautiful effect

0:47:340:47:36

with these steel wires,

0:47:360:47:38

bringing the light down from these skylights. It's fantastic.

0:47:380:47:41

And this space, it's finished, it's beautiful.

0:47:410:47:44

We saw it before as a kind of bare-bones thing.

0:47:560:47:58

-A shell.

-But it looks so refined now.

0:47:580:48:02

You must be really happy?

0:48:020:48:04

We're thrilled, we're absolutely thrilled.

0:48:040:48:06

In a way you look surprised by what you've achieved.

0:48:060:48:09

It is a bit of a shock, actually.

0:48:090:48:11

It's everything we dreamed of, really, and more.

0:48:110:48:14

Spatially this is beautiful, and everything looks really considered.

0:48:150:48:18

This is a really sophisticated set of decisions you've made here.

0:48:180:48:22

You've managed to keep the purity of that kind of rectangular space with

0:48:220:48:25

its wonderful openings and its wonderful views

0:48:250:48:27

and not put too much stuff in it.

0:48:270:48:29

-It just has such a calm atmosphere.

-Yeah.

0:48:290:48:32

'One of Sue and Tim's biggest concerns was creating a kitchen

0:48:360:48:39

'that didn't look like a kitchen.

0:48:390:48:41

'Their boat inspired island works beautifully.'

0:48:410:48:45

I love that it's such an individual thing but it's also

0:48:460:48:49

such a crafted thing, like a veneer like this against the rawer

0:48:490:48:52

materials of the floor and the very plain white of the walls

0:48:520:48:56

really sings.

0:48:560:48:57

This is the whole thing about this house, it's all about

0:48:570:49:00

rough and smooth, light and shade.

0:49:000:49:03

I think keeping this open,

0:49:030:49:05

the tapering shape leading you into the main living space,

0:49:050:49:08

I think works really well.

0:49:080:49:09

Standing here, particularly,

0:49:090:49:11

the sense of the whole space with these lines,

0:49:110:49:13

leading your eye towards the seating area is great.

0:49:130:49:16

'The cabin sole used for the worktop cost a very modest £600 and

0:49:170:49:22

'immediately sets this apart from a conventional granite topped unit.

0:49:220:49:27

'The island itself hides away everything that suggests a kitchen at all.'

0:49:270:49:31

There's a few units over here,

0:49:310:49:33

but actually the majority of the kitchen is just in this one piece.

0:49:330:49:36

Nothing on the walls, nothing at high level

0:49:360:49:38

and I really commend that.

0:49:380:49:40

'You can even make a kitchen feel less kitchen-like

0:49:400:49:43

'with small touches, such as having accessories in plain colours

0:49:430:49:47

'that blend with their background.'

0:49:470:49:49

Tell me, Tim, how much did this cost,

0:49:490:49:51

how much did the kitchen cost?

0:49:510:49:53

We sold the dumper for £3,500,

0:49:530:49:55

and that is what the kitchen has cost.

0:49:550:49:57

With all the appliances?

0:49:570:49:58

Yes, 3,500 is everything, but everything here that you see,

0:49:580:50:02

apart from the work surfaces are second-hand.

0:50:020:50:05

Well, it's amazing. I mean it's really slick looking and really

0:50:050:50:09

custom-made looking and for three grand and some change,

0:50:090:50:12

it's really extraordinary.

0:50:120:50:14

'It's all the more amazing given a very ordinary fitted kitchen

0:50:140:50:17

'would set you back around £5,000 to £8,000.

0:50:170:50:22

'Sue and Tim have also made clever savings

0:50:220:50:24

'by keeping their lighting simple.'

0:50:240:50:27

I think what's also great in here is that there's not much lighting.

0:50:270:50:30

You see this plane of white above you, with no spotlights in it,

0:50:300:50:34

which is really lovely to see.

0:50:340:50:37

And then you've just got some big lamps which you can move around and

0:50:370:50:41

change, if you need.

0:50:410:50:42

'The floor, made of scaffold boards used during the build,

0:50:440:50:48

'adds a distinctive element throughout.'

0:50:480:50:50

The sandblasting has eaten out the soft bit

0:50:500:50:53

and you're left with the hard bit.

0:50:530:50:54

It's a beautiful texture, actually.

0:50:540:50:57

I mean, it is rougher than a floor that you would buy off-the-shelf,

0:50:570:51:00

but it's got real character and real beauty to it.

0:51:000:51:03

-It does.

-How much did it cost?

0:51:030:51:04

I think we paid £300 for the whole lot.

0:51:040:51:07

-For the whole house?

-Yes, yes.

0:51:070:51:09

To put a kind of beautiful wide boarded timber floor down

0:51:090:51:12

in what must be like 100 square metres of house

0:51:120:51:15

for hundreds of pounds is astonishing, really.

0:51:150:51:19

Sure, it could cost 20 grand,

0:51:190:51:22

to put a really good hardwood floor down.

0:51:220:51:24

But these scaffold boards give a lovely texture to a house that is

0:51:240:51:28

otherwise quite smooth on the inside and your story, as you tell us,

0:51:280:51:32

is this rough, rough timber with very smooth,

0:51:320:51:36

very polished things and that's exactly what you've got

0:51:360:51:39

-on the outside and on the inside.

-Yes.

0:51:390:51:41

'The rough textures they've used makes the interior feel cosy

0:51:420:51:46

'and almost rustic rather than clinical.

0:51:460:51:49

'You can use flooring, wall coverings, furniture,

0:51:490:51:51

'as well as textiles, to get the mix right.

0:51:510:51:53

'Sue and Tim have created kitchen,

0:51:570:51:59

'dining and lounging areas within the open plan

0:51:590:52:01

'without breaking up the sense of space,

0:52:010:52:04

'so I hope they've been equally successful in the bedroom.

0:52:040:52:07

'To see it, we must pass through the only door.'

0:52:070:52:10

Great door, Sue.

0:52:130:52:15

Tell me about this door, it's a very, very slick piece...

0:52:150:52:18

My free door.

0:52:180:52:19

-Free?

-Well, when I loaded up the glass at the place,

0:52:190:52:23

they were putting these in the skip and we got seven doors and as much

0:52:230:52:28

insulation as I could stuff in the gaps in between.

0:52:280:52:31

-Gosh.

-I love that story because it's about your resourcefulness,

0:52:310:52:34

but also when you see how well you've made this,

0:52:340:52:36

it doesn't come across at all...

0:52:360:52:39

This is like a very slick, beautifully weighted,

0:52:390:52:41

it has a really good feeling about it.

0:52:410:52:43

But here, I can see the beginning of what looks like

0:52:430:52:45

a beautiful curved wall.

0:52:450:52:47

-You can't help but run your hand along it.

-I know, I know.

0:52:540:52:56

It's really beautiful, isn't it?

0:52:560:52:58

I love the way it guides you into this fantastic room, can I just say.

0:52:580:53:01

It's a beautiful room.

0:53:010:53:03

Actually, what it does to this space, it works perfectly.

0:53:030:53:06

It leads you into this room, it gives you enough privacy for the bathroom,

0:53:060:53:09

it doesn't block the view of all the light and everything else

0:53:090:53:12

and it's a very theatrical piece,

0:53:120:53:14

but at the same time quite understated.

0:53:140:53:16

This is an organic, irregular shape,

0:53:160:53:19

in what is your very square, orthogonal box.

0:53:190:53:23

'Sue and Tim loved the wooden handrail at Newport Street Gallery

0:53:240:53:27

'and asked their carpenter to create the wall using timber stud work

0:53:270:53:30

'and a skin of painted MDF,

0:53:300:53:34

'because Tim was concerned about Piers' concrete design.'

0:53:340:53:36

A, I didn't think I was good enough at that type of thing to be able to

0:53:380:53:41

carry it out in a good enough way,

0:53:410:53:44

and B, I was slightly worried about

0:53:440:53:48

how to attach it to walls

0:53:480:53:50

and how to attach it to the floor, to make it sound.

0:53:500:53:53

So this is a beautiful curve, it really is.

0:53:550:53:58

It's so well made.

0:53:580:53:59

That is our laundry.

0:53:590:54:00

Which you can also sit on, which was the whole idea of this.

0:54:000:54:03

It's a seat to talk to someone in the bath,

0:54:030:54:06

talk to somebody when they're in bed, look out the window,

0:54:060:54:08

put your shoes and socks on.

0:54:080:54:10

-Exactly.

-Very nice.

0:54:100:54:11

It's so useful.

0:54:110:54:13

We could have just built a square wall, but we didn't.

0:54:130:54:16

We wanted to keep the light,

0:54:160:54:18

the space and the flowing movements

0:54:180:54:19

and I think we've achieved that here.

0:54:190:54:21

That's the theme of the whole of the upstairs.

0:54:210:54:23

There's no walls, no compartments.

0:54:230:54:25

No division, exactly.

0:54:250:54:27

'The bath, basin and even the mirror echo the curves of the wall,

0:54:290:54:33

'softening the whole space.'

0:54:330:54:36

As we look at this curving wall, Tim,

0:54:360:54:38

just tell me how much it cost to make this piece.

0:54:380:54:41

With materials and labour,

0:54:410:54:43

-it's worked out at about £1,500, £1,600.

-Really?

0:54:430:54:47

You make savings where you can.

0:54:470:54:49

You look at a job and see how, A, how cheaply you can get it done,

0:54:490:54:55

but also you weigh it up against the quality of the object.

0:54:550:54:59

-So it's a balancing act, really.

-It is.

0:54:590:55:02

'Sue and Tim may have a knack for making their money go further,

0:55:030:55:07

'but fitting out the first floor to this quality can't have been easy.

0:55:070:55:11

'So how are their finances looking?'

0:55:110:55:14

How much has it cost to get what we see today?

0:55:140:55:17

On getting the upstairs done we've probably spent another six,

0:55:170:55:21

-I should think, so far.

-Six, only six?

0:55:210:55:24

I mean, that's really amazingly cheap.

0:55:240:55:27

What does that consist of?

0:55:270:55:28

The thing is that we had most of the materials anyway,

0:55:280:55:32

so it's really the kitchen and the wall in the bathroom.

0:55:320:55:38

'Even with some items pre-purchased,

0:55:410:55:44

'£6,000 for something that looks this good

0:55:440:55:47

'is a remarkable achievement.

0:55:470:55:49

This house is extraordinary in every single detail,

0:55:500:55:53

and Sue and Tim have made extraordinary because of design.

0:55:530:55:56

They've allowed their clever thinking,

0:55:560:55:58

creative thinking to make ordinary things extraordinary.

0:55:580:56:02

I think that's the key lesson for self builders -

0:56:020:56:04

design is the thing you need, not stuff.

0:56:040:56:06

'After two-and-a-half years of hard slog,

0:56:100:56:13

'I suspect Sue and Tim have learned other valuable lessons.

0:56:130:56:16

'If you had to advise other self builders who are perhaps making slow

0:56:170:56:20

progress, not seeing it come to fruition as quickly as they might

0:56:200:56:23

have thought, what would be your advice to them?

0:56:230:56:27

Some jobs will have a dramatic effect and will leap you forward,

0:56:270:56:32

and that's what gives you the impetus to carry on

0:56:320:56:36

after grinding around in the mud for so long,

0:56:360:56:39

and then suddenly you get something and then off you go again.

0:56:390:56:43

What I really want to know, too, is if it's all been worth it,

0:56:430:56:46

the effort, because it's been a long time, this build?

0:56:460:56:50

I sat up here last night for ten minutes by myself

0:56:500:56:53

and I looked around and I thought how wonderful it was.

0:56:530:56:57

And then you think, it's been long hours,

0:56:570:57:01

two o'clock in the morning, 11 o'clock at night,

0:57:010:57:04

it's been hard work, but, yes,

0:57:040:57:06

it's been worth it and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

0:57:060:57:10

Lesley and Kevin can learn a lot from Sue and Tim.

0:57:160:57:19

I think over the years and months of this build,

0:57:190:57:22

Sue and Tim have realised that it's about enjoying the process,

0:57:220:57:25

it's about getting to grips with all those day-to-day decisions,

0:57:250:57:28

and sometimes some tedious tasks, and enjoying it.

0:57:280:57:30

I think in their heart of hearts they know that they've created something pretty special,

0:57:320:57:36

and I agree with them.

0:57:360:57:37

I think this is about the upper limit of what it's possible to do

0:57:370:57:40

with an extremely low-budget.

0:57:400:57:43

I think that's a great testament to the ingenuity of a really good

0:57:430:57:45

self builder and to Sue and Tim, in particular.

0:57:450:57:48

Next time... Jody and Lori think they're building their perfect home.

0:57:550:57:59

I just want something that's a bit clean, fresh.

0:57:590:58:02

Then they discover a whole new world of design.

0:58:020:58:05

This house is just amazing.

0:58:060:58:08

It makes you realise it's quite a big job.

0:58:080:58:10

We take them back to basics.

0:58:100:58:12

Tell me what you think about colour?

0:58:120:58:15

I feel like my head's spinning.

0:58:150:58:16

Can they possibly create the home they truly want?

0:58:160:58:19

It's obviously going to get close to the 100 quite quickly.

0:58:200:58:23

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