Mark and Linda/Chris and Claire The £100k House: Tricks of the Trade

Across the nation, our homes are too small...

I can't find space to put my dishes on.

..too dark...

Doesn't feel very happy and relaxing.

..and don't fit our needs.

The only time we have enough space is when we eat outside.

I'm Piers Taylor and I've hand-picked a team

of experts to transform ordinary people's homes.

From dramatic changes...

So, this is really expensive - you're going

to do something that costs a lot less.

..to stunning interior ideas and finishing touches.

-I love this.

-Ah, straight into it.

-This is beautiful.

Together, we'll expand on innovative cost saving ideas

from The House That £100K Built

to show YOU what's possible in ANY home...

Why didn't we think of that?

..and on ANY budget.

This is really simple, this is not designer shelving.

We'll need every trick of the trade -

whether we're designing furniture...

All of that is really just five long scaffold boards.

..to choosing the right paint to go on the walls.

But if it's dark and the outside is bright it will reflect the outside.

..to prove a limit on your funds...

This stuff's free.

..does NOT mean a limit on your dreams.

This is amazing.

This week,

there's a sensational idea to transform a space...

Your room as it is will disappear.

..as we break new ground in an old post office...

There's a lot left to do. I think that's worrying me at the minute.

..and I help one couple rip it out and redesign.

You make these out of something beautiful and interesting.

But can they pull it off?

Frankly, we've about blown our budget.

When you're house-hunting, it can pay to be open-minded,

which is exactly what Chris and Claire did when they decided to buy

the village post office.

As soon as we saw it, as soon as we went inside, we knew we liked it.

-We offered then, didn't we? Straightaway.

-Yeah, we did.

-And then maybe thought, ooh...

-And then repented at leisure.

-Yeah.

Located on the village green in the East Riding, Yorkshire,

it has five bedrooms and cost £230,000.

Quirky period buildings like these

often have plenty of space - perfect for 13-year-old twins

Max and Emily, and ten-year-old Scarlett.

One of the reasons why this one fell into our price bracket

is because it needs turning from a shop into a home.

So, I don't know if it is stupidity or stubbornness,

-but we didn't mind that!

-No!

I think we thought, "Lick of paint and away we go!"

But they're really struggling to turn this

into a welcoming family home.

The old shop has become little more than an

abandoned dumping ground.

It's bright and spacious, but too overlooked for a living room.

We can't use this room as it stands at the moment.

Mainly because of the humungous windows.

You do quite often see people having a peer through.

This is one of the bits we want to do as a priority.

The idea of us being sat there and people being able to sort of...

watch what we see on telly and so on is not great.

To regain some privacy, they've temporarily hoisted up

net curtains...

-Hello! How was school?

-Good.

..and hidden away above the shop.

That's what happens every day.

They come in and leave me on my own down here.

CHATTER AND SINGING

The house is isolating Claire from family life.

You're far away from everyone when you're in there.

You can't hear the hustle and bustle of the children.

-We don't see her that much.

-Dinner's ready.

So, yeah, I want us all to be back together again.

It is a bit sad, isn't it?

-It doesn't feel like we share as many jokes as we used to.

-No.

Chris and Claire have scraped together ten grand

to make this dilapidated shop the heart of their home,

but they'll need to be very clever with how they spend it.

Helping me transform these homes is my hand-picked team of architects,

each challenged to create extraordinary spaces

with ordinary budgets.

One of the biggest architectural challenges

is transforming a building from one use to another.

It's a really tough task, but it's an opportunity

to be really bold in terms of how you occupy a building.

My own project comes later.

Taking on this challenge is architect Robert Jamison.

With just 10K, Chris and Claire want to target

their biggest issue - privacy.

-Well, hello.

-Hello!

What a fabulous place.

-I love your building.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

They plan to replace the big windows with smaller,

conventional ones, and then install wooden shutters,

but expensive bespoke carpentry could quickly eat up their budget.

If you don't mind, I just want to take the net curtains down.

-No, help yourself.

-I don't mind.

-Look at that.

-It does look mad without them, doesn't it?

-Wow.

-That looks amazing.

-We put them up two days after we got the keys.

-Really?

And we haven't had them down since.

That's one of the reasons we bought the house, isn't it?

-It is.

-Interesting. And now you're going to actually

transform it into something that...

closes off the light and the view,

but also changes the character.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

So, I just think...

-where can your money be better spent?

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

Simply changing the windows won't solve the problems

in this house.

Like most families, Chris and Claire want a place

where they can all come together.

But with the kitchen too small...

and the downstairs too overlooked,

it seems impossible.

Robert's known for his unconventional approach to design.

He added a 50-metre modern spire to one of Northern Ireland's best known

buildings - Belfast Cathedral.

The Spire of Hope was a radical addition to

this ancient building - can he now come up with

an equally radical solution for Chris and Claire's home?

Mm.

-Is that a good "mm"?

-I'm not sure.

And with just ten grand?

What I want to do is bring this living room to the ground floor.

-OK.

-OK?

This is your front elevation.

So, what you see here then

is a view of the living room which has been pulled down the front

and pulled down, OK?

Your room as it is up there will disappear

and you'll have a double-height space.

You took that very calmly. The floor is coming down.

Did you hear?

-I did hear that. I'm visualising it...

-OK.

-..and I'll react later.

-OK.

Robert's rethink is a big one - he suggests

losing the only comfortable room in the house

by removing the shop ceiling, creating a dramatic

double-height living space downstairs.

-This is a table.

-Yep.

But, essentially, that is a space to dine.

By then knocking the existing kitchen into

that new front room, Claire will be able to

feel part of family life.

So they don't feel overlooked by those big windows,

Robert also suggests raising the level of the floor.

That elevated level will change your experience off those in the street.

A clever adjustment to the floor will change the eye-line -

from passers-by to trees and sky.

Just stand up here.

Yep.

So, how's that?

-It is really different, isn't it?

-It is hugely different.

-Yeah.

-Can you imagine...

-No.

-No.

-..the roof, the ceiling...

-I don't know.

-..disappearing, and then looking back

across the top of the staircase?

-I'm getting a bit nervous.

-No.

-We have to not be nervous.

-What makes you nervous?

There's...

As the building is at the moment, there are two large rooms

with kind of a nice aspect, if you like.

-And the...

-And those two rooms are...?

-This one and the one above.

-The one we don't use.

OK, so, essentially, you've got ONE room with a nice aspect.

Don't gang up on me!

This is... This is true.

-This is the opportunity to do this now.

-Yeah.

-And you have the budget

-to do this.

-Yeah.

-It's really feasible.

By recycling and reusing building materials, you

can save a lot of money on a project like this -

but will Chris see the benefits of Robert's ingenious plan?

There's nothing in it that's unattractive. It's just...

-I know...

-It is way beyond anything we talk about.

-It's bravery,

-but you can do it.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Is Chris on board? No.

Chris is not on board.

Will Claire get him on board? Claire needs to get him on board.

Claire needs this project, you know?

Claire needs to have that connection to the family.

And maybe that alone can drive the project.

Robert's plan is radical...

So, this wall is going.

..but Chris and Claire might need to be equally radical

in how they achieve it.

Plasterwork to finish over there.

They planned to get local builders in to do the work,

but the quotes are around £30,000 - three times their budget.

It has made us stop.

All our excitement evaporated, didn't it, quite quickly.

-Mm.

-Mm.

It's a big blow, but Chris and Claire aren't giving up yet.

They take a more detailed look at the quotes.

New steel beam - 5,000...

..and, determined to change their home,

they make an enormous decision.

Having the quotes back - although,

clearly, right now, we can't afford any of them -

is a useful exercise

because it forces you to think about things differently.

They're going to project manage and complete the work themselves.

But can it really save them £20,000?

I've no idea if that's enough or not.

Doing what you can yourself can save you thousands,

but only if you get it right.

I think we'll be all right.

I think.

Renovating your home on a budget often requires

bravery and some lateral thinking, but it's most

important to stick to only doing the work that needs to be done.

That's a lesson Mark and Linda need to take on board.

Mark and Linda always dreamt of living in the countryside.

-Proud parents, aren't they?

-Proud parents, yeah. Look at those!

So, with their children grown up and moved out,

they've sold up their town house and moved on.

We're country folk, really. We like our space and our long walks.

Their slice of heaven was this beautiful Leicestershire waterside.

We've always dreamt about living over here, you know?

There was just never anything on the market.

So, when a cottage became available for £138,000

in their dream location, they snapped it up.

It was only when they got the keys that the reality sunk in.

What have we done?!

We've bought something that's all quite cold and...

not comfortable, you know?

This house is like thousands of narrow terraced cottages

across the country.

We all crave light in our homes, but this is dark and cave-like.

Like many poorly designed homes,

the living room is little more than a corridor.

At the moment, this is a long way from being that...

country idyll.

We really do want to sort of strip it out and start again.

I need to meet Mark and Linda.

There are fundamental problems with the interior of their house.

I need to find a really low-cost way

of giving them as much pleasure from the inside

as they get from their amazing location.

With 15 grand, you can't afford to change

everything in a home like this.

My challenge is to find the compromise between

what they can live with, and what they can't.

See, when you come in here, your heart just sinks,

cos it's just so dark and dingy.

It's kind of amazing, standing here, how many materials there are,

how much stuff there is and how oppressive all of that is.

-Yes.

-I mean, you don't see the space.

All you see is the kind of riot of black and browns.

If, like here, you have a small room with

a mismatch of features and materials, you can

create a feeling of space by following one

simple, bright colour scheme, from paint

right through to furnishings.

We just don't like to be in here.

It doesn't feel very happy and relaxing at all.

And faux cottage glazing bars details block out sunlight,

and interrupt the view beyond.

By contrast, the tiny rear kitchen is filled with light.

This space just destroys the rest of the house

because it stops the garden being part of that main living room

and it's a funny, pokey little space.

If this wasn't here, the whole house - or the living space -

would feel probably eight times as big.

To reinvent the entire living space on this budget

won't be easy.

They've got about £15,000 here to make some big changes.

I think it's really important to know where to spend that money.

That wall clearly has to go.

And then going through the kitchen into the garden,

that needs to be a big opening.

This room will be completely transformed

by a couple of key moves.

You can easily waste money on a project

by getting carried away on the rip-out.

The stairs here are fine - replacing them could end up

costing over a grand.

If you're renovating on a budget, focus your

changes on what will make the biggest difference.

Remember, everything you remove must be replaced,

and those costs mount up.

They are not desperate for 200 millimetres of

additional space in this room, so I think they leave it, I think

they plaster it, paint it, and then, they'll forget about it.

This fireplace isn't ideal, but again, I could just plaster

over the top of these, rather than change it fundamentally.

The key changes are taking out the wall.

I would suggest putting your kitchen under the stairs.

What you end up with is a big, flexible space that you can

-live in in any number of ways.

-That really makes sense, doesn't it?

-Yes.

I think that building some kind of window seat here for you to

kind of linger in, that then becomes a natural sitting space.

I love the window seat idea, as well.

Losing all the internal walls will instantly

give a greater sense of space.

A purpose-built seat will create a bright relaxation zone.

Replacing the back window with bi-fold doors

means extra light can flood into the heart

of the ground floor.

And refitting their current kitchen to work

around the stairs is a really efficient use of space

that won't divide the room.

But my most important suggestion would bring a

third source of light from above.

Cutting a roof light into that loft space, you would get this

incredible kind of shaft of sunlight coming down the stairs into there.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Here, you need to be really careful and get the most for your money.

-It is starting to get exciting.

-We've got to start ripping it out.

I was going to ask if you were all right ripping things out

starting this evening, because I'm itching to get on with it, really.

Before beginning alterations such as these,

you should always consult all relevant authorities

and obtain the necessary approvals, including building control.

Having knocked our way around the wall, I've hit a hammer through it

-and could see right through.

-Absolutely brilliant. Look at that.

Yeah.

Doing the work themselves WILL save them money.

It's coming down quite well.

Oh!

But they're already ripping out decor that I think could

have been cheaply covered up.

Unless they concentre their efforts on the key changes,

I'm worried their 15K won't go far enough.

Oh! Wow!

So, to help them focus on bringing more light into their home,

I've organised exclusive access to a very special terraced house.

This compact home feels open and spacious

thanks to natural light flooding in from three

directions - the front, back, and, most importantly, above.

The materials are simple...

..with natural finishes providing texture.

The kitchen and fitted cupboards run along one wall,

while a carefully designed counter

provides more storage and worktops without dividing off the room.

So, this is about the same size floor plan as yours.

Just the addition of that roof light

makes this whole space feel incredibly light.

You probably haven't got the opportunity to do that light well,

but, actually, you do over the stairs.

You can bring light in here.

Bi-fold doors allow light to pour into this end of the room.

These particular ones cost £9,000, but you can find them

for less than £2,000.

Fixed panes of glass can be an even cheaper alternative.

I also liked the way that things that are typically a disadvantage,

this architect has made into something that is an advantage.

So, actually having a seat at the point of changing level

between inside and outside works really well.

But I think Phil Coffey's most successful

design detail here is the stairs.

This staircase is actually quite narrow,

so it allows the space around it to be maximised.

It doesn't need to dominate.

By using clear or reflective surfaces with

minimal structure, or adding skylights above,

you can flood light through even the darkest home.

Bringing top light into Mark and Linda's key

living area could be achieved on their budget.

Definitely shows that you can create the light, the space. That's great.

I think what Mark and Linda really understood - that something

as simple as light can be the organising principle of a piece of

architecture, and then you can build the rest of the house around it.

In Yorkshire, Chris and Claire are on a steep learning curve.

I know what it's called and I know roughly - ooh! - what it's for.

I just hope it works.

Today is Chris's first big test -

putting in steels to support the ceiling.

He can then remove the walls and make the ground floor open plan.

He wisely sought advice for the vital calculations

from a structural engineer and ensured the works complied with all

relevant building regulations before starting.

He's also employed an experienced builder on a day rate to help.

Claire bought two beams for £500 - a fraction of the original quote.

Sourcing your own materials is a great way to bring your costs down.

But, despite working with an expert...

..and the family still living here, this is nerve-racking.

One slip and the whole house could be structurally compromised.

Needs to go down a bit there and forward at that end.

Sorry, come forward.

Right.

I think that's it.

After a tough couple of days, the first steel is in place.

They've saved nearly £4,000 already by doing this themselves.

I think half an hour and a beer and I'll feel good about it all.

Right now, I'm just hurt.

But Chris has now got cold feet about Robert's biggest move -

taking down the shop ceiling.

Claire is much more excited about the prospect of taking

the ceiling - floor/ceiling - out.

I think that's where the risk lies for me.

That's wherein there is the potential for it to go wrong.

This double-height space is crucial to the project.

With Chris hesitant to go ahead,

the entire scheme hangs in the balance.

To lose a room, Chris is uncomfortable with that.

In one breath, you are turning on its head

a conventional way of living.

I am, of course I am,

because what I'm interested in is the quality of the space.

Which will be emotionally priceless.

This quality of space, not the quantity -

that's the thing they need to really hang on to.

I think going to actually physically experience what

this could be like feels really important.

In a final attempt to convince Chris, Robert's

carefully selected a house to show them in East London.

-Hiya, you all right?

-Nice to see you again, yeah.

-Let's go have a look.

This Grade II Georgian town house has been

transformed by a stunning two-storey extension to the rear.

A double-height space with walkways, views and galleries

is exactly what Claire and Chris could achieve in their home.

Wow.

-So, what do you think?

-It's gorgeous.

-It is lovely.

Of course, this is a much grander project, OK.

It's with a sizeable budget.

But for you, I think this double-height space is so important.

-Shall we move down and experience it from below?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

You can create a feeling of space by choosing one

single material or colour theme for furniture,

walls and floors. The layout here then creates different moods.

-I love the way the ceiling feels, being...

-In the kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Compressed.

-Yeah. I like that because it's more cosy.

And that's what you were worried about, wasn't it?

Yeah, when we first talked about it, I was a bit worried you'd

stand in the kitchen and it would be like looking down a letterbox and

then the front where the shop is at the moment feels like a periscope.

But I kind of agree with you, which is that when you stand back there,

it doesn't feel like you're looking through a letterbox.

It's that sense of scale which makes this room feel spectacular.

By following creators Mikhail-Riches' example,

you, too, can define spaces

within your open-plan room by using lighting.

Here, large pendant lights float directly over the dining area.

The staircase is made from larch with a bronze handrail

and was a significant investment.

Robert believes Chris and Claire can

achieve the same effect on their 10K budget

by simply repositioning and repurposing their own.

-Can you picture it now more?

-Better.

I think, as we take the wall down, and raise the floor up it becomes

-more and more real.

-And take the ceiling down.

We've got to talk about finishing it.

-You're just even more gung-ho about it now.

-And take the ceiling down.

What I've offered Chris is a big ask, OK.

It's a brave move and they need to be confident what they're doing

is the right thing. And, hopefully, they can go home enthused

and ready to move forward with the project.

Mark and Linda haven't followed my advice.

They have gutted the entire ground floor of their terraced cottage.

Getting carried away like this is a classic mistake.

It feels like the old original fire down here.

What started out as a low-cost build has now

become an archaeological dig.

The worst thing is this is your home

and you're digging a hole in the middle of it

and you're creating all this soil and dirt.

After a while, it gets you down a bit, you know?

The extra work means extra spending, including £1,800

on steel beams to support the first floor

and, despite my advice, they've also removed the old staircase.

I need to get this project back on track

and get them to focus on putting their house back

together, starting with the stairs.

The staircase at Mark and Linda's house is really,

really important, because if they get it wrong, I think

it will undermine everything else that they're doing.

And I think they don't need to squander

lots of money on an elaborate bespoke staircase.

They just need to focus on the bottom three steps

and then use something off the peg for the rest of them.

I want to discuss my ideas with them as soon as possible.

-Hi there.

-Hello!

-Hi!

This staircase will be a centrepiece in their living space

and they can't afford to get it wrong.

What I think we ought to do is use some blocks -

which I've brought with me, conveniently.

What would be great is if we got them and used them

just to work out where the first three or four steps are going to go.

And then, maybe just set out this stair.

A full-scale model is an opportunity to test out ideas

and start defining areas where they can enjoy their new space.

So, your first steps could be quite generous. That's it, great.

Exactly the right amount.

So, this is the window seat here, isn't it?

I like the idea very much that you could sit here

and talk to someone that was sitting here.

-It does define this end of the house, doesn't it?

-It does.

You can imagine sitting on the steps and doing your boots up

and going out for a walk.

Let's slide this up and see how it looks.

The key to cheaply achieving the staircase

they really want is to create something original themselves.

Yeah, that looks good.

You make these out of something beautiful and interesting,

that you can make yourself.

This makes it all interesting without being too dominant.

-This feels like this has got to be your thing.

-Yeah.

I think what's been really great today is understanding

that there is a solution for Mark and Linda's staircase that is

really architectural, but actually needn't cost much money.

They can use a standard builder's stair available for 150 quid,

make a beautiful set of three or four stairs

at the bottom for probably 50 quid, and that is a beautiful stair.

It doesn't need to cost hundreds or even thousands.

Central to Mark and Linda's build is getting

natural light into the heart of their home.

A roof light above the stairs will make all the difference.

There's a window up there!

-SHE LAUGHS Is there?

-Fantastic!

With the roof light in place, replastering and groundworks

going ahead, this house has had a complete overhaul.

But it's had a huge financial impact.

Frankly we've about blown our budget now.

So far, they've spent £20,000 -

five grand more than they wanted - and their home is still a shell.

Certainly, the kitchen -

we're probably going to have to re-use a lot of stuff.

We've got to get the stairs in yet and, as we go through the next

few months, we can gradually add things as we can afford them.

Back in Yorkshire, Chris and Claire have made the

bold decision to lose the ceiling, and today

they're at the point of no return.

The plan today is to take the floor... Take the floorboards up.

Chris is quite gung-ho about it now.

I think he's all inspired.

I'm all right now, because you've just got to do it.

Salvaging a hardwood floor like this can be a real saving,

and extra second-hand boards can be bought cheaply online,

or even sourced for free from skips with the permission of

whoever is throwing them out.

I'm not sure how many of these we're going to be able to keep.

They're really hard to get up.

Soon the double-height space begins to be revealed.

It's cool seeing both of the windows.

The light is amazing.

Seeing it now.

I think it's better than I imagined it, actually.

With all the structural work done,

their daring plan is paying off.

-Those beautiful trees.

-That does look wicked.

-I like it in here.

-It's really lovely.

-That's also a good thing.

Yeah. It's not that busy a pavement, I don't think.

Robert's grand vision to raise the floor should

make them feel less overlooked.

And by reusing their materials, moving the staircase

and laying the new floor has only cost them

just over £1,000 in labour.

But despite their heroic money saving, they've

now spent over half of their £10,000.

There's a lot left to do to finish it off.

I think that's worrying me at the minute.

I think we've spent about 5,500 so far.

I think we could easily spend, this week with the plumbing

and the electrician, another thousand.

There's a lot of materials we've got to buy soon.

That'll soon mount up - it seems to.

They haven't the three grand-plus quoted to re-plaster.

Robert needs to find them a clever solution that will help them finish

the project and provide them with a bit more privacy.

Chris, Claire, OK, this is a property I've brought you to

because, essentially, I want to express an idea

-that breaks with convention. Let's go in and have a look.

-OK.

-OK.

Instead of choosing popular light colours

which make spaces feel bigger...

the owners of this property have used dark shades to create

intimacy, drama and warmth.

Mm!

-What do you think?

-It's very different.

It's cosy, isn't it? It's all snuggly.

Paint is the cheapest way you can alter the feel of a room -

and the most effective.

It kind of envelops you here.

It's what a family space needs to be, I think.

But Robert has a key reason for wanting these two

to darken their walls.

What's more is that because it's dark, and outside is bright,

it will reflect the outside.

So, from outside, you will not be able to view in.

I get the idea that using dark paint inside will reflect outside, because

that's why when houses are empty, you go up to the window and do that.

-Yeah, because it's all dark.

-Absolutely.

-I like it.

I don't think I'd paint it black, though.

If you paint different details the same colour,

it all feels unified.

Chris and Claire could tie in their remaining plaster, brickwork

and scars from the old living room floor with one colour.

It's an inexpensive way of actually completing the build.

No plastering, no skim, no joinery.

-No.

-No.

-No.

It's just almost kind of like tarting up the edges

and painting over it.

Not only that, because of the dark background, what sings then

is the colour, is the furniture.

Your staircase may become something that's the colourful

object in the space - your staircase and your balustrading.

If you want to create a vibrant design statement

in your home, try a block of intense colour -

either on surfaces or a piece of bold furniture.

You can take this idea one step further with

focused spot lights to add even more drama.

-I love it, I think it's exactly what we want. What

-I

-want, maybe.

-Mm-hm.

-I can completely imagine our house now, like this.

Totally.

It's won us over, hasn't it?

It is a very unconventional project. That's the thing.

It's this glass frontage, to a green, to a very public space.

These are your little tricks, if you like - of lifting the floor up,

of painting it dark.

That allows them to sit in their box and look out.

They can enjoy being in that space and looking out onto the green.

Straight on.

With the reconstruction complete,

Mark and Linda's £4,200 made-to-measure bi-folds

are installed, and they start turn their attention to the all-important

interior finishes.

-That looks great.

-Yeah.

But they're already five grand over budget,

and any additional spending needs to be carefully managed,

so it's crucial I help them find low-cost ideas to redecorate.

The view, the reservoir, is really important for Mark and Linda.

And making somewhere that Linda can really use in that window,

I think, could be fantastic.

This local recycling project reuses wood waste

from building sites, schools and offices.

Now that the work is, I guess, substantially, complete.

-Are you still thinking about doing a window seat?

-Yes, very much so.

-Yes.

There are projects like this all over the country

that sell recycled wood cheaply, direct to the general public.

Feel the weight of that compared to... Oh!

This is pallets that they've taken and they've stripped them

-down and taken all the nails out.

-These are lovely, and they?

These are beautiful. Scaffold boards.

This sands down beautifully.

The inside, you can see, it's really sort of untouched

and really good quality.

When you sand that, you actually get the sort of patina of the ageing.

-This?

-Yes, that.

-That looks fantastic.

Scaffold boards are a good choice if you want

to build your own furniture.

They're solid wood, sturdy, and come in uniform lengths.

You can already see that they are making a bench for somebody

else here out of scaffold board.

They're also cheap, and second-hand,

they can cost as little as a couple of pounds.

-That looks good.

-From the wood we've seen so far, you know,

I like the idea of the scaffold boards, really.

So, let's draw this 3D thing again with the actual boards shown.

So, the bits of wood that could be wood with paint on are these.

Mark and Linda's window seat could be built here for just £340,

giving them a bespoke item that will allow

them to comfortably enjoy that view.

Then, the other thing is to have made pull-out storage boxes.

All of that is really just one, two, three, four -

probably five long scaffold boards.

But it sort of feels quite integrated.

Yeah, yeah, I do like that.

What I've been trying to do with Mark and Linda is not give them

a piece of high design that I've done every inch of,

but really to give them a framework in which they can do things.

Lots of exciting prospects for actually using the materials

-to create something.

-It will make that corner of the room look lovely.

Looking at the cost here, I think it's doable

and we can find those pennies, can't we, to do it.

But these pennies have to go a long way,

with repainting and kitchen fitting still unfinished.

And, against my advice, they've had a bespoke

staircase fitted at £1,500.

We're not going to get there.

With the house still not much more than an empty shell,

Linda's bespoke window seat arrives.

With this key piece of furniture in place,

Mark and Linda finally get a sense of what this space can become.

But the rest of ground floor remains far from finished.

Mark and Linda have pushed themselves and their budget

with this project - will they have succeeded in transforming it into

a beautiful home in the countryside?

I'm back in Leicestershire,

keen to see what Mark and Linda have accomplished.

When I first came here, their cottage was dark, dingy and dated,

and Mark and Linda had no idea how to transform it

into their vision of a country cottage.

The ground floor was starved of light

and little more than a gloomy and cramped corridor...

..with a mismatch of oppressive design features.

They tore this house apart, digging down to

the foundations and bare stone, but have they managed

to put it back together again?

-Hi, Linda.

-Hello, Piers.

-How you doing?

Look at this. Amazing.

I can't believe it's the same house.

There's still some work to do, but now

their claustrophobic period cottage is a bright

and spacious modern home.

This is a really good model, for a simple straightforward house

that has really good qualities of light and really usable space.

It ticks all the boxes of the things that we wanted from the start.

A dividing wall split the space in two, creating a tiny galley kitchen.

With the wall removed, natural light floods

through the entire ground floor.

-This is a gloomy day, but, actually, this feels full of light.

-Yes.

It's lovely being able to see end to end

and it's actually quite a rare thing.

You can wash up looking at the reservoir -

I never expected that.

Inspired by the house I took them to, they've installed bi-fold doors

that bring in light and make the space feel much larger.

Part of what makes this feel

so big is having this fantastic opening here.

Now the garden feels like part of this room.

-It's literally coming into the house, isn't it?

-It really is.

Bringing in three sources of light was the key here,

from the front, back and above.

I can see you've done the important thing

-which is put that roof light in the middle.

-Yes.

That's given us a lot of light.

This space now feels bright and is filled

with light all day long.

It really is hard to believe that this is a small house

because it feels so full of space.

And illuminated by the new window sits the new

made-to-measure staircase.

It cost £1,500 to replace the old stairs.

It's not quite complete, but already

defines the centre of their home.

So, I can see you've done the bottom step.

Well, all of the stairs, actually.

But importantly you've done what you wanted with the bottom step

-and wrapped it around.

-Exactly. Yes.

-It looks great, doesn't it?

It really does feel that the stair is part of this, rather than

just a linear thing that only allows you to go up from the front door.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Exactly what we wanted,

and somewhere to sit and put your boots on.

The other things, of course,

is that you've taken out the brick wall, the brick skin that was there.

I was a little bit nervous about what you might find underneath it.

You were right!

You haven't been afraid to stamp your mark on this, have you?

These little patches.

We could have just had irregular shapes, but we thought,

you know, heart and home and all that. It's a bit twee, but...

This wall looks really tactile.

It's a very nice place to do something a bit fun as you go

-up and down the stairs.

-I think so.

-And it's very you, I think.

When I first came, I was nervous about your budget, and I think I

was trying to encourage you just to do the bare minimum to open up this.

-I can see why.

-Yes!

-But houses are tricky things. Old houses.

As you start unpicking, it's crazy to leave a problem.

It's putting them back again that's the problem.

But also, if you're going to do the work, I can really see from

your perspective, that one lot of upheaval to get something absolutely

right is better than doing something three or four years down the line.

So, spending a little bit more now,

but then not having to do anything in the future makes sense.

I wanted to make this room one they never wanted to leave.

the key to that was the bespoke window seat made inexpensively

from reclaimed scaffold boards.

Replacing patterned glass panes, but not the frames,

is an inexpensive way to modernise your home and bring in more light.

-It has made such a difference.

-Total difference.

Before, I was hardly aware of the reservoir when I was inside.

And now it really feels like it's right there.

What I think is nice here, all the way through the house,

is that it shows that design isn't about lavishing lots of money

and it's not about taste.

It's about getting fundamental principles right to do with

space and light and how you can live in something.

And that's really the principle that you've followed.

Originally, when I came here, you talked about spending

about £15,000 to make quite significant changes.

I know you've spent more than that. How much more have you spent?

Well, to start off with, we didn't really know how much

we were going to spend and how much renovation it was going to take.

Just doing the structural changes and everything -

that was in excess of 20 anyway, so we have blown the budget there.

We've probably doubled what we...

-Doubled what we...

-Yes, I think so.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

In your case, until you started unpicking,

-you didn't really know what you were going to do.

-It was open-ended.

It's been quite a learning curve.

You've ended up with a building that feels now remarkably complete.

It's just wonderful now. Yes.

Mark and Linda have truly embraced this process

and have created a home that's light-filled,

spacious and a beautiful place

from which to build their new country life.

They spent more than they thought they were going to originally,

but they've done far more work.

And what they've done, very sensibly,

is invest in the really important things.

And, ultimately, they've ended up

with a house that they really clearly love.

In Yorkshire, the double-height space has been created.

But Chris, Claire and their three children are

still living in a shell.

Today, Robert wants to help focus their thinking

onto interior finishes.

I'm still looking around at all the jobs we've got to do, but...

-we've got lots done.

-I think it's marvellous.

With just three and a half grand left to complete

the work and redecorate, Robert hopes to get

creative with materials recovered from the property

and finish off the staircase as cheaply as possible.

This is my builder's yard, this.

This is our very own reclamation yard.

-We don't even need to go out.

-No.

I've got all sorts of bits round here, Robert.

-One post.

-Beautiful, look at that.

-It's good, isn't it?

-It's fabulous.

It's almost a shame not to use that.

Inspired by this find, Robert takes Claire to

a local metal fabrication workshop with an idea in mind

for the balustrades.

I love these places.

You come around, you see things, it gives you ideas, it inspires you.

You can find fabricators specialising in

assembling metal structures countrywide.

They are a great source of metal products you

won't find in DIY stores.

There's a whole range - a whole kit of parts

that could be used to create your own shapes and forms.

By using contrasting materials like metal

with the natural grain of wood, you can create something beautiful

even on a budget.

These are circular galvanised tubes. Very inexpensive, off-the-shelf.

You can just kind of fabricate your own handrail, OK? What do you think?

I really like it.

I think the contrast between the metal and the wood...

And I like the...

I want it to be something different that we've thought about.

Untreated, untouched. Just weathered.

What this is used for is for bicycle racks.

You can imagine almost a series of these, you know?

They could be at 100 centres - or less - along your staircase. OK?

This can almost become your balustrading.

These are really cheap.

These are probably, to fabricate, about £2 each. OK?

This here can give you a light, steel contrasting sculptural piece.

-I love it. I really love it.

-I think it's almost beautiful.

These balustrades are truly unique and a real

first for local joiner Chris.

It's nice to do something a bit different.

There's a lot of work before we make it look pretty again.

Chris has devised a way to fit the tailor-made

metal rods into the recycled handrail.

Basically just works the same as a normal spindle.

You've got your spacers cut -

they push into your groove that you've prepared.

Spindle slots in and then between every spindle,

put your next spacer in.

-Ready for your next one.

-It looks amazing.

It is ridiculously exciting today.

Chris and Claire have made some daring structural changes,

but the house remains a building site -

there's still masses of work to

do to finally transform it into a family home.

When Robert first met Chris and Claire nearly

four months ago, the post office they'd hoped

to transform into a spacious family home was

failing to deliver.

This was always a big ask.

It was a tall order for them to bring this in on budget.

Let's see if they have been brave enough to complete,

if they've taken on board everything we've talked about

and really just see how it's all come together.

-Hello.

-Hello. How are you?

-How are you?

-Very well, how are you?

-Good.

Chris and Claire had simply abandoned the overlooked front room.

The gloomy kitchen left Claire cut off from family life.

Have a look.

-It's amazing.

-It took a few deep breaths before we did the ceiling.

"Are we going to do it, are we going to do it?"

I... I did love that room.

I like this room a lot more.

They boldly followed Robert's plan to remove

the ceiling and create an extraordinary double-height space.

Although not quite finished, with the internal walls removed,

the ground floor is opened up and completely revolutionised.

What you've created here actually is really quite unprecedented.

With such a tight budget, they've shopped smart

online and at stores like Wickes, Screwfix

and Ikea. They picked up this stunning light for under £40.

The flex and fitting cost just a couple of quid.

We don't get the experience of these kind of spaces every day,

so once you experience it, it's something that is

so unusual for us, but it lifts us.

It's just a completely different atmosphere.

Chris and Claire couldn't afford to re-plaster, so instead,

they made a virtue of the unfinished look and it became

a decorative theme throughout.

And the exposed brick, no plaster work involved.

Just taking off the existing and leaving it.

And it works so well against the paint. It's the bravery.

The existing skirting becomes the picture rail,

leaving the plugs and sockets.

They've been painted, but they just blend into the background.

Drawing on what they've learnt,

they've used simple interior finishes like a bank of bold,

dark colour - this adds drama and cosiness to the space,

and can be achieved for the cost of a tin of paint.

-And the staircase.

-This is a talking point.

Everyone who's been involved in that loves it.

-That is marvellous.

-Yeah.

The unique, custom-built staircase is the defining feature.

It looks quite expensive.

-It does.

-But really, for each of these verticals, it cost...

-£2 each.

-£2 each.

-Yes.

See how you've created one very bespoke piece with very little.

-I'm just going to help myself.

-Try it out.

I have been wanting to come up here

because now you can really get the experience of the space.

The light pours in. Really brave move,

but it works really well, doesn't it?

And the landing.

That wall is 130 years old

and what you've done is taken away the plasterboard

and exposed the history of the original post office building.

It is a feature wall.

You see all these little kind of tricks of how to make

a really intimate family destination room with very little.

Chris and Claire have saved money throughout

by recycling and reusing surplus materials,

including the floor - an excellent cost-effective way

to create quirky design features without breaking the bank.

The old post office front was totally

overlooked from the street, but by lifting

the ground floor level above the eye line of

the passers-by this room has a renewed sense of privacy.

Raised floor. Fantastic, yeah?

Looking above the street, you've no net curtains,

you get the view of the green.

It's a really comfortable elevated position you're in now.

A completely different feel now.

-It made a difference straightaway.

-Yes.

There's no closing of the curtains to protect you from the street.

No, we don't care now. We don't care who looks in.

The kitchen was once completely isolated from the rest

of the house - now, it's become the centre of the home.

And here there's yet more budget-saving reclamation.

The old kitchen units have been salvaged and remodelled

and the floor joist and carpentry nails have been reused

as shelves with cup hooks.

This was a really important part of the house.

I think this was the catalyst.

It was a big ask to remove two walls, move the staircase,

-lift the floor, remove a room.

-Yes.

But it was all to kind of connect you back, or connect the kitchen

through to the family and pull the living space down.

-How do you feel about all that?

-It's brilliant.

It's worked entirely.

It's almost perfect, I think.

In fact, I think it probably is perfect.

I don't think there's anything I would change.

It works and it does kind of bring the family together, doesn't it?

Absolutely, yes. We're always all in here all the time.

It's a home now, not a house.

Chris and Claire have totally transformed this

post office into an unconventional, spacious and stunning family home.

Can they possibly have done it all for just £10,000?

OK, so, the budget.

Mm-hm. OK.

Your budget was ten.

-Yeah.

-Where are we?

We have spent -

not including the wood-burning stove...

We have spent...

just...

under...

..nine, haven't we?

-Re...

-Not including the stove.

-Just under nine.

-Really?

-Yes.

You've done incredible for a 10k budget

and look what you've got here. It really is...

-It is amazing.

-..amazing.

But it wouldn't have been possible without you guys taking

the bull by the horns, if you like, and just moving through it

-and having belief in yourself to kind of see it through.

-Yeah.

We talked about this all the way through.

-We'd never have thought of it.

-No.

-It's a complete...

We were looking what to do with the room, not what to do with the house.

Chris and Claire have succeeded in making

a family home out of a forgotten post office -

a place where they can now be together with family and friends.

What they've achieved, to be quite honest, I'm really happy for them.

And to bring it in under budget!

There were those moments when the project could have bombed,

but Claire was kind of determined.

Chris, right through the project.

I'm just taking aback by coming here and seeing this and the family

in this room and really enjoying it and being together. It's fantastic.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

-It's definitely worth it.

-It's been worth every minute.

'Next time, Lisa dreams of a total

'transformation, but only has 8K to do it.'

I don't want anything really naff.

'I push her to mix the unusual...'

To have something that is really thick

'..with off-the-shelf.'

They're really cheap.

'And Julie and Richard hate their outdated home.'

It's hideous.

'Can a dramatic mix of tricks make them change their minds?'

There's a bigger change you could consider.

I'm not sure I'm totally convinced by all that.