The Big Build - Enfield DIY SOS

He was strong, he played cricket.

I don't think I'd ever met anybody that was so physically in good shape.

You get married and think, "I'll be the one looking after everyone."

Never did I ever think

they'd be looking after me.

We're here to help a family face the future without their father.

I can't imagine life without him.

One of the most precious things that we have in life is time.

For you guys to give your time, I can now invest in being alive.

But we can't do it alone. We're going to need a whole community to pull together.

Let's turn this around and give this guy a bit longer with his kids.

It's just meant everything to a lot of people. Thank you.

We have just nine days to turn a little house into a very special home.

-In fact, it's that house behind you. Can we all get in there?

-No!

-Can we do it?

-No!

Hard luck. You have to do it anyway. This is DIY SOS: The Big Build.

CHEERING

Enfield, North London, is home to Eric,

Davina and their three children Summer, Jodie and youngest Layla.

They live here in this two-bedroom, Victorian terrace.

Eric, a keen sportsman, has always been super-fit, playing football and cricket from a young age.

But 18 months ago, the family's lives were turned upside down

when, out of the blue, Eric started to experience some worrying symptoms he couldn't explain.

I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but I knew something was up.

I'd be carrying milk from the fridge to the work surface and the milk would fall out of my hand.

I thought, "You clumsy idiot, you keep dropping stuff."

But after that happened about four or five times,

I remember thinking, "I didn't let that go, that fell out of my hand."

Over the next few weeks, Eric's symptoms got progressively worse.

I then started to research what these symptoms could possibly mean.

And I kept landing on the page for motor neurone disease.

I felt ill to my core. I couldn't believe this was possibly what I was looking at.

Eric was referred to a neurologist who, after further tests, confirmed his worst fears

and he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease,

a condition which destroys the cells found throughout the body

which the brain uses to control muscle movement.

Eric's form of motor neurone disease is terminal

with a life expectancy of up to three years.

I'm currently in month 15 today.

We decided very early on to be as honest as we could with the children.

We wanted the children to understand what was going to happen.

I'm not going to be here to see their first boyfriend, see them get married, go to university.

I'm not going to be here for that.

Since Daddy got ill, it's brought us all a lot closer. We do everything together, I suppose, yeah.

This time that we've got from here on in is the most precious time we have got as a family.

The fear that instilled within me...

I'm still trying to come to terms with, I think.

You know, what's going to happen? How are we going to manage without Eric who is such an amazing father?

-SOBBING

-I can't imagine life without him.

As the disease progresses, Eric will start to become completely dependent on his wheelchair.

We're finding now the house is getting quite difficult for us.

He's having a lot more difficulty in manoeuvring round the house, getting up and down stairs.

Because the bedroom is upstairs and the toilet facilities are upstairs,

if I decide to stay up there, I'm going to be cut off from my family.

Along with this, they are all squeezed into these two bedrooms.

There's a semi-converted loft room, but it's unsafe and now just used as a junk room,

so Layla, the youngest, is still sleeping in with Eric and Davina,

not ideal with Eric's condition getting more serious.

I was going to sort out the loft, I was going to sort out the kids' bedrooms.

Unfortunately, that has been taken away from me.

It will be one of my dreams coming true if I can see that happen for my children.

'That's why we're here - to do our best to turn that dream into a reality

'and give the family a home which will help, rather than hinder them over the tough times ahead.'

The renovations we'll do now, are they to make things nicer for you or to make things easier for your dad?

I think, priority-wise, definitely to make things easier for Daddy.

You wouldn't be upset if we made things nice for you too?

I think we'd like that too, but I just want to make Daddy's life easier, basically.

-Can we do whatever we want with it to make it better?

-Yeah.

-Have you ever seen the programme?

-Yeah.

-And you trust us?

-Yeah. LAUGHTER

What do you need to make this house work?

Three growing girls and two bedrooms is difficult enough in itself,

but now there are added difficulties with the layout of the house because of your illness.

So how does that affect you and what are the difficulties you face?

What would have been a normal house for an able-bodied person

has now turned into a house with many traps.

He has lost the strength in his arms. If he does fall, it's quite substantial damage to him.

He had one fall down the stairs from the top to the bottom backwards.

This house has always been a sanctuary for me and my wife and my children.

And because I've got motor neurone disease,

it's threatening to change that into a death trap for me.

-So...

-You'd like us to try and sort that out?

-Please make it safe.

I promise we'll do our very best. We'll do our very best and we'll try and get everybody to help out too.

Thank you. Thank you.

'We've got an awful lot to do to try and sort this house out

'and make it a safer environment for Eric, Davina and the girls.'

-We will do our best. I promise.

-Thank you so much.

'So it's time to get the family off as we really need to get started.'

Hello there, guys. Hello. How are you? All right?

They've found out that the school said they could have the day off

and Mum and Dad said, "No, they'll be all right."

-You've sent them in for another day?

-Yeah, exactly.

I'm not letting them have a free day off. I didn't get any free days!

-We've got to get on with stuff, so, gents, if you'd like to head on this way.

-See you later.

I want to say one thing. I want you to know

that one of the most precious things that we have in life is time.

And for you guys to give your time to try and help my life be a lot better

is the most rewarding thing you could possibly do for someone.

The best way I could probably show you how grateful I am for that

is to use that time that you've given me to live a bit longer

That's the best way. Thank you.

-Because you've given me this time.

-A pleasure, mate.

-Thanks.

-I'll catch up with you later in the week.

-Lovely. Cheers.

-Bye.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

Well, we all know now why we're doing it and why we've got to do the best we can.

Come here.

-Lovely words. We've got to get on.

-We've got to do the best we can.

-All right, mate. I know.

-Come on. Let's go and get this done, yeah?

'Never has it been clearer why we're all here, but we've got a job to do and there is no time to waste.'

-Guys, people are turning up.

-Right.

'The local Enfield trades have not let us down and they've turned out in force.

'Everyone has been touched deeply by Eric's story and it's clear how important this build will be.'

It's a really tight site. The only way to get through it is have a laugh, enjoy yourselves,

let's turn this around and give this guy a bit longer with his kids.

-Up for it?

-Yeah.

-Thanks very much. Enjoy yourselves. We'll get the tea on as soon as possible.

'We've got just nine days and the clock is already ticking.

'Inside, it's already absolute mayhem.

'With such a tight site and 30 local trades in,

'it's difficult to see how everyone is going to fit, let alone get any work done. Bellies in, lads!'

Why do plumbers always put a little bit of weight on

and they've got to get in the smallest places in the room like behind the sink, behind the toilet?

-Too many bacon sandwiches.

-Good living, is it, lads?

'But the man who is here to make sense of all this chaos is our designer Oliver Heath.'

That should be above the washing machine there.

'Oliver has been with us a couple of times. A glutton for punishment!

'Oliver's real passion is to bring everyday homes up to scratch and make them fit for the future.

'With two young girls of his own, he's well aware of the needs a house has to fulfil for a growing family.

'It will be tough to combine this with Eric's medical needs,

'but that's why he's here - to get the balance right.'

-Hello, design team.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-So, a very small house. Not much to design then?

-Easy(!)

-Yes... No, it's quite a tricky house.

-It is.

-Really, there were so many functional things that were dictated by Eric's condition.

-Yeah.

And it's really important that, on top of all these functional things, we make this a beautiful house

and it's a fantastic place for them to live, it's a home.

'Oliver's got big plans for this little house.

'His design means we're ripping out the old kitchen and building a new extension to the rear

'to create a kitchen-dining area for the whole family.

'We're widening all the doorways,

'so that Eric can move around the house independently in his wheelchair.

'On the first floor, we're turning the bathroom into a wet room suitable for Eric and the family

'and putting in a special lift to give wheelchair access from the ground floor.

'On the top floor, we'll completely gut the existing attic,

'put in new stairs and square off the roof to make a new bedroom for Summer, the eldest girl.

'There is a lot to do, but it's the only way to sort out the house for Eric

'and give the family the extra space they're after.'

Every ten centimetres will make a huge difference within this house,

so we'll have to be really careful about every piece that comes through that door

to make sure we maximise the potential of this house.

'This build will be defined above all else by space. We've got to create as much of it as possible

'to house a growing family of five and this means pushing out to the rear.'

-We've got a SIPS extension over in the neighbour's garden.

-Are we handballing it over the wall?

-Yeah, we're going to get it into this position. How long will that take you?

-About three or four hours.

-We need to get the foundation in.

-Ge the walls in and we'll get it done.

'And we're building up. Well, as far as planning regs will allow us.

'But first we need some heavy-duty hardware.'

That's the steel lorry, so I'll go up to that junction

-and we'll try and get this swung in straight away. I'll go and do that.

-Yeah.

-Thank you, everybody.

'These steel beams are being craned in to support a new loft extension which takes five weeks to build,

'but we've got just a few days, so we've drafted in loft extension specialists Dave and Rob.'

-So you've got seven days to do a lof conversion, Dave?

-I know, I know.

Mind you, the world was built in seven days, wasn't it?

-LAUGHTER

-'At least they seem confident!'

-Ready?

-OK...

'On a terraced, suburban street, a whole community has to help us, not least with patience

'because of unavoidable disruption.

'It's a real challenge just getting materials delivered to the site.'

We've just got no space. We've just blocked off a whole road here for a truck to get in.

One of the most difficult jobs we've done in terms of it being a very small house, very little parking.

But what do we do? We just hope that people bear with us and put up with the trouble we're causing them.

Sorry for the delay.

'Everyone seems happy to help, including the kind neighbour

'who let us store the wood panels for our extension in her garden,

'which we'll have to hump over the garden fence, so it'll need a bit of muscle.'

There it is. There, look. There we go.

'Our SIPS extension is a clever pre-fabricated system which can be bolted together on site

'by a team of two in just a few hours. It should be easy.'

-You're not going to get these lifted up with two people.

-Two of us got it from the lorry to there.

Oh, no, that ain't gonna happen.

It's a little bit embarrassing.

They are littler than us. You and him can get it over there.

-Me and him can't lift it, but you and him...?

-Yeah.

'I have honestly never felt so embarrassed, knackered and old,

'but I do see myself in more of a supervisory role these days.'

-Ready, everybody?

-Up...and push!

A little bit more.

Well done, everyone. 'If I was a horse, they'd put me out to pasture now.

'No, surely my unique talents are needed in the loft,

'talking to Dave and the boys who have found a solution to the low ceiling problem.'

We're extending these rafters out to give extra head height.

Now with that, we're going to get seven-foot ceilings.

-Seven-foot?

-Yeah.

-Even with all the installation we have to put in?

'It is going to be a huge amount of work up here,

'but it's the only way of eking out the third bedroom that the family desperately need.

'It's vital for Eric to move around safely in his wheelchair

'and with the family's bathroom upstairs, he'll need a lift to get there.'

Eric will be able to come up in his lift, get access into the bedroo through a new doorway here

and he'll also have access into his new wet room which will be here and will be brilliant.

But what's really nice is as the lif comes up out of the living room, it stays flush with the ceiling,

which means they've got a very normal space down the stairs.

He doesn't want it full of disabilit stuff. He wants the kids to have a normal space. He's a lovely man.

'One of the first things to knock down in the house is the dividing wall that forms a corridor

'to the front door as the family have found wheelchair access increasingly difficult.

'What we replace it with becomes, suddenly, a bone of contention.'

We're putting a new stud wall up which is going to make this entrance wider.

We'll move this over by ten centimetres, so we'll have a one-metre-wide hallway

-and a one-metre-wide opening off that wall.

-They've got little enough room as it is.

-Why are we closing the room down?

-I hate when you have the front door going directly into living space.

-Yeah, but you live in a big house.

-When you open the front door, you get a burst of cold air.

-They've got to get the wheelchair in and out.

-Yeah, we've got all the measurements.

And making maximum use of the space that's here is.... Why are you breaking the room up?

Because it creates a much better space here as a proper lounge space,

as opposed to a circulation space coming straight in off the street.

Look, maybe I'm completely... Who thinks the best idea is to not have a wall here at all?

-In their circumstances, no wall.

-No wall.

I see where you're coming from about having the wall and the privacy,

but why not go back here with the sofa and give as much space coming through here?

Then you've got wheelchair access in through the middle of the room.

-Oliver, I have to agree with Nick this time.

-'It seems Builders 5, Oliver 1.'

This is a really tricky decision and if it means getting rid of the wall, that's fine,

but I'm not going to be swayed because I'm just outvoted by a gang of builders

who are all going to side with each other against the designer.

I'm not prepared to be pushed into a corner by that sort of attitude.

We've got to do the right thing for the house and for the whole family.

That is Eric, but it's also the girls as well.

And their life in this home is important.

'Oliver, if you want the wall back up, I think you'll have to build it yourself.

'We're feeling the pressure and emotions are running high.

'The decisions we make will have a massive effect.

'So even if me and the boys don't see eye to eye with Oliver,

'we're all united in our determination to get things right for the family.'

-So at the moment, you two share?

-Yeah.

-And how's that?

-A bit annoying because we get on top of each other, but it can be fun.

-Yeah, there are bonuses to it.

Summer, you were lying in the middle and Jodie said, "Don't step over that line."

-Where do you sleep?

-In Mummy and Daddy's room.

-Really?

-Layla stays in our room a lot, though.

-Mummy says it's a sleepover.

-A sleepover, but it turns out to be a three-month sleepover!

-So it would be good to have little bits of space where you could be yourself as well?

-Yeah, definitely.

Everyone needs some space away from their family, even for five minutes.

Do you all sit down and eat together?

-We used to.

-We used to eat at the table. We'd all sit down and have Sunday roast dinner,

then we'd turn off the television and just talk about things,

but when all the stuff started piling on the table, all the forms about Daddy's illness

and all the forms about Mummy's work and all our books,

then we couldn't eat there, so we had to sit down at our sofa area.

We got out of the habit of turning off the television and talking, so we just watched the television.

Suddenly, too many things going on.

If we could separate out a little work area for you and the TV area is one thing

and the kitchen and dining area, you would have different places to go.

I used to think I wanted to move for a long time,

then I came to the realisation that, especially with everything that's going on,

I realised that it's not the size of the house, it's the people, the atmosphere and the environment.

That's what makes a home, I think, and I think that's exactly what we've got.

-What would be the best thing you could hope for when you come back?

-Anything. A change, really.

-Yeah.

-A change. A change for the better?

-Yeah.

-OK, I think we can do that.

'And that change is happening before our eyes.

'It's amazing to see what we've achieved already.

'Out the back, the lads have almost finished the SIPS extension.'

-Why are they called SIPS?

-It's got to be, um...

-Structural.

-Structural...?

-Important...

-Insulation.

-Insulated?

-What's SIPS stand for?

-No idea. I've never even heard of it

-We've put these up for ten years and I've never heard them called that.

-Have you not?

-No. Timber-frame.

-I hope that's a lot clearer for you.

-Very much so. Thanks(!)

'Good morning. With over 30 local trades on site today,

'it's amazing to see the Enfield community pulling together to do everything they can for the family.'

-The most important shed is up there. It's where you make the tea.

-We'll all go down there.

-Tea and doughnuts.

-There's plenty of doughnuts standing around.

-That's nice, innit(?)

'There's been a real outpouring of tea and support for the family here in Enfield

'and everyone is donating their time and effort to get the house sorted.

'But none of them would be here, had it not been for Eric and Davina's best friend Amanda

'who made it her mission to get us all here.'

-I'm going to introduce you to somebody. This lady is a Twitter stalker.

-Really?

-Yeah.

It's very rare I get to introduce somebody as a stalker, but that's exactly what you are, isn't it?

-More a psycho Twitter stalker.

-Yes. You wrote in to us.

-Twice I wrote in to you.

-To me?

-Yeah.

-On my website?

-Yes.

-Then I passed that on to the office and said to you, "You should apply directly to the office."

-Yes.

-Which you also did.

-Yes.

-But then on my Twitter,

I'm getting five a day, saying, "I still haven't heard anything. You don't realise how important this is.

"Twitter me back immediately. I still haven't heard from you.

-"I'm still here. Don't think I'm going away."

-LAUGHTER

-At least I know they're read.

-That's the way to do it.

-That's definitely not the way to do it.

-But the net result is...

-You're here.

-Yeah, and look what you've don to the place.

-I've destroyed it.

-It's got no roof on it.

-No.

-It's got no back on it.

-Do you like what we've done with the place?

-It's amazing. Are you leaving it like this?

-Shabby chic is what we're going for.

-They'll like it.

-Are you pleased that you...?

-I'm overcome.

This is the first time I've seen it. I can't believe that you guys are all here doing this.

'Just a day ago, this was a family bathroom, but to make space for the lift and new wet room,

'this wall has got to come out.

'When Mark's not around, Jules is the man in charge.

'When it comes to knocking stuff down, there's no denying he's built for the job.

'But the more we knock down, the more problems we're finding.

'The ceiling between the first floor and the attic is loose and could fall down at any moment.'

-It's not looking too sweet.

-No. The best bet would be to get that down, get it out of the way.

-Get stuck in.

-All right.

-All right?

'If you say so, Jules. You're the boss.

It's really shocking. Normally, we'd be planning a job like this for seven or eight months.

While this demolition stuff happens very quickly in the first few days,

you've got the confidence knowing this is a build that will be going on for four or five months.

This is less than a shell. It just sends tingles down my fingers

because you just can't see how it's all going to come back together.

Imagine what the family are saying.

If they were here now to see their old hallway and bathroom...

This is just... I know we've got used to seeing it, but this is...

-You've got to go backwards to go forwards, son.

-It's quite a long way backwards.

It's unbelievable, innit?

'Flipping heck! Leave Jules in charge for five minutes and look what happens!

'Breathe, Mark, breathe!'

We were putting the dormer on here and a loft room in here and we've removed the top of the house now!

It's spiralling again, isn't it?

-Spiralling.

-Yeah.

-Spiralling, yes.

-I'm not saying it's spiralling out of control.

-No, it's not.

-Spiralling nonetheless.

'With only five days left, the full scale of the build is becoming clear and it's daunting,

'but everyone on site is focused on one thing - to do the best they can do to get the house right

'to help Eric, Davina and the girls make the difficult times ahead as happy and stress-free as possible,

'so they can spend as much family time as they can, building happy memories together.'

I just wondered to what extent for you

having people come in and do building work on your house makes that much difference?

I'll tell you what it does. It eliminates the risk factor or certainly minimises it,

so that I'm no longer stressing about,

"Can I go into the kitchen without pulling something down, falling over or getting tipped out the chair?"

Because I'm no longer stressed about simple things like that,

I can now invest that time and that energy into having a better time with my family

and therefore living a much more positive experience with them.

And that time will involve smiles.

-Yeah.

-I know you work really hard, no matter what your own fears are,

-to make sure the time you spend with your children is full of smiles and happiness.

-Yeah.

They're great kids.

Oh, you're seeing them at their best

You want to hear them! I mean, they're fantastic.

Don't get me wrong. They're fantastic, but my word, they're kids

and they test the boundaries all the time.

Sick or not, they'll test the boundaries and they certainly do

I try my best to define and set their moral compass and so far, it looks like it's worked.

You've done a great job. They're wonderful children.

What is it that occupies your mind the most at the moment?

The one that haunts me all the time is who is going to look after my children, my wife when I'm not here.

You get married and you think, "I'll be the one looking after everyone."

Never did I ever think...

..they'd be looking after me.

This is not your fault, Eric.

This has just happened.

The world's a difficult place...

..to live in.

I want to protect them.

-ERIC SOBS

-I know, I know.

They won't be left on their own.

Because you're the man that you are, because you're the man other people respect and love,

it means that you've built an extra family around you.

You don't have a group of friends like this who badgered me constantly on Twitter...

-Sorry about that.

-..who wrote to me constantly on my website, who rang the BBC,

who came out in force to help us...

-Those people aren't there by accident. They're there because of who you are.

-Yeah.

It is incredibly comforting.

The way that I put it is that I'm lying in a bed

and my friends are the mattress.

And every time I'm in a bit of pain, they gently roll me into a comfortable position.

They're fantastic.

Where are we at? Not a lot in this room because it didn't need a lot apart from the wall coming out.

We've made the hole and the surround for the lift to the next floor,

but that won't be fitted until a lot more is done upstairs.

Follow me because the boys have been working hard to plaster the place,

so the kitchen fitters can start there tomorrow.

Upstairs, it's been manic. The room that's behind you there has had some prep for decoration which is great.

It's through here where all the work has gone on.

This bedroom has been created with this wall and this wall which wasn't here before.

The stairwell has all gone out and the loft, look at it.

There's a huge amount of work still to go on in there,

but we have managed to create the walls for the bathroom.

That could turn into a bathroom tomorrow, but there's a lot of work to do with only five days to do it.

-Welcome to the house of fun, lads.

-'We're at the halfway stage now

'and, yes, we've got a mountain to climb, but the mood is now more determined and better than ever.'

-What are you doing for us?

-Everything.

-Lovely.

-Bit of brickie work, build a kitchen, whatever!

This is what it's all about. Busy, busy, busy. Organised chaos. Busy.

-Fantastic.

-'We're moving like lightning today. The boys in the attic are finishing the framework.

-'They've played a blinder.'

-Be very proud of yourselves.

You've been up against it and you haven't given up.

-A wee bit more, wee bit more.

-Is this not enough, master(?)

'Well, some stairs would be nice.

'Those stairs will give access to the new loft room,

'but with space inside so tight, they have to go out and come back in through the first floor window.

-'After all this, they'd better fit.'

-Have you got that top section?

-Yeah, that's it.

Whoa.

Push that top section down if you can.

Yeah, that's got it.

'Now things will speed up!

'With the major structural aspects now installed, we can really start to see how the new space works,

'but is it what Eric needs?

'Lorraine from the Motor Neurone Association casts an eye over the changes.'

It's fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It's all-important.

We always have to destroy a house first and so much of what we have to do is structural

to fit in the lift, open doorways so that he can move around...

-It's terrible. People become prisoners in their own home.

-That happens a lot with MND.

Some people live the rest of their lives upstairs, away from family,

or downstairs, living on one level. So this is why having the lift will make such a huge difference.

He's got access to the whole house and can be where his family are as opposed to stuck in one room.

-So this is giving him more time with his children.

-Definitely.

It's going to make a huge difference to them, yeah.

'Here in Enfield, we've had more than 80 trades through the door. Amazing.

'And what's more, they keep turning up.

'I hope local landscaper Jeremy likes a challenge.

'The garden looks like a building site. We've been trampling over it.'

This is what we've got. Planting the garden, get it re-turfed

-and use this area as Eric's area for the wheelchair.

-Yeah, fine.

-We've got access for him through the side door.

-That's fine.

We can make this look perfect and very solid for him.

-How long have we got to do this?

-Well, three days?

-OK. I better start measuring up, them.

-You do that, then it's over to you.

-Thanks very much(!)

'Just three days to go and thanks to the boys in the kitchen, everything is on schedule.'

We are putting in a low-level work area for Eric.

-Do you think you'll be wrapped up in here tonight?

-We have to be, mate.

-Yeah?

-Definitely.

'But upstairs is a different story. The sheer amount of work means the pressure is very much on.'

We've got to get this all wrapped up. We've got two nights, then we bring the decorators in.

We've got to get the plaster on to have half a chance. It'll be right up to the eleventh hour.

It's the lack of space.

'But at least things are moving on in the wet room. One of the specialist bits of kit is here.'

This is the special loo that does... Tell us what it does.

-It actually washes and dries you.

-Right.

-No need for toilet paper.

So for somebody, for example, who has difficulty gripping, that's a problem in the loo.

Things you don't even think about, but not being able to hold toilet paper...

So it's a state of the art bathroom, which is fantastic.

'This loo is going to make a massive difference to Eric's independence and, more importantly, his dignity.

'Since his illness has taken hold, Eric has battled to not let the disease rule his life

'Friends Heather and Christina know how much strength it has taken.'

-So you've seen it all happen.

-We've seen healthy Eric deteriorate.

-It's tough. He's such a lovely man.

-If you're really morbid and down about it, he hates it.

You have to go with a smile on your face. He's such a happy chap.

The time I've known him, I don't think he's ever not been able to help somebody.

And he's the one that kind of held the family up and...

-I can't... So, you know...

-It seems to have affected everybody around here.

-Yeah, it has.

-It has.

-It is amazing, what you're doing for them.

-It's amazing what the community are doing.

There's only six of us and we've got a building full of people, all from the local community.

-If you want to help and do some cleaning and hoovering up...

-I'm good at cleaning! It's my thing.

-All right, ladies.

-Definitely.

-OK, we'll see you later.

I just want to say, on a personal level, it means absolutely everything what you guys are doing.

-I know it's not just you.

-We're just the catalyst.

-I know.

-But it's just meant everything to a lot of people. Thank you.

-We'll see you later in the week.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-Bye.

'Eric and the family have touched our hearts as well.

'We've realised how important it is for them to cram in as many lasting memories as they can.

'Eric is a massive sports fan who grew up playing football and cricket and he's keen to pass on

'this passion for sports to his girls. He's desperate to take them to a football match.

'These trips are becoming less and less possible. We organised a trip to Wembley, but there's a downside.

-'They've got Billy with them.'

-This is Team Rivers!

'It's been an incredibly tough year, so we thought we'd make one of Eric's biggest wishes come true.'

Look, there's the pitch there.

- Oh, look. - It's amazing, innit?

You imagine 100,000 people in it and you come through this tunnel.

I'd want to turn round and go back!

Blimey. This is what these guys see when they come out with three lions on their chest.

They come out and we're seeing the players' view.

Unbelievable.

-It's a great feeling.

-Billy, thanks, man.

- It ain't me. Thank everyone. - You're a star.

Done for a very special person. This is MY dream and you're dream! We both had a dream together.

-Right, do you want a kickabout, then?

-Oh, hey!

- Right, are you ready, Eric? - Yeah, let's go, buddy.

- You got it? - I've got you.

How do you feel? ..Give your dad a big cuddle, girls.

You've got your girls.

It's unbelievable.

It is easily one of the best memories I'll ever have.

In my life, I swear.

And the first one that's with these girls.

BILLY: England!

-I'm catching up with you.

-You are.

'Onsite, Chris and the plasterers have really pulled out all the stops to get the whole house skimmed.

-'It's been a monumental effort, but they've done it.'

-Last bit of plastering.

Look - all done. The boys are just mixing up and that'll be it.

That's the whole house finished.

Am I glad of that!

'It's the final day and you can see the house being transformed

'from a building site into a home. Well, usually you can.'

-I like what you've done with the place. The shabby chic walls.

-There's so much to do here.

-You've got to paint it grey!

-We've got several shades of grey to come in.

Give me a chance!

No, the problem is the work's going on a lot longer and we have less chance to make it look beautiful.

You know you get one day if you're lucky to make it look nice.

-Yeah. Well, it might be half a day.

-It might be!

'He's right. It's not often I say that, but the wet room with specialist toiler is almost done.

'Downstairs, the wheelchair lift is going in.' Hang on! It's moving!

-What's the general consensus? All looking good?

-Very good.

-Smashing.

'Outside, the garden is taking shape, but the house is struggling to take it. So is Oliver.'

Everything is happening on top of each other. We've got decking going out, I need to get pictures....

The logistics are an absolute nightmare. The house is like 3.7 metres wide, which is very narrow.

We've got one door in and too many people, but we need those people.

'The turnout today is unbelievable and it's crazy in here,

'but the sheer number of people means it's getting harder to get anything finished.'

-It's going to take all night because it's mobbed.

-I agree. I've got to take control.

-This is ridiculous. Does everybody up here need to be up here?

-We're coming down.

-Lovely, thanks.

I'm going to clear this room to give the chippies half a chance or everybody else can't carry on.

For the next half an hour, let's keep out.

-I don't want these to get damaged.

-Everybody has a problem, Oliver! Keep out of the room! Everybody!

'Maybe I was a bit harsh on Oliver, but he's not giving up.

'With all this madness, he's still determined to make it beautiful.'

So what we're doing is cutting rectangles of paper, all sizes - some big, some small -

and then we'll paste them directly onto the wall, slightly overlapping.

We create a kind of patchwork of nice shades of blue.

That'll keep it relatively calm.

It's foolproof - I hope!

'Time to make amends, but my mum said if you haven't anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.'

When you look at the whole thing, it's got this energy and chatter, like a family at a dinner table.

-That's how I'd explain it.

-Adam, what do you reckon?

-It's growing on me.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Not you?

If we just wallpapered this, it would be quite formal. This is about getting rid of that stress

and saying this is a lovely space where nothing's wrong. It's family time, you sit round the table,

and this reflects that kind of richness.

'Whatever you think of Oliver's wallpaper, you can't argue with that. Over the last nine days,

'we've seen what a community can do if they pull together. It's amazing to see the effect on everyone,

'not least family friends Heather and Christina.'

-So?

-Absolutely astonishing. It's phenomenal.

It's going to change their lives just so significantly.

-This is an answer to their prayers.

-It is.

-And Davina, well,

I can't even explain what it means to her with the girls for the future. It's massive.

Amazing what a community can do in nine days. They CAN pull together.

It reinforces your belief in humankind. A big thank you, really.

-Thank you is never enough.

-A kiss would help?

-Yeah.

-I hope my husband isn't watching!

-I'll kiss the other side.

-Thank you.

-You're such a tart.

-You want one from Nick now!

-No!

'Funny - that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.

'After what I can only describe as one of the craziest days we've had,

'just look what Jeremy and the boys have achieved in the garden.'

These guys have worked absolute miracles and this is turning into quite a lovely little garden.

-How's it been? Probably one of your tougher jobs?

-It's one of the best times I've had at work.

-Really?

Yeah. Everyone has been so calm. I can't believe there's been no fiery tempers.

-The only person who's lost it is me!

-It wasn't my place to say that, was it?

-No...

-I agree, though.

-Yeah...I lost the plot a little bit earlier.

-But we'll water it and leave you to it.

-You'll come back to see the family?

-Absolutely. Love to.

-You have done an amazing job. Thank you.

-Pleasure.

Smashing, smashing.

'Just nine days ago we arrived to find a family who were fast reaching crisis point.

'Eric's ongoing battle with Motor Neurone Disease meant their home, once a sanctuary for the family,

'was fast becoming somewhere loaded with danger.

'As Eric's condition worsened, they had no way of making the house safe for the challenges ahead.

'Along with this, the small size of the house meant it was unfit for a family of five,

'with Layla still sleeping in with Mum and Dad - far from ideal with Eric's worsening condition.

'It was a situation that we could have never solved on our own

'and it was only done with the help of an army of local Enfield trades.

'Amazingly, in just over a week, we've turned this house into a home.

'We've re-ordered the layout downstairs to make the living room open plan.

'It has a sleek, contemporary feel with accents of colour on the cushions

'and the room's centrepiece - the stunning patchwork armchair.

'We've created a new office area displaying Eric's cricket stuff.

'For Davina, it was important to keep memories of Eric's sporting days alive

'and make a feature of them. The old kitchen is now ultra-modern

'with a new extension creating this fantastic dining area which the whole family can sit around.

'Even Oliver's wallpaper montage has turned out pretty good in the end.

'We've widened all the doorways to make the whole downstairs wheelchair-friendly.

'The garden has been transformed with new turf, plants and a decked area allowing Eric access.

'Upstairs, the second bedroom has been cleverly divided into two separate areas for Jodie and Layla,

'allowing them each a private space.

'The old family bathroom has now become a wet room with shower area and special loo

'so Eric can be independent for as long as possible.

'Eric and Davina's bedroom is now a romantic and sumptuous space

'with this special orthopaedic bed which Eric can adjust to find the most comfortable position.

'The old attic has now been transformed beyond recognition. We've created a bedroom for Summer.

'The simple, vibrant colours are offset by these cool, science-themed prints,

'which is Summer's favourite subject at school.

'And we fitted this special lift to allow Eric independent access upstairs safely in his wheelchair.

'It's a brilliant system which tucks away neatly on the first floor,

'minimising the impact on the space downstairs.

'The challenge we had was to design a home that came up to scratch in meeting Eric's medical needs,

'but also the needs of a growing family to create an environment to live as normal a life as possible.

'A home which they could all call a sanctuary once more.'

-What was wrong with the house?

-I want it to be somewhere safe for Davina and the girls.

-And for me because I want it to be somewhere...

-Where you can join in with family life.

-Yeah.

-I could join in.

-We hope we've done everything that you needed. Open your eyes.

-Oh, my God...

-Thank you so much! It's beautiful!

Oh, I just love all the pictures on the wall. And all the colours, Eric, that I love.

You've really understood us in such a short space of time. I can't tell you.

Thank you so, so much.

Let's try and pick out some of the things. The covers on the chairs

and on the cushions, you might recognise the logos.

Oh!

So you've got your cricket club, ECB England cricket going on.

We filled the house with pictures of the kids and yourselves.

It's just so much more than I could ever have wished for.

And it's so much bigger!

That's why we took the wall out. Let's show you some of the rest of it, shall we?

God...

Oh, this is just so beautiful!

Oh, my God.

-Push on through to your dining area.

-Oh, look.

We set it up so you can come and join the dining table. This is the new extension.

So you've got the space for it. And then there's a side door here

which we widened and which has a flush floor fitting.

So you can get out the side, round the back and onto the patio decking.

-There's your new garden.

-Amazing. It looks beautiful.

It just looks so much bigger. I can't get over it.

Once the girls are in bed, you guys can wrap up and go and sit on the patio.

There's lights in the garden so it's all lit up at night.

When I came in and saw this, I instantly,

instantly, was flooded with calm. I could just picture myself sitting here looking at my garden

in a calm environment.

It is unbelievably well thought out.

I mean, just to have this so that Eric doesn't fall down the stairs any more...

I've been so worried.

And just...haunted by the thought of him falling down the stairs again.

I'll see you upstairs.

-Oh, mate. Yes.

-All the way from upstairs when you need the loo or whatever,

you've got it all under control. Let me show you.

Oh, fab.

-Fantastic.

-Oh, my gosh, that's going to be so much easier!

-It's just fantastic, isn't it?

-The shower, you can wheel in and out. These fold away.

And the toilet in front of you is a very special functioning toilet,

which means you don't need anybody to help you.

-OK? I know it's a big deal.

-It is.

Now the girls have got their bedrooms, it means there's no Layla in your bedroom.

And we've got one more room to show you, obviously. Come on.

Oh, my God...

Oh...my...word.

It's a proper grown-up room!

Isn't it? Oh, it's so gorgeous.

This is our first bedroom, isn't it?

-I love you.

-I love you, too.

Oh, this is just gorgeous.

-Do you know what? It sounds a cliche, but you can feel the love in here.

-Yeah.

-I was...I was...

-I swear you can.

You can just feel the love that everyone's...given us

and it's just...

It's just beautiful.

-It's just so beautiful.

-I'll leave you to enjoy your room.

-I'm going to check on the girls.

-Thank you.

Oh, my God! THEY GIGGLE

-No way!

-Wow!

-Do you want to see the next bit?

-In you go.

-Oh, my...!

-No way! This is...

-Oh, my gosh!

-It's lovely!

-Look, there's space for Daddy to sit down.

-Yeah! We can sit and have breakfast.

-The wallpaper's lovely.

-When I first chatted to you,

I said should we be doing this house to make it easy for your dad or making nice places for you.

-And what did you say?

-Dad.

-Dad.

-Have we managed to make it work?

-Definitely.

-It's fantastic for Daddy, but at the same time...

-It's all colourful for us.

It really is beautiful. Amazing.

-A slightly smaller bathroom is all right?

-Fantastic.

-OK, who wants to see their bedrooms?

All right. Out you come.

Oh, my gosh.

-This is...

-Amazing!

-Wow!

See if you can work it out. Which one is whose?

-That's mine.

-Mine!

-Shall we give them a go?

-Oh, my gosh.

-What do you think?

-I really, really like it.

-Do you like the pattern on your bed?

-Yes.

-Is it pretty?

-Yes.

-What's your favourite bit?

-The big light L.

-You like that? It's pretty cool.

-And what colour is it?

-Pink.

-What's your favourite colour?

-Pink.

-I thought it might ne.

-My favourite bit is probably my J!

-You like that, too?

-Yeah.

-You happy with that?

-It's just lovely.

-I love it.

-OK, I'll leave you guys here. You have to come with me.

-OK, ready?

-Ready.

Open the door and step in.

Oh, my gosh!

Oh, wow!

It's lovely! I love it so much.

Oh, my gosh!

It's amazing. Oh, it's so comfortable.

It's inspirational. It really is.

-It's fantastic. I really love it.

-How will things change now?

-It's been a really tough time.

-I think we'll be happy.

When the house was how it was before, I have to admit I think we were all really unhappy.

And, um...yeah, I think we'll all smile now. I think we'll be happy.

Hey!

Hello!

Do you love it? Do you love it?

Look at you girls! Fantastic!

-Squeeze!

-Hello! Big squeeze!

OK, listen. You've been very lovely to us and we've really got to know you during the course of this week.

Seeing you all here as family and all smiling together is what it's about.

It's a long time since I've seen smiles like that on my girls' faces.

It's a long time. Those are smiles coming from a deep, deep place of happiness.

It's fantastic. You guys have created that for me.

But it's actually not us. We just come in and set the thing rolling.

A most amazing community of people have come to do this for you.

So would it be all right if you come outside to meet some of the people that have done this?

It would be lovely to meet them.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Fantastic! Oh...

Thanks.

-I love it, I love it.

-Thank you so much.

Thank you so, so much. So much.

I want you to...understand.

You've built not a house.

A life support machine.

The only way I could...

The only way I could thank you is to stay alive...

and make it worthwhile.

You've changed... You've changed five lives.

I was falling.

You guys... have joined hands

and caught me.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for all your hard work.

We said upstairs we can just feel the love in the house.

-We really...we really can feel it.

-Yeah.

-Thank every single one of you because you're just amazing.

Any time you want to come round for a cup of tea, please do!

Yeah!

-Hey!

-My man, my man.

When you think of giving, you tend to think in terms of money. That helps charities.

But what these people have done is different. They've given their time

and nobody understand better how precious time is than Eric. What they have done is make sure

that the time he has left is quality time to spend with his girls,

to create memories that will last them a lifetime. That's pretty special.

Perhaps you know somebody that you can give some time to.

-They were beautiful.

-I'm glad.

-It's lovely.

-My pleasure.

Thank you.

Thank you!

Hello, man. Amazing.

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