0:00:03 > 0:00:05Hello and welcome to DIY SOS,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08coming to you from north of the border,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10near Dumfries in Scotland.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13We're here to help single mum, Sue,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15a widow struggling with depression.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19I think I just, sort of, disappeared into a black hole.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21I couldn't think beyond the end of that day.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23It just seemed too much to deal with.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Her house is fuelling Sue's illness.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30My mum's quite a social person, normally, but it's kind of
0:00:30 > 0:00:33hard to be sociable if you can't invite someone to your own house.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Her friends have asked for our help.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38When we go home at night, we're happy to close the curtains
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and sit down in our house, but Sue's never, ever been able to do that,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44because she's never felt comfortable in her house for a long, long time.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This build will be as demanding as ever.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49TOOLS WHIRR
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- You're a man and a marvel! - No problem.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54But it has a unique flavour.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56SHEEP BLEAT
0:00:56 > 0:01:00- I want to do it, I want to do it. - You're NOT going in the loft!
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Proper job!
0:01:01 > 0:01:04We've got just ten days to get this job finished.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06The team are here, but if it's going to happen,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08we're going to need an army - a Tartan Army.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11PIPES A LAMENT
0:01:17 > 0:01:18THEY ROAR
0:01:20 > 0:01:21That's handy!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This is DIY SOS - The Big Build.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34We're here to help Sue Roberts
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and her daughters, Erin and Niamh.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Sue and her partner, Barry, had big dreams
0:01:41 > 0:01:43when they put their perfect home - a place they could
0:01:43 > 0:01:48entertain friends and raise their young family.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51They moved in with plans of doing it up,
0:01:51 > 0:01:52but shortly after,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Barry died of a sudden heart attack.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58It was Christmas day 2003.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It was totally devastating for all of us.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03We were completely in a state of shock.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I went into quite a deep depression and became quite unwell.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Erin became more upset as time went on. After a few months,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15it finally dawned on her.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18She was very pale and withdrawn.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20There was a period we were really worried about
0:02:20 > 0:02:23her mental health as well. She was only eight when it happened.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Niamh seemed less affected because she was quite a lot younger,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29but she went very quiet for quite a period of time
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and was quite withdrawn.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Sue was unable to shake her depression.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37The GP didn't think I'd be able to go back to work,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and said that at most, at some point,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I may be able to hold down a part-time job.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But Sue is a single mum.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47There's no-one else to provide for the family.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50A full-time job as a manager of a national charity takes all
0:02:50 > 0:02:54her energy. She has nothing left to tackle the house.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The kitchen remains cramped and damp.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02The floors are bare and the shower a forbidding prospect.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07The electrics are a hazard, the heating doesn't work
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and Sue's had to turn the front room into a bedroom.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13It's as if nothing goes right for Sue here.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It feels very exposed, there's nowhere quiet,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18no privacy in there at all.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21You wake up in the morning and see there's no light,
0:03:21 > 0:03:22there's holes in the walls,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25it's just a horrible environment to wake up in.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27It's hard to motivate yourself to get out of bed
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and start the day when that's what you've got to face.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Upstairs, the two girls have to share, thanks to a hole
0:03:35 > 0:03:38in the ceiling of Niamh's room. For Erin,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41it's just one more problem in a long list of them.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44More space, for my sister to like,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47enjoy having a wash, if you have a bath and that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50To invite more people round,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53that kind of thing.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55For mum to be a bit happy,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58because she really hates the house as it is right now.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Sue has tried to deal with the problems.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06She took out a loan to get a builder in, but even that went wrong.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09He did most of the work.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12He didn't complete it very well, he made the windows very small
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and things like that, but he also left... he gutted the fireplace
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and then just left it as a gaping hole in the wall and didn't finish that off.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Once he got his final payment, he just disappeared.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Things went from bad to worse.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29A second attempt to tackle the house ended with more debt
0:04:29 > 0:04:31and still no heating.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I wasn't in the best state of mind at the time.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I was feeling quite alone and not very good at being assertive,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38chasing him up.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Eventually he disappeared and just left us in a mess.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45As the house crumbles around her,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Sue finds it hard to keep herself together.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Making sure that the girls are happy and are fed well
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and looked after well, is where I seem to spend most of my energy.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It's hard to spend much time on the house, but it does
0:04:59 > 0:05:03constantly get you down. When I walk in from work in the evening,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05I know it sounds awful, I don't look forward to coming home.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I look forward to being with my girls, but not to coming home.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It doesn't feel, really, like a home.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15All Sue wants is what a lot of us take for granted.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I don't like the word normal, but I would like a normal house.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21I would like a house where I feel that,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23if someone knocks at the door, I don't feel panic.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27It sounds silly, but if somebody knocks at the door, I think, "Oh, who's at the door?"
0:05:27 > 0:05:29"Hope they don't need to come in," and whatever.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I just would love to be able to let people in,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33feel happy about letting people in.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Just to have things like a table.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41So we can have a family meal together.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46They're quite simples things, but they just mean a huge amount.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Erm... Sorry.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52SHE SOBS
0:05:55 > 0:05:59It seems as if Christmas 2003 has stopped this family in its tracks.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Sue and the girls have already moved out, so I'm on my way to see them.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I was an adult when my dad died.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11It was hard for me, but it must be much harder for the girls.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Do you guys chat about your dad very much?
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Er, not really.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16It might come up now and again,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but we kind of like, avoid the conversation, most of the time.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- Do you? Because it's painful, because it's difficult? - Yeah, most of the time.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Also, I've kind of forgot some of it as well, cos it's been ages
0:06:28 > 0:06:30since I thought about it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33If you find it difficult, I suppose, it's best to avoid it.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Yeah, just for, like, now and that, but you know.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41I think he'd have been very proud of you, looking at you.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43You're growing up into fine young women, don't you think?
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Oh, he would be. Yeah, he would be really proud. Definitely. Definitely.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And this was the plan when you first bought the place,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52that you and Barry were going to do the place up, weren't you?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54He was going to help do some of the work in the house.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We knew it would be a long process, but we weren't worried
0:06:57 > 0:07:00at the time, cos we just thought, "it'll happen when it happens."
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Barry's death has undoubtedly cast a long shadow,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and with the girls off to school,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07I'm free to talk in more detail with Sue
0:07:07 > 0:07:10at the caravan where they're staying, while we do the build.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15It's been quite a while, now. How long since Barry died?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18It's eight years, yeah. Yeah, it's been quite a long while.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21At the point that you knew we were coming to do this, how did it feel?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I know it sounds awful to say it, sounds really awful to say, but I presume good things won't happen.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Occasionally, when good things have happened, something bad's happened shortly afterwards.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32And I know that's a bit fatalistic, but it's kind of...
0:07:32 > 0:07:33That's what I think.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Then you start to think you don't deserve it, you know.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I'll probably get upset now, but...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Why wouldn't you deserve it? I don't understand that.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Just cos things have been bad for quite a long time.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- That means you DO deserve it, doesn't it? Surely? - I don't know, probably, but...
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I think my confidence is so low, it's hard to imagine.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Do you think, given that, that he
0:07:51 > 0:07:56would've wanted you to put your life on hold for eight years?
0:07:56 > 0:07:56No, no.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02- And he wouldn't want the girls' lives to be in that situation either.- No.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- Your man dying isn't your fault, it isn't...- No.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07This didn't happen to you because it's your fault.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10No, I thought I should do more to help him, though.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12But it was a heart attack, wasn't it?
0:08:12 > 0:08:17I know, but he was overweight and he was drinking too much and things.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Well, I'm overweight and I drink too much. Lots of people are.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- You can't...- I know, I know. It doesn't make sense.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25You can't look back and change things then.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27You know, life's what it is now.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And here's you fighting away for your girls,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- and that's where you are now, and that's the future.- Yeah.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37So, this change in the house, if we can get the house right,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41is the final piece in the jigsaw, putting it behind you and moving on?
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Yeah, it does, because I've had to clear out ten years' worth of stuff.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- How was that?- Quite emotional.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50There's lots of stuff of Barry's I had to say,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53"I don't want to keep that any more. I don't need to keep that."
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I threw loads of stuff out. It was fantastic.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00So, the process of moving on and changing things around is definitely the right way to go.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Yeah, definitely, yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04And this will finally put the last thing in place,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06where you guys will be able to have the family life that he would
0:09:06 > 0:09:08have wanted you to have from the start.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Exactly. It would, yeah.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14So it's quite a milestone, isn't it?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16SHE SOBS I know, sorry!
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Thank you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24If we're going to help change things around for Sue, Erin and Niamh, we need to get going.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31This is Kenny, this is Steve.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And we're here to enjoy ourselves for ten days, ain't we, sausage?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36CHAINSAW GROWLS
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- This is a nice one, innit?- Nice. Look, it's nice, this, innit?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48For your type, not for my type.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Where's the street lighting, where's the cinema? Look, look at this.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53It's just all ugly fields!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- HE INHALES DEEPLY - There's no bits in the air.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- It's like, like there's nothing to chew on.- It's pure, mate, it's pure.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00That's what it says.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- Pretty, actually, innit? To be fair, looking around. Pretty. - It's a lovely location.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Yep, shame we have to make such a mess of it!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But there are plenty of people to help us do it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14DRILL BLASTS
0:10:14 > 0:10:15- Dougie!- How are you, mate?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I understand you're coming from quite a distance?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I'm travelling from East Kilbride, which is just outside Glasgow.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- Every day. - So how long is that taking you?
0:10:22 > 0:10:26It's taking about just under an hour and a half, morning and night.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- That's a long way to go.- Bit of a distance, but it's a good cause.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36It's a nice community round here.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- Everybody seems really jolly and friendly.- You're in Scotland.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- That's the difference?- That's it!
0:10:43 > 0:10:48'Yes, we are indeed in Scotland. I think Jules is in an episode of Taggart.'
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- AS TAGGART:- There's a murr-der.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53It's a murr-der.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54A murr-der.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- And we're all what?- Doomed!
0:10:57 > 0:10:58We're all doomed!
0:10:58 > 0:11:03It's a small house, but the build is as ambitious as ever.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Our guest designer is Hannah Huggins.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10She's getting noticed for her cutting edge work, but she knows what makes a home,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13which is just what Sue and the girls need here, a home.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- This is all going to be opened up into a kitchen living area.- OK.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21What sort of style are you going with?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25We are going down the kind of retro mixed with modern look.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29The great thing about modern interiors,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33if you do them well, you can mix old and modern and pick up on the character of the house.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38So use the original doors, use the original staircase
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and bring in some modern features.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46- Look at that old thing! - I know.- Isn't that pretty?
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We were hoping to reuse this, but there's a problem.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54- We've got some missing drawers. Unfortunately, we can't reuse that. - Can we not make a couple of drawers?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- It's not realistic to get the drawers remade.- 'Come on, Hannah!'
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- OK, we'll see what we can do then. - 'That's better.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:07The main challenge with this house is space. So that wall's coming down.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12- This bathroom is going to be the bedroom.- Yeah, the bathroom's going to be her bedroom
0:12:12 > 0:12:16and a lovely big wardrobe for all her clothes and things here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And out here, we've got a small extension going up,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22which is going to be a bathroom with a bath in it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They've never actually been able to have a bath in this house.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I was wondering, how do you have three women in the house
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- and don't have a bath in the bathroom?- It's quite a challenge!
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Go on, hit it! Hit it!
0:12:37 > 0:12:42Actually, what we need is someone to talk about people hitting it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46We're going to take the brickwork out, clean it out and use it.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49The same there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52All the stuff that comes out of that wall and that wall can fill in...
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Yes, recycle.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Recycle.
0:12:57 > 0:13:04Yes, the bathroom extension will rise like a phoenix from the...rubble of the old walls.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12- Try and save all these. - If you look at them, they're almost falling out anyway. Where you can...
0:13:12 > 0:13:17- That's a nice piece there.- That is, yeah.- Those ones are going to be handy for dressing up the outside.
0:13:17 > 0:13:23- And these long pieces as well. - That long piece will be lovely. That might sit underneath the sill.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- Right.- All right, dropping down.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Dropping, dropping, dropping.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32It's teamwork like this that will mean our plans for this house can take shape.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38The big challenge with this build is space.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43With the downstairs knocked through, Sue and her girls will be able to cook and eat together.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The extension we're adding may be small, but it will mean
0:13:46 > 0:13:51there's room to create that all-important bathroom, leaving the back of the house free
0:13:51 > 0:13:54for Sue to have a proper private bedroom.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56She'll have French windows to bring the outside in
0:13:56 > 0:14:01and we're creating a new side door to let the view into the living room.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04In the garden, we're building a year round summer house,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08which can be a guest room or I suspect the teenagers' hideaway of choice.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Upstairs, there's nothing structural needed, unless Billy gets carried away.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18But new windows, insulation, heating and wiring throughout will transform this crowded house.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24But we're a long way from that yet and things aren't quite harmonious.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Chris and Billy working together... Whose idea was that?
0:14:27 > 0:14:32He's got a new toy, it's got teeth and it just chisels a nice groove.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So he's... All right, all right!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39All right! I didn't want to see it!
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- A lot of it is shot. - It is now, using that!
0:14:47 > 0:14:50When we came up here, we realised the walls were in good nick,
0:14:50 > 0:14:55so all they need is a light sand, a light fill and a decorate.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59But our little compact "bay-jou" electrician...
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- Bijou!- ..has...other ideas.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09Would you have him in your house? You wouldn't, would you?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13To be fair, I have had him in my house, but not to do with the electrics.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19I'd have this lot any day. The local trades are tremendous. Some give even more than we've asked for.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24You attract a lot of people with this. This is very nice of you. Why have you decided to join in?
0:15:26 > 0:15:32When the opportunity had arisen for us to help on the project,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37we've got the staff available and it's been a pleasure for us
0:15:37 > 0:15:40to do it, to help you out as well.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Economical with words, isn't he?
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Right now, we need to get the foundations in for the bathroom.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49All of these levels we're putting up,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51we're back measuring to make sure
0:15:51 > 0:15:57when it finally comes up to the finished level, that it runs flat through into the other room.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- What do you reckon?- Good stuff.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03That's spot on.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09Spot on is absolutely right, as are these Scottish tradesmen doing Sue and the girls proud.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Jules is keeping himself busy, but is he making new friends?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- Who's working with you? - Me, yer man...- His name is?
0:16:25 > 0:16:26HE MOUTHS
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- Dougie. Dougie. - That's Wee Dougie.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Why is it that you never...? Cos you often work with a team, by the end of the week,
0:16:35 > 0:16:41you're best of mates, you're making tea for each other, but you never remember their names.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's something... It's like numbers.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48I'm useless with retaining numbers. I can't retain numbers, it's like I'm dyslexic,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53and for some reason, I can't retain names.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- I was going to suggest you could number them. But that wouldn't help either.- No.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06What they're trying to do here is make a hole for the door without damaging the surround.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10If you come this way and look at the outside, see how it's finished
0:17:10 > 0:17:14with stone up and round and down, they had to tale the sill out
0:17:14 > 0:17:18but it's been a delicate job to try and make sure it doesn't damage
0:17:18 > 0:17:23this stone, or as you can see, very carefully doing it with this one, not to damage that stone there.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26And then we take those two bits that we took out from another part
0:17:26 > 0:17:30of the building and drop them in there and there to finish off
0:17:30 > 0:17:34the doorway, otherwise it would look really weird, without having those.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39There's a bit of thought going into this. Essentially, by being that careful, it's taking them
0:17:39 > 0:17:43about three hours more than it should, just to knock the sill out. Patience is the key.
0:17:45 > 0:17:51'The trades that have come to help seem to enjoy themselves, but these are gruelling 12-hour days,
0:17:51 > 0:17:56'requiring a tremendous effort, which makes setbacks that much harder to bear.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57'This is my setback face.'
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Actually it has to go in... - It really has to go in tonight.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05No question about it. That must be in tonight.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10- That will be ready to start on tomorrow?- Absolutely. It will be off tomorrow.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14So we'll have to put some lights up and stay and get this in tonight.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19That's not a great start to the first day, you asking everyone to work 8, 9, 10 o'clock.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24- It's better that's done now and we lose the job at the end of the week. - I suppose it has to be done then.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Have you got a wagon, can get a ton and a half in?
0:18:27 > 0:18:31- It's already on the way.- Right, great stuff.- He's good, isn't he?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- Brilliant.- Married into the family!
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I don't think we've worked in a place more beautiful.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It is an incredible setting. Twinkling away there in the valley.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59A lot of hard work. We are making a bit of a mess of it at the moment.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01But it is going very well. We've had a successful day.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05And they say the weather in Scotland can be terrible. It's wonderful!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08They don't know what they're talking about.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20'Day two and you can already see what this house can be.'
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Lovely job!
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- Is that what you want?- Yeah! Thank you, Mark! That's fantastic.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- It's not me, it's these boys. - Thanks, guys!
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- When can that come down?- Give them a minute! They've just put it in!
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- They've only just put it in. - Ten minutes.- I'm cracking the whip!
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Cracking the whip?!
0:19:43 > 0:19:46She's turned up here, dressed like she's in Flashdance...
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It's not Flashbuild!
0:19:55 > 0:20:01This is good to see. The local college have brought along some apprentices to help with the build.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04They'll learn practical skills and we can get the help we need.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Brilliant. Jules has decided to take one under his ample wing.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Have you ever played the saw before?
0:20:13 > 0:20:20No. See the bend? Right? Look at that, thumb there, look. Thumb there.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26Bend it into an S, right? HE PLAYS SAW
0:20:31 > 0:20:35- Ah, it takes years! - It does take years of...practice.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I can't get the hang of it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40HE PLAYS SAW
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Have you ever thought about doing a plumbing course?
0:20:44 > 0:20:48I'm not sure that's what these apprentices are here to learn.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Although we do believe apprentices are the future.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54So how are your lads enjoying being out on this?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56They're totally loving it. It's great.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01They've actually got some real hands-on skills. Aye, they've really enjoyed it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04For all the classroom work that you do,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- it's always nice when they can get their hands on a proper building. - Definitely.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13They don't get the chance in college. They're only working on models and things like that.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17This is giving them a chance to actually do real life building.
0:21:17 > 0:21:23Thanks to them and our trades, we're transforming this building into a home for Sue and her daughters.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28The house we hand back will be a far cry from the life they've grown used to.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33I imagine it's difficult to imagine an ordinary everyday life, where things just fall into place.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Yeah, it makes you feel a bit of an oddity. You've not got a normal house.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42I go to work and look normalish, but then you go back to this kind
0:21:42 > 0:21:45of whole messy place and it feels as if you've got two lives, almost.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49- You felt almost outcast because of it.- Yeah, I do.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I feel a bit of a strange...
0:21:51 > 0:21:55One of those strange old ladies that opens the door, "Yes, what do you want?"
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Don't let people in. That's what I feel like. I don't even open the door fully cos my bed's in there.
0:22:00 > 0:22:06Do you think an alternative would have been to just move into a different house, to just go away,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09or do you love the house, no matter what's wrong with it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- How do you feel about the house? - I just love the house.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16It's pretty much perfect, apart from what's inside it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20You get a nice view and really nice neighbours.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I go to school as well, so you just think, the location's perfect,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29it's just what's inside the house that you can't...really...fix.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36It's a good job we're here then. Part of our design is to reinstate the fireplace to give them
0:22:36 > 0:22:40a warm heart at the centre of their home on cold winter nights.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Chris, explain what's going on.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48We're going to take this out and by taking this out,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50we've got to support this here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55We're going to take the bottom out and we've got some fixes in there to stabilise this brickwork,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59then we're cutting a lintel, just to stabilise it all.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Thank you. With all this painstaking care and attention,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07the side door's going to look great. If they ever finish it.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10We've only got nine days, boys.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15With work steaming full steam ahead, we're relying on one man
0:23:15 > 0:23:21to make sure the kitchen is ready for the fitter by tomorrow. It's steamy Jules.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25I'm asking you whether it's going to be finished by tomorrow.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- It will be at whatever stage it is. - That's not good enough, is it?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I'm asking whether you're going to take on board.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38- And I am prepared to offer you a reward.- What's the reward then?
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- What is it?- A Scotch pie. Right, so here's the deal.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50We need to have this finished by tomorrow night.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56There's your little... You carry on. If you get it done, I have here...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00..another one.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05'Are you watching, Sir Alan Sugar? This is how you motivate people.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Right, different grains, different bit.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13'Look at this. The apprentices are getting a surprise bonus.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18'Jimmy is giving them a lesson in how to make dressed stone for the new steps, with his bare hands.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21'And a couple of tools. That's amazing.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Two slab stones. All right, boys.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27He's rightly chuffed with how that's turned out.
0:24:32 > 0:24:38Sue's predicament was brought to our attention by two colleagues who work for her, Wendy and Morvern.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43So I'm off to Dumfries to have a chat.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- So what's she like, as a person? - She's fun.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50She's just a good laugh, isn't she? Really good manager as well.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53She's really supportive and gets involved.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55She has loads of time for you.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59It was you guys that wrote in to the show, originally.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Sue came in to work and her back porch had flooded.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07It had been raining the night before. Her whole back porch was flooded.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Plus the water was coming through the ceiling and she was so, so upset.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18- That was the day we decided enough was enough.- So how does life change for her and the kids,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20once the house is sorted out?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23When we go home at night, we're happy to close our curtains
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and sit down in our house, but Sue's never been able to do that
0:25:26 > 0:25:29because she's never felt comfortable in her house.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33When you walk into the house, you walk into her bedroom.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36It would be nice for her and the girls to be able to go home,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40cook together and sit down and have a family meal together.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43That's not something you see every day.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Unless you live here, of course.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52I wonder if any of this wool insulation came from those sheep outside.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57What's so good about this then, eh? What's so good about it?
0:25:57 > 0:26:02It's all made from British natural wool and anybody can install it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I'm going to go up and do it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It's very easy to install and it doesn't harm you.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09You can wear any clothes.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Don't tell him that. He'll be wearing a body stocking!- A mankini!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21'Yeah, boykini, more like! Now, Mark's getting over-excited.'
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Stop it!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- I'm going in the loft.- No, you're not going into the loft.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- I want to do it. - You're not going in the loft!
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Better get him out of the house before we disrupt the whole site.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40So it's off to the local farm shop to help celebrate
0:26:40 > 0:26:43the 16th birthday of Sue's daughter, Erin.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46# Happy birthday to you
0:26:46 > 0:26:49# Happy birthday to you
0:26:49 > 0:26:52# Happy birthday, dear Erin
0:26:52 > 0:26:55# Happy birthday to you. #
0:26:55 > 0:26:59THEY CHEER AND APPLAUD
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Make a wish!
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Oh, fantastic!
0:27:08 > 0:27:12You could have worn something a bit more colourful today.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16If the weather's dull, just brighten yourself up and you feel bright.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21- Why don't you wear bright things like that?- Cos the weather's never dull in my little brain.- Is it not?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23No, it's always sunshine.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25And strange whirly patterns.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29The sun may be shining in Billy's brain, but the same cannot be said for here.
0:27:29 > 0:27:35Rain is never welcome on a build. It won't stop us, but it can make it a lot harder than it needs to be.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39He's come for the money shot. He'll be moaning about his back now.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41All right, mate? Been swimming?
0:27:43 > 0:27:47He'll be on about his backs now. Three bits of timber.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- How's your back? - It's all right actually.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55That was quite a good test. Up the hill with a bit of tree wood.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'Now, that's a better way to carry wood.'
0:28:03 > 0:28:06It's amazing when you think about it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:13I was helping mix up a concrete base last night and 24 hours later, we've got part of the extension.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20Roof is going to go on top of that. It all comes in ready made bits.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It's an extraordinary way to build an extension quickly.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'It may be small, but it's perfectly formed,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'and this extension is going to make such a difference to living here.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35'With the build well established, Hannah wants to show me her seat. No, really!'
0:28:35 > 0:28:42- What have you got here, a cow?- Nope. Right, so this is an Eames rocker.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46It was designed by a husband and wife team, Charles and Ray Eames, in the '50s.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51And it was just when plastics were coming in,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55so it was actually revolutionary in its time.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00To me, it looks beautiful, but often beautiful things aren't comfortable.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- Yes.- But you sit in it and it just supports everything.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08To be fair, it looks uncomfortable. But it's actually quite nice.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It's very sort of minimalist.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13It is, but this is the look that Sue's going for.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16This is a look that I love too.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21So it's the first time we've ever used anything like this on DIY SOS.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25It's an exciting moment. We're bringing some design classics into the house.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28I think you're right. I think she'll love it.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32I'm not sure I'd have it in my house, but I think she'll love it.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'Yeah, bit of old plastic though, really.'
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Hannah's got a clear idea of the look she wants.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41But she's determined to involve Sue in the choices she's making.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44This is her home we're creating. Hannah wants to help things
0:29:44 > 0:29:49return to normal for Sue after suffering from depression for so long.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54Your style, Sue. Are you a traditional flowery sort of person?
0:29:54 > 0:30:00- Or can we go modern?- I'm completely not traditional flowery at all.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I quite like super modern culture.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Kind of... Don't know, quite retro. Edgy.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13- I like things that are quite different.- So you're happy for things to kind of clash, potentially?
0:30:13 > 0:30:20- Quite happy for it to be just whatever comes my way.- So you like colour. Not afraid of colour.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I'm not afraid of colour, no. I like lights and brightness.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26What kind of colours do you like?
0:30:26 > 0:30:33I love white walls and I like bright oranges and sort of retro pea greens.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37OK, that's great cos I love all that too. Oh, good!
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- So we're on the same wavelength there. That's fantastic.- Yeah.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45'Afraid of colour? Did someone once have an incident with an orange?'
0:30:59 > 0:31:04And this is our answer to their difficulty with not having very much room in the house.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08We're building what is essentially a summer house,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12but outside, with an electric feed, it'll be fully insulated
0:31:12 > 0:31:15and it's going to look out over this view.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20What they're going to be looking at is this. Look at that. Isn't that just fabulous?
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Who wouldn't want to sit there, daytime, winter, sunshine?
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Gentleman, they say the sun shines on the righteous and it's doing it now!
0:31:28 > 0:31:31'Listen to me. I sound like I'm in Braveheart!'
0:31:36 > 0:31:41They can take our freedom, but they cannae take our monkey wrench.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Look at that!
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- Nice.- Beautiful!
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Look at that.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05A new day and another new challenge for Billy.
0:32:05 > 0:32:11- Cos we've got the bed here, mum's having her...- Enjoying yourself?
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- I always do. It's lovely.- You've been a little bit quiet. I just wondered why you're a bit quiet.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19The first three or four days, till we broke the camel's back...
0:32:19 > 0:32:23- Do you say "camel's back" up in Scotland?- Yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27- Yeah?- Yeah.- Thanks for joining in. - We've got camels in Scotland, yeah.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- Have you?- Yeah.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Camels?!- Yeah, we've got camels. - Where?- They're wild here.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Make with a haggis.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39- It's what haggis is made from. - It's made with a haggis.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Haggis is made from sheep's stomach.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45No, the sheep's stomach is what surrounds it, but the contents is made from camel meat.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49'Can anyone smell burning rubber?'
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Don't be silly!
0:32:51 > 0:32:55- Yeah, you're right. - There's no camels in Scotland!
0:32:56 > 0:32:58They're native to Scotland.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Shut up!
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Jimmy!- They're a wee bit furrier up here.- Jimmy!
0:33:04 > 0:33:09- They've got a thicker coat.- Jimmy, do you have camels in Scotland?- Yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:10There you go.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- We've got lamas as well.- Pardon? - Llamas as well.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Llamas, there you go. Llamas and camels.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- CARRIES ON SHOUTING - All right, shut up!
0:33:20 > 0:33:22LAUGHTER DROWNS HIM OUT
0:33:22 > 0:33:26If I didn't know Billy better, I'd think he was playing to the gallery.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31In the living room, we've got more help than we could hope for.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Sue and the girls are getting a wood burner.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38- I understand you've given us an exceptional deal.- Yes.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- Do you want a man hug or not? - Not a problem.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42Thank you very much.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51- What shall I make? - Can you make an elephant?
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Jules is a man of hidden depths, making insulation animals.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Excellent.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06In such a close-knit community, it's important that no-one spills the beans,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and that includes the girls' school friends.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17Girls, one question, have any of you driven past Niamh's house?
0:34:17 > 0:34:23- I did, last night.- Last night? Have you been asking them questions?
0:34:23 > 0:34:28- Have you been asking them what your house looks like? Are you sure?- She's sure.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Do you want to know or do you want to keep it as a surprise?
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I don't know. I kind of want to know, but I don't at the same time.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40- Do you want me to tell you about a tiny bit of it?- Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Well, I'm not going to.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47He's a tease, isn't he? She'll have to wait a few days yet.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- You've got a couple of plasterers in to help.- Derek and Craig, they got here this morning.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- They're going to do the kitchen for us.- Nice.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- He's very tall, that bloke.- He is. How tall are you, Craig?- 6ft 7.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10- Say that again.- 6ft 7.
0:35:10 > 0:35:126ft 7!
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- Put your arms up in the air. - I didn't think I was small.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19'With people this big, it's like Gulliver's Travels.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22'Of course, Gulliver went to see the land of the little people too.'
0:35:22 > 0:35:26I wish you could smell this. It smells gorgeous!
0:35:26 > 0:35:31It's cedar. Here it is, here. This here is so beautiful.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36I've got a fair old honk on me, like,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40but this is the most beautiful timber.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43And what it'll do, it won't stay this colour,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46it'll oxidise and it'll go slightly grey.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49It'll look after itself and it'll just protect itself
0:35:49 > 0:35:54from the weather because of its own natural oils and things. It's a really gorgeous timber.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57That was another episode of Miller Sniffs Wood.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Jules has delivered on the kitchen preparations. He'll be expecting his reward.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- So, remember what I said to you yesterday?- Yeah.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09And the kitchen is finished. If you finished it in time...
0:36:09 > 0:36:12The kitchen fitters are about to arrive.
0:36:12 > 0:36:18- And you've managed to oversee it. - Where is my cake, my pie?- Your pie?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Yeah.- I'm awful sorry, I ate that. - You ate my pie?- Yeah.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23I know I did promise to let you have the pie,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25but I didn't think you'd finish, so I ate it.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29My only reward was going to be a pie and you have eaten it.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Yeah. I'll get you another pie.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Oh, dear. With a kitchen like this, Sue and her daughters will finally
0:36:36 > 0:36:40be able to cook and eat together.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Talking of eating,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44some girls from down the lane have brought some sustenance.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51Shortbread. It's still warm. Beautiful.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- Are you the girls that made that shortbread?- Yes.- Do you know what?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Christmas and birthdays my children, all they buy me is shortbread.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01You get good and bad. That was the best.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Seriously. Thank you. No, it is, it's very good.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Mmm...
0:37:06 > 0:37:10I love my job. This is, honestly, this is... I love it, honestly.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16Fuelled by shortbread, Dougie is speeding through the tiling.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20I think they've been needing a good bathroom for a long time, you know?
0:37:20 > 0:37:22I didn't actually see the existing bathroom
0:37:22 > 0:37:25so it was mostly updated, without a doubt, you know?
0:37:25 > 0:37:29So this is going to make a big, big difference to them, you know?
0:37:34 > 0:37:37The rain is just a way of life up here,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39but with this home finish,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Sue and the girls will be warm and comfortable.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44The neighbours can't believe the transformation that is underway.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Sue wasn't one to let you in the house.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51She was always very friendly,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54but you'd stay in the garden for a chat, you wouldn't go in.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But I did see the kitchen and realised when you went
0:37:57 > 0:37:59to the front door, it was awkward
0:37:59 > 0:38:01because it went straight into her bedroom.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03I think it'll make a big difference.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06The rain has made more mud, which is not ideal
0:38:06 > 0:38:07when laying carpets.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09We'll have to protect them before the decorators get here.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13At least that's one thing we can rely on. With Mark Miller in charge,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15we know all the people will turn up when they are needed.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17He is in charge after all.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18Lovely finish yesterday.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Floors down and all that. The house was doing really well.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26And then, I come in this morning and we are very late on labour.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Which isn't a good thing.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32We need decorators inside, we haven't got any decorators.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36We've got to get this roof on here so the scaffolding can come down.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And we can get a soakaway fit to the back of the house.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41We've got to get these flags laid here.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42We've got to get this scrapped back
0:38:42 > 0:38:44and we've got to get all the hardcore put in
0:38:44 > 0:38:48to get this dried up. And this fence has to go in.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51There is stacks to do and there is not enough people.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Well, it is difficult because we rely on people turning out
0:38:55 > 0:38:57and whoever turns out does the work.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00At least Wendy and Morvern, Sue's best friends from work
0:39:00 > 0:39:03who I met earlier, are here to do what they can do to help.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06I'm not sure what they can do to help. They're painting.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07That's a good idea.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Well done, ladies, good thinking. Try and keep it on the walls.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14SHE LAUGHS
0:39:14 > 0:39:16THEY LAUGH
0:39:21 > 0:39:24I didn't mean to do it!
0:39:28 > 0:39:31How are we doing, ladies? A little bit of laughter.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36This is a serious job. You are not supposed to paint your buddy.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38You can't question this community's commitment,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40everyone knows everyone.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42My girlfriend dragged me down here.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43So thank her for it than, huh?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46The thing is we let her loose with a paintbrush in there
0:39:46 > 0:39:48and I just found out she's a dreadful painter.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49- She is.- Oh, no!
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Oh, no!
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Right, I'll have a wee word with her inside.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57You've been here for, sort of, five or six days so far,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59doing bits and pieces, and now you're coming to the end of the job.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- Yeah.- That's a lot of time to give someone.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06As I say, when I heard Sue's situation and her girls' situation,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10I was more than delighted to come along and help out.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12It's going to benefit them for years to come.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Ah, the wood burner!
0:40:14 > 0:40:19Once it's lit, Sue and the girls will be snug as bugs in rugs.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21We can't fire it up because we don't have enough
0:40:21 > 0:40:24carbon dinox...dinoxide?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Alarm thing yet. So we can't fire it up.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Try again. Hi.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33We can fire her up at the moment
0:40:33 > 0:40:39because we haven't got a carbon dinoxide thing on the ceiling.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- What are they called? - Carbon monoxide alarm.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44That's the word. I'll come again.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47What is going on with the walk?
0:40:47 > 0:40:50- What was that for? - That was me coming in.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Why walk like John Wayne?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Cos he was a big geezer and he's professional.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56And I'm a...bigger geezer.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59I hope you're not thinking of lighting that up
0:40:59 > 0:41:03because we haven't got a carbon dinoxide...
0:41:03 > 0:41:07- What was it?- Monoxide! - Carbon minoxide?
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- Monoxide.- Monoxide. Alarm.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13That's the word I was thinking of.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16I hope you're not thinking of lighting that up at the moment.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20We haven't got a carbon monoxide alarm fitted at the moment.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22APPLAUSE
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Simple, isn't it?
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Yes, Billy, simple.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32DANCE MUSIC
0:41:32 > 0:41:33Dance along at home.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I am so sick of designers.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40There is no design for the garden at all. Nobody has designed the garden.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42So we're just going to have to make it up as we go along.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44But you could do something.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Really not happy about this at this stage of the game, it's ridiculous.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50You do it. Do something.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55Nature abhors a vacuum and so does Mark, he is taking over everywhere.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Look, now he has taken a fence!
0:41:59 > 0:42:02If we can get a garden centre or someone on board, and have some,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04I don't know, trees or shrubs along this fence,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07but leaving gaps where the doors are, where the big glass doors are,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10so you're looking out onto this great view, you know?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I don't know. Just soften it all up a wee bit.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I went a bit designer there.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I don't know whether this isn't going to end up blocking us off.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I don't know if it's too early or late, it's a toss of a coin.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- Too early.- It's too early, isn't it?
0:42:26 > 0:42:28It's a nightmare.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Early or not, we have to deal with it.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Things are coming together very quickly now.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47Inside, we've got proper decorators. The effort is phenomenal.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49As Mark's discovering, people want to help
0:42:49 > 0:42:53for a whole host of reasons, sometimes very personal ones.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I can relate a little bit.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58You know, my dad passed away when I was 11,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00so I know how difficult it was for my mum.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03But, of course, Mum didn't have an illness.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07And she didn't have a house in the condition this one was in.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- It is horrible, isn't it?- It is. - When you're young.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12You think you've taken it on your shoulders.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13- I lost my dad when I was 14. - Did you?
0:43:13 > 0:43:16- I sort of bounced through the whole thing.- You can relate, as well.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19- I feel quite strongly with this one, too.- Yeah.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24After all the effort, it's only
0:43:24 > 0:43:28at this stage that we really get to see if Hannah's ideas are turning
0:43:28 > 0:43:32this house into a home for Sue and the girls.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36I can just see the look on his face. What do you think, Nick?
0:43:36 > 0:43:38It's a big lamp for a small room, isn't it?
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- We've got the height of the ceiling. - That's true.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42We wanted to exploit that
0:43:42 > 0:43:45because it's not often in these cottages you get that.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49It's like...it's like... one of those things dandelion heads.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55- You know, the things you blow on. - Yeah, dandelions. Two o'clock.
0:43:55 > 0:43:56You can tell the time by blowing on them.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59Hopefully, if you blow these, they'll stay exactly where they are.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02- The door is going back.- These are the upstairs doors.- Beautiful.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Looking very lovely. We're liking that.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06A bit of natural wood in the house.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Well oiled, I think. Took real skill to oil those.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Who oiled them? That'd be you, would it?
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Talking of oily things, we haven't heard from Mark for a moment.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Can you actually turn it 180 degrees, right around on itself?
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Yeah, he's becoming obsessed, isn't he?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25The house is nearly ready, let's hope it provides the new start
0:44:25 > 0:44:28that's needed for Sue, Niamh and Erin.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Do think this has been hard on your mum over the last few years?
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Definitely, yeah.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39My mum is quite a social person normally, but it's kind
0:44:39 > 0:44:42of hard to be social if you can't invite someone to your own house,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45kind of thing. Yeah, and it's just awfully...
0:44:47 > 0:44:52My mum likes buildings and that and I guess she likes more open spaces.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54- Sorry.- That's OK.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57I think you've got hugging duty on the end there.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00You're going to have to do the hugging. You, um...
0:45:00 > 0:45:04So, is this house, this change in this house,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07most important for you guys or for your mum?
0:45:07 > 0:45:11I think both of us, I guess. Like, maybe for different reasons.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14For me and Niamh, so we can, like, invite friends over,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17but for my mum, just so she feels more happy, I guess,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20more happy about where she lives.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- Do think it has been a bit hard on her?- Yeah.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27They've been embarrassed.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Their wait is nearly over.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Tomorrow, we hand this house back.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Just nine days ago, this house was a dark,
0:45:46 > 0:45:52depressing drain on the lives of Sue, Erin and Niamh.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57Now, it's a bright, open home.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Gone is the cluttered, exposed bedroom.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03In its place, a modern kitchen-diner.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09This family can at last have their meals together.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13We've knocked through to make a large, airy living area,
0:46:13 > 0:46:17mixing the best of the traditional with modern design and colours.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21New windows and insulation all round well help retain the warmth,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24from the central heating and the new wood burner,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27making this a cosy, comfortable cottage.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Upstairs, Erin has a room fit for a 16-year-old,
0:46:31 > 0:46:34with built-in bed and a desk to do her animation.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Next door, the hole in the ceiling has been fixed
0:46:37 > 0:46:41and we have created a cosy, natural feel for Niamh's bedroom.
0:46:41 > 0:46:42Back downstairs,
0:46:42 > 0:46:46we've added a small extension to create an all-important bathroom.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Mornings here will never be the same again.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51There's new storage space
0:46:51 > 0:46:55and a calming private bedroom for Sue.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Outside, we've added a drive, transformed the garden
0:46:59 > 0:47:03and created a year-round summer house for use as a guest room
0:47:03 > 0:47:05or a teenager's pad.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09And everywhere we've made the most of the magnificent view.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14From the summer house to Sue's bedroom to a new side entrance,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16this cottage is now the home Sue dreamt of
0:47:16 > 0:47:19when she and Barry bought it.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Today is the day you turnover a new leaf, yes?- It is, yes.
0:47:33 > 0:47:39We hope we've given you the environment in which to do that.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43- Are you ready?- Yes, I think so. Yes.- Open your eyes.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55This is your new house.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- This is yours.- That's incredible!
0:48:04 > 0:48:07It's hard not to think of cliches, but it is totally like a dream.
0:48:07 > 0:48:13You just sort of fantasize about somewhere you'd like to live.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15It is absolutely incredible.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21It's just spectacular.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25I love these designs. Honestly, this is perfect.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27This is just exactly the sort of things that I would buy
0:48:27 > 0:48:29if I could have bought them.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32I didn't expect to have anything as lovely as this.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35I can't believe it, actually. It's amazing.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47These colours are just perfect, the sort of colours I would choose.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Oh, my gosh, I didn't notice that door.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58See? This is what I dreamed about doing, is doing the doors like this.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Yep.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03- Erin's room.- Wow.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13Look at the bedspread. That's manga. She likes her manga.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Oh, gosh, so it is, yeah.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18That's fantastic. She's going to absolutely love that.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Niamh's room.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25That is beautiful.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28I love that wallpaper. That is incredible.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31It looks so... Because she likes all things nature.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34What's out there?
0:49:36 > 0:49:38There wasn't anything there before, just a wall.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41I can't remember. I thought there was just a wall.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Open the door a second.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49Oh, dear. How did that...? How is this...? Wow.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Goodness me, it just feels as if it shouldn't be here
0:49:56 > 0:49:57because that's the wall.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02- That is beautiful. Is that a radiator?- Yeah. And a towel warmer.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04- Is it?- It does both things. - Look at that.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08Niamh's going to be over the moon to have a bath in here.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- Happy?- I'm...
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Beyond happy. I'm still stunned.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- Completely and utterly stunned. - That's everything, is it?
0:50:18 > 0:50:20No, I need to sleep somewhere.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26- Oh, my goodness me.- Your new room.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but it's...
0:50:32 > 0:50:36I'm disorientated again. Can I look out the window?
0:50:36 > 0:50:38That's the whole point. Why don't you sit
0:50:38 > 0:50:41on your bed and look out at that view you'll be looking
0:50:41 > 0:50:43- at every morning. - Oh, my goodness me.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48I can't... Honestly, it's amazing.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53The rest of the house...
0:50:53 > 0:50:56I feel it's all as a family.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58That's why I feel quite upset, because this was for me
0:50:58 > 0:51:01and it feels a bit...
0:51:01 > 0:51:02Sorry.
0:51:04 > 0:51:05I know everyone's...
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Scooch over a bit, I'll give you a hug.
0:51:14 > 0:51:15It's a new start.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Yeah. I can't feel depressed in this room, can I?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Cos it's a happy room, isn't it?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26What happens in the future now?
0:51:26 > 0:51:28How do things change?
0:51:28 > 0:51:30The biggest thing personally for me
0:51:30 > 0:51:33is I'm looking forward to coming home to the house.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34I didn't used to want to come home.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38I used to dread coming in the door because it was so miserable.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42I'll be skipping off work early now.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- There you go.- Thank you. - Slip out onto your new patio.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Oh, goodness.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Wow.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54- Noticed that, have you? - Yes, I certainly have noticed that.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58I thought you might need a garden shed. Look through the windows.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10- Oh, my goodness me. Honestly. - Have a seat.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Genuinely, apart from having my two doors,
0:52:13 > 0:52:17this is the best thing we could ever experience. It's bizarre.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20It's really bizarre. It's amazing.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23What do you think of your friends who wrote in for you?
0:52:23 > 0:52:26What do I think of my friends?
0:52:26 > 0:52:27I love them.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29They've become friends.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33They were my colleagues, now they've become my best friends.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36I can't thank them enough, they've been amazing.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38What about this community you live in?
0:52:38 > 0:52:40I know. I tell you what, that is what has been fantastic.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Everybody, genuinely, in the street and in the shops,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46people I don't know but I recognise them, you see them around,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48have come up and said really nice things to me. And said,
0:52:48 > 0:52:51"I'm really pleased for you. You really deserve it."
0:52:51 > 0:52:55It has changed my thinking, Nick, in terms of the way I view myself.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57It genuinely has changed my thinking.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01I'm actually starting to think I'm not that bad, actually.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I can't wait for the girls to be in and just for them
0:53:13 > 0:53:18to put their stuff about and make things and just be in the house
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- and fill it full of ourselves again. - What do think they'll make of it?
0:53:22 > 0:53:26I think, if I'm shocked, they're going to be really, really shocked.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- You ready?- Uh-huh.- Open your eyes.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47- It's good. - It's definitely good, yeah.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Wow.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59I didn't expect this.
0:53:59 > 0:54:00Honestly, I don't know what to say.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05- Whose is the best bedroom?- Mine. - Yours. Whose is the best bedroom?
0:54:05 > 0:54:08- Mine.- Good, so it's worked out. That's the beauty of design,
0:54:08 > 0:54:10when you both think you got the best bedroom.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Wow!
0:54:21 > 0:54:23What is your favourite thing in the whole house, do you think?
0:54:23 > 0:54:27- My bedroom.- Your bedroom?- Yeah.- You still think that's the best, do you?
0:54:27 > 0:54:29- Yeah.- What about you, Erin?
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Probably the living room kitchen thing.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Because there's a lot more space here.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37It's spectacular. Seriously spectacular.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41It's a really nice mixture of the living room,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44sort of open plan area being all funky and colourful and bright
0:54:44 > 0:54:47and cheerful and then coming in here and it's really serene.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50It's got everything you could possibly want.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Everything.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55And now it's time for Sue
0:54:55 > 0:54:57and her girls to meet the people who did all this work.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04APPLAUSE
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Oh, my word!
0:55:08 > 0:55:11These are some of the team that have helped out.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13There are a few that couldn't be back today.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15They've done an amazing amount of work
0:55:15 > 0:55:16in such a short time.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19I wonder whether you might actually explain
0:55:19 > 0:55:21to the guys who have been doing the work why this is
0:55:21 > 0:55:22such a big deal.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26We've had a house for a long time, but it has not been a home to us,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29and this has made it into a home for us,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32somewhere that's warm and safe,
0:55:32 > 0:55:36somewhere that's bright and not depressing,
0:55:36 > 0:55:38somewhere we can be together as a family.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40It's just incredible.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42I'm absolutely stunned. I can't thank everybody enough.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Everybody's been incredible. I can't believe all you helped.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48It's just absolutely stunning. It's stunning, isn't it?
0:55:48 > 0:55:51It's going to set me off. It's amazing.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53You're looking at an amazing bunch of people.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57On our behalf, on behalf of the team,
0:55:57 > 0:55:59we get to travel around the country
0:55:59 > 0:56:02and turn up in communities and ask for people's help,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06but from our point of view, and from the team, it's amazing.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08So, thank you very much. Thank you.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14I tell you what, it's made me...
0:56:14 > 0:56:17I've made so many friends through the process,
0:56:17 > 0:56:19people who were my colleagues and are now my best buddies.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Everyone has been so kind and sweet towards us.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25- Haven't they?- Yeah. - I'm going to get upset.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32# It starts with an end. #
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- It's good to see you back. Best wishes for you.- Thank you.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38It's absolutely beautiful.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40It's beautiful. Thanks so much.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44- I'm Lenny.- Hi, Lenny.- We paned your windows and your doors for you.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Is there enough white with splashes of colour in there for you?
0:56:46 > 0:56:49What did you think? Do you love it?
0:56:49 > 0:56:53It's stunning. I'm trying not to think about it.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57- I'm John Brodsky and I've done your flooring.- Oh, beautiful.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59- It's amazing. Did you?- Yep.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01- It's spectacular.- Hi, Sue.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05I'm Dougie Taylor. I've tiled your bathroom.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07We did all your electrics for you.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Listen, you're a lifesaver, you know how dangerous it was.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13He made an awful lot of mess. Mud everywhere.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16- Hey.- Hi, there.- Hi.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17I helped clean and paint.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22# In which you have basked
0:57:22 > 0:57:25# You're tied to the mast. #
0:57:25 > 0:57:27This job has made me think of something my dad used to say
0:57:27 > 0:57:28to me many years ago.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I'm not sure I fully understood at the time.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35He used to say, "You do the right thing not for a round of applause
0:57:35 > 0:57:37"but because it is the right thing to do.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39"And you do it whether anybody else is joining in or not."
0:57:39 > 0:57:41We can see here,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44there's a whole load of people that have done the right thing.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47They've made such a change that two young girls now go forward
0:57:47 > 0:57:50into their lives believing that it's not just an avalanche
0:57:50 > 0:57:53of bad all the time, good things CAN happen.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57Perhaps you know somebody who needs some help.
0:57:57 > 0:58:03# Does it start with an end?
0:58:03 > 0:58:08# Does it start with an end?
0:58:08 > 0:58:14# Start with an end
0:58:20 > 0:58:25# To all of the ends Of all the centuries
0:58:25 > 0:58:31# Where born from the fall out breeze
0:58:31 > 0:58:35# Bit parts in a role With the dust and the ghosts... #
0:58:35 > 0:58:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd