Episode 1 Getting the Builders In

We're all obsessed with having lovely houses.

-Wow, what a difference.

-Yeah.

-Looks great, doesn't it?

-It does. It's so impressive.

But the road to perfection isn't an easy ride.

Whoa! What have you done?

I've had enough. Literally. Dugh!

How do you choose the right builder for the job?

That's another seven years' bad luck, as if I need it.

We've scoured Britain for pairs of builders...

I really hope we get this job because we're nearly out of fuel.

..who think they've got what it takes...

We will go in full guns blazing, I think.

..to pitch against each other...

-The job's in the bag.

-..and win work.

Can you come round and pull me out?

That's what happens when you get to 40, mate!

Only one pair will win each job.

Told you.

Got one in the bag, brother.

-But...

-Oops!

-..they're going to be put through the ultimate wringer.

-It's like dealing with The Three Stooges.

-Heh-heh-heh.

The losing pairs will be scrutinising their work.

Can anyone else hear the sucking of builders' teeth?

For our first job, we're just outside London

in a commuter hotspot where the average semi

will set you back an eye-watering half a million quid.

We're down south in Croydon.

So who is looking to get the builders in today?

This tucked-away two-bed detached is home to Sara Pevsner,

her partner and three and a half-year-old son, Mateo.

So, we moved here about 18 months ago from more central London,

which was noisy, smelly and dirty.

And now we're in woodlands, peace, quiet.

Nature is wonderful. I love it here.

Sara's already renovated this house top to bottom, so what's left to do?

The cupboard under the eaves is the dumping ground from tidying away.

I chuck everything in there cos there's nowhere else for it to go.

Storage is a huge problem in this house.

And how much has Sara got for this important but fiddly job?

The budget, I'd like to be around 500.

It is a small project, but the same rules apply

whatever the size of job,

as those in the know will tell you.

If you're looking to get some building work done, get a builder

that is specific for the job that you actually want doing.

If you want a loft conversion, then don't call the plumber in.

Get three quotes.

Even write it down in terms of exactly what you want doing.

Tell all three builders exactly the same thing.

That way, you can compare all three quotes quite equally.

Today's trio of builders are raring to go...

-This is really nice.

-Oh, yes.

-..and are full of ideas.

Cor, look at that. It's lovely.

It's a lovely place up here, John, isn't it?

They all know they've got to create new storage for the cupboard.

Do you think it's Arts and Crafts?

Yeah. It means lots of nice woodwork.

But it's their individual designs that will set them apart.

HARD KNOCK

Ooh, I love that sound.

First up, it's burly bears Simon and John.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-How are you? I'm John.

They've travelled an hour and a half to get here.

-You've got a very lovely house, I have to say.

-Thank you.

But are they really going to be able to add the wow factor Sara wants?

-Do you think you could both get in there?

-We could live in there.

Come on, let's have a little go.

Don't get stuck, boys.

Well, it's actually bigger than you think.

Yeah, it's quite cosy in here, isn't it?

-That's all right, that.

-Oh, these are my shoes for today.

All right, then, big fella. What's your idea, then?

These two met six years ago and quickly developed

a great working relationship.

The thing is with me and Simon,

our skill set is bricklaying and plastering.

If you get the shell right, everything else is easy.

This is going to make a noise!

Even though we have sort of quite different skills,

it sort of lends itself to working with each other, doesn't it?

The thing is, really, Simon likes to chat and I like a chat.

-Yeah, that's all we do is to chat.

-So we haven't finished talking yet.

Time to size up that cupboard.

My missus would tell me I need one of these for my shoes.

Before they pitch their big ideas to Sara...

-So, what's your thinking then, John?

-Shelf all the way along there.

-Yeah.

-With the tall boots.

-Yeah.

-Mirror on the back.

-Yep.

-And then just doing, like, two shelves.

So you've got...

..shoe, shoe, like that.

And then behind each shelf, mirror.

This is a boutique shoe shop.

Ladies' footwear might not be the boys' forte, but they think

their idea will display the shoes to their full potential.

But will Sara agree?

My idea is like a shoe shop theme.

-Yeah.

-That's the cupboard...

-We're going to stagger the shelves.

Are they going to go back with the slope?

So the top one will be bigger

-and then the next one will go in slightly.

-Yeah, yeah.

So you've still got access.

But that way, they're all on display and they're all accessible.

-You make drawers. Drawers.

-Staggered.

-Yeah.

-Like steps.

And pull them all out.

You pull them out, but you just have a couple on display in front.

Go for a white shelf and put a mirror back on it.

Where the shelves are, the top shelf now, you paint all that white,

-and you put a glass shelf across the whole thing.

-Right, OK.

But then, you can actually see all the shoes at the same time.

Because you can see through to what else there is down there, yeah.

OK, that's a good idea.

John and Simon's boutique shop look with glass shelving

and mirrored fronts sounds tres chic,

but what will it cost?

The price for that was 470.

All right. Well, that sounds good.

Sara's keeping her cards close to her chest, but it's not over yet.

Next up, clean-cut duo Wayne and Steph.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-I'm Wayne.

-Hi, Sara.

-Pleasure to meet you.

-Come on in.

They'll have to come up with something special to win this job.

-Right.

-A bit bijou, isn't it?

-Cup of tea?

-Yeah!

These hard grafters have been working together

for the last two years.

I'm a carpenter by trade.

-I do a little bit of everything. Your local handywoman.

-Ha!

We do a lot with copper. We do a lot of upcycling.

Things that are a little bit unique.

You know, don't throw it away, let's make it into something else.

We like to recycle it and re-love it.

Well, they'll need a slick design

to beat Simon and John's boutique concept.

There's a lot of space here that's not being used the moment.

Do you remember the job we did with the copper rails for shoe racks?

-Yes.

-It's got a lot of stiletto heels

-which would work perfect for that.

-Yeah.

So what's a copper shoe rail and how will it go down with Sara?

How do you feel about upcycling some copper pipe?

-Great.

-Yeah?

Into upcycling and into copper.

Well, Wayne's got a bit of a mock-up.

And I've taken a pair of your vintage shoes from your cubby hole

so that we can show you...

-And the beauty of that, it can still hangs that way...

-Yeah.

..so it doesn't fall off.

Before, there was quite big gaps between the shelves.

-This way, we can get quite a lot of rails in there.

-Yeah.

So this door, what do you think?

Go saloon-style because of the space?

-Rather than one big door?

-Yeah, definitely.

And just hang the rails within it,

-so it all opens out and it all sings.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Be nice if the light came on all at the same time.

-I know, yeah.

Hm, sounds good.

Wayne and Steph are using copper throughout the design with

pipe-ends as hooks for accessories and lengths of piping for shoes.

It's a neat idea, but how much will it cost?

So in terms of budget...

..we're going to do it for £500.

OK.

So, Wayne and Steph's copper piping is 30 quid more expensive than

Simon and John's shop display.

But there's still one team left to pitch -

vintage duo Charis and Chris.

-Well, this is much smaller than I thought.

-Oh, yeah. Very small.

Very small.

They'll have to pull out all the stops to win this job.

I haven't worn high-heel boots for quite a few years now,

so you'll have to explain that again.

-You mean wellies, do you?

-I've never worn wallie...wellies.

Well, yes, you are a wally!

-Charis.

-Are you coming in to actually do some work then, or what?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It may come as no surprise -

these two have known each other for 20 years.

Chris is the plumber, obviously.

And I love playing with wood and metal and stuff and when we work

together, we can come up with some really awesome ideas.

All you have to do is help her but make it look like it's her idea.

They're going to have to work together to come up with

a winning design.

-Do you do you know what? I've had an idea.

-Hmm.

You know what you can do with her boots? If you have, like,

two dowels sticking out,

and you stick the foot of the boots and the bottom and it hangs out.

Hmm.

They're going to need to

give the shoe racks the big sell to win the pitch.

We were thinking you could take the shelves out completely and have

your shoes kind of hooked on rails.

You could do that down both sides if you want

and maybe keep just a couple of the shelves for your wedges.

That would be nice, yeah.

We need to get a reclaimed door, to match the others, don't we?

Oh, they wanted the door.

If we had double doors, and they opened out like that,

so you've got them on the outside there,

and then everything's still inside.

Great. That sounds really nice.

What about the jewellery?

-Didn't she want that hanging somewhere?

-Yeah. You need, I think,

some kind of grate over this,

like a metal mesh where you can just hang all your little earrings

all over it.

Basically, cover every surface in the hookable, pinable,

you know, areas, so that you're just making the best use of that space.

Yeah. That sounds really interesting, yeah.

To make the design a one-off,

Charis and Chris plan to find reclaimed doors,

and as well as shelving

and storage for shoes,

they've also thought about

Sara's jewellery.

So what's the damage for this

unique design?

The cost is mainly labour for doing that.

Depending on the door, about £300 for materials.

For all of that, we can... It would probably be around £1,200.

Right, OK.

Crikey!

That's well over double the budget AND the other two quotes.

All three pitches are in.

It's up to Sara to decide

whether she wants to hire any of today's teams.

Well, that was a small job. How did you get on?

John put a good price in for 470.

-What did you do?

-500 all-in.

Ours came in at £1,200.

Though, we must've... We had more materials, I think.

-1,200?

-Is that 1,200? You're joking.

No. No, no.

There's nothing more the builders can do.

Only the winners' phone will ring.

Will it be Simon and John's shoe shop look, 30 quid under budget?

Wayne and Steph's copper design, bang on budget?

Or Charis and Chris' shoe and jewellery display design,

700 quid over budget?

PHONE RINGS

-Hello?

-Hi, it's Sara here.

I would like for you and Steph to do my cupboard.

-Yay!

-Yeah!

Fantastic.

Why did you choose us?

I think you were the people that had

-the best idea of what I was aiming for.

-Ah, fabulous.

And it's a job in the bag for Wayne and Steph.

-Yeah!

-Oh, that's nice.

But the losers are a job down.

Not us. I'd be interested to see that pipe work

-that they wanted to do.

-Yeah.

Just going to have a measure up,

I think we'll get some shelves in there. What do you reckon?

I want to see them both in the cupboards together.

And you will!

The losing builders will be all eyes

watching Wayne and Steph's every move.

Off to work we go.

Having paid a deposit,

work on Sara's cupboard begins in Wayne's workshop in his back garden.

The man cave.

I'm quite excited to see what they get up to in there.

And the losing builders are all eyes as they begin work.

-He's got a lovely workshop.

-I'm in love with the workshop.

-Yeah.

I built it so that I didn't create any mess in the main house.

-Am I the honorary cavewoman, then?

-WAYNE LAUGHS

I'm very privileged to be allowed in here, you know.

You are, you are extremely privileged.

Even my wife never comes in here!

Wayne's first job is to build the saloon-style doors

by gluing timber planks together.

Cost - just over £3 a plank.

-I don't like the idea of MDF and brand-new...

-Wood.

It's upsetting me, Chris. I don't know what to do.

-I don't like it.

-I don't like it! I want it to stop.

Sara really wants a door

that matches her original one that's in the bedroom.

So we've had to buy some pine planks that match that.

It's not going to match, though, is it, babe?

While Wayne cracks on with the doors,

Steph's prepping the copper rails that will hold Sara's shoes.

Go on, Steph. Get stuck in.

They cost about £2.50 a metre.

You can see it's a bit grubby,

so I've got a bit of steel wool here and abracadabra.

-That's a magic word, that, John, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Abracadabra, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Look at that. And not only that,

you can get a work-out for the bingo wings.

It really is a work-out. I'll have to try this!

Steph's given her guns a proper work-out, buffing all 12 pipes.

Next, the stop ends, the bits that fit the pipes onto the wall.

When you're drilling, if you put a bit of masking tape

over the area before you drill, it stops the drill from slipping.

-Tape on there.

-Yeah.

-This seems to me like a strange way to be doing these ends.

-Mm-hmm.

Well, that's the theory, at least.

That's something I used to do years ago

when I didn't know what I was doing.

Right, goggles on.

You're very brave to be filming my first attempt.

Ah, come on. You're an old pro, surely?

-Ooh.

-Oh!

Let's use the right drill.

I think you should use the right drill bit, not a...

-And take the drill off the hammer.

-Yes.

-STRAINED DRILLING

-Hello.

Ooh, that's an awful noise.

Think she's got a problem there with that drill.

We're going to try the smaller one.

Straight through, see?

-Aw!

-That's lovely, isn't it!

-Easy.

-Look.

Oh, dream!

Do you think my drill bit's sharper than your drill bit, Wayne?

-Maybe.

-Ooh.

-Maybe.

Cos I use my drill bits more than you use your drill bits.

Oh, I see! It's like that, is it?

Having given up with Wayne's drill bit, she's now using her own.

This is going to get hot.

-I'll get you a fresh egg in a minute.

-And guess what?

There we go. That was actually melting my gloves.

Got them massive gloves on again.

The glove-wearing's really, really dangerous.

You get your gloves sucked into that drill bit, you've had it, mate.

-That's a finger gone.

-Our builders in the know

have a thing or two to say about safety.

Using the right safety gear is very important.

For safety, goggles.

It's really important to keep them somewhere they won't get scratched.

If they do get scratched,

they could actually be a hindrance and not a help.

Ear defenders used to be those massive things but actually,

they've got lightweight ones now and very easy to have round

your neck all the time, and if you've got little ears like me,

they fit right in.

That's how we're going to fix that to Sara's sloping ceiling.

And then, that will pop straight into there.

To then come out to the elbow, to then create the rail.

By Jove, she's done it!

Well, one really small bit of it, anyway.

Well, yeah, look. She has scratched that fitting, with them pliers.

The slats for Wayne's doors are stuck together, but they're weak.

I'd love it if it went straight out the window with that. Uhh!

So he's going to strengthen them with painted MDF panels.

Cos it's MDF, it needs priming.

Cos what it is, MDF for your first coat

just sucks out the moisture out the paint.

If you don't have any primer,

you could use the top coat but just water it down.

I don't like the idea of this at all, no.

It would have been much nicer to get a reclaimed door.

He's got a very tidy workshop, though.

And before long, they're done.

There's one thing guaranteed to put a smile on any builder's face

at the end of a hard day.

-Where's my cup of char?

-Cup of char?

There is only one T in team.

It's mine.

-That's not very nice, Steph, is it?

-Team member and all that.

I want to see what they're going to do when they get in the house.

Me, too, Charis.

All they have to do now is wait for the paint to dry

and fit a few more copper ends and they'll be able to install it.

Next up, we're in leafy suburbia.

An area with easy access to the city on the edge of a rural escape

and where house prices are almost bang on the national average.

We're up north in Urmston, just outside Manchester.

So, who's looking to get the builders in?

This three-bed semi has been home to Christine and Jim Morgan

for the last 17 years.

Those two laurels are looking all right, aren't they?

They're lovely, yeah. I like those.

They've got the inside just right.

But the same can't be said for the backyard.

-It's a small garden. It's just full of blue sheds.

-No, there's only...

-There are only two of them.

-I know, but I'm saying because...

And a very nice new shed. The trouble is, too many sheds.

Too many sheds, yeah.

So they need to be gone so we've got somewhere

-to have a drink, enjoy ourselves.

-Yeah.

Just rubbish left in here.

Oh, you're joking? Flipping heck.

-The sooner it's done, the better.

-Good.

What I'd like is a nice brick-built barbecue,

a seating area, new fencing.

So, how much have Christine and Jim got

to transform their shed-filled garden?

Our budget is...

..three, three and a half thousand, tops.

Brace yourself, Jim.

Any builder will tell you digging out and rebuilding a back garden

is always pricey.

It's good to have a plan when you're doing your garden,

so that you can get all the first fixes right.

If using electrics, it's got to be buried underground.

You don't want to put a load of paving down

and then find you've got to dig it all up.

Always measure accurately,

draw the space so you know exactly what you're working with.

You can put a nice piece of decking in but it can be useless

if you can't fit a table on it, for example.

So make sure you know what you want.

All three pairs of today's builders plan to dig out and rebuild

the garden, but the finish is where we'll see a real difference

between the designs.

Fortunately, this fragrant bunch are brimming with ideas

and they're all determined to win the job.

We'll have this done by dinnertime and get the steak on, eh?

First to quote are trendy twosome Sian and Jon.

-Morning.

-Good morning.

-Is it Christine?

-It is, yes.

Hi, I'm Sian.

They'll need to come up with a winning garden idea.

-Ah-ha. So...

-We should draw a plan and take some measurements.

Is that the royal we? You should draw a plan

-and I'll take the measurements.

-Yes, madam.

-Are we ready?

-Aye.

-I've heard that before.

Having known one another for over 20 years,

it's clear who's in charge.

I can definitely tell when I'm working with her on a project.

I'll say, "Can we not do it this way?"

But Sian will quite adamantly say that she wants to do it this way.

Measure twice, cut once.

I think he's trying to say I'm bossy!

They'll have to work together if they want to secure this job.

So, what's their plan?

I think we're all about opening up the space, getting rid of those

sheds, creating a fantastic barbecue area and...

They want all of this gone, don't they? All this shingle.

They've got to convince Christine and Jim

that they have a winning idea.

The idea that we had is to create some kind of flow as you're

-coming out of the house.

-We need to add some curves.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-I think it'll work well and draw your eye to that barbecue.

And then maybe tie this area in to this area with the patio.

And having a really beautiful colour palette.

Dove greys, light greys to deep charcoals.

Something along the lines of a grey like this, a paver.

You know, I was kind of thinking of having a sort of pale,

warm grey on the fence panels.

It's all about details, isn't it,

and making it really, really neat and tidy.

I think we could work wonders with this space, actually.

Not too modern, but something that's a little bit of a twist.

Sian and Jon's modern look includes

a curved pathway, sweeping through

artificial grass from the house

to a raised barbecue area.

They're offering a lot,

but at what price?

And that is 3,980, plus VAT.

Wow!

With VAT, that's nearly £4,800.

1,300 over Jim and Christine's budget.

But it's not over yet.

Next up against the trendy twosome are grafters Chris and Mark.

-Best behaviour now.

-Yes.

-Look, you can see where it's been leaking recently.

-Mental.

The lads' bromance developed eight years ago,

but as in most relationships, only one can wear the trousers.

That's me. Come on, it is me.

-It is me.

-Do I not wear trousers?

Yeah, yeah, short ones.

You dream it, we built it.

So, what's their vision for Christine and Jim's garden?

Maybe a bit of a Mediterranean feel.

-Some terracotta...

-Sounds good.

Put a bit of a theme to the garden, won't it?

Sounds exotic. Will Christine and Jim warm to it?

I don't know how you'd think about

something like a Mediterranean sort of feel.

Not too overdone, you know, just a nice terracotta path,

a chimney in the corner.

They wanted the barbecue in this area,

but what I'm going to suggest is that they're not facing with

their back to the party and we put it this way round,

so they're enjoying everyone and of course, they'll be having raves on,

if they want to throw out a few shapes, they can.

-Big box, little box, you know.

-Big box!

-Whoop-whoop!

Get the old-school raving going.

Your barbecue, we'd love that to be

-in that corner of the garden, just there.

-OK.

But turn it around, so if you have got family here...

You're talking to them as you're cooking.

-Oh, so you're...?

-Yes, exactly.

To complement the Mediterranean theme,

Chris and Mark have come up with

a circular terracotta paving design

for the back of the garden.

They've clearly thought hard about

the look, but what's the cost?

We know that we can get this job, including materials, for £4,900.

Whoa! That's nearly £125 more than Sian and Jon.

-Thank you very much for your time.

-Yes.

Finally, bidding against the other two builders are young guns

Faiz and Tom.

They'll need a killer plan to win the job.

If we're going to have the barbecue, I think we should get it away

from the house and have it in this corner.

Flag up to three-quarters way and a quarter artificial grass.

Get a feel for it.

-Enjoying it there, lad?

-Yeah. It's nice, this.

-Yeah? Brilliant.

I've got a vision. I can see it finished.

Kids, no fear, cats in safety's here.

The boys might be young-looking but they claim to have the full Monty.

Plastering, tiling, joinery, plumbing.

They do say jack of all trades and master of none, but for me,

it's the other way round - master of them all.

I would like to keep some of these to use as a feature.

We bring ideas that are different and outside the box.

Ooh. So what have they got in mind for here?

I think a lovely Indian stone.

Get rid of these horrible blue sheds.

Depending on price,

if we get some lights running round the perimeter of the cladding.

-Yeah.

-So, evening, dusk time, the lights come on.

-Yeah, yeah.

Let's see if Christine and Jim are illuminated by the idea.

In terms of setting the tone and the mood in the garden,

we are looking within the budget to add between eight to ten lights,

scattered around.

Now, that's interesting.

Yeah, maybe a little step to go on to the barbecue.

-Like a tandoor.

-A what, sorry?

-A tandoor.

-Oh, right.

For your kebabs and your lamb chops.

Is that how they make the naan bread?

Yeah, that's how you make your naan bread, fresh.

-Mmm. Dinnertime.

-Yeah.

-Forget burritos, dinnertime.

Keep your mind on the job, lads!

And what about the barbecue itself?

We were thinking of putting an arch on, maybe could smoke some fish

in the top of it, or something like that.

Tom and Faiz have majored on lighting

and placed the barbecue

at the back of the garden.

In front of the house, they plan

to lay a mix of Indian stone

and artificial grass.

Time to see what their quote

comes in at.

So, as far as costing goes, we've got you all in at £3,300.

-That's everything we've discussed.

-Mm-hmm.

That's £200 under budget.

Nearly 1,500 less than the cheapest of their rivals.

Nice to meet you.

They've all pitched, but Christine and Jim

don't have to choose any of them.

-How did you get on?

-We were actually over budget.

-We decided to go for it.

-We've done that as well.

I'm not one to blow my own trumpet, but I think we'll have this one.

-Yeah.

-I don't want to know about any of your trumpets, to be honest!

THEY LAUGH

The builders can't do any more. They have to wait.

So, will it be Sian and Jon's modern look?

Chris and Mark's Mediterranean theme?

Or the cheapest of the three, Faiz and Tom's lighting design?

Only the winners' phone will ring.

-PHONE RINGS

-Ooh!

Ooh! There's the phone.

Hello, Jon speaking.

After quite a bit of deliberations,

Chris and I would like you to do the work for us.

Oh, fantastic news.

Really looking forward to working on your garden with you.

Look forward to seeing you.

-Brilliant.

-OK.

-Thanks again.

-See you soon, bye-bye.

-Bye.

-Oh, tickety-boo.

-I know, excellent!

-Right, that's it, done.

-Done.

I'm going to enjoy bossing you around on that one, Jon.

Yeah, let's see.

Lucky Jon! The losers walk away empty-handed.

At least one of us has got a job!

It's all about numbers.

The more enquiries you get, the more you're going to hit.

The law of average means we're getting the rest of them.

I'm confident about that!

-What are you having for tea tonight, mate?

-Tin of beans, mate.

-Now we've got no work on.

-THEY LAUGH

Sian and Jon have a big job on their hands,

turning Christine and Jim's cluttered backyard

into an easy-to-maintain social space.

So what do you need to do if you're

getting the builders to do your garden?

Make sure the area is as safe as possible and make sure there's

a clear route so that we can get in and out as easily possible.

If you've got any precious plants or statues

that you don't want to break, put them somewhere safe.

You might want to let your neighbours know that we'll be in,

making a bit of noise.

It's important to keep them sweet.

It's two weeks later and Sian and Jon start work at Christine

and Jim's house, transforming the shed-filled garden into

a minimal escape, perfect for entertaining.

And the losing builders are all eyes.

Let's see what they've done.

The build is in three stages.

First, they'll clear the site.

Next, the build.

A pathway will lead up through the centre

to a large raised patio

and new lights and fencing

will be added.

Finally, the finishing touches,

including laying artificial grass

and a barbecue.

While Sian is off shopping for materials,

Jon and his team waste no time clearing the entire garden.

Where are all these people coming from?

They've got a minibus out the front.

And before long, it's curtains for those offending blue sheds.

I didn't know this was full of stuff.

It's the worst thing that happens when you open someone's shed

-and see a load of...

-I didn't think of all that.

But that's not stopping Jon and his team.

If we'd got that, it would've been just me and you doing all that work!

Make me a labourer.

It takes an entire morning of hard graft to clear the rubbish

and the skip is full to bursting.

And just as it is clear...

-Ooh! Bloomin' heck.

-Afternoon.

She likes swerving off from jobs, doesn't she?

..Sian's back from her shopping trip.

-Yes, we've made a good start.

-Sheds have gone.

Sun shining, blue skies. You've got absolutely...

-Can't ask for more, can you?

-..shedloads done.

-Excuse the pun, "shedloads".

-Yeah.

So, yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been digging.

-Right, so you're off now.

-You'll get over it, though, won't you?

I feel sorry for Jon.

But she didn't just pop out for a pint of milk.

She's picked up three tonnes of crushed aggregate

and 3.5 tonnes of sand.

These will make the foundations for the patio and pathway.

So we've got to move it round the back now.

But before any of this can be put down,

some essential preparations need to be made.

They are creating the trench for where the curved step's going to be.

They're digging down to where they've got a solid base.

And then we can put some concrete blocks down which will form the base

for the sort of wall.

Next, the pathway needs a solid foundation.

So a thin layer of crushed aggregate

is laid and then flattened with a wacker plate.

-They've got an army of people, haven't they?

-Yup.

With the whole team busy, Sian starts painting the shed.

This paint colour's called Blackened.

It's not actually black but it's called Blackened.

-She'll have that whipped in a couple of hours, no doubt.

-Yeah.

Look quite Mediterranean, I think, when it's done.

Sian's getting her hands dirty. Painting.

Good job it's not a very big shed.

That's got to be the worst job ever. Just painting that pebbledash.

I hate that.

She could be there a while.

Ugh!

As the day draws to an end,

Jon puts in the first of the new fence panels and the new design

of the garden has started to be blocked out.

But there's still an awful lot left to do.

-TOM WHISTLES

-Massive, massive job.

-Oh, yeah.

Back in Croydon, Wayne and Steph set to work

transforming Sara's dumping ground into a glamorous shoe cupboard.

Go on, Wayne.

But before the copper pipes can be fitted,

Steph's freshening up the walls.

We're using a wipeable paint.

If she's hanging shoes over the copper pipes, and one of the heels,

you know, makes a mark or whatever,

she's always got that option just to be able to wipe the wall.

That is a proper cool idea.

Steph's almost finished the painting.

It's always nice to work in big spaces.

I wouldn't be able to fit in there, would I?

No, we definitely weren't going to get in there together, were we?

And Wayne's fitting his barn doors.

Yeah, that looks good.

And homeowner Sara's found an excuse for a sneaky peek.

-Two teas, guys!

-Oh, fantastic!

Oh, she's a lovely lady, John, bringing up a couple of teas.

Yeah, a cup of tea.

-Getting there.

-Hey, wow! Doors.

-Hello!

-I don't come with the cupboard.

-Oh, shame.

But I'm getting very friendly with it!

I know it intimately now.

Super.

Painting done.

Knees sore.

So far, it's looking good.

Right, it's just the copper now.

Steph just has the last of the copper pipes to cut.

Uh, it's completely stuck.

How have I got that so wedged?

Go on, Steph, you can do it.

Ugh!

Steph might be stuck, but that's not stopping Wayne.

Three down, one more to go.

-He just cracks on.

-Oh, he's cracked on.

-Leave her to it!

-Yeah. "I don't want to be here all day, Steph,

"I'm just going to get on with it."

But...

-That shoe's just fallen off.

-Ooh!

THEY LAUGH

Fortunately, quick-thinking Wayne comes up with a modification

that will hold the shoes in place.

This next rail is going to be closer to the wall,

so when it's closer to the wall the shoe won't fall out.

The build is finished.

Ooh, look at my pipe, isn't it shiny?

The cupboard is dressed...

Check out the heels on those.

These are just for cleaning round the house.

..and their work is done.

-There we go. That's that.

-Cool.

Wayne and Steph have spent two long days in Sara's cluttered cupboard.

-It was a very small cupboard with a lot of shoes in it.

-Tiny.

What will the losing builders make of their hard work?

So, yes, let's have a look.

-Here we go.

-Let's see what they do.

Very nice.

-Well, that looks nice, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

The sleek saloon doors open to reveal the treasure trove of shoes

Sara always wanted.

-Look at those, John.

-Look at those babies.

The clever use of recycled copper gives a modern, elegant feel.

-Top job.

-That is tidy.

I reckon she'll be happy with that.

I mean, it's basically what she wanted, wasn't it?

They get a ten out of ten from me for that one, John.

-No arguments there.

-Ten out of ten.

The losing teams are impressed, but what will Sara make of it?

Wayne and Steph are about to find out.

I hope she likes it.

-Here we go.

-Ah!

Ooh.

Ooh!

All my babies.

Wow, it's amazing!

They're ready to be plucked like fruit from a tree.

They've done exactly what they said they would.

-That's what she wanted, isn't it?

-I'm very pleased.

I want one!

I love the copper. It's something nice to look at

and it's also very useful.

-Ah, that's nice.

-I'm over the moon.

It's wonderful.

Back up north in Urmston,

Christine and Jim have got Sian and Jon in to transform the neglected

garden into a space they can enjoy with friends and family.

And guess what? Sian's still painting.

Still on that corner!

Stupid, stupid idea to paint this shed.

THEY LAUGH

It's just taking ages.

I feel like I've been doing it all month!

Oops, missed a bit!

We're just putting the fence panelling on now.

-It's looking good.

-And it's going to be nice and smooth.

-Is it going to be nice and level, though?

-Uh, yeah.

It's going to be perfectly level so when I paint it...

-Look out, yeah.

-Yeah.

It's going to be level so her paint comes out level.

These bespoke cladded fences

are a great way of covering up a neighbour's less attractive ones.

And now that shed's finally painted...

She's given up on the pebbledash!

..Sian moves on to painting the cladded fences.

The replacement fence panels on the right-hand side were chosen by

Christine and Jim at £35 each.

The ultimate in zero-maintenance options for a garden

is artificial grass.

Sian's using this to frame the pathway,

so gets Christine to choose which one she'd like.

Turf that you screw down can't be turf, can it, really?

-You know what?

-I think that, yeah.

-If you're going to do it, then you do it well.

-Exactly.

Because it's an artificial grass

so you don't want it to look artificial,

you want it to look really beautiful and really plush and quite natural.

It's not for me.

I think it's the one that looks the most natural in the garden.

-Really nice. This is the one.

-Yeah.

I'll sit in there with a glass of wine, actually.

I was thinking, "Oh, that'd be nice!"

-Personally, I like it cos I don't like mowing the lawn.

-Yeah.

For the path, Sian is cutting the tiles into irregular sizes

to create a modern look.

I like how they come off-centre.

This is a very cost-effective silver-grey sandstone,

so good price point from local builders' merchants,

around about £20 a metre.

The path is going to come out from the step and then curve around,

an organic curve, going to the beautiful curved wall.

Using curves doesn't just add interest,

it softens all those hard edges.

So, that's the plan. Matt says it's far easier if they'll cut through

the path after it's set, so after the cement's gone off.

And then we'll mark out where the curve is and then cut it after.

That's the easiest way, apparently.

-I've laid a few of those, mate!

-Overlay and cut it out, much easier.

Having already painted the fence panels with a grey primer,

Sian is now giving them a once-over with a light grey top coat.

I've got a nice top tip for you here.

When you've had your nutritious soup lunch,

wash out the pot and use it for paint.

It's tiny, so it's really easy and nice and light,

so you don't have to carry the full tin.

and you don't feel the guilt of throwing away a plastic pot!

May keep it forever.

Christine and Jim have chosen to have more lights

than originally planned.

Luckily, they told the team early.

So we've got some lighting around the back.

But actually, it's far better to do lighting while you're doing

the garden design then think, "Oh, should we have done it?"

and three months later,

get an electrician in to start digging up, etc.

They're there late! It's like us, mate!

It's the final day of the build and the garden is taking shape.

The limestone pavers for the path and patio are laid,

the fences are up and painted...

It's coming along all right.

..and Sian is making final adjustments to the new lights.

They're very, very cute.

The grey matches the paint on the fence panels perfectly and they've

got these really cute little brass details which I really like,

so I'm pretty happy with those, yeah.

To prep for the artificial grass,

the team put down on a layer of sand that's compacted and levelled.

A membrane is added to keep the weeds at bay and, finally,

the grass is neatly fitted, just like a carpet.

Look how different that looks, mate.

Yeah, it looks really good.

I'm really pleased with it, actually.

It kind of just lifts the garden, doesn't it?

Everything's grey, so now it's got that splash of greenery.

Started getting the pot plants in, clean it all, so, you know,

keep the client happy! A bit tired.

It's just one final push now to get the garden finished.

Time to add those all-important accessories.

I feel like I've been painting this garden for weeks

and the boys are bringing in the barbecue.

Apparently there's 733 pieces and 1,257 drawings.

TOM SNIGGERS

The size of them instructions, as well!

I bet that folds out like a plan.

Oh, God, let's get going on it

or we're going to be here till midnight.

-Don't drop it.

-Meow!

This heavy-duty high-end barbecue is the business at £549.

So I don't want to cement it together until we've absolutely

confirmed that it's OK to position it where it is, but for now,

they kind of get the idea so they'll be able to see the garden as it is.

It's a little bit out, isn't it?

Finishing touches.

That looks nice, that. Yeah, I like that.

-Does that actually work?

-Of course it does!

-That's not straight.

-Oh.

-Right, job done, eh?

-Job done. You've done OK.

Quite like your hard work.

-I hope Christine and Jim love it.

-So do I.

Eight days ago, Christine and Jim's garden was a neglected,

characterless box of a backyard full of sheds.

The sheds in the back were an eyesore, weren't they?

Yeah, definitely.

-Yeah, it needed doing, didn't it? Outdated.

-Yeah, it was horrible.

So what will the losing builders think of Sian and Jon's hard work?

Let's see what the craic is.

-Massive difference, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I think that's really nice.

-Yeah, I agree.

The entire garden has been ripped up and the old slabs and weeds replaced

with a stone pathway and easy-to-maintain artificial grass.

Look at the difference in that, what they've got.

-Complete transformation.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, it does look nice, you know?

There's a new fence in a cool grey,

an elegant backdrop to

the entertaining area Christine and Jim wanted.

Well done.

And where once the battered sheds stood

now proudly rests a state-of-the-art barbie on a paved patio.

They've done a great job.

No-one can deny that whatsoever, can they?

Perfect for those balmy summer nights.

Well, it does look nice, you know, the finished product.

-They should be proud of themselves. Which no doubt they are!

-Yup.

The builders like it, but now

Sian and Jon are about to find out what Christine and Jim think.

-It was grim, wasn't it, that garden?

-Yeah, all those sheds.

It was absolutely grim.

Oh!

Yeah.

-I'm dead chuffed with this.

-Oh, God! Brilliant.

They look really pleased with it.

-Wow!

-Look how big it looks!

-Yeah. That's brilliant.

-Absolutely lovely.

-It's amazing, the transformation.

Yeah, I would never have believed this garden could look so big.

I did really well on this garden.

We'll keep it as it is!

Can't wait for the nice balmy nights, have a good drink!

-Barbecue and a drink.

-And a barbecue.

Low maintenance and wine.

-Fantastic!

-Oh, God!

Christine and Jim are overwhelmed.

Let's leave the last word to Sian and Jon.

I'm really pleased and I think

they will really, really enjoy that garden.