Episode 3 Getting the Builders In

We are all obsessed with having lovely houses.

-Wow, what a difference.

-Yeah.

Looks great, so bright in here.

HE GRUNTS

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

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

How do you choose the right builder for the job?

You love it.

-We've scoured Britain....

-Are you ready?

-I'm ready, babe.

..for pairs of builders...

-Bit posher than your house, mate, innit?

-Dunno, mate.

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

Well, they're out of it anyway, so what are you doing?

..to pitch against each other and win work.

Right, first question, is the kettle on?

Only one pair will win each job...

-Baby.

-Number one in the bag, Micky boy.

-..but...

-Ah.

-HE BLOWS RASPBERRIES

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

-Ooh!

-HE LAUGHS

-The losing pairs...

-I'd love to be a househusband.

..will be scrutinising their work.

Can anyone else hear the sucking of builders' teeth?

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

Oh, my word!

Our first job today is a stone's throw from a famous racecourse

and just over half an hour from London.

The average house price is around half a million pounds,

more than double the national average.

We're down south, in Epsom, in Surrey.

On the hunt for builders are 24-year-old financial services worker Amy

and 25-year-old recruitment manager, Chris,

who bought this two-bed flat two and a half years ago.

I just love this flat because it's our first home,

and we've really made it our own.

So when we came in it was pretty bland, it was kind of beige everywhere,

and bit by bit, we've just kind of added our own little touches into it.

It's almost perfect, but there's one room that's getting under their skin.

Our bathroom's pretty small and we're trying to renovate it

to get as much space out of it as possible.

So it would be really good if we could get rid of the bath,

put a shower in instead.

And I'm looking for kind of neutrals, maybe a bit of gold.

It would be nice to have it a bit more girlie,

have a little bit more space for all my many, many products.

Chris looks thrilled about that.

So how much cash have they got for a fancy new bathroom?

Our budget for this project is around £3,000.

But if we see a really good design that we really like at a little bit

more, we're happy to stretch it a bit.

Getting workmen into a block of flats can be tricky, so builders,

tell us what we need to know?

When doing some building work in a block of flats, think about parking,

think about access,

cos these are the things that builders will look at first.

When you're having work done in a flat, just bear in mind that it will

be leasehold and you may need to get some permissions from the freeholder

ahead of time before the builders come to do the work.

Noise travels, so if you can prep your neighbours before we arrive,

that's a big thumbs up from us.

So let's see which builders are bidding on Amy and Chris's bathroom.

-Feeling confident?

-Yeah, always confident.

They all know it's a refit,

but it's their squeaky-clean designs that will help them clinch it.

Had to pick the day it was snowing as well.

First to pitch are dependable duo Gavin and Jimbo.

-How you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

-And you.

First question, is the kettle on?

Who always like to dive straight in.

There's two ways to check to see if it's a full-length bath.

You can either measure it or you can use one standard length of Gav.

As normal.

These all-rounders met over 20 years ago.

We...we have a really, really good working relationship,

as long as Jim does as he's told.

Right on a knotty bit as well.

-Are you whingeing still?

-No!

You tend to meet people in this job

that you know that you're going to get on with.

And then you meet people like Jimbo.

Well, they are going to have to get on in this small space.

So what are their thoughts?

-It reminds me a lot of a hotel room, but...

-An understatement, yeah.

-..a city centre hotel room.

-Yeah.

And they have very, very small bathrooms, but they're quite cool looking.

The kind of oversized shower, so it's like a boutique hotel,

-making the most of the space.

-Yeah.

So Gavin and Jimbo want to big up the boutique styling.

But will it wash with Amy and Chris?

So we are thinking kind of uber-chic hotel, city centre hotel.

Making the best of small spaces, you know, definitely waterproof.

Maintenance proof, nearly.

But just looking really, really cool as well.

Have they discussed or thought about underfloor heating for this, or...?

That's an option, I think if we give them that option,

I don't know how far they want to go with this,

but we'll suggest that to them cos that's more hotel chic.

You could have underfloor heating in there.

-Tiled.

-And it's all controllable, 24-hour control on it,

so you can have it come on like,

five in the morning and then it's warmed up by six.

-You've got your hotel feel already.

-Yeah, it sounds amazing.

Gavin and Jimbo are not only offering the walk-in shower

Amy and Chris have asked for,

they're promising a hotel chic

design complete with

underfloor heating.

But can they do it within the

three grand budget?

-I think, all in, you're not going to hit me for this?

-No.

£3,500.

-That'll supply everything.

-Oh, that sounds really good.

It would take us probably about ten days.

-Great. Thank you.

-Cool. Thank you very much.

-Thank you. Go get the tools, Jim.

-Yeah!

Hang on, you've not won the job yet.

That's £500 over budget and there are still two more rivals to pitch.

Next, it's smooth operators Martin and Mick.

Hope it's not on the top floor this time.

-Just want to get out the cold.

-Oh, yes.

So I'll struggle down.

These two claim to have more building experience

than you can shake a trowel at.

Between us we've built 20 or 30 houses.

Michael, I have a sink for you.

I'd like to think I was a modern-day builder, as in...

Doesn't do a lot.

-About time.

-I didn't stop for breakfast, don't you worry.

Mick is one of those who struggles to give people hugs and cuddles

-and say nice things.

-Depends whether you're good-looking or not.

It's bright.

Here's hoping they're feeling cuddly today. Squeeze in, lads.

-The storage is key.

-Yeah.

-I mean, I can already see they've got two more units.

-And they are full up.

-And they are full.

And all of this round the bath.

So, for me, if we can utilise a bit more of this space

and get some height, storage at height above the toilet.

We can use the wall as well.

I think it's going to be the furniture element of being able

to store some of this stuff that's obviously overflowing at the moment.

Let's see if they can persuade Amy and Chris

that their space-saving idea's better than Gavin and Jimbo's.

-OK.

-Right, guys.

As far as the storage goes, we've gone everywhere, pretty much.

Above the toilet, under the sink,

we've even got a little bit inside the shower itself.

-Perfect.

-For shower gels. So I think we've got you covered.

Just don't start buying anything else and you'll be fine.

-Remember that.

-Yeah.

Tiling could really make this stand out.

-I'm thinking sort of a sparkly mosaic or something involved with...

-Some nice feature.

We really want to introduce like an Aladdin's cave feel, you know,

some bright, shiny, cool, sparkly things.

-Yes.

-We know you like that bit.

Yeah, I'm all into my champagnes and golds, yes, it sounds lovely,

it's like a great colour scheme.

So Martin and Mick have decided

to try and dazzle Amy and Chris

with fancy tiles and a big bank

of storage for all

the overflowing products.

Doesn't sound cheap.

-So we've come to 5,200 and that's everything.

-OK.

Whoa, that's £2,200 over budget and there's still one more quote to go.

Last in are clean cut Wayne and Steph.

Remember what the lifts are like in this. Can we get a bath down in it?

I know, well, there's always a challenge.

A bathroom refit, in a new build.

Off to work we go.

Wayne is a carpenter by trade and Steph is an all-rounder.

Oh, dream.

But these two are not your average builders.

We ain't got a white van. I'm not a man.

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

Our style is - "What do you want?"

And then we'll put a twist on it and make it fun and friendly and

-recycled.

-Yeah.

So what's the twist on Amy and Chris's bathroom?

What do you think about losing a bath?

You see, I wouldn't buy a place without a bath.

What we've got here is a great kind of starter flat,

-but you're not going to be here forever.

-No.

And anyone who comes to buy this could be put off by that.

We want to create something that adds like wow for now,

but also retains the value of the property.

So Wayne and Steph think the bath should stay,

but can they convince Amy and Chris?

We were worried by ripping out the bath it might affect the resale

value of your property. Have you thought about that?

People we've asked just say, "Oh, we are always in a rush going to and from work,

"we just care about the shower, to be honest."

Well, based on our feelings, I think it's always good to just go outside

the box a bit and just actually consider a different option potentially,

so what we're suggesting is a complete makeover

-but actually keeping all the sanitary ware you've got.

-Oh, right, OK.

-OK? So go with it.

Get kind of rustic with it. We could change the whole feel.

I know the brief was quite opulent in golds and rustics.

-Definitely.

-Go creative.

Give it a unique feel because these sorts of properties as well,

all the same size, all the same layout, let's make it more exciting.

-Yeah.

-So then with the bath panel, do a warm, maybe rustic wood,

that kind of thing. I know it's not a walk-in shower,

but we just wanted to give you something different to think about.

Yeah, excellent.

Wayne and Steph have come up with a design that keeps the

existing suite but warms it up

with the addition of wood panelling.

So far their rivals have blown

the three grand budget,

so will they be able

to beat them on price?

In terms of the cost, we're going to do that for £3,500.

OK, excellent.

That's the same price as rivals Gavin and Jimbo,

but still £500 over budget.

The quotes are in.

Right, guys, spill the beans, then. What did you go for?

We decided to talk them out of a walk-in shower.

Well, they're out of it, anyway. So what did...

LAUGHTER

Only one pair can win the job.

-Are we in agreement?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Perfect.

Will it be Gavin and Jimbo's boutique chic walk-in shower,

£500 over budget?

Martin and Mick's trendy tiles with ample storage,

a hefty £2,200 over budget?

Or Wayne and Steph's warmed up bath idea, also £500 over budget.

It's the moment of truth for the builders.

PHONE RINGS

-Hello.

-Hi, Gavin, it's Amy and Chris here.

-Hello, Amy, hi, Chris, how are you? Hi, yeah, good.

-Good, thank you.

Just thought we'd give you a call to let you know that we would like you

to do our bathroom for us.

-Oh, fantastic.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you.

-Excellent work, excellent work.

-You're happy with everything we came up with?

-Yeah. Yeah, it all sounds great, thank you.

OK, right, well we'll come and do you something beautiful.

-Perfect.

-Great.

-Thanks, Gavin.

So while it's celebrations for Gavin and Jimbo...

-Fancy a beer?

-Yeah, let's do it.

..the losers' designs are in the bin.

I do think that we would have made a nice job of that bathroom.

-Jimbo and Gav.

-Yeah, I'm genuinely interested to see the end result.

You know, they wanted luxury, so hopefully that's what they'll get.

You'll find out when you watch them work later.

Amy and Chris are set for a smart new walk-in shower, so builders,

got any friendly advice?

If you're having a bathroom done,

you've only got one bathroom in the house,

it might be a good idea to make alternative arrangements.

Maybe stay at a friend's for a couple of days,

just while the loo is out of action.

Make friends with your neighbours or make sure your gym membership is

up-to-date, so you can use the shower.

Make your mind up, stick to the plan,

so you don't cause any unwanted delays in decision-making.

It's day one of the job and Jimbo is having a smashing time.

Good at watching, isn't he, Gav?

-All right, mate?

-And the losing builders are all eyes.

-What's he doing, just sitting back and watching him do all the work?

-Yeah.

The only thing on a job like this is that we have to make sure that

we give Jim a good liberal spraying of deodorant before coming into a tight space like this.

-Looks like half the wall is coming down with it.

-They're going to come a cropper,

-trying to take them tiles off in there.

-Yeah, I think there's going

to be a bit of plasterboard coming off the walls now.

-Oh, he's doing something.

-Wow.

I didn't know they did insulation that thin.

What we'll do is we'll cut that off and just replace everything.

Yeah.

To be fair it's probably quicker and easier just to take the thing

off and replace it, isn't it?

I like to think myself more like the Emperor of China, really.

I just tell everyone else how good they are doing jobs

-and leave them to do it.

-You don't say.

Gav hasn't actually done anything yet.

And Gavin has even called in plumber John to get the bath out.

-It was a snug fit.

-Bathrooms, cos they're the smallest room,

it tends to be the most difficult,

but it's important you get someone to do the plumbing,

which is why we've got John.

Because he knows someone, doesn't he?

LAUGHTER

-He doesn't say a lot, but what he does say is good value.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-With the pipes disconnected,

the bath Amy and Chris don't want can finally come out of the flat.

Yeah. Where are you going to put it when you get it out, then, as well?

-Did they get a skip?

-To me, to you.

He must be there for morale, old Gav,

cos he ain't there doing very much, is he?

Don't speak too soon, Martin. Gavin's about to swing into action.

It's very clever stuff, this.

Cement-based board.

So what you do is you fix it straight to the stud work,

through the front, tile this side

and it's completely moisture resistant.

Very good.

-Expensive, though, cement board?

-Expensive.

Back inside, plumber John is building a frame for the concealed shower valve,

which will be covered by Gavin's cement board.

And even Gavin is getting stuck in,

removing the small cabinets and the old sink.

-Oh, there we go.

-Disconnect it.

Jim can keep this for his haircut.

He likes a basin head.

Oh, no!

-That'll teach you.

-Where's my mop-up cloth?

LAUGHTER

With such a commotion,

Amy finds the perfect excuse to pop her head in and see how it's going.

Oh, you star! Thank you very much, give it to your favourites first, yeah?

We love you, Amy.

He's an old smoothie, isn't he, Gav?

Wow! It looks a little bit different to the last time you saw it.

-Yes, we're finished.

-We're finished.

-Not quite the look I was going for, but...

-Really?

-Yeah.

-The jungle look.

-No, it looks amazing.

I'm so happy that that bath has gone, for a start.

It does open up space a lot, doesn't it?

I can't believe you've done so much in such a short space of time.

Yeah. We've got the controls at that end, now,

which is what you really wanted.

And we got rid of those cupboards from up there, as well.

-That nobody painted around.

-Yeah, that nobody... I like that.

Beautiful. That's what it's going to look like.

Beautiful. Functional, beautiful and reliable.

That's us three, really, isn't it?

Just stop talking about it and get on with it.

You know what they say, Mick, it comes out quick...

Is it going to go back in as quick?

Exactly.

With everything ripped out,

it's now just a case of getting all the new stuff in and we'll find out

how well that goes later on.

For our next job, we're on the edge of a bustling city.

The average semi here fetches over 290 grand.

80 grand more than the national average.

We're in the large town of Sale, in Greater Manchester.

This four-bed bungalow belongs to the Taylors.

There's mum Sally, dad Matthew and daughter Maia.

They bought this bungalow just over two years ago

and have spent the last year transforming it

into the house of their dreams.

We love it now. We're not party animals, but we like having people round,

and because it's a big, open space, it's nice for that.

It gets the two thumbs up from Maia, too.

It's very fun and it's very nice and it's very big.

But there's one job left to do.

The problem is, Maia's room is a bit chaotic.

It's not got any storage and it's not really very practical for her to

spend much time in.

I'd like, like, a nice painting or something cool on the wall.

Just a mixture of colours.

Not too girlie.

So how much is in the kitty to transform the bedroom?

Matt has a real thing.

He doesn't want to spend money. But he is an accountant.

But I have learned what things do cost when you're getting the builders in.

Our budget for this job is £1,000 to £1,500.

If someone were to come in with a slightly crazy idea, then, yes,

we would consider it, but, you know...

Have you got that on tape?

Our builders may have some crazy ideas,

but they're not short on sensible ones either.

Storage is number one.

Clothes, toys, maybe a desk area for homework,

so really think about how you're going to use the space in the most

effective way.

If you're redesigning a child's room, you've got to think about them

growing up slightly, because what might be in fashion now

and might be the craze now, in two, three years will most definitely

be outdated.

Get the kids involved on the colour scheme. You don't want to go to all

the trouble of decorating it and then they don't like it.

I'm quite looking forward to this today.

The builders for this job are straining at the reins.

-Let's go.

-Very enthusiastic.

And are full of ideas.

-Kiddie's bedroom.

-Love it. Absolutely love it.

They all know the bedroom needs a complete makeover.

-Sunny Manchester.

-It's not like sunny Liverpool, mate.

-Stop it.

But it's how they put the FUN in FUN-ctional that will make the

difference to the pitches.

-Hiya, you all right?

-Chris and Alex.

-Can we have a look at your bedroom?

-Yeah, come on, come on in.

-First up are grafters Chris and Alex.

Oh, nice. Got to make it James Brown, haven't we?

-Make it funky.

-Ten-year-old kiddie.

And it's not just their musical tastes that give away their age.

Just holding the wall up.

I caught him in the loft the other day and he couldn't get out.

We have got knowledge.

I think we've got some pretty good ideas between us, as well.

Something maybe that the customer hasn't thought of,

but actually suits that environment really well.

So what's your cunning plan for the bedroom, then, lads?

So we've got funky, yeah?

Got to be funky. Got to be colourful, yeah?

And got to be clean. Clean shapes.

-She might like a bunk bed.

-Yeah, that's an option.

All the storage underneath.

Well, you can get really nice units now with the table underneath,

-or even a pull-out bed if she's got friends staying over.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The boys are hoping to win this pitch with a funked-up design.

How's that going to go down?

-Hi, guys.

-Hi.

Right, so, as you walk in...

-Yeah.

-..we can do it as a bunk bed form.

So if your friends want to stay, you've got two spaces.

In terms of the wallpaper,

it's really bright colours and what we can do is,

because there's a lot of colour in it,

we can pick the colours out of that wallpaper

and utilise those colours to do the other walls.

And they do a lot of funky colours, as well,

-like bright greens and yellows and oranges.

-Yeah.

You can get really nice units now.

There's that many quality products on the market that often it works

out cheaper than actually building something from scratch.

The main point of this is it can change as Maia changes

and her tastes change.

It could even be that you keep the same components in there and

-just move them around.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Yes.

-It's a nice idea.

Alex and Chris want to put the FUN

into FUN-ky with brightly coloured

walls and flooring

and bedding to match.

They're also suggesting

pre-made furniture,

which can easily be adapted

as Maia grows up.

In terms of the costing,

Alex has worked out a few costings for it.

So the price comes out at £1,970.

Materials 1,570, with 400 labour.

That's £470 more than the budget.

Have you got any questions, Maia? She did mention one.

She wanted a swimming pool, was it?

-I'm only joking!

-I know you're only joking.

Now that does sound like a good idea.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Yes, it's nice.

Next up is mother and son team Tracy and Daz.

So, Daz, at one time, had a double bunk bed

with a complete full train set on it.

You couldn't have led with drum kit? You had to go with the train set.

I feel like a right anorak.

This job should be no problem for these two.

We do all aspects of home improvements,

from putting a picture or mirror up to full renovations.

Kid's bedroom. This should be, you know, a nice, fun one to do.

You'll enjoy that. You can play with toys.

-Girls' toys.

-Yeah, I remember you playing with girls' toys.

Get out.

Oh, you're never too old to be embarrassed by your mum.

Time to size up the room before they pitch to the family.

Well, I'd like to bring something that's going to take her from

-where she is now through to a teenager.

-Yeah.

Well, this little girl particularly likes geometric shapes,

like polygon shapes,

so lots of lovely wallpaper on the market with geometric shapes.

Lots of transfers, lots of stickers.

But will the Taylors share Tracy's vision?

OK, so we've had a look at the room and the way I was going to cost it

for you was to do everything from sort of start to finish.

So we've included some nice geometric type shelving.

You know you can get those sort of box shelves.

Triangles, squares, circles type thing that you can put

your own personal bits and pieces in.

If we're going to build the storage units around this side and factor it

round and put the bed round that way, you could start with the unit,

build round the bed, have some cupboard storage,

some squares over the top of the bed and you could come round.

And then apply bedding and curtains

and a blind that would co-ordinate with that.

You've got it all completely done and finished.

Have you got any ideas in terms of colours?

-I just like loads of bright colours.

-Loads of bright colours.

Right, OK.

Tracy and Daz are covering all angles

with their geometric-themed room,

including a wraparound storage solution with wallpaper,

transfers and bedding to match.

But will their budget shape up?

Come on, Mother, this is your department.

If we're going to do absolutely everything, we would go in at 2,750.

-OK.

-That's including everything.

-Yeah.

Wow, that's come in £1,250 over budget.

OK. Cool.

But there's one pair left to pitch.

You can put the girlie spin on stuff, yeah?

I think you should maybe do the girlie stuff, how about that?

Trendy twosome Sian and Jon.

So this is Maia's room.

OK. Fantastic.

They'll have to come up with something slick

to beat the other builders.

There's a moose - is it mooses or moosii?

-No, I think it's an elk.

-What's the plural of moose?

-Moosii.

-Moosii? Mooses.

They may not know their mammals...

Right, let's see if this fits.

..but when it comes to building work,

these two claim to be able to turn their hands to anything.

Tiling, joinery work, plumbing.

I wear many hats.

In terms of the pitches, if Jon just let's me do a lot of the talking,

everything will be happy days.

Cheeky.

But do they have any idea about what's cool for kids?

I'm thinking you could have quite a cool sort of young Scandi vibe

-going on here.

-Yeah.

-Do you know what I mean by that?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

Been in lots of Scandinavian places.

I'd have... You could almost create, like...

That would be the dressing wall.

So you could have a dressing wall and a dressing table there.

I think everything should be in birch ply.

-Which does give that Scandinavian type look.

-Yeah.

Sian and Jon have come up with a Scandinavian-inspired design.

So will it be Norway or no way?

Jon had the idea of using a material called birch ply.

If you go in our bedroom, that's what I had, and the window sills.

OK, we haven't been in your bedroom.

-Are you sure?

-We didn't sneak into your bedroom.

I think birch ply is a fantastic idea

and it's relatively cost-effective.

It's quite cool as well, isn't it?

You can make lots of different shapes with it.

If it's well made, it looks quality.

-That's the big if.

-It will look quality.

So it's all on you, then, Jon.

The idea we had was to start creating some boxes,

but not regimented.

Is it all pretty much bespoke?

Yeah, it's all going to be bespoke.

So Sian and Jon are going for a Scandinavian theme,

using birch ply to create flexible storage

with bespoke boxes and shelving.

But what will all this cost?

I think it will be probably £2,250.

That's £750 over budget.

-What do you think, Maia?

-Is that kind of in the ballpark

-of what you were thinking?

-Yes.

-Design-wise.

I'd leave the costing to your mum and dad.

Oh, no, I thought Maia was paying.

-Oh, are you, have you been saving up?

-No.

All three pitches are in.

It's now up to the Taylors to decide if they like any of them.

We came up with the idea of using a company,

with their furniture, which can be interchangeable.

Oh, see, has that knocked your confidence now, Jon?

Has that knocked your confidence?

-Is it designer passion for you two?

-No.

Does it look like designer passion?

We've talked a fair bit about it, haven't we?

Back and forth. It was close between a couple of them.

But I think we've made our decision.

Yeah.

So whose phone will ring?

Will it be Alex and Chris's funk-fest with adaptable storage,

the cheapest at £470 over budget?

Tracy and Daz's geometric design,

the most expensive at £1,250 over budget?

Or Sian and Jon's Scandinavian look at £750 over budget?

PHONE RINGS

-Oh, is this us?

-Hello, Jon speaking.

Hi, we're just ringing to let you know we'd love you

-to do Maia's room, if that's OK.

-Oh, we'd love to!

Great. That's fantastic.

Yeah, thank you so much.

-Thanks. Bye.

-Told you.

Yeah!

They just seemed to get our tastes quite quickly.

I saw the excitement in your face when he mentioned birch plywood.

I really like it.

In the bag.

Sian and Jon are clearly chuffed,

but their rivals are a job down.

Disappointed at the end of the day. We really wanted the job.

We gave them too many choices, maybe,

and should have just stuck to one, maybe.

But they'll get to watch Sian and Jon in action later.

So what should Sarie and Matt do ahead of Maia's bedroom build?

When you're having a child's room decorated at home,

make sure you move them out and give them somewhere else to sleep.

Try and keep the kids away from the makeover.

It's best to save it till the end, so they get a big reveal.

Make sure when working on a child's bedroom that you're really prepared,

so you don't have any unwanted hold-ups

in moving them back into their room.

It's the first day of the build and Sian has arrived

to a welcome surprise.

Yes, so the client has cleared the vast majority of stuff

out of the bedroom, which is brilliant for us,

when you're coming in decorating, if the room's clear.

That doesn't always happen.

-No, not at all.

-Some people don't even make the bed.

The losing builders can't wait to stick their noses in.

Let's see what's going on.

So, pretty much all we've got to do is get the bed out.

To me, to you, to me, to you.

With Jon temporarily not around,

she's drafted in hubby Martin instead.

-Oh. This is Martin.

-Oh.

I have a big strong boy to carry everything out.

-Always a good start.

-Yeah.

-Now they're trying to get it in.

-Let's see how it goes in.

With the room clear, it's time to make a start on the unique

Scandinavian-style storage scheme.

And meticulous Sian has a foolproof plan.

These are where all the boxes are going to go,

but we're going to paint this, so...

-Oh. Really?

-Let's see how that goes.

Yes, it's the old draw it all out and paint over it technique.

-I'll take a picture, just in case.

-Yeah, I would.

650 by 300.

Good idea.

Confident that she knows where everything is going to go,

she makes a start on the decor.

Soon, this will be a lovely shade of like a really subtle, pale pink.

That's nice. I like the colour.

SHE LAUGHS

Oi, no messing about, please!

THEY LAUGH

-That's why I've got my hat on, mate.

-Yeah.

-So you don't paint me.

-Okey dokey.

-Painting done, Sian can unveil one of her more quirky ideas.

We're going a bit bonkers with the ceiling,

in that I've never tried putting two different wallpapers

in two different directions on a ceiling.

-What?

-What?

So you've got to imagine it like that.

OK.

So instead of going that way, or that way,

it's going to go diagonally.

That's how I want it.

Look at your face!

He's pulling the same face as us!

Let's do it. Let's just do it.

It's bad enough doing ordinary paper on a ceiling

without doing something like that.

Oh, this does wonders for my neck.

-Oh, my word.

-Oh.

So this time, Sian can mark it out carefully

and then wallpaper over it.

This has got either fantastic or

a bit of a nightmare written all over it.

So it's just this one piece of we're putting up?

Er, no.

And to make things even more complicated,

there are two different wallpaper designs.

Oh, my God.

Oh.

I've literally no idea how this corner's going to work.

I'm not quite sure what you'd be feeling like,

lying in bed looking at it.

Really awkward!

Good luck with that one.

Seems like a good time for Sarie to pop her head in.

Oh, I wonder what they think?

OK, I'm perfect this end.

A little unsure.

-Even the cat's looking. "I don't know what's going on!"

-Yeah.

I like things that are quirky.

I just think, what's the point unless you're going to go for it?

-Yeah, right.

-That is quirky.

Look at that.

He's so stunned, he hasn't said anything yet.

I'm sure it'll look fantastic when it's finished.

We'll find out later.

Back down south in Epsom,

home owners Amy and Chris have chosen Gavin and Jimbo

to bring a breath of fresh air to their rotten old bathroom.

With the new shower taking shape...

I tell you what, that old shower tray went in quick.

..they've drafted in tiler Lance to fit large,

neutral tiles to give the bathroom a more modern look.

What do you reckon on them tiles, Mick?

-Fan?

-Not a great fan of them tiles.

I like those tiles.

You always do the walls first, don't you?

Always do the walls first, so all the mess goes on the floor,

-then you can scrape it off, finish the floor.

-OK.

-Job's done.

-I thought you'd do the floors first,

then tiles straight onto them.

-Never heard of that.

-Easier to seal, isn't it?

I've always got to cut the floor into the wall.

Wouldn't do it like that.

Next, the star of the design.

One of the things I know that they were particularly excited about,

as much as you can get excited about shiny bits of silver metal...

Cor, that's a big shower head.

Look at that.

With the tiling finished, Jimbo tackles the decor.

Whoops.

-Wipe the tiles up.

-Oh, steady on.

With the decor done, Jimbo is having a house-proud moment.

Love cleaning glass, don't you?

Doesn't it drive you mad?

Get rid of one fingerprint...

With screen sparkling, he fits the shower head,

loo lid and cabinet drawers.

Have you cleaned in the cupboards, as well, yeah?

-Not yet.

-James, you're one job - to make sure everything's sparkling!

Last to go up, the radiator.

So, right, towel rail there.

It's a curved one as well,

so obviously the towels can sit straight over the middle...

-Yeah.

-..without scuffing the wall.

-That will look wicked.

-Certainly will.

And, with that, they're done.

Are you pleased with yourself?

Definitely. I've got to say, it looks really, really good.

-And how much more modern is that?

-Yeah, very nice.

I reckon we're done now.

You've just got pick a number between one and three.

-Four.

-OK. You're buying the drinks.

-Fantastic.

-Shall we go?

-Let's go.

-All right.

Amy and Chris's bathroom was cramped.

It had a bath they really didn't want and it lacked storage.

-They had a lot of stuff. Do you remember?

-Yeah.

So what will the losing builders think of Gavin and Jimbo's work?

Right, let's have a look at what these boys have done,

then, in this old bathroom, eh?

-Wow. It is beautiful.

-Yeah.

They've done a nice job.

I knew they would. They're top fellas.

They've replaced the unwanted bath with a hotel-style walk-in shower.

Anyone who wants a flat in Epsom without a bath...

-Boom.

-That's the one.

They've delivered on what their pitch was

and that's what won them the job,

so you can't really complain, you can't really quibble.

They've done a first-class job.

The tiles are sleek.

There's a towel radiator and a large mirrored wall cabinet.

-Yeah, nice.

-Yeah. Good finish.

And a new floating sink now has lots of storage for them both.

We filled the room with storage.

-They've done a great job.

-Yeah.

The losing builders have given it the thumbs up.

-Yeah, nice tidy job.

-Nice tidy job.

I think she's going to really love it.

I think they've got exactly what they wanted, haven't they?

But it's not their bathroom.

Gavin and Jimbo are in position.

Happy Amy and Chris? Let's find out.

Let's see, let's see.

Will Amy and Chris like it?

Our new bathroom.

Right, moment of truth.

-What do you think?

-It looks so different.

-Oh, wow!

-It looks amazing, right?

-Yeah, it feels so much bigger.

-Thank you, Chris.

-Fantastic, yeah.

-Yeah, it's perfect, isn't it?

-Perfect.

Yeah, you're not going to be able to get me out of here.

He's in the shower already!

I love the colours. Although it's neutral,

I think with the bits of silver and the lighting's bouncing off it,

-it's gorgeous.

-Yeah, it looks really chic, isn't it?

That is sleek. That is really, really chic.

Crispy, crispy.

Now I've actually got storage and a massive mirror to do my make-up in,

I think it'll make a massive difference.

Dream team back again.

Up until a couple of days ago, I was still having second thoughts,

wondering if we'd made the right decision, but, seeing it now,

I can definitely be sure that we made the right choice.

That's a pat on the back for Gavin and Jimbo.

-Well done, mate.

-Fantastic, Gav.

Boom.

And it all came in at the agreed price of 3,500 grand.

Well done, lads.

Back up north in Sale, at the Taylor family's bungalow,

that wallpaper is up and Jon's arrived.

Oh, he's turned up.

He's brought all the box shelves that were made off-site.

-That looks quite smart, to be fair.

-I quite like that.

This is all of the beautiful birch ply.

It's quite a contemporary material, now.

He could've bought them from a well-known stockist.

Cheaper.

It's a plywood, but it's layered and compressed.

It picks up the timber effect on the wallpaper, so...

They've got an army, as well, of people.

I know, it's not bad, is it?

Right, we've got all the premade boxes

and we're going to start putting stuff together.

Thank goodness Sian recorded all those measurements on her phone.

And then next to it here, the 1,200 by...

So your 1,200 by 40 runs there.

-What would we do without our phones?

-Oh, yeah, good job, isn't it?

Right, let's do it in order.

-Right, where do you want that...?

-That one there.

One digging a hole and three watching!

-To the edge?

-No, that one goes across.

See, it's not only me that does all that bossing around.

Thank God somebody knows what they're doing.

She's very bossy, isn't she?

It's like dealing with the Three Stooges.

Yeah, I completely understand how she feels.

Oh, she's getting bossy.

Oh.

It's OK, just keep following that watertight plan.

600 by 300.

And then it's that one.

Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Oh, it will.

THEY CHUCKLE

And then that's where there's a problem, because I videoed it.

Because I went a bit fast, so I can't see the number.

Uh-oh.

-That's when we get a bit cocky.

-Best laid plans and all that.

-Yeah.

I'll take the blame, I don't care.

Oh, dear.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Remember that.

Oh, dear. Head in hands.

They'll all argue that it's one way and I'll say it was another way

and then I end up being right and then they'll all ignore it.

SHE LAUGHS

Before tensions run too high,

Sian leaves the boys to it and heads outside to tackle the next job.

These are...

..picture rails. Now, they might not look like picture rails...

They don't.

..but because it's a very contemporary room,

so rather than have a kind of traditional Edwardian

or Victorian moulded picture rail,

I'm going to do something quite contemporary in shape.

It picks up the shape of the skirting boards and

I'm painting it the same colour as the skirting boards.

And this will hide the division where the wallpaper meets the paint

and it'll also give the client somewhere to hang pictures from.

Hence it being called a picture rail.

-Get the roller out.

-Do you think that's a good idea?

-I think so, don't you?

-Yeah, yeah. Yeah, quite smart, that.

Yeah.

Inside, the wall jigsaw has been solved.

-That's looking good now.

-They look quite cool.

Yeah, they do. They look really nice.

We've got all the boxes up and in the correct configuration.

We're just fixing it to the wall.

If kids were to climb up it, you've got to make sure it's secure.

God, yeah, definitely.

They're hitting the home straight.

The boxes up, doors to the wardrobes hung

and extra shelving put in place.

The last job is to fix the picture rail.

Oh, quick, go and get a wet wipe.

Which might be easier said than done.

The ceiling is not level.

I don't think you need to worry about that

with that wallpaper on the ceiling.

It's 27cm from our level to the ceiling.

In that corner it's 20,

in that corner it's 19 and here it's 31.

And it should be the same all the way round.

Oh, dear.

Might have been better to do the picture rails first

-and paper down to them.

-Yeah.

I'd go up a little bit.

So what you then have to do is find a compromise,

so although the picture rail won't be dead level,

it's better for the eye when the eye looks at it.

So the solution is to hang it deliberately wonky.

Clever.

-Don't think you've really got a choice, do you?

-No.

And with a quick tidy-up, they're done.

And relax.

I hope to goodness that Sarie and Matt,

and more importantly Maia, like it.

Right, come on. Day's over.

Day's over.

For two years, nine-year-old Maia's bedroom was chaotic and impractical.

I wanted this one. Having little girls of my own,

I was quite looking forward to doing this for this little girl.

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

Let's see if it would have looked as good as ours.

I'll give my honest opinion.

Rubbish!

No, it looks ace.

It does look nice.

-It looks great.

-Yeah.

Now it's unrecognisable.

That looks really good. Superb.

There's bags of cool bespoke storage.

That looks really lovely.

And plenty of space for Maia's clothes and books.

I like that. I think it looks really nice.

-Yeah, it's quirky, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

And the ceiling is a wallpapered work of art.

-I like the ceiling now.

-It looks quite good.

-It looks really good now, yeah.

-It looks like a tent.

Yeah, the ceiling looks cool, doesn't it?

The ceiling is really good.

The builders like it...

Here we go. Maia's bedroom.

But now, Sian and Jon are about to find out for themselves

what the family think.

Mmm...

Oh. Matt looks a bit wary.

I'm a bit scared now.

-What do you think, Maia?

-Amazing.

Amazing!

It's nice. It's got all these different shapes.

It just looks really different, doesn't it?

No-one's going to have one exactly like this and that's what I like.

No-one will have it. It's completely unique, that's why.

-Bespoke.

-Yeah.

I think it's amazing and really cool and even better

than I thought it would be.

And I like the ceiling

because it's all cool and all different directions.

-You can't ask for more than that.

-It's cool.

We've got the storage.

It's really practical, it's what we wanted.

But it's really stylish and really cool and I just love the ceiling.

It's not something we would have ever attempted

or even thought to do.

Maia's bedroom is transformed

and it all came in, as agreed, at £2,250.

They've really excelled themselves.

They've just been... Just been a great bunch of people

and just really nice to be around. I'm actually going to miss them!

-It's pretty good, that.

-That's pretty cool.

That's pretty cool.