Episode 4 Getting the Builders In

For us Brits, our home is our castle.

-Wow.

-I know.

-Right?

-Oh, my goodness.

-Amazing.

Amazing!

But keeping it how we want it...

They've got the complete DIY manual.

..takes a lot of work.

-You've been up that chimney.

-Yes.

Human sweep, I am.

And getting the builders in...

-What time do you call this?

-..can be a daunting task.

To be fair, Jon, I think they built the Great Wall of China quicker.

That's a work of art, that. Look. We've got a Banksy.

Urgh! So we've asked tradesmen from all over the country...

-Still alive.

-I feel like a doctor.

..to go up against each other.

If you get it, you can give it to us, all right?

Yeah, we'll sub you it out. But I want it painted!

Each homeowner hears three quotes.

£1,650.

-Yeah.

-Do you need a stiff drink yet?

-Get in.

-Get in!

..before picking the best one for the job.

Told you.

But there a sting in the tail for the winning builders,

as their rivals get to watch them at work.

We haven't got a key.

Uh-uh!

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

-Do you feel sorry for the boys, Jon?

-Yeah...

-No!

LAUGHTER

Today the builders have come to the county of Berkshire,

just 33 miles south-west of London.

They're in a small town known for its famous Royal Military Academy.

They're in Sandhurst.

This four-bed detached belongs to retired couple Andy and Anne,

who bought the house back in 1985.

This could be a really nice day today, I think.

They've never wanted to move,

and instead they've updated the house over the years.

We've had the windows replaced twice.

A new kitchen, twice.

And, of course, the extension as well.

Then the conservatory added.

-Maintained.

-And we've put solar panels on the roof as well.

-Oh, yes.

There's now just one room left to be tackled.

I cannot stand that downstairs cloakroom as it is.

Drives me up the wall. I hate anybody using it.

These walls are horrible.

They're like sandpaper.

It's all because of the paint I put on it.

It needs to be revitalised.

I just wish there was more space.

So how much have Andy and Anne put aside for the cloakroom revamp?

I would prefer the figure to come under 1,000,

but when you add it all up,

it's going to be at least three days' job,

so maybe 1,500?

Let's hope that the designers are cheapskates, like me.

Not sure about that, Andy,

but they do have lots of tips which they'll share for free.

If you want to install a new downstairs toilet,

then why not put it beneath your existing bathroom

or next to the kitchen which will help reduce the plumbing costs?

Heating in the space is also an important thing to think about.

You might want to consider an electric heater or a towel rail,

or you could add a radiator into your current central heating set-up.

Which builders are going to be showing off their nous and know-how to win this job?

All right, Michael.

-Nice and fresh?

-Oh, nice and cold, it's lovely.

-Oh.

The trio are primed with ideas up their sleeves...

-I quite like Sandhurst.

-Yeah.

-It's all right.

..and are going to use all their powers of persuasion to win the job.

First of to quote are upcycling pair Charis and Chris.

Is it a bathroom or a little cloakroom toilet?

I don't know. Sink's very small.

-The basin, you mean.

-Whatever!

-A sink is in the kitchen,

-a basin's in the bathroom.

-I'm going to beat you in a minute! Be quiet!

-You got both?

-Yes, I've got both and they're very heavy.

These two have known each other for 20 years

and like nothing more than winding each other up.

We do have a laugh, and Charis is quite

out there with her sense of humour,

so it's the same as mine.

The thing is, I don't get, um...

-Offended.

-I don't get offended by his jokes and stuff,

whereas most people would be like, "Oh, my God!"

So, I was using the router.

-The bit snapped.

-Then I got a phone call from

a very distressed Charis saying she's broken the router.

So I thought she'd broken her computer.

And I was saying, "What's that got to do with me?"

Dun-dun-dun!

Cool. Oh, it is very small.

Oh. Are we both going to get in there?

Well, just about. Oh, yeah, it's nice, isn't it?

It is a tiny little sink... Basin.

Do you know what I want to do? Just rip everything out...

-Oh, yeah.

-..and start afresh with this.

Frankly, the carpet is giving me the heebie-jeebies.

-That's got to go, first thing.

-Yeah, obviously that's going.

The grit on the wall, it's weird, isn't it?

So then it's either a case of, what, plastering it or wallpapering it?

Just skim straight over it.

Oh, look at the ceiling as well.

-This is all adding to the cost though, isn't it? Yeah.

-Yeah.

So that sounds like a complete overhaul.

Time to share their thoughts with Andy and Anne.

We've got some ideas for you.

So, the wallpaper, not the wallpaper, rather the walls.

-Sandy paint walls.

-The sandy...

How did that come about then, because I'm interested?

-It's just paint.

-It's a proprietary paint sand finish.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

-Oh, this was you, was it?

-Oh, yes!

-We noticed the ceiling as well.

-Yes.

Oh, yes, that needs to be sorted.

If you're going to plaster the ceiling, we might as well

-plaster the walls.

-Right.

-Then that's that out the way.

-Yes.

But if we're going to keep it under budget, it's going to have to be

just plain, white tiles, plain, white suite

-and some lino on the floor.

-Well, it's a very small room

so I actually think white is going to go down really well in here.

We would really like to make the bathroom nice and light

by using white sanitary ware and white tiles as well on the wall.

We'll have a tiled floor as well.

We would paint the room

and the woodwork would be repainted as well.

Charis and Chris want to strip the cloakroom right back,

then replaster it and finish off

with plain white tiles and sanitary ware.

They've clearly thought about keeping costs down,

but are they under Andy and Anne's £1,500 budget?

Realistically, you're looking around £2,000 mark for that kind of work.

So, even keeping it simple, they're still £500 over.

Can their rivals see a way to do it any cheaper?

Next up, are smooth operators Martin and Mick,

and they know first impressions count.

Have you had a shave?

-Yeah.

-You've had a go, at least.

-I've had a go.

Oh, it's a tight space.

Look at this.

-Right.

-Need to find a cowboy hat.

He jests, but this pair are definitely no cowboys.

Between us, we've built 20 or 30 houses.

I mean, that's houses, start to finish.

I'm glad you have. Oh, look at the water. Oh, no! It's all down my leg.

So we kind of know all the different things that can be involved

and different types of bathrooms, different types of kitchens.

I'm just the brawn, he's the brains.

We won't, like tell him. Just, his head starts to swell a little bit.

Even though it's such a small room, there's quite a lot of little...

-There's a lot going on in here.

-There's a lot.

There's coats, storage, there's hats. I mean, I love this one.

I think this is the area that we have got to get

some more functionality on,

so if we can get a space-saver unit or something like that, combined...

A nice vanity in there.

Yeah, combined toilet and sink vanity unit, white gloss,

something a bit more modern.

A combined unit is 1,050 and we've got 1,070.

It goes in there.

An all-in-one unit is a neat idea,

but will it appeal to Andy and Anne?

So our main thing that we've come up with is,

on that wall where you already have your basin and your toilet,

is to actually create what's called a combined vanity unit.

So, this is what we're kind of thinking.

That's precisely what I don't want.

-Oh.

-Because the tap's at the back of the bowl and you end up with a bowl

that's not big enough to wash your hands in.

OK. Well, what we probably might have to do is to make some sort of

bespoke unit so that the tap is separate from the bowl

and we use the full depth there to accommodate the bowl.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Nice save, Martin.

Get some more storage over here on this side.

New floor and we'll have a little think about the walls and ceiling.

-I'm not sure.

-We're going to brighten it up.

And maybe a laminate floor.

And then on the other side of the room,

obviously where your coats are at the moment,

we've got a little idea with that, haven't we?

We're going to raise your coat hooks up a little bit further,

then build a cupboard, a low-level cupboard across the bottom

and obviously a shelf on top of that.

Martin and Mick are suggesting a combined toilet, sink and vanity unit,

but adapted so that the taps don't waste precious space

at the back of the sink.

They'll build new storage under the coats

and refresh the walls and ceiling with a lick of paint.

Their rivals were £500 over budget, so can they come in any cheaper?

And the price would be...

-..1,850.

-Yeah.

-OK?

-Yeah.

You need a stiff drink yet?

Well, no, that needs...

That gives us something to consider and to think about.

Not the warmest of responses from Andy.

So, as the homeowners ponder, there's one more set of builders to pitch.

It's clean-cut Wayne and Steph.

-Is this a downstairs loo?

-It's a downstairs cloaks.

-Yeah.

-So do you think we've got room to swing a cat in this one?

And they're up for the small-space challenge.

Oh. Bigger than I thought, if I'm being honest.

-Actually, yeah.

-You can pirouette in there.

Look!

Off to work we go.

These two have been dancing their way through jobs together for nearly two years.

I can't bear it when things don't work.

If you've got problems in your house, like your toilet's

not working or there's a tap dripping and I go round for dinner,

I'll fix it. I'll be in your downstairs cloaks for, like, half an hour.

And electric showers, room 101.

Don't have a shower if you have to have an electric shower.

-Don't bother.

-You might as well spit on me.

What's this called? Is it avocado?

This is avocado.

-Is it really?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Do we think we're going industrial?

We're going... We love a bit of copper.

We do, we do.

I think that was the idea, the thought we had.

But seeing it, do you think it would work?

I think it's crying out for it.

Copper, industrial, um, you know,

-new basins, new floor, wood floor.

-Yeah.

OK, so an industrial vibe.

Let's see how this goes down.

We've had a good look in your downstairs cloakroom.

-Yes.

-We're a big fan of copper, right?

So these are jobs we've done before. So these are sort of what...

It'll give you an idea. This is a very compact, um, slimline sink.

We want your downstairs cloaks to be the talk of the town,

so people are coming to your house, they're visiting, talking about it,

-"Have you seen their loo?"

-That was our plan.

Well, what do you think, Anne? I mean, you know.

I just had in mind what we wanted was something very clean, very modern.

-OK.

-And having lived in Victorian houses, um,

where you've got the old original copper pipes...

-And ice on the inside of the window.

-Yeah.

We'll get some artisan tiles in there.

If they want the storage to remain, we can work with that.

-We can spray-paint it.

-Yeah.

-Copper spray it so it matches the copper.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Rather than just have brackets hold your sink up,

we'd use scaffolding boards that are treated

and a shelf made out of scaffolding boards.

And maybe overclad your windowsill.

Wayne and Steph have certainly put their own slant

on the cloakroom brief, with copper piping,

scaffolding plank storage and industrial styling.

So, what's it all going to cost?

We're probably looking at

three days work and £1,800.

-Yeah.

-All right.

Well, they are the cheapest of the three,

if a little left of field with their ideas.

All three pairs have now pitched.

-What was our theme?

-We were Sandhurst meets Shoreditch.

-Shoreditch.

-Yeah.

-Where did you guys come in at?

-Two grand, we said.

We were 1,850 quid as long as I can keep that sailor's hat.

Sanitary wear!

It's now out of the builders' hands.

They just have to wait.

I certainly think one of them stands out,

-and I've lots of confidence in them as well.

-Yeah, I have, too.

They're all over budget.

So will it be Charis and Chris's stripped-back, all-white design?

Martin and Mick's all-in-one unit?

Or Wayne and Steph's industrial vibe with the copper piping?

Oh, come on.

Only the winners' phone will ring.

RINGING

PHONE RINGING

Oh, interesting.

-Hello.

-Hello, Martin. It's Andy Blatchford.

We've come to a sort of a decision.

We do like what you're proposing.

What I'd really like is for you

to find the basin that you think is right.

I mean, I think that we can customise something that will work.

Let's get a written quotation over to you.

-If that works for you, then we go from there. How's that, Andy?

-That sounds great to me.

-Yeah.

-And Anne's sitting by the side of me, quite happy, too.

-Yeah, sounds good.

Yeah. Brilliant. Well, hopefully I look forward to working for you both.

-And so does Mick.

-I do, indeed.

-Super.

-Cheers, bye-bye.

-Bye.

-Cheers. Bye.

So, it's a win for Martin and Mick.

But it's not to be for the other two. Not this time.

Well, I reckon they're going to have a lot of fun with that job. Yeah.

-They didn't like our ideas, but that's fair enough.

-No.

We said we wanted to push the envelope and I think we pushed it a bit too far with these guys.

Before Martin and Mick get cracking, come on, builders.

Let's hear your tips for the job.

In a small room, always think about the space needed to open the door.

An outward opening door might be a good option,

or perhaps even a sliding door.

Remember, if we are working in a small space,

it's great to have another designated area

to store materials and tools

so they don't get under our feet whilst we're working.

It's a sunny day in Sandhurst,

and Martin and Mick are looking forward to getting rid

of the '70s avocado suite in Andy and Anne's cloakroom.

We build houses for a living, so if I can't manage a cloakroom,

I shouldn't really even bother being here!

All under the watchful eyes of the losing builders.

-Popcorn?

-Oh, yeah!

-Come on!

-Lovely.

Mick's off getting the new toilet and sink,

so Martin is making a start.

For now, I'm just removing the old wall plugs,

just ready, really, to start sanding back and filling up.

I can't stand having wall plugs anywhere,

a lot of people try and knock them in, I'm not really about that life,

I'd rather they all just came out.

-I agree.

-Totally agree.

-Yeah, we're with you there, Martin.

It's a small room, so it limits the amount of people that can be working

at the same time.

But then again, it's a small room, so there's not that much to paint.

Have you seen how much stuff he's got in his hair?

-I know!

-Do you reckon that's silicone, or actually gel?

Next, it's off with those dated tiles.

He's using the hammer wrong way as well!

Someone tell this man how to hold a hammer!

Hit it with the head!

And up with the carpet.

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, those stains!

I bet that smells nice.

It's not pretty. It's not pretty.

I suspect that would have been my job.

Yeah. You think right there.

I mean, carpets in bathrooms, it's a no-no, really.

Any time you got a wet area, you're going to get moisture,

and obviously you've got the water from the sinks.

Obviously, you can see that's what's leaked down there.

But the worst bit is the toilet!

Every time you miss, it goes somewhere.

He's a good poet as well, isn't he?

Andy and Anne were keen to get rid of the course paint,

so Martin is sanding it down, ready for a new lick of paint later.

-Originally, they were going to plaster all this, weren't they?

-That's right, yeah.

It's good they went for sanding it.

I wouldn't want that job, all that dust.

No, no way. Plaster it, mate.

Job done, and just in time, as Martin's plumber, Dan, has arrived

to start fitting the new units.

But removing the carpet has revealed another problem.

Now, I knew the old toilet was quite high, into the old stack pipe.

So, I've just noticed, obviously, when the carpet has come out,

that they actually wedged up the old pan.

Are we going to have to do the same?

That whole stack's coming up through the wall, about two inches too high.

And that's all going into the back of the kitchen and everything.

-It's not ideal, is it?

-No, not really.

You notice, don't you, if you're sitting on a toilet

-that's not the right height?

-You feel like your legs are dangling!

-Yeah. Or they're too high.

So, they either put the new toilet on a stand, or lower the stack pipe.

That can be decided later.

But first, the dated avocado suite has to come out.

There she blows!

Left the water on there, did he?

I don't know, might have been just a last little dribble?

Our next job is in an area that has easy access to two major cities,

a historic market town that's famous for its gingerbread,

where house prices are just above the national average.

We are up north in Ormskirk, West Lancashire.

This four-bedroom detached is home to David and Naomi and their three children.

They have lived here for the last 17 years

and made renovations to the house as the children have grown.

It's always been a very sociable house.

From toddlers running around with toys to teenagers growing up,

your house needs to change with that.

And 2009 was the major change,

where we had to knock two rooms out

to make an enlarged, open family room.

And since then, we haven't really done any other major projects.

We've had a rest!

Until now.

The problem that we've got is that we have no wall units in the kitchen.

We thought at the time that it would be good for it to look like

it was a little bit more open-plan.

But as the years have gone by,

we realised that we haven't got enough storage space.

The other challenge that we're faced with is that our kitchen doors

are now part of an obsolete range.

So, what about if we just have a wall cupboard there on its own...

-Mm-hm.

-And then something similar on this side?

There may be the possibility of some sort of plate rack, wine cooler...

So, what's in the pot to complete Naomi and David's kitchen?

I think the project should be able to be completed for £1,000.

Good storage can make or break the look in your kitchen,

and our builders have a couple of pointers.

It's important to firstly consider

the types of items you need to create storage for,

so you can pick the right solution here.

Pull-out drawer and cupboards are

a great way to instantly make use of every spare inch.

If you lack the space for more built-in carpentry,

then why not consider wall-hung storage solutions, such as shelving?

Today's builders are ready to pitch.

Are you going to be chatty and communicative?

Are you going to listen to me today?

Well, it is morning, so let's not, you know, expect too much!

They all know it's kitchen storage.

Maybe I'll do the talking.

-You reckon?

-Yeah.

But it's their ideas that will clinch them the job.

Hoping that quoting first will give them the edge are trendy twosome,

Sian and Jon.

-Hello.

-Good morning!

-Hi, I'm Dave.

-Hi, Dave, I'm Sian and this is Jon.

-I'm Jon.

-Hi, Jon, you all right?

Oh, that's a nice kitchen!

Building buddies for over 20 years,

there's not much these two claim they haven't built.

Jon and I have known each other since university,

-so, a long time ago, and...

-93?

You just don't need to say the year!

No dates!

Measure twice, cut once.

I must admit, I like to get my hands dirty and I like getting stuck in.

A little bit of gardening!

Oh, what... What's in here? Fridge.

So, there's hardly any storage, is there?

We're going to take a couple of the cabinet doors from over there

to put on the wall cabinets at the back.

It's not going to be some mad, eclectic design look,

we'll have to take some follow-through from the room.

I think we'd follow through from the floor,

so it would be this kind of washed oak look.

Replace those doors with something in the oak.

-Yeah, that would be nice.

-Do you see what I mean?

-Yeah.

For the new cupboards,

Sian things using existing fronts from other cupboards

and adding oak doors to the old units is the way to go.

But will Naomi and David like the idea?

We could try and have those doors exactly made for over here,

but we might struggle.

So I think it's probably better to have four new doors made up

to match the floor. So, like a lined oak.

And they are two separate areas in a way, so...

-You'd kind of get away with it.

-You'd probably get away with it.

Are you thinking of having this area more open?

-Yeah.

-With shelves?

-A bit of wrought iron going on.

Oh, wrought iron?

Oh, I knew... Did you see your face then when I mentioned wrought iron?

As soon as I mentioned wrought iron you just got all excited.

-I like that.

-Do you think that, yeah?

-Yeah.

What we're proposing for the corner is having solid oak shelving,

some wrought iron brackets...

So, what we'll be able to do is suspend underneath plate racks,

and also hanging areas for pans.

And it probably, actually, wouldn't be a very long install,

-might only be here for the day.

-OK.

Quite a bit of prep to do and getting people to make everything.

-OK.

-It's just in and out, brilliant.

-Yes.

Sian and Jon want to build cupboards on the left of the chimney breast

and use doors that match the rest of the kitchen

from other units across the room.

They will then replace those doors with new oak ones.

On the right side of the chimney breast,

they want to put open shelves with wrought iron brackets.

It's all very in keeping, but what will it cost?

So, our total is £3,010.

-OK. That gives us something to think about.

-Yeah.

Whoa, that's triple Naomi and David's budget!

But there are still two more pitches to go.

-Are you ready?

-Next up are family firm, Tracy and Daryll.

-This is nice, isn't it?

-Oh, this is a lovely house, yeah.

Lovely units, too. Do you want me to write anything down for you

-while you're over there?

-No, you're all right.

-Are you sure?

Shall I just be quiet for a moment?

-Do you reckon you can?

-It has been known!

And, Daryll, are you listening to me today?

Excuse me one moment, please.

One advantage of working with family

is that you know each other's strengths.

She can talk for England. You know, customer rings up

for a price on a window and half an hour later,

she knows everything about them.

-OK, hello?

-You all right?

-We're up here.

-Nice and easy for me to get through!

I've been to people's houses, I've never met them before and they go,

"Oh, how was your son's birthday at the weekend?" And I was like...

So, what's Tracy and Daryll's big idea for the kitchen?

Well, there are additional units over there.

So, if you put those doors over here and then the new doors over there,

if the colour match was slightly different,

it wouldn't matter so much.

A-ha, sounds familiar.

Like Sian and Jon, they want to move the existing doors

and use them in new cabinets.

We've had a look at the kitchen.

-Great stuff.

-Um, we've got some ideas.

Basically, sticking four cupboards on the wall that you've got.

We know that the units are discontinued, so we were thinking,

using the four doors you've got to match with what's around here

and then replacing the ones on the other side

with something as close to what we can as possible.

You know that wine rack you saw that you liked?

You know the one?

You could maybe incorporate something like that,

but in the same colour.

Are you listening to me, Daryll?

I am thinking, Mother.

Obviously, having a wine cooler for your roses and your whites,

we're thinking to incorporate a wine cabinet on the wall for your reds.

-Yeah.

-I have that in my kitchen,

-particularly just for this young man.

-Yes.

Believe me, after a week with this one, you need it!

So, Tracy and Daryll also want

to use the existing cupboard doors from

the other side of the kitchen,

then try to match what's there and replace them.

They want to add a wine rack to finish it off.

But Naomi and David only have £1,000,

so what's it all going to cost?

The total budget that we can bring everything in for you is £1,680,

-that's including all the labour and materials.

-OK.

-OK?

That's over budget, but £1,330 less than Sian and John's quote.

But there's still one more pitch to go.

Last in are grafters Alex and Chris.

-Nice.

-Very nice. Really nice size, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

Let's start off on a...

There you go, that's Alex.

-Don't forget my beer belly.

-Oh, yeah.

I've made you look pregnant!

Well, these two are like family, but building is their baby.

I think I like to do the sort of, the fiddly bits, things like

the finishing-off touches and things like that.

I have a good eye for that.

Alex is more, you know, let me get in there and let me get at it.

Oh, my God, have you been up that chimney?

Human sweep, I am.

So, what's their grand plan for the kitchen?

At the moment it has a really nice flow to it,

and I don't like the idea of just banging cupboards up.

Because they've got this old

-cottagey kitchen style chair...

-Yeah.

..maybe we could pick that design up on that.

Maybe with the old-fashioned wall-hung cup.

-Open?

-Open.

-You know, where you hang your cups, hooks.

-Maybe a bit of wrought iron involved in that as well?

-Maybe the sides could be done in wrought iron.

-Yeah.

So they are going for a country feel

that ties in with the kitchen chairs,

but will the couple like the sound of it?

We've picked the unit that has got, a wooden unit

that is similar in design to the backs of your chair,

but it's interlaced with wrought iron.

We then want to flow from the left-hand side

and try to get it over to the right-hand side.

-OK.

-So we've done is, we decided to use

two of the cupboard doors that we've got available.

We want to put a unit on either side and then in the centre,

again we've got wrought-iron shelves that go across,

really just to blend everything in.

They look like they entertain a lot in here.

I think it's crying out for a cooler of some sort.

This unit can slide out so that's good.

-OK.

-So maybe a wine cooler or something like that, maybe.

-Yeah.

We have priced it up to put you a wine cooler in there

with an open unit next to it so you can put your red wine.

Alex and Chris's country cottage idea features

a wall-hung plate and cup rack on one side of the chimney breast

and a bespoke two-door unit

with wrought-iron shelf on the other side.

They have also priced up for the wine cooler

that Naomi and David wanted,

but does all this come in under the ideal £1,000 budget?

We've come in at £1,890.

-OK.

-That's everything.

-That includes electrics as well for the cooler.

-There are no hidden costs in that at all.

-OK.

So that's £890 over Naomi and David's top budget.

They have all put their ideas in the ring

and now it's up to Naomi and David

to decide which one of them is a knockout.

It's not been an easy decision.

I think they all had some really good ideas.

-You went all fancy, didn't you?

-Did you go fancy?

Bespoke solid oak doors. Over the budget, but you know.

-Is that to replace all the doors in oak?

-LAUGHTER

All three pairs are building new cupboards,

but have contrasting design ideas.

The most expensive of the three is Sian and John's plan to create

two different looks, moving existing doors and adding oak ones.

The cheapest of the three is Tracy and Daryll's design

which keeps the kitchen matching.

And in the middle are Alex and Chris,

who have come up with a country cottage theme.

Only the winning builders will get the call.

RINGING

-RINGING

-Oh! The phone.

OK.

-Hello.

-Hi, is that Daryll?

-It is.

-Hi, it's Dave here, I'm just ringing up to say

we'd like to proceed with you and we'd like to have a chat about it.

That's fantastic. Thank you very much.

That's great, we'll see you soon.

-All right, look forward to speaking to you.

-Thanks very much!

-Cheers.

-Bye-bye.

-Thank you, bye! Bye.

-Boom!

-Nailed it.

They came in with some extra ideas as well, and it wasn't too left-field either,

cos we don't want to make too much of a dramatic change.

Get it in the back of the net, well done, Dazzle!

Get it in the back of the net?

-Yeah.

-You're a numpty, you are.

So Tracy and Daryll are pretty pleased with themselves.

But the losing builders aren't feeling the love.

We went down the bespoke route, so we made a choice, didn't we,

and bespoke costs money, it's more expensive.

Sometimes it doesn't go your way.

We came up with a slightly different idea.

Obviously it wasn't quite suitable for what they had in mind.

Daz has set aside two days to work on Naomi and David's kitchen.

And as he gets going, the losing builders are all eyes.

-Looking forward to seeing what they've done with it.

-We'll see.

And he is raring to go.

-There's Dazzy boy.

-Give it another half an hour, I might cheer up.

Apparently I've been told I'm not a morning person.

I've got to ease myself into it, I can't just be happy straightaway.

Too much of a shock to the system.

Fitting new storage to an existing kitchen

poses its own particular problems.

We couldn't get an exact match for the doors, which is a bit tricky,

so what we've had is, we've had cupboards made

that will fit the doors that are on this side of the kitchen.

Let's just hope they've measured properly and they're not too big.

That's the problem, isn't it, with fitting new cupboards

to existing kitchens, not being able to match it all up.

It's worth taking your time and getting it right.

Soon end up in trouble.

Surely not?

Just be thorough with your measurements, I suppose.

At the moment, just going through it and making sure

everything is going to go exactly where I want it to go.

Oh, he's levelling his level!

-I have not done that before.

-I have, to be fair.

-How many levels?

-He's got 1,750 levels.

Needs a longer level.

And with each measurement drawn out,

Daz is finally ready to commit to drilling a hole.

He's got "handyman" written on his box.

-That's lucky.

-Yeah.

It's the moment of truth.

Right, you ready?

I hate hanging wall cupboards.

I always get them wrong.

This should...fit nicely.

He's under pressure, under pressure.

Right, and just down.

That's one down.

-Get in.

-Beautiful.

Let's grab that next one.

Just watch that side.

Hold on.

-Uh-oh!

-Whoa, it's leaning.

It should be able to go to you.

Yes. Yeah, pleased with that.

Just the gap in between them!

It's beautiful with the big gap.

The wall has got a bit of a billow in it.

Of course it has.

Obviously, the units aren't sitting to the wall.

A bit of fathoming about really.

If it's a new kitchen going in,

just make sure your walls are plumb and pretty straight.

Walls are never plumb, are they?

-They're never plumb and straight.

-No.

Even though you measure it and you measure again

and then you go away and get everything made,

until you get it in, it's always a bit of...

Is it, isn't it going to fit?

There's always that one, isn't there?

I am sure you'll get there in the end, Daz.

In Sandhurst, Andy and Anne's littlest room has been cleared of all things avocado.

Next job on Martin's list is assembling a bit of flatpack.

This is as cream as it gets. This is luxury stuff.

A bit of flatpack.

He's having to read the instructions.

He's still scratching his head though.

While Mick has tiled the splashback.

Oh, it's in the wrong place.

And fitted a worktop for the new sink.

That's nice, I like that.

-They say I'm a bit square.

-Good old Mick.

Yeah, it's all starting to come together a bit now.

-I like the tiles.

-Mm.

-That's looking really smart.

-Yeah.

Bit frustrating we can't all be in there at the same time finishing off the other bits and pieces.

I would normally be over the top,

down with the roller, doing the ceiling.

It's like one in, one out, isn't it?

Take turns.

We're almost there.

We've got a working sink and toilet.

It may be a small space, but Martin and Mick are packing the storage in.

There's a unit on the back wall

and one above the sink.

So, when I'm putting cabinets up,

I like to put them up before we get the doors on.

Some people are different. I just like the doors being out of my way.

Level it up and then put the doors on afterwards.

He's quite clever this one, isn't he?

Nice and level. That's ready to go.

It has taken Martin and Mick, along with plumber Dan,

three days to freshen up Andy and Anne's downstairs loo.

Working in such a tight space hasn't been easy,

so what will the losing builders think of the finished article?

Now, it's been brought right up-to-date

with a fresh, modern look.

-It looks a lot better.

-They're the colour of tiles I wanted to get, they're nice, they are.

-I think they've done an amazing job.

-Yeah.

-That looks really good.

-Look at that, that is an actual transformation.

-Yeah.

There's a new all-in-one unit with a basin sat on top.

And he can get his hands in that basin!

I am so happy for you, Andy.

And there's a matching toilet,

plenty of storage and a new laminate floor.

Well, that was good. They've done well there.

I liked it, it's what they wanted.

They've done a great job, let's give them a ten.

The losers are impressed, but it's the customer that really counts.

Martin and Mick are watching on.

Time to find out if Andy and Anne are happy.

-Here we go.

-There's big Andy.

Thinking about it, aren't they?

It's just a total transformation.

Ah, yeah.

From the old, awful carpet, '70s avocado.

The grey tiles are so...

-Works really well.

-Yes. It's a contrast that's lovely.

Likes my grey tiles, I picked them.

And a sink that I can actually get my hands into to wash!

Absolutely spot-on, perfect.

-Really love it.

-Yes.

-Good ten.

-That's a strong ten, Mick.

How do you top it? How could you top that?

We've got what we wanted.

-More than.

-More than what we wanted.

All in all, exceedingly pleased.

And it all came in at the agreed price of £1,850.

Another job well done, Mick.

Back up north in Ormskirk, Naomi and David have hired Tracy and Daz

to build them some additional kitchen storage.

Daz and his team have fitted new wall cupboards to the right of the cooker,

swapping over doors from across the room to match perfectly.

They've also had a wine cooler installed

at Naomi and David's request.

On the other side, they've gone for a plate rack

instead of a red wine rack, but it's a big one!

That's a monster, that cabinet, isn't it? It's huge.

-It'll be a lot of weight and then when it's full as well.

-Yeah.

It's like the weight of a small car.

This is the weight, what did he say? The weight of a small car!

Brilliant. It's huge!

It is quite heavy.

We're just making sure that the way we're going fix it

will take the weight of it.

Cos obviously you've got expensive granite underneath,

there's going to be expensive plates and things on it,

we don't want to be run the risk of it falling off.

No, we do not.

We can't go any lower with this, cos we're going to end up touching the worktop.

We'll put it on and see what it's like.

What happened to your penchant for precision?

I tend to overthink things.

I tend to think I should just shut up and ignore myself and crack on.

At least all that soul-searching has led to a solution.

We've glued and brick-fixed a batten to the underside of it,

cos all the weight is transferring down.

Then we will fix through the back of the cupboard.

It's on there now and it's taking the weight and it's not moved. That's a good sign.

-It's always a good sign when it's empty!

-When it stays on the wall!

For the lighting on the plate rack,

Daz needs to cut a channel for the wiring.

We're going to make a small incision along the line of the body.

Sounds like a surgeon,

"I'm going to make a small incision along the lines of the body."

You happy with that?

-Yeah. That's perfect.

-Sick!

Nice work. Very precise.

Now they just need to make sure they drill the wall in a safe place.

This magical device here,

it works purely on witchcraftery and it finds wires in the wall.

It works on witchcraft! Fabulous.

For extra peace of mind,

Daz adds some grab adhesive to the back of the plate rack.

It's a bit of insurance more than anything else.

-Just to be on the safe side, we'll glue it.

-Glue it on as well.

-I wouldn't glue it.

-No, you're not a gluer.

No, if you're glueing it, you're not sure, are you?

But in his eagerness to install it...

This is a bad idea me putting this on before you've...

-Uh-oh.

-What's he done?

You won't be able to get to that wall, will you?

No.

He's forgotten the cable.

Uh-oh!

I've just done a bit of a silly thing, really,

and not run these cables.

And he's glued it.

Uh-oh!

We've just hit a few issues, that's all.

We just need to resolve them

and rather than make life difficult for ourselves,

we'll just take it off, do what we need to do, then chuck it back on.

He's being very calm now.

He's remaining calm under pressure, which is very important.

Oh, dear. It's Groundhog Day for the plate rack.

At least that glue works.

LAUGHTER

Daz carves a channel in the wall

and electrician Kevin places the light cable.

And the plate rack can go on, again.

And it's done.

I'm glad that's on the wall, I'm pleased. It was a little bit tricky.

Would've been nice to have left it on the first time we put it on the wall, but, you know, such is life.

-It's easily done, Daz.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Easily done.

A few little finishing touches.

Last fits with the lights, and, yeah, we're on the home straight.

Should be packing up and leaving soon, job well done.

Despite a few little hiccups along the way.

Daz has managed to keep the work in Naomi and David's kitchen down to just two days.

It was quite dark and dingy, wasn't it, before?

He won this job, but his rivals watched him work,

so what will they think of the finished product?

The big reveal, the moment of truth.

-Looks good, doesn't it?

-It does look good, yeah.

Now there's a corner run of cabinets with plenty of storage,

fitted with doors from units across the room so they match perfectly.

-Oh, yeah, very nice.

-That's better.

-Very nice.

The new plate rack blends with the country kitchen look.

They've installed a wine cooler

and lighting both on top and underneath the new cabinets.

-Good job.

-Yeah.

-Impressed.

-Out of ten?

-It's got to be nine,

cos if we'd done it, it would have been a ten!

LAUGHTER

Their rivals think they've done a top job.

Time to find out if Naomi and David do, too.

-Oh, I hope they like it.

-Yeah.

Go on, tell us what you think.

-So what do you think?

-I love it.

-It's bright, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Aww, that's good!

-That's what we need, bang on.

It finishes the kitchen off.

It's superb. It's exactly what we were looking for.

Matched all the furniture exactly with the originals,

the lighting is absolutely fantastic.

That's cool, he seems really happy.

The plate rack and cooler bumped the price up slightly,

and the total cost was just under two grand.

Daryll and Tracy as a team have been superb, regular updates from Tracy,

informing me of design choices.

Regular updates. Can't shut you up otherwise.

And then the workmanship of Darryl and his team has been fantastic,

so can't fault anything.

And, as Daryll knows, if I could find a fault, I would find one.

-LAUGHTER

-No kidding, he was a nightmare.

-Yeah, yeah.

It's a tremendous job, it was great.

You gave them everything they asked for, love, well done.

-Well done.

-Nice one.