Episode 8 Getting the Builders In

We all dream of having

picture-perfect homes...

Wow!

I know, right?

Oh, my goodness!

Looks great. It's so bright in here.

Ugh.

..but keeping up with the Joneses

is far from easy.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Do it in order.

It's like dealing with

the Three Stooges.

Oh, she's getting bossy.

How do you find the right builder

for the job?

You love it.

We've scoured Britain...

You ready?

I'm ready, babe.

..for pairs of builders....

A bit posher than your house, mate,

innit?

No, don't know, mate.

..who were willing to pitch against

each other...

Well, they're out of it, anyway,

so what you going to do?

..to try to win work.

Right, first question -

is the kettle on?

Only one pair can get each job.

Yeah, baby!

Another one in the bag, Mickey boy.

But...

..the winners won't be

getting away scot-free.

Ooh!

Oh-ho-ho!

The losing pairs...

I'd love to be a househusband.

..will be watching their every move.

Where's the screws gone?

Uh-oh.

I don't like the idea

of this at all, no.

Oh, my word!

Oh!

We're kicking off in an historic

market town in Berkshire,

where house prices are more than

double the national average.

We're down south, in Wokingham.

Our southern builders are heading

for this four-bed semi...

Hello.

Hello.

..which has been home

to Nazan,

Andrew and their son William

for the last four years.

They have most of the house

exactly as they want it,

but one room is letting

the rest of the place down.

The kitchen is one

of the last rooms left

in our house to be done.

I spend most of my time

preparing food or washing up.

What we don't like currently about

our kitchen is mainly the colour.

Perhaps have a bit more white tones

in it.

It might make it feel lighter

and a bit bigger,

like an open-plan kitchen.

So, how much has Nazan got to give

her dull kitchen a bit of pizzazz?

Our budget for this job is £3,000.

For that, we would like our cupboard

doors to be changed and walls and

skirting boards to be painted, and

like to have that lovely yellow and

Not much money, then.

So, builders, how do we revamp a

kitchen without breaking the bank?

If you're really tight

on the budget,

then using sticky-back plastic

on the doors

and the panels can be one way

of revamping a kitchen into a lovely

glossed finish. But make sure

you get the creases out.

If you need help with your design,

tell the builder.

He can help you achieve what you

want and keep the cost down.

You can renovate old wooden doors

with specialist paint.

It's the perfect way to brighten up

an old kitchen.

Three pairs of builders are pitching

against each other

to try to win the job...

To be fair, I think we missed

the turning there, John.

..if they ever find it.

They all know they're quoting

for a kitchen revamp.

Let's go and win the job.

First up are smooth operators

Martin and Mick.

Hiya. All right?

Come on in.

Thank you.

What do they make of the kitchen?

The green's a little bit

overbearing, but...

Each to their own, each to their

own.

..it's clean, tidy.

Building buddies for

the last 15 years,

this pair claim no job is too big.

Having been in the building game

35 years...

we can do your kitchens,

we can do your bathrooms,

we can do your landscaping.

And there's a sure-fire way to get

their creative juices flowing.

Got to have an egg

and bacon sandwich.

And if it's not runny egg...

Is that why you carry a

bib in your motor?

Yeah...

You can have the full one?

It's for the old egg banjo, innit?

Oh, is it?

It's when the old egg

goes down you.

And while we're on

the subject of food,

what are you going to cook up

for Nazan's kitchen?

I think strip the tiles off and

look at a polished plaster

or something,

just to do something different.

That's still easier than having to

tile all this splashback in

and trim it up.

Polished plaster?

Sounds fancy.

But will it appeal to Nazan?

You may hate it, you may love it.

Have you seen polished plaster

before?

No, I haven't. I can imagine

what it looks like -

quite shiny.

We can... Yeah, it

would absolutely transform the room.

And then obviously paint the rest

of the walls. Knock that green out.

The ceiling, walls and everything

like that, we would paint.

There's nothing wrong with these

doors. They're clean...

We can get cupboard paint.

That might work better,

to keep what's here.

What we've done in the past is

actually change cupboard doors

and completely transformed them

by painting them.

We wanted to do that in,

like, a distressed grey.

It's interesting, but, you know,

still be able to change the look,

rather than replacing

just the doors.

Now, for the worktops, our idea is

to actually bring in an oak -

like a solid wood, almost going

the other way.

Keeping the doors and

changing the worktops

and it's more economical

to do it that way.

Yeah, that sounds good.

So Martin and Mick plan

to transform the kitchen

without ripping much out.

They'll keep and paint the cupboards

in a light grey

and replace the worktops

in a modern oak.

Then, rather than re-tile,

they'll put a polished plaster

on the walls.

Certainly sounds more modern,

but Nazan only has £3,000.

Our price is...

3,700.

Ouch! That's way over-budget.

The things that have

pushed the price up -

solid oak worktops and

polished plaster.

It's very labour intensive,

but it gives you a fantastic finish

to it.

When do you think

it will take you to complete?

About a week?

Nazan is keeping her

cards close to her chest...

It's quite a nice kitchen.

..and that's just as well.

Next up against Martin and Mick

are burly bears Simon and John.

Maybe a blind in the window

might be a little bit fresher?

It'd be blinding.

Blinding!

Yeah.

Friends for six years,

Simon and John bring with them

a wealth of experience.

Cup of tea and biscuits

is my main skill.

Well, you've got a good skill set,

haven't you?

I'd say plastering, plumbing

and chippy work.

I lend my hand to most other things

in the building trade.

As long as your blades are as sharp

as John, I like to think, eh, John?

End of the day, you just want

to go to work,

earn your money, and you have

to have a laugh, don't you?

Yeah. No matter...

I cry quite a

bit, though, John, don't I,

to be fair?

But there you go, such is life.

Let's hope he's not upset

by Nazan's kitchen.

We've got to think whether it's

the tile, or painted

with a bit of glass,

but I think brick-effect tile

would make this look really long,

wouldn't it?

Yes, with a nice

light-grey on the walls.

I think so, yeah.

Repaint. Maybe grey, as you say.

But they've got to convince Nazan

that their design idea's the best.

So we've decided obviously

to repaint in a...

Like a light grey.

Like a light grey.

Do all the tiling, like a white

brick-effect brick bond tile.

Yep.

Maybe with a grey grout.

..grey grout in there.

And we think that would be

quite modern.

I think you could go with a bit of a

vinyl wrap on the doors, couldn't

you?

Yeah, definitely.

So the doors are the same.

That's a good idea, that is.

So there's 21 doors.

We did think, first-off,

about changing the doors, and then

obviously maybe doing a vinyl wrap

over the doors. Whereas we're

concerned that we could change all

the doors and then you still go,

"I'm still not very happy with it."

We just thought maybe you'd be

better off to put that money towards

a new kitchen, really, to be honest

with you. Yeah.

So Simon and John

are also proposing

to keep the original cupboard doors,

but to update them with vinyl wrap,

then re-tile with white bricks and

grey grout and paint the walls in

grey to freshen everything up.

But can they come in under the

£3,000 budget?

That will be 2,300.

Yeah, which is £1,600 labour

and £700 material.

Materials.

Yeah.

Well, it's £700

less than Nazan has to spend,

but is it enough of

a kitchen face-lift

to convince her to pick them?

So how long will that

take to complete?

We've allowed four days.

Four days.

Nazan's still giving nothing away

and there's one more pitch to go.

BASS-HEAVY MUSIC BLASTS FROM CAR

Bidding against

the other two builders

are dependable duo Gavin and Jimbo.

Yes, that is his stereo.

Hi, I'm Gavin.

Hi, Gavin, I'm Naz.

Hello, Naz. Jimbo.

Let's hope he has better

taste in kitchens.

I normally carry him across

the threshold. One second.

Too many pies.

Oh, you've put me back out.

Are you whingeing, still?

No. No, no.

Believe it or not, these two have

been buddies on and off

building sites for

the last 23 years.

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.

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 we come into

a tight space like this.

Projects that we tackle? I mean,

everything, really.

You do a lot... It seems to go in

runs as well.

Sometimes you'll do kitchen after

kitchen after kitchen,

and then you won't do one for, like,

two, three years, so, there's no...

It is mad.

Well, if you get your pitch right,

you won't be waiting THAT long.

I don't think we dressed properly

for the occasion, James.

Just pop that on.

Hmm. You're here to quote,

not to cook.

Re-tile, was it?

Yeah.

I think grey - everything's grey.

Keep the worktops,

but everything grey.

Right. Well, we'll need a shade

of grey what they want - dark?

How many shades of grey, James?

And we'll leave it there.

So, will Nazan think their grey

theme is 50 shades of YAY?

We've got an idea -

replace all the doors.

Grey units. Not

a high-gloss finish...

Right.

..cos that shows up

every mark.

Keeping the worktops.

You know, to change the worktops

to stone and so forth,

that would just blow the budget.

I'm thinking...

Because it's quite a bright room,

quite a big room...

Yeah.

I think because of that we can go

a couple of shades darker

with the units,

but keep the walls lighter.

The lighting's fine in there.

Re-white the ceiling. Where you've

got a few cracks around there,

do all the decorating.

We go lighter on the paint.

Yeah.

A light grey tile.

So as you go in the room,

it'll be like, "Wow!"

Gavin and Jimbo are proposing to

replace the doors

with a grey satin finish,

add light grey tiles,

but keep the dark worktops.

Then, they'll brighten up the whole

room by painting it a light colour.

But wow factors don't usually come

cheap, so what's the damage?

We worked that out at...

4,350, correct?

Yeah.

Which I know is

slightly over your budget.

Slightly?!

That's 1,350 over.

It's a massive overhaul.

You know, it's like an old car.

How far do you go with it?

Or just get a new one.

It's not a car, Jim, it's a kitchen.

They've all pitched, but Nazan

doesn't have to choose any of them.

All right, John, how did you get on

with that one?

We think new kitchen.

You quoted

for a new kitchen?

No.

We told her that she needs to save

up and buy a new kitchen.

Oh, right.

The builders have done

all they can.

The ball is in Nazan's court.

All the pitches were really good

and very helpful,

but it was really hard

to make a decision.

Nazan can only offer

the job to one pair.

Will it be Simon and John's

kitchen refresh

that came in under budget?

Martin and Mick's polished plaster

and painted doors,

slightly over budget?

Or Gavin and Jimbo's even more

pricey 50 shades of grey design?

Hello?

'Hi, Martin and Mick, this is Naz.'

Hi, Naz, how are you?

All right?

I would like to go

with you guys.

Oh, fantastic.

Wonderful.

You liked the ideas, then?

Yes, yes, I liked it very much.

Brilliant. See you soon, Naz,

cheers.

We've done it again.

Martin and Mick are in business...

Martin and Mick?

Oh, Martin and Mick.

Yeah, I thought they might get that.

Well done.

..but the losers are a job down.

So, wow factor-wise, I can see

why...

Yeah, it's a winner.

..they went with what they're doing.

It was the polished plaster

that done it.

I can't wait to see the end product.

Yep, almost makes losing the job

worth it, doesn't it, lads?

A new kitchen is always exciting,

but it's disruptive.

So, builders, how do we make it

stress-free?

Having a kitchen done,

make sure you pack everything

the way apart from the microwave

and toaster, cos you might have

to live on soup for a week.

Make sure you've got a little brew

station set up.

Because we're going to want a brew.

Treat yourself to some

sealed containers -

it's the best way to keep dust away

from your favourite snacks.

It's day one of the build and Martin

and Mick are wasting no time

ripping out those dull tiles

and dark worktops

under the watchful gaze

of the losing builders.

Oh, righto, John. Oh.

I'm interested to see

what this kitchen's

going to end up looking like.

And before it's in with the new,

it's out with the old.

There he is - Barnacle Bill.

So we've stripped all

the tiles off the wall.

Some of the worktops

are coming out now,

so we're just cutting some of

the easy ones back in first.

Oh, put a bit of oak on there.

Yeah.

When we looked at the kitchen,

we just assumed it was a

standard-sized worktop.

This worktop on the back here

which is housing the sink

is actually a little bit deeper.

So that's my boo-boo.

Ooh!

Should have measured that.

So even the pros make mistakes.

They do.

But it's good to admit it.

I'll have to own up to that one,

so I have phoned the worktop company

to get a replacement

and they're going to hopefully swap

one over tomorrow morning.

So that's going to

hold up a little bit.

I bet Mick's well happy with that.

You'd better crack on with

everything else, then, lads.

Mick, have you got a smaller

spanner? Cos mine's way too big?

Yeah, you always do brag.

You're in luck, Martin.

I found your weekend one.

I knew you had a little one.

Gentlemen, please.

It's always good to have a couple of

spanners on the job, anyway, innit?

There's nothing like a harmonious

working relationship,

and this is nothing like a

harmonious working relationship.

Hey, whoa, whoa.

My finger's in there.

Calm down!

It's mad, innit?

I like these two, they're great.

Mick and his apprentice.

Whoa!

They're like a married couple,

ain't they?

Old man Mick!

That's it.

Watch the ceiling.

That,

he's got to paint anyway.

With the kitchen stripped

of all its old nasties,

a modern look can begin

to take shape.

But in a change to

the original plan,

Nazan has decided to go for tiles

rather than polished plaster.

Aw, I wanted to see the polished

plaster.

I wanted to see that.

Yeah.

You are going to get adhesive on

the tiles as they're going on,

but if you clean as much up

while it's wet as possible,

it's going to save you

a massive job.

If you've let it all go off hard,

you're going to have a nightmare.

No, just don't get any adhesive

on the tiles, boys.

Page one tiling.

It's not too difficult, is it?

It's like laying bricks.

Look at Mick.

"It's not too difficult."

And look who's popped in to check

the tiles are straight.

All right, Naz, I've started now,

so what do you think of these tiles?

I don't like it.

Oh, the boss...

Oh, hold on.

She doesn't look very happy.

Oh, you gave me a heart attack then.

Oh, she's poker-faced him,

ain't she?

She had him, then.

Proper tucked him.

That was good, that one.

So far, so good.

But there is one thing

niggling Nazan.

Look what you've created!

I've seen a little bit of dust

on a few things.

Giving him a little bit

of a hard time for it.

Oh, dear. You're going to get dust,

aren't you?

Yeah, it's part of the deal.

What does she want,

no dust anywhere?

"I tell you what,

let's have no dust."

That's a tough old job, that is,

isn't it?

"I'll have my whole kitchen done,

but no dust, please."

Yeah.

Just remember what they say -

you have to break a few eggs to make

an omelette, Naz.

I promise...

..that it'll all be clean and tidy

when I leave.

I'm not saying it's going to be

finished, but it'll be tidy!

I think what we're doing is all but

putting a new kitchen in, really.

Exactly what we said.

EXACTLY what we said.

I think it saved a lot of

the expense and the hassle

of ripping everything out

and it's going to feel

like a new kitchen.

When it's all done and dusted,

you mean?

We'll find out just how well the

rest of the refit goes later.

Next job today takes us to a town

that once thrived on coal,

cotton and iron.

House prices here are just over half

the national average.

We're up north in Atherton, Wigan.

This three-bed 1970s semi has been

home to Chris and Joanne Poulton

for the last five years,

but they've never quite

seen eye to eye on the house.

I think it was me who more pushed to

buy this one when we went for it.

It was me who liked it more.

Jo's had issues with certain areas

of the house since day one.

And there's one area in particular

that's a bone of contention.

I don't like the hallway at all.

The banister is awful.

It's an eyesore.

When we first moved in, I found it

a unique feature, quite nice.

It's not just ugly,

it's a health hazard.

It's dangerous. It is dangerous.

It's never good sending someone's

child home with a bruised head when

they've been round your house.

Yeah.

No, it's not.

Chris has given in, so Joanne can

have her new banisters.

But how much have they got to

transform their hallway?

I'm estimating it's going to cost

around about 1,500. 1,500.

And the difficulty is,

we haven't had a price on actually

getting the banister replaced,

so it's purely my guesswork on that.

Let's hope he doesn't get a shock.

If you're on the hunt for builders

but you don't know where to start,

the answer might be

right under your nose.

Speak to your family and friends.

Because, at the end of the day,

it's not just about how the build

turns out at the end,

it's about the process that

you're going through as well.

Don't be frightened to ask for

examples of work or references.

Go with your gut instincts.

If you think that you're going to

get on with them and work well

with them, then use them.

If you think they're a bit shifty,

then don't.

Today's trio are full of beans.

# Sunshine on a rainy day... #

They all know it's a hallway...

Where are we, again?

I don't know, I'm from Liverpool.

..but it's their big banister ideas

that will win them the job.

It should be a good one for you,

this.

Yeah.

First in are no-nonsense lads

Mark and Chris.

Hello.

Hi, there.

Nice to meet you.

Oh, oh! Do you want to dance?

Pals for eight years and

building buddies for three,

they claim to have

the perfect partnership.

What makes us a good team

is the fact that we are

like a married couple, isn't it?

There will be times when, you know -

and I'm sure you're back me -

I will have to put my foot down.

What time do you call this?

Better late than never.

You know, you're building something

for someone else, aren't you?

You know, that's their money,

that's their property?

Yeah.

You know.

I think...I think we're good at it.

Time to find out what they think

will win them the hallway job

at Chris and Joanne's.

Total update in here.

Dado off, fresh plaster throughout.

We already know how much

that's going to cost.

Skimmed and painted up.

Yeah. Decorated.

Wrought iron's coming out.

It will be a solid oak handrail

and it will be a solid oak base.

Fine spindles and get all the

spindles pre-painted and slotted in.

Mark and Chris want to replace the

wrought iron swirls with a simple,

traditional look. Will that wow

Joanne and Chris?

We've chosen oak. You know,

it's a better quality material.

Such a lovely material to look at.

Yeah.

The oak is going to set

that apart from any ordinary,

run-of-the-mill stairs.

The format for the newel posts

will be in pine,

but they will be in high-gloss white

with square white pine spindles,

obviously to keep the cost down.

If we was to go in full oak,

The carpet, I'd really

like the striped carpet

going straight down the

middle with the half-carpet,

so you got the treads still

visible on the sides.

Yeah.

Yeah? Cos once that's all

painted up nice, that looks lovely.

We've priced in to carpet

the full stairs and landing.

We'd need to discuss

the actual colours

and the grade of carpet because,

you know...

Yeah.

So Mark and Chris have come up with

a traditional hallway look.

They're going to paint upstairs and

down in a light, neutral colour,

build new banisters out of smart oak

and painted pine spindles.

They'll also add

a striped stair carpet

to complete the look.

Chris and Joanne

only have a £1,500 budget.

We'd be looking at...

..£2,950.

That's nearly double the budget.

But it's not over yet.

Next up are grafters Alex and Chris.

I think we're going to

be a bit lost, mate.

A bit lost?

Well, we normally like

to put wrought iron in,

not take it out.

Maybe we'll use it for another job!

When it comes to standards,

these building buddies sing

from the same hymn sheet.

The guy that I trained with,

he was a perfectionist

in what he did

and that rubbed off on me and

that's one of the reasons

why me and Chris work so well,

because he's exactly the same.

As we say, we don't do problems,

we only do solutions.

The guy I trained with was

a perfectionist as well -

just happened to be me. So, yeah...

So let's see if Chris and Alex

can come up with

a flawless idea for the hallway.

I'm feeling glass.

Timber handrail and base rail,

and then...

Panels.

..glass panel.

With the nice chrome brackets

on them.

If we go glass, it's going to open

it right up.

It's just whether it's going to come

anywhere near budget,

that's the only thing.

A glass staircase to make the

hallway lighter

and brighter. Now, they just need

to sway Chris and Joanne.

We're going to remove the

lovely staircase you've got

Get rid of it.

You've got the opportunity to go for

something completely special.

A light oak handrail and base

rail, toughened glass in between.

That's different.

Yeah, it's very different.

Is it kids' fingerprint-proof?

Nothing is kids' fingerprint-proof,

as you fully-well know,

and I fully-well know.

Re-skim.

The coving is looking like

possibly we could take that off.

It's looking a bit dated.

Coving off, OK.

We've priced up for completely

re-skimming

the whole hall stairs and landing.

It'll give you a really

nice surface, then,

to paint it in whatever colours

that you decide.

Chris and Alex want to

give the hallway a wow,

with fresh, clean lines throughout.

They'll skim the '70s ceiling

and walls,

and their big selling point

is an oak banister with toughened

glass instead of spindles.

Doesn't sound cheap,

so what's the damage?

That would be £2,920.

OK.

Once again, nearly double the

couple's ideal budget of £1,500.

It sounds like an opening

for their rivals.

Next up is family firm

Tracy and Daryll...

Do not think you should be

measuring, rather than just tapping?

..and Mum's very proud of her son.

The reason that my customers are

happy at the end of the day

is all down to Daryll.

My mum's very motivated

and very driven.

The business wouldn't be the driving

force that it is without her.

You're very good.

Aw, thanks.

At the gap at the top...

The one that's not finished?

I knew you'd have the right answer.

Out.

OK.

Let's see if Daryll's got the right

answer to win this job.

To start, I think we go

white-on-white with oak spindles.

Yeah. Then, that will be nice

because the oak on the spindles will

match with the floor.

So Tracy and Daryll are suggesting

a white banister and oak spindles.

You can either do a combination of

square oak spindles

and white handrail,

or the other way round.

I think I'd seen an oak handrail

that I like.

And white spindles.

And white spindles, yeah.

Are we going to put

some spots in?

We are.

So we're going to change

the lighting?

You want something clean and fresh,

don't you?

Couple of spots up here

and a couple down here.

OK.

Yeah, don't you?

Our take on this is bringing the

whole job in with the lighting

as a bit of an extra, within the

budget.

Within the budget

We were thinking, get some

nice warm white LEDs.

We can put them so that

they're on dimmers as well.

So that, you know, they don't

have to be mad bright.

It's not something we'd thought

about, that, to be fair, is it?

No, we'd not thought about that.

Tracy and Daryll want to

dazzle with warm, dimmable lighting

that illuminates

the smart oak banister,

supported by white spindles.

They're also going to

decorate throughout.

Chris and Joanne only have

a £1,500 budget,

so what's it going to cost?

Well, the price we've done for you

is to cost everything.

So that's £1,950.

Brilliant, thank you very much.

OK?

That's £450 over budget, but it's

still the cheapest of the three.

All three rivals have pitched.

We came in slightly over budget,

but not really much.

We came in slightly

under double the budget.

Did you really?

We went yippee ki-yay. We went

for the wow factor.

Went big.

But it's Chris and Joanne's call.

What did you think of all those?

It's tough. I'm not sure at all

which way to go and the moment.

While they decide whether they want

to go with any of them,

the builders wait.

They're all over budget.

Will it be Chris and Alex's clean

lines and toughened glass look?

Tracy and Daryll's oak banisters

with dimmable lighting?

Or Mark and Chris' traditional oak

banister with striped stair carpet?

Only the winners' phone will ring.

Daryll:

Hey up.

Hello?

Yes.

Hi, it's Chris and Jo here.

Yes, how are you - you all right?

'Fine.'

So we're just ringing to let you

know that we'd really like it if you

could do our banister for us.

Oh, fantastic - that's brilliant.

Thank you very much.

How good

is that? Aw, thank you.

That's really good.

Thanks, guys.

'We'll see you soon.'

OK, thanks.

ALL:

Bye.

Woo!

Get in.

Get in there.

That's all right, innit?

Tell you what, we are a good team.

We're all right, aren't we?

Yeah.

We're not bad at all, don't you

think?

Yeah, brilliant.

Yeah, give yourselves

a pat on the back.

But the losers are far from happy.

At the end of the day, you know,

you've got to punt for it,

you know...

and we did.

Out of the jobs that

we've not got,

I think that's the one that

I would've really, really liked.

Would've been nice.

They will at least be able to watch

Tracy and Daryll's every move

when they are hard at work later.

If you'd like to get your hallway

done, you'll want to plan ahead.

So, builders, what do we need

to think about?

It's the main part of the house that

someone sees on entering a building,

so, you know, you should make it

very inviting.

There's some really clever

storage ideas,

where you can get the risers

that pull out for drawers.

There's underneath the stairs - you

don't want to lose that storage.

Make sure you clear the area before

we arrive

and use a different entrance,

if you can.

That way, we can crack on

and leave you in peace.

It's day one of the build

and the losers are all-eyes

on Daryll and Tracy.

Let's do it.

This is the one I really wanted.

We were going to do the

nice glass.

Glass.

Yeah.

The mammoth task of removing all

that textured wallpaper

from the walls and ceilings of two

floors of hallway is underway.

I'm going to run out of steam.

Wallpaper removal -

what a nightmare.

And it's not just the wallpaper

that's coming off -

the dado rail,

the dated coving and the

polystyrene ceiling rose's

days are numbered, too.

It's a massive job, so Daz has roped

in his dad as a bit of extra muscle.

Free labour.

When your mum said

I was stripping today,

I was going to put me Speedos on.

Didn't realise she meant this sort

of stripping.

I always fancied myself

as a Chipperfield, or...

Is it a Chipperfield?

Chipperfield?

Chippendale.

That's an image that's going to

haunt me for the rest of the day.

Thanks.

And it appears that

Vic is multi-talented.

Look at this - two things at once.

I've got stripping on one hand

and scraping on the other, eh?

Funny how the dads get roped in,

innit?

Yeah.

Hey, look at that!

Daz.

What have you found?

That's a work of art, that.

Look, we've got a Banksy.

A Banksy.

Yeah!

With the hall stripped

top-to-bottom,

the cable for the spotlight is going

in and the radiator removed

ahead of decorating.

Don't leave it there,

it'll get pinched.

All that's left is that loved

and loathed metal banister.

Everything's going to go great.

Whoever's idea it was

to put this in...

So, basically, the banister is

actually in the way of the screw.

Get your grinder rout, lad.

Get your grinder out.

With the screws not budging,

it's time to bring out the big guns.

Grind it out, lad.

Grind it off.

Get the grinder on it.

It takes grinding, drilling,

hammering.

If in doubt, give it a clout.

Hit it. Hit it hard.

The stubborn banister is free.

Here she comes.

Hey!

Come on, then,

let's get this out there.

Here we go.

Maybe we're glad we

didn't get it, mate.

It looks like a pain.

Yeah.

Yeah, pleased to see that came out.

It was a bit tricky in places.

We had to get the drill and

the grinder in and stuff.

He'll have that saved and stick it

in someone else's house -

you know what he's like.

With the banister gone,

the entire area is plastered.

The hallway will be ready to embrace

its modern new look later.

Back in Wokingham in Berkshire,

Nazan's kitchen refit

is well underway.

Martin's cutting-in brush, look.

Yeah.

Martin and Mick have drafted in

decorator Dave to upcycle

the beech laminate doors.

What I'm using is a shellac varnish,

which really grips into

the actual timber

so the layers of paint will adhere

and not sort of scratch off.

That's what Martin puts on his

nails, isn't it, the old shellacs?

Once the undercoat has dried,

the doors will be painted pale grey.

Pale grey. What colour did we say

we're going to do the kitchen?

And there's good news -

the correct-size worktop

has arrived.

Water and wood don't mix

particularly well.

We're sealing it up.

Mick knows about that. 35 years

in the Merchant Navy.

Water and wood don't mix well.

Arrr.

Mick templates and cuts the worktop

to fit the sink.

He's happy with that, isn't he?

It's always worrying...

It looks

great, but it should be in the

kitchen...

Yeah.

..not outside on a couple

of workbenches.

The freshly-painted cupboard doors

are on.

They look nice.

Very good.

That looks tidy, doesn't it?

It's all going to plan, yeah.

Next, decorator Dave brightens up

the walls in light grey.

The kitchen revamp couldn't be going

any better...

Hold on.

..until...

So there's a bit of an issue

with the sink.

It's been fitted...

..but Naz has decided she's not sure

on it now.

Whoa. Yeah, but she didn't say

a new sink.

Ooh.

What's wrong with the sink, then?

We might have to think about

trying to change it.

She don't like it.

What's wrong

with it? It's a sink, isn't it?

Stick to your guns, boys.

You're in charge.

Bit of an issue, obviously,

cos we've cut the worktop now.

It's going to be interesting.

I hope they got one that fits in

the hole they just cut out.

Well, I―I think that's going

to be an issue.

That'll be three bits of worktop,

that'll be.

And while they wait

for a replacement sink,

there's some grouting to be done.

If only Martin could remember

how to mix it.

Has he got a big enough...?

Yeah.

..pot there?!

It's deceiving with

this bucket, how much water's in it.

Tell you what, mate, you might as

well chuck it in the washing

machine. That's next.

Mix it in that.

I'll have two sugars with mine.

Well said, Mick.

I can't use that.

What do we call that?

Schoolboy error, John.

Schoolboy error.

Schoolboy error.

Schoolboy error.

Mick does his best, but...

Mick's had enough, hasn't he, look.

Arms up.

You sometimes have to admit defeat

there, I think.

Yeah.

Right, we've got Chris in now,

he's just come in to change some

sockets and switches for us.

We would advise when you're touching

electrics, bring an electrician in.

Yeah. Top of the food chain,

electricians.

Extra year at college pays off.

Right next to plasterers

and renderers.

It's all coming together.

There's just one small issue

that needs to be resolved -

that sink.

We're going to change it over,

cos Naz doesn't like it, so...

we're going to give her what

she wants. So, sink two - take two.

Do you feel sorry for the boys,

John?

Yeah, I do.

No.

Of course you do. There's nothing

worse, is there, when you fit

something?

But changing the sink also means

changing the hole in the worktop.

Each sink, obviously, has different

dimensions to it,

different cut-out sizes.

Just make sure that the base unit

below can obviously take the sink.

Oh, dear, chaps.

Yeah.

A quick trim of the worktop

and the new sink's in.

Was the other one just a single

drainer, was it, then, single sink?

I don't know. It don't look much

different to me.

Just the finishing touches.

Right, Mick, bit of a sweep up,

tidy up.

Yeah. I've finished

sealing this worktop,

and I think we're about there.

I think she's going to be

over the moon with it.

What do you think?

I hope so.

It's as much as we could do without

putting a new kitchen in.

Without changing the whole thing.

Yeah, absolutely.

At the end of the day, as long as

the customer's happy,

that's what's important.

Well, that's what we tell people.

Well, yeah, that's what we tell

people.

A week ago, Nazan's kitchen was

dated and gloomy.

This was always going to be a bit of

a tricky job, this one,

because...

It's an old kitchen.

An old kitchen, mate, exactly.

I think they're brave

for doing this.

So what will the losers think

of Martin and Mick's work?

Here we go, John, ready?

Here we go.

Cup of tea.

Cup of tea.

Ching-ching.

That does look proper modern.

That does, yeah. I take it all back.

They've done well,

considering what it was.

Well done, gentlemen, well done.

Fantastic, yeah.

They've painted the cupboards to

make them look new...

The cupboards are really good,

really good.

I'm...I'm amazed they've come out

that well.

I think they've done well,

really well.

The paint guy is the key to this,

isn't he?

Yes.

..fitted solid oak worktops...

That looks proper tiling,

doesn't it?

Yeah.

..and white metro tiles.

It looks fresher, brighter,

less dated.

Yes, yes.

For me,

that was the biggest bugbear.

I think it looks better without

the marble plaster, actually.

There's that new sink and they've

painted the walls a light grey.

So I would say, lads, well done.

Well done, ten out of ten.

Good job, good job.

And that is a...

BOTH:

Beautiful job.

Seven!

I'd go ten out of ten

on that.

I just wanted to say seven.

The losers think they've nailed it.

Martin and Mick are

about to find out

if it gets Nazan's seal of approval.

How's this kitchen, Mick?

This'll be interesting.

Will be.

Wasn't completely smooth, was it?

No.

Oh, here she comes.

Let's hope she likes it.

Not a brand-new kitchen,

but it's a brand-new look,

and it looks amazing.

Yeah, see, I told you

we'd make her happy.

It definitely makes

the kitchen much lighter,

and it just feels bigger.

I like the brightness

and the clean look.

Our old kitchen had

yellow and green tiles.

This is now really, really fresh.

Simple colours, nothing too bold

like before, with that green.

I think it all quite worked.

Neutralising the walls as well.

With a few changes along the way,

the final cost was £3,885.

The guys did a really good job,

so thank you, Martin and Mick.

I'm really happy with what we spent,

and definitely worth the money.

She's happy, we're happy.

That's what it's all about.

The customer's got to be happy.

That's all it comes down to.

Get the kettle on, lads.

You deserve it.

In Atherton, Wigan,

Chris and Joanne's hallway

transformation is four days in.

They've gone for green

on the stairway

and a light grey in

the downstairs hall.

I like the grey.

Not sure about green.

Before they can build

the new banister,

they need to remove

the old newel post.

Let's move it.

It's only moving at the top.

Oh, yeah, that's concrete,

isn't it, mate?

Each side.

But it seems the banister

wasn't the only thing reluctant

to leave the house.

A bit of a nightmare,

to be honest.

But Daryll's not giving up.

It's time to get the heavy bar in.

The big boy.

Not the bar again.

It's taken some work, that.

Go on, Daz, and your heavy bar!

They're taking it in turns

hitting it here.

Just coming.

Ready? It's coming.

Hey!

Next, all Daryll's got to do

is fit the new one.

Except they're slightly offset,

right?

It's not dropping down low enough.

I think I might have to set a little

bit more off the bottom of it.

At least he's got all the gear.

Here we are - hammer.

With the new newel post in place,

eventually,

it's time to fit the spindles.

That should be the size you need

right the way up,

as long as everything's plumb and

true.

We're basically using this as a

template

to mark and cut the rest of them.

Fortunately, the spindles are less

of a battle

so perfectionist Daryll can

concentrate

on a one forensic detail.

In between each spindle, and where

we've nailed them on,

we just turned it with these very

small little holes,

so I'm using a little bit of an

oak-coloured filler here.

Looking like a top job.

They're only very small pinholes,

but I know they're there, so...

Nice attitude.

If I'm not

happy with the job,

then I can't expect the customer to

be.

Got to make sure everything is

right.

He keeps going round finding the

smallest bits

that you wouldn't see and I wouldn't

see, but he'll see it.

It's just when it's right. When I'm

happy that I can walk away.

He usually stops about

half-past-four, when the pubs are

open.

We've taught him well, mate.

It's not quite pub time yet, though,

as the new flooring in the upstairs

hallway and the stairs is being

fitted.

The soft grey tone of the carpet

starts to bring

the whole look together.

It's come out really well.

And now, the finishing touches -

beautifying that new wooden

handrail.

The customer quite likes the natural

oak.

All we're doing here is using some

Danish oil,

and just rubbing that into it to

treat it.

It just really brings the grain out.

Just finishes it off really nicely.

I love Danish oil.

It's cracking.

Yeah.

You can see instantly as it goes on

it just gives a really deep,

rich look to the wood.

And with that, the hallway is

finished.

I'm pleased with it anyway.

Hopefully, they will be, too.

Just 11 days ago, Chris and Joanne's

hallway was a '70s throwback...

Yeah, it seemed quite dingy, wasn't

it, before?

So it's...

It was dark and horrible.

..with an ornate metal banister

at least one of the homeowners

branded an eyesore.

The wrought iron.

Oh, it was

horrible, wasn't it?

Oh, it was. Oh.

Yeah.

What will the rivals think of

it now?

Let's do it.

You're walking into a different

house now.

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Completely transformed

the house.

Daryll, his dad, and an army of

plasterers, electricians,

and decorators have wrestled with

wrought iron

and rebuilt the hallway.

Well done, lads.

Nice. Very nice.

The banister is solid oak,

and the spindles gleaming white.

You don't want to be walking in and

getting depressed

as soon as you walk through the

door, do you?

No.

They got the decorators in and the

sparky fitted spotlights.

It's the main area, isn't it?

You know, you walk in, all your

guests come in, that's what they

see.

There's a new carpet on the

landing and stairs.

They've done an amazing job on that.

Looks good. Looks really good.

The losing builders have given it

the thumbs up,

but it's the big moment for

Tracy and Daryll.

I hope they like it.

I so hope they like it.

Time to find out if customers

Chris and Joanne are happy.

Let's hope so.

No pressure.

Not got the monstrosity

of the iron...

..railings any more.

She looks a bit serious.

Oh, I know, she looks a bit shocked.

That looks miles better, though,

doesn't it?

It does, it's amazing.

It's a complete transformation

from what it was.

Oh, I'm glad they like it.

Oh, yeah, that's great.

I'm

really pleased that they're happy.

So pleased,

just for them as a family.

I mean, this - I love this.

He's done a fantastic job.

Really, really pleased with that.

It's a shame we've not got

that metal one now, isn't it?

I'm so glad to see the back of that.

Can't give it away.

No!

It looks bigger, it looks brighter.

It's miles better.

Miles, miles better.

Well done, love.

Awesome.

Good lad.

Another very satisfied customer.