0:00:02 > 0:00:04House prices are going through the roof
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and with banks making it tough to borrow,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09buying a home in the UK is becoming an impossible dream.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12We just can't get a mortgage and, round here,
0:00:12 > 0:00:13the house prices are so high.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19So a few brave, ordinary people are trailblazing what could be
0:00:19 > 0:00:21the solution for many of us -
0:00:21 > 0:00:23trying to build their own home from scratch.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Maverick architect Piers Taylor and me, Kieran Long,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34are following six self-builders, as they take on
0:00:34 > 0:00:36the biggest gamble of their lives.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I haven't got any option. If you've got to do it, you've got to do it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43We will try to help them create the dream house they've longed for.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Wow!
0:00:44 > 0:00:49They need to be clever with their cash and creative with design.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55- It, kind of, has clarity. It looks very beautiful.- It does.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58- If it was me, I think I'd put my bath right here.- Kinky.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01But each has their life savings at stake...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Oh, what have they done?!
0:01:03 > 0:01:06..little, or no, building experience...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I have got absolutely no clue, with design.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13..and a budget of less than £100,000 to spend.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- How much money have you got left? - Let me see...- 'It won't be easy.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:22If I think too much about EVERYTHING, then I think, "Whoa!"
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Tonight, a pizza van owner from Leeds cooks up a plan
0:01:28 > 0:01:32to build a massive four-bedroomed house on an extremely difficult
0:01:32 > 0:01:33backland plot.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Walking through into the main living area.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And he has gambled his mum and dad's retirement money on the build.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42It's our savings
0:01:42 > 0:01:43and our pension.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48But as costs spiral, he will have to deal with mounting problems.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51How the hell is he going to do this? It's four times the size
0:01:51 > 0:01:53of an average semi-detached house.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57He will have to make radical design decisions, just to get it finished.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02I have no idea how I'm going to do this.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Today, I am meeting someone facing a problem familiar to us all -
0:02:14 > 0:02:17being priced out of buying in your own area.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22If you work for yourself, the chances of raising a mortgage
0:02:22 > 0:02:23to buy a house are even slimmer.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27That's exactly the situation that Martin Whyment finds himself in.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I'm off to Leeds, to see a bit of derelict scrubland he's found
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and hopes to turn into the house of his dreams.
0:02:35 > 0:02:36But it is going to be a massive ask,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40because Martin will have all the pressures of building a property
0:02:40 > 0:02:42while running his own small business.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47In she goes. Cooked at 300C for approximately four minutes.
0:02:47 > 0:02:5229-year-old Martin's only option to get the home he wants
0:02:52 > 0:02:53is to build it himself.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57In the area that I want to live, it is quite expensive to find a house.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58It's just to have my own space.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02It's something that most people would like to try and do and I just thought
0:03:02 > 0:03:04it was the right time and went ahead with it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09But Martin has a big problem -
0:03:09 > 0:03:14the deal he did to get the land has used up all his hard-saved cash.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19I managed to get a good-sized site. At this point now, I own the land,
0:03:19 > 0:03:20but I don't have any money.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Martin's only hope to find the £100,000 he needs is to turn
0:03:25 > 0:03:26to his mum and dad.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Geoff and Elaine worked in local schools
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and now live in a small bungalow, 40 miles away, in Oldham.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37As a retired couple, the money is not easy to find.
0:03:37 > 0:03:44- We decided to finance the project. - It's our savings and our pension.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47It wasn't easily lent to him.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50We have a promise he'll pay us back, so that our pension fund
0:03:50 > 0:03:53is back to where it was.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59Martin has got bold plans - a four-bedroomed house,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02the kind of property he'd never be able to buy for £100,000.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04So, front door...
0:04:06 > 0:04:08..into my shower room.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15It's not the sort of thing I would have done. I would not have taken
0:04:15 > 0:04:16the risk that he's taken.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Just worry sometimes that he can't manage to project manage this
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and make a living for himself with the pizza business.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30It is a lot of responsibility to know that, effectively,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34I've taken most of their savings and put it into a house.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Obviously, I would never want to let them down,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39so I do worry about it,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43so I need to try and get it paid back as soon as possible, really.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Martin's building in the Leeds suburb where he has been renting.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55On a very modest annual income of around £15,000,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57he was priced out of the property market.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Tell me how you came to find this plot and how you ended up buying it.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Funny story, actually. I used to live round the corner,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06so I've lived here about five years in the area.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09When I started to look for somewhere to live,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I obviously looked in the area I was and I actually used to rent
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- that second garage. - This was a line of garages?
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Yeah, so I spoke to the owners,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19to see whether they'd be interested in
0:05:19 > 0:05:22selling the plot for me to put a house on.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26What made you want build your own house, in the first place?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Obviously, the age I am, I don't have my independence,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- so I thought, "If I'm going to do it, I might as well do it now."- Yeah.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's going to be, hopefully, a family home in the future.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37I'm not really thinking about that,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40but I didn't want to just build a small house
0:05:40 > 0:05:43that, if I had a family, I'm going to move out in two or three years.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47This is a massive challenge for anyone.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Martin does have some building experience,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52but never on a budget this tight.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Are you going to get your hands dirty?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Yeah, I hoping to do as much as I possibly can,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02because if I sub-contracted the whole build out, there's no way
0:06:02 > 0:06:07I could afford it. I'm going to just crack on and just try it.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09With no spare cash, Martin has enlisted the help
0:06:09 > 0:06:13of an architect friend to draw up plans to his specifications.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19But what Martin has come up with is extremely ambitious.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21On the ground floor, a small entrance hall
0:06:21 > 0:06:23opens into a huge lounge-diner...
0:06:25 > 0:06:29..while at the other end of the very large building,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31space is given over to a car port.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35The house is relatively narrow but upstairs, he is planning
0:06:35 > 0:06:38an office and four bedrooms laid out along a corridor.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40For a house of this size in the area,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43you would normally pay over £400,000.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49His parents will fund the build until he can move in
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and get a mortgage, but the design is not their cup of tea.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I looked at it a couple of days ago and I thought it might make
0:06:56 > 0:07:00quite a nice children's nursery or an old folk's home!
0:07:00 > 0:07:02We support him fully. It's just that we don't
0:07:02 > 0:07:04happen to like what he's building.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Martin's situation is familiar to so many people.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10He's facing the problems
0:07:10 > 0:07:13that people in their 20s and 30s face in this country.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16He's chosen a really high-risk strategy to get his house done.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's a difficult site, he's building a very big house
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and he's borrowing from mum and dad.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I'm really rooting for Martin to pull this one off,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27but I'm worried. It's a lot of house to try and build for £100,000.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Planning permission is already in place for the lengthy build,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34so we cannot dramatically alter the basic frame of the house,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but it's the vast interior and costly finish
0:07:37 > 0:07:40that will present the toughest challenge.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Martin's going to need support and the man by our side
0:07:44 > 0:07:48throughout this is acclaimed architect Piers Taylor.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Having built his own award-winning house, he has first-hand experience
0:07:52 > 0:07:54of the highs and lows of the self-builder.
0:07:54 > 0:08:00The first thing is, it seems huge. This is 100,000 quid and,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03ostensibly, on paper, this looks like a 300-grand build.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07It's a big house, by any stretch of the imagination. Let's be clear,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10to do anything this size for 100,000 quid is a challenge.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Building on an awkward, overlooked backland site will throw up
0:08:14 > 0:08:16a myriad of problems.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Typically, they cost a lot of money. I know buildings on backland sites
0:08:20 > 0:08:22that have cost millions. We need to remember
0:08:22 > 0:08:24this is a £100,000, low-cost house.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28But while Martin's been hugely ambitious about the exterior,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Piers thinks he has taken a very conservative approach
0:08:31 > 0:08:33to the interior.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37My concerns inside are, this looks like a conventional building inside.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Upstairs, there's this rabbit warren of bedrooms and this conventional,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44sort of, dogleg passageway.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It feels like plasterboard city and that is a problem.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51And one wonders, given that he's a young, 29-year-old guy,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53why he can't do something a bit more dynamic
0:08:53 > 0:08:57with some other, more interesting, modern materials.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00There is a whole host of simple changes that he thinks
0:09:00 > 0:09:03could dramatically improve the layout and save money.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Living there by himself, one wonders why he doesn't just
0:09:06 > 0:09:10take this wall out and reconfigure this, to be one big bedroom here,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13with this fantastic view.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16But Piers has got more serious concerns about the plans
0:09:16 > 0:09:18for the ground floor.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Downstairs, he's compartmentalised this.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I worry that this is actually going to be quite a dark, mean space.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28There is stuff in here you could just take out to save money.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31And this wall could just go and it would be a better building
0:09:31 > 0:09:32and a cheaper building.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35One can picture this painted magnolia, with bull-nose skirtings.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40Perhaps he hasn't seen great architecture of contemporary houses,
0:09:40 > 0:09:41so for him, this is pretty radical.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43We could push him further by showing him some good stuff.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47It looks ambitious. Let's actually, dare I say, make him more ambitious,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50to make him realise he CAN do this, if he's clever.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55So, our challenge is to find
0:09:55 > 0:09:58inspiring ways to improve on Martin's design,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02but somehow keep him within his £100,000 budget.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07On site, Martin's beginning his 18-month odyssey and he is
0:10:07 > 0:10:11sticking to his plan to save money, by doing as much as he can himself.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15If I was doing anything more complicated, I'd want to be able
0:10:15 > 0:10:18to check that I was doing it right, but I'm pretty confident
0:10:18 > 0:10:19I know what I'm doing.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It's only mixing a bit of concrete and flattening it out a bit.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26He is even turning his hand to new skills.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Come on, baby.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30ENGINE WHIRRS
0:10:30 > 0:10:33But for the major work, Martin cannot avoid hiring
0:10:33 > 0:10:35additional labour.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38And it is eating through the money his parents have lent him.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I'm trying to negotiate everything down. The floor, for instance,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I got the quote. I had ten minutes on the phone grovelling to him
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and I managed to get three or four hundred quid off.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Getting the foundations laid has cost him £10,000.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58The floor sets him back another five...
0:11:01 > 0:11:06..then it's a whopping £30,000 on the timber frame.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09These precision-made panels
0:11:09 > 0:11:13are designed to slot together on site in just a few days.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18The hope is that spending big money on the frame
0:11:18 > 0:11:20will mean he can complete the house more quickly.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26Timescale-wise, it enables me to be able to be inside the house
0:11:26 > 0:11:29getting plumbing and electrics in, while the external masonry goes up.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31It does save quite a lot of time.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35The bespoke frame is a massive chunk of Martin's budget,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39but he has managed to save on the land.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Complicated planning restrictions actually make backland sites
0:11:44 > 0:11:47a godsend for self-builders - often going for half
0:11:47 > 0:11:49what you would pay for a normal site.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53He managed to acquire this one for £100,000,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57following ten years of hard saving and equity from a property deal.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03You'll find backland sites all over our towns and cities,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06because of the way we have built in the past.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10These terraces circle a block and in the heart of that block,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13behind all the back gardens, is often a piece of leftover land.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Martin's only way to build a decent-sized house was to find
0:12:20 > 0:12:22a plot like this that no-one else wanted.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24They are often the only slices
0:12:24 > 0:12:26of precious urban land a brave self-builder can afford.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Look at this place. It is, kind of, completely overlooked.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's really narrow, The site slopes and tapers,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36the access is tight and if you're a property developer,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40you'd just say, it's not worth it, you'll never make your margin.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44And commercial builders are also put off by the lengthy process
0:12:44 > 0:12:46of getting planning approval on these awkward bits of land.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It took Martin 18 months of working on the design
0:12:52 > 0:12:55before he finally had planning permission granted.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Now, his timber frame is about to be delivered.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Scaffolding surrounds the space where the shell of Martin's house
0:13:06 > 0:13:08will be lowered into place.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It's a tense time, which has meant he's had to be away
0:13:11 > 0:13:13from his pizza business.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Pretty much been up on site for 12 hours a day,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18the last four or five days, just checking stuff,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21measuring everything. I'm never 100% confident.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23There's always something that can go wrong.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32£30,000-worth of flat-packed timber arrives.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36A third of Martin's entire budget rolls in on the back of a truck.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Or tries to.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Martin's starting to see some of the problems
0:13:48 > 0:13:50of building on a backland plot.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55The issue is we've got quite a rather large crane on a rather small site.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's just a case of trying to work out the best angle for him
0:13:58 > 0:14:01to come in, so he can get in down the corner, in the right position.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05The scaffolding has to be adjusted for the crane to get in.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Thought we might take off the neighbour's roof, at one point.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23But after a bit of manoeuvring, they've managed it
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and Martin's house is starting to take shape.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I'm really excited to see the panels here
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and how good they look. The whole structure of the house will be seen.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34You'll be able to see how it all works together.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36I'll see how the rooms feel. It's going to be good.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It's been four months since he started the build,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45but it's only now Martin can see the true scale of the task ahead.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Seeing it up here now, it...
0:14:48 > 0:14:50It is quite big!
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Martin's spent half his parents' money just building this
0:14:55 > 0:14:58enormous shell, but the real work starts here.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01The finishes needed for the cavernous interior will be
0:15:01 > 0:15:04hugely expensive, and he's got just £50,000 left.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Building a house is a really tough challenge.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And I know - I've done it myself with my bare hands.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18It can destroy you, it can destroy relationships with your partner,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22with your parents, it can really push you to the edge.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26After three days, you can make out the shape of the huge
0:15:26 > 0:15:30backlands house Martin agreed with the planners.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33All Piers can do is sit on his hands,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35but he can foresee problems.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38How the hell is he going to do this?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42It's four times the size of an average semi-detached house.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44All I see is pound signs.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Doors are expensive and walls are expensive,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and there's a lot of both of those here.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Martin's faced with a forest of stud walls, corridors
0:15:54 > 0:15:55and door openings to finish,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and that means he's going to run out of money.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04If he's going to repay his parents, then we'll need to persuade him
0:16:04 > 0:16:07to go for a more radical but simpler and cheaper approach.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12My parents, I wouldn't say... they're not wealthy people.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13I don't like asking for the money.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19I'll be borrowing the vast majority of the 100,000 off them, so...
0:16:19 > 0:16:21hopefully they won't be struggling.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24When I do, obviously, get my mortgage and can pay them back,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27then I'll feel a lot better about it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Traditional finishes like skirting and doors are expensive,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35but taking a simpler, pared down approach can save thousands.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And, if it's done right, simple can be beautiful.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I've managed to get access to an incredible building,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Slip House in south London.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It's a perfect example of what you be achieved with a minimal,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58open-plan approach to interiors.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00It's four times the budget of Martin's house...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04..but there are still lessons for him.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08There's not a partition wall, door or even a skirting board in sight.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It's so beautiful, so modern, so airy, so light.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It might look like it's expensive to achieve this,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22but really it's smoke and mirrors,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and that's what's so good about good design.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Everything's pared back, they've even been brave enough to
0:17:28 > 0:17:32make a virtue of leaving things unfinished, which pushes costs down.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37This is just polished concrete, it's not even very good concrete.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39It's simply finished and polished and it looks great,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43reflecting light around the room. It's perfect.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47I mean, this is just plywood, it's not at all an expensive material.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50And what they've taken is two widths of plywood, stuck them together
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to give it a good thickness,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54and then painted it with a very light, white wash
0:17:54 > 0:17:58to just knock it back, to take that kind of woody, earthy tone out.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03And this is the best example of all, for me, it's this wire glass,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05this kind of safety glass.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's probably more familiar to us from industrial buildings.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10You know, it's not a luxurious material,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13but in this large sheet size and with the light shining through it
0:18:13 > 0:18:17from a skylight, it suddenly becomes part of a really luxurious interior.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22But, at the end of the day, these useful, inexpensive
0:18:22 > 0:18:26but very bold ideas might be hard for Martin to fall in love with.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32What I hope we can encourage Martin to do is just to pare back
0:18:32 > 0:18:35his partition walls and just allow the space to sing.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45While I've been looking at alternative finishes,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Piers has been poring over Martin's plans.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51I'm looking for ways to make the spaces better and cheaper.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54There are all these bedrooms upstairs that appear not to
0:18:54 > 0:18:57benefit in any way from the fact that they are under a nice,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00lofty bit of roof with lots of top light coming in.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04The worry, of course, is that this is going to be a rabbit warren
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and it's going to be dark.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09And just by taking out some walls and taking out some doors,
0:19:09 > 0:19:10you could save money.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Now it's up to Piers to take the first of our thoughts
0:19:15 > 0:19:16on the layout to Martin.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23On site in Leeds, help can't come too soon.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It's two months since Martin's frame went up.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28He's been working all hours.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30He's having to keep his pizza business afloat
0:19:30 > 0:19:32while spending every minute he can on site.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And, as if it wasn't hard enough already, Martin's been hit
0:19:37 > 0:19:41by a builder's worst enemy - the British weather.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Can't really do any work, to be honest, in this.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45You know, water's coming in,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I'm constantly trying to stop water coming in through the windows.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52I was on the roof the other day just trying to stop rain getting in.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It's not nice to think that all this water's, you know,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57getting everywhere, really.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01In addition to the water damage done to the exposed timber structure,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04every day lost eats into his parents' money.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06I'm feeling a little bit tired, a bit down.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09So, obviously knowing Piers is going to come down
0:20:09 > 0:20:11and hopefully give me a little bit of advice,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15it will raise the spirits and get me a bit more excited again.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22He knows that money is drifting through his hands, he knows there's
0:20:22 > 0:20:25still a lot to do, and it's very easy to feel a bit depressed now.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- Hi,- Martin. High, Piers. Pleased to meet you.- How are you doing?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- Good, thanks. Apart from the weather. - Yeah, terrible, isn't it?
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Martin's planning to take a traditional approach
0:20:35 > 0:20:37to fitting out his house interior.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I had in my head, obviously, that I would be doing
0:20:39 > 0:20:42a lot of plasterboarding and conventional finishes.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Piers has some radical ideas for the interior that could transform
0:20:47 > 0:20:49the space and save money.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Every partition wall he takes out will save Martin cash.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57For example, losing one in the master bedroom will give it
0:20:57 > 0:21:01a real wow factor and maximise his view.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04You know, if you took this wall out, which I think is a no-brainer,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07you can imagine having a bed there, being able to lie in bed and see
0:21:07 > 0:21:12right the way down past these houses to that amazing view beyond.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13If it was me, I think
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I'd put my bath right here behind a sliding screen.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19You could sit in the bath with a beer at the end of the day,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21looking right the way down there.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- How about you do that?- Kinky.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- I suppose I'd have to waterproof the floor?- Not necessarily.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- I'm quite messy in the bath, though. - Are you?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32All over the shop.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It looks like Piers may have his work cut out trying to
0:21:35 > 0:21:38convince Martin to take a less conventional approach.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Downstairs, Piers wants to get rid of another wall,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48allowing a step through from the front door
0:21:48 > 0:21:50into a more spacious living area.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53You'd lose a door, for one thing, so that's saving money.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56You're losing a bit of wall, there's less finishing.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I think also, importantly, you'd come into this space
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and immediately you'd feel like you're in a big,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04open, lofty, generous building,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08rather than in a kind of vestibule to the main space.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13But Martin's not sure Leeds is the place for open-plan living.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Unfortunately it is a bit windy and rainy up here.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I don't like the idea of having me sat in my front room
0:22:19 > 0:22:21and then someone coming through the front door
0:22:21 > 0:22:23and a gust of cold air to come through.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Martin's not convinced. When it comes to the interior design,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29he, like many of us, wants to stay traditional and safe.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33There is still this mind-set that's incredibly difficult to get out of,
0:22:33 > 0:22:38that houses have ordinary walls, ordinary doors, ordinary skirtings,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40ordinary finishes like paint and things like that.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43But I think, in this country, that's why we lag behind
0:22:43 > 0:22:45the rest of the world in doing unusual buildings.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52To show Martin a home that will open his mind to new possibilities,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54we're taking him on a 200 mile trip
0:22:54 > 0:22:57to one of the UK's most stunning self-built houses.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02The award-winning Hovering House is in the heart
0:23:02 > 0:23:04of the Welsh countryside -
0:23:04 > 0:23:07a location that, like Leeds, gets a fair amount of wind and rain.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20One of the things I love about this house is the fact that
0:23:20 > 0:23:24the routes through it are really kind of exciting and dynamic
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and fluid rather than a series of very rigid geometric
0:23:27 > 0:23:29corridors that are just at 90 degrees.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And what's a delight here is that
0:23:31 > 0:23:33there's nothing at 90 degrees to one another.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38But will Martin like such an unconventional interior?
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Wow!
0:23:45 > 0:23:49At £400,000, the budget to build this house may have been
0:23:49 > 0:23:51four times as much as Martin's,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55but what Piers wants to show him are the clever design ideas
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Martin could steal for free.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01This is really just a kind of corridor that links
0:24:01 > 0:24:03the kitchen with the living room,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06but by taking the doors out and just carrying this material through,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09cranking this open a bit, it feels just so much more special.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11And you could do this at your place for, actually,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14less money than by putting doors in and dividing it up.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17You'd end up with something that just felt a lot more interesting
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and special than a conventional corridor.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Just being able to see up to another space,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31even through a kind of wall of glass a little bit like this.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33So if this was your kitchen, just looking up
0:24:33 > 0:24:37through that stairwell, up to the upstairs, would just be fantastic.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Definitely, and I like the idea of maybe using some different materials
0:24:40 > 0:24:42just to create a focal point in my living area,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44because it is such a big space.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48And I've got that big wall, so I definitely have to
0:24:48 > 0:24:52think about using some different materials to just break the space up.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Yes, they're materials to zone things,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58transparency, and then double height space. It's kind of those things.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- And that's almost all you need to do, really.- Yeah.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07There are more ideas to steal in the kitchen.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09You know, this stuff is cheap as anything.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11You've got endless stud walls in your house
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and, actually, just building in little pockets, you know?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16That would take you very little time,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- very little money to do something like that.- It's useful space.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And it's usable space for free, really.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30If Martin takes the same approach, he'd avoid
0:25:30 > 0:25:35the expense of hiring in skilled labour to get his house finished.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36I like the panelling as well.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- It's something I can do myself, for a start.- Really lovely.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43I mean, actually, it acts as a kind of bed head here, you know?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So you can lean against it, you know? It doesn't get stained.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's just really simple, cheap boarding,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51painted with kind of eggshell paint.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53It's very similar, this wall, to my main bedroom, as well,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56so I can envisage this going on that wall.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And not only does it save me buying a bed head,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02or whatever they're called, it just looks really cool as well.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Outside, Martin is inspired by the way they've finished the walls.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I've obviously got a slate roof on part of the house,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12and I'm just thinking,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15the section above my garage would look absolutely amazing like that.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18And I'd prefer to do that instead of rendering, as well, so...
0:26:18 > 0:26:22It would look fantastic. Much, much nicer than rendering it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Slates can cost less than a pound each.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30And Martin could put them up himself.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32I think it's fantastic that you like this.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I mean, one of the points of bringing you here is to
0:26:34 > 0:26:36actually get you inspired by things.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39So I'm really excited by the idea of you using this up in Leeds.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Even though it's meant taking a day away from the build,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Martin's been able to see a very different house for himself.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Really useful. It was a long drive down here, but it's been worthwhile.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Obviously you see TV shows and self-build magazines that
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I've been reading, but I always think, "Those places don't exist,"
0:26:55 > 0:26:57so to walk round, it's absolutely phenomenal.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I've got some really good ideas.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Having seen how he's genuinely reacted, I think
0:27:01 > 0:27:05his mind has been kind of blown, you know, coming to a place like this.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I think there's no way he'll just go back to doing conventional
0:27:07 > 0:27:11things in a conventional manner at his house in Leeds.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Back in Leeds, Martin's beginning to put what
0:27:18 > 0:27:21he saw in Hovering House into action.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I've decided definitely to take this wall out between the two bedrooms.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27I'm going to start doing a bit of bashing about.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35It's quite enjoyable!
0:27:38 > 0:27:43By taking Piers' approach on board, Martin is improving his space
0:27:43 > 0:27:45and saving money on finishing.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Even though this is obviously...
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I've paid, technically, for this to be built,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52it will save me, hopefully, quite a bit of money
0:27:52 > 0:27:54by not having to plasterboard it.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56But it's clear Martin and Piers are
0:27:56 > 0:27:59never going to agree about everything.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Piers wouldn't be happy, though. He wants me to put a bath in this room.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04We're in Leeds, man!
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Imagine bringing your friends around, going to the pub,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and then they come round and there's a bath in the room?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17It's now nearly three months since Martin's frame went up
0:28:17 > 0:28:22and the shell of his house has been exposed to the elements ever since.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Builds like these continue to throw up problems.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Hopefully, when all this wind stops blowing through all the house,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and everything's flapping about and all the polythene
0:28:31 > 0:28:34I've got on the outside of the window trying to keep it dry, we can get
0:28:34 > 0:28:38rid of all that and it will start to look a bit more like a house as well.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42But, thankfully, Martin's windows have finally arrived.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47With winter on the way, getting the glazing in is essential.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52We'll be, hopefully, watertight soon, which is good,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56because the weather's turning quite dramatically.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Hopefully in a couple of days, it'll feel like an actual home
0:28:59 > 0:29:01instead of just a building, a bit of an empty shell.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06But because he's building on a backland plot, he's had to
0:29:06 > 0:29:10have narrow windows specially made to protect his neighbours' privacy.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13All this non-standard glazing comes at a price,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16devouring more than 10% of his budget.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Even worse, I'm worried that less glass
0:29:19 > 0:29:21will mean that the rooms will be dark.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29To try to make sure this doesn't happen in Martin's house,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I've come to see a house that faced similar problems.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Squeezed into a tight spot in the suburbs of London...
0:29:38 > 0:29:41..it's been cleverly designed to maximise all available light.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48The strict rules governing this tight backlands plot
0:29:48 > 0:29:51mean you can't directly overlook neighbouring homes.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55They could have ended up with a dreadful dark dungeon.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57They have to get some light in somewhere.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Here you see these two huge expanses of glazing,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04which are the two places where you can't see anyone.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06This is the main lounge,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10huge double French door looking out to this small garden
0:30:10 > 0:30:12that's been carved out of this site.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Here, another huge expanse of glass
0:30:14 > 0:30:17shielded by a cleverly designed screen.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21When you're in there, you can't see into anybody else's garden.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24If Martin can pull off the same kind of trick,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27he should be able to achieve bright, light spaces -
0:30:27 > 0:30:29even in his difficult location.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35In Leeds, Martin is trying to maximise light
0:30:35 > 0:30:38by opting for fully glazed bi-folding doors
0:30:38 > 0:30:42that open on to his small, south-facing garden.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Here, no-one is directly overlooked.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51By opening out his bedroom as Piers suggested,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Martin can gain even more light.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Finally getting the windows in feels like a major step forward.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02They might be costly, but it's money well spent.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06It does actually feel a bit more real as opposed to just
0:31:06 > 0:31:09you're slogging away, there's wind coming in, rain coming in,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12whereas I could sit in here now on a warm day.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14I mean, it's a big part of the budget obviously,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17it's like 11 or 12% of the budget, so they're obviously a big deal
0:31:17 > 0:31:20the windows and it's good to have 'em in.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27And with well over half of his £100K spent,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30he faces his next big decision -
0:31:30 > 0:31:33the material for the exterior of the walls,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36and that's going to have another major impact on the budget.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39With the outside, you only have one opportunity to get the right stone,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42or the right type of cladding, spend a bit more on things
0:31:42 > 0:31:46that will be there for quite a while that you can't change after.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50The houses closest to Martin's are built in traditional local stone.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54To fit in, he's using natural Yorkshire sandstone
0:31:54 > 0:31:57for his largest wall - but it's not cheap.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02And he's overspent on the labour needed to work the stone.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Where I thought I'd probably spend three to four thousand,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09it's probably cost nearer six labour-wise.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Martin's covering other external walls with heat-treated timber.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20It's quite expensive to bake it,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23so it's resistant to rot basically, so no water can get in.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28It smells really nice, it actually smells like burnt wood.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Martin is haemorrhaging money on this exterior,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33but with such a limited pot
0:32:33 > 0:32:36I'm worried whether he's spending it in the right places.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44He's really invested some money here,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47this natural material - stone and timber -
0:32:47 > 0:32:49looks good, but rings alarm bells
0:32:49 > 0:32:52because you know those things cost him a bit more than he was planning.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54What does that leave for the interior,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57is my worry? You know, how much has he spent making this
0:32:57 > 0:33:00beautiful envelope and what's going to be able to be afforded?
0:33:00 > 0:33:04We have managed to save him money with one of his material choices.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I think it's been a brilliant decision that
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Piers has managed to influence this building
0:33:09 > 0:33:11and have this slate instead of the render.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13This looks so much more bespoke,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15it looks so much more crisp,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17it's going to be impervious to the weather,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19it's going to be great.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22By hanging most of the slate himself,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Martin avoided paying to render the walls - and saved himself hundreds.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- Well, you've got a front door.- Yeah.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36But inside, he hasn't taken out the wall between the hallway
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and the kitchen, which could have saved him money on finishes.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I know Piers was very passionate about me opening all this up,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45taking out the doors there, et cetera,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48but I just thought practically when people are coming in and out
0:33:48 > 0:33:50and obviously it can be quite cold.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52I guess what you're saying is us Jessie southerners
0:33:52 > 0:33:54can't possibly understand northern drafts?
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Don't get me wrong, it would be totally amazing to walk in
0:33:57 > 0:34:01and not have a wall there, have a bath in the front room.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05There's only so far you're willing to go.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09What if I put a door line on here
0:34:09 > 0:34:10and just left if open for a bit?
0:34:10 > 0:34:12I'll move in while I'm finishing stuff off.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- I'll give it a try, see what it's like.- Do that.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20This compromise would save him
0:34:20 > 0:34:23a couple of hundred pounds on a door and retain the sense of space.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27He's been able to make additional vital savings
0:34:27 > 0:34:29himself on his kitchen.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32I managed to get a second-hand kitchen for £500 so far,
0:34:32 > 0:34:33but I've got to obviously buy bits
0:34:33 > 0:34:36and pieces extra to stick it together.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Every one likes a bargain, don't we?
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Financial pressures have prompted him to consider bringing
0:34:42 > 0:34:45the creativity he used outside, to the interior as well.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50This wall, I had an idea, when the guys were slating the roof
0:34:50 > 0:34:54they had a lot of offcuts of slate, so I'm thinking about using all
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- those offcuts and having a slate wall on this side.- Wow.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03With slate planned as part of the downstairs decor,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05I'm wondering what he's got in mind for upstairs.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11So, obviously, I've got my staircase in now.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Yeah. That's progress.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18I'm impressed with the sense of space that's been created
0:35:18 > 0:35:21by losing one of his interior walls.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23It's going to be fantastically airy and...
0:35:23 > 0:35:26I'm going to have a couch here. TV on the wall.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27Bedroom on this side.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29You won't want to leave this room,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31it's so beautiful with all this light.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36But upstairs I'm shocked by how much still needs to done.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Every single one of these stud walls needs finishing
0:35:40 > 0:35:44and in a conventional way that will cost thousands of pounds alone.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48How much money have you got left to do this interior?
0:35:48 > 0:35:49Let me see.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53KIERAN LAUGHS
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- £1.50. - I can lend you a couple more.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58He can still joke about it,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01but Martin really has reached situation critical
0:36:01 > 0:36:02with his £100,000.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08He only has £20K of his parents' life savings left to finish,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12but completing a house this size could cost double that.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17I've literally just watched every penny.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20It's the worst aspect of the whole thing, if I'm honest.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24It's probably...it's probably taken a bit of the enjoyment off it.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28He has never taken this loan on lightly.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33I need to be able to get a mortgage, you know, to pay them back,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35so that's always in the back of my mind as well.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Over the next few weeks, things go from bad to worse,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44miserable winter weather means the city centre is quiet,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and he hardly shifts any pizzas.
0:36:47 > 0:36:53Even if I earn 40, £50 a day, it's better than nothing.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57It's obviously very tight and I'm spending money just to live really.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Already struggling to build a house,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02he's now struggling to run a business.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05A good example is this morning I needed to go to get some
0:37:05 > 0:37:09drinks cos I sell drink, but I don't have any cash in my account.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12A lot of the money my parents have given me,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I think I've spent on things like rent and stuff for the business
0:37:15 > 0:37:16and all sorts.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Just trying to do as much as I can really.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25And they're running out of the money they'd scraped together to lend.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27The house remains deserted and unfinished.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31I do know that I'm going to the bank tomorrow
0:37:31 > 0:37:34to put some more money in his account.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38The budget, it doesn't always quite come under budget.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Sometimes it's usually slightly over, it's never under.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52With Martin's project at its most critical point,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Piers is off to Leeds -
0:37:54 > 0:37:57having survived the ups and downs of his own house build -
0:37:57 > 0:38:01he's the perfect person to spur Martin on and get the build going.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05This is a fantastic space,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07- but there's a hell of a lot to do in here.- Oh, yeah.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10My concern is that you won't have the money or the time
0:38:10 > 0:38:13and it could just drift on for years.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18Now barely able to afford even his rent, it's vital we help Martin to
0:38:18 > 0:38:22complete a few key rooms quickly and cheaply so that he can move in.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25I think you could finish this building by being clever about
0:38:25 > 0:38:26where you get materials.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29The danger is you move in and nothing happens,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32or you spend more money over a long time doing something very
0:38:32 > 0:38:34conventionally like plasterboard.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35That would be the death of this place.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I have been looking at various alternatives. But if we can try
0:38:38 > 0:38:41and find somewhere I can get a lot of this stuff for next to nothing,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43then that's definitely something of interest,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47especially when I'm literally like at the end of my budget.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53I really want to find an interesting alternative to plasterboard,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56and I want to find an interesting alternative that allows Martin
0:38:56 > 0:39:00not to have to fix something, then plaster something,
0:39:00 > 0:39:01then decorate something.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06And I think I may have tracked down the perfect option.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07Metal.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Metal, as a material, I think is completely underused.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20I think we can sometimes think of metal as a cold material,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23as something that's kind of icy and too modern,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27but I think here you start to see its qualities.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Where better to come than the incredible home of
0:39:29 > 0:39:32a metalwork artist in Bermondsey.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35It's a material that takes some know-how to work,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37but I'm confident if we can get it cheaply,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41that with a bit of practice Martin could use it for his walls.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45The whole atmosphere is about how metal goes together,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47how it can block the light, how it can allow light through it,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51real creativity with a single, simple, cheap material.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54I think what Piers and I would like Martin to look at is
0:39:54 > 0:39:57materials that have a story to them, maybe they're reclaimed materials,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59or maybe - like in this case -
0:39:59 > 0:40:02there's just that beautiful patina of the galvanising process
0:40:02 > 0:40:04that adds so much quality to it.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10And Piers has heard about a site where he might be able to get
0:40:10 > 0:40:13exactly what Martin needs in bulk - and hopefully cheap.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19It's an old BBC transmission station that's being effectively demolished
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and all the materials put aside for either scrapping or recycling.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I want to scavenge as much interesting sheet material
0:40:26 > 0:40:29as we can possibly get for Martin
0:40:29 > 0:40:31to be at least able to line the whole of his bedroom
0:40:31 > 0:40:33and perhaps part of that upstairs hall.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37I just can't bear the idea of it being a plasterboard city.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54This is Rampisham Down in Dorset.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Having transmitted BBC World Service programmes for the past 70 years,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02it's now going to be developed into a renewable energy park.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08What an amazing place, it's so dramatic to see this stuff.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Low cost self-building requires radical thinking,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and places like this can be a source of unique materials,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22and even ready-made structures, often for little cash at all.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27This stuff is worthless, it's just been chucked here.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31But the potential to use this stuff in buildings is immense,
0:41:31 > 0:41:32priceless to a self-builder,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35it's absolutely priceless.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36This looks incredible
0:41:36 > 0:41:40and I would love to be able to use this in a building somehow.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43I suspect we can't fit this in Martin's house,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46let alone persuade Martin to put it into his house,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49but actually a lot of the other stuff here we could use.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01I can imagine using that on a whole wall,
0:42:01 > 0:42:06this beautiful, shiny tiled material I think would look incredible.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09These things are great too.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12I can imagine using this instead of ceramic tiles.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Among the material destined for scrap,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Piers finds other unlikely gems.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22This tension wire has no commercial value,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25it's just been chucked in a pile to be skipped,
0:42:25 > 0:42:29but I think that Martin could use this to make a handrail out of.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36These things are beautiful and so fantastically engineered
0:42:36 > 0:42:41compared to a horrid beige plastic extractor shroud or something.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48But it's the massive ducts made of heavy-duty aluminium sheeting
0:42:48 > 0:42:50that really catch his eye.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I think Martin could use this flat sheet material
0:42:56 > 0:42:58to line a wall with.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It doesn't need finishing, it doesn't need painting,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05it doesn't need any fire retardant, it's robust, it's beautiful.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12This is what we've come for, to get some of this.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15This is exactly the stuff, it looks in good condition.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16Big flat areas,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19the couple over there would be great as big long ones.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21This is absolutely perfect.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26This is what Martin's bedroom ceiling could look like.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29And I think that's priceless, it's fantastic.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34This or magnolia, what would you choose?
0:43:34 > 0:43:36I'd choose this. I hope Martin does.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39The danger of course is
0:43:39 > 0:43:42we turn up to Martin's place with a van full of this
0:43:42 > 0:43:44and he looks at it and hates it,
0:43:44 > 0:43:45but that's a risk worth taking I think.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Piers got to the site in the nick of time.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54So, if we'd come here tomorrow, that would have gone probably?
0:43:54 > 0:43:56Yeah, it would have been.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58If you need it, you can have it as it is.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04A couple of days later, our free wall covering arrives in Leeds.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08But what will Martin make of it?
0:44:09 > 0:44:11I was actually trying to tidy my garden up.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14HE CHUCKLES
0:44:14 > 0:44:16I don't quite know what I'm going to do with it,
0:44:16 > 0:44:20but Piers is on his way up to apparently make that look good.
0:44:20 > 0:44:26I thought it'd be plain sheets as opposed to broken-down chimneys
0:44:26 > 0:44:28or whatever it is!
0:44:28 > 0:44:32He's struggling to see why Piers is so excited about it.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Bit of an eyesore, innit?
0:44:37 > 0:44:39HE CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY
0:44:39 > 0:44:43I'm not convinced at the minute but we'll see, won't we?
0:44:47 > 0:44:50So, will Piers be able to convince Martin
0:44:50 > 0:44:53that metal sheeting is the solution for his partition walls?
0:44:53 > 0:44:55It needs a bit of a clean up.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57A bit of a clean up?
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Let's have a go at just cleaning it up with this and seeing
0:44:59 > 0:45:01how it comes up.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- See, that is quite nice.- Yeah.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14And that's, you know, a minute. So five minutes per sheet.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17With Martin still not persuaded,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Piers takes him to look at the sheets in position upstairs.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25So, if I hold that there, you get a sense now...
0:45:25 > 0:45:27I think this wall, if you do it right up to there,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30would look fantastic in this stuff.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32When I first saw the stuff piled in the back garden,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34I just thought it looked like a load of junk,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37but once it starts to look like, you know,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40that it might fit together and form some sort of panelling,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43then, yeah, I can see there could be something there.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Now, we've put the two panels together, obviously we can see
0:45:48 > 0:45:52it's pretty easy to sand down. I think it could look really good.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57I think I'll be OK to work out how to put it up as well.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59My mum and dad won't like it.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Piers hopes it's mission accomplished.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07By the time I come and see Martin's house next,
0:46:07 > 0:46:10I'm hoping that this stuff will be upstairs, beautifully polished,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14on his wall, fixed in a nice arrangement, looking great.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23Martin is on the final push to get into his house.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30His dad is on hand to help.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35That's what dads do, in't it? They like to keep an eye on them.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41But with the budget at its end, he'll have to continue
0:46:41 > 0:46:45to be open-minded and use less conventional materials,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48like these leftover slates, in place of expensive ones.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51So, what are you doing?
0:46:51 > 0:46:55You're plasterboarding the roof and tiling the inside?!
0:46:55 > 0:46:57LAUGHTER
0:46:57 > 0:46:59I like wallpaper.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Anaglypta.
0:47:02 > 0:47:03LAUGHTER
0:47:05 > 0:47:08He needs to avoid trades like plastering,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11and instead use the skills of the people he has available.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15It's not just the walls.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Martin needs to keep thinking of other ingenious, inexpensive
0:47:19 > 0:47:24and unconventional finishes if he's going to complete the house,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27but what will it end up looking like?
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Maybe he's finally ready to tackle the metal.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Been wondering what the hell I was going to do with it.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35So I'm just going to give it a go.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44The whole point of this is to have it...to look as it is.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Just cut this section out...
0:47:52 > 0:47:54on each one.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57What's the finish going to be anyway?
0:47:57 > 0:47:58That. That's it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:0818 months ago, Martin Whyment couldn't raise a mortgage
0:48:08 > 0:48:10to buy a decent-sized home.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15So he bought some land once used for lock-up garages
0:48:15 > 0:48:18and with a loan of £100,000 from his mum and dad,
0:48:18 > 0:48:22he set about building his own home.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Now it's time for Piers and I to pay our final visit,
0:48:25 > 0:48:27but what will it look like?
0:48:27 > 0:48:31- Hi,- Martin. How are you doing?- Good to see you.- Good to see you.
0:48:31 > 0:48:32- How are you doing?- Yeah, good.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35- It looks like a building. - Looks great!
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Despite using three different natural materials on the exterior,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47Martin's actually been able to save money.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48It's an amazing achievement,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51especially with these expensive materials and so on.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54You've put a lot of effort yourself into keeping the costs down.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57When you look at different materials,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00things like, originally I was looking at rendering this wall,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02but by the time you get the labour costs,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04I managed to slate a lot of that,
0:49:04 > 0:49:06so I think if you can do a bit more yourself,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09that's where you can save the money.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13Martin began with a staggeringly ambitious plan.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15We suggested he try less orthodox designs
0:49:15 > 0:49:17that could also save him money.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Did he decide to run with our ideas?
0:49:21 > 0:49:23So this is the living room.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29This is just great.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30What an amazing space.
0:49:30 > 0:49:31Thank you.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38I really like the way you've embraced the idea of
0:49:38 > 0:49:40natural materials on the interior.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43You've really tried to push yourself and get that right.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47I took the inspiration for this wood from the house we went to visit.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50I just absolutely loved it when I saw it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53This really hangs together and it really unifies this space.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56I wasn't sure whether I'd used it a bit too much,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00but I think it brings the three areas together really nicely.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Instead of spending money he didn't have on plastering the walls,
0:50:04 > 0:50:06Martin has clad them in timber and off-cuts of slate
0:50:06 > 0:50:09from the exterior cladding of the house.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13I also particularly like the way you've embraced timber
0:50:13 > 0:50:16in another form with this pallet. Tell me about this amazing table.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20I'm being totally honest, this is my most prized possession.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21- It is?- Yeah.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Actually, that was delivered with some plasterboard.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26I just saw it in the garage
0:50:26 > 0:50:28and I thought, "I've not got a coffee table."
0:50:28 > 0:50:32So I brought it in here, stuck some legs on it and hey presto.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35I don't know whether I do it slightly to annoy my dad
0:50:35 > 0:50:38because as soon as he sees this, he's like,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41"The best place for that is on the fire in the garden," type thing.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45I really like the floor. I hope this is the finish.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47I didn't intend it on being the finish.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50It was a bit of a mistake to be honest. I painted it
0:50:50 > 0:50:53temporarily but actually I quite like it now.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55I've sanded it down. It looks a little bit patchy.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58But I've grown to really like it, actually. It's interesting.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00It's full of character.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03This is the sort of thing that you would see in a New York loft.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07By opting for just a concrete floor, Martin saved on the cost
0:51:07 > 0:51:11of labour and floor covering, without compromising on style.
0:51:16 > 0:51:17So, the kitchen, Martin.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20I mean, I know that you didn't spend a lot of money on this,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23but tell me how much you would say this whole kitchen cost you.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27I think including the sink and the oven and hob,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30I think we were looking at 1,300 quid.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32That's a cheap kitchen, isn't it?
0:51:32 > 0:51:38To keep costs down, Martin found ex-display units for around £500,
0:51:38 > 0:51:39and tracked down imaginative
0:51:39 > 0:51:42but low cost materials for the finishing touches.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46You know, things like that splashback,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49you could go and buy that from a kitchen place and it would be £70.
0:51:49 > 0:51:50I phoned a metal worker and said,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53"Have you got a sheet of aluminium?" and he cut it and it was £10.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56It's nice to know you're getting it for as cheap a value as possible.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59But obviously to make sure I'm happy with it as well, and I am.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Keeping out the wind and rain was a big priority for Martin,
0:52:04 > 0:52:09so when Piers suggested he open up the hallway, he got a flat refusal,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12but it seems Martin has come up with his own compromise.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14I remember we had a little battle over here.
0:52:14 > 0:52:19I wanted you to leave this wall out. But this looks great like this.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Coming in and seeing straight through is really, really nice
0:52:22 > 0:52:24and it makes it seem much bigger.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27When I open the door now and see all the way through,
0:52:27 > 0:52:31there's no way I would want to ever put a door on and change that now.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34When the timber frame was first erected,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37the upstairs was a dark forest of stud walls.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39So Martin took down a partition,
0:52:39 > 0:52:44opened up the space to allow light to pour in, and made more savings.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46But how does it look now?
0:52:49 > 0:52:52- What a fantastic space this has turned into.- Thank you.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53Look at this height and the natural light
0:52:53 > 0:52:55from all these different directions.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57It's really beautiful.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Making the decision to lose a bedroom was quite big,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02but I think now I'm in here and it's such a wow factor
0:53:02 > 0:53:05for people to come in. And when people see it,
0:53:05 > 0:53:07it's just a lot more special really,
0:53:07 > 0:53:09so I'm really, really pleased that I did that.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Probably the best decision I've made so far.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19He's even found his own way to clad one entire wall in metal.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I wasn't sure about it probably until the point where
0:53:22 > 0:53:24I actually put the last couple of pieces on.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28When I first heard Piers talk about the idea of the metal
0:53:28 > 0:53:32and when it got delivered, I thought, "This is not going to work."
0:53:32 > 0:53:35My dad thought it was ridiculous. But now it's on, I love it.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37I love the character.
0:53:37 > 0:53:38I've started using the worst pieces
0:53:38 > 0:53:41to get a bit of character within the centre of it.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43I did it as a bit of a patchwork,
0:53:43 > 0:53:46which is probably a bit different from what we discussed.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49I'm incredibly pleased to see this wall here.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51At times, I doubted that Martin would do this
0:53:51 > 0:53:52but we can't underestimate
0:53:52 > 0:53:56just what a huge leap Martin has taken to use a material like this.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59He's come from a conventional house-building background.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02He's building an unconventional house and he's using
0:54:02 > 0:54:05a radically unconventional material here - in his bedroom.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08But he hasn't taken all our suggestions on board.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13What I'd hoped to see was a bath in this corner instead of a drum kit.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Imagine being able to bathe and look down here.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20I'm trying not to imagine you bathing in it!
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I'm sure the neighbours are, too!
0:54:23 > 0:54:24I don't know, I think that was
0:54:24 > 0:54:27probably one step far for me, to be honest.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- But the drum kit works. - No, this is good, yeah.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35The house is a fantastic home for a young man to face the future,
0:54:35 > 0:54:38but achieving these results has been far from easy.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40It has been hard. It's been harder than I thought it would be.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42It's taken longer than I thought it would.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Obviously I'm split between doing this and the business,
0:54:45 > 0:54:50and it's been stressful in terms of trying to keep an eye on everything.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52I was constantly worried about it, do you know what I mean?
0:54:52 > 0:54:54I was constantly worried.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59Not just financially but, you know, just general, just stress.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01But has it been worth it?
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Has he been able to do all this for £100,000?
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Tell me again what your original budget was,
0:55:09 > 0:55:13what you thought you'd build this for and where you are now?
0:55:13 > 0:55:17I've spent probably 102,000 now.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21Martin borrowed his parents' life savings to build this house,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24so is the bank finally prepared to give him a loan?
0:55:26 > 0:55:28I've been able to apply for a mortgage,
0:55:28 > 0:55:30so I'm just waiting for the survey to go through.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Hopefully I'll be able to pay them a bit of money back.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35- That must be so satisfying. - Yeah, it is.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39It's nice to get that out of the way.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Does it feel like a home now?
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Yeah, definitely. Definitely.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I'm surprised really, to be honest, how homely it feels.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53So I hope that other people feel that when they come as well.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57The big gamble has paid off.
0:55:57 > 0:56:02The house has an estimated market value of around £400,000.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04It's finally time to celebrate.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08One of those projects where you see it from the start on paper
0:56:08 > 0:56:10and you think it's never going to happen.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13You see it now and you think, "Wow!"
0:56:13 > 0:56:14I like it.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19I think it's very Martin and different. A bit of texture. Nice.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21I'd love one like this, yeah. Of course I would.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24It's four times the size of my place.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28When I saw the plans and we looked at it, we thought,
0:56:28 > 0:56:29"Wow, what is this?"
0:56:29 > 0:56:34It looked like an old folk's home, a dentist's surgery or whatever,
0:56:34 > 0:56:37but I think it far outweighs what I expected.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40I didn't think it would look as good as it does.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41What did you first think
0:56:41 > 0:56:45when he started putting tiles on the wall and bits of metal on the wall?
0:56:45 > 0:56:48When he told me it was for the wall, I just couldn't believe it,
0:56:48 > 0:56:52but now I've seen it, I do quite like it.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55The more I look at it, the more, yeah, I do like it.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Of course I keep forgetting that this building cost £100,000.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03This feels like a special, interesting piece of architecture
0:57:03 > 0:57:05and I had to keep pinching myself
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and reminding that this only cost £100,000.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12I think the big lessons from Martin's build are really about
0:57:12 > 0:57:14courage and courage of your convictions.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17And I think that Martin has the best of both worlds now.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19He has a house that he really believes in,
0:57:19 > 0:57:21that I think is a good contribution to its site,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24but it also, internally, really reflects Martin.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27It's definitely his house. It couldn't be anybody else's.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30I believe he'll live there for a very long time as a result.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I think it really makes me feel at home.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36I'm really pleased with what I've achieved.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39I've obviously still got bits and pieces left to finish off and
0:57:39 > 0:57:43I can sit back and really be pleased, and chill out,
0:57:43 > 0:57:47and get back to a normal life, and be proud of what me and my dad
0:57:47 > 0:57:49and my mum have done, yeah.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52Thank you very much.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02Next time - a widowed cookery teacher finds herself homeless,
0:58:02 > 0:58:05with just £50,000 to build a new house.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09I haven't got the time to cry.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12But when she rapidly finds herself out of her depth...
0:58:12 > 0:58:15I don't know who to go to for what.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19..will her new home even get built at all?
0:58:19 > 0:58:22If Sumati doesn't understand what she's doing, take control,
0:58:22 > 0:58:23there isn't going to be a house.
0:58:45 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd