0:00:02 > 0:00:04We're in the midst of a low-cost, self-build revolution.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Wow, it's massive.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11It's harder than ever to get onto the housing ladder, so a few
0:00:11 > 0:00:15brave, ordinary people are resorting to the seemingly impossible...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, look at that.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22..building their own home from scratch for less than £100,000.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- We keep being told, like, that's not going to be enough money.- Mm-hmm.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27But that's all the money we can find.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'I'm Kieran Long,'
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and with architect Piers Taylor, we're coming to the aid
0:00:31 > 0:00:35of six families attempting this toughest of challenges.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Yesterday was probably the worst weather we've had.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38We can't afford to stop.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'We'll try to help them with design dilemmas...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:44It could be really harsh and cold if you're not careful.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46..challenge them to think bigger...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I've not seen anything like this before.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..and search out innovative solutions that make
0:00:51 > 0:00:53the most of their meagre budgets.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Oh, look at that.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57We'll all be pushed to the limit...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59- We are in a bad situation, for sure. - Yeah, yeah.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01..as we attempt to turn these ordinary self-builds
0:01:01 > 0:01:03into outstanding homes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:09It's really important that we all realise what we're building.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12This time, Marcus and Sholto attempt to build
0:01:12 > 0:01:15an enormous home in the wilds of Scotland.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I think that's only the first load.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21With a budget already pushed to the limit, will they welcome new ideas?
0:01:21 > 0:01:23How do you feel about opening up the ceiling?
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Can they agree?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Are you saying that I want to do this and I want to do that?
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And will brave ideas backfire?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31That's bowing in the middle, there.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33- I wouldn't poke it.- No, no, no.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Marcus and Sholto have been a couple for over a decade.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It was while on holiday from their home in the South of England,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53that they decided the Scottish Morayshire countryside
0:01:53 > 0:01:56was where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01What we love about this area is it's beautiful,
0:02:01 > 0:02:02and taking our dog for a walk,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04you look around and you can just stare at
0:02:04 > 0:02:06what we're actually living in.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It's absolutely amazing.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10- HE WHISTLES - Bramble!
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But having searched for a home with generous spaces for entertaining,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18they couldn't find anything on the market that fitted the bill.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21We're not a traditional family.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24We don't need the typical
0:02:24 > 0:02:28three-bedroom detached house with bathrooms galore.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30We need something that suits us,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34that friends and family are comfortable to come and visit.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So they've decided to build the dream home
0:02:37 > 0:02:41they promised themselves while going through difficult times.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47I found out that I'd got end-stage renal failure, and I said to Sholto
0:02:47 > 0:02:51at the time, "Run for the hills." Because, you know, we'd not been
0:02:51 > 0:02:56together all that long and we knew what the outcome was going to be.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01It was going to be dialysis, erm, maybe transplant in the future.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Erm, but, no, you didn't, did you? You said, "No, I'll stick with you."
0:03:07 > 0:03:112006, I had a kidney and a pancreas transplant.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17It just gave me a whole new lease of life.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23To have that chance, to actually lead a normal life,
0:03:23 > 0:03:24and also give you the gumption,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and the attitude and the confidence to try new things.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Using the proceeds from the sale of their home in Sussex,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36they've bought a £90,000 plot of land.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40It's in a rural location 45 miles from Inverness.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Here, they're planning a total change of lifestyle.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46We're still young enough to... to work,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48but the idea was to get more of a work-life balance.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The aim is to be mortgage-free.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57The sale of their home, plus savings, has given them
0:03:57 > 0:04:01a budget of 100K for the build, plus a 15K contingency.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09We've got enough money to, hopefully, build the house.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Sholto is going to project-manage the house
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and be as hands-on with the build as he can be,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17so hopefully, that's going to save us a hell of a lot of money.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25They've already spent £12,000 on the groundworks.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They hope the single-storey house they're building on top
0:04:31 > 0:04:33will perfectly suit their needs.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Our main reason for having a bungalow is for the dog.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40As she gets older, we didn't want her to have stairs to cope with.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41- Or me.- Or him.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50To keep costs down, Marcus and Sholto have chosen an off-the-peg,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52timber frame, kit house.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56The front facade has a gable-ended double garage,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and an ornate porch leading to an octagonal hallway.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Access to the main living area is through double doors.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08The open-plan room has standard ceiling heights and finishes,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and will act as the living, dining and kitchen area.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Access to the four bedrooms
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and the bathrooms is back through the hallway.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20It's a big and ambitious house, but I currently
0:05:20 > 0:05:24fail to see the touches that make it distinctly one for them.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31The whole kit is costing £54,000, and is starting to arrive on-site...
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Hiya, do you want to start bringing it up the hill now, please?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Sholto has never built a house before.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39My God, just look at this.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Yup, that's, that's quite a lot of house there.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Bloody hell.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Erm...yeah, that's...
0:05:50 > 0:05:54God, that's quite a lot there, isn't it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Didn't expect that. I think... I think that's only the first load.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01They've invested in a high-quality kit which is almost a job lot.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It includes the frame and many other parts,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07which should make budgeting the build far easier.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11This is everything I've saved - well, myself and Marcus have saved -
0:06:11 > 0:06:16and earned, and worked for, and... for the last 11 or so years.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19This is probably about, oh, just under a quarter of all that,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22now sitting on the back of a lorry.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26But having selected a design that would perfectly suit
0:06:26 > 0:06:28a typical family...
0:06:29 > 0:06:33'..they're in danger of ending up with a home that doesn't suit them.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'Piers needs to interrogate the design.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's like a big bit of Ikea furniture, isn't it?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Yes, cos it comes with a big Allen key to put it all together.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46All right, Piers, good to see you.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49For Marcus and Sholto,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52this is what they call their, kind of, forever home.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54There's a lot riding on this emotionally,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and they want it to be special, but do you think there's just
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- too much house here for it to be special?- I do.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's a three-bathroom, four-bedroom house with a double garage.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06It's vast. It's too complicated. It's trying too hard, you know?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So, you come into the little octagon that
0:07:10 > 0:07:12looks like a sort of gazebo plonked into the middle of this.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Immediately, there's a couple of grand taking out those doors
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- and walls and so on.- But it's a pretty mean ceiling height.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- I think it says 2.4 here.- Yeah. - But you know, it seems pointless to
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- build a building of this scale... - Yes, absolutely.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- ..and not have some generosity vertically.- Absolutely.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Simplicity is the main thing.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Reduce the changes of materials,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30reduce the complexity of the building,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32take out some of these doors internally,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and make it a calmer building.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37We need to get them to realise that
0:07:37 > 0:07:39this could be a much better building,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and I think, if he is really ruthless and really clever,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44this could be done for £100,000.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Sholto will do most of the work himself,
0:07:57 > 0:08:02but he can't erect the frame without a joiner,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and already there's a risk of spiralling costs.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09We pay him for an hourly rate, since he's not on a fixed price,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11cos he didn't want to work on a fixed price.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13He didn't even want to give us a quote.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15He just wants to work on an hourly rate.
0:08:15 > 0:08:1713, 14, 15, is the garage.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21And with a house of this size,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24materials not in the kit will be expensive...
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Just missing a few drawings...
0:08:26 > 0:08:30..but whatever the pressures, Sholto is fulfilling a lifelong dream.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Sholto has always wanted to build his own house.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39I have sketchbooks full of houses, from when I was in my...
0:08:39 > 0:08:42as a teenager. Architecture's always fascinated me.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Planning rules mean changing the exterior now
0:08:48 > 0:08:50is both costly and time-consuming...
0:08:53 > 0:08:56..but there are still areas where Piers may be able to steer them
0:08:56 > 0:08:59away from a conventional home, towards something more contemporary.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Sholto's been immersed in the design process for months,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09so Piers may have a battle on his hands.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12It's a really good idea to use... to make a model,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and immediately I want to dive in and make changes.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Piers suggests they should rethink the number of bedrooms
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and remove the hallway,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28as both are reducing the generous open-plan space they could have.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32This is potentially a really clear and simple, big barn-like space...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- Mm-hmm.- ..and you're compromising it, I think,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36by putting these walls in that volume,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41and I think, as a key move, that wall needs to come back to here.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Moving the wall back, I'm fine with -
0:09:43 > 0:09:46it removes this hallway that we don't need.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47To me, it would make more sense as well,
0:09:47 > 0:09:52- because that living area would come out, wouldn't it?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56But his biggest alteration tackles that bog-standard ceiling...
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I think it could be really amazing,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- to live with these trussed rafters running through there...- Mm-hmm.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05..and expose them. Nowadays, all buildings are so sanitised,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09and you know, cleaned from all that interesting stuff,
0:10:09 > 0:10:10so if you've got structure,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- why wouldn't you want to see it? - Mm-hmm.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The roof, I'm sort of...
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I can understand it...
0:10:18 > 0:10:19But...?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Let's look at it.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27- So, that's the space in there that you've got.- Yeah.- OK.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31But you could have a space that was, you know, like that.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34It's more airy.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37My... OK, my question to you is, if you're resisting it, is -
0:10:37 > 0:10:41is it a nicer space with that like that or not?
0:10:41 > 0:10:45- It's a nicer space, I agree with you there, it's...- OK, stop there.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So, why wouldn't you want to make that change?
0:10:49 > 0:10:55- Yeah, I'm curious.- Erm...- Exposed trussed rafters would be so unusual
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and so provocatively different -
0:10:57 > 0:11:00really, really contemporary.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Piers' alterations could transform this home.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Removing the ceiling would have a cost attached, but will
0:11:10 > 0:11:14greatly increase the sense of space in their open-plan living area.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It would prevent the interior they've chosen feeling
0:11:16 > 0:11:20like a standard home, and instead would be dramatic and individual.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Removing the octagonal hallway and one of the bedrooms would maximise
0:11:24 > 0:11:30the usable living space and reduce costs by saving on walls and doors.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I don't think you'd need to make a decision today.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- I think you need to reserve judgment...- Hmm.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36until you've gone to look at a couple of buildings
0:11:36 > 0:11:38that have something similar.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43Now, I think I need to leave you to just deliberate.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Yeah.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45OK.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Yeah, pretty exciting stuff, though.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50- Yeah, good.- Mmm.- Good.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58As Head of Design and Architecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I'm always trying to find
0:12:00 > 0:12:02the most remarkable new buildings in the UK...
0:12:07 > 0:12:11..and I'm taking Marcus and Sholto three hours across Scotland
0:12:11 > 0:12:13to an amazing house, which I hope will show them
0:12:13 > 0:12:15how good theirs could be...
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- So, here we are...- Wow.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26This kind of beautiful, faceted black thing.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- OK.- What do you make of that?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30It's definitely striking in the landscape, isn't it?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32It is, incredibly.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37This highly individual home is the Black House
0:12:37 > 0:12:39by Raw Architecture Workshop,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41on the West Coast of Scotland, near Skye.'
0:12:45 > 0:12:49A staircase takes you up to a breathtaking open-plan space.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- Wow, look at that. It's amazing. - This is where you start to see
0:12:56 > 0:12:58what it's all about, up here, don't you?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Yeah. It's astounding, isn't it?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The whole wall, the whole facade of this room,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- if you like, it just throws you out into the landscape.- Yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It's the non-standard unpredictability of this room
0:13:10 > 0:13:12which makes it special.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15When you're up here, you realise you're in this double-height space.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Mm-hmm.- And of course, that's given to you by the fact that
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- it's a completely truss-free volume. - Yeah.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Black House cost £310,000 to build.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30A double-height space without trusses is way beyond
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Marcus and Sholto's budget,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but Piers' idea of exposing the trusses would
0:13:36 > 0:13:40help them create a similar sense of drama in their home.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It's beautiful. It just literally takes your breath away,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46especially compounded with, you know, the views and everything.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Sholto already has a huge job ahead,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53so he's in two minds about such a radical change of plan.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57I do love it but I don't know whether
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- loving something and living with something...- No, sure.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05But outside, he's quick to spot a trick with the cladding
0:14:05 > 0:14:08that'll help him make his money go further.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Rather than one long length of timber for each strip,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14the Black House repeatedly uses shorter ones,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18elegantly butted together - so no wastage.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Each one of these, mitred at a 45 degree angle,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23so when they meet, obviously,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26the rain runs down, keeps a nice, tight line,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30but you do get the horizontal lines in it, which, they sort of,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32can take away from the blandness.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Both Marcus and Sholto like the sleek, pared-back
0:14:39 > 0:14:42architecture and limited range of materials that lift
0:14:42 > 0:14:45this house beyond anything mass-produced.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47The simplicity is beautiful.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- I like the fact that you can't see the gutter.- You like that crispness?
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- I do.- Two materials and glass.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Yep.- Openings are really simple.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57There aren't loads of colours, and not loads of materials.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It's totally fitting for its surrounding.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05The starkness and the awesome scenery behind it
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- makes that work.- Yeah, yeah.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I think Marcus and Sholto have taken a lot from this house.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15They're really sophisticated about buildings.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19They look at them in a really interested, attentive way.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23I think this house has given them some serious thinking to do.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26To actually see the vaulted ceilings, you know,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29how simple it was, how it all came together...
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and it gave me that enormous sense of space,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and given us an insight into what our house can look like.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40It's too minimalist and white for me.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42It's lovely, but, love it, can't live with it.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47With Marcus in favour of the high ceiling
0:15:47 > 0:15:51but Sholto unconvinced, there's a critical decision still to be made.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55A choice either way will define their interior.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58SAW SQUEAKS
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It's November, and a month since the kit was delivered.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06With the basic framework up, Sholto is now working hard on the cladding.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The challenge of building a huge house alone on a tight budget
0:16:10 > 0:16:11has become his day job.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Working on your own, it can take you three times as long to do a job,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22because you sometimes need two pairs of hands.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25If I had a bottomless pot of money,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28then I'd have a labourer,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32but looking into how much a simple labourer now wants for a daily rate,
0:16:32 > 0:16:33I think, hang on,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37that's a hell of a lot of money to pay someone for labouring.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Morning.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Nearly three quarters of the budget has already gone on foundations,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45the house kit and labour.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51With only £28,000 left to complete the entire build,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Sholto knows he's got to penny-pinch every step of the way.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01He budgeted £3,000 for cladding, but has cut the bill by £600,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04thanks to the method he saw at the Black House.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Now every length of cladding is getting used,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08thanks to mitring each joint.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13The house is... The walls are 2.8.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Planks come in 4.8 or 3.2...
0:17:17 > 0:17:19erm, so obviously, you're going to have cut-off,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and you don't want to waste it and just use full lengths of wood.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And as you can see, you've got the 45 degree angle,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30for water to run down and it won't penetrate behind it.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33He's also struggling to make do without the right tools...
0:17:33 > 0:17:35We were trying to do it with a jigsaw.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38The jigsaw was just not powerful enough,
0:17:38 > 0:17:39so we've got to get a circular saw,
0:17:39 > 0:17:45and renting a cordless one was an insane amount of money.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48If I wanted to hire one for a week, I may as well have gone out
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and bought one, so that's probably what I'll end up doing...
0:17:51 > 0:17:53NAIL CLATTERS AND HE SIGHS
0:17:53 > 0:17:56..hunt around for the cheapest one I can find.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07By December, the weather's taken a turn for the worse,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and life on-site is getting tougher and tougher...
0:18:11 > 0:18:13WATER TRICKLES
0:18:13 > 0:18:14I think we need some guttering.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The problem with working with a nail gun...
0:18:23 > 0:18:27that uses compressed gas...
0:18:27 > 0:18:29is that though this is extremely powerful,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33being an aerosol, it freezes, as well, and it...
0:18:35 > 0:18:37..takes a bit of time for it to warm up again,
0:18:37 > 0:18:38so you end up with one in your pocket
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and one in the gun, and one in your other pocket.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's not even firing.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49By now, we should be inside
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and plasterboarding,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and probably have a stove installed, which is what I wanted, so...
0:18:54 > 0:18:57if you just work through...
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Oh, dear, that was a naive thing to think -
0:18:59 > 0:19:01that it was actually going to go to plan.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03HE GRUNTS
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Life isn't getting any easier.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15There's still no electricity on-site
0:19:15 > 0:19:19so the length of the day is seriously affecting progress.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27At the moment, we're struggling with how many daylight hours.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Sunrise at the moment isn't till just before nine o'clock,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and then, the light starts going about three o'clock.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39By about four o'clock, it's... virtually pitch-black.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Today's a rare chance for Marcus to see progress in daylight.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57He's working full-time to support the build.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00They've cut any day-to-day living costs to a minimum.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03He's not as familiar with the build as Sholto...
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- Is that lamb's wool? - Lamb's wool? No.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07LAUGHTER
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Is it cashmere?- It's cashmere, yeah.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12- Pure...- Pure cashmere.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15No, it's just glass. It's glass fibre.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20They've engineered the roof trusses so they can be on show,
0:20:20 > 0:20:25but there's no definitive decision on whether to leave them that way.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The pair have opted for Piers' other suggestions to make
0:20:28 > 0:20:32the open-plan living space more dramatic.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34They've had a rethink on the number of bedrooms
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and removed the octagonal hallway.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39We do like this space...
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I mean, we always wanted a big space anyway.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43We went from, originally, from four bedrooms
0:20:43 > 0:20:48to two bedrooms, and this whole space, which we really like.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Although he likes it, Marcus is worried.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57The way I see it at the moment, it could become quite impersonal -
0:20:57 > 0:21:01it could be...not homely,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and I think that's one of the challenges we've got.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Sholto has a clear vision.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11You have to think of it as a whole space
0:21:11 > 0:21:15rather than breaking it down into... into bits.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16I think what's going to work for it
0:21:16 > 0:21:19is actually using large-format furniture,
0:21:19 > 0:21:25so a kitchen that is made up of probably three large shapes.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31I'm already working out the layout of the kitchen,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34cos I'm going to want to make that all from scratch.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36You're saying that, "I want to do this and I want to do that."
0:21:36 > 0:21:41The way you work - the way Sholto works - is he's here all the time,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44so he gets a feel for what's actually happening
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and he's got a very creative mind-set, and it all gets stored up,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51then eventually, it will filter down to me.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- No, cos it does.- No, no, it does, no.- And then, then we discuss...
0:21:54 > 0:21:59I come to you with a solution rather than a suggestion.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03You see? Cos I've already thought about it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Yeah, which is exactly the point I've just made.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Right, so, yes, that's what normally happens.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17It's an all-consuming build and money is running desperately short.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They've spent £86,000 so far.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Scheduling problems mean Sholto's been forced to get an alternative
0:22:23 > 0:22:28roofer and electrician, costing £7,000 more than planned.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31The build will soon go over budget.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Marcus and Sholto are really in the depths with their build now.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45They're immersed in it, and perhaps at a moment where
0:22:45 > 0:22:48it can be hard to get any perspective about design and what
0:22:48 > 0:22:51they're actually trying to achieve with this project.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55So I've brought them to a place that I hope
0:22:55 > 0:22:58will kind of unlock that a bit, and inspire them again.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01This is a building that has a volume inside
0:23:01 > 0:23:03which is one large room,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06which is broken down and made subtle, made homely, if you like,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08in a variety of techniques,
0:23:08 > 0:23:09so I'm looking forward to showing them.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Windmill Hill in Buckinghamshire
0:23:18 > 0:23:22was completed by Stephen Marshall Architects in 2011.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25It houses the archive of the Rothschild family.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35It's not a home, but for Marcus and Sholto, it's full of design lessons.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38So, it's a beautiful space...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Just one very simple, barn-like space. It's...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43What do you...? What do you think?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Absolutely love it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I think the most striking thing, of course, about this room,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51is this extraordinary roof, this triangular, grid-shell
0:23:51 > 0:23:54construction which is supporting itself, and allows it to be so open.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I mean, obviously, this is expensive,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00but nonetheless, what I really like about it is how these triangles
0:24:00 > 0:24:05form the whole, sort of, decorative order for the whole room.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09I'm liking the motif that's used through the whole space.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Finding a simple motif and repeating it throughout the room
0:24:14 > 0:24:16makes the large space work as one.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19These tables are so beautiful, aren't they?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Serious chunky bits of joinery.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And these trusses, again, with that triangle motif.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Even though this is an archive room,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and the room does have a single function,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33By looking at it, you also see, well, it's got a research area here,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35but you've also got, sort of, comfortable chairs
0:24:35 > 0:24:37if you actually want to sit and read.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Erm, so it does still have multi-functions in this room,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42and that's dictated by the furniture.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The thickness of those shelves -
0:24:46 > 0:24:49those are much more chunky than regular bookshelves -
0:24:49 > 0:24:52is consistent with the desk, which is even consistent
0:24:52 > 0:24:55with these big, kind of, triangular pieces in the glazing.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59So, all of it is just one thing - gives it a tremendous coherence.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05You know, I think, here, the effect is, to take what is quite
0:25:05 > 0:25:08a big space, and sort of, somehow bring the scale down.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You see that these are these large triangles. Smaller ones
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- in the roof, even smaller ones in the furniture...- Mm-hmm.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14..and gradually, the scale of this space
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- is brought down to human scale. - Yeah.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Which is, in a way, what you guys need too,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21with your... your very large living space.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25It's not intimidating, which it could have been.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I think, seeing this building today has really shown us how
0:25:30 > 0:25:34an open-plan space should flow from one area to the other,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and how you can still have different areas with different functions
0:25:37 > 0:25:42but you're not separating them by decor or materials.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Rather than compartmentalising things into little boxes
0:25:45 > 0:25:47within a big box.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Our room's about that long.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I've been really excited about how Marcus and Sholto
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- reacted to this building. - Yeah, I'm...
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Marcus, sometimes, in this process has felt a little bit left out.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02In a way, I think it's kind of made him excited again
0:26:02 > 0:26:06about the process. As a design process, it's inspired him,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08and he's clearly gone away with really high aspirations.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Once you box it in like that...
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Sholto has to find a way to achieve this within the level of resource
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and skill that he has himself.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20I mean, he is pretty on his own on this build, and I think that's
0:26:20 > 0:26:21going to be a real challenge,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25meeting Marcus' aspirations, and now heightened aspirations,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27with what is still a very tight budget.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Back on-site and four months into the build,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Sholto has almost completed the mammoth cladding job.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Money's tighter than ever, so Marcus needs to keep heading out to work -
0:26:45 > 0:26:47keeping him away from the site.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Piers needs to help them come to some joint decisions...
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I did throw a bit of a... a bit of a wobble, a few weeks ago.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I was actually, rarely, on-site at the weekend,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and I just looked round the house and I said to Sholto,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04"I don't really feel part of this." I did feel so detached
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- from what's happening.- What was it in particular?- Everything.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09The tendency, when building a house physically yourself,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- as Sholto is, is to put your head down and get on with it.- Yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I mean, you've got to be so focused on doing it.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16I mean, I've done it, and I remember when I did it,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19you know, my wife felt like a widow.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- And from your perspective, things need to happen.- Yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23You need to be in, duh-duh-duh-duh,
0:27:23 > 0:27:24- and you just need to build it. - Uh-huh.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27And the kind of complexity of unpicking those decisions that,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30on your own, you can make quite simply, is sometimes just too much.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33You know, so it's a really curious thing.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Financial strain hasn't helped.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38The extra costs for the electrician and roofer,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41plus the water heater, stove and other essentials
0:27:41 > 0:27:45has taken the spend to £110,000.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50They only have a meagre £5,000 contingency to finish everything.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Every penny over that will have to come from Marcus' earnings,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56which are already stretched thin,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58or from savings set aside for their future.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03To make matters worse, they have mixed feelings about the porch
0:28:03 > 0:28:07that came with the house, and for which they have planning permission.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09HE SIGHS
0:28:09 > 0:28:11I hate it. No, I don't hate it. LAUGHTER
0:28:11 > 0:28:16I hate the amount of money it's cost to build, cos it took
0:28:16 > 0:28:19a carpenter more than a day just to put the trusses up on that...
0:28:19 > 0:28:23- Yeah.- ..whereas it took a day to do the whole of the rest of the house.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It took more work for them to tile it,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29and all because we weren't allowed to simplify the design.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Sholto's come round to the idea of exposed trusses in the main space,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37but now the strain on the budget
0:28:37 > 0:28:40means he's backtracking with a further compromise.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Additional plastering and labour to help him complete
0:28:46 > 0:28:49the full-height ceiling will be £1,200.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Desperate to eke out the £5,000 remaining in the contingency,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Sholto plans to reintroduce a conventional ceiling
0:28:58 > 0:29:01over two thirds of the space.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Just the kitchen area will remain open to the rafters.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Marcus isn't convinced it's the right decision.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16I do think the amount of time and money we've actually invested
0:29:16 > 0:29:17to get to this stage,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20it would make sense to actually go the whole hog with it.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25Piers sees the double-height ceiling as critical to the house's success
0:29:25 > 0:29:28You've got to hang onto the things that make your building
0:29:28 > 0:29:31what it is, that make it architectural, at all costs,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and banish the things that are less important.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35And for me, the most important thing in that house is that
0:29:35 > 0:29:38sense of space, and then, the beauty of that structure, the quality
0:29:38 > 0:29:42of light that comes in and gives it that incredible grandeur.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47I think at this stage of a building, when money's tight,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50and Sholto is just focused on doing his job, which is
0:29:50 > 0:29:53finishing the building, you just do what's available
0:29:53 > 0:29:55at a builder's merchants, and you go through the motion
0:29:55 > 0:29:58of just making a house that has conventional things in it.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00They really need not to do that.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- What we'd like to do is just focus on this bit here.- OK.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Piers' strategy is to persuade Sholto to go for
0:30:06 > 0:30:10the full-height ceiling and make savings elsewhere.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14So what we want to do is see these trusses in this bit,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16and then we're going to paint them white and the walls white.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19So, no small ask, I realise that,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22but I think it will be important to do.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Well, we'll see you in an hour and a half.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28LAUGHTER
0:30:30 > 0:30:33He asks the builders to plasterboard one corner
0:30:33 > 0:30:35and the full-height ceiling,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38so Sholto and Marcus can experience the finished effect.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41The advantage of mocking something up is that you can really
0:30:41 > 0:30:43make a judgment about something that you can't do
0:30:43 > 0:30:46if you just talk about it, or even if you draw it.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Seeing it shown in front of you, full-size, full-scale, with the
0:30:50 > 0:30:53actual light, the actual materials, the actual quality of space.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54I mean, there's nothing like that.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Piers also has an idea for a low-cost design motif
0:30:59 > 0:31:01that will unify the big space.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06He suggests they make window reveals from chunky timber,
0:31:06 > 0:31:10rather than plasterboard, to echo the roof trusses.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13This, in a way, is probably more expensive
0:31:13 > 0:31:15than just plastering into a window reveal,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- but actually, it transforms a building.- Mmm.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- I like the way it frames the window. - Yeah.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- And then it actually brings out the window more.- It does.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26And then, by its very design,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29it's almost like seeing a picture through the actual window.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I absolutely love it, and I like the fact...
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- I wouldn't have thought of doing that.- Mmm.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37- Although, I leave that to Sholto, anyway.- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Marcus is really positive about Piers' input,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46but having worked so long and hard on the build,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Sholto is finding it harder to take...
0:31:49 > 0:31:53No, I don't think Piers was actually criticising...
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I think he was coming in with a fresh pair of eyes,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58seeing this place for the first time,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00but at the same time, you feel almost like
0:32:00 > 0:32:02your legs have been kicked out from underneath,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and you've got to claw you way back up again, so...
0:32:05 > 0:32:06It's deflating,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09when someone does that to you, it can feel a bit deflating.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16I can see that this testing of your conviction and decision-making
0:32:16 > 0:32:19is pretty tricky for you, but in a way,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23what I would hope it would do, at best, is make your design better.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26You know, I mean, which bit of it has been most challenging,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- do you think? - The whole...the whole questioning.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34My... Not your questioning, my own questioning of my ideas,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and are they still valid?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It's good to be challenged, because it makes you think,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41but when you haven't...
0:32:41 > 0:32:45When you haven't been challenged, you almost get set in stone.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The single defining characteristic of this building,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52if you follow through with this ceiling, this vaulted roof,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54- this exposing of these trusses... - Mm-hmm.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56..will be extraordinarily dramatic.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03As work on the mock-up continues,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Piers turns his attention to finding ways to save money
0:33:06 > 0:33:10in the rest of the living space and get them to agree on layout.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17I think we're looking at three primary functions within that space,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- erm, being - cooking, eating, living. - Mm-hmm.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23But then, we also want to go against convention a bit
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and then within those spaces, like, for example, the kitchen area,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30also an area where we can get together and relax.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Then, within the living area, you know, again,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37there we can have, say, a dining table or something,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39so they just all overlap.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45The only fixed elements are a stove and a kitchen island.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49The island could be a critical area for recouping some of the cost
0:33:49 > 0:33:51of opening up the ceiling.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Sholto is interested in making it out of concrete to match the floor,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57but nervous about the design and technique...
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- Well, we've talked about it quite a bit, actually, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05At one stage, we were thinking, we could do a concrete pour.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07- Mm-hmm.- Yeah.- Erm...
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Which we...but I think it might be, with the floor,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- I think it might be a bit... - Concrete overkill.- A bit too much.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- My prejudice would be that it would be concrete.- Mm-hmm.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18But, you know, because it's so cheap, it's so easy,
0:34:18 > 0:34:23it's so beautiful, it's so versatile, it's so durable...
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- My idea was a bit National Theatre, wasn't it?- Mmm.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30- The concrete texture on that, make a form for it...- Mmm.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32..pouring it and then using
0:34:32 > 0:34:35the slightly dulled larch, with the concrete, actually,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- as another part of the kitchen. - Yeah, beautiful.
0:34:38 > 0:34:39I've seen that done. Really fantastic.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43I feel...I feel, though, we should turn this way
0:34:43 > 0:34:46and look at you, and ask you, ask you, Marcus,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49your feelings about this.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52I'm going to make... I'm going to make a bold statement now.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56We are going to use a form made out of larch wood,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- we're going to pour the concrete in it...- Amazing.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01..and that's going to be it, because I love the sound of that.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06A self-built concrete island could be very cheap to make,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10while still giving the kitchen a custom-made feel,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12but more than anything, it'll be the decision about
0:35:12 > 0:35:15the full-height ceiling that will define this house.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It's time to see if Sholto is persuaded
0:35:18 > 0:35:20it's worth the extra cost.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23So this is now a finished bit of building,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- which I think looks pretty amazing. - Wow, absolutely.- It does.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I'm starting to notice detail that you hadn't even thought of before.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35You know, the trusses are actually more defined
0:35:35 > 0:35:36cos you've not got all the business end
0:35:36 > 0:35:39of the different coloured woods, the OSB,
0:35:39 > 0:35:40and everything else behind it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48Having now seen this, it makes me 100% aware that it is right to make
0:35:48 > 0:35:53a sacrifice and get this completely open and finished, like this.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01From this point back, all that would have been cut off from us.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02- Yeah, yeah.- You know...
0:36:02 > 0:36:06The big win here is those east-facing roof lights that will
0:36:06 > 0:36:10really animate that space, even when you're down this end.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16The chunky window reveals get a thumbs up too.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18You've led us in the right direction
0:36:18 > 0:36:21and actually made us see our priorities.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Marcus, you told me earlier that you don't really feel or haven't
0:36:24 > 0:36:27felt part of this interior, yet,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30but coming up here in the daylight, and seeing a bit of this
0:36:30 > 0:36:33building finished - how do you feel about it now?
0:36:33 > 0:36:36To be perfectly honest, it just sort of takes your breath away.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49With the joint decision made to spend the extra
0:36:49 > 0:36:52on the full-height ceiling, a concrete kitchen island
0:36:52 > 0:36:55is a good way to save a substantial amount of money,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58but only if Sholto gets it just right...
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I've invited Sholto to look at London's Southbank.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Though it definitely divides opinion,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19it's an amazing testament to the creativity
0:37:19 > 0:37:21that can be expressed in concrete.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27The reason I want to bring Sholto here
0:37:27 > 0:37:29is because it's a place that shows the full range
0:37:29 > 0:37:31of possibilities of concrete.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Oh, and it is brave of you to tackle concrete.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38It's not a material that's that popular in this country
0:37:38 > 0:37:40with a lot of people. Do you...? What do you think about it?
0:37:40 > 0:37:44I always want to do something once, and I don't mean that as in
0:37:44 > 0:37:46- try it once, I mean actually do it once and that's it.- Yeah.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50That is...should be enough to last, and I think concrete is a material
0:37:50 > 0:37:53that does last, and you can see that from the buildings here.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00Concrete was chosen as the dominant material for these 1960s additions
0:38:00 > 0:38:02to the Festival of Britain site.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04It unifies the range of buildings
0:38:04 > 0:38:06and reflects their urban surroundings.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12It's amazing here - you're just totally surrounded by concrete,
0:38:12 > 0:38:17but you start to see the care with which this is all cast and made,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19don't you?
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Three joiners' workshops on-site created the wooden formwork.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Much of the concrete was then poured in situ.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28The patterns remain today...
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Where it has weathered,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32you can still see the texture that was originally there.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Yeah, it's very, very precise.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36You start...like these... these planks, you know,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39where these boards have been cast against.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41They're precisely measured in proportion to the
0:38:41 > 0:38:44depth of the beam, and I really love that care and attention.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48I mean, in a way, when you see concrete looking like this,
0:38:48 > 0:38:49it's really more about carpentry
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- than it is about concrete. - Oh, absolutely, it's, it's...
0:38:51 > 0:38:54almost all down to the preparation work, here,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58and the final action is the actual pour.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03And then the revelations, and the finger-crossing,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06- and praying that must go into taking off the form.- Yeah.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11The Southbank Centre's Hayward Gallery,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room are made of
0:39:13 > 0:39:1627,000 cubic metres of concrete.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21As well as concrete poured on-site, there are precast panels
0:39:21 > 0:39:24made of Cornish aggregate with white cement.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27This stuff is so nice, isn't it?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30It's extremely rough, these precast panels.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It's almost like a kind of very rough pebble dash,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34but it's got a beautiful texture, though,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37and these little sparkly bits of mica
0:39:37 > 0:39:39in these stones do pop out, don't they?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Look at this piece, though. I mean, this is a kind of...
0:39:43 > 0:39:46a goalpost-type construction, pretty straightforward,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48beautifully cast, and with an aggregate
0:39:48 > 0:39:50with lots of... When you start to look closely at it,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52it has lots of different colours,
0:39:52 > 0:39:53and quite a lot of depth to it, doesn't it?
0:39:53 > 0:39:55I mean, it's much more beautiful
0:39:55 > 0:39:57- than you might think at first glance.- Yeah.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58And the way it's cast, with these
0:39:58 > 0:40:00- lovely chamfered corners. - Yeah, but...
0:40:00 > 0:40:02When you're going in a doorway you don't want to
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- knock yourself on a sharp corner. - It's something I was concerned about,
0:40:05 > 0:40:06having a kitchen island,
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- is you do the same, you're going to walk past it.- Yeah.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- So maybe a chamfered corner might be a solution to that.- Yeah.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12And what about these surfaces?
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Cos when you see the inside here, where it hasn't been weathered,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18it still has all of that quality of wood.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21- It's so beautiful, isn't it, this? - Absolutely. It's lovely.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22This is the look that I want to go for.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25We're going to be using the larch that we've used on the outside
0:40:25 > 0:40:28of the house, and I want to use that as the exposed bits,
0:40:28 > 0:40:29the bits you're actually going to see.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31I want to use that to make the mould with.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35This is very similar to, hopefully, how ours will turn out.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40It's given me plenty of things to think about with what I want
0:40:40 > 0:40:41the finished result to be,
0:40:41 > 0:40:46but also, what I'm going to use to achieve it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49It's all got to be considered,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52experimented, agreed upon
0:40:52 > 0:40:53and then done.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59Being concrete, once it's set, that's it.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02The only way of getting it out is a sledgehammer and wheelbarrow,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05so that does sort of fill me with a bit of dread.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Despite his trepidation,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20Sholto presses ahead with formwork for the kitchen island.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21As on the Southbank,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25the idea is to let timber create textures in the concrete.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Today is his first ever concrete pour...
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Erm, the most nervous day of the build, to tell you the truth.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37This needs to be rolled out here. HAMMER THUMPS
0:41:37 > 0:41:38It's all right, I'll do it.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Marcus is getting a rare opportunity to help.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48As an observer in my own house, it's looking fantastic.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Any mistakes made today will be set in stone.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Piers has come to ensure there aren't any.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02Hi, Sholto.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- Morning, Piers. - You look like a man on a mission.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07We're on a big mission today, yes, I'd say.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Brand-new concrete mixer, too.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- Yeah, cheaper to buy one than to rent.- Yeah.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- And we can sell it on, so... - Yeah, yeah.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- What mix are you using, in terms of ratio?- Erm...
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Three sand, one aggregate, one cement.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22And any special aggregate or just bog-standard?
0:42:22 > 0:42:25No, just bog-standard pea shingle, which we have a pile of left over
0:42:25 > 0:42:27- from something else. - Let's go and have a look.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Wow, look at these trusses.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Don't they look great? Hi, Marcus.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- Hi, Piers, how are you? - Good, really well.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36- Good to see you.- You too.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37- And looking good.- I know.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39This is amazing, isn't it?
0:42:39 > 0:42:42So this is OSB formwork,
0:42:42 > 0:42:43- but then, on the inside...- Yeah.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46..it looks like you've got larch boards.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- They're not larch, actually. - They're not larch?- No, erm,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52because the texture of it was actually too smooth, so you
0:42:52 > 0:42:55got no relief in it, so you didn't get a pattern, so this is just...
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Cheap softwood.- Cheap softwood that was lying around on the site.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So this didn't cost you anything, you just had it here?
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Nothing cost me anything in here apart from...
0:43:04 > 0:43:06- The reinforcement. - ..the reinforcement.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10With plasterboard in place and electrics well under way,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14the cost of the build has now reached £120,000 -
0:43:14 > 0:43:16£5K over the contingency.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21- Bought...bought units.- Yeah...
0:43:21 > 0:43:24To keep the build going, Marcus and Sholto are having to
0:43:24 > 0:43:26spend savings never intended for the house.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- Yeah, so that's for the hob.- Yeah.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30They're using leftover materials
0:43:30 > 0:43:33and sourcing new ones very carefully.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36The kitchen unit carcasses to go inside the island
0:43:36 > 0:43:38cost just £16 each.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- So, you're going to make this, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43- I'm really longing to see the concrete go in.- Yeah.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45I'm not.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48I'm sort of dreading it but the first...
0:43:48 > 0:43:51- Cos you only get one shot at it, don't you?- Yes.- Yes.- Yeah.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53I did have one of these go wrong, I have to tell you now.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Oh, well, thank you for that, Piers.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Don't want you to have to break the whole thing out.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03The ratio of cement to sand to aggregate, and critically, water,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07affect how easy the concrete is to work with, and its durability.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13CEMENT MIXER WHIRS No, no more stones. No more.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15- More sand, or more...?- More sand.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Getting it wrong is disastrous.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32The first mix is too dry.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33There might need to be a bit less
0:44:33 > 0:44:36- aggregate in that. - Yeah, definitely.- Yeah.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42- More water?- More water.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46- A bit more?- Yeah.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51The second batch appears to be better.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56You want to, just, you know...
0:44:56 > 0:44:59- and it's that kind of amount.- OK.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Without extra water, the aggregate won't sink
0:45:02 > 0:45:05and it'll be hard to get a good finish on the top.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10HAMMER THUMPS
0:45:13 > 0:45:15The bubbles in this are the air rising to the top.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17HAMMER THUMPS
0:45:17 > 0:45:19It's really important to get those out,
0:45:19 > 0:45:23otherwise you will get imperfections in the surface.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29The worktops have been a good trial run,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32but the island is far more ambitious...
0:45:34 > 0:45:38..and a huge test for Sholto's home-made formwork.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41It needs to hold over half a tonne of concrete.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Yeah, you can see looking along it,
0:45:45 > 0:45:49that that's bowing in the middle there, and actually,
0:45:49 > 0:45:51what could happen, of course, is that it could just give
0:45:51 > 0:45:54and you'll end up with a sea of concrete on the floor,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56and no island, so...
0:45:56 > 0:45:58- Are you confident it's going to work?- Yeah, I think,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01cos, you know, we've assessed it as we've gone along
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and to stop now, and let this go off...
0:46:04 > 0:46:07- Are you surprised how much concrete has gone in? Bloody hell. - WOOD SNAPS
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Erm...
0:46:15 > 0:46:17HE COUGHS
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- It's the wood's split down the bottom.- Oh, yeah.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- I would leave it, actually.- Yeah.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- I wouldn't poke it.- No, no, no...
0:46:26 > 0:46:29The formwork is under huge pressure from the concrete -
0:46:29 > 0:46:31and there's really no knowing if it'll hold.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Well, I can't wait to see it when the formwork is off
0:46:33 > 0:46:36- and you've finished this.- Nor can I. SHOLTO LAUGHS
0:46:37 > 0:46:40With a lot more concrete to pour and then set,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Sholto will have to wait a few days before he'll know if it's worked.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Marcus and Sholto had a long search for a place
0:46:56 > 0:46:59they could settle down in, and truly call home.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Eventually, they found a plot in the North of Scotland,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05where Sholto could realise his dream of building his own house.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It's been eight months since the house kit arrived on-site
0:47:11 > 0:47:14and Piers and I are back to see if Sholto's managed to
0:47:14 > 0:47:17turn this home into something uniquely theirs.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38- Hey, guys.- Hi, guys.- Good morning.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40- How are you doing?- Very well, thank you.- Good to see you.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42- Good to see you, Sholto. - Good to see you too.
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Sholto, how has it been?
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Because this is a hell of a lot of house to do yourself.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50A fun process.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52That was a long pause before... before "fun".
0:47:52 > 0:47:53Was it really fun?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58There were days when I was on a scaffold
0:47:58 > 0:48:01with snow coming across the roof,
0:48:01 > 0:48:02trying to put up cladding,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05and the wind was taking me and the cladding with it.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08So, it's a blowy day, and I'm imagining you nailing every single
0:48:08 > 0:48:09one of these bits of wood to this house.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12- Yup, absolutely.- Can we have a closer look? Cos I'm dying to see,
0:48:12 > 0:48:14- and have a look at the cladding. - Of course.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19They had only a modest budget to complete such a large house
0:48:19 > 0:48:23and were hit with several unexpected costs.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Sholto's strategy was always finding ingenious ways to make
0:48:26 > 0:48:29the cash go further, wherever he could.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30Where you were clever, of course,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33is choosing a... where cladding your building,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35that was something you could do yourself,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38- You know?- Absolutely, it saved, I...
0:48:38 > 0:48:42Well, thousands. I thought I'd worked out my quantities pretty accurately.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44I didn't realise how accurately, and...
0:48:44 > 0:48:47- As I was doing... This was the final face.- Yeah.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52I did my final cut and then this was literally...
0:48:52 > 0:48:55the only...the only bit of waste.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57You should be a quantity surveyor.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00That is amazing, because usually, you allow about 10% wastage.
0:49:00 > 0:49:06I mean, sometimes, even up to 30%, and here you are with 0.05% wastage.
0:49:06 > 0:49:07Well, you need to make it 0%,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- by finding something to do with this.- Yes.
0:49:10 > 0:49:11We'll find something. Good.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16But how has the inside turned out?
0:49:24 > 0:49:25Wow, this is amazing.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27I mean, what an extraordinary space,
0:49:27 > 0:49:30and totally unexpected from the outside.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34They had the courage to veer away
0:49:34 > 0:49:37from the conventions of a family home.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39They scrapped bedrooms and the hallway,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42and created one magnificent living space -
0:49:42 > 0:49:46saving money on walls and doors in the process.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Overhead, they finally committed the time and money
0:49:49 > 0:49:51to expose the trusses.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Daylight floods the stunning full-height ceiling that came
0:49:55 > 0:49:57so close to being covered up.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- I was more or less on board anyway. - Mmm, mmm.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I didn't need any convincing, as far as this piece was concerned.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05I loved the light coming through...
0:50:05 > 0:50:08- through the windows.- Mmm, mmm...
0:50:08 > 0:50:10It's a good start to the day, being bathed in sunlight.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- You've taken a standard house, pretty much...- Uh-huh.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15..and through a process of subtraction,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18you've ended up with something that's completely non-standard.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- And it's like living in a loft space, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29- Movable, completely movable. - Yeah, and...and undefined.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32I mean, the only thing that's fixed is that end.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37The large space, which could have felt barn-like,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40is made homely, thanks to clever design choices.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44Furnishings indicate different functions for different areas,
0:50:44 > 0:50:48but almost everything can be rearranged as needed.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50In the kitchen, triangular shelves were made,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53for almost nothing, from leftover scraps of timber
0:50:53 > 0:50:57and cleverly repeat the shapes of the roof trusses...
0:50:57 > 0:51:00and Sholto's window reveals also echo the timber above.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Having found plywood on special offer,
0:51:05 > 0:51:09he came up with an even cheaper solution than chunky timber.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11I just went and ordered...
0:51:11 > 0:51:15£120 worth of the sheets, brought them back here,
0:51:15 > 0:51:17ripped them down with a circular saw,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20put a mitre on the corner,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23and I think it's given it just something a bit different.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25So, £120 to do all of these window reveals.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27- In the whole house.- That's amazing.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31What you've done here is to take very simple, very ordinary things
0:51:31 > 0:51:34and make them architectural, and that's really clever.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40In another cost-saving design idea,
0:51:40 > 0:51:42light fittings are given a stylish twist,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44suspended from driftwood.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52The kitchen island was perhaps the element that allowed Sholto
0:51:52 > 0:51:55to truly express his creativity.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58How does this result feel to you?
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- The result?- Yeah. - End result, I'm happy with.- Right.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Getting to here... LAUGHTER
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Cos I actually left as this was bulging,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08and threatening to fall apart and flood the floor.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10You left, it didn't fall apart.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12I was back here very early the next morning to check that
0:52:12 > 0:52:17I wasn't coming into chaos. A couple of days later, we did a second pour.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20The weight on top of that actually did push it back more,
0:52:20 > 0:52:21so the back of it, as you can see,
0:52:21 > 0:52:23you've got this slight overhang on it.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27I mean, this thing feels amazingly permanent and durable.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29I mean, this will be here for generations,
0:52:29 > 0:52:31whereas, usually, in low-cost buildings,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33you have things that are so flimsy,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36and fall apart as soon as you've moved in. Not this.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42The island is a bargain.
0:52:42 > 0:52:48At a total cost of £131, it's around 85% cheaper than a mid-range
0:52:48 > 0:52:53manufactured island - and Sholto's created something very personal.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00I instantly liked it, because of what it was.
0:53:00 > 0:53:01The way that you've made
0:53:01 > 0:53:04- a kind of formwork with chamfered edges.- Yeah, yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06- This thing is totally unique, it's totally yours...- Mm-hmm.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08..and it adds to that feeling of how robust
0:53:08 > 0:53:10and warehouse-like this space is.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Next to the kitchen, there's a generous utility room
0:53:14 > 0:53:18and elsewhere in the house, bedrooms and bathrooms are taking shape -
0:53:18 > 0:53:20but there's still a lot to do.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Sholto has worked his fingers to the bone on this build,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29and at times, found it hard to handle Piers' input -
0:53:29 > 0:53:30so has it been worth it?
0:53:31 > 0:53:34When you're building a house, you get yourself so immersed in it,
0:53:34 > 0:53:40you actually don't step back, but in the end...
0:53:40 > 0:53:43it's right to question. It's right to challenge design...
0:53:45 > 0:53:48..and I think the experimentation that we've done has actually...
0:53:48 > 0:53:50It's worked.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56My delight here is that you've taken risks,
0:53:56 > 0:54:00and in a way, you haven't quite known how they're going to turn out,
0:54:00 > 0:54:01but actually, you've trusted that
0:54:01 > 0:54:04you would be able to get to the right outcome
0:54:04 > 0:54:06if you really persevered, and that's what you've done.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Marcus hasn't had an easy ride either -
0:54:10 > 0:54:13sometimes feeling excluded from decision-making.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17How does it feel to you to be finally in?
0:54:17 > 0:54:19The fact that we did do it and we're still together,
0:54:19 > 0:54:23I mean, we even, you know, upgraded our civil partnership to a marriage,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25only, you know, three, four weeks ago.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:54:27 > 0:54:32We ultimately wanted to upgrade our civil partnership to a marriage
0:54:32 > 0:54:34before we moved into the house,
0:54:34 > 0:54:36because we just wanted everything perfect.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42This couple has weathered the Scottish winter
0:54:42 > 0:54:45and some emotionally tough times,
0:54:45 > 0:54:48but how did their budget fare in the end?
0:54:48 > 0:54:53Our initial budget was £100,000.
0:54:53 > 0:54:58We've brought the whole project in just under £130,000.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02We did put a contingency in of £15,000.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06The roof came in quite a bit more than the quote...
0:55:06 > 0:55:09the initial quote we had. The chap just never turned up to do it.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Electrical work also cost more than expected,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16and other unplanned expenses
0:55:16 > 0:55:18included the changes to the ceiling height,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21and the switch from concrete to wooden flooring.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Spending the extra money, I think we got a much more
0:55:23 > 0:55:28interesting house, and it's exactly what we needed.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32Marcus, tell me, was it hard, sort of, dealing with that overspend?
0:55:32 > 0:55:35I mean, did it...? It must have involved sacrifices.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38There was a standing joke at work, for example,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40because, you know, for months,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I was going to work with my little lunchbox,
0:55:43 > 0:55:48erm, with just salad, crackers and cheese in there, but what...
0:55:48 > 0:55:52what people didn't realise was that's all we could afford to spend.
0:55:52 > 0:55:57But doing things like that, we've had to sacrifice on lots of things.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01But it is worth it, to know that we have our...
0:56:01 > 0:56:07We own our house, which is... an immense, brilliant feeling.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11And do you feel like this...I mean, this huge space you've created
0:56:11 > 0:56:14is in the service of the way you want to live?
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Yes, it's...I mean, it's exceeded all my expectations,
0:56:18 > 0:56:19to be perfectly honest.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25I think perhaps what's best about this project is not
0:56:25 > 0:56:26that it's a piece of high architecture,
0:56:26 > 0:56:29but it has quite modest and humble beginnings.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30I mean, this is a kit house.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33This is the sort of house that most people buy off the peg
0:56:33 > 0:56:36and move into without questioning,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38but with a few key moves here,
0:56:38 > 0:56:40that have been quite simple in some ways,
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Marcus and Sholto have transformed something that is
0:56:42 > 0:56:47really quite ordinary into something that is really quite beautiful.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Is it a proud achievement?
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I'm very proud of it cos I think it actually shows what you can do
0:56:54 > 0:56:57if you're... if you're willing to take a risk.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59I mean, that's it. I mean, we are two ordinary people.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03There is nothing special about us at all.
0:57:03 > 0:57:04And you always hear,
0:57:04 > 0:57:07"Oh, if I can do it, then you can." But it's true.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10I didn't think we would get through it, and there's...
0:57:10 > 0:57:14at times, but if you've got the resolve, like Sholto said,
0:57:14 > 0:57:18and you know, you go for it, you focus on it -
0:57:18 > 0:57:20I think anybody can do it, to be perfectly honest.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25I'm really amazed by the space that Marcus
0:57:25 > 0:57:27and Sholto have been able to create here.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30It's big and generous and beautiful. I really love it.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33But in a way, this project is about so much more than that.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37It began years ago now, when Marcus was really ill, and Sholto and he
0:57:37 > 0:57:41decided together to build a house and have a very different life.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44It's led and motivated Sholto to drive every single nail
0:57:44 > 0:57:48into that house behind me, as a kind of monument to their relationship.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50It's a really beautiful story,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52and what they've created is not a cookie-cutter house,
0:57:52 > 0:57:56it's a house that suits only them and is made for their lives.
0:58:02 > 0:58:03Next time...
0:58:03 > 0:58:07Andrew and Claire dream of building a modern farmhouse...
0:58:07 > 0:58:08Oh, look at that.
0:58:08 > 0:58:1040 minutes to this stage.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14..but will they end up with a glorified mobile home...
0:58:14 > 0:58:19It's really important that we all realise what we're building.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21..and in financial ruin?
0:58:21 > 0:58:23We've got over £10,000 of credit cards now.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26It's something I feel very, very uncomfortable about.