0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're in the midst of a low-cost, self-build revolution.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07- And again. - We're going to have a house!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It's harder than ever to get onto the housing ladder,
0:00:10 > 0:00:11so a few brave, ordinary people
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- are resorting to the seemingly impossible...- Bend it.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16- SNAPPING - Oh, OK.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19..building their own home from scratch
0:00:19 > 0:00:22for less than £100,000.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I think it's scary how quickly the money's going.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I'm Kieran Long and, with architect Piers Taylor,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30we're coming to the aid of six families
0:00:30 > 0:00:33attempting this toughest of challenges.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35That's bowing in the middle there.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37- I wouldn't...- No, no, no.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- We'll try to help them with design dilemmas...- Stop there.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Why wouldn't you want to make that change?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..challenge them to think bigger...
0:00:45 > 0:00:48There's just so much to look at. Just kind of soaking it all in.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50..and search out innovative solutions
0:00:50 > 0:00:53that make the most of their meagre budgets.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Ooh, look at that!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57We'll all be pushed to the limit...
0:00:57 > 0:00:58We can't afford to stop.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..as we attempt to turn these ordinary self-builds
0:01:01 > 0:01:02into outstanding homes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Wow, this is amazing.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13This time, Heidi and Steven attempt to build a house for just £70,000.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18- What we've got is what we've got. - But will juggling family life...- No.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20CHILD WAILS
0:01:20 > 0:01:21STEVEN SIGHS
0:01:21 > 0:01:23..and problems with the build...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It wasn't that people had given us the wrong information,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28it was because we didn't ask the right questions.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31..leave their home unfinished and their dream in tatters?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Basically, we've got about ten grand left.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I'm in Scotland, about 12 miles from Inverness,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48but stunning landscapes like these
0:01:48 > 0:01:51sometimes come with a stunning price tag.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54But people who grew up in these areas want to come back
0:01:54 > 0:01:55and put down roots.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'm off to meet a couple who've got exactly this problem.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05My family have been in this area since I was two.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08They knew it was a great place to kind of grow up
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and it's the same things that I enjoyed as child
0:02:11 > 0:02:13that I want my own children to have.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18I just can't see how we would be happy anywhere else, to be honest.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19I've got a wee bit.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Seven years ago,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Heidi and Steven returned to the Highlands from Glasgow
0:02:25 > 0:02:28with plans to settle long-term.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30They're renting locally, but can't afford to buy,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33so the only option to have a home of their own
0:02:33 > 0:02:35is to build one from scratch.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40We obviously need a home for our family.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42We want to live close to my mum and dad...
0:02:42 > 0:02:43- Yeah? - Nah!
0:02:43 > 0:02:47..plus, actually, if we tried to buy a house with that space,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49we couldn't afford it. We just couldn't afford it.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55So when the dilapidated house next door to Heidi's parents
0:02:55 > 0:02:56came on the market,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59it was an opportunity the couple couldn't pass up.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06The property that we bought originally was a two-bedroom cottage
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and that property had to be done something with -
0:03:08 > 0:03:11it was empty, it had rats in it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Over the last month, we've got the roof off.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Next stage, I'll have the joyous task
0:03:17 > 0:03:20of demolishing the internal chimney.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27After paying 65K for the plot,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30there's a total of just £70,000 left for the entire build.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Heidi and Steven put in their savings,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36but to raise the rest,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Heidi's parents have taken the brave step of remortgaging their own home.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47It can't fail, because it's so tied into everybody's finances
0:03:47 > 0:03:50that the whole family will massively suffer
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and we could lose my mum and dad's house
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and that is horrendous, that is quite a stress,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58cos I know, ultimately, that's my side of the deal.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I've got to manage the money and, if I don't get that right,
0:04:02 > 0:04:03it's a big deal.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It's two weeks since they knocked down the old house
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and I want to find out how they intend to construct a new one
0:04:11 > 0:04:12for just £70,000.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Hiya, guys.- Hi.- Hiya!- How are you?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- Good, thank you.- Nice to see you.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And I can see why you want to build a house in this location.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22This is an amazing spot, isn't it?
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- It is.- We're very fortunate. I think we're a bit spoiled, frankly.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28It just, it's a lovely place to live.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I'm originally from down in Glasgow
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and I just fell in love with the place.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37This is where I'm going to grow old and hopefully never move again.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40It's a beautiful site,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43but what kind of family home can they hope to build here
0:04:43 > 0:04:45on their tight budget?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47This side of the house
0:04:47 > 0:04:51will have the open-plan living room and kitchen dining room.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55We went for a living/dining kitchen area because family life
0:04:55 > 0:04:59all sort of centres around eating and keeping an eye on the kids
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- and the kids running around... - Yeah.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04..so this is just one big space that we can share.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06These novice builders have come up
0:05:06 > 0:05:09with the design of the house themselves.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13They're planning a two-storey timber-framed house
0:05:13 > 0:05:15with dormer windows.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Downstairs is their main living and dining area,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22the heart of their home...
0:05:22 > 0:05:25plus a TV room, utility room...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28..and the only bathroom in the house.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34A closed-in staircase leads to three bedrooms upstairs.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38One gives the only access to a large storage cupboard,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41housing the hot water tank.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42It's small and compact,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45but even building this for just £70,000
0:05:45 > 0:05:47is going to be extremely tough.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Is money going to be a challenge?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Oh, yeah, definitely, it's going to be a challenge,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55but there isn't another magic pot of money.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58What we've got is what we've got.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00And it's not just the budget that's an issue.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05One of the challenges is trying to put our personality into the house.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08We can't really do much of that on the outside,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11but certainly we've got the inside of the house to play with.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19With a very basic design and pressure on finances,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23I need Piers to interrogate their plans to see if he can help.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- Hello, nice to meet you. - How are you doing?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Nice to meet you. - Pleased to meet you.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29So an amazing spot. I mean, truly spectacular.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Thank you very much.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Heidi and Steven designed their new home,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38but already feel it doesn't suit their needs.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41One thing that doesn't work with this design
0:06:41 > 0:06:43is that we don't have a bathroom upstairs.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Cos that's a funny recess of space.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49That space there has a hot water tank in it.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Perhaps, there's going to be bits of storage we can fit around there,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- so...- But in theory, that could be a bathroom.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59If it was me, I would definitely cut my stairs back to there
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and start the stairs earlier.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04And what that gives you the potential of in the future
0:07:04 > 0:07:07is bringing a door in there. That could be a shower room.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08I totally agree with you,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- cos that seems like a very simple thing that can be done.- Mm-hm.- Mm.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Now he wants to tackle the enclosed staircase
0:07:16 > 0:07:18in the middle of the downstairs plan.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21This area here, which is the bottom of the stairs,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24needs to work harder, not to make that a wall,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28but to make that part of the living space.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32It can be a post and a lintel across and still be load-bearing above.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Opening that up makes this room feel bigger again.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Makes the staircase less dark as well.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It makes the staircase a lot less dark.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Heidi and Steven have a modest 104 square metres of usable space,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48so Piers wants them to think outside the four walls
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and start designing the space beyond.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52The drama of the landscape is so immense
0:07:52 > 0:07:55that I would be wondering, "How could I maximise that?"
0:07:55 > 0:07:58If this is your kitchen here and this is your deck,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01in summertime, when these doors are...
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- Permanently open. - ..permanently open,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06your living territory is a third as much again.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Then I would make those all steps going down,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11so you could sit on the edge.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I would be imagining how can I actually make that
0:08:14 > 0:08:17an outside living space that I could, on a night like this,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19just decide to cook outside?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Yeah.- That could be the brick-built barbecue in there.- Exactly.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25The poetry of how you live in a landscape like this
0:08:25 > 0:08:27is so simple, in some ways,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30cos all it needs is actually a piece of deck and a bigger kitchen.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Moving the staircase back
0:08:35 > 0:08:39would allow for direct access from an enlarged landing
0:08:39 > 0:08:42into the room that could become a much-needed upstairs bathroom.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Finding a way to remove the wall next to the staircase
0:08:48 > 0:08:50would bring light into the stairwell and living room
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and increase the sense of space on the ground floor.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And extending the kitchen out onto the deck
0:08:58 > 0:09:00would expand the usable area of the house
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and take advantage of the amazing view.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Piers has come up with lots of potential design changes,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14but Heidi and Steven need to make decisions fast.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15RICHARD: Smashing, thank you.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Just ten days later, the timber frame is going up
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and local builder Richard has joined Steven on site
0:09:21 > 0:09:23to help with the work.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28It's definitely a two-man job
0:09:28 > 0:09:32with somebody that knows a lot more about it than I do.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34You can get a lot more done with the two of us.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Steven works full-time as a tree surgeon,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42but he's spending every spare moment on the build.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Machinery here that I'm not used to.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49More cautious of the nail gun than I am of a chainsaw.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58There have been some big decisions following Piers' visit,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01particularly on the side wall of the staircase.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Originally in the design, the wall would come right here solid,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07so it would be enclosed on both sides,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10so what Piers suggested was having this open
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and having a post here, so then we can have more light
0:10:14 > 0:10:16coming into the stairs and into the living room.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17We've still just to decide
0:10:17 > 0:10:20on how we're going to finish that opening off.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Heidi and Steven have already spent £29,000
0:10:25 > 0:10:28on the frame and foundations.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30They need to save every penny
0:10:30 > 0:10:32if they're to bring the build in on their 70K budget,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37so they need to recycle and re-use materials where possible.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41What I've got here is all the roof joists from the old house
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and we're going to be using this as the frame for our decking.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49We've not really planned exactly how the decking's going to be,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54but we've certainly got enough wood to get quite a large space outside.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58With new decking starting at about £13 per square metre,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00this could add up to a significant saving.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07But Steven's resourcefulness and ambition
0:11:07 > 0:11:09are soon tested by the Scottish weather.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14A month later,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18he's desperately trying to get the structure watertight...
0:11:18 > 0:11:20without success.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23We've had gale-force winds,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25amber storm warnings up here, flooding.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30And some heavy rain as well.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Yesterday was probably the worst weather we've had
0:11:33 > 0:11:34throughout the build.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36It was a bit windy putting the gable ends up,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40which was a bit hairy at some points, but we can't afford to stop.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It's tough going, but I'm worried they could miss the opportunity
0:11:46 > 0:11:50to make the most out of this small house and its surroundings.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I want to try to help Heidi and Steven start to think about design
0:11:58 > 0:12:00beyond the footprint of the house they're building.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03They've been in the depths of trying to get the thing up,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06but the most important aspect of the house is that beautiful view
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and the beautiful landscape.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10I'm going to show them a house today that I think elegantly
0:12:10 > 0:12:14and beautifully solves the problem of how to connect inside and outside
0:12:14 > 0:12:17using just a few elegant architectural techniques.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Mm!
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- Wow!- Spacious.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Yeah, it feels really... It just feels really, really light.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38It might be in the centre of a city, rather than a rural landscape,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41but architects Mikhail Riches have redesigned
0:12:41 > 0:12:43the back of this terraced house in West London
0:12:43 > 0:12:45to cleverly extend the living area.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50The main reason I wanted to show you this is, though,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53because of the way that it links this beautiful room
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and some really usable outdoor space,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58with level thresholds, with, obviously, large areas
0:12:58 > 0:13:00of floor-to-ceiling glazing
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and that continuous surface of the same material.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Pebble resin flooring inside and out, like this,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10costs from around £60 per square metre.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Here, it creates one continuous sweep,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15leading the eye to the exterior.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Makes you feel like you're outside while you're using this room.- Yeah.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Yeah, it's very interesting.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23What we are looking at at the moment is polished concrete
0:13:23 > 0:13:27all in the ground floor, but I have also thought about,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31"Would it be nice to have concrete going all the way out?"
0:13:31 > 0:13:32I think what's really important,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34regardless of what we do is that we get the level,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37that sense that you're not going down or up.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Eliminating the threshold as much as you can
0:13:39 > 0:13:41is really important, I think.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Here, the architects and the owners
0:13:43 > 0:13:46built up the level of the garden quite significantly.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It's kind of interesting to be standing in this space,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55cos although it's quite tight,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58proportionally it's all about that idea that you can sort of be outside
0:13:58 > 0:14:01while cooking or being on the phone or whatever it might be.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I think what's interesting here
0:14:03 > 0:14:05is just how much effort you see they've gone to
0:14:05 > 0:14:07to try to create that continuity.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Even when there's a glass facade in the way,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11this stone worktop continues outside,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15giving you some usable barbecue station or something out there.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Granite worktops similar to this
0:14:18 > 0:14:20cost from around £200 per square metre.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Just like the flooring, this one's been used to create the illusion
0:14:23 > 0:14:26of one continuous space, along with other techniques.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31The colour is used on the units inside and out and on the wall.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33There's lots and lots of effort, I think,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37to try to break down the boundary between inside and outside.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41The budget for remodelling this house
0:14:41 > 0:14:43was far more than Heidi and Steven can spend,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46but it's a design idea which I hope they'll embrace.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Piers had tried to describe some of these ideas to us.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Getting to see them really, really helped.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56One of the things that is quite good to be able to see there
0:14:56 > 0:14:59is how they continued the units outside
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and that's something we'll have to think about,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04how we can maybe continue the kitchen island,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06going out into the outside as well.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Yeah, I think having it as one space,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10rather than two separate spaces.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Certainly, that's the feeling I got in there - it was just one space.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24It's December and two months since the frame went up.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26The under-floor heating and windows are in
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and the roof is almost complete.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33But costs are spiralling
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and over £50,000 of the 70K budget has already been spent.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Completing everything else for just 20K is going to be impossible,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and, to make matters worse,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47there's been a totally unexpected blow to the schedule and budget.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Aiming for a cheap and durable floor,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Heidi and Steven have attempted to create a concrete one themselves.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00I saw it on the telly and thought, "Ooh, that looks lovely,
0:16:00 > 0:16:01"that looks nice and easy.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04"Concrete floor - that seems straightforward."
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But their DIY efforts backfired.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It wasn't that people had given us the wrong information.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15It was because we didn't ask the right questions.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The delivery driver was only meant to be there 35 minutes
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and he kept on saying to us, "Yous have only got an hour left
0:16:22 > 0:16:25"before the concrete starts to set in the machine,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29"and if that's the case, I'm just dumping it at the front door."
0:16:29 > 0:16:32We weren't even halfway down the house
0:16:32 > 0:16:33getting the concrete out
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and we were also charged a pound a minute.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40He was there about two and a half hours over his allotted time.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43After the rush to get in, the concrete set unevenly,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45leaving them with an undulating floor
0:16:45 > 0:16:49which varies in places by up to four centimetres in height.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52We've ended up with a bit of a lumpy floor.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Yeah, it's about 23mm there as well.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- But we're grinding that down. - Mm-hmm.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00We're hoping it will be able to be fixed.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05It's going to take a lot of time and effort to get it pretty level
0:17:05 > 0:17:10so our builder can get internal walls downstairs, cos at the moment,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13he just doesn't have the levels to get any internal walls in.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It's delayed the whole build by two months
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and had a big impact on their finances.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Tool hire, plus materials for fixing the floor,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26have cost well over £1,000,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29more than doubling what the couple budgeted.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Steven is now spending every night
0:17:31 > 0:17:34grinding down the huge volume of concrete floor.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39After a long day at work, coming home, it's cold, it's dark.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's hard to get yourself motivated to do it.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Yeah, it's just...
0:17:48 > 0:17:50..fun(!)
0:18:00 > 0:18:03With added pressure on their build schedule and budget,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Piers now needs to come up with low-cost solutions
0:18:06 > 0:18:09that will have a big impact on this build and help them move forward.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Hi, Heidi, hi, Steven. How are you doing?- Hi, Piers, not bad.- Hi!
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Wow, a house!
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Yes.- It's beautiful.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It may be beautiful, but with many costs underestimated,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24the finished house is now expected to come in at £84,000.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25To continue the build,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Heidi and Steven will have to eke out money from their wages.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Even so, the projected cost per square metre is still low.
0:18:35 > 0:18:3980-something grand for a house that's 100 and something square metres
0:18:39 > 0:18:41is a really tall order.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Almost no-one builds for less than £1,000 a square metre, ever.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Despite the pressures on the budget,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49all the hard work attempting to fix the concrete floor
0:18:49 > 0:18:51seems to be paying off.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54This side of the house is pretty much done
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and then it's basically bringing back the grinding machine
0:18:58 > 0:18:59to get the smooth finished.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00You can see the finish.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04If you look over here, it's going to look really beautiful.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- You'll be able to see...- Mm.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- It's very nice. Yeah, very nice. - That's what it'll look like.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13The concrete floor created a huge headache,
0:19:13 > 0:19:14but the decision to lose the wall
0:19:14 > 0:19:16between the staircase and living area
0:19:16 > 0:19:19is already looking promising.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22For me, it feels really exciting that you've taken this wall out
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and, you know, previously, your eye would have stopped here
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and this would have been the boundary to the space,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31whereas now, it's a metre over here, which I think is great.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Also, just this sense of coming downstairs, seeing the view,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36incorporating some of that upstairs into the downstairs,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40those sorts of things I think have been really successful.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46A conventional wooden handrail and spindles for a staircase
0:19:46 > 0:19:49could quickly tot up to well over £100
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and the sky's the limit for more adventurous designs.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Piers wants to explore ways of doing something unconventional
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and exciting on a modest budget.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03You've got this Douglas fir post, your ceiling is there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07What I want to sort of focus on is this thing here
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- can do anything you want.- Mm-hm.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15It could be the most beautiful, delicate steel rods
0:20:15 > 0:20:18that just enclosed that gap.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Could you not just have, instead of having this handrail here,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23not have a handrail and maybe just have something
0:20:23 > 0:20:26that would fill in this gap and be all different angles, perhaps?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28That's a nice idea. That's even nicer.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Then you wouldn't have that breaking up your eye.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35That is a really beautiful idea. Then you don't need a handrail at all.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37You have one handrail the other side,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41then this is just a spider's web, it's not a handrail at all.
0:20:41 > 0:20:47Just very, very fine 3mm tensioned wires in a web
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and then it's delicate enough that you look through it.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51When you're saying about the tensioned wires,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55I'm not always so keen on that kind of metallic finish.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58You could use nylon rope for that.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It's fun and quirky and cheap.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Yes.- You could build this whole thing for 50 quid, probably.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Which is a lot better than a handrail made out of steel
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- that you'd have to get bespokely made.- Yep.- Absolutely, totally.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11With the concept agreed, they'll develop the design further
0:21:11 > 0:21:14to ensure it complies with the building regulations
0:21:14 > 0:21:16that ensure safety.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Next, Piers wants to hear the current thinking
0:21:18 > 0:21:22about the plan to extend the kitchen and living space onto the deck.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I know recently you went to look at that amazing house in London
0:21:25 > 0:21:27that has that fantastic outside kitchen.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29What did you think of that?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I liked some of the elements of it.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I liked the fact that you had that one level that went...
0:21:34 > 0:21:36the kitchen and out, but to be honest,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38it felt a bit strange, though.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40You don't really have a kitchen outside.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I like the idea of having the sense of living outside,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45but not actually the kitchen. We will do stuff outside,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49but we'll just cook it in there and take it out, or put a barbecue on.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53So Heidi's been working on an alternative plan for the kitchen.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57It would define the whole ground floor of their family home.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59So show me, Heidi, where the kitchen is now.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01We've got this island, we've got this row here.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I think that's probably enough cabinets and, in my mind,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05I haven't got anything on the wall.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I haven't got any wall cabinets,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and a lot of...would be to naturally stick some up,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12but I think, if I put them up, I'm going to make the room feel smaller.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I think you're right, actually. I wouldn't have any cupboards up there,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17keep everything at low level,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20which means that you can chuck stuff in the sink and not see it
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- and not have a sense that you're sitting in a kitchen.- Yeah.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Ditching wall units will maximise
0:22:25 > 0:22:27the feeling of space on the ground floor.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30The challenge now is to ensure this part of the house
0:22:30 > 0:22:31reflects their character
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and isn't dominated by a cheap, off-the-peg kitchen.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38What Heidi and Steven could do now is just finish the house
0:22:38 > 0:22:40in the most conventional way
0:22:40 > 0:22:42and just go to their local DIY superstore
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and buy off-the-shelf things for everything, but it won't be beautiful
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and special and interesting and they don't want a really flashy house,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50but it needs to be theirs
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and it is a bespoke house and what Heidi and Steven need to do
0:22:52 > 0:22:55is find a strategy for getting what they want and spending no more
0:22:55 > 0:23:00than they would if they went down to their local DIY outlet.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We've got to inspire them with ideas on how to achieve this
0:23:03 > 0:23:07on their dwindling funds and within their compact footprint.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09BIRDS SCREECH
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Heidi and Steven are just at the point of their build
0:23:17 > 0:23:19where they're beginning to think now about the interior
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and how they're going to inhabit this space they've created.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25That's really exciting, but before they get into that,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I want to show them a building that makes really inventive use
0:23:28 > 0:23:30of every square metre of a very constrained site.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32In fact, you could say that this house
0:23:32 > 0:23:36makes a virtue out of necessity. It is a product of its constraints
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and I think it's one that's really going to give them loads of ideas
0:23:39 > 0:23:40to take back to Scotland.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46This house in North London
0:23:46 > 0:23:49was designed by Nicholas Kirk Architects.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53It's squeezed into the tiny plot between two existing properties,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55but actually has almost the same square footage
0:23:55 > 0:23:56as Heidi and Steven's home.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02So you can see just how constrained this site is -
0:24:02 > 0:24:04four and a half metres wide, the whole site,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and tapering too, but it's quite a robust
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and I think quite welcoming space
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and that, combined with all of the light that's coming, of course,
0:24:12 > 0:24:13from this double-height window,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- it's a fantastic combination, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Even though it's not a massive space, it's got a great quality.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Oh, I love it, I really love it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I think what I really noticed immediately was
0:24:24 > 0:24:25there's the concrete floor -
0:24:25 > 0:24:28it's not pristine, it's not over-polished.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32This is a proper kitchen where people actually cook.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The architect and owner have injected functionality
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and personality.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39The worktop was made by the owner for £400
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and the unique splash-back is a remainder of vintage wallpaper
0:24:43 > 0:24:44covered with a glass sheet.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Every inch of this small space is utilised.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Each nook and cranny, each bit of wall,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54the whole depth is used for storage
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and I quite like the way this piece of furniture
0:24:56 > 0:24:59is just flush with the wall and there's a little open part here,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01where you see the edge of the plywood.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02I really, really like it,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04because what they've done is practically hidden stuff,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08but kind of made something of this interest of the book.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11By minimising expensive fittings,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15the architect has designed a cheap, elegant kitchen.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- So there's no handles?- No handles. - That's really good.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22I think plywood's such a nice material, when you see those edges.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26The least obvious of spaces have been used to great effect.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29This hallway's interesting, cos it doesn't look much,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31but there's some, I think, interesting tricks here,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33just using the depth of the wall.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35This is quite useful stuff, isn't it?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37This is exactly the kind of idea that we want in our entrance way,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and this is a really simple way of doing it,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42where you don't have to make a big deal about it being a cupboard.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- It's not a cupboard, that's really important.- It's just a wee nook.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47It's just a bit of the wall and this can be for whatever.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Even here, you've got really useful storage
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- built into the staircase, it's just really handy.- Yep.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57The stairs at the back of the property could have been
0:25:57 > 0:25:59the darkest part of the house.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Just look how much light is flooding in from this slot window.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05It must have been a lot of effort to do that, and expense,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07but somehow, for me, just really works.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- It's paid off.- Yeah, it's turned this into something
0:26:10 > 0:26:12that's an actual space, a room, almost.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16The £700 balustrade is simple, but fun,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and the house is packed with practical design ideas
0:26:19 > 0:26:21that make the most of the small footprint.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24In the living room,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28built-in storage is constructed out of inexpensive plywood.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32This low unit was made by the owner for £180.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34These are not pieces of furniture they bought
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and put against the wall. It's all integrated.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And it doesn't have a cluttered feel about it at all,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41even though there is a lot of stuff in here.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43And this is a very family home
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and you can feel, in this space, you feel cosy...
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I can tell you feel quite warm about this place.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51You seem to really respond to it. What is it about it that you like?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55It's beautiful, yes, but that's not its key thing - it's practical
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and that's what I really like about it
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and that's how we're designing our home.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Splashes of colour add personality throughout the house
0:27:03 > 0:27:04at very little cost.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10This is sort of how I'd like to see our house.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13This house shows the character of the people that live here
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and that's what we'd really like to bring through in our house.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22They've used some really good ideas that we'd really like to take away
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and have a go at ourselves, I think.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Heidi and Steven seemed to get a lot out of today
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and I really enjoyed spending time with them
0:27:30 > 0:27:33in a really interesting, intricate work of architecture.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36The challenge, though, is whether they can realise their ambitions
0:27:36 > 0:27:39with the same kind of elegance and economy that this place has.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Down you go, down.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52A crocodile? It looks like a big hole in a box.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54CHILD: It looks like a crocodile!
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Oh, it looks like a crocodile.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58By May, seven months into the build,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01enthusiasm is understandably fading.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Heidi is struggling to run her consultancy business,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07be a wife and mother and project manage the build.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Every day,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15we've got to do all the things that you have to do
0:28:15 > 0:28:18in ordinary family life and then, on top of that,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23try and find the energy and the time to get on with the house build,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25when it feels like it's been going on forever.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Mmm!
0:28:27 > 0:28:29'I feel really worn out at the moment,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32'physically, mentally.'
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I'm making mistakes left, right and centre,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I'm forgetting things...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Go and take your shoes off in there now, Verity!
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- No, listen. - VERITY SCREECHES
0:28:41 > 0:28:42'..which isn't like me.'
0:28:42 > 0:28:45I'm usually just really quite organised
0:28:45 > 0:28:46and I'm not enjoying that,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49so when you start to make mistakes and stuff,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51then you start to doubt your ability to do it
0:28:51 > 0:28:54and that's not a pleasant place to be.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58They've now spent 90k, well over their original budget.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00As well as funding the build with their wages,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03a friend is bailing out the project with a loan.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Steven, too, is worn out by the relentless demands on his time.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It was hard to begin with
0:29:09 > 0:29:12and it's getting harder as the build goes on,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15cos, obviously, we're more and more tired now,
0:29:15 > 0:29:20because I've not had a break since Christmas.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25Come and get your teeth done now.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27VERITY WHIMPERS
0:29:27 > 0:29:31- Come on!- I've already done my teeth!
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Who's driving the fire engine?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- Is it Goat?- Slug!
0:29:36 > 0:29:38STEVEN GROANS
0:29:38 > 0:29:40BOY SCREECHES
0:29:40 > 0:29:41Goodnight!
0:29:43 > 0:29:44STEVEN SIGHS
0:29:47 > 0:29:50With the need to limit further spending as much as possible...
0:29:50 > 0:29:53No, I'm not pulling all that out, Heidi.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- You need to...- Not tonight!
0:29:55 > 0:29:58..Heidi has sourced second-hand units free from friends.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02She wants to use them as the basis for the new kitchen.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04What's that like? Some sort of thin cabinet?
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Yes.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11You have to remember, we need to put all this back.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Steven, it doesn't stop me needing to know what's there, dear.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Well, we could always do that when they need to come out.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17As much as, like...
0:30:17 > 0:30:19you might want to not move it,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23I don't want to design a kitchen and then find I don't have those units,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26so if we just move some of them over here...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- There's one over here as well. - One, two, three...
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- Four.- ..four, five, six hanging wall units.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36That would make seven, the dirty one.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Without taking all of this out, Heidi, I can't really tell for sure.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I totally appreciate that it's annoying, but...
0:30:42 > 0:30:45No, it's not annoying, Heidi, it's impractical to do this right now.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47I'm not pulling all this out, no way.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Heidi and Steven are at the end of their tether.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56With all they're going through,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00I want to find out if they've any money left to even finish the build.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04What is the state of the budget?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06How much has it cost you so far and where are you?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Basically, we've got about ten grand left.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11That doesn't feel like a lot.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14The way you did raise the money to buy the land
0:31:14 > 0:31:17and to build the house is by borrowing it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21We had to go on my mum and dad's mortgage and remortgage the house.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23They'd effectively nearly paid the whole thing off
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and we had to put them in a massive amount of debt,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27and ourselves.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The thing that I don't try and think about too much.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31I just look at it as a project
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and just keep going, cos otherwise, you'd just be overwhelmed.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36With just 10K to finish the house,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40it's crucial that Piers comes up with design ideas for the interior
0:31:40 > 0:31:42that add personality at a very low cost.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55A lot needs to happen in the downstairs
0:31:55 > 0:31:58of Heidi and Steven's house for it to work
0:31:58 > 0:32:00as a really good family living space.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01Effectively, it's just one room
0:32:01 > 0:32:03and I'm worried that the kitchen will dominate,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07because I think what they're doing is just putting a normal kitchen in.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I want to really encourage them to actually still be bold
0:32:10 > 0:32:14and still hang on to this sense that the house can be really exciting.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20So here's our lovely kitchen.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- Here it is.- Some of it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- It has seen better days, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28That is a kitchen that you would only choose to offend nobody,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- but to please no-one either. - Yeah.- Ha! That's... Yeah.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The cupboards themselves are fine, aren't they?
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The question is, how do these work as a cohesive whole in that room?
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- Yeah.- How do these do more than just be kitchen cupboards?
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- The biggest challenge is perhaps the island.- Yeah.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48How do you make a beautiful island
0:32:48 > 0:32:51that is a kind of dramatic piece of furniture out of these?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Because the main brief for that space
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- is that it doesn't feel too kitchen-like.- Mm-hm.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58What money do you have associated
0:32:58 > 0:33:01with turning this into something that works as a kitchen?
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Ah. Some money.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Few hundred quid.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12You'll magically infuse us with wonderful ideas.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14I'm not sure I can magically do it,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17but I do have something in the car I want to show you.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- Sounds good.- Excellent. - Good, I'm going to go get it.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23The conventional approach to reviving units
0:33:23 > 0:33:25is a lick of paint or new doors,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28but Piers has a more inventive solution -
0:33:28 > 0:33:29acrylic sheets,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32which can be bought in a huge range of colours and finishes.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37That would definitely not be the colour I would go with.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Are you looking for something more subtle?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- I think architects love lime green.- Yeah!
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- This is a kind of aqua blue. - That's lush.- I like the matt.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- This is matt one side. - Yeah, I like that.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52I'm thinking that you could knock up this island in some really cheap
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- studwork and this gets glued on to the face of it.- OK.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58The front of the island and the fronts of the cupboards that you see
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- behind the island. - Yeah.- Mm-hm.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03- And for splashbacks and things like that.- Interesting.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06I suppose I feel the rest of that space is very simple
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and this is the jewel that sits in it.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13And it's also the thing that zones and separates the kitchen proper
0:34:13 > 0:34:17from the living space. So it's an important thing.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It's not just the kitchen that needs fresh ideas.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Heidi and Steven want to create an eye-catching design
0:34:24 > 0:34:26for the side of the staircase.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Piers has an ingenious plan for using low-cost materials
0:34:35 > 0:34:38and he's brought Heidi to a local marina.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46There's a kind of richness to the way
0:34:46 > 0:34:50that boats use material that I really like.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53For me, it goes way beyond what you can get at a conventional
0:34:53 > 0:34:56builders' merchant. And I think, for me as an architect, these are
0:34:56 > 0:35:00the places that I often come to to look for inspiration.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03You can get things in marinas and chandleries
0:35:03 > 0:35:05that you can't get anywhere else.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09There's tension wires with those nice turnbuckles.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- So this is what I wanted to show you. - Mm-hm...
0:35:14 > 0:35:16This nylon braid.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20So, theoretically, these could be used - strong enough -
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- to do what we want them to do. - Absolutely.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Here we are, your favourite colour(!)
0:35:27 > 0:35:28THEY LAUGH
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Well, you never know, it might tie in with the kitchen.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- I like that, that kind of... - The dullest...- I like the dullest.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39..most dour colour here.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43This stuff is amazingly strong. This has an incredible breaking strain.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47That is £1-something a metre.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50The thicker it is, the more expensive it is. So this is...
0:35:50 > 0:35:55What's that, 7mm or something, and that's about...£4.39 a metre.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58It's kind of four times as expensive as something like that.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And that's, you know,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03that's well over-specified for what you need it for.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- Yeah.- By the time you start to bend it and join it and tie it,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09that might get slightly clumsy.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- The electric blue's nice. - It is nice, I agree with you there.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16I do quite like that yellow. It's interesting and it's fun.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21Interesting and fun is what I think you need to do in your house.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- I think we should go and play with a few ideas.- OK.- Yeah.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30To see how the design might look,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Piers creates a timber frame that echoes the shape of the gap
0:36:33 > 0:36:34next to the staircase.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38With cord from the chandlery
0:36:38 > 0:36:41and steel eyelets screwed in at random intervals,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43the experiment can begin.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46My instinct was that we should start with the brightly coloured one.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I thought that might be your instinct, Piers!
0:36:52 > 0:36:54The instinct would be to go here,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58but actually I think just pick a point and go for it.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- It's already looking good, isn't it? - Yes, it is, actually.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Damn, should have got more rope.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13So the moral is that 12 metres of rope doesn't go very far,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15and I hadn't realised how much we'd need.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17It's all a learning experience.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20But I suspect, for an opening this size, you might need 25 metres.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24But at £1 a metre, it's pretty good value, isn't it?
0:37:27 > 0:37:32A turnbuckle device costing just a few pounds tensions the rope.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35I think, because we've got the other colour ropes,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38why don't we just add in another 12 metres of another colour
0:37:38 > 0:37:40and just see what it looks like with two colours?
0:37:40 > 0:37:43With the blue cord also in place,
0:37:43 > 0:37:48it's time to see how the prototype looks against the staircase.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50So it goes about here, doesn't it?
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Wow, that looks great!
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Heidi and Steven will need to liaise with building control
0:37:58 > 0:37:59before finalising the design
0:37:59 > 0:38:02to ensure it meets all safety requirements.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05But this test run gets the thumbs up.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08It's so much better than having a banister...
0:38:08 > 0:38:10big bits of wood or metal.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12- And cheaper. - Yeah, much cheaper.
0:38:12 > 0:38:1625 quid for the rope, the eyelets were a couple of pounds.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20- You pay that for just one of these wooden banisters.- Yeah.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Much more fun!
0:38:22 > 0:38:27- That's really exciting!- It feels really kind of bright, youthful,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31it's lovely seeing through it, it's so much more than background -
0:38:31 > 0:38:34it actually adds character, it's lovely.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37When I come back hopefully you'll have done something like this,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39but even better.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I think it's really exciting to begin to see
0:38:41 > 0:38:43something beyond the building site.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46And now there are glimmers of bright colourful things
0:38:46 > 0:38:49that really reflect your home.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53I think it was a worry for me - what do you do with this new house?
0:38:53 > 0:38:56It'll be empty rather than actually we're going to go in and it's going
0:38:56 > 0:38:57to already have character
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and this is actually giving it its character, which is good.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Nine months since the frame went up, the joiner and plasterer are working
0:39:12 > 0:39:14alongside Heidi and Steven.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19But there's still a long way to go before the house is finished,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and nothing comes easy.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Why are all the sockets so far along?
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- What do you mean?- That's the only place you can put the microwave.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32The budget and schedule are being hit daily by setbacks.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35As well as using second-hand kitchen units,
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Heidi had planned to economise by fitting a used cooker.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44My dad's garage flooded and our cooker got really wet.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46So that's going to have to go to the dump.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Going to have to also buy a new unit.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Didn't have that in the budget.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54- I'm sure you're getting greyer the more you work here.- So are you.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Spending is now at 95,000
0:39:56 > 0:40:00and the finances for completing the build are on a knife edge.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Heidi has been forced to put over £3,000 on credit cards...
0:40:05 > 0:40:09I don't think I've got a future as a painter and decorator.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12..and cash flow is fluctuating wildly.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17With our boiler, we were part of the government scheme that allows you
0:40:17 > 0:40:20to get an interest-free loan, so that freed up a little bit of money.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Freed up probably about seven grand
0:40:22 > 0:40:24to enable us to keep going with the project.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Today, with the cooker, that was not in the plan.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Some things are working out a little bit cheaper
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and some things are working out more expensive,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37because things have changed on site.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Oh!- Can you repair that?- No.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46The most important job now is transforming the old kitchen units
0:40:46 > 0:40:49into a piece of design that'll give character to the living area
0:40:49 > 0:40:51at minimum cost.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The idea of using acrylic sheets went down well...
0:41:03 > 0:41:07..so Piers has brought Heidi to a major supplier for inspiration.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10I think the overall thing is doing something that's
0:41:10 > 0:41:13a block of colour down at the end of the room.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17And then what it needs to do is take some ordinary cupboards
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and somehow repurpose them.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22And I think using them for fronts is a really good idea.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26I think using them for the back of the islands or the whole island
0:41:26 > 0:41:28is something that could be explored.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33There's a vast range of textures, shapes and colours to argue about.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- You love a lime green. - How could you not like that?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38How could you not want a kitchen made out of that stuff?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Because I feel it's going to date.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47- This is a bundle of amazing colours. - Look at these amazing colours.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- Those are rather muted colours. - No, they're not.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52- That's your favourite colour. - Well...- Look at that!
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- It's lovely.- Apple green. - Apple green's nice too.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- Like emerald - you could have Emerald City.- That is beautiful.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02It is really clean and bright and crisp
0:42:02 > 0:42:05It isn't just the main body of the kitchen and the fronts
0:42:05 > 0:42:06and splashbacks and island,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09there's the handles, all sorts of other things,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11and these rods are fantastic.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Look at these rods.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16That could be cut down into inch-length...
0:42:16 > 0:42:18and just glue it on.
0:42:18 > 0:42:23It's that simple and you cut it with a fine-tooth saw, a hacksaw,
0:42:23 > 0:42:29and you can sand the end, but it is so beautiful and so unexpected
0:42:29 > 0:42:30and simple.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34The acrylic rod is 1.8 metres long and costs less than £12,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37so could make lots of handles very cheaply.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41You could go for a solid front with a clear handle.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- We like the blue.- Yeah, we like the blue. Really nice.- Beautiful.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Parts of the kitchen island could potentially include curved surfaces.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Piers and Heidi want to see what's possible.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59So, can we see this curved into a gradual radius?
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Yeah, we can put it in the oven.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05It'll take about 15 minutes to do.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09To create curves in acrylic, it's heated so it's malleable
0:43:09 > 0:43:13and then left to harden over a form that gives it the desired shape.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16It's a process called thermoforming.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20If you took a single sheet of this and bent it to make, say,
0:43:20 > 0:43:26three shelves going down a wall, how much would it cost per bend?
0:43:26 > 0:43:29It varies on the thickness and size of the panel.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33To create a shelf of your description would probably
0:43:33 > 0:43:36cost somewhere around
0:43:36 > 0:43:3975-125 quid.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44The heated acrylic is now flexible enough to go on the form,
0:43:44 > 0:43:48but it will harden again within two to three minutes.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Whether curves will be in the final design is up for debate.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56If I come back with a curved kitchen Steven will not be very happy.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59You could make a beautiful, curved chaise longue.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02SHE LAUGHS
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Having shown Heidi the possibilities,
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Piers can start designing.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10That is one colour that does that
0:44:10 > 0:44:13and I think that'll be really easy to do, really easy to make,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17and, if you were worried about it scratching, you could just put
0:44:17 > 0:44:19a piece of glass on top of it.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23But I think it is an opportunity to use another amazing colour
0:44:23 > 0:44:25cos, as soon as you add something else to that,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28it just really transforms the space.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Could you do the same colour, but in a different texture?
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Yeah, absolutely. That's a good idea.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35- That as a block of colour would be amazing.- Yeah.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38And that as a piece that was folded up is enough.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40And I think that's where you'll probably spend your money.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45And then you really do just...use your...
0:44:45 > 0:44:46old kitchen as a backdrop.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49You don't need to conceal it, you just paint it white and it's fine.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51When we looked at those rods, you've got that option,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54if you wanted to pick out a colour, you could use those for handles.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57- Great idea.- Yeah. - Sold to the woman in Scotland.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59SHE LAUGHS
0:44:59 > 0:45:02I think Heidi's going to do something really good.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04I'm not quite sure what she's going to do,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06but I'm really excited to see what it is.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12Acrylic delivery.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Heidi and Steven are now battling to finish the family living space
0:45:17 > 0:45:19that will define their new house.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Heidi has ordered £850 worth of acrylic
0:45:26 > 0:45:28for use in various parts of the house,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32with transformation of the bland kitchen units the top priority.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36It's Steven's first glimpse of what's in store.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41- No, are you not excited? - I'm...intrigued.- You're intrigued?
0:45:41 > 0:45:43- Yeah.- I'm very excited.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47You're just upset, cos you didn't get to go to the acrylic factory,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49that's why.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51You didn't get to see all the colours.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54- Oh...- Oh, wow!
0:45:54 > 0:45:56That's the shelves.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00They've chosen green acrylic for the island and shelves
0:46:00 > 0:46:03but, desperate to save wherever possible,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Heidi negotiated a discount by arranging to cover
0:46:06 > 0:46:09the cupboards in whatever colours the supplier had cheap as offcuts.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11It's a very brave decision.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16- Oh, purple! - Pink, Heidi.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Oh, it's exciting. What colour's this one?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- White. We've got green and yellow. - Cool. Happy with that?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25And with the colours?
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Yeah. Well, I'll see how they are when they're up.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31SHE LAUGHS
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Next, Steven deals with the reality
0:46:34 > 0:46:37of another of Heidi's design decisions.
0:46:37 > 0:46:38Put the eyelets in this row.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Put the eyelets there and there and we'll work it out.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45- So, basically, it's every 14.14.- OK.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Pythagoras, that chap, he's dead clever and all that, he knew it.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52The most demanding job still lies ahead.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54The kitchen island worktop needs to be cut to fit
0:46:54 > 0:46:57precisely around an uneven old sink.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02One slip and one of the most expensive pieces of acrylic
0:47:02 > 0:47:03will be ruined.
0:47:05 > 0:47:06You ready?
0:47:08 > 0:47:10SAW POWERS UP
0:47:17 > 0:47:20This is the main room, this is where everything happens.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25It's really important that the kitchen does something interesting.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29When it's in your living space where you've got your couch and fire,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32you're going to be doing all your entertaining, the family's always
0:47:32 > 0:47:35going to be around there, so you want to feel proud of that space.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Whoo!
0:47:40 > 0:47:43Heidi and Steven have struggled to find every penny for this build,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47and taken some bold and brave design decisions.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50The question now is, will it all pay off?
0:47:59 > 0:48:0312 months ago, Heidi and Steven took the huge decision to try to
0:48:03 > 0:48:07build a home for their family with a budget of just £70,000.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10It became a project that pushed them to their limits
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and brought them to the brink of financial ruin.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16After months of long nights and early mornings, I'm back to see
0:48:16 > 0:48:18if they've been able to create a house that really reflects
0:48:18 > 0:48:22who they are and the way that their family wants to live.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Piers and I are returning to see if they've realised the dream
0:48:25 > 0:48:29of creating a home in an area they thought they could never afford.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44- Hi, guys.- Hi.- Hi. - Hello, how are you doing?
0:48:44 > 0:48:48- Good, how are you? - Great to see you. Look at this.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51How does it feel to be standing next to a more or less finished building?
0:48:51 > 0:48:55Feels really exciting. It's good to see it nearly there.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It's getting to the point where you can start to imagine
0:48:58 > 0:48:59this is your home.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06There's a few things left to finish, and the render is one of those,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09but how close are you to finishing the whole thing?
0:49:09 > 0:49:11The outside is pretty close.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13The render has held us back due to the weather.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- It's either been too hot or too wet. - Well, it's Scotland.
0:49:17 > 0:49:18THEY LAUGH
0:49:18 > 0:49:21- I can't wait to see inside. Shall we go and have a look?- Yeah.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36This is just such a great space.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Sort of sensible, ordered, well-planned,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42but most of all with this fantastic view.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48And it's so well planned. Your circulation is all to one side
0:49:48 > 0:49:51so you're not constantly crossing over, whereas most house builders
0:49:51 > 0:49:54seem to think that you add features to make a room better.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Here there's just the space and the light and almost nothing else.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59There's also this, which works,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02because it lets all of this light through.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05This is space that you've borrowed from the stairwell
0:50:05 > 0:50:06and brought it into this room.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Yeah, and it does it in an interesting way.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12We keep saying that this now feels like a little framed piece of art.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18'Heidi's created a unique design for around £400.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21'The bulk of the cost is the clear acrylic panel
0:50:21 > 0:50:23'which makes it meet building regulations
0:50:23 > 0:50:25'without compromising the effect.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30'Having been so busy actually building, Steven's been less
0:50:30 > 0:50:35'involved in the design process and unsure about some of the decisions.'
0:50:35 > 0:50:40Up until pretty much yesterday, still very sceptical about how
0:50:40 > 0:50:44it's going to work and it's, yeah, I love it, I think it's really good.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48And this whole sense of the move here just to reveal
0:50:48 > 0:50:50- the staircase to the room, does that work for you?- Yeah, totally.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53I don't even know why it was never on the plans to begin with
0:50:53 > 0:50:57and I think Piers just sort of lit that flame under us to go,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00"Oh, yeah, that's such a logical thing to do."
0:51:00 > 0:51:04'Steven has contributed ideas for a design on a shoestring.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06'This timber panel has added a unique piece of history
0:51:06 > 0:51:08'to a brand-new house.'
0:51:08 > 0:51:11You've unleashed your inner designer here, haven't you,
0:51:11 > 0:51:12with this cladding?
0:51:12 > 0:51:16One day, we've got this old tongue-and-groove
0:51:16 > 0:51:19from the old house sitting in piles next door just doing nothing,
0:51:19 > 0:51:22so we came up with putting it here.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27This has got life in it, life from the old house. That cost us nothing.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33'The centrepiece of the main living area is a remarkable kitchen.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39'The acrylic came packed in sheets of MDF, so Heidi and Steven used
0:51:39 > 0:51:43'this free resource to create flat surfaces on the old fronts
0:51:43 > 0:51:46'and then glued the acrylic to the MDF.
0:51:46 > 0:51:51'An old worktop donated by a friend sits above the spruced up cabinets.'
0:51:51 > 0:51:54This part of the house is certainly impossible to miss,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56impossible to ignore, it's so colourful.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01'The kitchen island contains a reclaimed sink
0:52:01 > 0:52:04'housed in a custom-built surround made from leftover timbers.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10'The only major expenses were one sheet of plywood and the acrylic.'
0:52:12 > 0:52:16Must be great to create a completely unique kitchen.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Yeah, no-one's got a kitchen like this, that's for sure.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24This all started from how can you take this kitchen -
0:52:24 > 0:52:26which was salvaged from somewhere, wasn't it? -
0:52:26 > 0:52:30and how do you put it in pride of place in this room?
0:52:30 > 0:52:33And what this does, this acrylic, is completely transform this room.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36I was just going to paint the cupboards and then,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38when we could afford something, maybe change the doors.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41You know, the kind of thing people do. And actually it wouldn't have
0:52:41 > 0:52:43made a statement, it wouldn't have done enough.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48'Heidi was in the driving seat when it came to the kitchen design
0:52:48 > 0:52:51'so what does Steven think of the result?'
0:52:51 > 0:52:53We didn't have control over what colours we were having
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- and I was worried about having... - Somebody else's choice.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00..somebody else's choice and the colours not working together.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02And I think...
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Yeah, they do work. I... Yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07THEY LAUGH
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Oh, my goodness!
0:53:09 > 0:53:12'He may not be 100% convinced about the colours,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15'but the concrete floor that nearly broke Steven is now
0:53:15 > 0:53:19'part of a bigger design scheme that he actually likes.'
0:53:19 > 0:53:24There's whole sections shiny new, there's old wood,
0:53:24 > 0:53:29there's rough floor, and it all works together, I feel.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36It's bigger than maybe we wanted to spend initially,
0:53:36 > 0:53:38but I think it's made such a big difference.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41They just make the whole room come alive.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Work to be finished includes an upstairs toilet and basin.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49A full upstairs bathroom was too expensive,
0:53:49 > 0:53:52so the couple settled on this compromise.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Clearly moving in is still some way off,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00but how does Heidi feel about the house?
0:54:00 > 0:54:03I still can't quite believe it's mine. I really can't.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05I feel quite emotional looking at it.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07I think I feel more emotional about it
0:54:07 > 0:54:09when I think about how much Steven's done.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12- I feel quite emotional, actually! - He's been working really hard.
0:54:12 > 0:54:13I do feel quite emotional about it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And it's just absolutely fantastic to think my children will grow up
0:54:19 > 0:54:22right beside their grandparents. It's a lifestyle choice.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26It's not just about us, it's about the fact I want to look after
0:54:26 > 0:54:29my family, my parents and be close to them as they age.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Heidi and Steven invested a huge amount of time
0:54:33 > 0:54:35and energy in this build.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38But it's also been a tremendous financial strain.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41So just how have things worked out?
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Tell me how much money you had in the beginning for the build
0:54:44 > 0:54:46and how much you've ended up spending.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48We had, when we first started
0:54:48 > 0:54:51and when we kind of demolished everything, we had 70 grand.
0:54:51 > 0:54:57We're now at 98 and the place, it's taken us in a year, from 70 to 98,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01we've got 20 grand that we managed to borrow from somewhere else,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03another three grand on some credit cards,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05and the rest of that was from our wages, basically.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Tell me how much you think you've still got to spend in order to get
0:55:08 > 0:55:12- the thing finished.- I think it's going to take us to about 105.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Once the build is complete,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19Heidi and Steven will get a mortgage on the new house
0:55:19 > 0:55:22and pay off the one on her parents' house plus the other loan.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27EXCITED CHATTER
0:55:27 > 0:55:30Having come so far, it's time to celebrate what's been achieved,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and their sixth wedding anniversary.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37INDISTINCT CHATTER
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Heidi and Steven wanted a house that reflected their personality
0:55:40 > 0:55:44and what's good about this house is that they haven't gone mad
0:55:44 > 0:55:46with features everywhere, they've built a really robust,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49well-insulated, well-built building.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53And then, they've known where, in one or two key places,
0:55:53 > 0:55:54to invest time and energy.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58And that's changed this house from something fairly standard
0:55:58 > 0:56:02into something that is really full of life and energy.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05- Cheers, everyone! ALL:- Cheers!
0:56:05 > 0:56:08Having put her home on the line to finance it,
0:56:08 > 0:56:11what does Heidi's mum make of the new house?
0:56:11 > 0:56:16I think they have built the dream, actually, and it suits
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Heidi and Steven and it'll suit their children to grow up here.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24Today, the children get their first look at their new bedrooms.
0:56:24 > 0:56:30What do you think? Oh, my goodness, look at that! Is it good?
0:56:30 > 0:56:33- Yeah? Is it good?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38The children's rooms are given life with a patchwork
0:56:38 > 0:56:43of wallpaper remnants that cost between 50p and £3 each.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46- What's on your wallpapers?- Flowers!
0:56:46 > 0:56:49And what's this? What's up here?
0:56:49 > 0:56:53- Stripes! - Is it what you wanted?- Yeah!
0:56:53 > 0:56:57Rabbity! I'm going to bring Rabbity in here!
0:57:00 > 0:57:03It feels just intuitively right that a family should be able to
0:57:03 > 0:57:05bring up their kids in a place where they grew up
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and put down roots in the place where their family has roots.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11But in Britain today, that's not always easy.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13High house prices and high land values means that, sometimes,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15that's really difficult.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19Heidi and Steven have taken on that challenge in the only way that was
0:57:19 > 0:57:23available to them, which is to build their own super low-cost house,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26and I think the result they've got tackles it in fine style.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30They've created a building like a prototype of a low-cost house.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32But they've also found a way for them to put down roots
0:57:32 > 0:57:35in the community they care about and want to be part of,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38and that's a great thing for a work of architecture to achieve.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Next time...Sue and Tim try to build a modern masterpiece
0:57:48 > 0:57:50in the countryside...
0:57:50 > 0:57:52We're building walls...
0:57:52 > 0:57:54..by making it up as they go.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57When we build, we'll walk around and say, "What do we want?"
0:57:57 > 0:58:00When you design a building, you design the plan of the building.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04But as they race ahead, are they making the right choices?
0:58:04 > 0:58:07- Is this what you want? - Haven't thought about it.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10And how will they cope when they run into big problems?
0:58:10 > 0:58:15It moved enough to actually be structurally unsound in the end.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18There's an awful lot that needs to come together now
0:58:18 > 0:58:20to have any building at all.