0:00:02 > 0:00:04The cheapest way to a dream home is to build it yourself.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08Right, get a shovel, Sam. Get plenty of shovels.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12But can it be done for less than £100,000?
0:00:12 > 0:00:15If you think outside the box, you can build something extraordinary.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Architect Piers Taylor will help families facing dilemmas...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23How about making this the kitchen?
0:00:23 > 0:00:24That's radical!
0:00:24 > 0:00:29..while I, Kieran Long, will show them a world of inspiring design...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- What do you think of this place? - Amazing.- It's spectacular.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35..packed with ideas that can work in any home.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39This is the kind of thing we want to do for our grandchildren.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41And they needn't be expensive.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44It's so not three bus windscreens, is it?
0:00:44 > 0:00:45It's been transformed.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46It's a challenge...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49In this case, I think we've just got to start again.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..that's as tough as it gets.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53It's been one of the worst days of my life.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55But some will turn low-cost self-builds...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59..into fantastic homes.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00It looks great!
0:01:00 > 0:01:02This is amazing!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04This time...
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Oooh, very lovely!
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..Derek and Christine love the modern...
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Oh, yes, extremely lovely!
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Oh, yes.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12..and the quirky.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I love the door handles.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17But plans for their home don't add up.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20It's an off-the-peg staircase and off-the-peg doors.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22If you can build a house that's anything, why would you do that?
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And a devastating blow threatens the entire house.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31We've worked on this project for a year and is it all to waste?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45HE STRAINS
0:01:45 > 0:01:48In Huddersfield, Derek and Christine are on the move.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50OK...
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Life's just too good and too full of nice things
0:01:53 > 0:01:55to be sitting down in front of the television.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We travel a lot, we party a lot, we go to music.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And hopefully, by keeping ourselves occupied,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03we'll keep ourselves young.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Derek's a big fan of music festivals...
0:02:08 > 0:02:10..and back in the '60s,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13he was a roadie for Liverpool band The Notions,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16which played regularly at The Cavern Club.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Later, he became an engineer, building power stations.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23While Christine ran her own recruitment business.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Do you think we might have a cookie and coffee break at some point?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- Yeah.- I'm not saying right now. - I am!
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Now, aged 67 and 71, they're starting a new life in Kent,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39closer to friends and family...
0:02:43 > 0:02:46..and building their new home there from scratch.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It is the next chapter of our lives.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It is exciting.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56There'll loads more exciting steps.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58We are children of the '60s.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Who needs convention?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02HE LAUGHS
0:03:02 > 0:03:05We are just elderly hippies.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Derek and Christine have bought a plot
0:03:09 > 0:03:13on the Kent-Sussex border for £162,500
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and have just 95K to build their home.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21The front door will...be about here.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23If they can pull it off,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26they'll save getting on for 200 grand
0:03:26 > 0:03:28on the cost of a similar local house.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30A lot of money is at stake with this.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Our entire life savings are at stake with this.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38£30,000 of life savings
0:03:38 > 0:03:40have already been ploughed into a bespoke frame
0:03:40 > 0:03:43for the house design that Christine devised
0:03:43 > 0:03:44and the couple refined together.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49I cannot afford to get it wrong.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51There is just no possibility of it failing,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55because I haven't got enough time left in my life to recover
0:03:55 > 0:03:57if we...if we fail!
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Without any previous design experience,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the odds are stacked against Derek and Christine
0:04:03 > 0:04:04creating a fantastic home.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09But their whole future depends on getting it right.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I've spent my whole career
0:04:16 > 0:04:18searching out the best in modern architecture and design.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24And Piers is one of Britain's most innovative and creative architects.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I've come to his studio so we can look for ways to help the couple
0:04:30 > 0:04:32achieve the best house possible for the money.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Our first step is to understand exactly what they're building.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It's a three-bedroom, two-storey house,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49which will be clad in traditional Kentish clapboard.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54The front elevation is largely determined by planning rules.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58But inside, they've avoided corridors and doors, where possible,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02aiming to save cash and create a light, modern feel.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Upstairs, a steel and glass balcony
0:05:07 > 0:05:10makes the most of the south-facing views from the living room
0:05:10 > 0:05:12and the master bedroom.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Downstairs, there's Derek's study, which doubles as a guest bedroom,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20a guest bathroom, the kitchen-diner,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and another guest bedroom, doubling as Christine's sewing room.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31The plans are clear enough, but will this be a dream home for the couple?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I think there is a lot of bravery about Derek and Christine.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39They're in their 70s. You know, this is a lot of work to take on.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So it's a big step. And you've got to admire them for taking it.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The strange thing about seeing these drawings, for me,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48is that these people are flamboyant,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51but you would not know who this building was for,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54what kind of lifestyle it was designed to contain.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Developers all over the country are building houses
0:05:56 > 0:06:00with a standard kitchen, a standard bathroom, standard room sizes.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02When you've got the chance to do anything,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04it's so shocking to see a building
0:06:04 > 0:06:07that's so much like that lowest common denominator.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09The windows are placed in such a way
0:06:09 > 0:06:12that they don't even light the rooms.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14And it's quite clear that, in this kitchen,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16even washing-up with a view is impossible.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You're not allowed to look out the window while you're working.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20And it's even things like ventilation.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So in a kitchen on a rainy day, a windy day,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25you need to be able to open a window a crack
0:06:25 > 0:06:27to be able to let some air in. Here, you can't do that.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29You open a patio door and it bangs around in the wind.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31You can't vent through a patio door.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33And I think the second thing is,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35there's a kitchen and dining room downstairs.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37The lounge is upstairs.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39So there's no relationship between them.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41The two most important things, as you know, in architecture
0:06:41 > 0:06:44are the organisation of space and the penetration of daylight.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46This house has neither of those things.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47They're constrained by planning,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49in terms of how it looks on the outside,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51but there must be stuff we can do inside.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I think the biggest challenge
0:06:53 > 0:06:58is that you can't make this better by adding wallpaper, colour, finish.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02It needs to be a fundamental, structural reorganisation
0:07:02 > 0:07:05of space and light here to get it to work.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Derek and Christine's home needs to be lighter
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and better suited to their sociable lifestyle.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Piers wants to help them make it that way.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25They have spent a long time working on these plans
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and I think they could be a bit defensive.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30So I need to tread quite carefully.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32But at the same time, I want them to unpick
0:07:32 > 0:07:35all of the decisions they've made and reconsider everything.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Hi, Derek. Hi, Christine. - Hiya.- How are you doing?
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- Hi, Piers. How are you doing? - Good. Good to meet you.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Hi, how do you do?- So, look at this.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53This is about a week's work.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- Yes, it is. - Yeah, two-and-a-half days.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- Amazing. From almost nothing there's what looks like a house.- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Christine, did you imagine this space?
0:08:01 > 0:08:05I wanted it light and airy, modern.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- I didn't want any little nooks and crannies...- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10..that collected dust and dirt.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I want something that had a spacious, open, airy feel.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16The only thing that I do regret,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18that I wish we'd put a window in that wall.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- It's quite dark, that corner, isn't it?- It is. That's what I feel.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25For me, you know, you look like unconventional people.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And at the moment, I see a very conventional house.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Why is it so ordinary so far,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33when the planners haven't defined what's inside?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Why hasn't it got sparkly, dangly...?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38You know, why is it...?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40The bandanna!
0:08:40 > 0:08:42The finished article
0:08:42 > 0:08:44might have sparkly, dangly earrings and a bandanna.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- At the moment, you are seeing the bare bones of it.- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I mean, you talk about this house being modern.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52But, you know, you can't sprinkle some modern dust on this
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and suddenly it's a modern house.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I mean, how do you do something here
0:08:56 > 0:08:57that is a contemporary building,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00without just putting some modern fittings in it?
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- You know, what do you like? - What do I like, personally?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- Buildings you like? - Erm, clean, simple, efficient...
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Yeah.- ..I think are probably the key words.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Have you gone to a building that you like?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11You love, I'd say, actually?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16I don't think so, particularly.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Derek doesn't appear to care about buildings,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25but I suspect, even if he doesn't realise it,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28if he lived in a really nasty building, he certainly would.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31What's curious about Derek and Christine
0:09:31 > 0:09:32is that they're so likeable.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34They're so interesting and quirky
0:09:34 > 0:09:37and, you know, if you took all those adjectives
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and applied it to a building, it sure wouldn't look like this one.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44For me, this is very hard.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Because, at the moment, there's not really any brief.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48There's just a set of spaces
0:09:48 > 0:09:52that have conventional room names attached to them.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56A kitchen, a study, a living room, a bedroom...
0:09:56 > 0:09:57And not much else.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Derek and Christine seem to believe it's the decor
0:10:01 > 0:10:03that will add character to their home.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06In reality, it's good use of space and light
0:10:06 > 0:10:08that'll make it a pleasure to live in.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Piers seizes the chance to challenge them.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14Where's the kind of...
0:10:14 > 0:10:16You know, where's the passion for this building?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19You could build anything. This is your one shot at building anything.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21You're coming at it from a totally different point of view.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- And we appreciate that. - What do you love about it?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25We love the geographical position of it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28We love the way it's capturing the south-facing views.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31We like the disposition of the rooms.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32We can visualise a good lifestyle.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34We know what our friends are like.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36We know how our social life's going to develop
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and we can see that fitting in here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43All of that ticks all the boxes that we really want to kick.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Piers has an idea for a fundamental change
0:10:46 > 0:10:49that would transform this ordinary house into something special
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and ideal for socialising.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Why don't you put the kitchen upstairs with the living room
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and put your bedroom down there?
0:10:59 > 0:11:01DEREK LAUGHS
0:11:01 > 0:11:05You know, coming up to kind of kitchen living,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09which had a stair that arrived in the middle.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11However you finish it, it would always be amazing.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13At the moment, what's curious
0:11:13 > 0:11:15is that the building depends on your taste, your decor,
0:11:15 > 0:11:16to make it amazing.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Whereas having, irrespective of style,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23a big space with lots of south-facing light,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25with lots of south-facing balcony...
0:11:26 > 0:11:27..it's kind of priceless.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I do prefer a separate lounge.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I just think, if you're entertaining,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I don't like people in the kitchen when you're trying to cook.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I do like to, say, eat in the kitchen
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and then go into a separate lounge.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I think, if you were to solve a problem,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42it would be to allow the two rooms to benefit from one another.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44So you put them both upstairs
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and you put a dividing thing
0:11:46 > 0:11:49that allows you to borrow the light from one to the other,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51borrow the view from one to the other,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53borrow the sense of space from one to the other.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Your valid concern that you're in the kitchen making something,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- people are having dinner and you don't want them to see them.- Yeah.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05I mean, there's lots of ways around that, absolutely.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- I think this idea of moving the kitchen upstairs...- Mm.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11..does have some mileage in it.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Piers's suggestion would turn a conventional home
0:12:15 > 0:12:19into one flooded with light and perfect for entertaining.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25His idea is to swap the master bedroom and kitchen-diner,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28bringing the kitchen-diner up to the first floor.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The central wall upstairs is currently blocking light and views.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Removing it and replacing it with a more innovative form of screening
0:12:38 > 0:12:40would give privacy, when needed,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42but allow the whole of the upstairs
0:12:42 > 0:12:45to become a spacious and flexible living area
0:12:45 > 0:12:47for the couple and their guests.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Derek has to deal with the practicalities of changes,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56including checking them with planning and building control.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Can Piers persuade him?
0:12:58 > 0:13:02This wall, you know, is a block to
0:13:02 > 0:13:04A, that fantastic oast house,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07but B, the kind of distant view beyond.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And, you know, having a space that's this big from here to there
0:13:11 > 0:13:12would just be amazing, really.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I mean, how do you feel about undoing stuff?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17If we feel the benefit is there,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19then the hell with the amount of work.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24It's me and, I don't know, 50 quid for a few bits of wood or something.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27But we're open to this idea and we want to experiment with it.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Experiment is, you know, that's one of my favourite words.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And, you know, I guess this house could do with a bit of that.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Piers has had a breakthrough, showing Christine and Derek
0:13:39 > 0:13:41a huge improvement to their house is still possible.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Now I need to fire them up with a vision of how amazing it could be.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I've found a home which is spacious, sociable
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and not divided into conventional rooms.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01It's Mission Hall in Sussex, by Adam Richards Architects.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03And I hope this will become the first modern home
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to inspire the couple.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I wanted to bring you to this house
0:14:09 > 0:14:10to start to think about how you really live
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- in a contemporary interior... - Yes, yes.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- ..how you live in an elevated interior.- Indeed.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16This house is an upside-down house
0:14:16 > 0:14:18and we can just think about that living space, how it works,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20that can really add a lot to a building.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Right. Lead on.- Indeed. Yeah.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Come on in. Come into the cool.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Oh, it's beautiful.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33This is so nice, this space.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It's kind of cave-like and I love this shallow vault here.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It feels a bit like a kind of a very glamorous cellar.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45The bedrooms are downstairs, where it's naturally darker,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48with corridors adding to the snug feel.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51It's a deliberate move to contrast with what lies above.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55That staircase makes you want to touch it
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- and go up there to see what's... - It does, doesn't it?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- It feels like its mysterious.- Well, let's do that.- Let's go upstairs!
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Like Derek and Christine,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04the owners of Mission Hall love to entertain
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and enjoy the landscape beyond the home.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09The house is tailor-made for both.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Oooh, very lovely.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Oh, yes, extremely lovely.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Oh, yes.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26When you go up to your living space and you have the beautiful view,
0:15:26 > 0:15:27is this how you would like to feel?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30You know, I mean, being up here and amongst the trees
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- with the view across the farmland here.- There is a similarity.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35The view is across the farmland.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38There are trees with the neighbour's house. So there is a similarity.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I don't think we have any intentions of photocopying the place,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44because we've got our own furniture and our own stuff.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46All I'm interested in is...
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I'm interested in how you feel right now.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50This whole space here, with these high ceilings,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53the kind of sense of being surrounded by the trees,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- it does sort of lift you. - Oh, it does.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58A good view can be framed elegantly
0:15:58 > 0:16:00by using plain curtains and white walls,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03which will also keep things bright inside.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Contrasting colours and textures stop the white from feeling stark.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So I think most importantly for you guys
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- is to come and stand out here on this balcony.- Yes.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It is quite a shallow balcony here. This is about a metre.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- You've got just a bit more than a metre.- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- When you go towards the light and... - Yes. Oh, yes, yes!
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- I can tell you love this.- Yeah, you can't help but smile, can you?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26When you look at the sunshine
0:16:26 > 0:16:27and the view and the flowers, it is beautiful.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30And it's beautiful to imagine having a living space
0:16:30 > 0:16:32that really has this view as part of it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- Yes, yes.- It's just fabulous.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36But, I mean, how do you feel when you're standing up here,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38looking at a beautiful, long view,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41do you start to feel a bit like, "This is what I could win"?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44This is what I could achieve!
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The first floor shows walls aren't needed to create rooms.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55You can use a rug and grouping of sofas to create a sitting room,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and add striking pendant lights above the table
0:16:58 > 0:17:00to help define a dining area,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03all within one generous open-plan space.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And if you want the option of privacy, like Christine,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11it can be created with a solution
0:17:11 > 0:17:15that's far more imaginative than acres of plasterboard.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18My eye's just caught on the kitchen, which is hidden away behind here.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And this effectively is,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23although it's a beautiful piece of furniture in its own right,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26it's effectively a room divider screening the kitchen off.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- But without the need for doors... - Without the need for doors.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Without the need for a wall construction or whatever.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And it's a very interesting use of space.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37So, Derek, it is really nice, isn't it, to get into this room
0:17:37 > 0:17:38without going through a door
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and just past this very beautiful temple-like piece of joinery?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- It is.- The thing I like most about it is how sociable this could be.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46- Oh, indeed.- You could be cooking
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and somebody could be lounging on the sofa, you can see them.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50But they're not in the space.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52You know, it's connected, but not divided.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53I think that's really strong.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Open-plan spaces are prone to feeling cavernous,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02but this home shows how you can use furniture to create cosy areas.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And when you need space for throwing parties, furniture is movable,
0:18:07 > 0:18:08unlike solid walls.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14There's certainly ideas to explore, avenues to explore there.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I can see something's awakening in your mind.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Oh, something's very much awake in my mind!
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Having seen how well an open-plan first floor space can work,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Derek and Christine must now weigh
0:18:27 > 0:18:30whether to make a dramatic change to the layout of their home.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I think the way they have done it here
0:18:34 > 0:18:38has been in a very clever, innovative and beautiful way.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Erm, but whether it would be applicable to us, I don't know.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It's been an absolutely brilliant day here with Derek and Christine
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and I loved how they're just immediately embraced this building.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54And they understood the gesture of the architecture, which was great.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55What's harder with them
0:18:55 > 0:18:58is to get them to see the connection between this and their build.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01They're trying to understand how to make a beautiful,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04open-plan living space at first-floor level with a great view.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08It's just the same problem that is cracked so magnificently here.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10So I hope they go away, think about it a bit further,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and start to adjust their attitude
0:19:12 > 0:19:15to that thorny problem on their first floor.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20After a few days mulling over upside-down living,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Christine's realised there are some snags
0:19:22 > 0:19:24with applying the idea to their home.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I liked the idea of the kitchen upstairs. I was very sold on that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32But I didn't like the idea of moving the bedroom downstairs.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Because there are practical benefits of having the kitchen downstairs.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It means I haven't got to carry the shopping upstairs.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Derek's also concluded the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49We've been to quite a few lectures at building trade exhibitions.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51And the common theme was to keep it simple.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56Diminish corridors, keep it open, keep it straightforward.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59And we adopted that as our design brief.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And when we looked at Piers' plans for downstairs,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05that seemed to be putting in corridors and doors
0:20:05 > 0:20:07that we'd designed out.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10So we weren't overly impressed with that.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12I like to think,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and I think Christine's with me on this, as well,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19that the time we spent in the early design stage has paid off
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and we've got something that we are happy with.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It's really disappointing Derek and Christine have rejected this change.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Piers and I need to work out what other ways of improving the house
0:20:31 > 0:20:33will appeal to them more.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But right now, the couple are preoccupied.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39During the build, they and visiting family
0:20:39 > 0:20:42are living in a caravan nearby and Derek's feeling under pressure.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47We don't have anywhere to go other than this caravan.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50But we're not looking forward to a winter in it.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53We might think it'll be extremely cold.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So there's a great incentive to get ourselves into gear
0:20:56 > 0:20:57and get into habitation.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Even though it'll probably only be half the house to start with,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04if we've got running water, if we've got electricity,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08if we've got a loo and a bedroom, that's cool, we'll live with that.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Let's just lift it up a bit and have a look at it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Derek and Christine have been partners for 23 years
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and each has two children from an earlier marriage.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Today, Derek's son Christopher is lending some muscle power.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Can you get that under there from there?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Work at the house is progressing well,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35when there's staggering news from the council.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We've had an e-mail from planning,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47which suggests that we've built the house in the wrong place.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58It really is absolutely devastating.
0:21:58 > 0:22:05There is no word to describe the depths that your feelings go to.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It's despair. It's, erm...
0:22:09 > 0:22:14It's... We've worked on this project for a year and is it all to waste?
0:22:18 > 0:22:23This dimension between the corner of the house and the pub
0:22:23 > 0:22:25is less than was expected.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I think we're talking about half a metre to a metre.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31The planning advisers that we've spoken to
0:22:31 > 0:22:35tell us that, strictly speaking, in law,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37a millimetre is enough to create a problem.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44We have been advised to stop work on site.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Derek thinks lack of detail in the original plans,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54showing the plot's shape and size, may be the root of the problem.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Christine is clear about her role.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I try and be as supportive as possible and try and be realistic
0:23:04 > 0:23:06and say, "We will find a way forward.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09"We had all the good times when things were going really well,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11"this is just a bad time."
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Derek is finding it harder to stay positive.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17With the plot and the build together,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21we reckon we're round about £220,000 in
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and we just cannot afford to lose that.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27There is no contingency in the world
0:23:27 > 0:23:30that allows for complete dismantling and rebuild of a house.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35If we can't resolve the problem, maybe we're doomed
0:23:35 > 0:23:38to live in rented accommodation for the rest of our lives,
0:23:38 > 0:23:39I just don't know.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45The couple have submitted a brand-new planning application
0:23:45 > 0:23:48to keep the house where it is but, with autumn approaching,
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Derek is desperate to crack on - without waiting for formal approval.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Piers heads to the site,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01determined to spell out the dangers of doing so.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05This is the stuff of nightmares for self-builders.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Derek and Christine have built their house in the wrong place
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and that's a really, really big deal.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And in planning, there are some things you can be cavalier about,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19but building your house in the wrong place and being told then to stop,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I mean, that really is a big deal and you really don't mess with that.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- Hello?- Oh, hiya. Hi.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- Hi, Christine.- Hiya.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- How are you doing?- Fine, thank you. - Good to see again.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- Hi, Derek.- Morning, Piers. - How's things?- Ah, good. Good, good.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Yeah?- We've been cautioned...
0:24:41 > 0:24:43erm...
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and we've taken the decision
0:24:45 > 0:24:48that we've got to make some minimal progress.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49So you're throwing caution to the wind?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52We have been advised by the planning authority
0:24:52 > 0:24:55that the new planning application we've made
0:24:55 > 0:24:58is to regularise the process.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00OK, yes, yes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04So, assuming that that passes, then this dispute disappears.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06They've given you, informally,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- a sense that this is likely to gain approval now?- Yes.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Piers is slightly reassured about the risk.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15However, the new planning application was a chance
0:25:15 > 0:25:19to introduce big improvements to the design at no extra cost,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and the couple haven't taken it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Did you not think that you might use that period
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- to rethink certain things? - Not really.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Because the essence of our design we've revisited
0:25:33 > 0:25:35and we're totally satisfied with.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37You know, what I find surprising
0:25:37 > 0:25:41is that everything that I come in and can see at a glance
0:25:41 > 0:25:42is as ordinary as it can be.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I mean, it's an off-the-peg staircase
0:25:44 > 0:25:46with an off-the-peg newel post
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and off-the-peg doors and off-the-peg...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I mean, why would you do that?
0:25:50 > 0:25:53If you can build a house that's anything, why would you do that?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Because we are constrained by finance.- No, you're not.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57You're doing it as if a house-builder was doing it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01But you're doing a house for you that's your fantasy,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that's your dream, that's your life savings,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06that you're going to grow old and adore,
0:26:06 > 0:26:07and yet you're doing something
0:26:07 > 0:26:10that the lowest common denominator house-builder would do.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14- Maybe we adore, that is our dream, a bog-standard staircase.- Maybe.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17But, I mean, in which case, it's not a very fruitful conversation,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21but one would think that you'd work out how, when you came in,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23to make the most of a set of spaces.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25And here all I can see is a staircase
0:26:25 > 0:26:27that blocks me from actually seeing
0:26:27 > 0:26:31the one bit of daylight in a room that's quite dark.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36It's been clear from the outset, the dark kitchen is a big problem.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Piers has a final chance to persuade Derek and Christine
0:26:39 > 0:26:42to do something about it.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I mean, you'd think that washing-up or cooking
0:26:44 > 0:26:47or doing something with a sense of daylight or a view
0:26:47 > 0:26:49would be one of life's fundamental things.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I mean, really, I know I'm pushing you quite hard
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and I haven't come here to really...
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Well, actually, I have come here to challenge you a bit!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58- That's OK, that's fine. - But I haven't come to sound off.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01What I've come to do is really just try and understand
0:27:01 > 0:27:04if there are ways, now that you can see the building around you,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07that you could change things to make it better for you.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Yes.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12What you could do is put a lovely low window here,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14that did allow you to bring light in.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Right, if we're going to the bother of cutting a hole in that
0:27:17 > 0:27:21and putting a window in, then I want a proper window that,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23being a tall person, I can see out of.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Fantastic. Whether it stops there or whether it's there is up to you.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- I mean, that's...- Right, right, yes.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- So we are in agreement on the window.- I think so.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Good! Well, it's been a productive morning.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It seems like a breakthrough and Piers isn't done yet.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45The couple rejected the idea of moving the kitchen,
0:27:45 > 0:27:46but he thinks there's still scope
0:27:46 > 0:27:48for a radical improvement of the upstairs,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50if they'll take his advice.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- So the view does get better as you come up, doesn't it?- It's beautiful.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Oh, it's beautiful. It's what we bought the plot for.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04You've decided not to connect these two spaces at all?
0:28:04 > 0:28:05No, because it's not the kitchen.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09But the way that this nice room...
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- Yes?- ..connects with that room, that big opening,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17you'd think you could think about just doing more with.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I mean, I wonder whether, for example...
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I mean, this wall, it's so...
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I'm going to use the word literal, it's so literal.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Whatever you do to this now, whatever you put on it,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- it will still just be a wall. - No, no, no. No, no, not at all.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33One of the possibilities that we're considering
0:28:33 > 0:28:34is going to an architectural scrapyard
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and getting some leaded glass or something of that sort.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39But I would argue that that makes little difference.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43I mean, why wouldn't you take it out, take the whole thing out,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45and then not have a standard door in?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Have one beautiful bit,
0:28:48 > 0:28:53you know, a whole beautiful wall from here to here,
0:28:53 > 0:28:58from here to there of this stained-glass etc, etc, etc.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Because it would be beautiful,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01but it would also allow the light to come through.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05It would allow all of these spaces to feel big, feel generous.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Yes, certainly I'm liking that idea
0:29:08 > 0:29:11of not having that as a conventional partition wall
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and making it a feature.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Could you run it right the way down, so it became the balustrade,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20and that was a beautiful triangle of stained glass
0:29:20 > 0:29:22that came up into a wall of stained glass?
0:29:22 > 0:29:26So the whole thing in the middle of the house was this beautiful wall.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Piers is reiterating his idea
0:29:31 > 0:29:34that Derek and Christine replace the plasterboard wall
0:29:34 > 0:29:35with a subtle partition.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40However, he's now taking it a step further
0:29:40 > 0:29:43by suggesting a combined glass partition and balustrade
0:29:43 > 0:29:46that could be an integrated, striking feature
0:29:46 > 0:29:47at the heart of the house.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53The upstairs room would be improved
0:29:53 > 0:29:55and the balustrade would allow light
0:29:55 > 0:29:57to flood the stairs and kitchen-diner,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59which are currently dark.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04There's technical reservations and difficulties to overcome,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07but I like what we're trying to achieve,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09I like where we're trying to point.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10I thought the idea
0:30:10 > 0:30:15with the potential glass balustrade in and that wall,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I think could be absolutely stunning.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Four months after Derek and Christine were advised
0:30:27 > 0:30:31to stop work on their house, there's a crucial development.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38The big news is that we have planning permission.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40This is it, we can go
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and we have gone and we've ordered all sorts of things
0:30:43 > 0:30:46and the building is progressing very quickly.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Getting the green light
0:30:50 > 0:30:54to continue building the house in the same position is a relief,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57but the 17-week delay has serious consequences.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02We constructed the main body of the house in sort of late spring,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06with a view to doing most of the build during summer,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09with extended evenings and warm weather.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14And we're now forced to do the same thing with a short working day,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18with cold, with frost, with damp and rain.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25The changing weather is also making life in the caravan harder to bear.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28It's the damp. Everywhere is damp.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I always feel that, when you put your clothes on,
0:31:31 > 0:31:33they feel slightly damp to me.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Now it's getting a bit colder, I've attempted double glazing.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41I just ripped up an old plastic sheet from the building site
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and I've tried to stick it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Weatherproofing is also the most critical job at the house.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54It's suffering in the rain.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00There have been times when we've been lying awake in the caravan
0:32:00 > 0:32:02at three o'clock in the morning listening to the rain, thinking,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04"What's happening at the house?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07"Are our possessions getting soaked through?"
0:32:09 > 0:32:13So far, 65K of the 95K budget has gone,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16including £8,000 worth of windows and doors.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21To economise, Derek's fitting them himself,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23with help from Christine's son Greg.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25It would have helped if it wasn't raining,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29but I guess what we're doing is trying to stop the rain coming in,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33so maybe, as we progress, we can test the theory.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Now, are you OK with that? - Yeah, I'm worried about you, though.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Don't worry about me.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42It's backbreaking work.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57At the end of a hard day, Derek's goal of a basic house fit to live in
0:32:57 > 0:32:58is one step closer.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02The front door...is now locked.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07There's a good chance, within the next 24, 48 hours,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10we'll be properly watertight and secure
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and that's a long way towards what a house is.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15What is a house?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18A house is somewhere that's watertight and secure.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20So, you know, we're nearly there.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Derek and Christine's focus
0:33:24 > 0:33:26on getting into their house is understandable,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29but as they've already ruled out an upside-down layout,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32I fear they could plod on with their original plans
0:33:32 > 0:33:36and miss opportunities to make it uniquely theirs.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46They loved Piers' idea of a combined glass partition and balustrade,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49but haven't made any decision on how to incorporate it.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56I'm going to show them something I hope will inspire them to get going.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00You've been thinking about coloured glass, haven't you?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Yeah, that's an option, certainly. It brings light through
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and we think the colours could add something to it.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10Have you got any specific ideas of what you want that to be, you know?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Not at the moment, but looking for inspiration.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16This London showroom
0:34:16 > 0:34:19is a collaboration between graphic designer Peter Saville
0:34:19 > 0:34:20and architect David Adjaye.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23So, come in.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27This is what I wanted to show you.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39- This is a showroom for a Danish fabric manufacturer...- Right.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41..who make very beautiful, like, coloured fabrics.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43So colour is very important to them.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Christine, what you make of these colours, because it's quite a simple
0:34:48 > 0:34:50selection of colours, in one way, isn't it?
0:34:50 > 0:34:52I think they're beautiful colours. They're like jewel colours.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Especially with the light in them, glowing.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I think it works beautifully in this big space.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I'm not sure about in a smaller space.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04How does that compare with the kinds of ideas you've had so far?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07It's totally different and it's interesting and refreshing.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12And the idea of three or four single panes, one colour each pane,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16there's less work involved, there's less construction involved,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18it could be a simpler, therefore cheaper, way of doing it.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Derek, I like how you recognise that one great thing about minimalism
0:35:21 > 0:35:22is it can be cheap!
0:35:24 > 0:35:26This project reimagines a staircase
0:35:26 > 0:35:29as something that allows light through a building,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31rather than blocking it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34The same principle applies to using translucent furniture,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36such as tables and chairs.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41You certainly get the full effect of the colours as you walk down.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42It's lovely here, isn't it,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45when you see the kind of doubles of reflections
0:35:45 > 0:35:48- and your own reflection in the colour?- Yeah.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Everything else about it is very, very simple.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Solid, light wood floor,
0:35:52 > 0:35:54simple steel handrail and a steel trim at the top.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57You know, this glass is not going to be cheap,
0:35:57 > 0:35:58but I think, as you said Derek,
0:35:58 > 0:36:02a similar effect with panels of colour is achievable.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05This is obviously an old building.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07It's an old warehouse that has been converted,
0:36:07 > 0:36:12but this very modern idea does marry very well with the old building,
0:36:12 > 0:36:14and it's a bit like our house.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16From the outside it is, it's not an old building,
0:36:16 > 0:36:18but it's a traditional building,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21and we're trying to do something a bit contemporary inside.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Having these kinds of ideas
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- might just be the thing that makes your interior really special.- Yes.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32I think the difficulty now is going back home
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and translating this into reality, discussing the price.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40Both of which are serious impingements on any idea.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45But the idea of filtering different colours into the bedroom is superb
0:36:45 > 0:36:46and it would be very nice
0:36:46 > 0:36:49to be able to translate it into reality, if we can.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54This staircase cost around £170,000.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Our visit seems to have inspired Derek and Christine,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00but the challenge now is to help them create an affordable version
0:37:00 > 0:37:02for their house.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11That's where Piers' ingenuity with low-cost solutions comes into play.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15And he thinks the answer is in a bus breakers' yard in Barnsley.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Coming here may be, initially, a bit of a let-down
0:37:24 > 0:37:28but, actually, this is a treasure trove of incredible stuff,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31really good-quality stuff that can be reused,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34repurposed into something truly spectacular.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Well, as you've seen,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Kieran gets to take you to these amazing, glamorous places,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42whereas I get to take you to a breakers' yard.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- This is where buses come to die? - It is, absolutely.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48In theory, they've reached the end of their life,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50but everything gets repurposed and reused,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53and finding something here that we can make your glass wall out of
0:37:53 > 0:37:54could be amazing.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- Let's go and have a scavenge. - Right.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04So, as you can see, this is a bus that's been already stripped
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and this is just sheet aluminium that gets taken off
0:38:07 > 0:38:09and will get recycled
0:38:09 > 0:38:13and, critically, all the glass comes out of it.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Good-quality, low-cost glass.
0:38:15 > 0:38:16- Yeah.- Right.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Jeff Ripley runs the breakers' yard.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23Tell me about this.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- I mean, this is toughened or laminated?- That's toughened, that.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29You get your kite mark on these, if you see down here, look.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- And because it's toughened, we can't cut it.- No, you can't, no.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35And what would a piece like that cost?
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Roughly it would cost you about £25.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40At that price, a large glass feature
0:38:40 > 0:38:44is infinitely more affordable than buying a bespoke system,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47though it's vital to check it complies with building regulations
0:38:47 > 0:38:50and it will take a bit of work.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52- There is quite a lot that you would need to do to this.- Yes.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Otherwise, it will just look like a bus window.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57So I think the colour and the tinting of it
0:38:57 > 0:38:58is something we can play with,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01but also the method of fixing so that it does become a wall,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03not a loose piece of glass.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Piers wants to help Derek and Christine visualise a glass wall
0:39:12 > 0:39:14by making a quick mock-up.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17So if you imagine this is your wall stud work
0:39:17 > 0:39:19or this is vertical timber, when it's laid up,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- what we'll actually do is lay the glass on top of this.- Right.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28So they still look like old bus windscreens at the moment.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30It certainly does and I'm very interested to see
0:39:30 > 0:39:34how you can prettify this into a work of art.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36In these boxes...
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- Right. - ..I've got some stained-glass film.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43And this comes in all sorts of different colours.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45I mean, this is one size but, again,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47you can get it in all sorts of different sizes.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50This starts at about five quid a sheet.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53So you could go from, say, a deep mustard,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56to a sunshine yellow,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- to a primrose? You could, if you wanted?- Absolutely.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Or you could go from something that was relatively opaque,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04down to something that was completely translucent
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- and transparent...- Right.- Yeah. - ..which would be interesting.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10What do you reckon, Christine?
0:40:10 > 0:40:11I think it's got potential.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13THEY LAUGH
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Before you have my judgment, let's see the finished item.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23With your imagination, you could run riot with these, couldn't you?
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- Oh, absolutely. - You could have all sorts of designs.
0:40:26 > 0:40:27Yeah, yeah. One, two, three...
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Keep going, keep going.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Oh, very nice, yes.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41So let's stand back, see how it looks. It's great.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- Yeah, get the full effect.- Yeah.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Or hide the imperfections.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- Whatever. - I think it's great, I love it.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50It's so not three bus windscreens, is it?
0:40:50 > 0:40:52No, it's been transformed.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And you could do so many things with those colours.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- We've just had a very basic... - Absolutely.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I think, looking from the example the other day,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I was quite taken with the very light pastel colours
0:41:03 > 0:41:06and I think there's room for experimentation.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09But it doesn't matter, you're demonstrating a principle today,
0:41:09 > 0:41:10which we can take forward.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Ten months into the build,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Derek and Christine are struggling to finish their interior.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29The 95K budget is all gone
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and extra spending will eat into savings
0:41:31 > 0:41:34earmarked for enjoying retirement.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You think some coving?
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Interior finishes can run into tens of thousands of pounds,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43but the couple will have to manage on a shoestring
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and find a way to make them look stylish,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48when combined with all their existing possessions.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Maybe a plastic finish, I don't know.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58It's a tall order, so I've brought them to a home
0:41:58 > 0:42:01that could have valuable lessons for them.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04What we're going to see today is a house
0:42:04 > 0:42:06that feels a bit like it's been evolved over time,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08lots of very personal possessions, lots of rich materials,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12not your typical minimal-designed, architect-designed interior.
0:42:12 > 0:42:13I'm hoping you're going to pick up
0:42:13 > 0:42:15on some of the warmth and cosiness of that
0:42:15 > 0:42:17and maybe it'll give you some ideas.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19- This sounds like a really homely home.- Sounds good.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- That's what I'm hoping you're going to like.- Let's go and see it, yeah.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32This is the London home of Swedish interior designer Lotta Cole,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36who effortlessly blends old and new, plain and patterned.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Well, what a beautiful big room.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- Lovely, isn't it? - It is. It's lovely.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44The full width of the house up here.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Oh, look! Oh, look!
0:42:47 > 0:42:48Oh, there's a surprise.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- Oh, wow.- Right.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Really luxurious, generous bathroom, isn't it?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54They must really love their baths.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57I think this room is really calm, really beautiful.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59But I think one of the things that's interesting
0:42:59 > 0:43:01is there's still a lot of different things in here.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03We've got early modern furniture, which is clearly Swedish,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06you know, the designer's Swedish, you see that atmosphere here.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- We've got almost kind of Moorish, North African style.- Moroccan.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12You could say this is quite eclectic, but still very calm.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16Yes, but overall, it's the cool colours in here.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Yes, they're all cool colours.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Mixing styles can look chaotic,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25but by keeping walls, floors and window-dressing simple,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28interesting items can take centre stage
0:43:28 > 0:43:30without it all feeling overwhelming.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34What about for you, Derek?
0:43:34 > 0:43:36Do you think there's anything here you can learn from or take?
0:43:36 > 0:43:41That diagonal board behind the bed,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43perhaps that's something we could incorporate.
0:43:45 > 0:43:50In a living room, an eclectic mix of possessions against dark walls
0:43:50 > 0:43:52can be used for a cosy effect.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Oh, wow...!
0:43:55 > 0:43:57That was a good reaction, Christine.
0:43:57 > 0:43:58- Lovely.- Yeah.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00So I can see the smile on your face.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Christine, tell me what you think of this space.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05There's so much to take in, that's my first impression.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08It will take a long time to have a look at everything.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13This is the classic trick of grouping a collection,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16while adding splashes of colour against a dark backdrop
0:44:16 > 0:44:19encourages the eye to travel from one item to the next.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22The colours are rather beautiful in here, isn't it?
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- This deep blue and this deep red. - It is. It is.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27But to me, because it's quite a small room
0:44:27 > 0:44:29and it's quite a dark room,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32I find this colour quite oppressive, to me.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38- This is more your style? - Yes, yes.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42You were talking in there about darkness and you didn't like that.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44- This is the absolute opposite. - Absolutely, yes.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48- Flooded with light, white, beautiful colours.- Yes.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54The kitchen-diner is a great example for Derek and Christine
0:44:54 > 0:44:58of combining treasured old possessions in a modern room.
0:44:59 > 0:45:04Lots of battered old items together can create a junk shop effect,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08but if selected shabby pieces are contrasted with sleek modern lines,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10the results are great.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13So I wanted to just explore a bit around here,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16because there's a lot of detail here which is quite charming, isn't it?
0:45:16 > 0:45:17Oh, it is. It's lovely.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- First of all, these really quirky door handles.- Absolutely lovely.
0:45:20 > 0:45:21I love the door handles.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25- And I think some of these things are quite cheap and basic.- Oh, yeah.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30But they have dressed up to look different and expensive.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34Now, I can't believe that these fronts are expensive.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36And I tell you what else I like about these spoons and forks,
0:45:36 > 0:45:40that they don't match, they're all different, they're all different.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43That's really nice that, because it's kind of controlled chaos.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47- It is. It's thought-about chaos. - Absolutely.
0:45:47 > 0:45:48Shall we just have a seat,
0:45:48 > 0:45:50because I want to talk about this beautiful table?
0:45:50 > 0:45:52- It is. This lovely bespoke table. - It's really nice, isn't it?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55You'll just see these faint circular shadows here.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58These were shelves in a cheese-making factory.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00And so the rounds of cheese would have stood here.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03And they sort of contain that history now, these pieces of timber.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06The legs are 40 quid from architectural salvage.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08So, you know, this is a super cheap piece of furniture,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11but it's got loads of character and loads of history.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13It's our style. It's very much us.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16And it's cheap, which is also very much us!
0:46:20 > 0:46:22It's now 14 months
0:46:22 > 0:46:25since the frame of Derek and Christine's house went up
0:46:25 > 0:46:28and the project has taken almost twice as long as expected.
0:46:31 > 0:46:32Derek is exhausted
0:46:32 > 0:46:35and finding it increasingly hard to get things done.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Despite that,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43he's working on two pieces inspired by the visit to Lotta Cole's house.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48This table is made principally from these iron supports.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50They were bought on the internet
0:46:50 > 0:46:53and we've joined them together with scaffold boards.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56And with that we have a very nice dining table
0:46:56 > 0:47:01that cost us, in total, the princely sum of, oh, about £100, £110,
0:47:01 > 0:47:02something like that.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Derek's also hard at work creating a bench seat.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15We were very taken with the idea of the seat
0:47:15 > 0:47:18which was done with diagonal panelling, the same as this.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22All it takes is surplus timber from the build
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and around £25 worth of tongue-and-groove panelling.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31Christine's created a seat cushion from foam and a fabric remnant,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34keeping additional costs negligible.
0:47:34 > 0:47:35There we are.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38We'll just run a bit of skirting board around that tomorrow
0:47:38 > 0:47:40and that will just finish it off nicely.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47We've followed Derek and Christine's progress for nearly two years,
0:47:47 > 0:47:49through good times and bad.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Now Piers and I are back, to find out what the couple have achieved.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Derek and Christine dreamt
0:47:58 > 0:48:01of moving to the south of England for their retirement
0:48:01 > 0:48:02and the only way to achieve that
0:48:02 > 0:48:05was to plough their life savings into a self-build.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07We've tried our best to steer them away
0:48:07 > 0:48:10from the ordinary and the standard and help them build a home
0:48:10 > 0:48:12that reflects them and the way they want to live
0:48:12 > 0:48:15and makes the most of their £95,000 budget.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17I genuinely don't know what to expect today,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19because it's been such a hard road
0:48:19 > 0:48:20and I really pushed Derek and Christine
0:48:20 > 0:48:22and, at times, I really felt upset
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and quite challenged by this whole process.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27And actually, I should be really detached.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30So it could be a real dog's dinner or it could be great,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and there's no way of knowing until I go inside.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41- Here we are. - Hi, Derek. Hi, Christine.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43- Hello again. - Nice to see you.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45So it's an amazing feeling for me to be standing here
0:48:45 > 0:48:48with this pristine new house. How do you feel to have finished it?
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Well, if it's amazing for you, it's wonderful for us!
0:48:52 > 0:48:56The exterior of the house is in good shape, unlike Derek,
0:48:56 > 0:48:58who's got a bad back.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02We're just immensely proud and glad that we've got
0:49:02 > 0:49:05sort of almost to the end and very proud of what we've achieved.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07I can't wait to see it, Christine. Can we take a look.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09Certainly, come and look. Can't wait to show you.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14Having rejected Piers' idea of an upside-down house,
0:49:14 > 0:49:18the couple were on track for a dark, pokey kitchen.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21So this is it. What a great space.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27But thanks to Piers' nagging,
0:49:27 > 0:49:30they finally added a window that's transformed it.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I've got to commend you on this window
0:49:36 > 0:49:38because, of course, it looks great
0:49:38 > 0:49:40and the light that comes in is fantastic.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43- Will you admit that window's a good idea?- It's worked incredibly well.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Particularly now, as the sun is coming round due south
0:49:46 > 0:49:49and it floods in through those two windows. I think it's beautiful.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58The couple have injected fun and originality to the kitchen
0:49:58 > 0:50:01by buying the cheapest kitchen units they could find,
0:50:01 > 0:50:05then having them sprayed at a car body shop for just £550.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11The high-gloss metallic finish has another big plus...
0:50:13 > 0:50:16I'm so pleased that you've done these cupboards,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19because the point of them is to reflect
0:50:19 > 0:50:23a lovely warm, glowing light back into this kitchen
0:50:23 > 0:50:25and they do that, don't they?
0:50:27 > 0:50:29The window's a real success story.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Piers' next big suggestion
0:50:33 > 0:50:38was to create a floor-to-ceiling wall of recycled coloured glass.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40We've incorporated glass, as you desired.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Safety fittings, like a handrail, have yet to be installed,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47and Derek's glass may be plain, not coloured,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50but light from upstairs is flooding into the kitchen-diner.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52However, Piers hoped for more.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I thought we were talking about this wall.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03You're selling piece for that idea
0:51:03 > 0:51:05was to let more light into the bedroom.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07And we spent some considerable time
0:51:07 > 0:51:10sitting up in bed looking at different angles,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12sitting on the settee looking at different angles,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15and deciding that your idea actually didn't add any extra light.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18If you sit in the bed now and look out,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20you can see out of both windows without using your idea.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23We will have to agree to disagree.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28The ground floor works better than expected,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30thanks to the extra sources of daylight.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34But Piers and I couldn't persuade Derek and Christine
0:51:34 > 0:51:38to take the big step of creating a flexible living space upstairs.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Piers wants to explore why.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45You know, in a modern house that you can build from scratch,
0:51:45 > 0:51:47you could have big spaces, lots of light
0:51:47 > 0:51:49- and rethink the configuration.- Yes.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52And however good this house is, it feels quite conventional.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Smallish rooms, all linked by staircases or doors,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58and small doors out onto a garden.
0:51:58 > 0:51:59Why is it so conventional?
0:51:59 > 0:52:02We had endless discussions between ourselves,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05as to how big the rooms could go to maintain that budget.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Hang on there. What's interesting about contemporary architecture
0:52:08 > 0:52:10is that you don't need to have rooms
0:52:10 > 0:52:12and the notion of rooms
0:52:12 > 0:52:14is a fairly traditional way of looking at a set of spaces,
0:52:14 > 0:52:16and it's an inherited model of building,
0:52:16 > 0:52:18based around only heating small spaces
0:52:18 > 0:52:20and based around construction techniques.
0:52:20 > 0:52:21But when you can do anything,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24you can have any configuration of spaces in the world,
0:52:24 > 0:52:26you end up with something that has rooms
0:52:26 > 0:52:28and the familiar language of a conventional house.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31I like rooms. You made this point before, but I like rooms.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34I like the fact that Derek can go in that room,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38shut the door and I haven't got to listen to his horrible music.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41The ground floor has remained
0:52:41 > 0:52:43as Derek and Christine originally planned it,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46with the two guest bedrooms doubling as a study for Derek
0:52:46 > 0:52:48and a sewing room for Christine
0:52:48 > 0:52:50and they're pleased with the results.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53Regardless of the architectural anaesthetics,
0:52:53 > 0:52:55this suits our lifestyle.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Derek and Christine didn't go
0:52:58 > 0:53:00for some of the big ideas we showed them,
0:53:00 > 0:53:04but the furniture designs they took on have worked out beautifully.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Upstairs, the master bedroom is light and cheerful.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19The living room, with its double aspect and stunning view,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22is exactly what Christine and Derek planned.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28It's always bright, it's always inviting
0:53:28 > 0:53:30and that is beyond price.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34But it doesn't look like the modern interior
0:53:34 > 0:53:36they said they were aiming for.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39I think it's really interesting
0:53:39 > 0:53:41that you've made this room the way you have,
0:53:41 > 0:53:44because you've created a wholly new house, from scratch,
0:53:44 > 0:53:46and this room, basically everything in it
0:53:46 > 0:53:48could have been any time from the last 40 years.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Like this is the eternal British living room,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53with a floral sofa and magnolia walls
0:53:53 > 0:53:56and Anaglypta ceiling and all of that in a brand-new house.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58And there's something about it, for me,
0:53:58 > 0:53:59the key to which are these photos.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Because I look at this gallery and think,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03"This is really what you care about."
0:54:03 > 0:54:05You want this to be cosy and nice, you want to have a nice view,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08but these are the things you're creating a stage for,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11which is your social lives, your memories, all of those things.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13And this house is going to work like that.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15It's probably the room that's most familiar
0:54:15 > 0:54:16to people watching this right now.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18It is reproduced constantly.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21That means it's what people want.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26The living room may be different from what Piers and I imagined,
0:54:26 > 0:54:30but the balcony is exactly as planned.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32So this is the real payoff, isn't it?
0:54:32 > 0:54:34I mean, this lovely terrace.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36- Is it working the way you hoped? - Oh, absolutely.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41This was an absolutely integral, non-negotiable part of the design.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I am glad that we had this glass.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48It's something modern on an otherwise traditional building.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51And it means you get the view, no matter where you sit in the room.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Actually, this is a house that has generous spaces,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55there's lots of light,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58it's full of things like this, that are unconventional,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00and this is a really low-cost house,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and that's really unexpected.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05And you knew what you were talking about all along!
0:55:05 > 0:55:07THEY ALL LAUGH
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Derek, I can see where the money's gone, on your hot tub. Absolutely.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19It's very important to us to be able to relax at the end of the day.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22- Absolutely.- Hot tub aside, though, I like that you,
0:55:22 > 0:55:23unlike many people who do low-cost houses,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27have thought about how the house meets the garden.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29Derek and Christine have created a useful extension
0:55:29 > 0:55:33to the kitchen-diner with a generous deck that's great for entertaining.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39Fear of overspending was one of the key reasons
0:55:39 > 0:55:42the couple rejected big changes during their build.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46So how have the finances worked out?
0:55:46 > 0:55:49You originally said you had a budget of 95,000 for this build.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51How much have you spent, to date?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53We've done it for 108,000.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57And that 108,000 includes everything.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59But did you have a contingency? How have you handled that?
0:55:59 > 0:56:01We hoped we'd have quite a lot of holidays.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- Now we'll only have a few holidays! - Right.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Was there any big-ticket item that blew the budget
0:56:07 > 0:56:09or was it just a cumulative thing?
0:56:09 > 0:56:11It was an extra couple of thousand on the foundations,
0:56:11 > 0:56:13delays in planning,
0:56:13 > 0:56:15we had scaffolding up around the house
0:56:15 > 0:56:17and we were paying rental on the scaffolding.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20That's an unforeseen cost and it was really out of our control.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23But whatever, within 10% of our start budget,
0:56:23 > 0:56:24I'm quite happy with that.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Throughout the build,
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Piers hasn't pulled his punches.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31So is Derek feeling bruised?
0:56:32 > 0:56:35It is important to test your comfort zones.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38And actually, just to explore alternative ways of doing things,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41even if you come back to build something that you're familiar with.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44We always wanted challenging, and you've done that.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48And, OK, we haven't accepted all your ideas, but it's been good fun.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Has it taken a lot out of you, building this?
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Yes.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55Undoubtedly.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58It's difficult, but it's great fun.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01It's a damn good challenge and it's well worth it.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07Remarkably, Derek and Christine have achieved their dream
0:57:07 > 0:57:12of a house in the south of England for a build cost of just £108,000.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16As they finally enjoy the fruits of their labours,
0:57:16 > 0:57:18Piers and I still have a lot to dwell on.
0:57:20 > 0:57:21What's important about this build
0:57:21 > 0:57:23is it challenges people like Piers and I
0:57:23 > 0:57:26to think about what design is really for.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29There's no way that this building is ever going to win any design awards,
0:57:29 > 0:57:33but it's about Derek and Christine creating a lifestyle for themselves.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35And this building is all about enabling that.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37For their retirement, they want to be sociable,
0:57:37 > 0:57:38they want to enjoy themselves
0:57:38 > 0:57:41and this is a building tuned to all of those purposes.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44So I think they've done this with bravery and energy
0:57:44 > 0:57:47and it's a great testament to their own vision.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00Next time...
0:58:00 > 0:58:03Jason and Riikka attempt to build a low-cost home
0:58:03 > 0:58:05with high ambition.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07I thought the house we were building had a lot of glass.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10- But, wow... - This is all glass, isn't it?
0:58:10 > 0:58:13But is theirs even possible for 100K?
0:58:13 > 0:58:17If I saw these drawings, I would say that this would be about 450 grand.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20But will Jason's obsession with detail...
0:58:20 > 0:58:22Two, three.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24It has to be millimetre perfect.
0:58:24 > 0:58:25..be his downfall?
0:58:25 > 0:58:27I just can't believe this.