0:00:02 > 0:00:04The cheapest way to a dream home is to build it yourself.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07This is the exciting bit. Seeing the first bit of dirt come out.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11But can it really be done for less than £100,000?
0:00:11 > 0:00:15If you think outside the box, you can build something extraordinary.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Architect Piers Taylor will push what's possible with their homes.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21How about reconsidering the structure?
0:00:21 > 0:00:23No, I like the structure.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'While I, Kieran Long, will challenge them with fresh ideas on design.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:30- How you feel right now. - Yes. Yes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And show them ingenious solutions possible in any home.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This is the kind of thing we want to do for our grandchildren.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41And they needn't be expensive.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- What do you reckon? - I'm really impressed.- Great.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45That's two good ideas you've come out with today, Piers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47We'll all be pushed.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I have to put my cards on the table now and say I hate the roof.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- I just hate it. - As the homes take shape.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56We are risking all the money, then once it's gone, it's gone.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59But some will turn low-cost self builds...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03..into extraordinary homes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04It looks great.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Wow!
0:01:08 > 0:01:14This time, Jason and Riikka attempted to build a low-cost home with high ambition.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18I thought the house we are building had a lot of glass but wow!
0:01:18 > 0:01:19This is all glass, isn't it?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22But is theirs even possible for 100K?
0:01:22 > 0:01:26I saw these drawings, I would say that this would be about 450 grand.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's the longest build we've ever followed.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35But will Jason's obsession with detail...
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Two, three.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Has to be millimetre perfect.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40..be his downfall?
0:01:40 > 0:01:41I just can't believe this.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Jason and Riikka have lived in Torquay for 15 years...
0:02:00 > 0:02:04- Washing up as ever. - ..in four different old houses.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We've never really lived anywhere that I've felt completely at home.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- It's never YOUR house, is it?- Yeah. - It's always someone else's house.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18They run their own small travel business and now that their two children
0:02:18 > 0:02:21have flown the nest, they've been searching for a place to build their
0:02:21 > 0:02:22dream home.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We don't need a big house, we don't need a fancy house,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30we just need a house that suits our needs.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32As I was driving along, this was sort of midsummer,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I just saw a tiny little sign sticking out of a bush
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and screeched to a halt, jumped out of the car,
0:02:38 > 0:02:39and there it was, plot for sale.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Jason made a remarkable discovery.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47This was sort of covered in ivy, wasn't it?
0:02:47 > 0:02:48It was like you walk in here like...
0:02:48 > 0:02:50"Oh, my God! It's so gorgeous."
0:02:50 > 0:02:53You know? It was just going into a storybook.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Up a forgotten set of winding stairs was a plot of a quarter of an acre.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02With sea views across the town.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08They bought it for £92,000.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11After three years of planning applications and amendments,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15six tonnes of concrete is finally being pumped up to the site
0:03:15 > 0:03:18to form the foundations of their long-awaited dream home.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Right, get your shovel, Sam.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Get plenty of shovels.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Even if it takes us 20 years, we will build a house on this plot.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Yay!
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Whatever it takes, we'll do it because this is where we want to be.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It's going to be my little bit of Finland.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40So I'm very excited. Can't wait.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41The beginning.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:03:43 > 0:03:46First part of a very long journey.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48The rest of it's just going to be easy.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Absolutely easy.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Building a house for less than £100,000 is extremely tough.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Can these first timers prove it can be done?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06As a journalist of architecture and design,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I've spent most of my career searching out
0:04:09 > 0:04:11the very best buildings in the world.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17'While architect Piers Taylor has a reputation for pushing the boundaries
0:04:17 > 0:04:20'of what's possible to achieve on budgets large and small.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25'This is our opportunity to see what
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'Jason and Riikka are attempting to build.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'They are planning a three-bedroom single storey modern house.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36'They want a Scandinavian feel, with clean lines and no clutter.'
0:04:36 > 0:04:38At first, the entrance appears hidden.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The front door only becomes clear once you enter a glass cube.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47On the other side is an enclosed galley style kitchen
0:04:47 > 0:04:50with a dining area beyond.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53These both look onto an enclosed courtyard at the back of the plot.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The main living area is a separate room at the front
0:04:59 > 0:05:02which has a wall of fixed glass to make the most of the sea views.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10From here, a corridor leads to two guest bedrooms, a wet room,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14then onto a master bedroom, complete with a walk in wardrobe.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'So, will this home be as successful as Jason and Riikka hope?'
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Riikka's dream is about trying to create Scandinavian modern architecture.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Seems to me that that's a quite unforgiving mode to take when you are
0:05:29 > 0:05:30trying to build extremely low cost.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34It looks way ambitious for £100,000.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38This is a building that's been designed in isolation from the site.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41You open a gate on the street that effectively is their front door,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45but then you go up this long winding path and then instead of the view
0:05:45 > 0:05:49being revealed to you, there's another layer of stuff to get into the house.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Every bit of glass is sealed,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57except for these narrow little conventional patio doors that don't belong.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01When I think of the classic Modernist idiom of building on a hillside,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05taking in a view, it's all about that surface just folding away and you're
0:06:05 > 0:06:08continuously living inside and outside,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11enjoying the landscape and having your house as part of that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13This is totally denying them that opportunity.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15They want something extraordinary.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18This isn't going to be it, but actually, we can help them get it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Jason and Riikka expects to finish their house in less than 12 months
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and Jason is building the entire thing himself.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29How are you doing? Nice to meet you. Riikka?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Yes.- And Jason.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Pleased to meet you. - Piers, nice to meet you.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Nice to meet you too. So, look at this.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Piers wants to start by saving them a lot of time and money
0:06:38 > 0:06:40on how people arrive at their home.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46For me, this is an amazing house, an amazing site,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and it is nothing like the house next door,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53where they have a very recognisable front door.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55This is the way into the building and the house,
0:06:55 > 0:06:56so this is the front door...
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- Yep.- And you will buzz people in here.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Sure, yeah. Yeah.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03This is such an unusual and special way
0:07:03 > 0:07:06to arrive at a building, and then...
0:07:08 > 0:07:10..you do it all over again when you get here.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- Yeah.- That doesn't seem to me to make sense.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15No. Yeah, it's definitely food for thought.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Not taking advantage of the natural landscape of this site is completely
0:07:21 > 0:07:25at odds with the reason Jason and Riikka fell in love with the plot in the first place.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Now, inside the building,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Piers wants to interrogate the pair on more design decisions.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36This entire area is all open-plan
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and the whole front of that bay is glass from floor to ceiling.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44This will get potentially quite hot here in the summer.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48The whole front of the house where all this glass potentially sits
0:07:48 > 0:07:49is going to have a canopy over anyway.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52So the immediate direct sunlight is not going to penetrate through.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56What I'm planning on doing is on this wall that separates the main lounge
0:07:56 > 0:08:00and the kitchen, I'm going to put a discrete air-conditioning unit,
0:08:00 > 0:08:01because there's so much glass in that area,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03we have an area of the house where, you know,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05we can cool that down as we need to.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Why wouldn't you design it so you didn't need an air-conditioning unit?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12If I could do one thing, it would be try to persuade you
0:08:12 > 0:08:14not to use an air-conditioning unit.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16The words go through me.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17LAUGHTER
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20A first principle in designing a home
0:08:20 > 0:08:23is considering the movement of the sun.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Building a new home in Britain that needs air-conditioning is crazy.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Especially on a low cost home.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The complexity here is enormous.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I can tell you right now, if I saw these drawings and they were priced by a contractor,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I would say that this would be about two grand a square metre.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39450 grand.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42That's the lower end of domestic bespoke.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48They have made a classic mistake of adding complexity to their design
0:08:48 > 0:08:49instead of taking it away.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Piers must try and get them to simplify this building.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57My first question,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02why do you need such a lot of devices to get you into the house?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06There's one wall that stops you seeing past there, there's another lobby,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and then there's another lobby again.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10And then you're into the house.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12That seems to me to be quite complicated.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I think that's going to be a nice feature.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I think it's going to be an unusual feature and I think especially at
0:09:17 > 0:09:20night, we are going to do hopefully some quite...
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- Funky lighting. - Funky light system in there,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24perhaps from the floor up into the glass.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26That's not really so much part of an entrance to the house,
0:09:26 > 0:09:27more of a feature of the house.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Piers' first key suggestion would make the arrival of the building
0:09:33 > 0:09:34far more simple.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Removing the glazed block from the outside makes it more
0:09:38 > 0:09:39understated and less gimmicky.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Adding features like these costs thousands and takes time.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50The only thing they should be adding is flexibility.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54You talk a lot about open-plan, but here's a wall, here's a wall,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57why wouldn't you actually just take that wall out?
0:09:57 > 0:10:02- Um...- I guess I was trying to make that more open-plan than it is.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You are stuck at the back and actually, you know,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08the view and aspect is that way.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11The fixed west-facing glass worries me.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16I want you to be able to use all of the site as easily as possible.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Would you not want to be able to open up those ones?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It would be a nice feature.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23That's where the sun, you know, comes in there, doesn't it?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Yeah.- And that'll be an amazing kind of sun trap.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31To be able to really genuinely extend your living area out that way...
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- It's something to be looked at. - I'm probing at every bit of this...
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- Yeah, sure.- It's a little bit uncomfortable in some ways,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40it's essential really to interrogate every bit of the building.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Piers wants Jason and Riikka to reconsider the layout
0:10:44 > 0:10:47of the main living spaces and how they're connected.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Making the building more open-plan
0:10:51 > 0:10:54means it'll be far more flexible to live in.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It also means the view can be enjoyed whilst cooking.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Their plans don't allow the big glass panels to open
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and access is limited to two patio-style doors in the middle.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Piers suggests they should change these for ones that slide back,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14that will allow the living area to spill out of the doors
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and make it more adaptable.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21But already, three years into the planning of their home,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24getting this pair to make changes now will not be easy.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Unpicking is really hard.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32But they've got to do it to make this a really good building.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It's vital we shall Jason and Riikka how simplicity
0:11:39 > 0:11:41is the secret to a successful home.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48I've managed to get access to one of the country's best homes to do it,
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Capel Manor House.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59It's one of the best examples in Britain of modernist architecture.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03These houses were all about trying to live with the surroundings,
0:12:03 > 0:12:04live with the garden.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The foliage, the trees, the flowers and so on, surrounding the site.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Take away as many barriers as possible.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12In a way, this is one of the clearest examples
0:12:12 > 0:12:15you'll find in Britain and it's Grade 2-star listed,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16a real part of our heritage now.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Modernism became the most important architectural style
0:12:23 > 0:12:25of the 20th century.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It was brought to Britain by European migrants in the 1930s and '40s.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The thing that strikes me is just how simple this building is.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It's incredibly straightforward.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Just a rectangle of glass on a steel frame.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45I thought the house we're building had a lot of glass, but wow!
0:12:45 > 0:12:46This is all glass, isn't it?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Modernist architects in the first half of the 20th century
0:12:55 > 0:12:58used new materials to reinvent what architecture could be.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Steel, concrete and glass were often used to create
0:13:03 > 0:13:05strong geometric shapes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Michael Manser was a British pioneer who designed
0:13:08 > 0:13:12many great modernist houses during his long and distinguished career,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14including this one in 1971.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17'Jason and Riikka could learn huge amounts
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'from the simple flexibility on show here.'
0:13:21 > 0:13:24This glass facade is just a single skin
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and you go directly from the landscape inside the house.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Why is your building so complicated to get into?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Because I love this directness.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Our building, it can't be seen from anywhere.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35All there is is this little gate by the road.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And as you go up that gate, you twist and wind up a path,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41when you get to the top, all you can see really is a massive wall.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43And a little doorway leading into the house.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44So it kind of keeps you guessing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46It's a very different concept to this house.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- So, you want that sense of mystery. - Yeah, that sense of mystery.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It's a nice idea, but in a house this simple,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53everything becomes really clear.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Whether your windows are big or small,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00take time to consider how you can make the most of them.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04If you get that right, your enjoyment of a space can be transformed.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09This is a house where views out onto the beautiful garden are constantly
0:14:09 > 0:14:11played with through changes of level
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and the inventive placement of furniture.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The timber ceiling continues through to the overhang outside
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and on the floor, one precisely laid tile floor
0:14:23 > 0:14:26runs across all boundaries.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Investing time and money on these key elements
0:14:28 > 0:14:32has made this building feel larger, more simple,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and brings the garden in as part of the experience of the interior.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The current owners of this home love it so much that they commissioned a
0:14:40 > 0:14:4321st-century take on Manser's classic.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47They have had another single storey glass-fronted pavilion
0:14:47 > 0:14:49built within the grounds.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- It's fantastic.- It's so simple, isn't it, and clear,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- the way it's designed? - I think it's stunning.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I think it's absolutely stunning.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58With a zinc roof and poured concrete walls,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04architect Euan Cameron has designed a sleek, modern relation.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Views across the garden are interrupted.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The bathrooms use opaque glass to maintain privacy...
0:15:19 > 0:15:20But it's the sliding doors
0:15:20 > 0:15:24opening straight onto the terrace from the bedroom
0:15:24 > 0:15:26that I want them to experience.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27It's a sunny day, and you sort of get up,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30walk straight out of this beautiful facade and you are into the terrace.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I love how here the floor material is the same.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35There's no threshold at all.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36The threshold's level.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Imagine being in a room like this during the winter.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40You can really experience all of that.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41You can be indoors,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43nice and snug and dry
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but you can kind of still almost feel like you're
0:15:46 > 0:15:48exposed to the elements.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Riikka appears sold on the benefits of sliding glass
0:15:52 > 0:15:55but Jason is still to be convinced.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Very clever, isn't it, because if you look over there,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00you see directly out into the garden with no frame at all.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The glass for them is the critical component of the build.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07If they can get the glass right,
0:16:07 > 0:16:08it's going to be a fantastic place to live.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11If they get it wrong, there's a real risk that they'll just be in a kind
0:16:11 > 0:16:13of semi-goldfish bowl arrangement,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16they'll never be able to enjoy the outside and never be able to enjoy
0:16:16 > 0:16:18the potential of that fantastic location.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So it really is important for them.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32It's been a long ten months since Jason put the foundations in
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and only now are the first signs of the structure starting to appear.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Perfect.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43It's taken a while, but the blocks and steels that will form this
0:16:43 > 0:16:46modern home, are now all on site.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48This is a dream that I've harboured for a long time.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51When I was a little boy, I actually found out my dad,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53he'd actually done a very rare thing in those days,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57he'd bought the land and he'd bought the plans of a house he'd like to put on there.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00And then he hired the contractors in to do the work.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It planted a seed all those years ago and that stayed with me.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08As a child, I thought, this is our home, this truly is our home.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10No-one else has ever lived here. This is our family home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13With his childhood dream becoming a reality,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Jason is focusing on the build.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16You got four two?
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Good, good. It's looking good.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21While Riikka looks after the family business,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23a travel company that promotes the UK
0:17:23 > 0:17:25as a holiday destination to Scandinavians.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I can't afford to take the train.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29The train is too expensive.
0:17:29 > 0:17:323:40, I have to be in my car from Torquay
0:17:32 > 0:17:35to be in the office for about 8:15 in the morning.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38You know, I won't be home until midnight, gone midnight, perhaps.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's not ideal but it's what needs to be done.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I wouldn't want to be in Jason's shoes.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I can only imagine how stressful it is for him
0:17:47 > 0:17:51because he knows that it's kind of up to him to get the house built.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Now, at least six months behind schedule,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58winter is coming, and for Jason,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02his first self build is just getting harder and harder.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Here we go again.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I spend so long, so many sleepless nights, planning all this stuff,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15but you just never know what's round the corner.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26With those steps, I sometimes wonder how many times in my life I'm going
0:18:26 > 0:18:28to be going up and down them.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30How many times I will have gone up and down them.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32It's got to be a few thousand already.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40And just when he needs to be on site the most,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44he can't even leave his rental flat.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I just went down on Monday morning, first concrete block I picked up,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I picked up...
0:18:52 > 0:18:56with my back slightly twisted as I picked it, and that was it.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57Felt like I got shot in the back.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59I knew I'd put my back out and that was that.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03So I'm just recuperating now and very annoyed about it.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08It's the worst-case scenario for any self builder.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11With Jason injured, all works draw to a halt.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17In an ideal world, we should have done this when we were in our late 20s
0:19:17 > 0:19:20but who's got the money to do that?
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Riikka has had enough of the daily commute and sleeping on friends' sofas,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28so has made the permanent move to London, staying on a houseboat.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I didn't get married not to spend time with my husband.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It's kind of getting to me now and I do miss him.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I miss him so much. You know, so...
0:19:37 > 0:19:38Yeah, it's not ideal.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It's January 2015 and Jason back on site.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Here comes the rain.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54But this time he's not alone.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58This year, I probably am going to pay for more labour because I've
0:19:58 > 0:20:01achieved so much on my own and now it's about speed.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I need to get the house built, I need to get it finished.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06It's going to be all hands to the pump really
0:20:06 > 0:20:08to get it up and get it done.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Now, the build can move forward,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21it'll soon be time to order the bespoke windows
0:20:21 > 0:20:24that will dominate the building.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It's our last opportunity to convince Jason to choose panes
0:20:28 > 0:20:30that open rather than fixed ones.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33But also to find out if he's simplified the building.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Jason is about to spend £20,000, a fifth of his budget, on the glass.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41If he gets it wrong, it'll be a nightmare for him.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45If they seal up this building, it'll be an environmental disaster.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54- Hi, Jason. - Hello, Piers. How are you doing?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- How are you doing? Very well. - Good, long time no see.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Absolutely, yeah. Look at this.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00- How is it all going?- Slowly.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02More slowly than I'd like.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03This is the wall, isn't it?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- It's going to be orange?- Yeah.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07That was going to be orange and we were going to have
0:21:07 > 0:21:09the glass block on the entrance there.
0:21:09 > 0:21:10Are you still doing that glass...?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It's on hold at the moment.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Removing the glass cube from the outside
0:21:14 > 0:21:16is a massive win for this house.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18But on the inside,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Jason is still intending to divide the kitchen from the main living space.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26The main wall that we are planning is a wall here.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It's not going to be the full length,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30it's only going to be about half the length of this area.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- What does that wall do?- Erm...
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Just partmentalises the kitchen...
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- Yeah.- And it also gives us in terms of using the other side of that wall,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43a lot more storage space in the kitchen as well.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Having found a plot blessed with an incredible view,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Jason seems happy to lose it in favour of storage.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54He still seems to be prioritising the wrong things.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And where are you with the doors and windows?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01We are either having solid glass throughout,
0:22:01 > 0:22:02or we are going to go for bifold.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04How do you deal with solar gain?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Has there been an environmental model?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Because the direct solar gain in here will be immense.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Mm. Probably will be actually.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13In an ideal world, wouldn't you open all of it?
0:22:16 > 0:22:21Wouldn't you just be able to meander outside, you know, all the time?
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- If this is sealed, I wonder whether you will ever go out there.- Mm.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Riikka was already sold on the sliding glass but has today's site
0:22:30 > 0:22:34visit from Piers helped finally convince Jason?
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Do you reckon you are going to do this?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Makes perfect sense.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41A huge part of the house is glass, having come this far,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45I couldn't bear the looking at a certain piece of glass or a door and
0:22:45 > 0:22:46going, "Not right."
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's really good to see Jason understand that his living area
0:22:51 > 0:22:56isn't just a small living room, it's actually part of the outside.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It's a decision that will be an enormous benefit to this building.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Now Jason must press on with the order.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07But every calculation, measurement and detail must be right.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The stress he is under is enormous.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13He's done the measuring.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14They are custom made.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16They are very expensive.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18When they turn up, if they don't fit,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21there's only one person to blame.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23From the earliest designs for this building,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25it was all about the glass.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28The momentous day of fitting has finally arrived.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Jason has left nothing to chance.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33We've actually take in four sets of measurements,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36so if they are wrong now, I give up.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42The delivery is right on time, along with some challenging weather.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45The wind is blowing at about 35 knots.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Not exactly an ideal day for handling huge panes of glass.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It's an awful lot of money, balancing very high on a lorry.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Right up against that one.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59A little bit, little bit.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Right on the kerb, yeah?
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Marvellous.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Jason and Riikka have spent £18,000 to buy the very best glass
0:24:09 > 0:24:11for the windows and doors they can afford.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14A bit more this way.
0:24:16 > 0:24:2119 enormous individual components of high-performance glass encased in
0:24:21 > 0:24:26sleek precision aluminium frames are craned through the sky.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Jason can barely watch.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35As the bad weather closes in, Jason swiftly directs operations.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39That is the back door over here.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42With each window costing almost £1,000,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46it's critical everything is handled with the utmost care.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48SLIGHT BANG
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- The frame facing on the floor as well, isn't it?- All right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53With all the windows on the site,
0:24:53 > 0:25:00stage one is complete and the team can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01SIGNIFICANT BANG
0:25:01 > 0:25:02- Oh...- BLEEP!
0:25:02 > 0:25:04The window's gone.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08A sudden gust of wind has sent a window crashing to the ground.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09- And it's on the- BLEEP- frame.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12With the corner of the casing damaged,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14the entire window must now be replaced.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16Don't believe it.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21That is a grand's worth of window...
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and a three-month wait for a new one.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26A critical £1,000 lost.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30But Jason must remain focused on the task in hand.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33First one going in. At least I measured this one right.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39But there appears to be a problem.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Jason's measurements are perfect but for a different type of frame.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47They are 20 mil difference, obviously ten mil each side.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51And I've measured that door over there from aluminium to aluminium
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and you've got five mil each side.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Despite Jason's impeccable attention to detail, they don't fit.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's like they've designed the windows to go really flush into something.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Yes. Like we said, maybe cladded or something.- Mm.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07The windows sent from the supplier didn't have
0:26:07 > 0:26:10the edging strips Jason was expecting.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11I just can't believe this.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I absolutely can't believe it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17The wooden part of the frame is actually going to be past
0:26:17 > 0:26:19the outer leaf of the building.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22There's nothing to actually render up to.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The preparation, the checking, the double-checking, the triple checking,
0:26:26 > 0:26:27it's madness.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Just feel sick, absolutely sick.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I couldn't have done any more,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I couldn't have worked harder to get where we are, and for this...
0:26:37 > 0:26:39This just major cock up is...
0:26:39 > 0:26:41OBJECT RATTLES
0:26:41 > 0:26:42It's just a disaster.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It's ripping on corners, that's the issue.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52This problem won't get resolved today.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Jason has no option but to quickly protect the windows from the elements...
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Grab that, you got it there?
0:26:57 > 0:26:58..and close the site.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05You work so hard, you absolutely check, double-check,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07triple check everything is right.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Been one of the worst days of my life, if I'm honest.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13It's the last thing the project needed.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Piers has built his own home and is only too familiar
0:27:18 > 0:27:20with the pressure of self builds.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And crucially, how to solve problems.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27What solutions will he have that might help Jason
0:27:27 > 0:27:29to start seeing light at the end of the tunnel?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- Hi, Piers.- Hey, Kieran. How are you doing?- Great to see you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Yeah, yeah, really well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36Poor Jason and Riikka.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40I mean, it's really a disastrous turn of events for Jason
0:27:40 > 0:27:41and I feel for him so much.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42He's so careful,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45he's spent so many years on his own on that site
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and now this problem with the windows.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Jason, he expects to be able to control everything.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Somehow, it hasn't worked.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It doesn't fit. Jason has his own battle to fight with the windows
0:27:55 > 0:27:58but I still think there are things that we can do to help them
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and the key thing is simplifying the construction.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02There's stuff that he can do himself,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05self finish materials and techniques that make the building
0:28:05 > 0:28:07simple to put together, and I'm really interested in that
0:28:07 > 0:28:10because that's the language of contemporary buildings as well.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It's May 2016, well into the third year of this build.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25After closing the site for two months and waiting three months for new window casings,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Jason and Riikka's home is finally watertight.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32They are all in, they are all sealed, and they are looking fantastic, so,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34yeah, very, very pleased with those.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38A solution has been found between the architect and the suppliers.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Each window frame has been fitted with an edging strip.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45This has cost Jason more valuable time to fit
0:28:45 > 0:28:47but luckily only a small material cost.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51It hasn't done a lot for my back or my knees, or my hips,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53but we are getting there.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55With the windows all in,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Jason can finally turn his attention to the interior.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01We had the debate earlier in the year with Piers
0:29:01 > 0:29:04about this particular internal wall that we were having here.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09Squaring off the kitchen and I'm very pleased to say Piers was 100%
0:29:09 > 0:29:11correct because I think if we would have put the wall in,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13it would have been an absolute disaster.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15We would have lost so much of the open-plan
0:29:15 > 0:29:17and so much of the view from everywhere.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19That was absolutely great.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Really, really chuffed we did that.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24This is a great win for simplicity in this modern house.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28It is now vital Piers and I help Jason and Riikka
0:29:28 > 0:29:31to make the most of the open-plan space they will now have.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Piers is back in Devon,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45looking for materials that could provide a stunning low-cost backdrop
0:29:45 > 0:29:47to the couple's Scandinavian interior.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55I'm in a fish market in Brixham, on the south coast, near Torquay.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59I love places like this because they are really working places and they
0:29:59 > 0:30:01need to use materials that are really robust.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05White, glossy plastic cladding is the material of choice
0:30:05 > 0:30:07in places like this.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Wipe clean and hygienic,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12it's used in fish markets and commercial kitchens
0:30:12 > 0:30:13up and down the land.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Jason and Riikka talk about making a modern building
0:30:16 > 0:30:19but a modern building isn't just a question of what colour you paint the wall.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25I think you could use this material to make a really super slick,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27super contemporary interior.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Piers has tracked down the firm who fitted out the fish market.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Will Jason and Riikka be convinced to use it too?
0:30:39 > 0:30:45So, this might not look much but this material is really versatile.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Beautiful, white, gloss.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52You can see that you can do your kitchen, you could do the walls,
0:30:52 > 0:30:53you could do the reveals.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55It's very, very versatile.
0:30:55 > 0:31:01Yeah, that would make a phenomenal backing for the main island as well.
0:31:01 > 0:31:02This would be great as an island.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04You can weld the seams.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06So you don't even see the seams.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07- Oh, really?- All right.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10The attraction for me is that this banishes wet trade,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12don't like plaster, don't like paint, you know.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Self finish materials that go straight on and
0:31:14 > 0:31:17don't need any finishing for me are the future.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Looks great.- The million-dollar question is is it expensive?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22It's about 24 quid a sheet.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24- OK.- Right. - But doesn't need any finishing.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Really hygienic, very durable.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28And effectively lasts forever.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31But will a material used in a fish market
0:31:31 > 0:31:34really be what Jason and Riikka had in mind
0:31:34 > 0:31:36for their Scandinavian-inspired home?
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Back at the house, Piers is keen to see if the cladding could be used
0:31:45 > 0:31:47creatively in other areas.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51If we are talking about using a material to bind the house together,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I wonder where else you could use it
0:31:53 > 0:31:57- and I think this feels like a wet room.- Yes, it is.- It is.
0:31:57 > 0:31:58And what's going on the walls in here?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01The actual finish is undecided.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02Could be white gloss.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04- Could be.- White gloss wet room.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- Everything white gloss. - Save a lot on tiles.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- Exactly.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10Save a lot on tiles.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15What is best about this material is that it isn't just a finish,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19it's a really modern material that is able to be fixed
0:32:19 > 0:32:23with minimal mess, minimal fuss in a really time efficient way.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25It's a very clever use of materials
0:32:25 > 0:32:28because it's something that Jason can do himself.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39After a series of delays and injuries,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43the priority now for Jason has to be getting the house finished,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45with minimal effort and cost.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Every day, I see big difference in the house.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I've got to that stage where I'm kind of jumping out of bed
0:32:52 > 0:32:54instead of trying to drag myself out of bed.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Piers has given Jason a much-needed boost.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Back in London, Riikka is starting to believe the end could be in sight.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Now that there's actual walls in there and there's actually a roof
0:33:07 > 0:33:10and you can get a sense of the height of the rooms
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and kind of the actual space you've got to play with,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17we both agree we want everything to be kind of minimalistic, you know,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19and not an awful lot of clutter.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22But on the outside of the house,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24there are still design problems to be solved.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28The soffit cladding for the section all around the house that's going to
0:33:28 > 0:33:31house the downlighters, is a huge visual feature on the house
0:33:31 > 0:33:34and something that I've given so much thought about,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37the canopy catches your eye when you're inside but before you see the
0:33:37 > 0:33:39underside of the canopy, the soffit,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42you see these beautiful Danish window frames we've got
0:33:42 > 0:33:44that are a Scandinavian pine.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Hopefully, it's going to have the desired effect.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55For Riikka, the seemingly effortless, simple,
0:33:55 > 0:34:00Scandinavian home she dreams of is a far cry from her current digs.
0:34:00 > 0:34:01We've done nothing here.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05The only thing that ours is the rug.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08This is not how I fathom my house to look.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Jason and Riikka have been really in the trenches with their build.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19They've been struggling hard and having some real setbacks along the way.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21But I want to talk about how we can reanimate this process,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23inspire them again about architecture.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I believe that Scandinavian design is not something
0:34:28 > 0:34:30you can buy or copy from a show home.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32It's about a culture and a way of living.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37So I've brought Jason and Riikka to Denmark to try to find some real
0:34:37 > 0:34:41examples of what I think they mean by Scandinavian design.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46One hour from Copenhagen, amongst lakes and forests,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50I've uncovered some stunning examples of low-cost summerhouses.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02We are most used, perhaps, to seeing Scandinavian design in style magazines
0:35:02 > 0:35:04and in fancy glossy photos,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07but I think it's in a birch forest where you're going to understand best
0:35:07 > 0:35:09where the roots of Scandinavian design really are.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17- Wow!- That is stunning.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It's a lovely little clearing, isn't it?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Yes.- A wonderful setting for a house.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24The whole Scandinavian design ethos
0:35:24 > 0:35:27is based on a relationship with nature.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29You've got that wall of glass and you just see how they live
0:35:29 > 0:35:31- continuously with this beautiful landscape.- Yeah.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- It's like living in the forest. - Absolutely.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35There's something very powerful about that.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37It's a rainy day to see a summer house,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- so I want to take you closer to the building and show you something else.- OK.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44'This is a summer house designed by Danish architect, Michael Christensen.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48'At 64 square metres, it's a small building.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51'But by extending a canopy above the terrace,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55'it increases the footprint and provide shelter from rain or shade from the sun.'
0:35:55 > 0:35:59This overhang is rather beautifully done and shading a fully glazed
0:35:59 > 0:36:03facade is a good thing to do for solar gain, for views, transparency,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06and you are doing that. It achieves a lot with very little.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10These timber battens, and a plastic roof, it's very beautiful actually.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11And it couldn't be simpler.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14It's the sort of thing you would never think of doing in a million years
0:36:14 > 0:36:17but to actually see it up there, it's an amazing effect.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And it completely fits this landscape.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21You are just surrounded by wood.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23By one material. It's very, very powerful.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28'Scandinavian style tends to use natural materials and colours,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30'which makes modern spaces feel homely.'
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Here there are low-cost pine floors,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35walls and ceilings painted white
0:36:35 > 0:36:39and simple white furnishings make it look bright and modern.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It also importantly doesn't detract from the landscape beyond,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44which remains the focal point.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Deeper into the birch forest is another summerhouse.
0:36:52 > 0:36:59Mikael and his wife Sara Martinson built and designed barn house cabin as a retreat.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01The total cost was £67,000.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The red cedar cladding and industrial metal roof makes an unfussy,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08carefully composed building.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10A theme that's continued inside.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17So, this is a super simple open airy calm space.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20For me, this is what I mean by Scandinavian interior.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21Is it what you mean by Scandinavian interior?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Yeah. Uncluttered, very simple.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26Nowhere really for dust to gather.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29But the thing that for me is most important about this interior
0:37:29 > 0:37:32is the way the outside is part of the interior.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34- Absolutely.- The forest here, it is a fantastic view, isn't it?
0:37:34 > 0:37:35Yes, absolutely beautiful.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38It's not a very big building but you get a huge feeling of space inside.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40It's absolutely fantastic.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43And that feeling of space is no coincidence.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45It's down to the right choice of materials.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51It's timber, it's glass, it's the steel, and that's about it.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Jason and Riikka have made their home more open-plan.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58This house defines areas subtly.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03I love this little sort of snug area.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Just shows what you can do with furniture.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Even though it's open-plan, you've definitely got a defined living room.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11You're thinking about opening up your interior more, aren't you?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And I think you could do a lot with what you choose to put in it.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15To create spaces, not just with walls.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Yeah, absolutely. Now that we've made the decision
0:38:18 > 0:38:22of getting rid of the wall between the kitchen and living space,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25it all flows nicely from one space to the other.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31The natural landscape outside is reflected inside
0:38:31 > 0:38:34by using natural materials for furnishings.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Here, oak floors are matched with pale wooden furniture.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Scandinavian designers then accessorise with earthy tones -
0:38:43 > 0:38:44greys, blues and browns.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49The result is beautifully tuned,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52feels lived in, and is not expensive.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55One of the things people think about Scandinavian design
0:38:55 > 0:38:57is that it is all about modern pieces.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00But I love this old radio and the upcycled furniture
0:39:00 > 0:39:04and the sense that sort of old wine crates might be used as bookshelves.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07And even the art, which is a kind of collage of old pieces of timber from
0:39:07 > 0:39:08the designer's own work.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Everything here has a story to do with the family who lives here
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and that is what gives it a sense of homeliness.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23There are other great low-cost ideas on show.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29This flatpack sideboard has been upholstered in second-hand fabrics.
0:39:29 > 0:39:30And in the bathroom,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34the cabinet has been made from offcuts left from the kitchen cupboards.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37If you took one thing away from seeing an interior like this,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39it's that sense that it's about things you can see
0:39:39 > 0:39:44and identify what they are, it's colours that are calm and muted, very few materials,
0:39:44 > 0:39:45usually natural materials,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48which is what Scandinavian design achieves so often.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Every Scandinavian country has a great design heritage,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57but it was the Danes who have perhaps become best known across the world
0:39:57 > 0:39:59as pioneers of mid-century modern furniture.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05On the outskirts of Copenhagen is an enormous warehouse
0:40:05 > 0:40:07filled with world renowned Danish classics.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11I think it's quite amazing to see all this stuff in just one place.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12It's like Indiana Jones or something.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- Yes.- A big cave of stuff.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18I want to take Riikka on a trip down memory lane.
0:40:18 > 0:40:19Look. There's a Lokki.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22- I remember that from your mum's flat, yeah.- Yeah.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And show them how they could use furniture to really bring
0:40:25 > 0:40:27their open-plan space to life.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30I really wanted to bring you to a shop and not a museum
0:40:30 > 0:40:35because for me, design is not about something that should be on a plinth and never used.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37It's about the democracy of this kind of design,
0:40:37 > 0:40:38modernism was for the people.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39I love this chair.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42This chair is just so cool.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44This is just such a wonderful piece, isn't it?
0:40:44 > 0:40:48- This famous Arne Jacobsen chair must be one of the most imitated chairs in the history of design.- Yes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50But there's nothing like the classic.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51It's very cool.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52When I was a kid in the '70s,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54some of the designs of some of the chairs I've seen here
0:40:54 > 0:40:57were all the rage and they were called G Plan.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59G Plan, of course, was a direct copy of Danish design.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00- Was it?- Oh, really?
0:41:00 > 0:41:03There were a series of companies in Britain in the '50s and '60s which
0:41:03 > 0:41:06copied the Danish design coming out in the '40s and '50s.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08We are really here are the kind of wellspring
0:41:08 > 0:41:10of that post-war design ethos.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Modern pieces like these have characteristic lightweight sweeping shapes.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Quality materials such as walnut,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25rosewood and teak were then finished in fabrics
0:41:25 > 0:41:27inspired by colours found in nature.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Some of my favourite pieces are these beautiful dining chairs.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Designed by Hans Wegner.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40I think one of the things we learned from modernist furniture is how deployable and flexible it can be.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41I mean, this kind of furniture
0:41:41 > 0:41:45obviously is beautifully designed to fold and configure itself differently,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49but you could do the same thing with a couple of trestles and a beautiful piece of timber on the top.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57Consider investing in a design classic that could define a room,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00rather than filling spaces with a generic suite of furniture.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03There's one piece I really wanted to show you.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08This beautiful sofa, which is an absolute Danish classic.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09I've never seen this before.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- Have you not?- It's gorgeous.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13So, this is by a designer called Boyer Mogensen.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15And he designed this in 1945.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17So, can you imagine the war has just finished,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19the occupation of Denmark has just ended,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22this piece is in a way for me like somebody imagining a new kind of
0:42:22 > 0:42:23lifestyle, a new way of living.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25It's about relaxing, it's about lounging.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Feels kind of quite private and intimate,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- if there is two of you. - It's very cosy.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- Isn't it?- I've just noticed how that works.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Yeah. Isn't this great? More comfy seat, Riikka?
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Ah!
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Oh, that's so cool. I've got to test this.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39- This is so cool.- How good is that?
0:42:39 > 0:42:41It's playful.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43I love this sofa.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44I really hope this trip to Denmark
0:42:44 > 0:42:47has crystallised some broader ideas for Jason and Riikka
0:42:47 > 0:42:49that can influence their new home.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Up until now, it's all been about building
0:42:54 > 0:42:56and it's all been about construction
0:42:56 > 0:42:58but now we're the point where we have to think about
0:42:58 > 0:43:00what we are going to put in house.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06Hopefully these houses and furnishings have given them a big push in the right direction
0:43:06 > 0:43:08but this build is in a critical stage.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14We need to help them bring together some of these big ideas and ensure
0:43:14 > 0:43:16they make it into the final design.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Kieran has really raised the bar with this one
0:43:23 > 0:43:26and shown Jason and Riikka some extraordinary Scandinavian furniture.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29And really got them to think about how they're going to use the house,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31how they're going to live in it.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35The critical thing for me now is to translate that into a reality
0:43:35 > 0:43:36that is affordable and achievable.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43Piers must come up with one final idea that makes the most of this space.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47And this feels ready for furniture.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49- Yes.- Indeed.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51In an ideal world, what else would you do in here?
0:43:51 > 0:43:55What I don't want is this conventional lounge set-up
0:43:55 > 0:43:59where you've got a sofa and a coffee table and then the television
0:43:59 > 0:44:01is focal point of the room. I don't want that.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06So any suggestions that gets us away from that are very welcome.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Adding a set of sofas and chairs into this space
0:44:10 > 0:44:12that are focused on a television
0:44:12 > 0:44:15would quickly shift the focal point away from the view.
0:44:18 > 0:44:24I wonder about building something very low that came along here,
0:44:24 > 0:44:26possibly turned the corner there,
0:44:26 > 0:44:30but allowed you to sit over here and look at the view that way
0:44:30 > 0:44:32and allowed the TV not to dominate the wall.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34- Yeah.- I like that idea a lot.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Yeah, absolutely.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40Piers wants to use the sweeping shapes Jason and Riikka loved in Denmark,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43a simple platform made out of light-coloured timber
0:44:43 > 0:44:47could be done for as little as £200 of materials.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50I don't think it can be just a regular corner thing,
0:44:50 > 0:44:51it's got to be a bit more...
0:44:51 > 0:44:53It's much more interesting if it's a little...
0:44:53 > 0:44:55- Yeah.- And it's more ambiguous.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Two people can sit there.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00One person can sit there and look at the view that way.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03And then I think you use colour for the cushions,
0:45:03 > 0:45:04which can be really fun.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06In Copenhagen, what I really liked in there
0:45:06 > 0:45:08was that lots of the colours that they had used
0:45:08 > 0:45:09were very, sort of, earthy colours.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13And I thought in that particular environment, it was very nice.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16I think this will look better than a three-and-a-half grand sofa.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21This house has a fantastic site
0:45:21 > 0:45:25and it's really taken its toll on Jason and Riikka.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27There have been a number of setbacks.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30To come here today and finally see something
0:45:30 > 0:45:33close to a finished building, is brilliant.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39This project has pushed Jason to the absolute limit.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Now, with his eye on the finish line,
0:45:41 > 0:45:45he must stay calm for one final push.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Right. This is deadly serious.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49It's a big floor.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54Jason has spent £6,000 on his floor.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58136 square metres of tiles need to be laid through the entire building.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02It has to be millimetre perfect.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04The problem is we've got a ten-metre line
0:46:04 > 0:46:07running right the way down the whole length of the building.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09If it bends slightly, you'll see it a mile away.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13The effect of these tiles is critical to the final finish.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16We are about a millimetre or so out on that tile.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18About four mil to the right.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Some gentle persuasion is needed to get the lines just so.
0:46:24 > 0:46:25Two, three.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- And again.- Two, three.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32- One more, I'd say.- Two, three.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35That's better.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38The actual building is coming together really quickly now.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41It's got to be right, so if we need to go the extra mile then we will.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Jason has strived for perfection
0:46:44 > 0:46:48but will the result meet his exacting standards?
0:46:50 > 0:46:52The whole thing went an awful lot then.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03From the very beginning, this build has taken a huge toll on the couple.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10And after three years of planning, then three long years of building,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12it's taken a very long time, too.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17This has to have been one of the longest-running and most ambitious builds we've ever featured.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19It's almost broken Jason and Riikka.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21At times it looked like it might never be finished.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Today, we are back to see what the final house looks like
0:47:24 > 0:47:27and to find out how much it cost.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30After so much debate over how the house sits on the site...
0:47:30 > 0:47:31Hi, Jason. Hi, Riikka.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34..and what tricks are used to get you in the door,
0:47:34 > 0:47:38I'm keen to see how it feels to arrive at their home today.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40We are so excited to be here after all this time.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42And we are also very excited to be here.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Have you solved this issue of how to arrive at your house
0:47:46 > 0:47:48in a beautiful, elegant, lovely way?
0:47:48 > 0:47:51I just used to see this as the back gate to the house, really.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53But now, this is the main entrance to the house.
0:47:53 > 0:47:54This is where the journey begins.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57- I think we need to cross over your threshold and have a look. - Great, let's go.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01The existing landscaping creates a sense of anticipation
0:48:01 > 0:48:02for what's to come.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05For Jason, it's a well trodden path.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Jason, how many times do you think you've been up and down these?
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Do you know, conservative estimate,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12- I'd say about 1,000 at least. - More!
0:48:12 > 0:48:16As you reach the top, the building reveals itself.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24They've ended up with a simple, understated, modern pavilion.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26It's quite subtle, isn't it?
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Really subtle. We can see that it doesn't have
0:48:28 > 0:48:31- the big orange wall and glass box.- Yeah.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34Which felt like they were things that you needed to add to make it
0:48:34 > 0:48:37interesting but actually, the house is something that didn't need to be
0:48:37 > 0:48:40made interesting, because of course, it's all about this, isn't it?
0:48:41 > 0:48:44All those years ago when we first made that journey up those steps,
0:48:44 > 0:48:46we just fell in love with this plot.
0:48:46 > 0:48:47It just had a magic feeling to us.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Old stone unearthed through the build
0:48:51 > 0:48:55has been carefully reworked and links the site's past with the present.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03I love the way that this stone feels like it's part of the retaining wall,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05a heavy thing on the hillside, anchoring the building.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08And then over here, we've got the render,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13this sharp modern material which is so crisp, frames the view, of course,
0:49:13 > 0:49:16and makes it feel a bit more like that kind of Scandinavian modern feeling
0:49:16 > 0:49:18that I know you are interested in.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20I can imagine when the landscaping is grown-up,
0:49:20 > 0:49:22this is a building that will almost disappear,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24it really will feel part of its site.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26Today, this is almost the colour of the sky.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30It's hard to tell where the building stops and the sky begins.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34The simplified outside with its mix of white render and stonework
0:49:34 > 0:49:37helps the building feel perfectly at home in this landscape.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41I can't wait to go in.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46But it's the inside and its relationship with that view that we are desperate to see.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49- This is amazing! - It's just fantastic.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56This whole space just feels so open and generous and big.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01Walls intended to divide off the kitchen have gone,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03allowing the view to be the focal point of the whole building.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08We felt that we needed to partition off the kitchen
0:50:08 > 0:50:12because somehow in our minds, that wasn't part of the living space.
0:50:12 > 0:50:13Then Piers didn't agree at all.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16To have had a wall there would have been terrible.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18- It would have been. - You were absolutely right.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21I think it's partly that cooking is a sociable activity
0:50:21 > 0:50:24and standing here, cooking, talking to people and looking at the view, it's like,
0:50:24 > 0:50:26why wouldn't you do that?
0:50:27 > 0:50:31All areas feel connected, thanks to their material choices
0:50:31 > 0:50:33and Jason's incredible attention to detail.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37The kitchen units match the colour of the walls and the wood grain
0:50:37 > 0:50:40in the worktops runs the same way as the tiles.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45But you had had this kitchen wall here,
0:50:45 > 0:50:47you wouldn't have been able to see this brilliant view.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51This was a big chunk of your budget.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- Huge chunk, yeah.- And at one stage it looked like they weren't going to
0:50:54 > 0:50:55- fit at all. - I'll never forget that moment.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58It was horrific. When we fitted the first frame,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00the finish on the edge of the frame
0:51:00 > 0:51:03was different to what I was expecting
0:51:03 > 0:51:05and to be fair, what my architect was expecting as well.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07The only stage of the build that I burst into tears.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12Jason and Riikka managed to work through the devastating problems
0:51:12 > 0:51:16with the windows, and the payoff today is extraordinary.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21A lot of people will build a house for £100,000 and spent £5,000 on the
0:51:21 > 0:51:24windows and £25,000 on the kitchen but you've probably spent about
0:51:24 > 0:51:28£5,000 on your kitchen and £20,000 on your windows,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30which is the right way round.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33- Can you show us how they open? - Yeah, sure.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35So, it's a handle either side.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39Designing a modern home with windows that don't open is something
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Piers and I have challenged since day one.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46It may sound simple but it radically improves the experience of living in
0:51:46 > 0:51:49this home and extends the living spaces outside.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53I really enjoy this overhang and how it's all coming together.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56We saw in Denmark at the summerhouse the way an overhang can create a
0:51:56 > 0:51:58kind of inhabitable edge to the building.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02I was so keen to ensure that as you look out of the window through these
0:52:02 > 0:52:05beautiful frames, the soffit continued that same theme.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08It's really interesting, Jason, to hear you talk like a designer.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11They are tiny details but most people wouldn't be considering the
0:52:11 > 0:52:14relationship of this soffit to the window frames.
0:52:14 > 0:52:15I think it's kind of job done,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17you're trading stories about details with Piers.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20You're a designer as well as somebody who makes things
0:52:20 > 0:52:22- and you should be really proud of that.- Thanks very much.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27A simple low bench made out of a couple of big sheets of plywood fills the space.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It's adaptable and simple.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33It's interesting that people think about architecture and furniture as
0:52:33 > 0:52:36separate things but actually, they are all part of the same thing.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Custom-made furniture is a really good way of making the most
0:52:39 > 0:52:41out of every inch of your home.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Lots of people will design a house, design a building,
0:52:44 > 0:52:46and then go and buy furniture.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50But actually getting a piece of furniture made needn't be expensive.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54It's a great place to relax in the view and in the centre of the room,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Riikka has allowed herself one statement Scandi design piece.
0:52:59 > 0:53:00Some things were non-negotiable.
0:53:01 > 0:53:02Go and sit in it.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07You forget completely that this is an unbelievably low-cost house
0:53:07 > 0:53:10that was made for very little money, all by you, Jason.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12And to this very high level.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15It's really exciting for us to find a low-cost house
0:53:15 > 0:53:19that lives up to the highest expectations of design and could be in a design magazine tomorrow
0:53:19 > 0:53:21with no problem at all.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24The open-plan space is a triumph.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Somehow, Jason has found the time and energy
0:53:26 > 0:53:29to apply a high-end finish to every part.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34The tiled floor sweeps through, making the whole space feel bigger.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40It leads the eye through the two guest bedrooms,
0:53:40 > 0:53:42the master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe...
0:53:45 > 0:53:47..and the generously proportioned wet room.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Jason chose tiles, not the cladding from the fish market,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54but he did use it in the kitchen.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57It works really well, doesn't it?
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Yeah, it was an absolutely perfect fit for the back of the unit.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Something like that in another material would have cost a fortune
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- because it's such a long expanse. - Yeah.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09The real design trick though, having removed that dividing wall,
0:54:09 > 0:54:13is in disguising this kitchen so it doesn't dominate the room.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Although your units are off the peg,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21what works so well here is the way you've considered
0:54:21 > 0:54:23how they are going to work in this space.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26The fronts have no handles,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28which is great because of course they would be clutter.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33These wall units feel like a beautiful bit of furniture just put on the wall.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36I love the way it's so intentional
0:54:36 > 0:54:39that the top becomes the window sill.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42And there's a beautiful solid bit of slate that you've let in that's the
0:54:42 > 0:54:45same height as the worktop and the window frame.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49I mean, it's so considered, so deliberate, and so well judged.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56We as professional designers and architects struggle to make things this consistent sometimes
0:54:56 > 0:54:58but here you are, building the house,
0:54:58 > 0:55:03and designing it on the hoof, and yet everything looks so deliberate.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04Great. Thanks very much.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09This house is testament to Jason's countless hours of work and even when apart,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12the emotional support they've given each other.
0:55:15 > 0:55:20You both made quite a lot of sacrifices to make this project happen.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Neither of us understood the enormity of the task ahead.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28We've lived in rented accommodation for the last 18-24 months,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31we've spent most of the time apart, but I am very,
0:55:31 > 0:55:35very much looking forward to living like other married people live.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39Wake up in the morning in the same bed and have breakfast together and go to work and things that.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41So I really look forward to that.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46This is so inspiring for self builders in so many ways.
0:55:46 > 0:55:51It isn't just a little bit of Scandinavian design applied to an English house.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54This really is full of light, full of space, full of quality,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56full of joy, and full of life.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59And the result is extraordinary.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03So, after such an incredible investment, physically and emotionally,
0:56:03 > 0:56:07financially, what has this dream home by the sea actually cost?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Tell me how much you have budgeted to make this building
0:56:11 > 0:56:13and how much you've spent in the end.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17We got a staged mortgage for £100,000.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19We are 96% complete on the building
0:56:19 > 0:56:23and the mortgage currently sits at £92,000.
0:56:23 > 0:56:24That's amazing. That is amazing.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26So it really is a £100,000 house.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28- It is, yeah.- That's astonishing.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31We would not be able to live in this kind of a house,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34we would not be able to go and buy a house of this calibre ever
0:56:34 > 0:56:36with the financial resources that we have.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39The only investment is your time really.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42You will never get this level of finish if you don't do it yourself.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45He has been eating and drinking and sleeping this project
0:56:45 > 0:56:46for so many years.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49His mind is all the way time going, "I can't afford to do that,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52"but I want that. How can I get round that?
0:56:52 > 0:56:54"How can I get round that in a cheaper manner?"
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Yeah, that is very true.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00I think what this pair have managed to build for their £100,000 really
0:57:00 > 0:57:02pushes the boundaries of what is possible to achieve
0:57:02 > 0:57:04with low-cost housing.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11I love this opening door and I love this space.
0:57:11 > 0:57:12For Jason and Riikka,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16this is kind of the realisation of an extraordinary dream.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19For Jason, it was about building a house with his own hands,
0:57:19 > 0:57:21which is remarkably achieved, and for Riikka,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25it was about creating a space and an atmosphere that spoke of where she
0:57:25 > 0:57:29came from, and about Scandinavian design values and lifestyles.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32I think what they've pulled off is an extraordinary achievement
0:57:32 > 0:57:34and one that's a lesson to all self builders.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Yes, they've made extraordinary sacrifices and worked extraordinarily hard,
0:57:38 > 0:57:41but it's in the design, in the choices they've made,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43where the real genius of this project lies.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52Next time, we help Neal and Amanda...
0:57:52 > 0:57:54This would be my perfect home.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56..attempt a very different house...
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Taller, taller, taller.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01..on a tiny budget.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Ours is likely poor man's version of this.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06But will endless delays...
0:58:06 > 0:58:09They've not even started, not even dug a hole.
0:58:09 > 0:58:11..and the stress of the build...
0:58:11 > 0:58:15The other day I screamed at Neal and said I wish we'd never started this.
0:58:15 > 0:58:16..derail their plans?
0:58:16 > 0:58:18I think we've just got to start again.
0:58:18 > 0:58:19I think they can't build this.
0:58:19 > 0:58:20We can't let them.