Lesley & Kevin/Sue & Tim The House That £100k Built

'Can you build your dream home for under £100,000?'

Whatever it takes, we'll do it because this is where we want to be.

'Architect Piers Taylor will help families facing dilemmas.'

Why wouldn't you actually just take that wall out?

Um...

'While I, Kieran Long, will show them a world of inspiring design.'

It really makes it feel like one, big, generous space.

I love it. It's amazing.

'And there are budget ideas for projects large and small.'

This might not look much but this material is very, very versatile.

'It's tough

'but some will turn low-cost self builds into fantastic homes.'

This is amazing.

What a great space!

'This time, Kevin and Lesley are planning an ambitious seaside home.'

This is a chance to make a mark, really.

'And Kevin loves clever design.'

It's like popcorn in my head.

Ideas are bouncing around.

'But have they forgotten what's important?'

I'm not sure where we want the kitchen.

How about reconsidering the structure?

'And we meet two old friends.'

Welcome back. I'm so excited to be back with you again.

'To try to help them complete an extraordinary home

'nine years in the making.'

Have you done this before, Piers?

I've never done this before, ever.

'Kevin and Lesley have lived on the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent

'for decades.

'Now they've found the perfect location to build a dream home

'for their retirement.'

Basically, it's the price of the view, isn't it, really?

It's ever-changing.

I mean, it's...

-Every morning we wake up and it's different, isn't it?

-Mm.

We're close to our family.

It's lovely.

A nice place to settle down and retire, if we eventually do.

'The couple are downsizing.

'They've sold their old home, spent 50K of the proceeds on their plot,

'and moved into a caravan on site.

'Lesley is regularly kept busy looking after three grandchildren

'and she's also an artist in fused glass.

'Kevin's a carpenter and builder with over 40 years' experience

'and a perfectionist streak.'

If I spend too much time on things,

it's because I want it right.

'Being in the building trade has had a big impact on the house

'Kevin and Lesley have designed.'

He has always been building things for other people.

You don't always agree with their ideas

but you have to do it because you need to earn money.

Now, he's going to do whatever he wants.

This is the exciting bit.

Seeing the first bit of dirt come out.

'The couple want to enter retirement mortgage-free,

'so their budget is just £50,000.

'Less than half the price per square metre of a regular self-build.

'Kevin will have to do virtually all the work himself,

'in between paid jobs.

'He knows it's his last chance to create the dream.'

We're not going to move.

We're not going to do this any more.

This is our final, final bit, final statement, really.

We're having a curved roof, inspired by the sea.

It's just got a lovely flow to it.

And we're also going to have a curved, half-glazed wall,

because I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. I love complicated stuff.

'This sounds like an incredibly ambitious build for one man

'with just 50 grand.

'I'm worried this retirement dream will be impossible to achieve.'

'To try to ensure Lesley and Kevin have something that's beautiful but

'realistic, I'll be showing them examples of the very best

'in recent design.

'While Piers uses his years of experience as an architect

'to challenge and improve their plans.

'Our starting point is to scrutinise their home.

'It's immediately clear it isn't a standard seaside bungalow.

'The house's key distinguishing feature

'is the wave-inspired roof,

'which will be covered in sedum plants.

'Directly underneath it is the mezzanine level lounge

'with a wraparound balcony giving sea views.

'Plus a staircase built into the curved wall,

'leading down to the ground floor.

'The dining area is in the centre with conventional rooms around.

'A master bedroom and en suite...

'..plus a family bathroom and a second bedroom.

'The exact layout of the kitchen is undecided.

'It's certainly a distinctive house

'but is it what Lesley and Kevin really need?'

The house that's been designed so far feels a bit fussy,

like it's a bit overworked and, at the same time,

not providing much quality for them.

A bit fussy?

For me, it feels like it's had an attack of the featurism,

which is that it has had features added to it

to make it more interesting.

And, on paper, Lesley and Kevin have so much they can bring

to this project. He's a really good builder and she's really creative,

she's a stained-glass artist and the site is fantastic.

With that they could build something extraordinary.

But there's a sort of sense that Lesley and Kevin feel that

for a house to be a dream house it has to have lots of features.

Here, the biggest feature is the big, wavy roof.

I have to put my cards on the table now and say, I hate the roof.

-I just hate it.

-It's a strange building, isn't it?

While there are these curvy, organic shapes,

actually the rooms themselves are just chopped up in the plan

-as little boxes.

-They are.

It's the most conventional house underneath

all these curves and features.

At the moment, it seems, the biggest problem with the house

is it's not making the most of what is a really spectacular location.

It has a fantastic, dramatic view over this estuary out here.

At the moment, the stairs block that view.

I think, the stairs don't need to be as clever, somehow.

They can be more subtle and then I think we need to find a way where

you use the best bit of this, which is the view over that fantastic sea.

'Kevin and Lesley have focused too much on things

'that don't really matter

'and the danger is they'll cost them dear in time and money.

'Piers heads for Sheppey to persuade them to think again.'

Lesley and Kevin's house has this big gesture of this roof

that feels just gratuitous and wilful,

as if it's just grafted on somehow

to make the building more interesting.

Actually, in a location like this, buildings don't need gestures,

they just need to be good neighbours,

have a great sense of place,

a great sense of light,

and actually then be quite simple.

'Lesley and Kevin's house is also a low-cost house.

'So, you need to think really carefully about how that money

'is spent and the roof is expensive.'

-Hi, Kevin.

-Hi, Piers.

How are you doing? Good to see you.

-And you?

-Hi, Lesley.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you.

-How's it going?

-Basically, it's ideas now.

We're at the stage now where we can change things, hence you being here.

We get so engrossed in it that sometimes someone will come along

and say, "Why don't you do this?" And you think, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I'm not sure where we want the kitchen area, the dining area.

That could go either end.

-We're not sure.

-How about reconsidering the structure?

No. I like the structure.

We've really thought about the structure.

But, in a way, the structure...

The fabric of the building, is the architecture.

That's the bit you need to get right and that's the bit, maybe,

you need to rethink.

'The plot has a fantastic location and that's the real key

'to them creating an amazing house.

'The raised deck of the neighbouring property shows the potential

'for views.'

It's beautiful, isn't it?

I can see why you'd want to put your living room on the first floor.

We needed a lounge to take advantage of the view.

We were going to do a straight roof and then we thought,

"Why not just do a nice, gentle curve?"

It would be much more pleasing to the eye

-and it would look really nice.

-Then we got curve crazy.

Straight lines are easy, aren't they?

The minute you start curving, it's...

-Straight lines are easy and generally cheaper.

-I know.

It's difficult to build, but I think that's part of it.

I think, you know.

If you're doing it for yourself, that's all part of it.

What happens if you get fed up with a curved roof?

-I don't think we will.

-No.

I really don't think we will. It's an elegant shape.

'Lesley and Kevin have fallen into a classic self builders trap,

'giving showy design priority over creating a great space to live in.'

The roof you see, when you arrive, after a while you won't notice it.

-No.

-That's right.

-The spaces inside, those bits, they feel critical.

-Mmm.

-Mmm.

The building is built up over time and it's something that has been

discussed between them over many months, if not years.

I can't just come in and start changing things.

I'm really trying to understand the raison d'etre for the building and

see if it's as good as it can be for them.

'Roof aside, Piers' biggest concern is the fancy staircase.

'It'll block potential views,

'use the best floor space and eat a huge chunk of that tiny 50K budget.'

Here, there is consciously a decision

to put the stair in the window,

whereas a lot of people would put the table in the window

and bring the stairs to the back.

I quite like the idea of, you know,

different levels going up and seeing that view.

I think that's a primary bit of living space.

I'll humour you with the roof because I get it but,

I think you're doing the stair in a similar vein to the roof,

like, it's a big gesture but, actually, it stops you living

in the view.

'Piers can see a way to transform the ground floor

'and maximise the views,

'simply by moving the stairs.'

Could you creep your staircase in there, at the back of the plan,

-so you arrive and then you look out of the view there?

-Mmm.

Consequently, I would just invest in a stair

that was at the back of the plan,

so it becomes a really good sort of family house.

-I know your kids are older but in terms of your grandchildren...

-Yes.

..this is all about living in the view now, isn't it?

'Repositioning Lesley and Kevin's en suite and family bathrooms

'would create a space at the rear of the house.

'The staircase, which is currently blocking views

'and using prime living space, could then move to the rear.

'A full height glass wall is now possible.

'Moving the stairs creates a big family living and dining area

'that takes full advantage of the views created.'

I like it. I really do like it.

I think we just got carried away with those lovely stairs

going gracefully up the side of the building.

And we didn't really look far enough ahead, you know,

to actually living in the space.

I really did have a problem with the roof, initially,

and I have less of a problem with it now.

Because the rest of the building really makes sense.

It's planned well now. Money's being spent in the right place.

'Now Lesley and Kevin are opening up their wall,

'I want to show them a great example of how any of us can improve a home

'with design choices which connect it to its surroundings.'

I love this place. There's a certain sort of desolate beauty to it,

isn't there? It's not quite like the Kent you're used to.

Definitely not the Kent we're used to. It's fantastic.

'Pobble House is a home in Dungeness on the south Kent coast,

'designed by Guy Hollaway Architects.

'Before we look inside,

'I think the outside has valuable lessons because the materials are

'carefully chosen to blend with the landscape.'

Have you started to think about how you want to clad your building?

It's the seaside, so salt air.

So, we're looking at a silica render.

'Seaside weather is tough on houses.

'Silica render would be very resistant.

'But rather than battle the elements,

'some architects embrace them.

'You can choose materials for your house or garden that improve as they

'weather, making them fit even better into their surroundings.'

I really love this larch.

It's the colour of it, isn't it?

-It's so beautiful.

-It is.

-I mean, it looks fantastic.

It absolutely looks fantastic.

'Larch is a good choice for cladding on a modest budget.

'If you don't treat it, it weathers to a silvery grey.'

I think it's also really cleverly done.

There are two widths of board here,

in different patterns.

It gives it a little bit of irregularity, a bit of interest.

The finish of that...

It's just the simple details that make all the difference.

'The most striking part of the house

'is clad in metal called weathering steel.

'It's specially formulated to develop a stable layer of rust when

'exposed to the elements.

'This protects the steel beneath,

'removes the need for painting and looks great.'

It adds interest to the building straightaway, doesn't it?

It's obviously another material that is all about ageing.

It sort of feels really at home with the washed-up on the beach things.

-It does, yeah.

-This is a bit more expensive than some of the other

materials. It's £175 a square metre.

But I think it's lovely because it looks so permanent.

This is not going anywhere. You know, it's rusted already.

It's never going to change. It's got all that lovely colour and texture

which, I think, adds so much character to the building.

'The outside is beautiful and inside it's a wonderful example

'of how you can make the most of views.'

So, this is the light, airy, living space.

What do you make of it?

-Love it. Really love it.

-I really like it.

Simple lines. Really done very well.

Pretty straightforward. Pretty simple. Very light.

All the materials are light and bright and white and the views

-are fantastic, aren't they?

-They are.

I love how the whole building has been oriented to take in these views,

particularly the lighthouse,

squarely on axis with this long corridor.

That's a clever trick, isn't it?

You're looking directly, right the way through the whole building.

You have a key feature at the end of it, which is the lighthouse.

'At £225,000, Pobble House cost far more than Lesley and Kevin's project

'but you could use the principles applied here

'to make any home better.

'The key is working out how each living space relates to the landscape and

'how the size and shape of the windows can enhance that.'

This little slot somehow just takes in the horizon, doesn't it?

I love the way it leads your eye down the long line of power lines.

It really frames it almost, doesn't it?

Your eyeline is perfect.

'When you have views like these, keeping materials,

'textures and colours simple focuses attention on what really matters.

'Reflective surfaces like a splashback add another dimension.

'Paint colours can affect the mood of an area

'without dividing the space.

'Unusual light fittings help soften and warm the tone of the room.

'The combination of these simple elements can produce

'a stunning interior.'

This little chamfer here is a lovely detail that leads your eye

towards the window, maximises the light coming in.

If you can imagine lying in bed, it just helps the view a little bit,

doesn't it? This kind of modelled fascia here that conceals the blind.

All of that just makes a big difference, I think.

A lot of people would think, let's just slant the wall back.

There's a lot more involved in it.

'It'd be easy for a bunk room to feel squashed and cluttered

'but these bespoke beds make the most of every inch.

'Just like everywhere else in the house,

'the positioning of the windows connects you to the landscape,

'while the white paintwork reflects light.'

I really love this space. I think it's so well used.

It's a fairly normal sized room, isn't it? There are six beds.

-Six beds.

-It's sort of fun, isn't it?

I think it's great. This is the kind of thing we want to do

for our spare room for our grandchildren.

-Oh, yeah.

-So they can have somewhere nice to sleep.

This is quite interesting because they use it as storage as well,

which is a great idea.

I think, architecturally, this is such an exciting house.

And always about views and a clever use of materials.

Look at the floor, the way it runs all the way through seamlessly.

Carrying right the way through, yeah.

And I just think, isn't there some kind of real lessons there

that don't need to cost a lot more

but just bind the whole thing together as a space.

'The house has given Lesley and Kevin plenty to think about.'

We weren't taking much notice of it before, were we?

Now we realise it's quite important to think about the view.

You have to take the whole thing on board.

You have to look at absolutely every point, don't you?

-All those little bits do make a difference, don't they?

-They do.

They make the building, actually.

It's been a fantastic day with Kevin and Lesley.

I think they got loads out of this building.

If I had one concern, it would be that Kevin's first instinct

is always to zero in on the detail.

He loves to look at the gaps between pieces of wood,

or the way different pieces of cladding join.

I'm worried he might be losing sight

of the bigger, architectural picture.

How do these spaces work together?

How do you make a beautiful space for a meal, or for kids,

or your family to spend time in?

It's those that will be the test of whether their building is successful

in the end and not how two pieces of wood come together.

He has to keep that topmost in his mind.

'Back on site, ten months since breaking ground,

'Kevin's busy with the frame.'

At the moment, I'm basically making the side frames up of the top half

of the building.

'Many self builders would buy a bespoke frame.

'For Kevin, making it himself ekes out the budget

'and the craftsmanship involved is a pleasure.

'But there is a downside.'

It's slow. I've got to work as well.

That's the reason why it's taken that little bit longer.

I knew I'd be working as well as working on the house.

If I were to work on it full time,

I'd have probably had it built by now

but it's, er... I haven't got that luxury, I'm afraid.

'The couple are facing an additional complication.

'They're having to rethink almost their entire plan...

'..because they've had news there will soon be new housing

'within feet of their plot.'

We've got a development that's going to be overlooking our private amenity now.

We didn't think they'd allow it but it seems they have

for some unknown reason.

'Part of Lesley and Kevin's glass wall will be badly overlooked

'and their view will be blocked.

'Having inspired them to open up that wall, we need to find speedy,

'cost-effective ways around the problem they now face.'

'I think the answers may be in another new building

'that's also very close to its neighbours.

'It's the extension to Tate Modern in London

'by architects Herzog & de Meuron.

'It uses a range of ideas to create interesting views

'despite limited options.'

I wanted to bring you to a building that might not look like a direct

comparison to a house, a small house build,

but this is a building which has wonderful qualities of light,

great views and is a decent neighbour

to a very built-up context.

OK.

'The extension echoes the brickwork of the original Tate Modern building

'but uses the brick in a lattice format.

'Inside, it becomes clear there's glass behind the lattice.

'This allows indirect natural light to come in,

'making it perfect for an art gallery.'

It looks very solid from the outside.

On the inside, you've got this wonderful quality of light

that comes through there.

Dappled light, yes. It looks really good, doesn't it?

There's ways of filtering light,

that I think can be just as important as view.

Is this weren't brick, it could be a timber screen,

it could be much cheaper, more natural materials.

You still get that quality of light,

rather than just building a blank wall.

'This landmark cost around £260 million

'but any building with overlooking issues can benefit from finding

'ways to screen windows,

'rather than do without natural light.'

These are beautiful, these patterns on the floor.

It's lovely.

'While the brick lattice is all about light,

'the top floor of the building is all about the view.

'At Pobble House, the low slot window framed the shingle landscape.

'Here, a similar idea is pulled off on a grander scale.'

This is what it's all about.

I think this is just about the best view in London now.

It's all about how it's framed, horizontally.

Just that sense of the whole of London laid out like a carpet

all the way to the horizon and then this filtered light

coming from the hit and miss brickwork again.

Just like making sure you're focusing on what's really important.

-This is so much more effective than if it was just all glass.

-Beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?

It's a real trick of the architecture.

It's not just the view, it's the way that it's framed.

A very clever trick, isn't it?

'This view is unique but you could frame a tree on the horizon

'simply by using a tall, thin window.'

This is the payoff, isn't it?

Just the most unbelievable view.

We've seen it framed and presented to us through windows

but now we get to experience it. It's really fantastic, isn't it?

'The techniques used here show a window can be much more than a piece

'of glass fixed in a wall.

'Careful choice of placement, size, shape,

'and even a partial covering can all make a building better,

'regardless of the project's scale and budget.'

I guess your redesign has to take into account all the things

we've seen in this building.

Framing views, revealing them,

and then eventually allowing you to walk outside the building and take

-them in.

-Yes.

-Exactly right, yeah.

'It's now 11 months since Kevin broke ground

'but his paid work is still taking priority.

'He and Lesley are no closer to their retirement dream home.

'Piers heads to Sheppey to identify ways to deal with the overlooking

'problem and speed up the build.'

Usually you do all of your work in advance,

so you know exactly what you're going to build before you start.

Changing a scheme now, when it's already started,

that's pretty dangerous.

The big change is that originally, from here,

-you had a sea view, didn't you?

-Yes.

Now, you're going to have housing through this bit, aren't you?

-That's correct. Yes.

-That corner is still open to the sea, isn't it?

-That's it. Yeah.

'Leslie and Kevin were going to have a full height glass wall,

'but it's in the area that will now be overlooked by the new housing.

'Piers has a radical suggestion.'

What if you actually consolidated all of that into

a beautiful, big bay corner window,

and the wall curved below it?

-Oh, I see what you mean.

-Do you see what I mean?

Yeah, you're putting the windows on here.

Pushing it all out, so what you end up with

is a house that has then big...

-You know...

-A very interesting bay window.

What it would mean being inside that is that you would have

this beautiful, big, defined view at the corner of the room.

'Piers' suggestion does away completely

with the full height glass wall.

'Instead the mezzanine lounge extends out over the area

'that was the balcony,

'and the outside of the building gains a distinctive angular shape

'that compliments the curved wall.

'The ground floor can be made of blockwork and render,

'combined with conventional windows.

'These will save money and can be positioned exactly

'where they're needed for whatever new room layout is decided.

'Sliding doors allow the whole bay window to be opened up,

'and the large expanse of glass floods the floor below with light.

'Best of all, the bay window focuses the eye on the most impressive view

'in the house as soon as you come up the stairs.'

It's really interesting, yeah.

Yeah, that's really something to think about.

-Yeah, it is, I really like it.

-I think what you're not doing

is investing in expensive glazing on the ground,

which actually isn't really where you need it.

So you put in conventional windows that are cheap there...

-Yeah.

-And the expensive stuff just where the view is.

-Mmm.

-And the expensive stuff isn't as expensive any more

because it's standard, made up, you know, sliders.

'If the couple agree to it, and planning approve the changes,

'Piers' plan deals with the plot being overlooked

'and will be faster and cheaper to build than the glass wall.'

I was wondering whether it looked like a box put onto the building,

but I think it will look nice.

-I think it will look...

-I think it will look really good.

I don't think there will be a problem with that.

If anything, it'll enhance the building.

-Yeah.

-I think it's going to look really good.

It's going to save us money, which we need,

and it's also going to make a lot of difference in the sense

of build... You know speedier, it's going to be speedier, isn't it?

-Yeah, hopefully.

-Yeah.

'I think that change should help Lesley and Kevin,

'but it's still tough to combine self building with earning an income

'and keep going to the end.

'Piers and I have seen plenty of people struggle,

'including Sue and Tim.

'They were trying to run their Somerset farm and build just about

'the most ambitious house you could possibly aim for on 100K.

'In the last series we saw them create a fantastic exterior,

'but it was an empty shell, nowhere near fit to live in.

'They'd moved into a caravan while sorting out finances

'before beginning their build,

'and today, nearly nine years on, they're still there.'

The problem you've got,

we know we've got a house up there to build and we'll say,

we'll go and do three or four hours up in the house this afternoon.

Then you're a bit late finishing with the chickens, you come in here,

you sit down and then it's that motivation to get up and go out

and do something else and work through till six or seven o'clock.

After two years of doing it, it does become, you know,

you've got to really train yourself to make sure you go and do it.

'Just like Kevin, Sue and Tim's progress has also been slow

'because they've pondered every detail in search of perfection.'

We're always thinking of things and coming up with new things and

different ideas of the way we can do something.

It's always been a bit of make it up as you go along, hasn't it?

-Yeah, but...

-But actually, that's more fun.

'Now, nine years in cramped conditions

'have left them determined to get the house finished.'

We're so close to moving in now, up there now,

that it does get frustrating when we come down here.

It has been good fun, but now it's becoming a little bit frustrating,

the longer we stay in.

'So far, Sue and Tim have been building solidly for over two years.

'Throughout, Piers and I have tried to guide them through key design choices.

'Making second-hand glass and budget timber look like high-end bespoke...

'..and creating a beautiful staircase on a budget.

'But the couple postponed decisions on the layout of their first-floor

'living and sleeping area.'

What we will do is we will build without any internal walls,

but what we'll do is we'll walk around and we'll say,

what do we want, actually?

'The desire to keep the sense of space,

'light and the views was understandable.'

What I also get is maintaining the sense of the whole building,

as one beautiful cylinder and not a building that's subdivided

with little conventional doors.

'Now Sue and Tim are keen to crack on and move in,

'it would be easy to spend tens of thousands on the interior

'of such an ambitious house.

'But their budget was blown long ago by structural problems,

'and they can afford only a fraction of what's typical.

'Piers and I are returning to help them on this final stretch.

'The first challenge is finding a low-cost way to partition

'the bathroom and bedroom without resorting to a cubicle,

'in a room that's already full of right angles.'

Because it's such a fantastic open space,

we want to not have an en-suite cupboard in the corner.

It's got to feel open.

Open so that you can sort of feel the light and you've got the light

coming out from both these sides, but you want to hide the loo a bit,

you know? It's a question of how to achieve it, really.

'Sue and Tim have always been really observant about design,

'and bold about adapting it to their needs and budget.

'I want to show them something which might help them work out an

'interesting way of partitioning their bathroom,

'so I've asked them to meet me in London.'

-Hi, Sue. Hi, Tim. Great to see you.

-How are you?

-Are you well?

-Good.

-Lovely to see.

Welcome back. I'm so excited to be back with you again,

and you're still plugging away?

-Absolutely, chipping away.

-Yeah, chipping away.

I wanted to bring it to a building, in a way,

that sets the bar as high as possible.

This is Caruso St John's Newport Street Gallery.

It won the Stirling Prize this year,

so it's officially the best building in Britain this year.

I thought it would be interesting to take you to something that's not

a house but that has lots of characteristics

I think are subtly in common with your building.

'This gallery displays Damien Hirst's art collection.

'The buildings are a combination of listed former workshops and new

'additions, rather like Sue and Tim's house,

'The basic structure is essentially a large rectangle,

'but inside it's a different story.'

So, this is the space I really wanted to bring you to see,

which I think is kind of fascinating for all sorts of reasons.

It's quite subtle,

but when you start to look it's kind of a tour de force of materials and

textures and colours, but most of all

it has this beautiful organic curve,

leading you upstairs in what looks from the outside like a pretty

robust, square warehouse building.

I'm just wondering what lessons that might have for you.

You've created that wonderful shoebox of space,

up surrounded by the trees and the landscape.

What kind of curves and organic forms might add to that atmosphere?

It's wonderful.

I think that the curves are amazing.

Here there's the space and the light,

which is exactly what we've got at home,

and we do need something to break that up.

It's soft, isn't it?

Actually because of the different textures and the

different curves, it softens the whole building.

'The positioning of the roof light emphasises the curves.

'It's also another kind of organic shape.

I think that's also interesting to think about.

A very small touch, one curve like that just makes a huge difference,

-it's quite a powerful thing to experience.

-Yes.

'These forms suggest a curved partition

'between Sue and Tim's bathroom and bedroom could look amazing.

'The elements used to build them show how much choice

'of materials affects the finished piece.'

Let's take a look at the materials a bit more closely,

and the details of how they go together,

because it's only when you get close, I think,

that you notice these beautiful white bricks,

the white mortar and then this white concrete handrail.

That is so inviting, isn't it?

What I really like here, this combination of materials,

is that in a way it's kind of making the cheap elevated to something

extremely beautiful and cared for, through just detailing.

You've got this lovely contrast between this here

and this lovely sharp edge here.

'Each of the elements is a subtly different shade of white.

'The warmth and interest is created by texture and material,

'rather than contrasting colour.

'The concrete handrail is complemented by another in curving,

'painted wood.

'Sue and Tim now have plenty to think about.'

It's always been an exercise in work it out as we go along,

and we've always known that at some point we were going to soften it

down, curve it up and bring that into it,

and now is the time, really.

'A curved bathroom partition seems to appeal,

'but the question now is how to create it in a simple,

'cost-effective way.

'It's a challenge for Piers.'

I like the idea of using precast concrete,

like the architect did for the Newport Street Gallery,

but it is really expensive because it's precise and typically

it's made in a workshop with really precise moulds and jigs and so on.

And a small mould can cost thousands.

They haven't got thousands,

they've probably only got hundreds to make this whole wall.

So I'm going to probably just have a play with some plywood

and maybe see if I can make a curved bit of form work,

cast some concrete and just see how it looks.

'Ideally, Sue and Tim would like the partition to incorporate a seat,

'and the design needs to be made from elements small and light enough

'to be carried into the house.

'Piers needs to design something practical and beautiful.'

This is bendy ply that I'm going to use to make form work.

Form work is the cast, the mould for the concrete.

What's great about this is you can bend it and get some really

beautiful curves.

'Tim's on the farm caring for a calving cow,

'but Sue's joining Piers to explore designs and how to create them

'in practice.'

So what I'm thinking, if I draw it my way round, very crudely,

and at the moment there's a kind of bath that's now been placed there.

What I'm thinking is that this beautiful freefall concrete piece

that sits there, with a thickening that allows you to sit there.

If you look at it in elevation, it's this beautifully, tapering, curved

you know, piece, has a sort of thickening at the end.

The shape actually is going to be critical.

The shape's going to be great.

'The concrete curve could be built up from layers that are portable and

'mortared together once they're inside the house.'

We make it out of lightweight, white concrete.

White concrete?

-Yeah.

-I like the idea of white concrete.

-So that's where you sit, on the end, you see?

-Yes, yes.

Let's go and have a go.

'For this mock up Piers is using ordinary quick-drying concrete

'to make a scale model.'

It will take a bit of time to do it properly.

It could look spectacular, equally it could look...

pretty grim, if it's not done right.

'The first step is to create the former.

'These two strips of five millimetre ply were cut from a large sheet and

'work out at around £4 each.

'Once the desired shape is found,

'it's held in place with scraps of old timber.'

Have you done this before, Piers?

I've never done this before, ever.

Sorry, no, I've done it all my life, Sue, I know exactly what am doing!

Oh, God!

'Silicon sealant should stop leaks

'and oiling the ply helps remove the former once the concrete has set.

'Ply can be bent into all sorts of shapes and could also be used

'to make curvy, concrete garden features,

such as edging or planters.

So, this is very much just the first stab at seeing what's possible.

Already I have to say it's sealing harder than...

I thought it would, but it gives you a sense of the process

-and actually how beautiful the shape is.

-Mmm.

You're always going to have hiccups when you're doing something...

-Experimenting.

-Experimenting, aren't you?

What I've discovered today is the joy of curving this ply.

I thought it was all about the concrete,

but actually you could make the wall out of plywood,

which would be easier, maybe.

Yes. This is more fun, though.

-Mud pies and all that.

-Mud pie!

'Normally, the former would be lifted off once the concrete

'is fully set, but Piers is impatient to see the results.

If you're over here, you squint,

you take a big leap of imagination and you think,

"Well, actually that could be white concrete and it could potentially

"be beautiful."

-Tim's not here.

-No.

If he was here, what do you think he would be saying?

Er...

He's always up for a challenge...

'To be able to move into their home,

'Sue and Tim need a working kitchen

'but they're having to think laterally about it.'

If we're having the kitchen as part of an open plan,

you don't want it to look too kitcheny.

'They've decided to avoid wall units and hide base units and appliances

'within an island, but even the island shouldn't look typically kitcheny.'

The design evolved from the feeling of wanting something a bit more

elegant, a piece of lovely furniture basically.

The house is uncluttered,

it's seamless and therefore

that's how we wanted the kitchen to be.

A nice shape, but uncluttered and seamless.

'The couple like the idea of curvy shapes in the kitchen

'as well as the bedroom,

'so builder Lee and carpenter Matt are creating an island with

'curves inspired by boats - utterly different from a conventional,

'rectangular kitchen island.'

What will the final height of the work surface be?

I would say it's going to be 900, that suits you, doesn't it?

-Yes, for short people.

-Yeah.

'Sue and Tim have £3,500 for their kitchen,

'funded by selling a dumper used earlier in the build.

'Sue's managed to find a sink and all the kitchen units online

'for just £500.'

'The savings made have allowed them to take a risk

'on an unusual worktop surface.'

Cabin sole's arrived.

'They hope it will help the island look like furniture,

'rather than a kitchen unit.'

That is nice.

Put your hand on it, I'll let you touch it.

Have a sniff.

'Cabin sole is a traditional boat decking made from holly and teak.

'Tim will treat it with extra hardener,

'but even without it should be very durable.'

It's incredibly robust, because it's designed as a floor.

-As a boat deck.

-As a boat deck, and it might look weird

but we'll give it a go,

see what happens!

'There's a lot else to do besides the kitchen.'

Matt's got to finish this door.

We've got to finish the basin and then the bed,

put the bed up.

'Sue and Tim will need to fit a handrail on the staircase

'and ensure the balustrade complies with building regulations,

'whilst Sue has another big job on her hands,

'thanks to a money-saving idea.'

The scaffolding boards we bought second-hand.

We used them as our own scaffolding boards.

'Now they'll be used as flooring and Sue's had them shot blasted to

'highlight the grain and remove roughness and splinters.'

They feel lovely to walk on because they feel like thick wood,

which they are. I mean, OK, it's not lovely oak,

but then we don't have the budget for oak,

but we do have the budget for fourth-hand scaffold boards, so...

..that's what we've got.

'Scaffold boards retired from the building trade

'are also a great source of timber for furniture and garden projects.

'A 13 foot by 9 inch board starts at around £7 or £8

'and you may get a better deal by buying in bulk.'

This is a white primer which gives the boards

a slightly driftwoody look.

'Sue and Tim's build has been a long, slow affair,

'but they're clearly on the home straight.'

'Now I'm keen to catch up with Lesley and Kevin,

'who've also found it slow going.

'I'm back in Sheppey, a little over a year since they started.'

-Hi guys.

-Hi, Kieran.

How are you doing?

-How are you, Lesley?

-Good, thank you.

Good. It's nice to be standing on deck,

on your beautifully crafted block floor.

This will one day be your house.

-Yes, yeah.

-Hopefully.

It's nearly killed me, I mean we've been doing this weekends.

So it's... Well, I'm so busy, it's just been a nightmare.

But you're only getting to work on this on weekends?

-Yes.

-So really inching along.

It's inching rather than flying and that's the frustrating bit.

But having said that, I've got to...

Work's work. The work we're doing at the moment is quite a decent

-contract, so...

-But if you were to just do this at weekends,

how long would it take you to finish the house?

A month of weekends is only a week, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah, exactly.

-I'd be on it forever.

'Within the next few months,

'Kevin's planning to take eight weeks off work

'to start building walls.

'Despite the slow progress, he's still relishing the process.'

It's enjoyable, very tangible,

and the great thing is because we're doing it ourselves,

ideas like these bay windows and stuff like that, it's just...

It's like popcorn in my head, ideas are bouncing around,

I think it's a fantastic process.

I'm really enjoying that part of it.

What about for you, Lesley? Are you impatiently watching this,

this kind of concrete and block thing waiting for it to happen?

I'm quite happy, yeah.

I'm quite happy waiting, I don't mind.

-In your nice comfortable caravan?

-Comfortable caravan, yeah.

I think it might be a bit too comfortable Lesley,

-you don't want to get out of there!

-It probably is, but, you know...

-I think you've got a point.

-I've learned, you've just got to wait.

I'm sorry we won't get to see the fine craftsmanship of it

-but maybe in another...

-Another life!

That's what I'm worried about!

'I'd love to see this building completed,

'but it will be nearly a year from now,

'and that's only if all goes exactly to plan.

'But, like Sue and Tim,

'Lesley and Kevin have a passion for their project and I hope they get

'their dream retirement home sooner rather than later.'

'Sue and Tim's project was always so ambitious,

'Piers and I sometimes wondered whether they'd ever have a habitable home.

'Then structural problems, the quest for perfect design

'and their farm commitments slowed them down,

'but they just battled on and now we're back to see the results.'

It's been nearly two-and-a-half years since Sue and Tim began work

on their ambitious home, and it's been many months since Piers and I

were last here.

What they achieved on the outside was really extraordinary,

but we've tried this time to help them achieve that level of ambition

on the inside.

So, have they finally got the open,

stylish and critically low cost interior they've been working so hard for?

-Hi, guys.

-How are you doing?

Good to see you, great to be back,

and great to see more progress on the exterior.

This was just one of the most ambitious builds

we've ever covered on the show,

and the glass is still looking beautiful.

You've done something about the colour, it doesn't look like it's trying to be natural

or the same colour as the grass, or the same colour as the leaf.

It sort of works with the Scots Pine, actually.

There's a little bit of bluey-green to the Scots Pine.

Previously without this colour you couldn't really tell

what sort of shape the building was,

but now you can see how it sits so beautifully in this context.

So, I'm really excited to see the finished interior

which we never got to see last time. Can we take a look?

-Yeah.

-Let's go.

-Great.

This is really amazing.

What a lovely space and what a beautiful effect

with these steel wires,

bringing the light down from these skylights. It's fantastic.

And this space, it's finished, it's beautiful.

We saw it before as a kind of bare-bones thing.

-A shell.

-But it looks so refined now.

You must be really happy?

We're thrilled, we're absolutely thrilled.

In a way you look surprised by what you've achieved.

It is a bit of a shock, actually.

It's everything we dreamed of, really, and more.

Spatially this is beautiful, and everything looks really considered.

This is a really sophisticated set of decisions you've made here.

You've managed to keep the purity of that kind of rectangular space with

its wonderful openings and its wonderful views

and not put too much stuff in it.

-It just has such a calm atmosphere.

-Yeah.

'One of Sue and Tim's biggest concerns was creating a kitchen

'that didn't look like a kitchen.

'Their boat inspired island works beautifully.'

I love that it's such an individual thing but it's also

such a crafted thing, like a veneer like this against the rawer

materials of the floor and the very plain white of the walls

really sings.

This is the whole thing about this house, it's all about

rough and smooth, light and shade.

I think keeping this open,

the tapering shape leading you into the main living space,

I think works really well.

Standing here, particularly,

the sense of the whole space with these lines,

leading your eye towards the seating area is great.

'The cabin sole used for the worktop cost a very modest £600 and

'immediately sets this apart from a conventional granite topped unit.

'The island itself hides away everything that suggests a kitchen at all.'

There's a few units over here,

but actually the majority of the kitchen is just in this one piece.

Nothing on the walls, nothing at high level

and I really commend that.

'You can even make a kitchen feel less kitchen-like

'with small touches, such as having accessories in plain colours

'that blend with their background.'

Tell me, Tim, how much did this cost,

how much did the kitchen cost?

We sold the dumper for £3,500,

and that is what the kitchen has cost.

With all the appliances?

Yes, 3,500 is everything, but everything here that you see,

apart from the work surfaces are second-hand.

Well, it's amazing. I mean it's really slick looking and really

custom-made looking and for three grand and some change,

it's really extraordinary.

'It's all the more amazing given a very ordinary fitted kitchen

'would set you back around £5,000 to £8,000.

'Sue and Tim have also made clever savings

'by keeping their lighting simple.'

I think what's also great in here is that there's not much lighting.

You see this plane of white above you, with no spotlights in it,

which is really lovely to see.

And then you've just got some big lamps which you can move around and

change, if you need.

'The floor, made of scaffold boards used during the build,

'adds a distinctive element throughout.'

The sandblasting has eaten out the soft bit

and you're left with the hard bit.

It's a beautiful texture, actually.

I mean, it is rougher than a floor that you would buy off-the-shelf,

but it's got real character and real beauty to it.

-It does.

-How much did it cost?

I think we paid £300 for the whole lot.

-For the whole house?

-Yes, yes.

To put a kind of beautiful wide boarded timber floor down

in what must be like 100 square metres of house

for hundreds of pounds is astonishing, really.

Sure, it could cost 20 grand,

to put a really good hardwood floor down.

But these scaffold boards give a lovely texture to a house that is

otherwise quite smooth on the inside and your story, as you tell us,

is this rough, rough timber with very smooth,

very polished things and that's exactly what you've got

-on the outside and on the inside.

-Yes.

'The rough textures they've used makes the interior feel cosy

'and almost rustic rather than clinical.

'You can use flooring, wall coverings, furniture,

'as well as textiles, to get the mix right.

'Sue and Tim have created kitchen,

'dining and lounging areas within the open plan

'without breaking up the sense of space,

'so I hope they've been equally successful in the bedroom.

'To see it, we must pass through the only door.'

Great door, Sue.

Tell me about this door, it's a very, very slick piece...

My free door.

-Free?

-Well, when I loaded up the glass at the place,

they were putting these in the skip and we got seven doors and as much

insulation as I could stuff in the gaps in between.

-Gosh.

-I love that story because it's about your resourcefulness,

but also when you see how well you've made this,

it doesn't come across at all...

This is like a very slick, beautifully weighted,

it has a really good feeling about it.

But here, I can see the beginning of what looks like

a beautiful curved wall.

-You can't help but run your hand along it.

-I know, I know.

It's really beautiful, isn't it?

I love the way it guides you into this fantastic room, can I just say.

It's a beautiful room.

Actually, what it does to this space, it works perfectly.

It leads you into this room, it gives you enough privacy for the bathroom,

it doesn't block the view of all the light and everything else

and it's a very theatrical piece,

but at the same time quite understated.

This is an organic, irregular shape,

in what is your very square, orthogonal box.

'Sue and Tim loved the wooden handrail at Newport Street Gallery

'and asked their carpenter to create the wall using timber stud work

'and a skin of painted MDF,

'because Tim was concerned about Piers' concrete design.'

A, I didn't think I was good enough at that type of thing to be able to

carry it out in a good enough way,

and B, I was slightly worried about

how to attach it to walls

and how to attach it to the floor, to make it sound.

So this is a beautiful curve, it really is.

It's so well made.

That is our laundry.

Which you can also sit on, which was the whole idea of this.

It's a seat to talk to someone in the bath,

talk to somebody when they're in bed, look out the window,

put your shoes and socks on.

-Exactly.

-Very nice.

It's so useful.

We could have just built a square wall, but we didn't.

We wanted to keep the light,

the space and the flowing movements

and I think we've achieved that here.

That's the theme of the whole of the upstairs.

There's no walls, no compartments.

No division, exactly.

'The bath, basin and even the mirror echo the curves of the wall,

'softening the whole space.'

As we look at this curving wall, Tim,

just tell me how much it cost to make this piece.

With materials and labour,

-it's worked out at about £1,500, £1,600.

-Really?

You make savings where you can.

You look at a job and see how, A, how cheaply you can get it done,

but also you weigh it up against the quality of the object.

-So it's a balancing act, really.

-It is.

'Sue and Tim may have a knack for making their money go further,

'but fitting out the first floor to this quality can't have been easy.

'So how are their finances looking?'

How much has it cost to get what we see today?

On getting the upstairs done we've probably spent another six,

-I should think, so far.

-Six, only six?

I mean, that's really amazingly cheap.

What does that consist of?

The thing is that we had most of the materials anyway,

so it's really the kitchen and the wall in the bathroom.

'Even with some items pre-purchased,

'£6,000 for something that looks this good

'is a remarkable achievement.

This house is extraordinary in every single detail,

and Sue and Tim have made extraordinary because of design.

They've allowed their clever thinking,

creative thinking to make ordinary things extraordinary.

I think that's the key lesson for self builders -

design is the thing you need, not stuff.

'After two-and-a-half years of hard slog,

'I suspect Sue and Tim have learned other valuable lessons.

'If you had to advise other self builders who are perhaps making slow

progress, not seeing it come to fruition as quickly as they might

have thought, what would be your advice to them?

Some jobs will have a dramatic effect and will leap you forward,

and that's what gives you the impetus to carry on

after grinding around in the mud for so long,

and then suddenly you get something and then off you go again.

What I really want to know, too, is if it's all been worth it,

the effort, because it's been a long time, this build?

I sat up here last night for ten minutes by myself

and I looked around and I thought how wonderful it was.

And then you think, it's been long hours,

two o'clock in the morning, 11 o'clock at night,

it's been hard work, but, yes,

it's been worth it and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Lesley and Kevin can learn a lot from Sue and Tim.

I think over the years and months of this build,

Sue and Tim have realised that it's about enjoying the process,

it's about getting to grips with all those day-to-day decisions,

and sometimes some tedious tasks, and enjoying it.

I think in their heart of hearts they know that they've created something pretty special,

and I agree with them.

I think this is about the upper limit of what it's possible to do

with an extremely low-budget.

I think that's a great testament to the ingenuity of a really good

self builder and to Sue and Tim, in particular.

Next time... Jody and Lori think they're building their perfect home.

I just want something that's a bit clean, fresh.

Then they discover a whole new world of design.

This house is just amazing.

It makes you realise it's quite a big job.

We take them back to basics.

Tell me what you think about colour?

I feel like my head's spinning.

Can they possibly create the home they truly want?

It's obviously going to get close to the 100 quite quickly.