0:00:02 > 0:00:06Last year, Piers Taylor and me, Kieran Long, followed
0:00:06 > 0:00:09self builders as they took on the biggest gamble of their lives,
0:00:09 > 0:00:14trying to build a home from scratch for less than £100,000.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Come on, baby.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19How much money have you got left?
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Let me see.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23We helped them create the dream homes
0:00:23 > 0:00:28they longed for by being clever with their cash and creative with design.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- What a fantastic space this has turned into.- Thank you.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34This year, we're following desperate home owners...
0:00:34 > 0:00:39It's dilapidated, it's a dump.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41..trying to create extraordinary homes
0:00:41 > 0:00:43out of the ones they already have.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Whoo!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49They too are on the tightest of budgets.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We've got £540 left.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54We'll come up with ingenious solutions.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'm going to propose something quite radical to you,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- that you don't do the extension. - Right.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Inspire them with big ideas.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05What you want, really, is exactly what this place provides.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And challenge them to be more ambitious.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11He's come in and torn up the rule book, really.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15To turn their tired houses into exceptional homes.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Brute force and ignorance I think will sort this out now.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20But with design dilemmas at every turn...
0:01:20 > 0:01:21I don't know.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23..and their life savings at risk...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25The hiccups are coming now.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28If the money runs out, I'm left with half a house.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31..will the homeowners create the house they always wanted
0:01:31 > 0:01:33but believed they could never have?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- This better fit. - If the rest of the house
0:01:37 > 0:01:39is like this, we've got some serious problems.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53This week, Kath and Greg's family home is stuck in a 1970s time warp.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55It's so depressing, it's horrible.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Is solving its problems even possible on their tight budget?
0:02:01 > 0:02:02I don't think it can be done.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07But first, divorcee Sue dreams of a new life
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and has grand plans for her home.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I just want to do what's best for it.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I just want to make it what it should be and not what it is.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20But she's never attempted anything like this before.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22That's the problem being on your own,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25being my age, and taking on a project like this.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'm on my way to meet Sue, whose circumstances recently changed
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and forced her into downsizing.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39The house she's ended up in, though, needs a lot of work.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Five years ago, Sue's expectations for the rest of her life changed.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I'd been with my ex-husband for 30 years,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53when things ended just after my birthday and my anniversary.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58After a traumatic divorce, Sue, who manages a GP practice,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01couldn't afford to keep her home.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I only used to work part-time, but after my divorce,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08financially I had to go and work full-time.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, not something I wanted to do, but needs must.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I made the decision to downsize and look for a smaller property,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18smaller garden.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23A year ago, 58-year-old Sue bought a three-bed 1920s semi in Kent
0:03:23 > 0:03:27for £205,000, but it's far from ideal.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29The rooms are all much smaller.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32It's a bit like living in a caravan sometimes!
0:03:32 > 0:03:34It's not suited to how I want to live.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Sue wants to fundamentally transform the house so it's right for her.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48I do find this living room very dull, dingy.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51It needs better lighting, better everything in here.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Everything needs improving.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55The current kitchen depresses me.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59I don't like the way you go through a door in the sitting room
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and you turn back on yourself to go into the kitchen.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Her plan is to completely remodel the interior as well as add
0:04:05 > 0:04:09a large extension to the rear, replacing an old lean-to.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I'm very determined to make as many changes as possible.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I can be quite driven.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18It's my project and it's about doing things that suit me.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Sue is risking her life savings rebuilding her home.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Realistically, I have got £25,000.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29To do everything. I don't want to make any mistakes.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I'm only going to have one go at this.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33When the money's gone, it's gone.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'People move on average eight times in their lifetime.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'The previous owners of Sue's home will have made
0:04:45 > 0:04:47'alterations in line with the fashions of the day,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'such as the faux-leaded windows and modern UPVC door.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- Hi, Sue. How are you? Nice to meet you.- Thank you.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Thanks for having us.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Tell me about how this house makes you feel when you see it today.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06It looks a bit sad. It's just so false.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07I just want to do what's best for it,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I just want to make it what it should be and not what it is.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Looking forward to seeing inside, will you show me round?- Yes, please.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'This original hardwood door, hiding behind the porch door,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'suggests features Sue might be able to retain.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'But her focus is on dramatic changes.'
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I'd like to knock this particular wall out and expose the staircase
0:05:28 > 0:05:34and change it round. I think it would give it a sense of more space than actually is in here.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38'Her ambition to get more light and space into this dark
0:05:38 > 0:05:42'and awkward house is good, but reconfigurations can be expensive.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45'It's a world away from the home she gave up.'
0:05:45 > 0:05:48My previous house, um, I loved living there.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52It was a cottage built in 1840, so it had lots of character.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Obviously my circumstances changed after 30 years.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It has been tough but I've come to the end of that now.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I'm over that period and it's...
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I'm very forward thinking, and you've got to get on.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07How does it feel to be taking on a project like this on your own?
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I am daunted, but onwards and upwards!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Sue's new home was built during the post-First World War
0:06:15 > 0:06:18building boom when the growth of suburbia was at its peak.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Suburbia started to take off, really, in the late 19th century,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26but these houses are from the 1920s and '30s.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29That was the era of Metroland, as we call it today,
0:06:29 > 0:06:30the spread of suburbia
0:06:30 > 0:06:34that was enabled by train stations, increased rail infrastructure,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and rise of the private car.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Over four million suburban homes were
0:06:39 > 0:06:41built in Britain between the two world wars.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46To make rooms easier to heat, sizes were kept small, but
0:06:46 > 0:06:50these houses are typically double the size of a modern new build.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55While some suburban houses are grand homes made with rich materials,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58some of the best of them are simple and straightforward.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Suburbia is not just full of middle class housing.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05You always find buildings like these ones behind me, too,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and this kind of architecture is much more related to Sue's building.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14Very plain, red brick, sash windows, it's a lovely, dignified building.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Sue's house is a rabbit warren of corridors and rooms.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Her challenge is to open it up for modern living.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27What do you dream of seeing when you walk through the door
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- and start using the house? - Warmth, sunshine, light,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33all the things that I don't really have at the moment.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34A home.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Sue's told me a lot about what this house means to her
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and it's clearly part of a fresh new start
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and means a lot to her emotionally
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and psychologically as well as physically.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46But, for me, it's a difficult building,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48it needs fundamental rethinking.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The qualities she wants, she's going to have to create,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and I think that's a real challenge on her budget.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58I'm concerned Sue simply won't be able to reconfigure her
0:07:58 > 0:08:02entire house successfully and build that new extension on her budget.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05With only one chance to get it right, Sue's going to need
0:08:05 > 0:08:09support, and will be guided by acclaimed architect Piers Taylor.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15Having built and transformed houses on budgets large and small, he's all
0:08:15 > 0:08:19too aware of how massive the task is and the problems we are inheriting.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24Sue's only got £25,000 for this build but she wants a lot for it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28I'm just even wondering, really, even what kind of extension she could get for £25,000
0:08:28 > 0:08:31before you even start thinking about reconfiguring the interior.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33You could just about get an extension for £25,000,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37but you'd still end up with a building that's very compromised.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41I think that spatially she needs to take the bull by the horns
0:08:41 > 0:08:42and sort out this building.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Sue's current plan to bring this 1920s layout up-to-date is
0:08:47 > 0:08:50ambitious. She wants to change the direction of the staircase,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53which would give her more space in the centre of the house.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And then remove the structural rear wall of the living room.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59To move the bathroom upstairs.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03And replace the existing lean-to with a large extension.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05This will house her kitchen,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08freeing up the rooms at the front of the property.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Historically,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13we want our buildings to address the street, to impress our neighbours.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Now, we want buildings that address the garden
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and get the light at the end of the day, where we can sit when we come home from work.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- She wants a beautiful garden room. Is that affordable?- It's tricky.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Sue also needs to fit a kitchen, move walls, replaster,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32redecorate, change the flooring - all way beyond what she can afford.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34And also she is planning to reconfigure
0:09:34 > 0:09:36the staircase in order to try to unlock the potential of what
0:09:36 > 0:09:38is at the moment quite a cramped room.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42My worry is that moving staircases around is sometimes expensive,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44it could be three or four thousand quid.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47'Sue risks spending money in the wrong places.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'On a job of this scale, every penny has to be used wisely.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:54This is a big ask - £25,000 to do such a lot,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and at the moment I'm not clear how she's going to do it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'Starting any build without the figures adding up is
0:10:02 > 0:10:04'a recipe for disaster.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06'Seduced by grand plans for an extension,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'Sue's totally underestimated how far her £25,000 will stretch.'
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I'm worried that she's going to want to leap to the exciting stuff
0:10:14 > 0:10:18before she realises how expensive it is to sort the building out.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20'And she could easily run out of money here.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Hi, Sue.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25So, 25,000 to replumb the house, to rewire it,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28to build an extension, to sort out the stairs,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31to sort out the downstairs and put a new bathroom in.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33I'm feeling really nervous about budget.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Oh, dear! I'm feeling nervous, very nervous now!
0:10:37 > 0:10:41This feels like £50,000-£60,000 worth of work.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47The bubble has been burst a little bit.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Really terrified now.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51So I've got to look at reining in the budget somehow.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Extensions are extremely costly to build,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57averaging around £1,000 per square metre.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00So Piers needs to come up with alternative ideas that will
0:11:00 > 0:11:05save Sue money but still create an amazing home.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07What do you think about this space in terms of leaving
0:11:07 > 0:11:09it about the same size,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13but then increasing the sense of space rather than building more space?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Well, if it's going to rein in the costs
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and it means I have a finished product,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20then that is the compromise and I think I'm prepared to make that.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Sue's open to the idea of a smaller extension.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Now Piers needs to deal with her plans for reconfiguring
0:11:27 > 0:11:29the interior.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32What I am worried about is moving the staircase.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35What would happen if we turned the stair around is that you would walk
0:11:35 > 0:11:39across this room to go upstairs, and this would feel very compromised.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- So that's my immediate concern.- OK.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44This move will cost a minimum of £3,000
0:11:44 > 0:11:49and Piers spots an ingenious way of opening up the space for less.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Have you thought about taking out this wall?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Because this is a completely supporting wall, it would
0:11:54 > 0:11:55be very expensive to do that.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57To take the whole wall out would be very expensive.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00What I'm thinking is that you might just open it up with
0:12:00 > 0:12:02a conventional lintel.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05But as well as that, I'm wondering about this connection to the garden.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I'm longing to be able to sense the garden out there.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11That's exactly how I felt when I first came in here.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I just gravitated, always, to the back.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15And that needs sorting out, in my mind,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18far before you start moving the staircase around.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Piers is suggesting that rather moving the staircase,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27she should save money by leaving it where it is
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and knock through the other living room wall, to create one big,
0:12:31 > 0:12:32airy space.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37At the back, he wants to replace the lean-to
0:12:37 > 0:12:40with a new kitchen extension within the existing footprint.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Sue's original plan would have cost around £60,000.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52The design Piers is suggesting needs to cut that by more than half.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54So I just want to do a little cost check.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So, £3,500 worth of walls downstairs,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01about £9,000 to sort out that conservatory.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06And not forgetting a kitchen, rewiring at £3,500,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09and decorating at another £3,000. It's adding up.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And I can see you looking a little bit alarmed already.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's going to be tight.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18But there is another fundamental part of the house that Piers
0:13:18 > 0:13:20wants Sue to consider.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23At the moment, the house feels a little bit sad
0:13:23 > 0:13:27and I think the other thing I want to do is to sort out
0:13:27 > 0:13:29the arrival and the approach to the house.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32But I think you could paint the top part of the house
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and I think that should be a really warm, rich colour.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Then I would take out these fake lead lights.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41What I think you should do is change the glass to clear glass.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Sue's next challenge is to get the builders, Ollie and Darren,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50on board with Piers's plans.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54He's come up with some different ideas that he thinks are going
0:13:54 > 0:13:55to be better for me.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00I'm going to need costings for all of this. To rebuild the conservatory,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03a rewire, a replumb, new heating,
0:14:03 > 0:14:08kitchen, decor, and we've discussed exteriors as well.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Will they be able to do it all for her £25,000 budget?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Sue's wrestling with a house that really can't accommodate
0:14:21 > 0:14:24the life she wants to live for the next 20 years.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27But each era of British housing brings its own design challenges.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30In the 1970s, a kitchen was designed to have the door shut on it,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32to be not seen and not heard.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Today we expect it to be the heart of family life.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Billy, come and do your hands, quick.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's so depressing...it's horrible.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Teacher Kath and marketing manager Greg bought their house
0:14:47 > 0:14:51in Shrewsbury 18 months ago for £213,000.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Our old house was only really two-and-a-half bedrooms.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58We had two big dogs, two small children
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and an awful lot of outdoor gear.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This was probably about the top end of what we could afford at the time.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05I also wasn't working
0:15:05 > 0:15:10so we knew we needed something that we could afford on just Greg's wage.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Although they pushed themselves financially to buy the property,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17there's a part of it that just doesn't work for them as a family.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21It's a beans on toast kitchen, not a roast dinner kitchen.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Extended in the '80s, the kitchen is long, narrow
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and there's nowhere for them to sit together.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29This is the kind of, the extension part of the kitchen,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32so this is the additional bit from when it was originally built.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35The way it's set out, the space doesn't work.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Having anybody else down here now,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I can't use this work surface behind me, because of this L shape.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44As soon as somebody's stood at the sink,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46you can't use half the work surface.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Because you can't do everything in one space,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52you have to go from here to the other end, to back again.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Excuse me.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56But it's a kind of horrible brown colour as well.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's just...it's horrible.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02And brown work surfaces. And brown floor.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05And brown wallpaper. And brown tiles.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06Brown is the new black!
0:16:06 > 0:16:09It's a typical old kitchen. There's just not enough plugs.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13We've got these two here, but in this whole area that's all there is.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Probably not all that safe!
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The space is so impractical and potentially dangerous
0:16:19 > 0:16:22that the girls are often kept away.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The kids want to help with cooking and peeling
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and things but there's just not enough room for that to be
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- a comfortable experience. - Or a safe experience.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33With the girls growing up fast,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37there's no time to lose when it comes to getting this house family fit.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The plan was we'd have it done within a few months of moving in.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44You know, done. And it's a year down the line, and, not done.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Whilst they've scrimped and saved £4,000,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50it's a tiny sum of money for the scale of this project.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I don't believe I can get the kitchen
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I want for £4,000, I think it's too tight.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58This doesn't stop Kath wanting a place where
0:16:58 > 0:17:01they can spend time together with their girls.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I think a kitchen should be the heart of the home.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I know it sounds corny, but why shouldn't it be?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The cost of rebuilding this space could be enormous,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13far beyond Kath and Greg's desperately tight budget.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17We absolutely can't afford to make a mistake.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19That's it, that's all we've got left.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21I don't think it can be done!
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The layout of this house is a victim of its time.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Finding a solution that will turn it into a modern kitchen diner
0:17:31 > 0:17:33will be a big challenge for Piers.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Kitchens are where people eat, they live, they dine, they cook,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42they sit and use the kitchen table to do homework,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and I think no house feels really complete
0:17:44 > 0:17:46without a really good kitchen.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Hi, Greg. How you doing? Nice to see you.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57This house been altered and extended over the years
0:17:57 > 0:17:59and it's difficult to unpick.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Just to get my bearings, the original kitchen, it looks like
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- it was this size, and that's an extension.- Yes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- It looks like, in a way, you've got two kitchens.- Yes!- Yes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11And that's how it feels when we're trying to work in it.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14There's also the cardinal sin of separating your cooking area
0:18:14 > 0:18:16from your washing up and sink area.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21There's such a problem with this room that I think, in a way,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23the proportion of the space needs thinking about
0:18:23 > 0:18:25before you start upgrading any kitchen.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30£4,000 can barely buy a flat-pack kitchen,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34let alone pay for any structural changes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Piers needs to forensically search the house to see
0:18:37 > 0:18:40if there are any possible options for improving the space.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I mean, moving a radiator isn't particularly expensive,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46but it will start to eat into the budget.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49There's power here and an extension there.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53No other power in the kitchen. That's crazy.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57With an electrician costing £120 a day and a plumber £110,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59it's clear that there are some expensive
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and essential jobs that need prioritising.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06It's not a complex job to rewire but it's important to do it
0:19:06 > 0:19:10in a way that minimises the disruption to the rooms around it.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And, in a way, that's half the expense, the disruption.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Outside in the passageway between the kitchen and garage,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Piers spots a solution that could make the kitchen larger.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25I think there's a real potential just to move this wall, or take
0:19:25 > 0:19:29this wall out, dry line this wall, put a ceiling on it,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and use this space for an extension to the kitchen.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35It's less than a metre wide
0:19:35 > 0:19:38but utilising this previously unused space could be
0:19:38 > 0:19:40the key to transforming the layout of the kitchen.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44And I wonder about the possibility of putting
0:19:44 > 0:19:47a lintel in from here to there,
0:19:47 > 0:19:53and pushing all of this stuff back by that much, into that passageway.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And then you'd gain this much space in this bit of kitchen.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01It would mean that you would have enough space to have a table and so on in here.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Piers thinks Kath and Greg should use their money to reconfigure the space
0:20:06 > 0:20:09rather than replace the kitchen units.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I mean, these in a way are perfectly serviceable.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Spray painting up these doors would transform it.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18You're buying time for this kitchen, really.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23If it's feasible to do it on the budget, then to me that makes sense.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26In a way, I worry that I might be disappointing you
0:20:26 > 0:20:29because I'm not coming in here with a glamorous, shiny new kitchen.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I'm actually suggesting that you do the less glamorous work
0:20:32 > 0:20:34of structural reorganisation.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It's not the answer Kath was expecting.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41If we can get a temporary solution that will do us
0:20:41 > 0:20:44for another year or so while we save up a bit more... There we are.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Piers needs to show them why taking this tough decision could
0:20:50 > 0:20:53give them what they want - a family kitchen.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57It means you can take this table and seat,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59if you wanted, into that alcove.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01And then you come around the corner and you discover
0:21:01 > 0:21:04that nice, big sitting space.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- I really like that idea. - I really like it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10As soon as you started doing this with the seating area down here,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12it's just...yes! That's what I want.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Despite the pared-back plans, the budget is still extremely tight.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21It's about £4,000 to do everything, and that is a big ask.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It may be that this is a vision of what's possible
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and it's always better to build a bit of a vision
0:21:28 > 0:21:29than a complete compromise.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I've given them quite a hard task in some ways,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36because this is going to depend on their resourcefulness
0:21:36 > 0:21:38and nothing else.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40So, the budget's a worry, cos it's a little bit over,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but we need to get some quotes in, obviously, from builders,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45to find out whether those numbers kind of add up.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50But they won't know how much Piers' radical rethink
0:21:50 > 0:21:53will really be until it's costed up.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So that's bricked up, door reused across there.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Piers has come up with an ingenious suggestion -
0:21:57 > 0:22:01it's not a complicated job to remove the kitchen wall,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03but it is fiddly and could prove expensive.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- Cheers, then. - Yeah. I'll see you soon.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06- See you.- Thank you!- Bye!
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Four days later, the quote from the builder is through.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Wow.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It's a lot bigger than anticipated.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21At £7,000, it's almost double Kath and Greg's budget.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24There's absolutely no way they can raise this amount of money.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I honestly wasn't expecting it to be...quite so much as that.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I did feel a bit like, "Oh, this is never going to happen."
0:22:31 > 0:22:33We're going to have to turn around and say to them,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36"Oh, we can't do that," and just make do with what we've got.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49In Kent, Sue's builders have started work on Piers' vision for her home.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51They've predicted it will take four months
0:22:51 > 0:22:55but haven't fixed a price and are working on a daily rate -
0:22:55 > 0:23:00a risky strategy, as it will be up to Sue to carefully manage the build
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and the £25,000 budget.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I have a feeling this conservatory will probably fall down, actually.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Oh, God!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19There was a roof!
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And there was a conservatory - it's not here no more.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Oh, God.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It sort of means it's all happening now, doesn't it?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- It's reality now, isn't it?- Yep.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29No going back.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35As the builders are beginning the big structural changes
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and things are moving fast, it's vital Piers gets there
0:23:38 > 0:23:43to ensure novice project manager Sue isn't letting anything slip.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Hi, Sue.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46Today, the living room wall,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49central to Piers' plans for opening up the house,
0:23:49 > 0:23:50is coming down.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Structural calculations are vital when undertaking work like this,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59which is subject to building control approval.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I think this is THE thing that is going to transform this.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It's a lintel, costing just £120,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10that's key to making this an open, generous space.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14It's amazing how big this feels now - downstairs.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15- Yeah.- It really does.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20See, I find this as pleasurable as anything.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21- Oops!- Bit more.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Aah!- One, two, three...
0:24:24 > 0:24:26THEY CHEER
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Whoo!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31For the extension at the rear, Sue has opted for a pitched roof -
0:24:31 > 0:24:34but Piers is worried that she won't get the all-important light
0:24:34 > 0:24:36she craves for her home.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38At the moment, I understand that your extension
0:24:38 > 0:24:40is going to have a pitched roof on.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Yes, I believe so.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Isn't that going to feel quite oppressive and dark
0:24:43 > 0:24:44when it comes down?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Well, I hadn't really thought of that.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49That hadn't occurred to me - I just sort of...
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I've gone with the flow, really.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Now you're saying it, I can actually see what you mean.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55What do YOU want out here?
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Um...I want as much light and airy as possible.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04I want this, as I always said, is to be my outside room inside.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Instead of fighting for what she wants,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Sue is in danger of compromising her dream.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It's a bad sign so early in the build.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15My fear for this is that it will be dumbed down,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17because looking around all these back extensions,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19they're just what you'd expect.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22A little lean-to here, a little felt roof over there.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Sue's needs to be different.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27This is a woman that needs a special house with a special extension.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31The challenge for Piers is to show Sue how a different style of roof
0:25:31 > 0:25:35will cost no more, but will deliver the light she desperately wants.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39What I think would work really well is to do a flat-roofed building.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43When you come through here, you'll just look straight out at the sky.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Actually, this could be really spectacular -
0:25:46 > 0:25:49a beautiful flat-roofed box with a roof light in the middle,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52with some amazing cladding, some great windows,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54would just transform this building.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- So I can have that? - You can have that, absolutely.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Great, well, that's what we're going with.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00I really am relieved! I'm really pleased, now.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Today was a critical time, because actually,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11although Sue does kind of know what she's doing, actually,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14she was about to dumb this whole thing down, really ruin this.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Keeping singularity of vision during any building project
0:26:19 > 0:26:22is tough - and it's even harder when you're living on-site.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24For the last two weeks,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Sue's been without heating or downstairs hot water.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34So I've got to get down and start before it gets cold.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38It's a bit like girl guides life, this is.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45I'm not very sure... I'm a bit sort of depressed.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Bogged down...a little bit.
0:26:49 > 0:26:55Um, because you solve one problem and you go onto the next one.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00And I don't have any expertise, I don't have anything to measure it by.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01That's the problem I've got.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Sue's really at a low point in the build right now.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12All the walls are out, she's living in a building site,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16it's pretty tough. But she's also at a moment of real possibility -
0:27:16 > 0:27:18it's kind of a blank canvas at the moment,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20and I'm hoping to take her to a place where we can see
0:27:20 > 0:27:22what the possibilities are for small,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25subtle and sort of surgical interventions in a house.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28So I'm bringing her to a property in North London
0:27:28 > 0:27:32that's packed full of ideas, materials and interesting spaces.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Well, I'm really hoping that we can help you see something now
0:27:35 > 0:27:37that, in a way, can inspire you,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and take the build forward to the next phase.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- So, do you want to join me inside? - Yeah, lovely.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47It's the space at the rear of this previously dark town house
0:27:47 > 0:27:49that I want Sue to see.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52The back of the house has been opened up
0:27:52 > 0:27:55to create a light, airy, contemporary space,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57with the addition of a small extension
0:27:57 > 0:28:00which brings the outside seamlessly inside.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06So, Sue, what do you make of this?
0:28:06 > 0:28:07It's lovely, isn't it?
0:28:07 > 0:28:11It's a really...great kitchen, great space.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13It's quite an interesting sort of mix of materials -
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and lots of different atmospheres going on here, isn't there?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- Yeah, but it still works. - Yeah, I think so.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21The kitchen is a masterclass
0:28:21 > 0:28:25in how to define an open-plan space into different zones.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Simple pendant lighting marks the dining area from the kitchen,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32whilst built-in seating connects the inside with the garden.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36A simple palette of brick and concrete links everything together
0:28:36 > 0:28:38whilst retaining a generous sense of space.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41But I also think that what's interesting - you know,
0:28:41 > 0:28:42they made a black kitchen,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45and there's something about light and dark going on here, isn't there?
0:28:45 > 0:28:47You've got the bright light coming from the garden,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49that's where all the focus is of the room -
0:28:49 > 0:28:51the kitchen isn't distracting from that.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53What do you think of the materials in here?
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Because this is obviously concrete work surfaces...
0:28:56 > 0:28:57It's just beautiful, isn't it?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59It really is, yeah.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Having seen the different application of materials,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05I now need to help Sue realise she can transform her home
0:29:05 > 0:29:08into somewhere as special as this.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I think it's really interesting how this project tries to
0:29:11 > 0:29:13break down the boundary between inside and outside.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14This, for me,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17is one of the most successful things about this project.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19It's just such a nice place to be, isn't it?
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It's connecting you to this lovely little garden.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25If I think about my design, I could incorporate something similar
0:29:25 > 0:29:29to this, because Piers had already mentioned about having
0:29:29 > 0:29:31a garden seat, you know, at the end of the units, but...
0:29:31 > 0:29:33I know when you see all this folding-back glass,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35and this is all custom-made,
0:29:35 > 0:29:36and this beautiful cantilevered corner,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39I mean, that's going to be, probably, beyond your budget,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42but I think that's what we should be trying to create, isn't it?
0:29:42 > 0:29:45No, no, I totally agree, and - how we're going to do it,
0:29:45 > 0:29:46or within my budget, I don't know -
0:29:46 > 0:29:48but we have to think about this quickly,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- because the brickie's coming on-site next week.- Oh, really?
0:29:50 > 0:29:52OK, well, we'd better get on it!
0:29:55 > 0:29:58It's so great to see Sue taking on board everything we're
0:29:58 > 0:30:00talking about here in this building.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02It's a very contemporary interior.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04I think she's really taken on board
0:30:04 > 0:30:06the need to have a little moment to really experience the garden -
0:30:06 > 0:30:08you can find a seat to read a book
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and just sit quietly and enjoy your place.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14That should be achievable for any budget.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19What's the biggest impression you've taken from that interior?
0:30:19 > 0:30:22The possibility that you can actually be a bit more creative
0:30:22 > 0:30:24and not so traditional.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- Yeah.- Cos I was thinking Shaker style and all that,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30but actually, looking at the lovely, glossy units,
0:30:30 > 0:30:31they really work in there.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33They would work really well with the concrete.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35It feels a bit like, step by step,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38you're embracing different kinds of material,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and that more contemporary kind of combination of materials.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42Yeah, I think I have.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45And I think that's been part of the learning curve for me.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Cos I thought all that wasn't me,
0:30:47 > 0:30:49but actually I really love what I saw today.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51- And I could live with that quite happily.- Great.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Hello there. I'm basically looking to get a couple of brick walls built.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Over in Shrewsbury, Kath and Greg are desperate
0:31:03 > 0:31:07to transform their awkward kitchen into a family space -
0:31:07 > 0:31:08but quotes from local builders
0:31:08 > 0:31:11are coming in at more than double their budget.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Cheers. Bye.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Greg has a drastic solution.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18If you're confident that you can do...
0:31:18 > 0:31:21None of those things sound that hard to me. Those jobs.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Greg has done bit of DIY in the past -
0:31:24 > 0:31:27but he's never attempted anything on this scale before.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30However he's realised he can only have this transformation
0:31:30 > 0:31:32if he does the work himself.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Promise me that it'll be done to...my standards!
0:31:36 > 0:31:38I don't think even the most professional builder in the world
0:31:38 > 0:31:40could do it quite to your standards!
0:31:44 > 0:31:49With only £4,000 available, there's no margin for error.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50Point of no return.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Greg's been doing a lot of research,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57and is confident that he can do quite a lot of it himself.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I'm very anxious about Greg taking this on.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05As much as 60% of a builder's quote gets spent on labour.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08By doing it himself, Greg could save thousands -
0:32:08 > 0:32:10IF he gets it right.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15He's going to be tackling everything except the specialist jobs
0:32:15 > 0:32:18like rewiring, plumbing, and plastering.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21His first task is to extend the existing kitchen roof
0:32:21 > 0:32:23over the alleyway.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- Do you actually know what you're doing?- Yes.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Are you worried about me dismantling the fabric of the house?
0:32:30 > 0:32:31Yeah.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38Inspired by Greg's DIY approach, Kath gets stuck in too.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40It's a bit like icing a cake.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45I can actually say, "I built that wall."
0:32:45 > 0:32:47OK, that's better than I was expecting!
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Having made the alleyway watertight,
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Greg is then ready to take down the kitchen wall
0:32:53 > 0:32:55and open up the space.
0:32:57 > 0:32:58Whew!
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Any significant work that we do to our homes
0:33:02 > 0:33:05must be approved and signed off by building control.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Mistakes could prove costly for Kath and Greg.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Desperate to see how these rookie builders are getting on,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Piers is on his way to Shrewsbury.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Wow, look at this!
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Yeah, we've been quite busy.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21You've been very busy. That's great!
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Gosh, it's fantastic. Wow!
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And you've done so much yourself, haven't you?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Pretty much done everything.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28You really embody the spirit of doing it yourself.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30- It's the best way.- It was quite...
0:33:30 > 0:33:34With the builders, it was just quite hard, because it's all little jobs.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37This is a job that can only really be done this way,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39because it's uneconomical for builders
0:33:39 > 0:33:40- to take on this sort of project. - Yeah.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44I probably did throw quite a lot at you last time I was here,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48and I came away thinking, "Gosh, I really hope this is going to work"!
0:33:48 > 0:33:50When I was here, also,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53I did suggest that you could re-use your existing unit,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55and I have seen some of your fittings in the skip,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58so it looks like you're NOT reusing your kitchen fittings.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00You know, part of the reason for doing it myself, really,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04was we could save a bit of money, and because of the way the budget's
0:34:04 > 0:34:08worked out, we can afford to buy some new ones.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09- Good.- So, why not?- Fantastic.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14This resourceful couple have only spent £2,000 so far.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16They now have a further 2,000 left for the fit out.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19The point of doing all this work, taking your house apart,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21reconfiguring it, is to make it amazing.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24My fear is that they'll just go shopping for stuff.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27My hope is that they'll go shopping for something really low-cost,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30but then transform it with something really inventive.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34What Kath and Greg should be thinking about
0:34:34 > 0:34:35is how to create a unique space
0:34:35 > 0:34:39by incorporating features that are bespoke.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42I've come to see a building by Dominic McKenzie which
0:34:42 > 0:34:44he built for himself, and this project really shows
0:34:44 > 0:34:48the potential of great materials used in a beautifully-crafted way.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51This home is packed full of non-standard, one-off ideas
0:34:51 > 0:34:55that together make the whole property feel unique and special.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58From bespoke paint jobs...
0:34:58 > 0:35:01to unusual wall coverings.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03But it's in the kitchen that there's an idea
0:35:03 > 0:35:06that I think could really raise Kath and Greg's project
0:35:06 > 0:35:08beyond the normal.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10This kitchen island down here really is one of the most
0:35:10 > 0:35:12spectacular moments of this interior.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14It's like a little jewel down here.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17This kind of beautiful brass with the reflections,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20you know, gives a real quality of light to this space.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23For me, what's exciting about it is somehow typical of how
0:35:23 > 0:35:24architects often work - you know,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27it's something very standard underneath,
0:35:27 > 0:35:28a standard kitchen carcass,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31covered in something very tailored and very beautiful.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32And that's this brass surface.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38The MDF top and cupboard doors were sent to a metal manufacturer
0:35:38 > 0:35:41to be wrapped and bonded with the sheets of brass,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43costing less than £3,000.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Other reflective materials can deliver a similar look
0:35:47 > 0:35:49on a fraction of the price.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53You want people not to just go shopping for their interiors,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56but to try to design them, try to conceive them as a whole,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58and this is a really beautiful example of that.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01But it lifts this whole place and makes it feel luxurious,
0:36:01 > 0:36:02makes it feel special.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04That's the effect you can achieve
0:36:04 > 0:36:07if you don't just go to your local kitchen manufacturer.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11We need to help Kath achieve a similar bespoke look
0:36:11 > 0:36:13within her modest budget.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Piers hopes the answer may be on an industrial estate
0:36:17 > 0:36:19in Wolverhampton.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21So, Kath, we're in a place
0:36:21 > 0:36:24that does all sorts of interesting things with metal.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27You can crimp and cut and bend
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and guillotine metal into all sorts of shapes and sizes.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34And you've described a kitchen to me that's sleek, minimal and beautiful.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38And the immediate thing that I thought was stainless steel.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43Well, I'd seen a worktop that was edged in metal of some sort,
0:36:43 > 0:36:47but I'd never considered it as a whole worktop.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I would think that if you went to a traditional stainless steel
0:36:51 > 0:36:53kitchen supplier for your worktop,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56it would probably be about 3,000 quid in stainless steel.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58If somebody made it up for you.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04By going direct to a workshop like this,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08a set of worktops could be produced for around £500.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Here they stock a range of materials,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12which can be cut and shaped to any design.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14Mirrored steel.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16- That's kind of nice.- Yeah. - Very nice, isn't it?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18I mean, beautiful material.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20So that is a sheet of aluminium.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22This one is copper.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- So that's the brushed stainless steel.- Mm-hm.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27And - I mean, I'm going to state right away, I think
0:37:27 > 0:37:29that's really beautiful.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30I really quite like it!
0:37:31 > 0:37:34With Kath willing to give Piers' stainless steel worktop a go,
0:37:34 > 0:37:38he wastes no time in getting a sample made up.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Bending a single sheet of metal to make a worktop is a hygienic option,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44as there are no joins for bacteria to linger in.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47It simply has to be glued onto a cheap chipboard frame,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50and by wrapping the metal up the wall as well,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52it can save on tiling.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- Bingo.- That's amazing. - It's amazing, isn't it?
0:37:55 > 0:37:57- Look at that! One worktop.- Wow.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- Completely not off the shelf, is it?- No, no.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03When we were talking originally about painting the cupboard doors
0:38:03 > 0:38:08and just replacing the worktop, that came in at about £350, so for this...
0:38:08 > 0:38:11- Mm.- It's actually quite good.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13And it won't feel like I've copied all my friends' kitchens.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- It won't. You OK to take it in, guys?- Yeah.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18I was a little worried about bringing Kath here,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and actually what I think has swayed it for Kath
0:38:21 > 0:38:24is seeing the sheer beauty of the finished piece,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29and knowing where it comes from, for me, is part of the story.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33To come out with that gorgeous, feathery, soft,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36very feminine piece of metal...
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Yeah, completely changed.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- OK, see you. Bye.- Thank you. Bye.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Back in Kent, Sue is two months into the ambitious remodelling
0:38:51 > 0:38:52of her 1920s home.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Her builders have opened up the downstairs layout
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and built a striking new kitchen extension to the rear.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Wanting to flood the house with much-needed light,
0:39:03 > 0:39:08Sue has ordered bifold doors and roof skylights costing £3,400.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12This is a big project now -
0:39:12 > 0:39:15I think it's got bigger than I thought it was going to be!
0:39:15 > 0:39:17As long as it gets finished and I can afford to finish it.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22But her money is draining away fast,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26and she's already spent over half her £25,000 budget.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27Having been so ambitious,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30her enthusiasm to create something exceptional
0:39:30 > 0:39:33is fading as quickly as her cash.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36I just don't do failures really, really well.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39In a different life, in a different way.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42And that's the problem - being on your own, being my age,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44and taking on a project like this.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47And when it backfires, I've got nobody else to help me.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49You know? The dream hasn't come...
0:39:49 > 0:39:51hasn't come yet.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Despite the pressures on Sue, Piers is pushing her
0:40:00 > 0:40:03to retain the architectural ambition of her project.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07So he's brought her to see a building that's 50 miles away,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11but as far from her 1920s semi as you can get.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14The Turner Contemporary by an architect called David Chipperfield.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18- It's a really significant building. - It's quite a strange shape.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22- It sits on its own, doesn't it? - It does.- It stands out.- Yeah.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24The Turner Contemporary is an art gallery
0:40:24 > 0:40:26in the Victorian town of Margate.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29It's an unashamedly modern addition to the seafront.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38The thing about your extension is that it is really
0:40:38 > 0:40:40an equivalently simple box.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43And I think you need to think quite carefully
0:40:43 > 0:40:46about how you articulate it, how you give it character.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It could be really ordinary or it could be really extraordinary.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Lessons learnt here could transform Sue's extension
0:40:53 > 0:40:56into a unique and inspiring design.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59This cladding feels amazing, actually.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Look how smooth that is.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Oh, it's lovely!
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Here, simple lines are produced from one beautiful material -
0:41:07 > 0:41:09acid-etched glass.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11The challenge for Sue is to interpret this vision
0:41:11 > 0:41:15and achieve something as exceptional on her budget.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17What if this was your set of doors
0:41:17 > 0:41:20set within an amazing material like this?
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Well, it would be totally amazing!
0:41:23 > 0:41:27- Your building needs to feel as special as this does.- Yes, it's...
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- I mean, totally different from anything I've experienced.- Yeah.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- I mean, I've been here before, but...- Not really noticed it?
0:41:33 > 0:41:37- No, because it's not... You've just accepted what you see.- Absolutely.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This extraordinary building might have given Sue the ambition
0:41:40 > 0:41:42to complete her build in an individual way,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45despite the little money she has left.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Piers has done it again. He's opened my eyes to things
0:41:48 > 0:41:52that I hadn't even thought about, really, I hadn't even considered.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I'm totally for it. I want the wow effect.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08In Shrewsbury, it's almost two months since Kath and Greg
0:42:08 > 0:42:12started on their kitchen and, by doing the work themselves,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15they've saved enough money to buy basic units.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19In another cost-saving move, Kath's dad is helping her fit them.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25I would imagine it will tell you somewhere
0:42:25 > 0:42:27how to fit this door onto the front of it.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41So it's your decision now where you want these two runners.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Oh, no, hang on. No, they don't.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- So the frame that is holding that... - The frame has to go
0:42:51 > 0:42:54- there and there.- Yeah.- But the baskets, with those things there,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- can hook wherever I like. - That's right, yeah.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06- Perfect.- Don't you dare tell me you want it on the other side!
0:43:06 > 0:43:08I want to put some stuff in it now.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12I can't believe how much stuff that we've managed to do ourselves.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15And how little we've had to call in professionals.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Dad's help may be invaluable,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21but there's a long way to go until this build is finished.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26I've kind of lost track how many weeks we've been going.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28We've been up till midnight painting.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31That's as far as we can go with that one, then.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33I wonder what that hole's for at the bottom.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Four months into the build and Piers has come to find out if
0:43:43 > 0:43:48Sue's managed to keep her aspiration going, despite her dwindling budget.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53The final stages of any project are tricky and, for Sue, I think
0:43:53 > 0:43:56they're going to be trickier still, because I know her pot of money
0:43:56 > 0:44:00is dwindling and her emotional energy is, by and large, spent.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Hello?
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Hi!
0:44:04 > 0:44:06This looks amazing! How are you doing? Good to see you.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09- All right, thank you. - Look at this, it's incredible!
0:44:09 > 0:44:12It is so simple and, actually, so beautiful.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13Learning the lessons from Margate,
0:44:13 > 0:44:18Sue has opted to cover her extension in timber painted cool grey.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Total cost - £1,100.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24I mean, you haven't tiled it, but I think it doesn't matter at all.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27I think the colour is great, the roughness of those boards is great.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31I think that really simple opening in the middle is nice.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35As you come in here, my God, look at that! Fantastic!
0:44:35 > 0:44:36It really does feel great.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41On a budget of just £25,000,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44this house is on its way to being transformed,
0:44:44 > 0:44:48but the critical question now is how much money is left?
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Are you on track to finish everything comfortably
0:44:50 > 0:44:54- on budget on time? - No, no, no.- OK.- We're...
0:44:54 > 0:44:56We're zilch. The money's all gone.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59- But so you're telling me that you've got no money left at all?- No.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- I told the builders on Tuesday. - Yeah?
0:45:02 > 0:45:05- The guys have promised not to leave me in the lurch.- OK.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07- And to work on a lower rate as well. - Yeah.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And I can pay them back at another time.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- I'm trying not to be deflated by it all.- Yeah.- You know.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15Trying to still be upbeat.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18After all Sue's effort to manage the build and keep costs down,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20the budget is all gone.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24She initially allocated £3,000 for decoration.
0:45:24 > 0:45:25She'll now have to pay for it
0:45:25 > 0:45:28with whatever she can scrape together from her monthly salary.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I think you do less rather than more.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33And don't obsess about making it a show home.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37And you've got great spaces. Yeah... Yeah, I don't get
0:45:37 > 0:45:40the obsession with wanting everything completely finished.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42So, for me, the house is already great.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Knowing she's spent all the budget, Piers is determined
0:45:45 > 0:45:49to find beautiful things that Sue can have for free.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52- Oh, it's got grey mortar in it. - Yeah.- Wow!
0:45:52 > 0:45:55This is a house that has good bones. You know, you can see it.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57The brick here, as they are, are beautiful.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59And I think just not adding more stuff,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02but just leaving things to reveal the beauty of the
0:46:02 > 0:46:06structure and fabric of the house, that's what you should be doing.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10For me, the really important thing is that she
0:46:10 > 0:46:15focuses on things that she can do with things that she already has.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18All she needs to do is reveal the real beauty of the fabric
0:46:18 > 0:46:21of this building and, actually, she'll do this project.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Three months ago, Kath and Greg's kitchen
0:46:27 > 0:46:29was a totally impractical space,
0:46:29 > 0:46:33- with nowhere they could sit together as a family.- Excuse me!
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Long and narrow, with the sink at one end and cooker at the other,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39the poor layout wasn't the only problem.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43It also suffered from dated decor and potentially hazardous wiring.
0:46:45 > 0:46:50With just £4,000, their dream was to remodel their entire kitchen.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54'Piers came up with the clever idea of utilising unused space
0:46:54 > 0:46:57'and, today, we're back to see how far they took his plan.'
0:46:59 > 0:47:01So how's it all been going? Are you exhausted?
0:47:01 > 0:47:04- I've had enough of it by now. - Really?- We've kind of...
0:47:04 > 0:47:06I'm quite happy to stop at this point, so...
0:47:06 > 0:47:11- I've had that end-of-term feeling for three weeks now!- Really?- Yeah.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- So have you got what you want in the end?- Totally, and more.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Look at this! Wow!
0:47:20 > 0:47:22- Fantastic.- Amazing.- Fantastic.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24The space you've managed to carve out of here.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29'The previously narrow layout has been opened up by
0:47:29 > 0:47:32'knocking though into the alleyway at the back of the extension.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37'Unlocking this hidden space is the solution to the layout problems.'
0:47:37 > 0:47:40It was such a funny little slot here.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43It's not a vast distance, you know, in a measurement sense.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46- It's not even a metre.- No, it's about 80cm.- It's about two feet.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49It makes a huge difference. It just feels much more open.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51And you've now got this amazing seating area.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55'With trailing extension leads, and no space to move,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58'the kitchen was unsuitable for the children to be in.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03'But having rewired, they've been able to reconfigure the kitchen
0:48:03 > 0:48:05'and now a built-in seating area
0:48:05 > 0:48:09'allows for a contained, safe space out of harm's reach.'
0:48:10 > 0:48:13- Has this become the kind of family space you wanted?- Oh, totally.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16The first day we put the table in, the girls ran straight in
0:48:16 > 0:48:19and sat down, both next to each other, on the bench,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21going, "Ooh, this is really exciting!"
0:48:21 > 0:48:24They can be eating their breakfast while I'm getting on with stuff.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29'Having saved £2,000 by doing the labour themselves,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32'Kath and Greg then bought basic kitchen units
0:48:32 > 0:48:34'and went with Piers' idea
0:48:34 > 0:48:39'of a bespoke stainless steel worktop, costing £515.'
0:48:39 > 0:48:41I mean, it's really great to have a thing in your kitchen which is
0:48:41 > 0:48:44completely custom-made and bespoke.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45And this is just a lovely finish, isn't it?
0:48:45 > 0:48:48I was a bit worried it was going to look a bit like a catering kitchen.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53- And it totally doesn't. It's kind of sexy.- Yeah.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57For me, it transforms this kitchen into something that would be fine
0:48:57 > 0:49:00with a standard worktop, but now, it's kind of exceptional.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03And I think there's a really important lesson
0:49:03 > 0:49:05in going beyond the high street.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07'Kath and Greg have worked incredibly hard
0:49:07 > 0:49:08'to complete their dream,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11'but did they achieve it on their £4,000 budget?'
0:49:12 > 0:49:14I mean, it's an amazing result,
0:49:14 > 0:49:16but tell me how much you spent on this in total?
0:49:16 > 0:49:20I think, er, the whole shebang was about 5½.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23- 5½ grand?- Yeah.- So you went more than your original...?- A bit more,
0:49:23 > 0:49:27- but we did more...- Right.- ..cos the floor cost about a grand.- Yeah.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Heavy lifting, the kind of building work, what proportion was that?
0:49:30 > 0:49:34- About 1½-2, something in that neck of the woods.- Really?- For that.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- This, for under 2,000, is unbelievable value.- Oh, yeah.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Well, I couldn't believe how cheap lintels were. It's about £15.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43This looks really, really beautiful.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- Right, ready? - 'But most importantly,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48'Greg and Kath have got what they dearly wanted -
0:49:48 > 0:49:52'a space where they can spend quality time with their daughters.'
0:49:52 > 0:49:55We couldn't have all four of us in the kitchen before.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57There just wasn't space.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59And if I was stood here chopping,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Greg would have to come round behind me to get to the cooker,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05but now he doesn't and he's got all that space over there
0:50:05 > 0:50:07and it just feels right.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11- They were talking about whether it should be moved.- Oh, really?
0:50:11 > 0:50:12'The difference is it's huge
0:50:12 > 0:50:15'compared to what it was like in the kitchen before.'
0:50:15 > 0:50:18There was nowhere to sit down, there was nowhere we could all do this.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Really, it's not a huge amount of space,
0:50:20 > 0:50:25but it's meant it's changed the shape of the kitchen drastically.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26GIRL LAUGHS
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- Do you like being in the kitchen?- Yeah.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- LAUGHTER - Yeah! Do you like it?- Yeah!- Yeah!
0:50:35 > 0:50:38'With just a few thousand pounds, and a load of hard work,'
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Kath and Greg have radically transformed their home.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44And they've done it in a way which has taken a 1970s idea of living,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47where the kitchen should be out of sight and out of mind,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50and turned that room into the heart of their family home.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53I think it's a great achievement and they've got a great space out of it.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Back in Kent, Sue may have run out of budget,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02but if she pulls the plug on the build at this late stage,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05she'll be left with an unfinished house.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06So she and the builders
0:51:06 > 0:51:10are prioritising completing the new kitchen extension.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Well, today, um, we're going to get these VELUX windows in.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23Right, Sue, he's going to cut through the Permaroof now.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29Having gone with Piers' idea of putting skylights in the flat roof,
0:51:29 > 0:51:33this is the first time Sue's new kitchen will be flooded with light.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36SUE GASPS
0:51:36 > 0:51:38This is going to be fantastic, innit?
0:51:47 > 0:51:49It's lovely, innit?
0:51:49 > 0:51:52It's just a lovely blue sky up there today.
0:51:58 > 0:51:59As Piers suggested,
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Sue's making the most of the period features she has.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06The only cost being paint and elbow grease.
0:52:08 > 0:52:09The door's got to look nice,
0:52:09 > 0:52:14because this is the opening to all of this lovely space now.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Hmm, it's taking a lot of rubbing down.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26After a tough few years, Sue was desperate for a fresh start,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28but the 1920s house she'd bought
0:52:28 > 0:52:31was a rabbit warren of boxy rooms and corridors.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34The lounge was dark and dingy
0:52:34 > 0:52:38and cut off from a gloomy kitchen by a pokey passageway.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42At the rear, a wooden lean-to extension was rotting,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46making it completely unusable, whilst the front of the house
0:52:46 > 0:52:51was dated with faux-leaded windows and a UPVC door.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54This was a hugely ambitious project for Sue to take on
0:52:54 > 0:52:56and she'd never done anything like this before.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59It's been five months since the start of the build
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and I'm really keen to find out how she's got on.
0:53:01 > 0:53:07'Sue had a budget of just £25,000, plus an extra 5,000 contingency.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11'We know the money ran out a while ago, so today, Piers and I are back
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'to see how much of the work she managed to complete.'
0:53:16 > 0:53:20- Hi, Sue.- Hi, Kieran.- Great to see you. And how's it all been?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- Traumatic!- Really? I know! - THEY LAUGH
0:53:23 > 0:53:25- Yeah!- Have you started to see the transformation you wanted?
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Yeah, it feels much more like my house and not somebody else's.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I mean, I can already see a lot of change. Particularly the front door.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33This just looks so much better,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36now you've taken away the ugly door that was on your porch.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40- No, I love it, cos the porch is a lovely shape, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Absolutely. And it looks loved and it's kind of got its dignity back.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Oh, thank you. That was lovely! That's what I hoped to achieve.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Cos it did look a very sad, tired house.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52Well, I can't wait to see what you've done inside.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55- And I can't wait to show you! - Let's have a look.- I can't wait.
0:53:56 > 0:53:57Come on.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- Wow!- Look at this!- This is unbelievable!- It's incredible!
0:54:06 > 0:54:09'It's a staggering transformation of the downstairs.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14'Instead of taking out the whole wall,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17'requiring expensive structural work,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20'Piers' inexpensive idea to take down just part of the wall
0:54:20 > 0:54:22'has turned those dark front rooms
0:54:22 > 0:54:25'into a fantastic new living and dining space.'
0:54:27 > 0:54:28I mean, I hardly recognise it.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31I mean, this was the meanest, pokiest kitchen.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34And all this is is one lintel through there
0:54:34 > 0:54:37and you didn't need to take the whole wall away,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39cos that would've been expensive and complicated.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40It's lovely, a lovely space.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43The best thing is now being able to see all the way through to
0:54:43 > 0:54:47what looks like a beautiful extension and the garden.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50That's what you said to me, you know, that's what I should aim for.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56'The rotten old lean-to at the rear has been pulled down.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00'In its place stands a more spacious and adventurous extension,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02'housing an incredible new kitchen.'
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Well, it's fantastic, this room. You wanted this garden room.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10And compared to that lean-to that you had before, I mean,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12this is beautiful, isn't it? And there are so many things here
0:55:12 > 0:55:14which you seem to have totally embraced
0:55:14 > 0:55:16from our visit to that beautiful house in London.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19I mean, the black glossy doors in the kitchen
0:55:19 > 0:55:20and even the concrete worktop.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Well, I listened to what you said and a lot of it was logical
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and I wanted to change totally and that's what I've done.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33What's clever here is the way these roof lights light this space,
0:55:33 > 0:55:36but they also light the rest of the house.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39It's a truly delightful space, because the proportions are good,
0:55:39 > 0:55:41the light is good and the way it works is really good.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48'This pair of large skylight windows cost £360,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51'working out over £1,000 less than using fixed pieces of glass.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57'By putting in bifold doors and running the flagstone kitchen floor
0:55:57 > 0:56:00'through to the patio outside, there's a wonderful flow
0:56:00 > 0:56:03'from the house to the newly-landscaped garden.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07'The reinvention of this home
0:56:07 > 0:56:11'has included moving the bathroom upstairs and a complete rewire.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16'Sue's achieved an impressive finish.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18'But how much has it cost?'
0:56:18 > 0:56:21Sue, you had 25,000 and a little bit of contingency for the build.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23How much have you spent in the end?
0:56:23 > 0:56:26- More than 35.- Really?- Hmm.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29I think I've put value to it. It's not a catastrophe.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33It is just, um... I can't go on a spending spree.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35I think what you've done is an incredible achievement.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37For you to have pulled this off on your own,
0:56:37 > 0:56:40making all these tough decisions, also proving what can be done
0:56:40 > 0:56:43with limited means to make an absolutely beautiful place to live.
0:56:46 > 0:56:51Sue has taken a very small, dark, run-down semi
0:56:51 > 0:56:53and she's completely transformed it,
0:56:53 > 0:56:57extending it in such a way that complements the existing building
0:56:57 > 0:56:59and also allows huge amounts of natural light
0:56:59 > 0:57:01right into the heart of the old house.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04You seem to have turned it into a real fresh start somehow.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07- I mean, does it feel like that? - It does feel like that.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Actually, it's quite a confidence booster for me as well,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12cos what I wanted has been achievable.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16'And Sue's house now has plenty of room for socialising.'
0:57:16 > 0:57:20- Come and see, come on. - Wow! Look at this!
0:57:20 > 0:57:22- SUE LAUGHS - What a change!
0:57:22 > 0:57:25'Sue has been able to achieve this transformation
0:57:25 > 0:57:28'by embracing Piers' extraordinary knowledge
0:57:28 > 0:57:30'and architectural tricks of the trade.'
0:57:32 > 0:57:35I think what Sue has pulled off here is quite astonishing.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38Per square metre, this has to be one of the cheapest
0:57:38 > 0:57:41complete reinventions of a house that I've ever seen.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43I'm pretty astounded. It looks really good.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46'She's created a series of absolutely beautiful spaces,'
0:57:46 > 0:57:49from inside to outside the building. I mean, to do that
0:57:49 > 0:57:53for that kind of money I think is a major, major achievement.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Next week, a family with a tiny budget
0:57:58 > 0:58:02need to update their pokey cottage for modern life.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04It's so dark and it's all enclosed,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07it does feel very claustrophobic, really.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10But are they prepared for our radical solutions?
0:58:10 > 0:58:11I can't see it in a house.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14My vision, I must say, is quite weak in that respect.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18And updating an inherited home after losing dad...
0:58:18 > 0:58:21It's absolutely vital I get this right.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23..proves to be an emotional roller coaster.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27Goodness me!
0:58:27 > 0:58:30The work is going more quickly than the emotions.