Episode 7 To Build or Not to Build


Episode 7

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Transcript


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We all dream of owning the perfect home, but finding the right property isn't easy. I have a solution.

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Stop searching for something to buy and consider somewhere to build.

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Every year, 20,000 people make the journey of a lifetime and opt to build their own home.

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We'll be following some of them from foundations to finishing touches.

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It's certainly been relentless!

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Along the way, our brave self-builders will experience amazing highs.

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It's been a dream. And it's starting to come together now.

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And some frustrating lows.

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How many more things can go pear-shaped?

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But if they can overcome these trials and tribulations, they'll have the home they always desired.

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So if you're looking for your perfect pad, the question is simple: to build or not to build?

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'Coming up today:

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'we follow the trucker and his wife on their self-build journey.'

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I thought it had altered that way, not that way.

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'The kitchen's key to a tasty family home in the Scottish borders.'

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When we were thinking about designing the house, the house came from the kitchen.

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'And when it comes to learning tiling, I'm struggling to make things stick.'

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All you need to know about tiling is one on top of the other, shiny side out. OK?

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-Thank you.

-You can't go wrong.

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An industrial estate in Bradford may not seem the most salubrious setting for a self-build project,

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but I'm here to meet long-distance lorry driver Andy Scott and his wife Carol. Like Andy's job,

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their dream home has been a bit of a long haul, but after three years of waiting, it's underway.

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For trucker Andy Scott, moving isn't the problem.

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It's finding somewhere to call home that keeps driving him crazy.

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As a long-distance lorry driver, he's used to carrying his life around with him,

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but as retirement beckons, fulfilling a lifetime's ambition

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to build his own home means shifting up a gear.

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I guess when you're on the road, you get plenty of time to dream up your self-build?

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Yeah, spending a lot of time out of the country, in Germany, Switzerland, Austria,

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seeing all the different styles, what you can achieve and what's available.

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With all the will in the world, you're not here.

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-You're in a different country.

-That's probably the best thing! I don't get the earache from Carol!

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'To fund the work, Andy is going to have to keep on trucking, leaving Carol, who works in a bank,

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'to project manage the site and make sure it adds up.'

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That is an awful lot to take on. You're left holding the baby when your man's away on the road.

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I've had a few sleepless nights. Originally, I was working full-time.

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Now I'm only part-time so it gives me time to go over there.

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-It's working out OK at the moment.

-Well, we'll be the judge of that!

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I suppose in a way you said she was left holding the baby.

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I left her holding three kids under five when I was in Italy,

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-so she copes very well.

-So this is easy then, isn't it?

-I don't know!

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-Compared to looking after three kids? Got to be easier!

-It's another challenge.

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I think you're in capable hands. You have a certain calmness.

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-Yeah...

-Don't you be laughing!

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-No, you do. You have a very calm aura.

-I suppose I come home to the whirlwind!

-Mm.

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'And the centre of that whirlwind is the village of Cridling Stubbs in North Yorkshire,

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'where they bought this plot of land for £102,000.

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'It's here they're planning to build an energy-efficient home, flexible enough for their later years,

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'with bedrooms on both the ground and first floor. They're spending £150,000

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'using a bang-up-to-date system of ultra-light polystyrene blocks,

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'which are bonded together with concrete. The estimated total budget

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'is around £250,000, around 50 grand cheaper than similar-sized homes in the village.

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'Although this building method has been around for 50 years,

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'only 100,000 homes have been built worldwide.

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'The Scotts are happy to be among its pioneers here.'

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Wow!

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This is amazing! I've never seen this system before.

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-It's becoming more and more popular now with the heating costs.

-Absolutely.

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Yeah. You're making a house out of Lego! That's what it is!

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-Did you have Lego when you were little?

-Ah, the kids did.

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-It is a bit...

-Amazing. Once the builders know what they're doing,

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-it must be a fantastic system for them to use.

-Yeah. It's very quick.

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'The blocks may look like child's play,

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'but they don't come cheap. At seven grand, they're paying twice as much

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'per square metre compared to using traditional materials,

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'but because this is a quicker building system, it means they'll reduce the amount spent on labour

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'and there's less chance of being delayed by the climate.'

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-They can put this up whatever the weather.

-There's no fear of frost spoiling the mix. It just goes up.

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'The Scotts began work on their three-bed dormer bungalow a week before my visit.

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'The footings went in smoothly ahead of schedule and now they hope

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'this will turn into their own personal paradise in 6 months.'

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-So £150,000 on your build, about 100 grand for the site? Is that right?

-Yeah.

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-How many bedrooms?

-Three double, plus a bedroom study.

-Big footprint.

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-It's going to be very salubrious, very spacious.

-It should be!

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That's the beauty of self-building. We can design it as we want it.

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You get more house for your money. Don't you? You can put in the things that you want

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and hopefully you build a house that has less running costs at the end of the day.

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And it suits your lifestyle.

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'And that change in their lifestyle can't come soon enough.

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'Although they sold their house quickly enough to pay for the plot,

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'long delays in getting the right builder means they've been forced to live with their son Gareth.

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-Tea or coffee?

-Usually if anything is to happen, the kid moves back with the parents,

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-not this way round.

-Normally, yeah.

-How long did they say when they said they'd stop off?

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It was meant to be six months.

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And that was...

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over two years ago.

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We had to get some revenge back!

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-I bet you're looking forward to this house going up more than they are.

-I want to get my bedroom back!

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'Don't worry, Gareth, if it all goes according to plan, the parents will soon be out of your hair.

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'Now the build is underway. Carol is juggling her job of working part-time in a bank

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'with her days overseeing the work.

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'The polystyrene blocks are being used for the exterior walls only and builder Andy Pierce,

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'one of the few people with experience of this, knows how critical the first stage is.'

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Once we've got the initial level and set of the building,

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and get it right, the rest of the building will fly up.

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Once you get the square in the right place, it's just one on top of two.

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They're so light that every block you're effectively laying a metre of wall.

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'It's Month 2 and it's time to get the downstairs rooms on a firm footing.

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'Andy casts a professional eye as the concrete beams to underpin the house arrive on site.'

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These are the beams for the flooring on the ground floor.

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Everything's just beginning now to come out of the ground and we can see where we're going.

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It's quite exciting, in a way.

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'But today's arrival will put novice project manager Carol's skills to the test.

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'She needs to be sure all the measurements for the floor and foundations are perfect

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'or it could cause major problems. And straight away there's an issue with the plans.

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'It seems the house is slightly wider at one end, which will have repercussions for the floor.'

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It appears we've gained a little space we didn't know we had.

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'Builder Andy's solution is to add an extra beam to the floor.

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'However, Carol thinks she's spotted another measurement that's wrong,

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'but no one's too sure which measurement it is.'

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I thought it altered that way, not that way.

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'But a re-examination of the blueprints reveals Carol was worrying unnecessarily.'

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I've checked and checked and double-checked. Measure twice, cut once.

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The sooner it's built, the better!

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'With everyone happy, the team can move on,

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'but with Andy about to go abroad, the next time the build throws up an obstacle,

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'Carol might have to come up with a solution on her own.'

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Carol's not doing a bad job. It's the communications to get her to realise what is involved.

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We just had a case in question with the concrete beams.

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-She didn't know where...

-How they all fit together.

-..the insulation goes and what have you.

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It just needs a little bit of explaining.

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That's why I leave the technical things to you, dear.

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'With the foundations and floor fixed, the following few days see the house start to flourish.'

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I think this is recording.

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Yep.

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We're getting to the exciting bit now. This is going to be the corner of the lounge and study.

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So, um, it's really good that all the floor is in now

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and we're really starting to see the house go up.

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'And soon there's plenty going on inside, too.

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'Now the polystyrene shell is up, the builders can get cracking with the interior walls

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'and the Scotts' dream home is beginning to take shape.'

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The chance to design and build that dream home is the culmination of years of planning and hard work

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for the majority of self-builders.

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However, for kitchen designers Gerry and Shona Ponder, building a ranch-style house in Scotland

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came completely out of the blue.

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'Stretching out over 20 rooms and proudly standing in a complex of its own paddocks

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'this eye-catching mansion in the Scottish borders is a prime candidate for Monarch of the Glen.

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'But while it may look like the local laird's latest luxury, it's a happy accident it's here at all.

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'Reluctant self-builders Gerry and Shona Ponder weren't really thinking of moving.

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'Then somebody made the mistake of showing them the plot and their lives took an unexpected twist.'

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It looked a fabulous place, really. A wonderful place to build a house.

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So we decided to try to negotiate the purchase, which we did privately, and build a house.

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-And have a bit of a life change.

-We have six children and need lots of space

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and lots of areas to live without falling over each other.

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The kids can be one side and we can be the other. They can have 20 friends in and we don't hear it.

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'It's the perfect example of how being brave enough to self-build can be an unforgettable mystery tour.'

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There were quite special circumstances. We found a plot, then decided to build a house.

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Most people probably do it the other way around.

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'The timber-framed house draws on Scottish, Canadian and Victorian influences and took 13 months.

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'Gerry and Shona run a kitchen design business and cooking up the right eating space was crucial.'

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This is probably our favourite room. When we were thinking about designing the house,

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the house came from the kitchen.

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We've got these lovely views. The last thing I wanted was

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to be standing looking at a wall. I wanted to look out from the island, over the views,

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and everybody sitting round the table. It's a family kitchen.

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'While family get-togethers and parties are in the kitchen,

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'complete with a walk-through bar, the house is flexible enough to include separate lounges

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'for both adults and children, letting the gap fit the mood.'

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This room is, I suppose, my room. It's a "me space" room.

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I come here in the evenings and I love it. It's very relaxing after a hard day

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and no children in here!

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'And the children value their independence in the other room.'

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We definitely use this room more.

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They have their peace and quiet and we have ours.

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'The huge hall provides a welcoming link between the two.'

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The beauty of this house is it's quite long and quite big, but you never feel

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as if you're isolated in a corner.

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Everybody can see everybody and even in the sitting room I can see through the windows

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and into the kitchen and into the family room. A big, open space.

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'The house spreads over 20 rooms.

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'This includes six spacious bedrooms and five luxurious bathrooms.

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'And while the house is certainly large, the Ponders were keen for it to have a cottage-y feel.

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'Self-building was the only way they could achieve their goal.'

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I don't think we could have afforded a house like this just to buy on the open market.

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And that's even assuming we could have found the right house that suited us and our lifestyle.

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That's the beauty of self-building. You can customise for every need and want.

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'And that goes for the extended family, too.

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'By building a second home next door, they got friendly neighbours.'

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This is my mum and dad's house, which is like a lodge house to the main house.

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And, you know, it's quite pretty and it's lovely to have them at the bottom of the garden.

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It's the outlaws living here.

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'Including the plot, the cost of these two unique houses came to £800,000,

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'but with the estate recently valued at £1.2 million,

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'their spur of the moment decision

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'to self-build certainly has paid off.

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'In North Yorkshire, and four months into their build,

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'polystyrene pioneers the Scotts watch their building take shape.

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'Trucker Andy is back home after another long trip abroad

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'and is catching up on progress with his wife and project manager, Carol.'

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-Our bedroom.

-It's beginning to look nice and large.

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What eventually will be the ensuite.

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'The couple have been living with their son Gareth

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'and at last Carol can start dreaming about somewhere other than a suitcase to store her clothes.'

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-Wardrobes down this wall.

-You're stood in them.

-The whole wall!

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-So...

-4.5 metres of female clobber.

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We've sort of been living for two years with just, like, a rack.

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And I daren't buy anything new because I've nowhere to put it.

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So I'm going to have a really good sort-out and then there may be a few new clothes coming!

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-If you've got any money left!

-If!

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-It's beginning to come together.

-And it's what we envisaged.

-It is.

-It's all going to work.

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-It's all coming together a lot better and a lot faster than I anticipated it would.

-Yeah.

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'It's taken them four months to get to this stage and today they hope for a giant leap forward.

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'The thick wooden blocks which make up the first floor have arrived and these, known as cassettes,

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'and the roof trusses are about to go up.

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'It's a major part of the build and a big moment for project manager Carol.'

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-Yeah.

-A little bit nervous.

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-Mainly being up on this scaffolding.

-I'm always nervous when a crane is taking things off a wagon!

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That's when things can go wrong.

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You've just got to make sure they're all in exactly the right place.

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'Each of the cassettes has been engineered to fit a particular part of the house

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-'and watching makes anxious viewing.'

-Just lift it up a touch.

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John and Mike at the moment are checking the plans to see which goes in which pre-ordained order.

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-'But eagle-eyed Carol notices a problem.'

-At the end is where the fireplace goes.

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They're not coming off in the right order, are they?

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'They've been put on the lorry out of sequence and careful plans have been thrown off kilter.'

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Had they been loaded in a set order, we'd have been able to lift them straight off the wagon - 1, 2, 3, 4.

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And they would have fit all together at the same time. Hasn't happened.

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They're having to drop them in different places and when the last few go in they'll have to

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shuffle them up to make sure they're all in the right spot for when the roof trusses come.

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'It all means a bit more work for the crane driver,

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'but builder Andy seems unruffled and eventually all the major wooden bases are carefully in their place.'

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-Down a touch more.

-The last piece just going in now.

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You always get snags in construction, but you work it out. It's a bonus when it goes right!

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'Phase one of today's transformation is now complete

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'and after a minor stumble with the floorboards, conducting the timber trusses is trouble-free.

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MUSIC: "The Blue Danube"

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'With builder Andy orchestrating affairs,

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'the frames soon glide gracefully into their allotted roles in a performance that raises the roof.

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'Fitting the floorboards and roof has been a waltz. It's taken just four and a half hours

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'and Andy and Carol's project has definitely reached a new peak.'

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We're beginning to see now where the roof's going to go, the height of it.

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-All the trusses are going in and everything's falling into place.

-It's quite a big step forward.

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-It's a massive step forward.

-Yeah.

-I look forward to sitting in the garden with a glass of something.

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Heaven.

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'Over the next few weeks, the site is buzzing again

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'as the house is made watertight and the concrete flooring is laid.

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'Five months in and with the house protected from the elements,

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'I'll check up on what Carol is making of her tough site manager's role.'

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-How do, guv'nor?

-Hiya.

-How are you?

-Fine, thanks.

-Where's Andy?

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-Oh, he's working today.

-What, he's on the road?

-Yeah.

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-Shall we have a look then?

-Okey-doke.

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I'll get my hat on.

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-Well, I am very, very impressed.

-It's not doing so bad.

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-It's doing great, innit?

-Yeah.

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There was this theory that when you went for the polystyrene block system,

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it would make it easier to construct and it's gone up at a good rate.

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-It has. There is a lot more to it than you think.

-Isn't that always the way?

-Always.

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I were thinking two weeks up, what have you, but then by the time they've built it all up

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and they've sealed it all off and then made it solid, so they can put the concrete in,

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obviously, you know, all that takes time.

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-We can't go in here. It's all been screeded.

-You must leave it a week.

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-The ground floor went to plan. I don't want to see that. What have you been changing?

-Everything.

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-Go on, I'll foot the ladder. You go.

-Oh, gosh.

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'The couple plan to live entirely on the ground floor

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'with a suite of bedrooms upstairs for occasional guests only.

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'No chance of son Gareth getting a permanent bed then.

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'Their original idea was to have just two rooms upstairs,

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'but they've had a rethink after seeing the size of the roof space and decided on three beds instead.'

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This one had an en-suite here, then the family bathroom was there.

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-OK.

-But then we realised that the two bedrooms were actually bigger than our bedroom downstairs,

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so we can't have that.

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You changed your plans just because you can't have your guest bedrooms bigger than your master bedroom?

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Of course.

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'Although upstairs may not be used that often,

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'the decision to add an extra bedroom could put £25,000 on to the house's value.

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'With the couple's master bedroom downstairs, this is now turning into a substantial four-bedroom home.

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'It promises to be cosy too.

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'One main reason the couple warmed to this type of build

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'was because the polystyrene blocks are designed to ensure the house retains its heat.'

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-Can you tell how efficient this is?

-Yeah.

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If you put your hand against it just here

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or lean on it...

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-Lean...?

-Lean on it.

-OK. All right. All right.

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(She's lost it!) OK, so we're just leaning on your wall.

0:24:100:24:14

Yeah, and then you can feel the heat.

0:24:140:24:17

-Blimey!

-Your own heat is reflected back to your...

-You really, really can as well.

0:24:170:24:23

I can feel my hands now getting warm because none of my heat is going into that.

0:24:230:24:28

-It's all being reflected back into the room.

-Yeah.

0:24:280:24:31

'But is the whole project enough to give Carol a warm glow inside?'

0:24:310:24:36

You seem in fine fettle.

0:24:360:24:38

Has it been as easy as you thought or has it been harder?

0:24:380:24:42

Where are you sitting with this whole thing emotionally?

0:24:420:24:46

I've had a few sleepless nights over it.

0:24:460:24:49

What has been the one thing that kind of kept you awake, going, "Oh, no"?

0:24:490:24:54

Probably the money side of it. As the house goes up, your money's going down.

0:24:540:24:59

And it's just sort of hoping that one's going to match the other when it gets to the end.

0:24:590:25:05

And have you felt added pressure because Andy's been away and back on the road?

0:25:050:25:10

And has he felt pressure as well because of that?

0:25:100:25:14

-He must be quite frustrated.

-I think he is.

0:25:140:25:17

It was his idea originally to build our own house.

0:25:170:25:21

-I reckon that you're probably jealous of him and he's probably jealous of you.

-Yeah, probably.

0:25:210:25:28

He can get away from it all and it's not his responsibility.

0:25:280:25:32

But the flip side of that coin is you're here in the heart of it, in the thick of it,

0:25:320:25:37

watching it all happen with the excitement going on, and he's thinking, "I want to be there."

0:25:370:25:43

-I think you should swap places. You get in the truck.

-Maybe not a good idea.

-OK, just a thought.

0:25:430:25:49

'A few weeks later and Carol might have wished she'd gone for the job swap after all.

0:25:560:26:02

'Although on the outside, everything looks good, the story inside is far from rosy.'

0:26:020:26:09

We knew our job was going too well, really.

0:26:090:26:12

We've had a bit of a disaster in this last week.

0:26:120:26:17

On one day, we were expecting delivery of our ventilation unit.

0:26:180:26:24

When it came, only half of it arrived,

0:26:240:26:27

so...not too pleased about that, really.

0:26:270:26:30

The same day, we thought the garage door was being delivered.

0:26:300:26:36

It was supposed to have a two-week run-in

0:26:360:26:39

and we'd ordered it at least eight weeks ago.

0:26:390:26:43

They've told us it'll be another eight weeks before that's delivered.

0:26:430:26:48

Unfortunately, it's held everything up.

0:26:480:26:51

'The setback threatens to throw the couple's carefully laid plans off schedule.

0:26:510:26:56

'And with money becoming tight, the danger is their finances could be blown off course as well.

0:26:560:27:02

'Dabbling in DIY is a good way for self-builders, in fact any home owner, to save some cash.

0:27:070:27:13

'But it helps if you know what you're doing, so I'm taking a crash course of classes.

0:27:130:27:20

'Today, I'm trying tiling with tutor Paul Anderson.'

0:27:210:27:25

-I'm ready for a night on the tiles or that should be a day on the tiles. Sorry, Paul.

-That's terrible.

0:27:330:27:39

I don't get any better. See if you can get me better at tiling.

0:27:390:27:43

'Paul's marked an area he wants me to tile and the spirit level ensures I'll fix them in straight lines.

0:27:440:27:51

'Time to pick out a pattern.'

0:27:510:27:54

-OK...

-I'd just like to point out that it's Paul choice of tiles, not mine. I wouldn't have gone for them.

0:27:540:28:00

I've got them in my bathroom.

0:28:000:28:02

Have you?

0:28:020:28:04

'He's obviously joking... I think!

0:28:040:28:07

'I've done tiling before, but today I'm getting great professional tips

0:28:090:28:13

'from the wooden batten to keep the tiles in place

0:28:130:28:16

'to only applying adhesive one row at a time.'

0:28:160:28:20

You can put enough on for one square metre, but be careful of the water taking moisture out of the adhesive.

0:28:200:28:26

-That's when you get loose ones after you've finished.

-Falling off, yeah.

0:28:260:28:30

-Have you had that before?

-I just feel sorry for anyone who's bought a house off me.

0:28:300:28:37

'I reckon Paul thinks I'm a bit of a cowboy

0:28:370:28:40

'and my adhesive application doesn't win him over.'

0:28:400:28:44

Have you ever decorated cakes? LAUGHTER

0:28:440:28:47

'Paul shows me how it should be done.'

0:28:470:28:49

-Then holding that at about 45 degrees to the wall...

-Yeah.

0:28:490:28:53

'And we're ready to tile.'

0:28:550:28:57

Which way are they in your bathroom?

0:28:590:29:02

-That way.

-OK, I'm sticking with your missus.

0:29:020:29:05

'To give me a helping hand, Paul kindly starts me off.

0:29:050:29:09

'Between the tiles, two millimetre spacer pegs.'

0:29:110:29:15

We don't use matchsticks as people seem to think.

0:29:160:29:20

'Who would do that?'

0:29:200:29:23

All you need to know about tiling is one on top of the other, shiny side down.

0:29:240:29:29

OK? You can't go wrong.

0:29:300:29:33

'Armed with those words of wisdom, this cowboy becomes the Lone Ranger.'

0:29:330:29:38

-Next six tiles, how long are you going to give me?

-Eight minutes.

0:29:400:29:44

-Eight minutes? OK. Starting...?

-Now.

-Right, here we go.

0:29:440:29:48

'If this was a game show, I'm pretty sure I'd be winning...

0:29:490:29:54

'nothing.

0:29:540:29:56

'And as a host, Paul is very much in the Anne Robinson mould.'

0:29:560:30:01

You should have some tiles on by now.

0:30:010:30:03

-Four minutes.

-OK, OK.

0:30:060:30:09

'Although to be fair, he does become the apprentice and cuts my tiles.'

0:30:090:30:13

-There you go, boss.

-Yeah.

0:30:140:30:17

Whatever, yeah. Who's done that?

0:30:170:30:19

-How did I do?

-One minute...over.

0:30:210:30:24

You were messing about with the cutting. I'd have been all right otherwise.

0:30:250:30:30

'OK, so we've not left my handiwork for the recommended 24 hours,

0:30:310:30:36

'but I'm not leaving without some tips on grouting.'

0:30:360:30:39

I've done grouting plenty of times and I always make a pig's ear of it, so I'm willing to learn, definitely.

0:30:390:30:46

'The first thing to do is clean off all the excess adhesive.'

0:30:480:30:53

Put a bit of effort into it, if you want.

0:30:530:30:56

Grout float, OK?

0:30:590:31:01

-So this is the answer.

-Yeah, yeah. Brilliant.

-It's to have the right tools.

0:31:020:31:08

-Just watch out for the spider holes.

-The spider holes?

0:31:080:31:12

-What's a spider hole?

-Just a hole where spiders can come out of.

0:31:120:31:16

But that is actually the...?

0:31:160:31:19

You're having me on. You're making this up as you go along!

0:31:190:31:23

'Ten minutes later, and with the grout smooth between the tiles, my work here is done.'

0:31:230:31:30

-Out of ten?

-Out of ten? Let's have a good, close look at it.

0:31:300:31:34

He's serious here as well.

0:31:340:31:37

Look at him.

0:31:370:31:39

-I'd give that a nine out of ten.

-A nine?

-Yeah.

-Yes!

0:31:390:31:43

-Oh, spider hole! Could be eight.

-There is a spider hole there.

0:31:430:31:48

'Those flipping spider holes! They drive me up the wall!'

0:31:480:31:52

'In North Yorkshire, the Scotts' build is a month behind schedule

0:31:580:32:03

'and starting to creep over budget too.

0:32:030:32:07

'Delays in equipment arriving have meant the builders have had to stay on the job for a few weeks longer.

0:32:070:32:14

'To save cash, Andy and Carol have decided to roll up their sleeves

0:32:140:32:19

'and tackle some of the interior plasterboarding themselves.'

0:32:190:32:23

There we go, the whole piece up.

0:32:270:32:29

It's taken us about 40 minutes, but, uh...

0:32:310:32:35

From what I can see, we haven't done a bad job.

0:32:350:32:39

'That's just as well because guess who's got to paint it all too!'

0:32:390:32:44

It seems a bit of a daunting task because every single room is going to need decorating,

0:32:440:32:50

but hopefully, we'll get the downstairs done, then we can move in

0:32:500:32:55

and then finish the rest, you know, at our leisure sort of thing.

0:32:550:33:00

'But the race to cross the finishing line is bringing its own pressures.'

0:33:000:33:06

Up to now, it sort of seemed quite calm. Every week, somebody's been coming, doing a bit,

0:33:060:33:12

then just this last couple of weeks, everybody's been coming and so many things are having to be delivered.

0:33:120:33:19

There's lots and lots of things happening all at once

0:33:190:33:22

and it's just a matter of keeping all the balls in the air, juggling.

0:33:220:33:27

'On the plus side, a complication with the garage door which caused part of the overrun is now fixed.'

0:33:270:33:33

Today, we're having the garage door fitted, and after that, it will be sealed up.

0:33:330:33:38

Hey!

0:33:390:33:41

Good seal on there.

0:33:420:33:46

'But while the ducting has been fitted for the all-singing, all-dancing ventilation system,

0:33:460:33:51

'the main pump unit has still not arrived and its delay is causing a bit of a stink.'

0:33:510:33:57

We've been told it's in Germany,

0:33:570:34:00

but my husband goes to Germany every week.

0:34:000:34:04

We've offered to bring it over, but we've not had any reply yet.

0:34:040:34:09

It is becoming a little bit of an issue now.

0:34:090:34:12

When we originally ordered the unit,

0:34:120:34:14

seemingly, it hadn't been passed for the British building regulations,

0:34:140:34:20

the new ones that have come in.

0:34:200:34:22

It has now, seemingly,

0:34:220:34:25

but whether that was something to do with the delay...

0:34:250:34:28

'When ordering household equipment from abroad,

0:34:290:34:32

'it's always worth checking it complies with British building regulations

0:34:320:34:37

'or you could face potentially costly problems.

0:34:370:34:41

'The Scotts have lost about £1,000 in delays and paperwork to do with their fresh air supply.

0:34:410:34:46

'But will all these expensive hold-ups ultimately affect the final finish?

0:34:460:34:52

'11 months after the polystyrene blocks arrived to signal the start of this build,

0:34:530:34:59

'trucker Andy and his wife Carol's dream home has reached the end of the road.

0:34:590:35:05

'They've moved in and I'm back to have a sneaky look over the wall to see what they've achieved.'

0:35:050:35:10

The wall looks very familiar, but what's going on behind it?

0:35:100:35:15

Well, something is looking very pretty in pink.

0:35:160:35:19

'The four-bedroom home is a testament to the couple's hard work

0:35:220:35:28

'and although there is still some tidying up in the garden to do,

0:35:280:35:32

'all the major headaches are now behind them.'

0:35:320:35:35

-Hi.

-Hello, hello.

-Come in. Hiya.

0:35:350:35:37

-Is it warm? It should be. Hiya.

-Hiya.

-How are you?

0:35:370:35:41

'Downstairs, the floor plan of kitchen, lounge and bedroom has been designed

0:35:420:35:48

'to give them everything they need within reach as they get older.

0:35:480:35:52

'Carol's done the majority of the decorating herself, but I've noticed one thing she's missed.'

0:35:520:35:58

How can I put this diplomatically? I'm not sure about the rustic flooring.

0:35:590:36:04

Well, you know, beggars can't be choosers.

0:36:040:36:07

What do you mean by "beggars can't be choosers"?

0:36:070:36:11

I think the money went elsewhere and we'll get round to it.

0:36:110:36:15

We'll have to wait a few months before we do this

0:36:150:36:19

because the piggy bank is empty at the moment.

0:36:190:36:23

'That also means that some of the rooms upstairs are still works in progress.

0:36:230:36:29

'However, they've finished the main family bathroom.

0:36:290:36:33

'And one of the guest bedrooms is almost complete too.

0:36:350:36:39

'For the moment, Carol and Andy are happy enough enjoying their downstairs living.'

0:36:390:36:44

-Wow!

-This is the kitchen-diner.

0:36:440:36:46

Great space. You immediately gravitated here. Is this the heart of the home?

0:36:460:36:51

-Without a doubt.

-If ever we have guests or visitors, friends round,

0:36:510:36:56

we always tend to end up in the kitchen,

0:36:560:36:59

so we like it because nobody is cut off at all.

0:36:590:37:03

-We're sat round the table.

-It's 21st century living, isn't it?

0:37:030:37:07

'The ventilation system which caused them so much grief has finally come up trumps,

0:37:070:37:12

'especially as it comes with its own integrated vacuum system.'

0:37:120:37:16

-You switch it on and then you get a brush. You can brush all your bits and things in there.

-No!

0:37:160:37:23

SOUND OF VACUUM SYSTEM DROWNS OUT SPEECH

0:37:230:37:26

..into the garage.

0:37:270:37:29

That's fabulously lazy!

0:37:310:37:34

'The couple had been staying with their son Gareth for the last three years,

0:37:350:37:40

'but at last, they've got their own bedroom back.'

0:37:400:37:44

It must be such a delight to get all your own stuff out of storage again.

0:37:440:37:48

It's wonderful, yeah. We've got our own bed and we can get a decent night's sleep.

0:37:480:37:53

You forget what you've got. It was a while in storage and it was nice to unpack everything again.

0:37:530:38:00

'And crucially, they are no longer living out of a suitcase.

0:38:000:38:04

'The huge wall-to-wall cupboards Carol dreamt of

0:38:040:38:07

'mean they've both got plenty of space to let their wardrobes breathe.

0:38:070:38:13

'So far, so good. But before the tour continues, there's one thing I need to ask Carol on her own.'

0:38:140:38:20

-There's something I'd like to do with you upstairs. Excuse us.

-OK.

0:38:200:38:24

'Last time I was here, Carol and I had a rather unusual experience in one of the bedrooms.'

0:38:240:38:31

-So we're just leaning on your wall?

-Yeah.

0:38:310:38:34

Then it all feels warm.

0:38:340:38:36

'I'm keen to see if her affection for the upstairs rooms will remain the same.'

0:38:360:38:41

OK, here we go. Are you ready?

0:38:410:38:43

You are the only person I've ever met that made me hug a wall, so I thought we'd try it out again.

0:38:430:38:49

'One of the reasons the couple chose their polystyrene block construction was to cut down on fuel bills.

0:38:490:38:55

'The walls reflect heat and don't allow any warmth to escape.'

0:38:550:38:59

-Upstairs in the house, there's no radiators or...

-Or under-floor heating.

-Or under-floor heating.

0:38:590:39:05

-Yet it's just absolutely fine.

-Yeah.

0:39:050:39:08

Anyway, we'd better get back down. He'll be worried. Come on.

0:39:080:39:12

'As the wife of a long-distance lorry driver,

0:39:190:39:22

'Carol is used to a journey with a few twists and turns.

0:39:220:39:26

'But steering this build through to delivery while Andy was on the road has brought unexpected rewards.'

0:39:260:39:32

Carol, as this process has gone on, you started off... I wouldn't say unsure of yourself,

0:39:320:39:38

but not too certain of yourself and now you're almost a different person, having managed this.

0:39:380:39:44

-I'd agree with that.

-It's true.

0:39:440:39:46

At first, I didn't want to take it on. That was the worst thing.

0:39:460:39:50

Then once I'd decided to, it was like, "Right, I'd better find out what I'm doing here."

0:39:500:39:56

It was a case of that you had to take it on.

0:39:560:39:59

We were looking at project managers and we just couldn't find anybody

0:39:590:40:04

that would really give us what we wanted.

0:40:040:40:07

'And it seems bank clerk Carol has definitely managed to do that.

0:40:100:40:14

'But how has she fared when it comes to the finances?

0:40:140:40:18

'The land cost the couple £102,000,

0:40:180:40:20

'while the build came in at 180,000, including an overspend of 30 grand.

0:40:200:40:25

'So with a total bill of £282,000, do the sums add up?'

0:40:260:40:32

-We've had this place valued.

-Right.

-Right.

-Yes.

0:40:330:40:37

It's around 275.

0:40:370:40:40

-So...

-Right.

0:40:400:40:42

I wouldn't say a small loss because you're not finished yet.

0:40:420:40:46

-No.

-When you've finished turfing and all that. So break even at least. What do you think?

0:40:460:40:52

Actually, that's better than I would have thought

0:40:520:40:55

-because anybody who bought a house three years ago would probably be losing a lot more.

-Oh, yes.

0:40:550:41:02

Or it wouldn't be worth what they paid for it at the time.

0:41:020:41:06

'The plot was bought at the top of the market and to break even during the slump that followed

0:41:060:41:12

'is no mean achievement.'

0:41:120:41:14

-Stay there. I have a present for you. Don't you move.

-Ooh!

0:41:150:41:19

'The house might represent Andy and Carol's future, but they can't quite escape their past.

0:41:190:41:25

'Their son Gareth, who has put them up for the past couple of years, likes the new house so much,

0:41:250:41:31

'he might sell up and move in. Just in case he does, I've got a present to make everyone feel at home.'

0:41:310:41:37

I know you're missing Gareth and everything, so...

0:41:370:41:41

LAUGHTER

0:41:410:41:43

When did you get him to do that?

0:41:430:41:45

We just had a word with him.

0:41:450:41:47

That's wonderful.

0:41:470:41:50

All the gestures mean something. "Where are you?"

0:41:500:41:53

-Yeah.

-"Isn't it about time you moved out?"

0:41:530:41:56

"Thank heavens they've gone!"

0:41:560:41:59

-"Hello, I'm moving in with you!"

-Yeah.

-That is brilliant.

0:41:590:42:03

-There you go.

-Thank you.

-That's for you.

-Yeah, that's brilliant.

0:42:030:42:07

-We shall have to find a spot for that.

-I'll kill him.

0:42:070:42:11

-Put it up in Gareth's new bedroom!

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:42:110:42:15

'So even if this whole project means their family life goes back to square one, was it all worth it?'

0:42:150:42:21

-Definitely worth it in the end. I can say that now.

-If I need a project manager, I'll be calling, mate.

0:42:210:42:27

Well, I'll tell you this much about you two.

0:42:270:42:30

I have seen people collapse when they've just had the builders round to have their kitchen extended.

0:42:300:42:36

In panic, in a sweat, and just can't organise that.

0:42:360:42:41

So, to take it on, and I know you agree with me, Andy,

0:42:410:42:45

to take this on, to be project manager and end up with this amazing result,

0:42:450:42:50

it's hats off to you both, really.

0:42:500:42:53

And also you having the trust in her to do that is just fantastic.

0:42:560:43:00

Well done, you two. What a brilliant job you've done!

0:43:000:43:04

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011

0:43:190:43:23

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0:43:230:43:26

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