Build a New Life in the Country

Épisode 1 - Lincolnshire

23 juin 2005

Architect George Clarke helps a building surveyor and his wife, who have grown tired of city life and the expense of their mortgage and wish to downsize to the Lincolnshire countryside. With a budget of £90,000, the couple plan to renovate a small chapel and convert it into a three-bedroom home. They also intend to retire from their jobs and open an equestrian livery business

Épisode 2 - Hexham

30 juin 2005

Middle-aged couple Terry and Marilyn attempt to relocate from Whitby to a 500-year-old farmhouse in the Pennines, which they set out to transform into a home for their large family. Architect George Clarke offers advice about restoring the collapsed roof and laying a concrete floor, and lends moral support when flooding means they lose precious time and have to seek shelter with Marilyn's father

Épisode 3 - Scotland

7 juillet 2005

Architect George Clarke helps a Buckinghamshire couple escape their demanding jobs and relocate to Scotland, where they intend to modernise a 120-year-old farmhouse with their own designs. Businesswoman Carol becomes project manager and aims to be settled before Christmas, but bad weather and delayed planning permission put the date back, forcing the family to spend more time apart

Épisode 4 - Gweek

14 juillet 2005

George Clarke helps two IT managers move to the village of Gweek in Cornwall, advising them as they renovate a dilapidated houseboat and attempt to begin a business ferrying divers to wrecks around the coast. The four-month deadline seems hopelessly tight as the need for new plumbing delays other work, and the fledgling venture has difficulty getting off the ground so late in the season

Épisode 5 - Oxford

21 juillet 2005

George Clarke advises a finance director moving from London to his dream home, a 16th-century property in the Cotswolds near Oxford. The £250,000 redesign is developing as work progresses, but the owner is not always around to make decisions, and the builders grow frustrated. With a wedding due in a few weeks, the completion date looms ominously

Épisode 6 - Wales

28 juillet 2005

George Clarke helps Birmingham couple Dave and Rebecca as they renovate a derelict Welsh barn while living in a caravan on the site. The pair apply for planning permission - but a cash shortage threatens to end their dream before it has begun

Épisode 7 - Devon

4 août 2005

George Clarke advises two accountants as they quit their jobs and set off to renovate a 200-year-old barn in Devon. Husband Martin was supposed to be project manager, but having to work out his notice meant wife Clare taking over the job, and she now seems reluctant to relinquish control. Construction progresses smoothly, but George is horrified by plans to remove the property's original features

Épisode 8 - Ollerton

11 août 2005

George Clarke supervises Martin and Rebecca as they attempt to turn a dilapidated old church in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, into their dream home. The inexperienced couple employ friends to help keep the project on a tight budget and, after a shaky start, everything goes ahead on time. However, as the roof work takes its toll on their finances, the pair realise they need a cash injection to complete their house

Épisode 9 - St Ives

18 août 2005

Architect George Clarke meets a London couple hoping to sell their organic cafe in Brixton and spend a £1million bank loan converting a run-down Cornish hotel in St Ives into three houses, one of which will be used as a designer B&B. They face a race against time to have the middle property finished and on the market by Christmas, so they can concentrate on getting the guesthouse open for the start of the tourist season at Easter

Épisode 10 - Norfolk

25 août 2005

George Clarke advises inventor David as he converts a Norfolk water tower into a dream home for his family. The structure is set in a forest, and has a central well that the owner wants to floodlight and cover with glass. Unfortunately, bad weather delays the building work, and time management soon becomes a problem. Six months on, financial concerns threaten the entire enterprise

Épisode 11 - Upwell

1 septembre 2005

George Clarke offers advice to a couple converting a Cambridgeshire apple store into their dream home and stables, but is not sure dad Paul can get everything completed in the three months he has allotted for the work. As delays with materials set the project back, money starts to run low - and the pair are devastated when contractors do a bunk with their remaining cash, leaving them penniless and without hope of finishing

Épisode 12 - Derby

8 septembre 2005

George Clarke advises Glyn and Jan, who intend to refurbish a Derbyshire farmhouse that comes with a barn and 12 acres of land. Having taken out a loan to pay for the building, they want it to be waterproof before they go on holiday at Christmas - but delays in planning permission and financial difficulties mean paying out thousands in interest before a stroke of work has been done

Épisode 1 - Ireland

5 octobre 2006

Architect George Clarke offers advice to a married couple relocating to Ireland, where they plan to live a mortgage-free, self-sufficient existence with their daughter. With a budget of £14,000 to renovate a derelict house that has been empty for more than 30 years, they expect to move into their new home within four months. If they miss their deadline, they face spending Christmas in a tiny caravan

Épisode 2 - Suffolk

12 octobre 2006

Architect George Clarke lends his expertise to couple Adrian and Denise Nuttall, who have invested their money in a run-down garden centre and a 400-year-old barn and farmhouse in the Suffolk countryside. The pair plan to open a chilli farm, shop and restaurant on the site, but things take a drastic turn for the worse just one month into the project

Épisode 3 - Lincolnshire

26 octobre 2006

Architect George Clarke meets a couple who want to move from Surrey to the wilds of Lincolnshire, where they hope to start a business and convert a ruined 18th-century granary into an idyllic rural home

Épisode 4 - France

9 novembre 2006

George Clarke meets Jason and Phillipa, who have left behind their well-paid careers in Aberdeen's oil industry to renovate a chateau in France's Loire Valley. The pair hope to transform it into a luxurious bed and breakfast, as well as making it a home for themselves

Épisode 5 - Worthing

7 décembre 2006

George Clarke meets Jez and Laura, who want to leave London behind for the coast. After waiting three years to fulfil the requirements of the local planning authority they can finally begin work on their dream home - a beach house in Worthing. The couple refuse to compromise when it comes to cost and materials, and as summer approaches must pull out all the stops to complete the project

Épisode 6 - Isle of Seil

14 décembre 2006

George Clarke meets a couple who have given up their jobs and the hectic pace of life in Sheffield. They plan to convert a 100-year-old tin church on the Isle of Seil into a small B&B within eight months and with a limited budget of just £70,000. The architect is more than a little sceptical, but the pair are determined to complete the project without taking on a loan

Épisode 7 - Pembrokeshire

21 décembre 2006

George Clarke meets Andrew and Anona, who have spent two years planning a move to the Pembrokeshire coast. The couple intend to open a pair of luxury holiday cottages to provide enough money to save the 160-acre family farm, which Anona's parents are finding difficult to keep afloat, but the age of the buildings poses a problem to the renovations

Épisode 8 - Croatia

28 décembre 2006

George Clarke meets Frank and Alice from Cambridge who decide to move to rural Croatia, planning to convert a dilapidated stone house and its idyllic surroundings into a nature retreat with six log cabins for guests. While things seem to go well at first, difficulties with the local authorities, the language barrier, and a divining rod soon cause problems for the project. Last in series

Épisode 9 - St Ives Revisited

4 janvier 2007

Architect George Clarke revisits a London couple who sold their organic cafe in Brixton and spent a £1million bank loan converting a rundown Cornish hotel in St Ives into three houses, one of which was to be used as a designer B&B. They faced a race against time to have the middle house finished and on the market by Christmas so they could concentrate on getting the B&B open for the start of the tourist season

Épisode 10 - Upwell Revisited

11 janvier 2007

Épisode 1 - Norfolk Water Tower

David Forster is converting a Victorian watertower in the woods into a family home where he and his family can withdraw from modern life and commune with Nature. His first year on this project made one of the most popular programmes in the first series of Build a New Life in the Country. Now we are back to follow him again for a whole new programme as this eccentric inventor and his fantastic project enter their third and final year. David’s enthusiasm hasn’t waned one bit. He presses on, spending what little money his wife releases for him, and relying on free labour from his reluctant teenage sons. All his family and friends question whether the tower will ever be finished. But David is determined to see his romantic dream through to its glorious end.

Épisode 2 - Coventry

Richard and Jane snap up an incredible bargain – an abandoned historic building in a grand country estate sitting in 8 acres of Capability Jones designed grounds. For the price of a 4-bed semi, they plan to create a magnificent family home fit for a Lord. But the building is a ruin, and a Listed one at that. Jane is a first-time project manager, running the entire restoration on her own. And they may aspire to a home fit for Kings, but they have a budget that’s definitely for Commoners.

Épisode 3 - Dumfries

Following a heart attack scare aged 29, workaholic Mick Wilmer from Grimsby needs a complete change of life. He’s given up his job in a chemical plant to move to the rugged south west coast of Scotland with his wife Jenny and their two children. Their dream is to set up and run a small farm, and build a home from the ruins of a 600 year old farmhouse. Their budget is a mere £90,000 pounds, which quickly disappears, leaving the family with rising debts, and Mick facing exhaustion as he battles night and day to hold onto their dream.

Épisode 4 - Spain

After Nick & Lesley’s business collapsed in the UK, they wanted a fresh start and new challenge. They’ve moved to the South of Spain with their two boys to turn a 400 year old Andalucian Palace into a chic boutique hotel. It’s a big risk. They have no experience of the hotel business, not a word of Spanish between them, and even Nick’s 20 years as an architect can’t prepare him for what this renovation throws at them…. Deadlines come and go and costs spiral and the kids hate it, but this couple are not for turning.

Épisode 5 - Norfolk Barn

Steve and Lorraine Kinsey from Stoke have had enough of the stresses and strains of city living. Steve has two jobs leaving no time for family life. So they’re moving to the Norfolk Coast for a fresh start, and a life where they can enjoy the countryside and beaches with their two sons. They’ve bought a 300 year old listed barn and have ambitious plans to create a stunning contemporary family home. But with limited funds they’ll have to do all the work themselves and with no experience. It’s going to be make or break for this couple.le in their dream location.

Épisode 6 - Hexam

We rejoin the hardest-working grandparents in Britain, Terry and Marilyn, in the next phase of their epic battle to restore an ancient farmhouse in the heart of the stunning Northumbrian Dales, returning from full-time jobs to do all the work by themselves. Another highly popular couple from Series 1, we make a brand new programme with them as they are about to tackle the oldest and most challenging part of the house – the crumbling 16th century bastle. This 2 storey ruin will be transformed into a wonderful family kitchen and dining hall, the centrepiece of their new home, where all their children and grandchildren can gather together. It will be another astonishing labour of love as this couple enter their 3rd year of long dark nights and freezing weekends, continuing to amaze with their endurance and passion and determination to create the best family home they can.

Épisode 7 - Newton Stewart

Dave and Debbie from Blackburn want to spend more time with their two daughters and disabled son. So they’ve decided to pursue their life long dream to set up an antiques business for the family to run together. They’ve found the perfect place, a historic school house in the Scottish town of Newton Stewart. But before they can move the family up and open for business they need to bring this derelict building back to life. With a tiny budget, they attempt to do all the work themselves, whilst holding down full time jobs 3 hours away in Blackburn. And when tragedy strikes the family, they have to decide whether to continue, or look for a different future.

Épisode 8 - South Wales

Andrea, GP and Neil, pharmaceutical sales manager are having their first baby. They’ve found the perfect country location to start their new family life. Whilst the setting in the Monmouth Dales is beautiful, the house is a rabbit hutch of a 70s bungalow. They have grand plans to transform it into a spectacular modern glass-fronted home, and they want it complete in time for the baby’s arrival just six months away. But with no planning permission, and Neil determined to press on regardless doing most of the work himself, the clock’s ticking for a building-site birth.

Épisode 9 - Ireland Revisit

In 2005, Chris and Rebecca Palmer, made a radical life change. Fed up of being mortgage slaves, they sold their Bradford home, quit their jobs and headed to Ireland, with their daughter Demelza. Their dream was to live a simple, rural life, becoming totally self sufficient life, growing their own food, and keeping livestock. But first they had to turn their derelict farmhouse into a family home – and they had just 14,000 to do it. Over the year, working the land and the house, tested them physically, and emotionally they were at the end of their tether, as 5 year old Demelza hated her new surroundings. When architect George Clarke last saw the Palmers, they had managed to create a lovely home, but they were penniless, and their plans to be self-sufficient had barely got of the ground. A year on, George returns to see if living off the land has been a success, and whether they have found a way to secure their future.

Épisode 10 - Gweek Revisit

Simon & Carol Morley traded in careers in the IT industry in Cambridgeshire to move to the Cornish coast, with their three kids. They had plans to convert a rusty old 80ft barge into a floating family home, and start a diving business for holidaymakers. But the pressures of starting a business, and renovating the barge on little money led to Carol and Simon splitting up. Carol was left having to get a job as a door to door sales woman to make ends meet and get enough cash in to finish the barge on her own. Two years later, George Clarke returns to see how Carol and the kids have fared going it alone in Cornwall.

Épisode 11 - Dumfries Revisit

Épisode 1 - West Yorkshire

Architectural designer Charlie Luxton takes over as presenter, following British people who dream of living in perfect rural locations. He starts off in West Yorkshire, where married couple Ian and Becky Sheveling have given up successful careers to convert a Grade II listed farmhouse and barn into a stylish modern dwelling. But although Charlie is impressed by the couple's drive and determination, he is astounded by their plans to establish a hillside vineyard with no experience of the wine trade

Épisode 2 - Brecon

Dave and Caroline Taylor uproot their family from the suburbs of Bristol to follow their dream of becoming self-sufficient by converting a barn in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales. The Taylors have £150,000 to spend on creating a five-bedroom home complete with a holiday annexe, but find their budget dwindles quickly as the project encounters a few snags, including the discovery of two natural springs underneath the farmhouse

Épisode 3 - Lancashire

Ian and Elpi move from Wigan to the Lancashire countryside, where they plan to transform a Grade II-listed windmill and an Eighties-era house into a modern family home. While Ian works long hours at his solicitor's firm, Elpi takes on the role of project manager despite having a one-year-old son to look after, but she becomes disillusioned with the conversion when the budget runs out before the build is complete

Épisode 4 - Kent

Charlie Luxton meets a couple in Kent who plan to convert a derelict Fifties sawmill into a family home and provide their children with a traditional country upbringing. One of the first tasks is to replace the asbestos-lined roof, but the project is then delayed when the pair's £80,000 mortgage application is rejected and they have to lay off their builders

Épisode 5 - Wales

Relocating to different parts of the UK and abroad

Épisode 6 - Norfolk

Charlie Luxton meets Norfolk couple Melissa and Darren Young, who plan to convert a 19th-century barn into a four-bedroom family home but are facing financing problems. The idea to raise extra money by selling the barn's annex fails when two sets of buyers pull out, and an attempt to auction it fails to realise the minimum amount they need to finish the renovation work

Épisode 7 - Harris

Charlie Luxton meets a Leeds couple who want to turn a run-down croft on the Isle of Harris into a campsite. As they wait for their application to be approved, they rely on their savings to do some much-needed renewal work, including installing electricity, but with legal difficulties and the cash running dry quickly, the pair have to find alternatives to keep their dream alive

Épisode 8 - Rutland

Charlie Luxton follows the progress of Leicestershire couple Scott Nicholas and Rachel Owen who are trying to restore an 18th-century Georgian rectory in Great Casterton, Rutland, in just three months. The property needs extensive repairs, including the roof, plumbing and heating, after being neglected for the past two decades, and bad news awaits the pair when the contractor gives them a quote of £200,000 for the work

Épisode 1 - Nottinghamshire

14 janvier 2010

This week, Lisa and Michael attempt to convert a 400-year-old barn into an eco-friendly family home. The project begins well, but progress is slow thanks to problems with planning permission, bad weather, illness and damp. Will the couple manage to complete the build before another winter arrives? For many years, entrepreneurs Michael and Lisa have dreamed of creating a sustainable life for themselves and their two children, four-year-old Thomas and three-year-old Lucy. To turn their dream into reality, they plan to convert a 400-year-old barn in rural Nottinghamshire into a contemporary, eco-friendly family home with six bedrooms and five bathrooms. The couple also want to reinstate a 1960s extension to house a wet room and a snug. The new house will feature all the latest environmental technology, including doublethick insulation, a rainwater-harvesting tank and a heat-recovery system. Michael and Lisa bought the barn and six acres of land for £495,000 and plan to spend £450,000 on the renovation. After living on site in a caravan for a year, the couple finally receive planning permission for the conversion and can start work. However, the builders’ quote comes in at £560,000 – a massive £110,000 more than the couple were expecting. To cut costs, Michael decides to take on much of the work himself. He begins by excavating the original sandstone to rebuild the extension and digging trenches for the ground-source heat pumps. Despite beginning well, the project soon runs into trouble. When the coldest winter for 30 years arrives, it looks as if the roof could fall in and take the walls of the barn with it. The cold weather delays the work as the lime mortar used to repair the walls cannot set in freezing temperatures. In addition to the weather, the family must also cope with Lisa’s illness. As a lupus sufferer, she is often unable to work, meaning Michael must manage the build alone whilst looking after the children and running the rainwa

Épisode 2 - Beachy Head

21 janvier 2010

Charlie Luxton visits Beachy Head cliffs in East Sussex, where a couple face mounting costs and legal wrangles as they try to transform one of England's oldest lighthouses into a luxury B&B. With £500,000 already spent on the ambitious project, Charlie believes they have underestimated the cost of the renovation and the problems multiply as they deal with strong sea winds, a perilous access road and a delayed schedule.

Épisode 3 - France

29 janvier 2010

This week, Charlie meets a couple who have moved their four young children from Oxfordshire to France to begin a new, idyllic life. Keith and Antoinette dream of converting a 19th century chateau-style mansion in Languedoc into a family home and B&B. However, increasing financial demands threaten to derail the project. When Keith and Antoinette met six years ago, they had two children from previous relationships. Since then, they have had two more children of their own. However, Keith’s long working hours running his own company have left them with little time together as a family. Having always dreamed of moving to France, the couple have finally taken the plunge. Their hope is that the children will lead an idyllic village life and become bilingual. However, in order to finance the build, Keith has to sell his IT business in the UK. While Keith divides his time between England and France, Antoinette faces the huge task of project-managing a team of French builders – a job made even more difficult as she does not speak fluent French. She also has to keep an eye on the four kids. The plan is to have the guest accommodation ready to rent for the summer season – but when the couple’s financial situation worsens, their hopes of a better life begin to recede. Can Keith and Antoinette realise their dream?

Épisode 4 - Essex

4 février 2010

David and Hilary Body dream of creating a new life in France with their two daughters. As they plan to run barge holidays on the French canals, they're renovating a rusty old cargo vessel, with a view to it becoming the family home in winter and a much-needed source of income in the summer. Will they escape the daily grind, or will their plans of leaving Essex run aground? The family bought a run-down Dutch barge, Lotte, for £120,000, and have already spent £30,000 on getting her seaworthy. This means that they have just £20,000 to finish the renovation. If that wasn't difficult enough, winter is setting in - and their teenage daughters, Sophie and Katy, are getting fed up of life without central heating and other creature comforts on a muddy mooring in Essex. In order to get the boat ready for the summer season, the Bodys end up relying on the proceeds from the sale of some possessions on the internet. However, when the weather takes a turn for the worse, their dream of crossing the Channel hangs in the balance like never before...

Épisode 5 - Barbados

11 février 2010

This week, Charlie meets a couple who have uprooted their three young daughters to start a new life in beautiful Barbados. Dawn and Marcus plan to build a large, open-plan home with a guest apartment for rent. But they face an array of challenges, from hurricanes and labour difficulties to the demands of a foreign environment. Dawn and Marcus want to give their three young daughters an amazing childhood in the Caribbean. They are fed up with their busy, stressful lives in London and want a more relaxed existence so they can spend more time together as a family. Dawn’s mother is from Barbados and moved to Britain in the 1960s. Seven years ago, Dawn’s family inherited a 10,000sq ft plot of land on the island and they have wanted to do something with it ever since. The plan is to build a large home with a swimming pool, guest studio and separate two bedroom apartment, which they can rent out to generate an income. The build will cost £200,000 and they have £50,000 to live off for the year during the build. Dawn, Marcus and the children move to Barbados in the autumn. They hope to start the build as soon as they arrive and plan to move into their new home by the summer. Although Marcus runs his own construction company in the UK, he has never before built his own house. He will be fully involved in the project, overseeing the work and mucking in to help the local builders. The project faces numerous challenges, from hurricanes to termites as well as the difficulties of sourcing local labour and transporting materials to the island. Once the house is completed, Marcus hopes to use the family home as a showpiece and springboard to set up a business designing similar properties for locals and ex-pats. The couple hope this business will support their new life in the long term. Marcus believes there is a strong market for ‘modern homes’ rather than the “mock colonial horrors” scattered across the island. Since they met 11 years ago, Marcus and

Épisode 6 - Wales

4 mars 2010

This week, Hugh and Jude leave leafy Surrey for a sustainable future in a remote corner of Wales. With the couple hoping to host their daughter's wedding just six months after the project begins, the heat is on to finish the complex build in time. Hugh and Jude Crawford are looking forward to the next chapter in their lives. They have given up their house in Surrey to create a more rewarding, sustainable life in a remote area of Wales. The couple have spent £300,000 on a 15-acre smallholding with a run-down farmhouse in Cardigan Bay, and hope to renovate and extend the property to create their dream home. The smallholding also includes derelict barns, which Hugh and Jude plan to turn into holiday lets to provide an income for their retirement. Hugh has a unique vision for this project. After years of working as an architect specialising in underground railways, he is excited about designing his own home. His plans for the farmhouse extension are inspired by what he calls ‘postagricultural architecture’. Sustainable elements will be used throughout the build – including cement-free construction techniques, heat stores, a wind turbine and solar panels. The couple also have dreams of being self-sufficient – they want to set up a polytunnel, and have plans for keeping hens and other animals further down the line. Hugh and Jude are working to a strict deadline – their oldest daughter, Jessica, is getting married in six months and they are determined to have one of the stone barns ready to host the wedding. This is a big incentive to push ahead with the build, but as the barn takes priority during the winter and spring, the work on the farmhouse starts to fall behind... Fortunately, the couple manage to meet their deadline. The wedding is a huge success, with the whole family coming together to make the site beautiful for the big day. But once the wedding is over there is little time for Hugh and Jude to relax. The pair know the project will

Épisode 7 - Canterbury

14 mars 2010

The Kennedy family have decided to leave their big city lives behind, and renovate and restore a once-in-a-lifetime property that will become their dream home in Canterbury, Kent. Alex, having grown up in the town, always dreamed of moving back here with his family. So when he found out that a Grade II listed property, in which he attended dance lessons as a child, had come up for sale, he knew that it was now or never to make the move. The 500-year-old All Saints Court is a unique property, which sits by the river and boasts fantastic views of Canterbury's historic cathedral. However, as a listed building, it's very much on the radar of the local council. The couple have already worked with officials closely in order to get their plans approved, but nevertheless they are required to meet a long list of conditions. For example, they must use specialist materials, such as wattle and daub plaster to repair the walls. To save on money, Alex and Mia are project managing the build themselves, as well as keeping up full time jobs as an IT consultant and an executive coach. And though Alex is also determined to do as much of the work as possible by himself, he and his architect must source and hire a team of highly skilled workers familiar with the processes of restoring such a specialist home. It all sounds idyllic, but the family come up against various hurdles when the real renovation work begins; their plans for solar panels are rejected due to their appearance (despite the fact they are at the back of the house and can only be seen from one street in Canterbury) and, when work starts on stripping out the kitchen, Al has to invite archaeologists in to conduct some research before the new floor goes down. Also, quality and authenticity of materials is of great importance if they are to do this house justice. Al renovates and repairs over 50 windows in the house himself, and commissions a number of hand-crafted oak staircases from a local joiners to m

Épisode 8 - Buckinghamshire

25 mars 2010

Rebecca and Jim Constantine moved from Wimbledon, south London, to the Buckinghamshire village of Sherington to stay with Rebecca's mother following the death of her father in 2003. A temporary arrangement lasted longer than expected, so, as they continued to have children, they decided to stay for good and buy somewhere of their own. They bought a 1960s bungalow on a plot of land backing onto Rebecca's mum's house for £420,000. With a mortgage of £350,000, they demolished the bungalow to build their dream Georgian-style house, made from mostly reclaimed materials and built to their own specifications. Rebecca has spent a lot of time sourcing materials and features from across Europe: from windows reclaimed from a Georgian house in London, to doors from France and tiles from Geneva. The whole house has been designed to fit around a reclaimed Georgian stone staircase. The renovation bug is something Rebecca has inherited from her late father, a builder by trade, and wants to produce something that would make him proud. She shops online for antiques and bargains every night after putting the kids to bed and, as a result, deliveries are turning up on site every week. Also, she regularly presents new challenges to her builders - fixing some French windows into the barn roof, or building the front of the house from reclaimed stone. When she finds a feature banister on the internet which will go with her staircase, she drags Jim off to Paris to have a look at it before buying it. Whilst there, she makes the most of the trip by visiting her contacts at reclaimed yards and comes home with a few additional purchases too. Whilst Jim continues to work full-time, commuting to London every day, Rebecca is on site with four children and dealing with the builders. Once the main building work has been done, the plan is for Jim to work in the evenings and on days off, laying Rebecca's French parquet flooring throughout the house and finishing the bathrooms and kit

Épisode 9 - Shropshire

22 juin 2010

Charlie Luxton meets a couple who have moved to Ludlow in Shropshire, but have been living in a caravan with their three children for 18 months due to problems obtaining planning permission. The building of their new home can finally get under way, but with little experience and a budget of just £50,000, they face a steep learning curve that tests their relationship to the limit.

Épisode 10 - Eastbourne Revisit

13 juillet 2010

Charlie revisits a couple who planned to convert a dilapidated lighthouse in Eastbourne into a luxury B&B. He discovers how the pair helped finance their ambitious scheme by convincing builders to pose for a nude calendar, and learns why unexploded bombs from the Second World War left the would-be hoteliers wrangling with the council over permission to build a road to the premises.

Épisode 11 - Yorkshire Revisit

13 août 2010

Charlie revisits a young couple who tried to convert a Grade II-listed Yorkshire farmhouse into a stylish modern home.