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00:00Wherever life takes you, whatever adventures you embark on, you never forget where you've
00:10come from. You may leave your place of home, but home never leaves you. And for many, the
00:18pull of being drawn back to our hometowns, cities and villages is proving too strong
00:24to ignore. Whether they want to be closer to loved ones or need more space for their
00:29growing families, or just yearn for familiar faces and a sense of community. I'm going
00:36to follow people who are taking their biggest gamble yet, uprooting their lives, stretching
00:46their finances. It's going to cost you double. Probably going to cost me a hundred to do it
00:50all. And testing their relationships. What's our compromise? We replace the whole thing.
00:57No, that's not a compromise. As they're lucky enough to return home to some of the most
01:01beautiful parts of the country to build wonderful homes of their dreams. I knew from five years
01:07old I always wanted to live in that house. From a Victorian cottage that needs rescuing
01:12to an inherited wreck that may push them to the edge. You know, there aren't any plan Bs.
01:18And new builds frauds with complications. There's bits I just can't watch. Going home may prove
01:25harder than you think. If you want your dream home, you've got to work for it. But if you
01:32persevere and rise to the challenges. And that is outstanding. Going home might just be the
01:40best move you ever make.
01:50Nestled on the banks of the River Derwent, in a steep-sided valley, the village of Matlock Bath
01:56is a Derbyshire gem. The village boomed as a tourist destination in the 19th century, as
02:05societies well-hailed, including royalty, came to experience the natural thermal waters.
02:12In the heart of the East Midlands, Matlock Bath remains a popular tourist attraction, perfect
02:20for exploring the Derbyshire tales.
02:25It's beautiful over there. It is nice. Yeah. Building site manager Lee and photographer
02:37Lauren have recently moved to Matlock Bath, a village she's spent many happy childhood
02:43years in. Good afternoon, guys. Step down for a bit. Watch those heads.
02:51After a long struggle to find their own home, they have the chance to move into Lauren's grandparents'
02:57old house. Good morning. Morning. How are you? Lovely to meet you, Lauren. Hi. How are you?
03:03Nice to meet you, George. Beautiful dog. Thank you. This is Alfie. Hello, Alfie. So, why are
03:11we here in this specific spot? So, along this river that we're looking out onto, we have a
03:17fate in Matlock Bath. It's like over 150 years old. It's called the Illuminations, where all
03:25these little rowing boats have lights. And me and my family, we would gather every year,
03:30around September, October time, watch the boats. So, it just became a family tradition. So, were you
03:37brought up here? Pretty much. We spent a huge amount of time here. My nanny was my second mom,
03:44and she'd make us tea after school. So, it's very much like second home. So, it sounds like your
03:50grandparents were a big part of your life. Yeah, a massive part. So, how did you end up getting the
03:55house? Nanny passed away, ripe old age, 94. And my dad said, I don't want the house. He said,
04:03it's just too much for me. And I think you should buy it. It's a bittersweet feeling. I've lost Nanny,
04:09and yet we've gained a house. And so, how do you feel about moving here, Matt? It's been strange,
04:15because we are moving into a house where we used to come and visit somebody. But there's an excitement
04:21about it as well. I'm going to try and project manage it myself. I've been a site manager for ten
04:26years, use my contacts as much as I can, and do as much of the work myself as I can as well. So,
04:31you're going to get stuck in? Yeah, definitely, yeah. Can we go and see the house? Yeah,
04:34absolutely. Come on, let's go. Let's do it. It's going to get a bit wet. Come on.
04:37Matlock Bath is like a secret hideaway, and Lauren and Lee's new house is set into the side of the
04:44steep valley, overlooking the village below. Look at the views you've got from up here. Yeah. So,
04:51you can see Ryber Castle, which is right at the top. You can see the Derwent just down the bottom
04:56there. You've got the river skirting through there. You've got the high street. And this is your house.
05:00I tell you what, it's a kind of picture-perfect cottage up on a hillside, looking down at the view
05:06like that. It is something out of a storybook. Now, it's really, really, really wet. Can
05:11we go inside? Yeah, let's go. Go on after you. Come on in. Very happy to get out of the rain. Yeah,
05:21come on in. Put that down there. Oh, it's very cute, isn't it? Well, still a lot of work to do.
05:27This is the kitchen. This is the kitchen. Do you know what? I know it's had its day, and I know you're
05:33going to change it all. I don't know. There's something that I really love about it. Yeah,
05:37and it has charm. Like... It does. It's got loads of charm. And it's funny because that's how Nanny
05:43lived. It was always make do amend. That was their generation. Like, sticking with this since,
05:47what, the early 60s? She's never changed it. And I realise why you want to change it,
05:54because in some ways it's the new chapter for the house, isn't it? Yeah. And it's new beginnings
05:58for you. But also, there are things that you're really going to want to keep, because they're
06:03nostalgic, because they're sentimental. Yeah, well, erm, this little light here. Yeah. Erm, just the
06:09sound of it. The sound of it? Yeah. That's kind of stuck with you? It transports me as if she's here.
06:16So just the sound of this coming on reminds you of your Nan turning this light on? Yeah. Erm, that does
06:24make me think of it. Aw, look at you. I think there's going to be stages in the house where I'm not ready.
06:36I'm ready to go and do bits and pieces, but we've had a conversation where sometimes Lauren
06:42will need a minute just to, like you say, reflect on what that actual kitchen meant to her and her
06:50gran and her granddad. It just demonstrates how powerful home is and those connections that you
06:56have with it and the memories that you have. When you've lost people, you've got to be very careful
07:01about how you start stripping the house out. Yeah, 100%. You've got to be very sensitive about it.
07:05100%. Behind its charming facade, this old-fashioned property is going to be completely rebuilt as a modern
07:14hall. Upstairs, a master bedroom suite with new luxury bathroom will run from the back to the front
07:23of the house, while the ground floor will be totally remodelled with internal walls coming down and bringing
07:31loads of natural light into the dark rooms. The tired kitchen and porky entrance will be transformed into
07:39a spacious hall, and what is currently the sitting room will become a dramatic kitchen diner. Their 1960s side
07:47extension, built by Lauren's granddad, will become their lounge, with the front doors converted into
07:54patio doors open to a new courtyard. What things are you going to keep? Are you going to have a mix of
08:04very much kind of old and new? Yeah, hopefully, and my nan was very creative. She would sew everything,
08:10sew the curtains that you see behind you, and she made all of those, and I've learnt that I'm actually
08:16more like her than I realised when she was living. Even your granddad though, because you're into
08:21photography, and it's only until we've started going through the photos that your granddad has taken.
08:26Is that them? Yeah, and that's my dad as a baby. Ooh, he looks very stern.
08:31It still looks like that now. Bless him. Oh, look at them working in the garden together.
08:37And that's the original gate. That's my dad and his two cousins and my dad's aunt poking her head
08:45round the door. And you'll notice there's a little round doorbell, and it's still there now,
08:52but granddad filled it in, so you can feel the indent. You've got to recreate that, don't you?
08:56Yeah. Yeah. It's not just about looking back. It's about you taking all of these things and
09:02putting them in the new house. Yeah. Your house. Yeah. And this house has been absolutely beautiful
09:07for the next 200 years. Lauren and Lee have budgeted £100,000 for the renovation. It's a good
09:15chunk of money, and Lee, a site manager by trade, will try and use all his connections
09:21to get it across the line. New chapter. Yeah. New beginnings. It starts now.
09:26Look after yourself, and I'll see you in a few months' time. Lovely. Take care.
09:29Cheers, George. Take care. Good luck with it. Thank you.
09:33You'll have to repair that gate, you know. It's an original feature.
09:41Lauren and Lee have got a very tricky balance to strike here. On the one hand,
09:46they want to create a home for them, fit for modern living. But at the same time,
09:51they want to preserve the past, the character and the beauty of the old house,
09:56and those wonderful family memories. I don't envy the task ahead of them at all.
10:01In the Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath, Laurel and Lee are preparing to start the renovation
10:17of what used to be her grandparents' house. That's what we need. Let's go.
10:23Which hasn't been touched since the 1960s. I'm going to be the first person to put the crowbar in there.
10:29The ceiling. The ceiling. Just so I can't get the blame for making a mess of the house, really.
10:36Three, two, one.
10:40The lounge ceiling needs to go. To fit cabling and ducting,
10:44that'll be added in converting this into a kitchen. Nice one.
10:48And there's no going back now. Oh, my God. I'm glad that wasn't me.
10:54It's a small dent in the ceiling, but a significant act in the bigger story.
10:59I think Grandad would be tutting a little bit, turning the living room into the kitchen.
11:08Nanny, I think she would be a little bit more like,
11:10oh, do you really want to have all that fuss?
11:12Yeah.
11:19This is hard.
11:21It's just how old it is.
11:24You know, how long it's been there.
11:28Feel like a hooligan.
11:30Probably just need a cup of tea.
11:32A cup of tea, you've only done that.
11:35We need to crack on and get the ceiling down.
11:39With his site manager's sense for schedules, Lee cracks on,
11:43while Lauren takes refuge, packing up boxes in the kitchen.
11:49He's really going to town, isn't he?
11:51Like, to be fair, I'm quite glad he's doing it.
11:59Lee wants to do as much prep work as he can before the builders come in
12:02to take the internal walls down.
12:05Good Lord!
12:06It's dirty work, but the more he can do, the less pressure there'll be on their budgets.
12:12God, it's so dusty. Well done, love.
12:14Looks good, doesn't it?
12:15Yeah, it's brilliant.
12:17It didn't take long.
12:18No.
12:19Because we want to do a lot of it ourselves, I think that's going to keep costs down.
12:26We're not paying labour to strip the house out.
12:30Nice one.
12:41Lauren's conscious that their new home is a period property,
12:44and part of the fabric of Matlock Bath.
12:47So before the heavy machinery comes in, and the big changes begin,
12:51she's keen to find out more about its history.
12:54Hello!
12:57Come on in.
12:58Beth is a local historian, and she basically looks at the history on houses.
13:05So I just thought it would be really nice to find out a bit more about the house.
13:09So it was during the 19th century that the town was really taking off.
13:15Right.
13:16So at that time...
13:17Yeah.
13:18..we see an advertisement in the Derby Mercury.
13:22All that newly-erected, stone-built villa residents,
13:27pleasantly situate and known as Derwent View.
13:33So that...
13:35This is us containing two reception rooms.
13:39Oh, my God, it's got the description!
13:41Kitchen, larder, five bedrooms, bathroom, unfinished.
13:47Ooh.
13:47Wash house.
13:49That seems a bit like us, unfinished.
13:51Wow!
13:52And I recognise her name, Mrs. Briddon.
13:55Because they are on our deeds.
13:57Ah, yes.
13:59So this is in the Derbyshire Times.
14:02Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, to let furnished a very pleasant villa residence
14:06for the summer months containing two reception rooms.
14:12It ends with a very good cow if required.
14:15Oh, yeah!
14:16And that's the bit that I loved of it.
14:18I always want a cow with my villa.
14:19That's wonderful!
14:21So it's basically an advert...
14:24For...
14:25For tourists.
14:26For tourists.
14:27For the summer.
14:27It's part of the growing town and people coming to visit.
14:32Visit.
14:33That's what my grandpa bought from the Briddons in 1952.
14:37Yeah.
14:38Yeah.
14:39So that would have been when they bought the house.
14:41A lot of lives under one roof.
14:44That's nice that we're also knowing that we're adding...
14:47Mm.
14:48..to the patchwork of...
14:49Yeah. ..that story.
14:50Creating the next chapter.
14:51Yeah.
14:52Yeah.
14:55With the prep work done by Lee,
14:57with a little bit of help from Lauren,
14:59it's time for the builders to start getting this Victorian house fit.
15:03for the 21st century.
15:08Day one of the builders.
15:10Yeah.
15:11Busy and noisy.
15:12And they are prepping to put the steels in,
15:14so walls will be coming down.
15:16Because the house is built into the side of a hill,
15:19all of the natural light comes in from the fronts.
15:22So removing internal walls will make the bigger, brighter rooms.
15:27It's changing in front of my eyes,
15:29sometimes quicker than I expect.
15:32Mirror.
15:33Full cord and mirror is still there.
15:34Still there, isn't it?
15:35Yeah.
15:36Don't know if that's subconsciously...
15:38..we've kind of left it.
15:39Waiting, yeah.
15:40We're doing it in stages,
15:41and I think that's helped my grieving process of losing Nanny.
15:45Yeah.
15:46I think I've definitely learned about me going gung-ho,
15:48ripping everything out and...
15:49We've compromised.
15:50Yes, I get it.
15:51What a great marriage is based on,
15:53and compromise.
15:58Now that Laurel and Lee's renovation is gathering pace,
16:01it's time for me to head back to Matlock Bath
16:04and see how they're getting on.
16:08Good morning.
16:09Good morning.
16:10How are you?
16:11Good, how are you?
16:12What a gorgeous day.
16:13A little bit different than the first time I was here.
16:15I know, I know.
16:16It's chickeny now, wasn't it?
16:17Give a look to see you. Hello, mate.
16:18You all right?
16:19Yeah, good, thank you.
16:20So you've started work?
16:21We have, inside.
16:22Which is great.
16:23Shall we go inside and have a look?
16:24Yeah, come on here.
16:25After you.
16:27Oh, what a change.
16:29You're taking the wall out.
16:30Yeah.
16:31Opens it up a touch.
16:32By taking out the partition wall between the porky hallway
16:35and the old kitchen,
16:37it's created a huge entrance hall,
16:39bathed in natural light.
16:41It's a cracking space now.
16:42You've opened it up, though, hasn't it?
16:43Yeah.
16:44And that's what we wanted.
16:45When it rained, like last time you were here,
16:47trying to get everybody in, your shoes off, your coats off,
16:49and everything like that, it was just too cramped,
16:51so this is going to be our hallway.
16:53Feels more spacious.
16:54Yeah, I mean, you want to get as much light from that side...
16:58Yeah.
16:59..to the back part of the plan as you can,
17:00because you are literally built into the rock,
17:02no natural light at all.
17:03Yeah.
17:04And then staircase,
17:05this is now very much part of your entrance hallway, isn't it?
17:09And there are more changes at the back of the house.
17:13My word.
17:14You're taking everything out.
17:16So, utility in there.
17:17Yeah.
17:18Pantry in here.
17:19Yeah.
17:20And you come through and you've got kitchen in there.
17:21Yes.
17:22Dining table here.
17:23Yeah.
17:24And you've got some quirky things around when you've stripped it out.
17:26Well, we've got some newspaper over there as well.
17:28Look at that, eh?
17:30Look, I just don't think I can bring myself to take it off.
17:32It feels like it's a...
17:34I don't know, it's a period feature, that is.
17:36It's going to come off anyway.
17:37Is it?
17:38Just be gentle with it.
17:39What's the date on it?
17:411961.
17:421961, yeah, yeah.
17:441961.
17:46That's crazy.
17:48Look at that, eh?
17:50That's 63 years ago.
17:52That is incredible.
17:53Absolutely bonkers.
17:54During the renovation, Lauren and Lee have moved into one of the upstairs bedrooms.
18:02So, come in.
18:03I think we can get us all in.
18:05Shuffle in.
18:06Come on in.
18:08You've got everything in one space.
18:11Yeah, yeah.
18:12Super king bed.
18:13Sleep's important.
18:15Fridge.
18:16Yeah.
18:17Storage.
18:18Yeah.
18:19As you know, I like small spaces.
18:20Yeah, exactly.
18:21Exactly.
18:22Yeah.
18:23I mean, it's worth it.
18:24Yeah, it is.
18:25All right, you're going to have to rough it for a while, but so be it.
18:27Yeah.
18:28And you've got, I mean, you've got drawer storage, you've got a bit of technology.
18:30Yeah.
18:31Nice camera.
18:32Ooh, that's nice.
18:33Ooh la la.
18:34Yeah.
18:35So, that's my grandad's camera.
18:36That's your grandad's camera?
18:37Yes.
18:38I'll tell you what, he knew his kid, because that's a beautiful Japanese camera, that is.
18:42So, there was film still in the camera.
18:44Hang on.
18:45There was film left in there when he found the camera?
18:47Yeah.
18:48Yeah.
18:49Yeah.
18:50I've got a mate in Nottingham that develops photographs from all bits of film.
18:54Okay.
18:55We should take it and get it done, because who knows what you're going to find.
18:58Yeah, we'd love to do that.
18:59Yeah.
19:00Yeah.
19:01Yeah.
19:02With the prep done and the couple's makeshift bedsit up and running, it's time for the
19:07heavy machinery to roll in.
19:09These plans for the house are more than just aesthetic.
19:19He's replacing the plumbing, electrics, and insulation to bring the house up to modern-day
19:24standards.
19:25It's major work and the entire ground floor in the new kitchen has been taken up to install
19:32underfloor heating.
19:35Digging out a room's worth of deep concrete floor is producing a mountain of rubble.
19:41And shifting large loads off-site halfway up a steep hillside is problematic, to say the
19:47least.
19:48And builder Johnall has got some bad news.
19:51All right, how's it going?
19:53All right.
19:54Little issue.
19:55So, this...
19:56Right.
19:57Yeah?
19:58The Grabwagon Company have let us down.
20:00They don't want to come to Matlock.
20:02It's just getting a wagon up, though.
20:03That's the problem.
20:04Yeah, that's it.
20:05It's literally the corner as you come up.
20:07Yeah.
20:08Because that's so narrow.
20:09Everything that's charming about this place, the narrow cobbled roads winding up the steep-sided
20:15valley, are exactly the things that give builders nightmares.
20:20I can ring around and try and find out.
20:22The only thing I can think of is there's a lad that I used to live next door to, and I'm
20:29sure he's got loads of, like, machines that he leases, and maybe I should give him a call.
20:33Give him a ring.
20:34If it's not like a tipper truck or something, then we can...
20:36Yeah.
20:37That's what...
20:38I think that's the route we need to go down, tipper truck.
20:40We're just going to have to call on friends, aren't we?
20:41Yeah.
20:42Hi, James.
20:43Yeah, it's Lauren.
20:44Yeah, you all right?
20:45One of the benefits of knowing the area and the people who live round here is having
20:50someone nearby to call in a crisis.
20:53And Lauren's going to need all her local knowledge to get this build done on time and on budget.
20:59All right, love. Thanks.
21:01There's some good news for Lauren.
21:06I've had the role of film that she found in her grandad's camera developed by my mate Dan in Nottingham.
21:13I'm really excited because as a professional photographer, Lauren's own love of taking pictures owes a lot to her grandad being an enthusiast himself.
21:23Hello, hello.
21:25Oh, I feel like I'm...
21:27I don't know.
21:28Like, I feel like I'm Santa Claus or something, bearing gifts.
21:31We're in luck.
21:32OK.
21:33There's actually quite a few negatives, weren't there?
21:35That were pretty good.
21:36Yeah.
21:37So we've randomly picked a few.
21:39This is, I think, somebody's fourth birthday.
21:44Oh, my God!
21:46Yeah, it is.
21:48Absolutely.
21:49You've got your cake.
21:51Yeah, my mum made that.
21:52Look at your cheeky face.
21:53Yeah, right.
21:54You're so cute and you're so happy.
21:56Yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:57It's like, I'm four!
22:00Then...
22:02Oh, so this is around Christmas time.
22:06Obviously, that's me.
22:07And these are some family friends, my mum and my brother.
22:10But your grandad took that shot?
22:11Yeah, so they would have probably been on the walk.
22:13Got no idea who's in this next shot.
22:16Grandpa's there and Nanny's there.
22:18It would have been Christmas Day.
22:19And the only sign we've got of you being there is your hat.
22:23But it's also nice because your grandad's not in that many pictures
22:26because he was taking the pictures.
22:27Yeah.
22:28Yeah.
22:29It's like a historic document.
22:32That was fantastic, that.
22:33I just love the power of photographs to capture moments in time
22:38and hold onto wonderful memories.
22:40And what's really important is that Lauren and Lee capture their own memories,
22:46their own stories, and write their own chapter for their new home,
22:50while at the same time being very sensitive to their grandad
22:55and their grandmothers' home as well.
22:56In the gorgeous Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath,
23:14couple Lee and Lauren are restoring the P-Road property
23:17that was home to her grandparents for over half a century.
23:23The process of making the house fit for modern living
23:26has seen walls knocked out both upstairs and down,
23:30creating a new bedroom, living room and kitchen.
23:34Underfloor heating has gone in,
23:35and the New Zealand's are being installed.
23:39It's been challenging at times.
23:41The hardest part is seeing bits being ripped away.
23:46But I think now that everything is almost out,
23:50it's kind of, at this stage, unrecognisable in my mind.
23:55It's good.
23:56I feel like it's a different house, a new house.
23:58It's our start.
24:01Now that Lauren is feeling that this is now her house,
24:04not her grandparents,
24:06there's one job in the old kitchen she can finally face.
24:10There you go.
24:12It's my whole life in this house.
24:14Nothing's the same again.
24:15This is what I'm worried about once we put things back in.
24:19It's not the object, though, is it?
24:21No.
24:22It's the meaning of it.
24:24Objects have meaning, sounds, places, smells.
24:27And I'm still attached to it.
24:29I want us to reuse it still.
24:32Oh, that would have been a nanny request.
24:35Probably.
24:37This is basically like you and me.
24:38She had the design idea.
24:40And he has to make it happen.
24:41And he had to fathom somewhere.
24:42He has to make it happen.
24:45My mind has definitely shifted.
24:48Instead of mourning something,
24:49it's actually just celebrating part of life
24:52and the changes that property goes through.
25:02It's full summer in Matlock Bath,
25:04the time of year when visitors flock to the place.
25:08Before I see progress they've made on the house,
25:11Lauren wants to show me round the village.
25:13So we're right in the middle of Matlock Bath,
25:16which I have to say is fantastic.
25:19It's beautiful today.
25:21Yeah.
25:22But it's invaded by tourists, isn't it?
25:23I know.
25:24Yeah, I mean, this is their busiest time.
25:25It's summer holidays, so...
25:26You've got aquarium and exhibitions, amusements.
25:30I used to go to school with that guy who owns the fish shop.
25:33Yeah, I used to go to school with Costa.
25:35Nanny would always take us to halls.
25:37Oh, there it is there.
25:38Yeah.
25:39What a wonderful collection of gorgeous buildings.
25:42Yeah, very Victorian seaside.
25:44Very Victorian seaside.
25:45Without the sea.
25:46Without the sea, but we're next to the river.
25:47I know.
25:51What a great place to grow up
25:53when you would come to see your nanny.
25:55Yeah, I'd walk from school up down here,
25:57bob into the newsagents before I go up to nanny's.
26:00I mean, it's got a fantastic atmosphere to it, hasn't it?
26:03Yeah.
26:04Just holidays.
26:05I think that's what I always thought with my nan,
26:07was you always felt you were on holiday
26:09when you went to visit her.
26:12Walking up to the house to meet Lee,
26:14I can say exactly what they love about this place.
26:17But I'm keen to see if they're still in love with their build, too.
26:22This has all changed, hasn't it?
26:23Just a little.
26:24Yeah, just a little.
26:25I hear there's a debate about the front door.
26:30So this fan light...
26:31Yeah.
26:32..at the top was put in by my nanny.
26:34Yeah.
26:35Obviously, my grandad probably put it in.
26:36Of course.
26:37But I want to keep it in.
26:38It's part of the character, it's part of the history.
26:41And he wants to remove it but replace it with exactly the same,
26:44but it's obviously just new.
26:46Yeah, so let me just show you this.
26:48Yeah.
26:49I can literally put my finger through the frame, rotten.
26:54What's our compromise?
26:55We replace the whole thing...
26:57No, that's not a compromise, is that?
26:59So we're going to do all this insulation
27:01and then we're going to have a single-glazed glass door top.
27:03Because it's not a new build.
27:04All the heat is just going to come flying out.
27:05It's not a new build.
27:06In some ways, you're both right,
27:07and that's not really what you want to hear.
27:09You're saying, let's replace it.
27:11It's still going to look the same,
27:12but it's going to be up to the thermal standards,
27:14it's going to be high quality
27:16and it's going to last another couple of hundred years.
27:18And I get that.
27:19And he's right.
27:20I get that.
27:21He's right.
27:22Then there's the emotional side of,
27:23my grandad made that.
27:25Yeah.
27:26That's why houses are characterful
27:28is because people have put thought
27:30in keeping those things that have stories
27:32that look a little bit wonky or handmade.
27:35They're the bits that make the character.
27:37I get that.
27:38Do you know what?
27:39It really, really captures the difficulties.
27:41It is.
27:42Of restoring a building
27:44when you've got a massive emotional attachment to it.
27:47The only thing I would say is,
27:49yes, you're upgrading everything
27:51and the entire thermal performance of the whole house.
27:53Because the door and that fan light is such a big deal,
27:56maybe that is the one place
27:57where you just have a little bit of compromise.
27:59Compromise.
28:00I'm just saying that it's such a special door.
28:02No, I get that.
28:03And the fact that your grandad
28:05would have made that himself,
28:06I think that's a beautiful thing.
28:07Yeah, it is.
28:08Yeah.
28:09So how's it looking?
28:12Lauren may be hanging on to her grandparents' front door,
28:16but inside, the couple have swept away the past
28:19to create a home fit for the future.
28:23It's amazing to stand in this position,
28:25be able to look that way.
28:26Yeah.
28:27See daylight.
28:28Yeah.
28:29And then all the way through.
28:30And that room at the end
28:31is just flooded with natural light now.
28:33Yeah.
28:34And this is another massive structural change as well.
28:37What a difference that makes.
28:38Yeah.
28:39Open that right up.
28:40This was the old living room.
28:41Now this is going to be a kitchen.
28:43Yeah.
28:44And it ties nicely,
28:45cos this was the room that our family always gathered in,
28:47and I think kitchens nowadays is the place that you're gathering.
28:50Absolutely.
28:51So, yeah.
28:52It makes sense.
28:53I feel good that we've changed it.
28:55Yeah.
28:56It is amazing, isn't it?
28:57Yeah.
28:58It's got to be very delicate steps,
28:59and you've had to kind of get it into your head
29:01that this was the heart of the home,
29:03even when it wasn't a kitchen.
29:05Yeah.
29:06But now the kitchen is going to be the heart of your home,
29:08so you're fine with that.
29:09Yeah.
29:10I don't know if those family gatherings are still going to happen here.
29:13Yeah.
29:14You know, the torch has been handed down.
29:15To make the most of the spectacular views from the front of the house,
29:19Lauren and Lee have removed the window in what will be their living room,
29:24making space for new patio doors onto the garden.
29:28So you've dropped all the sill down?
29:30Yes.
29:31Is that right?
29:32Yeah.
29:33What a difference that makes.
29:35Definitely.
29:36Look how green and lush and beautiful it is,
29:39and then you've got these wonderful period houses off to the left-hand side.
29:43Do you see the river poking through the trees?
29:45Oh, yeah, just there.
29:46Oh, I didn't see it there.
29:47Yeah.
29:49Lauren and Lee's new living room
29:51is going to be in the single-storey extension
29:53that her grandad added to the original house in the 1960s.
29:59What a room.
30:00Yeah, it'd be nice if it was vaulted, too.
30:02What, the room?
30:03The ceiling, yeah.
30:04Oh, don't.
30:05Because...
30:06Hang on, talk about chucking me under the box.
30:07It's a great design choice.
30:08Hang on, so you've opened up the ceiling.
30:10Yeah.
30:11Because you've had to strip everything out.
30:12So we're going to insulate it and then re-board it.
30:14With a flat ceiling?
30:15Yeah.
30:16No.
30:17What?
30:18No.
30:19What do you mean, no?
30:21You've got to vault it.
30:22Look at that.
30:23I can't vault that.
30:24Why?
30:25Because I've got a programme to hit.
30:27Well, I know.
30:29And deadlines are...
30:30Look, just forget about deadlines, right?
30:33Flat ceiling.
30:34Flat ceiling.
30:35Flat ceiling.
30:36Lovely.
30:37Yeah.
30:38Beautifully respecting the old building.
30:39Yeah.
30:40Come through to the extension, which, as we know, was a later addition.
30:43Yeah.
30:44Open the ceiling up.
30:46Look at that.
30:47You're going to be sitting in your living room with that big, high, vaulted pitch roof.
30:51Whereas, if you don't do it, OK, it'll still be lovely and it'll still be beautiful.
30:55Yeah.
30:56But you'll kind of sit there and go, yeah, that would have been really good.
30:59Yeah.
31:00Just have a think.
31:01Yeah, OK.
31:02Just have a think, but you should definitely do it.
31:05I'm running.
31:06I hope I haven't pushed Lee too hard, because he's done a brilliant job transforming this
31:12space so far.
31:13But given that this is going to be their forever home, I really think it's worth the extra weeks
31:19of work it will take.
31:25Lee and Lauren clearly want to make their home as good as possible without blowing the
31:31budget.
31:32So the couple have been looking far and wide for bargains to help with their renovation.
31:38And Lee has driven 150 miles to London to collect a second-hand kitchen he found on
31:44an online auction site.
31:46Ready?
31:47Yeah.
31:48Yeah.
31:49Found an absolute bargain.
31:51Bidded on a kitchen.
31:53Didn't think I'd have a hope in hell in getting it.
31:56We found pretty much exactly what we were looking for.
31:59Just down here, Nick.
32:01You know, this is a handmade bespoke kitchen.
32:03You know, it's got dovetail joints.
32:05It's a high-quality kitchen which will last another 30, 40 years.
32:09One, two, three.
32:13Probably got more units than we need, but we're going to utilise that and make it work in the
32:18utility as well as the pantry and the kitchen.
32:21That's why I bought two vans down, just to make sure we've got more than enough room.
32:27Yeah.
32:28That should go.
32:30At least they have the kitchen ticked off the list.
32:33Now it's back to Derbyshire, where Lee just has the rest of the house to sort out.
32:39In the Derbyshire village of Matlock Bath, Lauren and Lee are sympathetically restoring her
32:57grandparents' old cottage into a home for modern day living.
33:02Yeah, we've got walls, miscoat.
33:05Yep.
33:06And Paints have done a great job miscoating, really.
33:08We're almost at the end.
33:10The finish is nigh.
33:12But there's one recent structural change that still needs to be tackled.
33:16The vaulted ceiling in the living room that Lauren, with a little bit of help from me, talked Lee into.
33:22I can't believe how high it is.
33:24Four metres.
33:25I'll give him that and Lauren.
33:27It's going to look bloody brilliant.
33:29Really good.
33:32She'll take all the credit for it, to be fair.
33:34I know she will.
33:36It's definitely more work and a bit more on the budget.
33:40Your granny would be proud.
33:42So I'll get the laser set up.
33:44Yeah.
33:45And we can bang the laser on exactly where we want to be.
33:48But it will bring a whole new grandeur to the old extension.
33:52Actually, Lauren's granddad built this extension back in...
33:55Er, 1960s?
33:57Yeah, it was something like that, wasn't it?
34:00Yeah.
34:01Lars, where we're going to be?
34:04Perfect.
34:06I feel that this is our proper own stamp on it, I suppose.
34:11Because this is a drastic change from what it was.
34:14I don't know, it feels like it adds a different personality to the house.
34:19Now it's actually happening.
34:21Yeah, it's exciting.
34:24Lee's first job is to board out the apex and sides of the roof
34:28to allow for insulation and create structure.
34:31With Lee's hard grafts near and completion, it's now Lauren's chance to shine.
34:38She's in charge of the interior design.
34:40I want to enjoy it because I've longed for an interior project.
34:46I think it's in me.
34:48So, creatively, you know, I'm at my happiest.
34:53So I've chosen things with sentimental value.
34:56Nanny had this little brass handle.
34:59There's two of those on the doors that go into the living room.
35:02I mean, I love brass anyway, but I thought that would be quite fitting for in here.
35:08And then this is a little piece of fabric that my nanny used.
35:13She's re-upholstered a chair upstairs and I really liked it.
35:17So I'm hoping that maybe I can bring that into the design somewhere.
35:22Lauren's design vision is for a modern take on a classic Georgian country horn
35:27with a palette of whites and blues.
35:30That's Delftware.
35:33We dug this up in the front garden.
35:35So that's where I've taken the inspiration.
35:38This is where I've been hoarding for the last six months.
35:41So I'm hoping that it looks good.
35:43But who knows?
35:46Throughout the build, Lee has turned his hand to any job he can to save money.
35:53One of his final tasks is making the second-hand kitchen they bought fit their space.
36:00Look at that!
36:03Ah, that's a relief.
36:10A few months later, the top-to-bottom refurbishment of Lauren's grandmother's old cottage is finally finished.
36:17But has Lauren managed to create a new home that honours her family's past?
36:23Restoring a house is never easy, but when that house is absolutely packed with deep and powerful memories, even down to a light switch having meaning, it becomes even more difficult.
36:39Striking the balance between preserving the past and building a home for the future is really, really tough.
36:47Now, it's been two years since Lee and Lauren began their journey, and I'm back to see if they've made it.
36:54Good morning!
36:56Morning.
36:57Look at the gate!
36:58It's all been repaired.
36:59Yeah.
37:01And it's not just the gate that's been fixed.
37:04The front of the house, christened Grace Cottage, has been sympathetically restored,
37:10with the window and door surrounds stripped back to their original brickwork.
37:15They've even created a beautiful courtyard garden.
37:20Fantastic!
37:22All the better for seniors.
37:23Oh, get a hug!
37:24I know!
37:25Get in there, mate!
37:26It's been a long time.
37:27I have to say, it looks amazing.
37:32You've kept the door, you've kept the fan light, not overly restored.
37:34Yeah, we haven't even touched it.
37:36How do you feel about that, mate?
37:37Listen, I'm rolling with it.
37:40You were like, it needs to be thermally sealed, it needs to be double glazed.
37:44Well, I am very pleased you kept the original door and the fan light.
37:48I have.
37:49We've got a doorbell.
37:50Is it a pull?
37:51Yes.
37:54It works!
37:55We've tried to replicate as close as we could to the photo that we had.
37:59Yeah.
38:00Of Lauren's family.
38:03Can we go in?
38:04Come on, let's go.
38:05I can't tell you how excited I am.
38:07No, honestly.
38:09Where there was a cramped entrance and small old-fashioned kitchen...
38:14..there's now a generous, welcoming hallway.
38:18What a change.
38:19You can actually get in now and take your shoes off.
38:21Yeah, I mean, you've got a proper entrance hall, haven't you?
38:23Which also doubles up as a nice, steady space.
38:28Underfloor heating and up-to-date insulation,
38:31combined with vintage decor,
38:33to create a charming, modern country cottage.
38:37Full of family pieces.
38:39Yes.
38:40That was your grandad's camera.
38:41Yeah.
38:42Yeah.
38:43And there's one more of her grandparents' things that Lauren has kept.
38:46Granny's light cord.
38:48Erm, that does make me think of it.
38:50Oh, look at you.
38:54We've popped it in here.
38:55Let me have a look.
38:56Come on.
38:59There you go.
39:00It's just unbelievable how powerful a family home is
39:04when you're connected to a poor cord.
39:06I know.
39:07And you couldn't get rid of it.
39:08I couldn't get rid of it, no.
39:09I mean, that's amazing.
39:10And it's the ugliest thing ever.
39:12It's not about aesthetics.
39:13No, it's not.
39:14It's not about design.
39:15It's about memories.
39:16Yeah.
39:17Yeah, and we've tried to fill that around the house, haven't we?
39:20Yes, we have.
39:21So, all this looks beautiful.
39:22Yeah.
39:23Where shall we go next?
39:24Upstairs.
39:25On the first floor, there used to be a series of porky rooms
39:30and a very dated bathroom,
39:33which have all been reimagined as a large, sophisticated
39:37master bedroom suite.
39:40Now, that is very elegant indeed.
39:44How cosy and snug and gorgeous is that?
39:48Any pieces of furniture that are from the family?
39:51Yes, so this was in the living room.
39:53So, was that your gran's?
39:54Yes.
39:55Yeah.
39:56The mirror was hers.
39:57And did she use that mirror all the time?
39:58Yeah, she used to sit at it.
39:59Yeah.
40:00And then you've knocked through here.
40:01Yeah.
40:02You've got wardrobe area either side.
40:03Can I slide this open?
40:04Yeah.
40:07Oh!
40:08Now that is very special.
40:11That is posh.
40:13Look how beautiful that space is and that view is.
40:17It's so beautiful, that.
40:20This is my favourite.
40:21Lou with a view.
40:22And I can even see a castle.
40:26While the master bedroom is worthy of any five-star retreats,
40:30the heart of this house is back downstairs.
40:33Where Lauren's created a gorgeous open-planned country kitchen in the old family living room.
40:45Look at this kitchen dining room.
40:47That's stunning!
40:48Oh my God, marble worktops proper.
40:50Yeah, yeah.
40:51Proper marble worktops.
40:52Yeah, yeah.
40:53Yeah, yeah.
40:54Proper marble worktops.
40:55Yeah.
40:56Yeah.
40:57That's actually a recycled kitchen.
40:59We've got it online.
41:00We've got quoted 45 grand for our kitchen and the pantry.
41:04Yeah.
41:05And we got the marble, the kitchen units that you see.
41:093,800.
41:10That is ridiculous.
41:12That's one of my biggest achievements of this house.
41:15The big picture design moves are absolutely fantastic.
41:19But to then get to the level of detail that you've got.
41:22We've enjoyed that bit.
41:23Yeah.
41:24We have enjoyed that.
41:25That is what we love the most.
41:26It's bloody brilliant.
41:27Yeah.
41:28And I'm going to get told off by my mum for swearing on telly, but it's bloody brilliant.
41:32And then you've got the window seat.
41:34Can I squeeze in?
41:35Yeah.
41:36Now there are literally no words needed.
41:41I can see why that was her favourite spot.
41:44Was it your nana's favourite spot?
41:45Yeah.
41:46Yeah.
41:47She loved it there.
41:48Because this was the living room, I wanted it to feel not like a kitchen.
41:53This was nanny's chair.
41:55She's covered it in this fabric.
41:57I mean, that's cleaned up.
41:58Yeah, it's beautiful.
41:59Yeah.
42:00And I feel like this is her room.
42:02But obviously, next door is my grandad's room.
42:05When we take you through next door.
42:07You see a flat ceiling?
42:12Better not be.
42:13I'll have words.
42:14If that ceiling's flat in there, I'm going to kick off.
42:18Lee planned to keep the original flat ceiling of Lauren's grandad's extension.
42:23No.
42:24What?
42:25No.
42:26What do you mean, no?
42:27You've got a vault, look at that.
42:29But we wouldn't let him.
42:30Was it the right decision?
42:36What do you think?
42:38That's incredible, that.
42:40You must have cursed me a thousand times after I left.
42:43Both you and Lauren.
42:45I mean...
42:46The amount of times I've been up and down on a scaffold.
42:49No, genuinely, it is outstanding.
42:54I'm smug.
42:56No, no, in fairness to you, mate, I know it was a staggering amount of work.
43:00But this is a home for life.
43:01Yes.
43:02And again, old pieces of furniture.
43:04Yeah, old pieces of furniture.
43:06Nannies and granddads.
43:07Yeah.
43:08What have we got on here?
43:09What photographs?
43:10So, we've got my great-great-grandparents.
43:13This one?
43:14That's Nanny and grandad.
43:15Oh!
43:17What would your grandad think?
43:19Oh, he'd love it in here.
43:20He'd love that there's a drink or two ready for him.
43:23Yeah, there are all these bottles.
43:25At the end of today, we need a razor glass.
43:27Yeah.
43:28Cos what you've done is nothing short of spectacular.
43:34Once again, no detail has been overlooked.
43:38By replacing the original window with new French doors,
43:41it gives the room a whole new purpose.
43:47How lovely is that?
43:49To step out from what was the old window...
43:51Yeah.
43:52..to beautiful doors...
43:53Yeah.
43:54..on to this fantastic deck. Look at that!
43:56And the view, again, in all of its glory.
43:59It's been a labour of love, hasn't it?
44:00Yeah, definitely.
44:01Yeah.
44:02And how does it feel now that you're all finished?
44:03Your relief?
44:04It's a massive...
44:05..like a weight off our shoulders.
44:07Massive.
44:08And we can enjoy it now.
44:09But how much have you spent?
44:1080, you know?
44:11You've done all of that for 80,000 quid.
44:13I think that's still a lot.
44:15I love that you're disappointed that you've spent that much on it.
44:17I am, yeah.
44:18So, if you paid a contractor to do this level of work,
44:21how much do you reckon?
44:22You'd be looking at close to 150, I'd say.
44:26Yeah.
44:27And you've done it for 80?
44:28Yeah.
44:29I don't think you both realise how good it is.
44:30No.
44:31It's outstanding.
44:32Because when you think about what your Nan and Grandad did,
44:34and the fact that you were brave enough to take it on,
44:36and without piling too much emotion on you...
44:39No.
44:40What would Nanny and your Grandad think?
44:43They would love it.
44:45Yeah, they'd be super proud.
44:47And Nanny would just, gosh, isn't it lovely?
44:50You've done so well.
44:51You've done so well.
44:53Grandpa would be quiet and say, are we having a drink yet?
44:57Sit down.
44:58Yeah.
44:59Yeah.
45:00Let's raise a glass to your Nanny and your Grandad.
45:04Yeah.
45:05I'm going to raise a glass to you two for being outstanding.
45:09And to the house.
45:10Grace Cottage.
45:11Grace Cottage.
45:12Cheers.
45:13Yes.
45:19Now, it's difficult to describe the depth of emotion,
45:23love and memory that you feel when you're walking through
45:27the spaces of Lauren and Lee's home.
45:30Every single room has a beautiful connection,
45:34not only to Lauren's grandparents, but to her childhood too.
45:38That shows how powerful home can be.
45:42And for them to have reinvented it in the most timeless
45:45and elegant way is nothing short of remarkable.
45:49I absolutely love this house.
45:52And I know that Lauren's Grandad and Nanny will love it too.
45:57Next time, on the beautiful Welsh course line of Anglesey,
46:10Tina and Steve put on the weather...
46:13It's absolutely biblical.
46:16..to build a home of stone.
46:18It feels natural, as if it has been here for centuries.
46:22Steel.
46:23So exciting.
46:25And glass.
46:26I'm just hoping that the wind doesn't catch them
46:28and they don't hit anything.
46:29And the result is stunning.
46:31What a brilliant piece of architecture that is.
46:34That's at the same time next week.
46:38But if you don't want to wait,
46:39all episodes are available before anywhere else
46:41on Channel 4 Plus right now.
46:44Well, John Renovation Richardson,
46:46proving he's more than just a comfy cardigan,
46:49galvanising a community in our Yorkshire pub rescue.
46:52That's streaming now.
46:53Next tonight, brand new insight and evidence
46:56as Michael Jackson The Trial continues.
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