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00:05Wherever 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 pull of
00:18being drawn back to our hometowns, cities, and villages is proving too strong to ignore.
00:25Whether they want to be closer to loved ones, or need more space for their growing families,
00:31or just yearn for familiar faces and a sense of community, I'm going to follow people who
00:37are taking their biggest gamble yet. Uprooting their lives, stretching their finances, it's
00:48going to cost you double. Probably going to cost me a hundred to do it all. And testing
00:53their relationships. What's our compromise? We replace the whole thing. No, that's not
00:57a compromise. As they're lucky enough to return home to some of the most beautiful parts of
01:02the country, to build wonderful homes of their dreams. I knew from five years old, I always
01:08wanted to live in that house. From a Victorian cottage that needs rescuing, to an inherited
01:13wreck that may push them to the edge. You know, there aren't any plan Bs. And new builds
01:19frauds with complications. There's bits I just can't watch. Going home may prove harder
01:26than you think. If you want your dream home, you've got to work for it. But if you persevere
01:33and rise to the challenges, that is outstanding. Going home might just be the best move you ever make.
01:49The charming and historic Nottinghamshire village of Radcliffe-on-Trent sits above the
01:54distinctive red cliffs that give the village its name. Originally a small hamlet, the population
02:01grew rapidly in the late 1800s, when a new railway encouraged the people of Nottingham to migrate
02:07here. Located just five miles east of the city, Radcliffe's home to some beautiful green spaces,
02:15including the Rocklea Memorial Park.
02:23It's nice and quiet up here, isn't it?
02:25I know. Ex-Royal Marine, Joel, and salesperson, Nicola, have recently moved here. And having
02:32grown up in the village, it's a place Joel has fond memories of. I used to run all the way
02:39along this path. I was training for the Marines, he used to run all the way.
02:44Out of the hill as well?
02:45Yeah, all the way, yeah.
02:47But it's not just nostalgia that brings him back. I've come to discover why they've decided
02:52to make it home again.
02:54Hello, hello. Nicola, lovely to meet you.
02:57You too.
02:58How are you, Joel? Nice to meet you, mate.
03:00Nice to meet you.
03:00This is so beautiful. Why is this a special place for you?
03:04It's somewhere I came as a kid to play. I used to come with my grandparents.
03:08So would you have come here from, like, a very young age?
03:12Probably sort of three, four.
03:13Oh, wow.
03:14Yeah.
03:14Because it's not just you coming back to Nottinghamshire, you are literally coming
03:18right back to your home doorstep, aren't you?
03:20We've just been given the opportunity to take on my grandparents' house. A little bit daunting,
03:26but, yeah, exciting. The house is number 60, we were at number 30, and then my auntie
03:31and my cousins were at number 44, so we were all along the same street, so I've not gone
03:35far at all, like, 15 houses up the road, so...
03:38So you've got some family photographs?
03:40These are Joel with his gran and his nan.
03:43So that's you and your nan?
03:44Yes, it is, yeah, yeah.
03:45What year would that have been, roughly? Sorry to date you.
03:47Er, 86.
03:48Then?
03:49Funnily, a few years later.
03:51All right, let's have a look. And that's in the house as well?
03:53It's just in the kitchen.
03:55Oh, and here we are. Look at that.
03:5718-year-old Joel.
03:58I mean, Mr. Hanson, that.
04:00Yeah. At 18, I joined the Royal Marines, so I ended up doing three tours of Afghanistan.
04:05And how many years were you in for?
04:07I did eight years.
04:08What a fantastic collection of photographs. So lovely to see pictures of you and your
04:14nan and your granddad at that house.
04:17Yeah.
04:17The house that you now own.
04:19Shall we go and have a look at it?
04:20Absolutely.
04:20Come on, let's go.
04:26Let's go.
04:27And this is home.
04:28And this is it.
04:29In all its 1970s remodelling.
04:32Glory.
04:33Splendour.
04:34Joel's grandparents, Stan and Violet, bought this Victorian cottage in the 1970s and set about
04:41modifying it in true 70s style.
04:44Yeah, but you know what?
04:45The bones of it are great.
04:46Some nice little brick detailing up the top there.
04:49It's fantastic.
04:50Shall we get round the back?
04:50Yeah, absolutely.
04:51Come on, let's go.
04:54It's at the rear of the property where the extent of Joel's granddad's handiwork can really
04:59be seen.
05:03It's a bit of a patchwork.
05:04I'm glad you said it.
05:05I was going to say a ramshackle collection of eclectic brick additions.
05:16Granddad was a very hands-on practical person, so did what he needed to do to make it a livable
05:21home for his family.
05:23And there is nothing wrong with that?
05:24In his budget, yeah.
05:24So what are you going to do with it?
05:26Everything on the back of the house is going to come down.
05:28So you're in effect going back to the original house?
05:31Yeah.
05:31And then a nice big open kitchen.
05:35Dining and living space.
05:36Dining and living space.
05:36So you're extending them?
05:37Coming out the back, yeah.
05:38Two-storey extension on the back?
05:40Yes.
05:41How do you feel about taking your granddad's extensions down on the house?
05:44I don't feel bad about it.
05:47I love that.
05:48Yeah.
05:48Brutal.
05:49Don't feel bad about it at all.
05:51They're just coming down.
05:52I think it will do the house a favour.
05:53Can we go inside and have a look?
05:54Yeah, absolutely, yeah.
05:55Come on, let's go.
05:57Kitchen.
05:58Well, that's a proper little functional kitchen, isn't it?
06:02I mean, that is tiny.
06:03Can I pull this table out?
06:04Yeah, absolutely.
06:05This, if I've got it right...
06:07This is where your granddad was on that picture, wasn't he?
06:10Yes, yeah, that's it.
06:11You've got a few little things around.
06:14What's this?
06:14Yeah, so these are the old plans.
06:19That's the original set of plans for the house.
06:21From the late 1800s, I think.
06:24Yeah.
06:25They're the original, original, original drawings.
06:27Yeah, that's it, yeah.
06:29So you can see what the front of the house looked like originally.
06:32Gives a feel.
06:33And our plan is to get it back to looking something quite similar.
06:37Mr. Wright, architect and surveyor.
06:40Look at that.
06:41Eight foot six from floor level to ceiling level.
06:44Eight foot nine upstairs.
06:46Yeah.
06:46Slightly higher ceilings upstairs.
06:48High ceilings upstairs, yeah.
06:49And then you've got the plan.
06:51God, they're so delicate, aren't they?
06:53Yeah.
06:53I think it says red gate on the top of this one,
06:55and that was the original family that owned the house, the red gates.
06:59They are precious.
07:01Yeah.
07:01And do you know what?
07:02That makes me even happier that you've kept the original house.
07:06Yeah.
07:07All of this could have been demolished.
07:09Could have all been redeveloped.
07:10I think they'll take sort of pride of place somewhere in the house once it's done.
07:13Absolutely.
07:14Can we see some more of the house?
07:15Yeah, absolutely.
07:15Go on, let's go through the front rooms.
07:16Let's go through.
07:18And the next room?
07:20It was the dining room when I was younger.
07:22This would become sort of a hallway, an office space, and another entrance.
07:26That would look great.
07:27Yeah.
07:29Proper 70 stairs.
07:30So I'm assuming that's going?
07:31That will go, yeah.
07:32I think the staircase is actually going to move over slightly,
07:35and this will be sort of opened out into a bigger space.
07:39Just looking at those original plans,
07:41that would have been just a single little sash window,
07:43and even that's being opened up at some point.
07:45Yes, it has, yeah.
07:46Windows are definitely going.
07:47And I can understand why my grandad did it, to let the light in and stuff,
07:51but I think the way that we've configured the house
07:52and the way we're going to live in it,
07:53we can take it back to a more original look.
07:56Absolutely.
07:57Can we see some more?
07:58Let's go.
07:58To the living room.
08:00This room's going to largely stay as it is,
08:03somewhere we can sort of retreat to once the kids are in bed.
08:06Fantastic.
08:06No kids' toys.
08:07Give me a kind of fond memory of being in this space
08:10when your grandparents were around.
08:11You're coming through the front door,
08:13and they'd both be sat here on the chairs, watching quiz shows.
08:16Everything was familiar?
08:18Yeah, there's always a cup of tea,
08:20and no matter where I went in the world,
08:21if you come back home and you come here, it's a constant.
08:24The house itself was quite integral to the village,
08:27but this particular room was the old post office.
08:30No way!
08:32Yeah, yeah.
08:32And roughly when would that have been?
08:34Do you know?
08:361920s, 30s.
08:37I mean, that's just...
08:38I wonder how many people have come through this house.
08:41Yeah.
08:42The families that have lived here, probably not that many, actually.
08:45No, there's only two.
08:46Two?
08:47So the original family that had the land and built the house,
08:50and then our family.
08:52No way!
08:53Yeah.
08:53That's even more incredible.
08:55Yeah.
08:55Shall I have a look upstairs?
08:56Yeah, absolutely.
09:02The high ceiling height of this room.
09:04It's fantastic, it is.
09:06That window becomes smaller.
09:08Yeah, back to an original.
09:10Back to the original.
09:11So you're kind of restoring the front of the house.
09:13It's lovely, actually.
09:14Taking it back to its original facade.
09:17Yeah.
09:18This will be the tale of two builds.
09:21A sympathetic restoration of the front of the house,
09:24and a brand-spanking new build at the back.
09:27In this ambitious project,
09:29the hodgepodge of 70s add-ons
09:31and the middle of the original house will be removed
09:34for a plush and generous two-storey addition,
09:38boasting an extra ground floor extension.
09:41Inside, there'll be a stylish Auburn plan kitchen diner.
09:44With two large bifold doors,
09:46Auburn and onto a smart courtyard garden.
09:49A utility room and downstairs loo
09:52will be installed in the middle of the house.
09:54And upstairs,
09:55the extension will provide a further two bedrooms,
09:59a bathroom and ensuite.
10:04So how long is it all going to take?
10:05What's your time scale?
10:06We're hoping four months.
10:09So you want to get in just before Christmas?
10:11Yeah.
10:11I'm not going to react to that.
10:13I'm not reacting to that at all.
10:15I'm just going to run with your four months
10:17and wish you all the luck in the world.
10:19Thanks.
10:19Yeah.
10:19And budget?
10:21About 200,000.
10:23OK.
10:23Yeah.
10:24Hopefully.
10:25Enough.
10:26We'd like to get hands on where we can.
10:28My dad's going to get involved on the building as well,
10:30so he's going to...
10:31Great.
10:31Is he handy?
10:31He's a bricklayer by trade.
10:33Oh, brilliant.
10:34Yeah.
10:34So he's going to drop on when he gets a chance.
10:37That's lovely.
10:38Because this is a family house.
10:39Yeah.
10:39It's a family build.
10:41Yeah.
10:41And it's packed with family history.
10:43And that emotional, historical connection that you've got with it
10:47is so powerful.
10:48It's the right thing to do.
10:50Yeah.
10:50Being the custodians of a historic building that was also a prominent part of the local
10:56community feels like a big responsibility.
11:00Joel's grandparents bought the house in the 1970s as a fixer-upper.
11:05And now Joel and Nicola are following in their footsteps by reviving it once more.
11:14And the first area they want to tackle is at the front of the house.
11:22Is it then?
11:23First bit?
11:23Yeah.
11:24To keep costs down, Joel aims to do as much work as he can.
11:28There's a nail in that one.
11:29Alright.
11:30So, along with Dad John, his first job is to remove the front porch.
11:37Flying.
11:37The porch was put up by my grandad, part of his, like, improvement.
11:44Say improvement in quotations, I think.
11:49Originally, he would have had a more traditional door with, like, the arched window above it.
11:53So, yeah, it's undoing some of the design choices that my grandad made.
11:58I get why he did it at the time, but now, I think, aesthetically, it's not great.
12:04It's coming down nicely now, isn't it?
12:06As a retired brickie, John's more than qualified to help.
12:10But it's not the first time he and Joel have worked together.
12:13Before I went in the Marines, I was labouring for him.
12:17But, er, I think, me being a teenager,
12:21and being a little bit adverse at the time to hard work.
12:24You hated it?
12:25Yeah.
12:28First thing he said to me was, how did you ever stick this, Dad?
12:41I'm not going to miss these doors.
12:44I just noticed it's got a grandparent's surname on the side of it.
12:48It must have been when they ordered it.
12:50Gentry is their surname.
12:55The porch isn't the only thing to be dismantled.
12:59Around the back, John and Nicola's radical plans to drag the house into the 21st century
13:05means removing 250 tonnes worth of old 70s extensions.
13:11But with the builds barely started, they're already in danger of blowing their budgets.
13:17When I was talking to the builder, Jason, he said...
13:20Yeah.
13:20..now, because it's been late in the day, to get the detailed plans back from the architect...
13:27..he's saying we're about £60,000 over budget.
13:30Wow, OK. That's a lot.
13:33..because of the square footage.
13:35So, I've been thinking, all of this is the two-storey piece.
13:41You still get the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the en-suite...
13:46..but maybe not have this single-storey extension.
13:49Right, OK.
13:51..so then try and fit...
13:55..it into this space.
13:56Into that small space.
13:58..instead.
13:58But then I don't know how the stairs are going to work,
14:00cos they're supposed to be moving.
14:02Yeah, and then...
14:04..I don't know where the toilet will go, what we do with the utility.
14:07Oh, yeah.
14:08Losing the single-storey extension will save them money,
14:11but going back to the drawing board once work has already begun isn't ideal.
14:16And the decisions they make now
14:18could determine the success of the builds or its failure.
14:31In the Nottinghamshire village of Radcliffe-on-Trent,
14:35Joel and Nicola are at the very start of transforming Joel's grandparents' house
14:39into their forever home.
14:41And the builders have wasted no time in demolishing the patchwork of 70s extensions
14:45on the rear of the house.
14:47I was really surprised in the space of three days
14:51as to how much of the house came down, how quickly it was gone.
14:57Inside, the walls have been taken back to brick
15:00in preparation for the plumbing and electrics.
15:03It's very strange.
15:05After having Christmas dinners in here
15:09and meeting Joel's grandparents in here.
15:13But having realised they were in danger of overspending
15:16on their £200,000 budget,
15:18they've been forced to scale back their grand plans
15:21for the back of the house.
15:22Originally, the plan is to have a double-storey extension
15:26with a single-storey on the kitchen.
15:30However, to ensure that we keep to budget,
15:33we aren't doing the single-storey piece.
15:35It's a little bit of a compromise that we've had to make,
15:39but we still get the house that we want.
15:43Losing the single-storey extension
15:45has had a knock-on effect beyond just the kitchen.
15:48Because we've lost the downstairs toilet
15:50to maximise the space for the dining room, kitchen area.
15:55It means that we've put the toilet in under the stairs.
16:00The good thing about me and Nick
16:01is we're quite good at making those decisions
16:04and being quite quick and decisive about it.
16:08There's one part of the build where they refuse to compromise.
16:13Joel's dad, John, a retired brickie with four decades' experience,
16:16is faithfully restoring the facade to its original Victorian glory.
16:21It'll be well worth it
16:23because you're putting the character back in the house, aren't you?
16:26To make it look authentic,
16:28he's recycling bricks from the old original extension
16:31and following a classic Victorian technique.
16:34They had face bricks and common bricks.
16:37So they put the common bricks behind the face bricks.
16:43And if you look at Edwardian and Victorian houses,
16:47all the front of the houses have got facing bricks.
16:52And if you look down the side of the houses,
16:55they just threw commons in to save money.
17:00Ideally, we could have done with a thousand of these.
17:04That's what we're after.
17:09It is a big job, really.
17:13Yeah, it's not an easy job.
17:16I thought you'd retired, John.
17:18I know.
17:19So did I.
17:20But family's family, isn't it?
17:23Nick and Joel have a big challenge on their hands,
17:27substantially extending a period property
17:29with a 21st century new addition.
17:33Combining two very different architectural styles
17:36is a difficult and delicate balancing act.
17:39But getting it right can deliver stunning results.
17:43Preserving the historic elegance of an old building
17:45while providing the space and functionality
17:48our modern lives demand.
17:54It's a month into the build
17:56and having removed a huge chunk of Joel's grandparents' house,
18:00the process of rebuilding is underway.
18:03Going really well so far.
18:04I'm ready now just to get the floor in
18:06and then we can start going up.
18:08And once it starts going up, it goes up quite quick.
18:11The team have been working flat out.
18:14But Joel's received some life-changing news
18:17that will place extra pressure on the build.
18:20I'm about to start my new job.
18:21I was successful in my application for the fire service.
18:25It's been a long process.
18:26It's been a two-year process all in.
18:29But I start tomorrow, so it's a good job that they're cracking on.
18:32It's going to put a bit more strain on Nick
18:35because I think my time's going to be taken up now with the training course.
18:39It's going to be 12 weeks long.
18:41It's not the best timing.
18:43But with or without Joel, the show must go on.
18:46The concrete floor is poured.
18:49And in a matter of weeks, builder Jason and his team
18:52get the block work laid for the extension.
18:55There's only been three of us here for the last two and a half, two months.
18:59So we've done all this with just three people.
19:00And the roof should be going on next week.
19:03And then we'll be all sealed in.
19:05And then we can carry on getting all the plumbings in,
19:07first fixed plumbing, electric, and everything else that goes with it.
19:13With Joel away, Nick's taken on the lion's share of managing the build.
19:17And now that the extension is cracking on at pace,
19:21she's starting to plan the interiors.
19:23I haven't designed a kitchen before.
19:25I feel very lucky to be able to. I loved it.
19:28I spent many hours on the design site moving things around,
19:32changing the colours, seeing what I can squeeze in,
19:35what cool little units we could get in there.
19:39Any bits of tech we can squeeze in as well, which is nice.
19:43It's been great fun.
19:44With the kitchen extension and all the fixtures and fittings
19:47coming in at around £140,000,
19:50the pressure's on Nick to get her design just right.
19:54You make these decisions on colours as well.
19:56It's something you're going to spend a lot of money on
19:58and almost worry that when it's in that space
20:01and you get the real lighting,
20:05that it might look different.
20:07It's going to come out all right, I think.
20:10It's been just over three months since my last visit.
20:14With the block work finished and the extension roof on,
20:18they've reached a big milestone in the build.
20:20So I'm back to see how Nick's managing their reconfigured design
20:24while holding the fort alone.
20:27Morning, Nicola.
20:27Good morning.
20:28How are you?
20:29You're looking all bright and fresh on a building site.
20:31Look at that.
20:32I know. I'm trying to on a grey day.
20:33It's flying.
20:34I think the balance of the spaces looks really good even from here.
20:38And Joel's not here. You've been abandoned.
20:40No, I know.
20:41It's about halfway through the firefighter course now.
20:43Yeah.
20:44Finishes sort of mid-December.
20:46So all of his firefighter training is happening
20:49during the entire period of the build.
20:51Yeah.
20:51He's got homework to do as well,
20:53so it's not just the day-to-day training.
20:55He has to come home, do homework.
20:57I keep pestering him going,
20:58what do you think of this colour?
20:59Do you like this wallpaper?
21:00And what's his reaction?
21:02It's colour blind, so...
21:05It's really hard to complain
21:06when it's everything we've ever wanted,
21:09but it's all come at once.
21:10And I have to say, taking all of that into account,
21:15it's unbelievable how well it's going.
21:18Can we go inside and have a look?
21:19Yeah.
21:19Come on, let's do it.
21:21Lead the way.
21:22Outdoor patio.
21:23Yeah.
21:24Nice little steps up to the garden as well.
21:27And then your new extension.
21:30It is.
21:30My word.
21:31That is big.
21:33You definitely didn't need that extra three metres.
21:36I know, no, yeah.
21:36I'm assuming this is all kitchen?
21:38Yeah, all kitchen,
21:39so it'd be a big U-shaped kitchen.
21:42Do you realise how big that kitchen is?
21:43I know.
21:44Yeah.
21:45I'm sure I'll figure out how to fill the cupboards.
21:48That's massive.
21:49Dining over here?
21:50Yeah, so we'll have a dining table here
21:52and then this space, a bit of a family sort of sofa TV space.
21:56Fantastic.
21:57And then doors all in and out of the garden.
21:59Yes.
22:00Beautiful glazen right on the corner.
22:01You've got your kitchen window there.
22:03That is a very neat and tidy layout.
22:05Yeah.
22:05We've got the underfloor heating to get in,
22:08to get it all plastered,
22:10boarded and plastered,
22:11ready for the kitchen to be fitted.
22:12It is rapid.
22:14Yeah.
22:14Can we have a look upstairs?
22:15After you.
22:17So stairs in the original position.
22:19Yes.
22:20A little landing area here,
22:21which is really nice.
22:22Shall we go to the room on the right?
22:23Yes.
22:24Can we have it?
22:24Because this has all changed, hasn't it?
22:26It has.
22:26So by not doing the extension on the ground floor,
22:29you've changed the kitchen layout,
22:31you've moved the toilet under the stairs.
22:33Because the toilet's gone under the stairs,
22:36the staircase have remained the same,
22:38which means the first floor's changed up here
22:40and instead of this just being a spare room,
22:42it's now your bigger master bedroom.
22:44And have you put an en suite in there?
22:46Yeah.
22:46So the en suite would have come off one of the new bedrooms.
22:51Without the single storey extension,
22:54Nicola and Joel have had to be shrewd
22:56with their available space.
22:58The utility room will now be incorporated into the kitchen
23:01and by keeping the staircase in its original position
23:04against the wall,
23:05the downstairs loo can be neatly positioned underneath.
23:10Upstairs, with the large extra landing no longer required,
23:13the master bedroom is swapped to the front of the house
23:16with rearranged access to the en suite.
23:20Literally, because you haven't built that extension,
23:23you've reconfigured everything and the builder's gone,
23:26right, let's get on with it.
23:28Get on with it.
23:28I am staggeringly impressed by that.
23:31Because we've just made the decisions and gone with it,
23:33rather than umming and ahhing about it for days at a time.
23:37So, I know Joel's not here today,
23:39but can we give him a call?
23:40I want a little catch-up with him.
23:42Shall we do that? Yeah.
23:43Come on, let's go.
23:44While the building work is underway,
23:46Nick and Joel have been living in a rented flat next door.
23:50Hello, mate.
23:51Hello there, how are you?
23:52Very, very good.
23:54Congratulations, mate.
23:55Well done on the job.
23:56Thank you very much.
23:57I think it's put a little bit of extra pressure on the build,
24:00but Nick's been great in everything that she's done
24:03and keeping the build on track.
24:06How's the budget going?
24:08Nick's probably got a better idea of the figures,
24:09but I think we're potentially slightly over.
24:13How much?
24:1420,000 over.
24:1520,000 over?
24:16And why do you think you've gone over?
24:17I think materials generally are just...
24:20Prices have gone up.
24:21Yeah, yeah, that's it.
24:22Bit of inflation.
24:23Well, make good look with the rest of the training.
24:25And hopefully I'll see you next time.
24:27See you later.
24:28Cheers, Rick.
24:29Bye.
24:29Bye.
24:30The house was gifted to Joel by his parents, John and Anne,
24:34who originally inherited the property themselves,
24:37but were reluctant to renovate it.
24:40Hello, hello.
24:41Lovely to see you.
24:42Hi, George.
24:43How are you doing? Can I come aboard?
24:44Opting instead to live the simple life
24:46a few miles downstream on the River Trent.
24:49John, you've been chipping in on the build?
24:51I have, yeah.
24:53I threw all my tools away.
24:55I was never going to go back and pick another brick up,
24:58but the opportunity came along and I quite enjoyed it.
25:02And how do you think they're doing with the build?
25:04Has that been tricky for you with it being your parents' house?
25:07No, I think Mum and Dad would have loved it.
25:09I think they would have really encouraged him to go for it.
25:13They've put life back into the house.
25:15We could have never have done what they've done.
25:17So, in a way, they've helped us.
25:20They've made the house for the 21st century.
25:24They've had the vision.
25:25They've had the vision.
25:26They're doing a great job.
25:27Yeah.
25:27But thanks to you, they've had the opportunity.
25:29We'll be looking forward to Christmas
25:30because they don't know we're going to be in for Christmas
25:32and we're going there for Christmas dinner.
25:34So, fingers crossed, that'll be happening.
25:38Nick, Joel, his parents and the builders
25:40may be working together as a tight-knit team,
25:43but to keep to their incredibly ambitious four-month schedule
25:46and be in by Christmas,
25:48they'll need everything to go to plan.
25:59In Radcliffe-on-Trent,
26:01Joel and Nicola have taken on the huge renovation
26:03of Joel's grandparents' house.
26:06The first fixed electrics are in
26:08and the glass has arrived,
26:10meaning the windows at the front
26:13and the first of the bifold doors in the extension
26:16have been fitted.
26:18I think now the doors are here,
26:20it begins to feel like a real room.
26:21It does sort of begin to make me imagine
26:24what the summers will be like.
26:27Inside, the underfloor heating pipes have been installed
26:30and the stud walls insulated.
26:33So, it just all of a sudden feels like
26:35there's lots of momentum
26:37so the guys can get cracking inside
26:40with all the boarding out and the plasterboarding now.
26:48But just five weeks before their ambitious Christmas deadline...
26:53So, what's the issue then?
26:55..they've made a disastrous discovery.
26:58Ah, no metre.
27:00No.
27:01Right, OK.
27:02We had the energy company come out recently,
27:05fit the gas metre.
27:06But that hasn't happened.
27:08The boiler people have been in,
27:10fitted the boiler,
27:12gone to connect it to the gas
27:13and there's no gas metre.
27:16The main concern is that
27:17we've got five weeks to finish the build,
27:20lots of plastering to do
27:22and without heating,
27:23the plaster's just not going to dry,
27:25we're not going to be able to get kitchens fitted,
27:27bathrooms fitted, floor down,
27:30we're not going to be able to move on
27:32from where we are at this point.
27:34This could set them back weeks.
27:37So, in a desperate attempt to dry out the walls,
27:40they've hired in an assaultment of heaters and dehumidifiers.
27:47It's not ideal,
27:49but I have to admire their tenacity
27:51as they strive to keep this build on track.
27:54Now, the last time I was here,
27:56Nicola and Joel's build was absolutely flying
27:59and that was down to their organisation,
28:02determination and a fantastic team of builders
28:04with a bit of help from Joel's dad.
28:07But if there's one thing I know about building houses,
28:11is you can always expect the unexpected.
28:14Hello, hello, how are you doing?
28:16Hello, George, how are you?
28:17Good morning.
28:17How are you?
28:18I haven't seen you for ages.
28:19Hello, it's been a while.
28:19How's life?
28:20Mr. Firefighter.
28:22Hello, by the way.
28:22You all right?
28:24Good, thank you.
28:24How's the training going?
28:25It's going great.
28:26Not long left now.
28:28So, you've got your first fix electrics in,
28:30plumbings in, boilers even in.
28:32Yeah, boilers in.
28:33Which is great.
28:33Yeah, got a boiler, but no gas.
28:36You have got a gas pipe though, haven't you?
28:38We have got a gas pipe.
28:39Yeah, yeah.
28:39But we haven't got a metre,
28:40so we can't connect the boiler up to the gas.
28:43Yeah.
28:44So, we can't heat the house.
28:45You wanted the heating on to dry out all the plaster work.
28:48So, when are you going to get gas?
28:50Just over two weeks.
28:51Two weeks, yeah.
28:51Too long.
28:52But you want to be fully finished in five.
28:56Yeah.
28:57There's a lot to do.
28:59Yeah.
28:59And especially when it comes to a big room like this
29:02and plastering that, and that's a big undertaking in itself.
29:05That needs to happen before the kitchen goes in.
29:07That's going to take days and days to dry out.
29:09And you can't do any other work until that's dry.
29:12Until that's done.
29:12And without any heating, it's not great.
29:14No.
29:14Can we see some more?
29:15Yeah.
29:15I'll have to eat.
29:17Oh, quite a big change.
29:18This wall's gone up.
29:20Yeah.
29:20Subdivided the whole space.
29:22Can we have a look in that room?
29:23What's it like?
29:24Oh.
29:24The front room.
29:25Come on, let's have a look.
29:26Come on.
29:26Yeah, we're going to have a look.
29:27Yeah, we might have to squeeze in a little bit.
29:29Oh, my word.
29:29Your kitchen.
29:31Your kitchen, but not in the right room.
29:33No.
29:33Yeah.
29:34I mean, it looks like it's been delivered to the post office.
29:36Yeah.
29:37Yeah, that's true.
29:38Yeah, that's right.
29:40Nice choice of kitchen, though.
29:41I can see some of the units just glimpsing through.
29:44Yeah.
29:45Yeah, it looks nice.
29:45Yeah.
29:46Very, very smart.
29:47Can we go upstairs and see some more?
29:52There's paint on the walls.
29:54There is.
29:55That's amazing.
29:56There is hope.
29:57There is hope.
29:58After all, I feel better now.
30:01Yeah.
30:01When did this happen?
30:03Yesterday.
30:04Literally yesterday.
30:05Yesterday, yeah.
30:06Who did it?
30:07Me.
30:07I was kitted up in my gear, with my mask on.
30:11What, you sprayed the room?
30:12Have you ever done it before?
30:13No.
30:14Never?
30:14It's not easy.
30:16Did you enjoy it?
30:17Yeah.
30:17It was great fun.
30:18You get skirting boards on here, door, architrave, second fix electrics and some carpet down.
30:26You done?
30:27Yeah.
30:27That's it, yeah.
30:28Yeah.
30:28I think that's very much how we're going to have to do these rooms, is just get a room
30:33completely done, shut the door, seal it up and then move on to the next one.
30:36On to the next, on to the next, on to the next.
30:38Yeah.
30:39It's fantastic.
30:39Can we see some more?
30:40Yeah, absolutely.
30:45This demonstrates how long it takes for pasta to dry out.
30:49Yeah, yeah.
30:51You put your hand on there, it is wet.
30:53Very.
30:54Don't dry it out too fast, because it can crack.
30:57Yeah.
30:58And you want to be finished before Christmas.
31:02Yes, again.
31:02Your mum has told me that they've been invited for Christmas.
31:07Yeah.
31:07I mean, they can come for Christmas.
31:10There might be a building site, though.
31:12Yeah.
31:13Crikey.
31:14There is a ton of work to do in a very short amount of time.
31:18But I'll tell you one brilliant thing, your windows.
31:20I love the fact you've done that, because it harks back to the original building facade.
31:26Yeah.
31:26It's definitely the right thing to do.
31:28Yeah.
31:30Restoring the Victorian frontage has been one of the key aspects of this build,
31:35so I'm keen to understand more about the heritage of the original building.
31:40Along with Joel and Nick, I've come to meet local historian Marian Corns.
31:46Before we get into the house, tell me about the area and what was there.
31:50Well, there was very little there, actually.
31:52In 1883, there was just some nurseries and the brick and tile works.
31:57There was no houses at all.
31:59This is a picture of brickmakers.
32:01It was really in the 1890s that they started to build the cottages
32:06for the workers to live in.
32:07So it was 1890s their house was built, do you think?
32:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.
32:11There you are.
32:12That was in 1901.
32:14Oh, yeah.
32:14So that's where the brick and tile works was?
32:16Yeah, yeah.
32:16That was really close.
32:17Yes, it was.
32:19In 1926, the original owners of the house, the Redgate family,
32:24converted their front room into a sub-post office.
32:27The people still live in memory, remember the post office looking like that.
32:31Yeah.
32:32Such a great picture.
32:33Yeah.
32:33But it looks brilliant, doesn't it?
32:35Because it was such a prominent building.
32:36Yeah.
32:37Before everything else was built, it would have been quite almost like a way marker,
32:41wouldn't it, for coming in and out of Radcliffe.
32:44Yeah.
32:45The post office was run by two of the Redgate sisters, who were pillars of the local community.
32:51At Christmas, they would open up their back room for toys.
32:55So the kids all around there could go in there and choose whatever they wanted.
33:00Oh, I love that.
33:01All of that was the post office.
33:03A tiny little space that made a massive difference.
33:05So how does it feel seeing images like this?
33:07It's just interesting.
33:08It's nice, isn't it, to see that connection with the past.
33:11And I think that's that reason why we wanted to keep the house.
33:14You've brought back a bit of history.
33:15Yeah.
33:16Seeing how important this house is to Radcliffe's past, I'm so happy they're bringing it back to life.
33:24And two weeks later, with the scaffold removed, it can now be seen in all its glory.
33:31The extension's been painted.
33:33And with the plaster finally dry, Nick's cracking on with the inside of the house too.
33:39Nicola's been painting it all.
33:41She's been following us around and spraying everything.
33:43As you can see, she's done a great job.
33:49She's been involved right from the start.
33:53She's designed her own kitchen.
33:55She's designed her own bathroom.
33:56She's ordered all the bits.
33:58We haven't had to do anything.
33:59They just turn up and we fit.
34:01That's why we've been able to get on so quick with the job.
34:05Progress has been swift in every room.
34:07As well as the painting and decorating, the radiators in both bathrooms have been fitted,
34:12along with Second Fix electrics.
34:17And today, builder Roy can finally fit the kitchen that's spent weeks packaged up in the living room.
34:24Right, that's that one.
34:25Nick worked all hours on the design, with every member of her family in mind.
34:34What I'm building right now is actually going to be a dog bed within the kitchen.
34:40It's actually on the drawings.
34:42A little cupboard, drawer above for all the dog treats, I'm assuming.
34:46Happy dog.
34:50So as long as the dog's happy, I'm happy.
34:57Yeah, it's quite a nice little detail, to be fair.
35:04They may be making up for lost time, but builder Jason is still determined to get the family in,
35:10before their Christmas deadline.
35:13It won't be easy, but we'll get there.
35:16We're going to come in at weekends.
35:18The last two weekends, we're going to work them as well, if we need to.
35:29In Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nick and Joel have been renovating his late grandparents' house,
35:35going all out to transform it into a family home fit for the 21st century.
35:41With a self-imposed deadline of being in by Christmas, Nick's been pushing on with the interiors and decoration.
35:48Does not everyone use a sweeping brush to be a roller?
35:52I don't know, it's the builders.
35:54I think they've gotten used to me coming in and stealing their stuff now,
35:58so I'll just come in and use it.
35:59But I couldn't find the real roller extender, so this was the next best thing.
36:09I'd just be pleased to start doing some real colour and not just white.
36:14It's not the most satisfying job in the world.
36:18It is the quickest and easiest, because what I really want to be doing
36:23is figuring out where to put the Christmas tree and my Christmas ornaments
36:26and sitting in that kitchen, having Christmas dinner.
36:33Yeah, like you say, smelling the roast turkey.
36:38I'm not very fun to be around to the moment.
36:42I'm exhausted.
36:43I'm very ready for it to be open and done with.
36:46But I can't wait for the final, the final result.
36:51And just two weeks later, Nicola has her wish.
36:54The build is finished.
36:56Joel and Nicola set out on their very ambitious build just five months ago
37:01and they plan to have it all done by Christmas.
37:05Now, I have to admit, I had my doubts.
37:08But I'm very happy to report that I'm just about to eat
37:11a big slice of festive humble pie.
37:17Good morning!
37:18So good to see you.
37:20How are you doing?
37:22Brilliant.
37:22Hey, Joyce. Nice to see you.
37:24You all right?
37:24Congratulations, by the way.
37:26Training all done.
37:27Yeah.
37:27Can we go have a look at the front of the house?
37:30See the windows and your dad's handiwork?
37:32Absolutely, yeah.
37:33I'm one of to you.
37:34This project has always been a tale of two builds.
37:37At the front, Joel and Nicola set out to carefully restore the facade
37:41of this historic Radcliffe house to its former glory.
37:47That is off the scale brilliant.
37:51And what I love about it, it was a true family affair.
37:54OK.
37:55Now, it's just worth celebrating your dad's brickwork.
37:59Yeah.
38:00You brought the brickie out of retirement.
38:01Yeah, we spent a lot of time going through all those old bricks
38:04and getting the nice face bricks and putting them in.
38:07It's paid off.
38:09The fact that we've got the windows back to the original,
38:11it feels right to have the smaller windows.
38:14We've got the nice little snug living room.
38:16It's a proper restoration job.
38:18Shall we go in and see some more?
38:19Let's go.
38:19Yeah.
38:20Of course, the other half of this tale of two builds is the back,
38:24where a ramshackle collection of ad hoc rooms...
38:29..has been replaced by a bold and impressive two-storey extension.
38:34A cohesive and clearly thought-out addition
38:37that more than doubles the size of the original cottage
38:40without overpowering it.
38:43So pleased.
38:44Even last night, seeing the lights on, the Christmas tree
38:47and Joel and the kids in the kitchen, it got me that moment.
38:50And I love the way you can see old very much at the front
38:54and all the old brickwork and then new at the back
38:57with all this lovely light, bright render.
39:00Yeah.
39:00How on earth have you done everything that you've had to juggle
39:04and do a build in five months?
39:06Yes.
39:07All down to the meticulous planning, I think, of Nick.
39:10What an incredible team.
39:11Yeah, the builders have really, really pulled it out, haven't they?
39:15Can we go inside and have a look?
39:16Absolutely, yeah.
39:16Come on, after you.
39:20Oh, my word.
39:27Joel and Nicola's new room is a generous and joyful urban plan space,
39:32perfect for family life.
39:34The dining table, sofa seating and a very smart kitchen.
39:38All exquisitely judged.
39:41That's outstanding, that.
39:42The floor looks fantastic.
39:44Lovely diamond space, beautiful windows.
39:47How have you done it in that time?
39:49I can't get my head around it.
39:51It's mind-boggling.
39:53Even all the finishing and decorating's great.
39:55Normally, I'd spot this on...
39:56Why, thank you.
39:57Did you do it?
39:58Did you do it as well?
40:00Every inch of this.
40:01No way!
40:03Yeah.
40:04That's incredible.
40:05Nice bits of furniture.
40:07Where are these from?
40:08My parents bought this probably 20 years ago.
40:10Never wanted to get rid of them, so...
40:12Well, how lovely that you've got a few pieces from your family
40:16in your grandparents' house.
40:18Yeah.
40:18And then, pride of place, the original architect's drawings.
40:23Not prints, not copies.
40:25No.
40:25The original ink drawings.
40:29Can we have a look at the kitchen?
40:30Yeah.
40:31Come on, let's go.
40:31Yeah.
40:32And what a kitchen it is.
40:34Yes.
40:38Yes.
40:39Yes.
40:50Yeah.
41:07Yeah.
41:08A little dog bed.
41:09She's already made herself at home.
41:11And a lovely cooker.
41:13A gift from your mum.
41:14From my mum and dad.
41:15Is that your mum's cooker?
41:16It was, yeah.
41:17It's probably not going to fit on a narrowboat, so they very kindly donated it to us, yeah.
41:23So, you're going to be cooking the first Christmas lunch in your grandparents' house on your parents' cooker.
41:31Yeah.
41:32At your parents' dining table that they bought 20 odd years ago.
41:36Yeah, that's it.
41:36It doesn't get more family than that.
41:38No, it doesn't, no.
41:39No, that's right.
41:40That's fantastic, that.
41:42Yeah.
41:42And what a fantastic kitchen dining space, not just for Christmas, but for years to come.
41:47Yeah.
41:48Shall we go to the old part of the house?
41:49Yeah.
41:49Let's go.
41:53And then you're lovely snug.
41:55What I love about this space is the fact that your kitchen dining area is very light and bright and
42:01big and open plan.
42:02And then you come into the old part of the house and it's lovely and snug.
42:06And, I don't know, it gives you a little cuddle this room, doesn't it?
42:09You'd come in and you'd see, you know, Granddad would be sat there, Grandma would be sat next to her
42:13in her chair.
42:14And then, eventually, the kids will have that experience.
42:17They'll come in and we'll be sat in here.
42:19And, yeah.
42:20And it's just amazing that this small room was the local post office.
42:26Yeah.
42:27Downstairs is a triumph, but that's only half the story.
42:32And I love that chandelier.
42:33I know, it's such a high ceiling.
42:35We wanted to make the most of it.
42:37Yeah.
42:38And then your master bedroom suite.
42:41This is it.
42:42That is a fantastic colour.
42:44And it's lovely how on the modern open plan space on the back of the house, everything's light.
42:49And then when you go into the older period part of the property, it's got these deep, rich colours.
42:55When you've got lovely high ceilings, it felt like a shame to just go quite plain and neutral.
43:00Do you know what?
43:01It feels so grand.
43:02I feel like I'm in a posh Victorian hotel standing in this room.
43:06Well, what I'm quite looking forward to is that sort of Christmas morning, kids coming on,
43:10because you think we've got a picture of you in this room on your grandparents' bed,
43:15unwrapping some of your presents.
43:16This scene we're going to hopefully recreate.
43:19Yeah.
43:20Oh, my God.
43:21You're going to be doing the same this Christmas.
43:23Yeah.
43:23Yeah, I can't wait.
43:24That's going to pluck the heart strings.
43:26And then in here, on suite?
43:28Oh, beautiful, that.
43:31Yeah.
43:31Yeah.
43:32You know what?
43:32The fixtures and fittings in here are very classy.
43:35Yeah.
43:36We just wanted to add a modern touch.
43:38You almost instantly move into the new part of the house when you walk through these walls.
43:43You're literally crossing that historic threshold.
43:46Yeah, that's it.
43:46From the old building into the new extension.
43:51Sympathetically restoring an old house is hard.
43:54Building a wonderful modern home is hard.
43:57Combining the two and doing it all in five months without putting a foot wrong
44:02is nothing short of remarkable.
44:06How did you juggle everything?
44:07It's been a lot, hasn't it?
44:09It's amazing what Nick's done, really.
44:10I think it's definitely one of your biggest strengths is that
44:14just being able to organise and, yeah, look after me and the kids
44:18and keep us all, keep everything ticking over.
44:22Genuinely, it is amazing what you've done
44:24and the fact that you've both done it with support from family as well,
44:28that means everything, doesn't it?
44:29Yeah, and we wouldn't be able to do it without them.
44:32Let's help budget.
44:33Your original budget was £200,000.
44:34I think the last time we spoke it was at about £220,000.
44:38The finish point is about £245,000.
44:40We have gone over, but...
44:42Yeah, but come on, the spec and standard that you've done, it's a bargain.
44:46And what's it like for you now it's all done?
44:48It's like a dream.
44:49I keep having to pinch myself.
44:51I can't wait to spend time in every single room
44:54because there isn't one room that I don't love.
44:58And what's it like being back home?
44:59It's great, yeah.
45:00It just feels like...
45:01It feels familiar, but it's nice that we've come back,
45:03we've made it our own and it's nice that the house is going to stay.
45:06It would have been really easy just to knock it down and do something else, but...
45:10But I'm glad you didn't.
45:11No, I'm really glad, yeah.
45:12And I think it's a wonderful memory of your grandparents.
45:14Hopefully our kids can have the childhood that I did.
45:17I've always wanted a house where, when the kids get a bit older,
45:22it's always that place that they can come back to.
45:24So, yeah, it's really important that they're going to have that, I think.
45:27And I love the fact that you've honoured the past of the building so much.
45:31It's still got all those memories, it's still got all those beautiful connections,
45:34but you've very much made it your own as well.
45:36Yeah.
45:36Have a lovely Christmas.
45:37Cheers.
45:44They've done it.
45:45Nicola and Joel have managed to pull this off.
45:48This, for me, is the most wonderful story.
45:52It's a home that's packed full of memories, history and full of love.
45:56It's a place that all of their family should be proud of.
46:01Building Home will be back for another series.
46:04That's like an art deco spaceship.
46:07Yeah.
46:07With more dramatic builds.
46:09Can I just say, Tom, that that is not a small house.
46:11It's massive.
46:13In stunning parts of the country.
46:15Look at that for a view.
46:16What a beautiful spot this is.
46:18Creating homes close to people's hearts.
46:21This is like the least I can do for my mum.
46:24Is to get it on.
46:27And if you want to be on the show, apply to channel4.com forward slash take parts.
46:38They may have been flying under the radar before, but now their secrets well and truly out.
46:44It's the final of Secret Genius on Sunday.
46:46Alan Carr here at nine.
46:47And Denise Van Outen has solutions for when dropping off gets difficult.
46:51She's testing anti-snoring gadgets in How To Sleep Better tomorrow at eight.
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