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Ruth and Tony

The House That Β£100k Built Series 1
Episode 3 of 6

Following people attempting to build a house from scratch on less than Β£100k. Farmers Ruth and Tony try to build a new farmhouse and aim to do it all by themselves.

Architectural journalist Kieran Long and architect Piers Taylor are following self-builders as they take on the biggest gamble of their lives. Yet all of them have less than Β£100k to spend, little or no experience and have their life savings on the line - it will not be easy.

On the brink of retirement, Shropshire farmers Ruth and Tony are at the point in their lives when they hope to start taking life easy. However, faced with a crumbling farmhouse, they are having to knock it down - and they have ambitious plans to replace it with a determinedly modern design.

Their savings pot is just under Β£100k and, despite having no experience or expertise in housebuilding, the couple believe they can save money by handling every stage themselves, from laying the foundations to putting up the timber frame. Yet the budget quickly spirals out of control and an entire wing of the house is abandoned in order to keep their project afloat.

Kieran and Piers attempt to steer them in the right direction and avoid any further costly mistakes. Piers's experienced eye spots a whole lot of problems, not least the challenge of building a house that will fit into the surrounding landscape. However, Ruth is determined to stick a modern design over the exterior of the house - and risks creating an eyesore. Kieran takes Ruth to the Dungeness coastline to see examples of how weathered traditional materials for the exterior can also be contemporary. Can he persuade her to think differently and adopt a more rustic - and cheaper - cladding solution?

As the winter weather brings the build to a standstill, the couple find the demands of subsisting in a small caravan increasingly difficult, and they face making some tough financial decisions if they are to finish the house at all.

59 minutes

Last on

Tue 27 Nov 2018 13:45
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Wales

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    The Enemy

    51st State

  • 00:02

    Ian Brown

    Stellify

  • 00:05

    Florence + The Machine

    Howl

  • 00:07

    Empire of the Sun

    Standing On The Shore

  • 00:10

    Duffy

    Mercy

  • 00:14

    Coldplay

    Cemeteries of London

  • 00:14

    Hot Chip

    Motion Sickness

  • 00:15

    Florence + The Machine

    Bedroom Hymns

  • 00:21

    Foals

    Late Night

  • 00:24

    Florence + The Machine

    Shake It Out

  • 00:28

    Bonobo

    Change Down

  • 00:30

    Florence + The Machine

    Seven Devils

  • 00:32

    Gabrielle Aplin

    Salvation

  • 00:32

    Bastille

    Pompeii

  • 00:34

    Air

    Alone in Kyoto

  • 00:37

    Kasabian

    L S F

  • 00:40

    The Zutons

    How Does It Feel?

  • 00:41

    Kasabian

    Cutt Off

  • 00:43

    Scouting for Girls

    Blue As Your Eyes

  • 00:48

    Mumford & Sons

    The Cave

  • 00:50

    Florence + The Machine

    Howl

  • 00:51

    Lana Del Rey

    Ride

  • 00:55

    Craig Armstrong

    Finding Beauty

Episode 3 (Ruth and Tony) and Gas Cylinders

NOTE: The episode with Tony and Ruth featured a short section on the reuse of gas cylinders. However, we would remind viewers that the dismantling of gas cylinders in any way is dangerous and should never be attempted. We would also advise them that the cylinders remain the property of the company. We have now amended the programme.

Credits

Presenter Kieran Long
Presenter Piers Taylor
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
Series Editor Joff Wilson

Broadcasts

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The Β£100k House: Tricks of the Trade

ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔowners are helped with their ambitious building projects