Ep 2. Derek & Christine

Derek and Christine are a couple who dream of building their forever home for their family. However, their budget is tight and they have a limited plot of land to work with. In this episode of The House that 100k Built, architect Piers Taylor and designer Kieran Long come up with an innovative plan to create a spacious and stylish home within the couple's budget constraints.

The episode starts with Derek and Christine showing Piers and Kieran around their small plot of land in Manchester. They explain that they have a budget of £100,000 to build their dream home, but they also want to make sure that it is eco-friendly and energy-efficient. Piers and Kieran are impressed with the couple's commitment to sustainability and they promise to come up with a design that reflects these values.

The first challenge that Piers and Kieran face is the limited size of the plot. They need to create a spacious and functional home without encroaching on the neighbouring properties. They decide to use an L-shaped design to maximise the available space and create an open-plan living area that opens onto a small garden.

As they start work on the project, Piers and Kieran encounter a number of unforeseen challenges. First, they discover that the soil on the site is unsuitable for building foundations, which means that they will need to excavate and import new soil. This will eat into the couple's budget, but Piers and Kieran reassure them that it is worth the extra investment to ensure that the house is safe and stable.

Next, they encounter an issue with the roof design. They initially plan to create a green roof, but they discover that the structure of the house isn't strong enough to support the weight of the soil and plants. Instead, they come up with a more lightweight solution that still incorporates sustainable materials and makes use of solar panels to generate energy.

Throughout the episode, we see Derek and Christine getting more and more excited about the progress of their dream home. They are thrilled with the designs that Piers and Kieran come up with, and they are impressed with the attention to detail and the use of sustainable materials. We also see them getting involved in the build process, helping to lay bricks and install insulation under Piers and Kieran's guidance.

As the project nears completion, Piers and Kieran face one final challenge. They need to make a decision about the flooring for the living area. They initially plan to use engineered wood, but they discover that it is not as eco-friendly as they first thought. Instead, they opt for a more sustainable option - cork flooring - which is made from the bark of cork trees and is renewable and biodegradable.

In the final scenes of the episode, we see Derek and Christine moving into their beautiful new home. They are thrilled with the finished result and are grateful to Piers and Kieran for turning their dream into a reality. The house is spacious, light-filled and energy-efficient, and it reflects their commitment to sustainability and their desire for a home that will last them a lifetime.

Overall, this episode of The House that 100k Built is a heartwarming and inspiring look at how a couple can build their dream home on a limited budget. It shows us that with a bit of creativity and a commitment to sustainability, anyone can create a beautiful, functional and eco-friendly home that will last a lifetime.