All language subtitles for Renovation.Nation.S02E05.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-Dr460Ns_[English] (SUBRIP)

Here in the UK,
we do love a period property.

I never dreamt I would own a castle.

For me, it looks like a typical
doll's house.

From countryside houses...

It was everything you could
dream of. It was a palace.

...to timeless terraces.

I turned up and I thought,
"Whoa, this is pretty cute.

But beneath the grand facades...

Hopefully the house won't fall down.
We'll see, won't we?!

...these historical homes
are falling to bits.

Everyone told us to
tear this building down.

All over the country, an army
of renovators are snapping them up

at knockdown prices...

I think we should leave it
like this. It looks old-timely.

...then facing challenges
of epic proportions.

CRASHING

I said all along to get a new-build.

This series, we meet
the brave new renovators...

We were looking for a bungalow
with a shed.

...and return to our familiar band
of determined dreamers...

Who else has got a chapel
in their house?

...all risking everything...

I thought I had a good idea
of what was needed.

I was quite wrong.

People think renovation
is lovely, don't they?

HE CHUCKLES

Oh, God, I'm trembling.

...to create the forever home
of their dreams...

Oh, my God, it's so nice!

...brick by brick...

Whoa! This is amazing.
...room by room.

I'm still having
my pinch-me moment.

We're nowhere near finished,
but it feels like a house now.

We are a renovation nation.

Today, we're back in Cumbria

at Graham and Jodie's
19th-century mansion,

where forgotten treasures
are waiting to be discovered.

Now, they're good.

So I've got two of them
on the staircase spindles.

That's a little treasure for me.

We return to the remote Isle of Gigha

as Andy and Karen protect
their 200-year-old home

from the Hebridean weather.

Managed to retrieve,
out of the window recesses,

six pairs of shutters.

I want to get one set
stripped first.

And in Cheshire, we rejoin
Matt and Charlotte as they attempt

to get their bathroom renovation
back on track.

I always said to Matt,
when we started this renovation,

I wanted him to go
one room at a time.

And Matt, naturally, being Matt,
ripped out seven.

In Cumbria, where the Lakes give way
to the Yorkshire Dales National Park

sits the village of Maulds Meaburn,
home to the imposing Flass House.

Built in the 1850s by two business
leaders in the opium trade,

the mid-19th century grandeur
of Flass

was in danger of being
lost altogether,

as the house had been broken into
by urban explorers

and even used as a cannabis farm...
Look at the mad dog!

...until three years ago, when Graham,
who runs a chain of hair salons,

and wife Jodie stepped in
to save the historical house,

buying it at auction
for just £460,000.

We fell in love with it.
Everyone thought we were crazy.

It was in a really bad state.

Earlier this week, we saw Graham
and Jodie kick off the renovation

of their huge Victorian glasshouse,
which was originally built

to show off collections of
exotic plants like camellias.

So what I'm doing is just looking

to see if I can find any
curved stones,

because we've lost these
and I want them back.

And in doing so,
they unearthed more secrets

about their 19th-century home.

Yeah, we've got another room
and I didn't pay for it. It's free.

Flipping 'eck. Oh, that's amazing.

And it's not just their 59-roomed
house that holds secrets.

Come on.

So today, Graham is exploring
the outbuildings.

So we've got this amazing building,

architecturally interesting
in my opinion.

It's listed, Grade II,
as all the site is actually.

With the long-term plan
of turning the old coach houses

into holiday lets,

right now,
these 19th-century outbuildings

are in desperate need of repair,

with a leaking roof threatening
to damage the treasure trove

of items
left behind by former owners.

And Graham's hoping to find some
historical wonders he can put

to good use in the main house.

Where do we start?

Helping once again is trusted
contractor Derek,

whose family have been working in
and around Flass for over 40 years.

I want to keep everything we can
that's original to the building,

I want to reuse it.

Look at that, it's oak, I imagine.

It'll be handmade again.

I reckon that'll polish up,
with hundreds of years of patina.

Let's try it the way
it was originally.

It looks as though there's
different slots,

as though they could go in
different heights, doesn't it?

I love revealing it all
and putting it back together.

It's a jigsaw puzzle.

When it's all done,
it'll look smart.

Finding part of the original
horse stalls is quite the result.

So Graham ventures upstairs

to where the stable hands
might have once lived.

Right, now, will the lead reach?

And just like the main house,
it's full of surprises.

That's someone's underwear there.

Definitely Derek's.
Derek left his underwear here.

I'm curious to see what we find.

I'm hoping there's something
of value.

Oh, my God, it is a junkyard,
isn't it?

Modern. Rubbish.

Oh, a door.
I've always liked doors.

So if I found a door with a lock,

it'd be great, but these are
cheap doors compared to Flass.

Flass, I wouldn't be able to lift,
the doors are really heavy.

Now they're good because
I've got two of them

on the staircase spindles.

They go on the newel post
out in the main... on the back,

what you used to call
the private staircase

that used to lead
to the master bedroom.

Now there's two of them
still on, and I wondered

where the others are.

Now I know, they're here,

so they can go on the top
of the staircases.

That's a little treasure for me.
Little things make me happy.

Sixty Years A Queen, 1895.

Now, I like things like that.

Saddles.
Now I wonder how old they are?

Bearing in mind,
this was a coach house.

I like the mystery of the past.

This is an old
umbrella stand, isn't it?

Oh, we're rich.

They're 2ps. Not old, not rich.

But with the leaky coach house roof
still in desperate need of attention,

any sudden change
in the Cumbrian weather

could seriously damage the artefacts
left inside.

Got some treasure,
got my lovely, lovely finial.

Been an OK day, hasn't it?

Right, onwards and upwards.

The Scottish Isle of Gigha
is the southernmost island

of the Hebrides.

Home to just 170 people.

But in 2021, the population
increased when the island welcomed

two new inhabitants,
married couple Andy and Karen.

Good to see progress here.

They bought this rundown, nine-roomed
former Church of Scotland manse,

originally built
for the minister of the island,

for the heavenly price of £175,000.

I think we work well
as a team generally.

I mean, we bicker, of course we do,

but we've not had a major
falling out, so that's really good.

And we love each other still,
even through it all!

As long as we get to the end of it,
we're not bankrupt yet.

Yet. Yet.

Earlier this week, with renovations
in the main house

in the hands of contractors,

we saw Andy and Karen upgrade
from their caravan

into the first of their newly
renovated shepherd's huts,

which will eventually become their
self-catering glamping business.

Today, Andy and Karen are
turning their attentions

back to the Old Manse and what
will become their dream kitchen.

Interior walls have been
reconstructed, flooring levelled,

and the first fix of plumbing
and electrics completed.

The builders have done
a tremendous job in the last month.

The kitchen is now framed out.

It's much easier to feel the space
and how it's going to look.

I'm happy with our
kitchen design now.

We're not quite on the homeward
straight towards being in yet,

but we are more confident
in the timescales

that we've been promised.

With walls to be painted, flooring
to go down and an entire kitchen

to be fitted, it's fair to say
they've got their work cut out.

Although Andy and Karen have opted
for a turnkey contractor,

who completes all the work
and hands over a finished property,

the couple still save time and money

by doing some
of the prep work themselves.

Today, Andy is working
on the stairway, which leads

from the kitchen up to
the main living room.

I'm going to look at taking off
the rest of this mortar

to allow the builders,
who are back on Monday,

to frame out all of this wall.

The gap on the stairs already
is quite narrow,

and I'm trying to get back
as much space as possible.

Installing a timber frame on
the interior of stone walls

allows insulating boards to be fitted
to keep the house toasty

in the Hebridean climate.

We're trying to keep the Georgian
look and feel,

but put a bit more love back into
the property at the same time.

From walls to windows,

as Karen focuses on the Old Manse's
original wooden window shutters

which will be reinstated in the
kitchen and throughout the house.

I need to find my tools.

They've withstood the Scottish
weather for over 150 years,

and Karen is hoping they'll weather
a storm for many more years to come.

Managed to retrieve,
out of the window recesses,

six pairs of shutters.

I want to get one set
stripped first.

I think they're going to be fine.
I mean, they feel pretty solid.

Today's tool of choice is a heat gun.

The stream of hot air the gun emits

causes moisture and air trapped
under the paint to expand,

blistering the paint and making it
easier to scrape off.

It's like a glorified hairdryer.

But you do have to be careful
not to scorch the wood.

I'm hoping to have a nice, smooth,
raw wood so I can then reprime

and repaint it.

That's a good starter for ten.

Actually, I just think it looks
like one layer of paint.

I don't know what you think.

That particular shutter you've got
there looks in reasonable condition

as well, which is pleasing.
Yeah. I'll have to chip away at it.

We're getting there.
We are getting there.

Taking on a house with such
an important role in the lives

of the island's residents
is not lost on Andy and Karen.

Lots of people have been really
interested in coming around,

seeing what we're doing.

They were christened in the manse
or they went to classes in the manse

and it's just been really lovely.

It's a beautiful house.

It's going to be standing
for another 200 years, hopefully,

and we're going to help that happen.

Yeah, we love Gigha.

I don't think we could have found
a better place to settle.

Coming up...

Wired for sound...

Matt faces the music
with his bathroom renovation.

I really want to get
this bathroom finished.

How many months have we been
on this bathroom? Ten years.

And in Cumbria, Graham's
finials keep Jodie guessing.

Did they go here?

They're either legs off something

or the tops off a four-poster bed.

In Cheshire, near the market town
of Northwich,

stands the 14-roomed Hartford House.

Originally set on 13 acres of land,
the land was eventually sold off,

and the 228-year-old main house
was split in three.

In 2020, the four-bedroomed front
part went up for auction,

needing major structural repairs.

Seeing the beauty behind
the battered brickwork,

Matt, a supercar pimper,

and Charlotte,
who works for a tech company,

immediately fell in love
with its Georgian charms.

Obviously just
the sheer size of it with.

Just the character,
it was really oldy-worldy.

We've got to have that house.

They won it at auction for £490,000,

but soon realised
what they were up against.

Matt kind of reassured me and said,

"I'm not worried about anything,
it's all going to be fine."

And then I overheard him
having a conversation

with one of our friends saying,

"I think I've bit off more
than I can chew here."

Earlier this week,
Matt and Charlotte created

a beautiful new bedroom for their
four-year-old daughter, Scarlett.

Wow!

But when Matt set out to finish
the family bathroom...

...their 228-year-old house
had other ideas.

You can see how it's all moved.

And when Matt spotted signs
of severe structural movement

on the landing ceiling...

You can see a bow in the ceiling.

...their bathroom reno was
put on pause

as Matt took drastic action to save
their family home from collapse.

The aftermath of the mess
is just horrific.

But out of dust and debris
came the start

of a beautiful mezzanine floor.

You can see how
it comes together now.

It just makes such a difference.

Today, Matt and Charlotte's
focus is fixed firmly back

on a luxurious family bathroom.

Having already taken the original
bathroom back to brick,

replaced the ceiling
and levelled the floor,

it's now just a matter of plumbing
the bath, sink and loo,

installing the taps and sorting
some of the electrics.

And also bringing to life

Matt's modern-day vision
for their Georgian home...

I line the holes up
and then I can find the centre.

...with a sound system.

But as a qualified engineer
with a love of straight lines,

he's not making it easy for himself.

I don't want to put
the speakers there

because it's a waste of the room,

they probably won't even
work great being dead close.

I also don't want them,
like, sort of too far wide.

I do want them central.

It's just, do you do them wider?

I'm not sure.

This could take some time.

I think we're just going
to go for it.

Do centre about here,
there and there.

The next challenge is making
speaker-sized holes in the ceiling.

It's what Matt does best.
That's all right.

Mounting the speakers could
have been a 20-minute job,

and it's probably going to
turn into a couple of hours.

As any renovator will testify,
there's no such thing

as just a 20-minute job.

So is it going to be that big?
Yeah, but it'll have a cover.

It's just it'll have a mesh
over it, a white mesh. OK.

The problem is I'm gonna
have to cut the joist in the loft.

Ever get a sense of deja vu,
Charlotte?

I always said to Matt,
when we started this renovation,

I wanted him to go one room
at a time.

And Matt, naturally, being Matt,
ripped out seven.

So it's like, here we are.

I really want to get
this bathroom finished.

How many months have we been
on this bathroom? Ten years.

Moment of truth.

Hole's too tight.

Oh, dear.
Never reads the instructions.

Just likes to have a go.

And then he goes back
and reads the instructions.

It's still a tight squeeze.

It's hitting this little bit
of wood here that sits

just below the pipe.
That's what it's hitting.

Oh, miles off.
Pipe's got to come out then.

True to the renovation playbook,
one job leads to another.

Before Matt cuts the pipes,
he's got to drain the heating system.

With the water pipe successfully
drained, cut and relocated,

Matt's new speaker system
is soundly in place.

Need to see if it works.
The moment of truth.

I was just going for a bit of disco.
Oh, yeah?

MUSIC PLAYS

It works.

And the bathroom entertainment
doesn't end there.

We went to Dubai a few years ago

and we had a TV
in front of the bath. Wow.

So we ummed and ahhed,

it was quite expensive to do,
a lot of messing,

but if we're going for it,
we're going for it, so...

So, yeah, just over the top as
usual. But it should be nice.

Not like the bathroom that I had
growing up in a council house.

It's nice to be able to give
our kids that level of luxury

and, you know, they're going to grow
up in an unbelievable house.

It is going to be insane.

But we just need to get it done
because at the rate we're going,

they're probably going to be
left home by the time it's done.

Right, I suppose
I'm in the bath then.

Would you go lower? No.

Just there. Would you?

Right there. Is that about right?

That's perfect.

Unlike regular TV's, bathroom
televisions are specifically

designed to withstand humidity
and moisture,

but power leads and sockets do need
to be tucked safely away

within the wall
so they can't get wet.

Need to get one of them
bath pillows as well.

The TV may be in, but with plumbing
and electrics still to do,

bath time remains a long way off
for Matt and Charlotte.

Over 100 miles north in Cumbria,
at Flass House,

Graham's been exploring
the old coach house and stables

tucked away on their 17-acre site.

Ta-da! Oh, yeah, you found them.

Perfect. Thank you.

Graham found these
up at the coach houses

and we were wondering
what they were for.

We thought they might be finials
off the staircase

and we have used two of these
before in the past,

but he's found another two

so we just need to see
if it'll work

and if we can use these somewhere.

So I'll go and have a look.

Just through the door is
the old private staircase

leading to the bedrooms.

It may not be on public show,
but Jodie's ensured

it's just as carefully considered
as everywhere else in the house.

The original finials
had been smashed off,

and we've tried to stain it up
to look like it was original,

and there's another one
at the top as well.

So the idea was, did they go here?

But... I'm thinking not.

And looking at these,
I do think that they are

off a piece of furniture.

So they're either legs of something
that have been taken off

to make
a piece of furniture fit somewhere

or the tops of a four-poster bed

and that would explain why
there's four of them.

We'll just keep hold of them and see
if we can use them somewhere else.

For Graham and Jodie,

owning a house as vast as theirs
comes with many challenges,

and sometimes not all of them
renovation related.

One of the challenges is
you've made dinner

and everyone's sat up in
their bedrooms.

I message them and I say
your dinner's ready,

but you can guarantee
that when you need them,

they won't answer the phones.

They're probably sat there
laid by it, just ignoring you

or it's on silent
or they're playing on computer game

and haven't seen.

With modern technology
being ignored, and if the kids

don't hear their mum calling...
Archie!

...there's nothing for it but to climb
the three flights of stairs...

...cross the galleried landing...

Honestly, the Victorians
did it right.

...and like parents everywhere,

wait hands on hips for a response.

COMPUTER GAME PLAYS

I've been calling you.
Your dinner's ready.

How about answering your WhatsApp
messages once in a while?

I've actually gotten
really good at drifting.

Oh. Have you? That's good then.

Oh, that's good. He's got good
at drifting on his computer game,

but he can't come for his lunch.

But the Victorians who once resided
in Flass House

had a much more reliable
method of communication,

which revealed itself to Jodie

when a leaky roof popped open
one of the ceiling boards,

exposing an entire bell system.

We're looking at the servants bell
wires, which run the full length

of the servants quarters
and connect to the bells

that are just outside the kitchen.

They're in really good condition.

It's just a case of working out
which one goes to which bell.

There's two per room,
so on each side of the fireplace.

You need them matching, really,

but we're just going to, for now,
get hold of what we can get hold of

because they're few and far between.

Although you can get modern ones
that say "ring for champagne".

Only joking, I won't do that!

Don't worry, I'll buy the real ones.

Bit by bit,
Jodie's building a collection

of her online purchases to restore
the whole system.

This is part of a bell pull that's
been discarded on the floor,

which we're going to try
and restore.

And some of them had, like,
ivory finishes.

I know that obviously
you wouldn't want that now,

but it is part of history.

These are all going to get
polished up.

They are brass underneath.

And I think we've got
about 40 to collect.

And, uh, I'm probably 15 in.

Got a lot of bells to buy.

Whilst restoring treasures
inside the house is commendable,

outside there is still the pressing
matter of saving the roof

of their Grade II listed
coach house and barns.

Coming up...

Andy has some house rules in place

at his Isle of Gigha renovation.

I keep telling people
that they need to wipe their feet

as they go out, rather than
they come back in.

And in Cumbria,
Graham is up on the roof

and struggling
to follow his own advice.

What you're meant to do...

and it's quite hard because,
they're thick, is come along...

Ah, I think that's had it.

Just off Scotland's west coast
on the Isle of Gigha,

Andy and Karen's dream kitchen
is starting to become a reality.

New flagstone flooring has been laid,

kitchen units and cupboards
have been fitted

and the windows have been prepped,
ready for the installation

of Andy and Karen's
renovated shutters.

This is the first room
that has really started to

come to a realisation of all the
planning over the last two years.

It's been a long journey
and it's great to see something

now taking shape.

Unfortunately, progress
has been slow elsewhere.

It's been a month since Andy
and Karen's drive to prepare

the stairwell for
the new walls to go up,

but they're still
surrounded by dust and debris.

I keep telling people
that they need to wipe their feet

as they go out,
rather than they come back in.

The supporting lintel
Andy had found under the plaster

was rotten, leading them
to check the rest of the house.

Probably between eight and ten
were rotten.

We took the decision to do
all the lintels, which has probably

put us about a month back
in the schedule

and again cost me more in budget.

But this is what's cost us the time,
lintels going in everywhere.

But we're now confident we've
got a great structural job done.

And with the kitchen moving
closer to completion,

Andy's feeling rightly chuffed.

It's the first time I've had
the luxury of a kitchen

built to my design from scratch.

So that's a really big thing for me.

And although there are only
two of us,

I hope that we can install
our dining table,

which will seat about 12,

and we can have a great
social life on the island

and see many people dine
at this kitchen.

Before Andy can be the host
with the most,

today, the specialist fitters
are on site to install

Andy and Karen's new onyx worktops.

With Karen away taking care
of her mum,

Andy is on hand to ensure
the install is fuss free.

Shiny. Used in jewellery
for centuries,

this ancient gemstone
is similar to marble and granite.

A few minor alterations,
as I expected,

but hopefully we'll see it in today.

With a few cuts to ensure
the sinks are a good fit...

That's fine. You feel like
an expectant father, don't you?

...soon the hob area and the coffee
station are both in place.

Good.

In the centre of the kitchen,

the biggest piece of onyx
is for the island...

Looking good.
...which needs careful measurement

to ensure the overhang is equal
on each side.

How we looking, Ross? Bang on.

Fantastic. That's a good start.

Just check my legs.
Not my legs, these ones.

I call them legs, downturns.

Um, just make sure that we get
the right height now. Brilliant.

Get them cut and get them
on as well. Looking good.

At each end of the island,

the look is completed by an upright
piece, creating a waterfall design

seamlessly flowing from the top
to the floor.

Ensuring they are level
is a precision job.

Yeah, pleased with that.

This kitchen, I think, has more
square foot than either the caravan

or the shepherd's hut

that we've lived in
for the last two years now.

It'll be good to get life back.

I know Karen would echo that
if she was here today,

she'd be saying she wants
life back to normal.

Renovation is not for
the faint-hearted.

Just four hours after they arrived,

the worktops and end pieces
are in place, secure

and bringing the whole room one step
closer to being a working kitchen.

There's a lot to do still, but let's
not take any gloss off today.

It's gone really well and I am
delighted with what they've done.

With the rest of the Old Manse
looking far from ready,

Andy and Karen's move into their
new home is still a long way off.

Over 240 miles away in Cumbria,
Graham is back at the coach house

and stables, with builder Deano
making much-needed repairs

to the leaking roof.

I'm a roofer today. Deano's taught
me how to do it over the years.

Without careful attention,
the decades of decay could lead

to irreparable damage
to the structure below.

These are diminishing slates.

They start off at 39 inch from here
to here at the bottom.

And then by the time you get
to the top,

they're dropping down
each thing by about an inch.

Diminishing slate roofs remain
a popular choice today,

but in Victorian times,
they were a sign of wealth,

with the largest
and most expensive tiles

in line of sight at the lowest point.

But originally this design was
to allow for the variations in size

of cutting a natural product

and place the largest
over the house walls,

which could support the extra
weight of the larger tiles.

And all you've got to do
is just make sure they overlap

by five centimetres
so the water runs away.

Graham and Deano are replacing
broken slates a row at a time

to ensure no gaps are missed.

And some of the larger tiles
can be cut to fit

if you know what you're doing.

I'm right-handed,
but what you're meant to do,

and it's quite hard
because they're thick,

is come along...

Ah! And it gives you
a rough edge along there.

I think that's had it,
but let me just check.

I hope he's got spares.

Over there, there was piles of them
in the old conservatory,

so we've got quite
a lot of spare slate, thank God.

What we haven't got a lot of
is the big ones,

so we've got to be really careful
we don't snap the big ones,

and they're hard to get hold of now.
So you don't want me smashing them.

And you've just seen how easy
they are to smash.

I'll have another go.
If at first you don't succeed.

That's the spirit, Graham.
Fingers crossed.

When they've been put on before,
they've used steel screws.

It is original, but they're steel

and they won't come out,
they're a bugger.

We're using copper. They never rust
and they're soft so they bend out.

Second time lucky...

And it doesn't always
go to plan. ..or not.

As well as being a champion cutter,
Deano is just as passionate as Graham

about doing a good job.

I love it, love it.

I wake up with a smile on my face
every day coming to work.

There's not many people
that can say that.

Time for Deano to give a masterclass
in slate trimming.

I'm hoping he breaks it now too.

No, that one's cracked.

Had a big fracture down it. Yay!

But Deano's quick to find
a replacement.

There you go.

That'll do it, buddy. There you go.

Here's one we made earlier.
Ha-ha-ha!

The copper nail goes in and the slate
is held firmly in place.

Actually, roofing I find
really relaxing.

And it's satisfying seeing
it come along, isn't it?

It's nice to see
the building restored.

A month later...

the first nip of autumn is in
the air, and Graham and Jodie

are back at the coach house
to consider their next steps.

We replaced the roof,
so we're now watertight.

It's all back to how it was.

It's a shame the water's got in
and damaged the chairs

and the mirrors
that were left behind.

It's great to see the start
of it coming together.

It'll be good to be able to carry on
and get some more work finished.

Flass House is now liveable.

It was on
the Building at Risk Register,

it's now off
the Building at Risk Register.

We've secured it for the future.

With stage one of the renovations
complete in the main house,

the epic transformation of this once
battered beauty of the Victorian era

isn't lost on our dedicated DIY-ers.

Buying a derelict English
country house

is going to be a cocktail
of emotions.

You're going to love it,
you're going to hate it.

It's going to cause a divorce,

so that's why I'm shovelling
the mud out.

This six months
has been all of that.

Well, that was awful.
I'm absolutely covered.

There's always something
going wrong.

Oh, my God, all this is going
to have to come off.

But sometimes, you wander
around at the end of the day

and you see the work you've done
and you go, "It's worth it."

Slice of paradise down here,
it's stunning.

Yeah, it is, it's lovely.

I think that there's a lot
that's been done.

There's still a lot left to do,

but the work that we've done,
I think is fantastic.

I never thought we'd get here,
to be honest.

We both have fallen in and out of
love with it on a regular occasions,

but most of the time
we're in love with it.

We're not selling up
and moving abroad

to a two-roomed house, are we,
this week? Not yet.

Coming up...

Renovators under review...

...Charlotte's upcycling skills
get a closer inspection.

So I've had to bring Matt in
for quality control.

You're getting there,
you're a solid six and a half.

That's not bad.

And on the Isle of Gigha,
the verdict is in

on Andy's painting skills.

I need to learn a bit more finesse,
I'm told by my wife.

But it's never been
a strong point of mine.

A bit more, Captain Bodge-it.

In Cheshire, Matt and Charlotte's
bathroom renovation

is almost finished.

This is it? What do we think?

With the plumbing, wiring
and painting completed,

Matt and Charlotte's much delayed
bath time is drawing closer.

But there's just one final
project left to do,

build some bespoke bathroom storage.

We wanted something
maybe a bit vintagey,

a really nice-looking unit,
but we've struggled like mad.

Sometimes you can't see
the wood for the trees.

We had a bookshelf that had been
left by the previous owners,

and we thought, I wonder
if we can upcycle it and turn it

into something, you know,
a custom piece.

So I'm just hoping that I can live
up to Matt's very high expectations.

Right, so, let's get it downstairs.
Let's crack on. Yep.

Charlotte is going to sand the shelf
unit down before she paints it.

And Matt is going to cut and fit
a handmade, detailed door.

I'm thinking we're going to put some
sort of beading,

maybe give it a bit of a period,
sort of, shaker look.

SANDER BUZZES

I'm just hoping if I can
rough it up enough,

then the paint will stick to it,

and it'll give us
a nice sort of matt finish.

It's time for the first inspection.

So I've had to bring Matt in
for quality control.

As we all know,
he's rather particular.

The verdict is in.

You're getting there,
you're a solid six and a half.

That's not bad.

Charlotte can see the finishing line
for the bathroom in sight.

Bathroom is, like, so close now.

I feel so excited
to have it finished.

18 months ago, Matt and Charlotte

began their marathon
bathroom renovation,

stripping the whole room
back to brick

and starting again from scratch.

Now, after months of hard graft
and a few unexpected delays...

If I crack the plaster, well, that's
what I don't want to happen.

...Matt and Charlotte's
hotel-inspired bathroom

is five-star luxury at its finest.

I can't stop walking in
and going, "Wow!

"Wow, this is our bathroom."

Yeah. It definitely feels
strange, doesn't it?

And the results are a testament
to Matt and Charlotte's hard work.

It's a complete transformation,
isn't it?

Yeah, a lot of work has
gone into this.

I didn't want it to be like
half a job.

I didn't want to walk in and think,
"I could have done that better."

Matt and Charlotte have been able
to bring their vision

of a luxury bathroom to life.

We saw literally a snippet
of a bathroom on a catalogue

and we were like,
"Oh, I really like that."

And we've kind of taken that image,
made it our own,

brought in all the little additional
features and things that we wanted

to tailor-make it to how we wanted
it to look.

The colour scheme of gold fixtures,
white basin, bath and black tiling

have been followed throughout.

It doesn't look too modern
and it doesn't look too old.

It looks like it belongs here.

So that's just another little thing
along the way that we've done

and it has worked out right.

It's absolutely perfect, isn't it,
this room?

There's nothing out of place.

In Matt's eyes, everything's square,
everything's level.

Every detail has been considered
right down to their brand-new toilet.

You look at the detail
like the toilet.

I mean, you feel like you're sitting
on a throne when you go for a wee!

Charlotte's hard work and
Matt's finessing has transformed

an old bookshelf into a stylish
storage solution with panelled door

and gold bar handle.

As long as you've got, you know,
a little bit of an idea

of what you're doing

and, yeah, it looks really well.
I'm quite happy with it.

Yeah, it looks good.

It did take a lot of teamwork
between me and Matt,

making sure that we were both
happy with it.

And I think that's why
it's so special.

Over the last six months,
Matt and Charlotte's teamwork

has certainly made
their renovation dream work.

From their luxurious family bathroom
and a beautiful bedroom for Scarlett

to the start of a modern
mezzanine level,

flooding the hallway with light.

But with so much to do before
Matt and Charlotte's forever home

is finished, it's their drive
and determination that will keep

their renovation on track.

What we've taken on
is such a huge project,

so there's an element
of like, are we stupid

or are we quite inspirational?
I don't know.

And I think we're probably
somewhere in between.

In the last few months,
the house has come on

leaps and bounds, a lot better
than we could have ever imagined.

We're really proud of it.
We love it, don't we?

We go upstairs, we look at
the bathroom, and we're like,

"Wow, that's ours. We love it."

On the Scottish Isle of Gigha,
it's September.

In the Old Manse,

Andy and Karen are pushing ahead
in the hope they can finally

move out of the shepherd's hut
and into their forever home.

With many rooms now ready
for decorating,

Andy's been sanding
the original wooden flooring,

removing centuries
of dirt and varnish.

But it's the kitchen where
they've seen most of the progress.

Andy, are you just about to come
and get some paint? Yes, I am.

I'll leave it open then.

With just the painting left to do
in here,

before Andy can finally graduate from
the single hob in the shepherd's hut

to his new dream kitchen, there's
nothing for it but to crack on.

But soon it becomes clear
that painting is not

Andy's strong point.

Painting white on white, it's quite
difficult to spot where you've been.

It's not my favourite thing anyway.

I need to learn a bit more finesse,
I'm told by my wife.

But it's never been
a strong point of mine.

Uh, a bit more Captain Bodge-it.

For Karen, painting the kitchen
has brought back

some childhood memories.

My dad always used to do
the decorating at home,

and I hope my mum forgives me
for saying this,

but every new year at 11:30,

he'd be putting away
the step ladder

and going for a quiet bath!

And the whole house
had to be spotless.

It's a Scottish thing about
welcoming in the new year

with a clean house.

I hope you won't still be up that
ladder this New Year's Eve, Karen.

While the paint dries,

Andy and Karen have another
important job to do.

Karen started the long job
of renovating

all the house's original shutters,

and now the carpenter has made
some adjustments to this one,

they need to see if it fits.

I think certainly, given being on
a Scottish island in winter,

it won't just block out the light,
it'll block out the weather as well

a bit, I should think.

These were all kind of painted in.

It's nice to put something
original back up.

Do you want me to road-test it?
Yeah, yeah.

See what it's like.

Once it catches on there, that's
going to block out 99% of the light.

That's good. Good job, Karen.

Good job, Andy.

It's been two years since
Karen and Andy moved their lives

to the Isle of Gigha and bought
the Old Manse

in search of a slower
and quieter pace of life.

With walls to plaster
and rooms to decorate,

the Old Manse might not
be quite ready to move into,

but the all-important kitchen that
for so long has been a building site

is finally the heart of the home.

Oh, it's looking good.

Looks very different, doesn't it?
Very, very different.

Smart, navy cupboards
and white onyx worktops

create the contemporary style
they hoped for.

The huge central island gives
Andy the space

he's been so patiently waiting for,

and Karen's separate
coffee zone is cleverly built

into the wall with added storage.

This is the coffee station,
so it's got a little sink and tap

and I'll keep all my mugs,
we'll get a shelf up.

I'll get all my mugs and all the
things for making tea and coffee.

I'm going to have a nice
window seat at the front.

And then I'm not far from
the coffee machine with my mug

to sit in the window seat
and look at the world go by.

For Andy, all the modern comforts
are a far cry from months

in the caravan
and the shepherd's hut.

Really looking forward to this.

I've joked all along that
for the last six months

in our nomadic existence,
it's been one-pot cooking.

But to have a hob with five rings
and seeing it now,

I think it's brilliant.

Three glass pendants give Andy
plenty of light to work by,

and with an additional feature light
hanging by the window,

the room is positively glowing.

I'm loving the shutters
on the window being back.

That's a great feature.

And as if on cue, the Scottish
weather decides it's time

to test them out.

Just a big flash of lightning there!
Yeah!

So this is the point of, hopefully,
we'd have the option

to keep the weather out so we can
ignore the thunder and lightning

outside as it comes down.

But I think what we're going to be
doing is we're going to be sitting

on that wee bench seat there
with a mug of tea or a mug of coffee

or a glass of wine
and just watching.

Watching it strike. Yeah.

As well as finishing the kitchen,

the past six months have seen Andy
and Karen build the first of several

shepherd's huts, laying
the foundation for their future

holiday rental business.

And now, with work in the main house
moving to the decoration stage,

it won't be long before Andy
and Karen can really celebrate

and start to enjoy island life.

The theory that we came
to the island because of its beauty

and the peace and tranquillity
it offers,

renovation is not peace
and tranquillity by any means,

and we're looking forward to
renovation being... Being finished.

This is our forever home, isn't it?

I'm really looking forward
to when the house is finished,

just going down to the beach,
having a walk along,

feeling the sea breeze,
taking a book,

sitting on a rock and just
enjoying the peace and quiet

because it's lovely
and quiet on this island.

Really enjoying
the outdoor lifestyle

is what I'm looking forward to.

Five new renovators
take on epic projects.

You can see everything
start to take shape.

Remnants of the past...
It looks fantastic, doesn't it?

...in a Victorian mansion
in Northumberland.

No matter what, it was going
to be repaired and put back.

In a Cumbrian manor house...

Everyone told us to
tear this building down

and here we are now
putting up lampshades.

...exciting renos crank up a notch.

My God, it's so nice!

And at a derelict castle
in Scotland...

There's no degrees in here today.

...a couple are recreating history.

Who else has got a chapel
in their house?

...from decades of rubble.

I'm just worried that
I'm not going to do it right.