Programme One |
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Masterclass |
| Ben Tuxworth is about to realise a life long dream to build his own
shelter. Along with the help of his wife Wendy, their two young children and a budget of £90,000
they are going to build the home of their dreams on a plot overlooking Cheltenham. In the first of our
Masterclasses, Michael Holmes explains how to find and identify a building plot and then how to assess
a site’s development potential. |
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In the first of our Masterclasses, Michael Holmes explains
how to find and identify a building plot and then how to assess a site’s development potential. |
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Programme Two |
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Masterclass |
| It’s four months later and the build has already eaten into half
of Ben and Wendy’s budget. The foundations are being poured, but with appalling weather conditions,
the first visit from the building inspector and news of an extra cost in the form of a retaining wall,
Ben starts to feel the pressure. |
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During this Masterclass, Michael Holmes explains how
to make sure there are no nasty and potentially expensive surprises lurking beneath a self-build plot
when it comes to laying the foundations for a new house. |
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Programme Three |
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Masterclass |
| Progress on the build has been painfully slow
and the weather is becoming a serious problem. But Ben and Wendy have made the biggest decision that
faces any self-builder, which construction system to use and Ben has discovered an ingenious alternative
to a conventional method. |
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In today’s Masterclass, Michael Holmes discusses
choosing between different construction systems available to self-builders, from masonry to timber frame
and way this influences the look of a house, both inside and out, and the impact it has on build speed,
cost and energy efficiency. |
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Programme Four |
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Masterclass |
| It was six months ago that Ben and Wendy decided to build the home
of their dreams and they have had a ‘designer’ guttering system installed. But with the schedule
slipping further and further behind, Ben is being forced to go back to work. The roof ridge beam has
arrived, but at 10 metres long and weighing 350 kilo’s – Ben needs to come up with a master
plan for moving it from lorry to roof? |
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Michael Holmes looks at the choice of roof construction
systems, from traditional cut roofs cut to factory made roof trusses and the latest innovative alternatives.
Michael also looks at the choice of roof coverings that are available from traditional slate, stone
and clay tiles to contemporary options such as steel and copper. |
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Programme Five |
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Masterclass |
| It’s March and the house is at long last, weather tight. The Plumbers
have arrived and the under floor heating is being installed. But it’s a worrying time for Wendy.
Their budget is rapidly disappearing and she calls for a meeting with her bank manager – will he
giver her anymore money?…and that designer guttering, it leaks! |
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Michael Holmes introduces his Masterclass which looks
at the choice of doors and windows available from off the shelf to bespoke. Plus a look at the importance
of correctly proportioned and detailed windows and doors and the impact that this has on the appearance
of a new house as we visit a new period style house and cutting edge self-build in steel and glass. |
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Programme Six |
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Masterclass |
| Ben and Wendy have chosen a radical form of insulation and start to
think about their home audio and visual cabling system Inside the build, the partition walls are up,
but is Wendy happy with the room layouts and is it to late for her to decide she would like a backdoor? |
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In today’s Masterclass Michael Holmes explains
the work that needs to be completed in the first fix stage of a self-build, the period between the shell
being made weathertight and the plasterers moving in. Plus a look at the benefits and advantages of
modern plumbing and heating systems. |
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Programme Seven |
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Masterclass |
| It’s now April and Ben has been fixing his recycled Oak panelling
to the outside of his dream home. The architect has been busy problem solving and has come up with a
solution for the children’s bedrooms and that leaking guttering. |
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During this Masterclass, Michael Holmes explains how
a building site is transformed into a house ready for fitting out with the final fixtures and fittings
by the plasterers and floorlayers, a look at the pros and cons of wet plastering vs dry lining, and
screeded floors vs floating floors. |
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Programme Eight |
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Masterclass |
| It’s early May and Ben and Wendy are having a very unusual render
put on the outside of their home. But they are beginning to feel the strain of building their own home,
as revised schedule number four and their budget runs away from them again. Could they be on the verge
of giving up? |
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In this Mastercalss, Michael Holmes takes a look at the
influence that building shape and form has on costs. Plus a look at the choice of external wall finishes,
from traditional options such as brick, stone and timber to modern render systems. |
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Programme Nine |
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Masterclass |
| Its early June and the cladding has started to shrink. So Ben has had
to tighten all 3500 screws! Wendy on the other hand has been busy choosing her paint colours. But with
another visit from the building inspector, they are both keen to know what he thinks of their efforts.
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Michael Holmes looks at the second fix stage of a self-build
project, and how to make the right choice of fixtures and fittings from doors and staircase to fitted
furniture, kitchens and bathrooms. Plus a look at the external details that are critical to a houses
appearance, from gutters, to porches to chimneys. |
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Programme Ten |
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Masterclass |
| With Ben and Wendy’s handmade stairs coming together at the local
joinery, it’s a big day on. The scaffolding is finally coming down and it’s the first chance
Ben and Wendy will get to see what their home really looks like. What will their first impressions be?
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Today’s Masterclass looks at Services. Michael Holmes
explains how to get a self-build plot connected to all of the essential services, from water and power
– and what to do if you are building away from mains services. |
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Programme Eleven |
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Masterclass |
| It’s been fifty weeks since Ben and Wendy Tuxworth began to realise
their dream of building their own home. Their bathrooms are being installed, the resident chippy has
started to lay the oak flooring and Wendy is continuing with her mammoth task of painting the whole
interior, by herself. |
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With people incorporating more and more technology into
their homes, Michael Holmes introduces a Masterclass on ‘Smart Homes’, showing us the best
in home entertainment, security, communication and how the modern home can be wired to automatically
control features like heating and lighting. |
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Programme Twelve |
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Masterclass |
| It’s another big day on site. The stairs are finished, but have
all the correct measurements been taken, will they fit. The decking is also being fitted today. A big
job which involves a team of seven men. And the plumber’s pressure test the water, will there be
any leaks. |
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In this episodes Masterclass, Michael Holmes explains
how to make sure an interior design and decorating scheme for a new home works as intended by understanding
the importance of the basics such as each room’s proportions, the style of doors and windows, lighting
and the choice of fixtures and fittings from flooring and fireplaces to decorative mouldings. Plus a
look at the decorating process and why it really is four fifths preparation. |
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Programme Thirteen |
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Masterclass |
| 2nd Fix Carpentry continues and Ben and Wendy finally see the end of
their build in sight. |
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Michael Holmes takes a look at the work needed to transform
a building site into a home and garden, from creating the highway access and building the drive, terrace
and decks, to landscaping and planting out a new garden. |
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Programme Fourteen |
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Masterclass |
Today the diggers have arrived to demolition the shack Ben and Wendy
have called home for the past year.
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In this weeks Masterclass, Michael Holmes looks at the
cost of doing your own self build project, how to finance it and who will be able to help. Michael also
offers his advice on how to get the right professional help with building your dream home and what to
be aware of, if you are considering DIY. |
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Programme Fifteen |
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Masterclass |
| It’s that time we’ve all been waiting for – the full
reveal of Ben and Wendy Tuxworths finished property. They look back over the ups and downs of the past
year and finish it all off with a party. |
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Michael Holmes talks people through all the things that
need to be done just when you thought it was time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour! From
getting a completion certificate, reclaiming all that VAT back, squaring up payment with all those contractors
and snagging. Michael also gives us his top ten most common mistakes, which all self-builders should
be aware of. |
