Jody & Lori

Jody and Lori have outgrown their cramped house near Southend and are desperate for a modern family home - but prices in Essex are rocketing. A four-bedroom new-build in the area starts at £400k, which is way beyond their budget. Determined to stay near friends and family, Jody and Lori decided to gamble everything they have on building a new home from scratch. If they get it right, they will have saved in the region of £200k!

Piers is concerned they have started building before the design is finished. He suggests a series of changes that could turn a very generic house into something flooded with natural light, gets the most out of a limited plot and is full of practical storage ideas to suit a young family.

Kieran takes the couple to see a series of homes tailor-made for the people that live in them. Each is packed with ideas they could try, from a lighting design that works for cosy nights and big parties, ingenious ways of using wallpaper to mark out a dining area and how to disguise a kitchen in an open-plan space.

As the build gathers pace, Lori struggles to make colour choices beyond simply greys and whites, but Piers believes colour is exactly the low-cost trick they need. He explains the basics of colour theory, but will they really move from safe whites and greys to bold oranges and blues?

As the pressure mounts, the money runs out. Jody and Lori are overwhelmed by the task ahead - can they hold their nerve and create a home which is not only cheaper than what was on offer but also better?