Couple who met at a murder scene build dream country home

A couple have revealed how they spent £280,000 to transform an ‘ugly’ 1950s red brick house in Hampshire into a huge four-bedroom home, fitted with sleek furnishings and rustic décor. 

Paul and Leigh – both ex police workers who met at a murder scene – ditched their busy lives in Southampton to move to an idyllic village near South Downs National Park. 

The pair, who are in their 50s appeared on the Channel 5 show Build Your Dream Home In The Country last night, which followed their project as they doubled the size of their family home with a two-storey extension.

However, while their initial forecast for the project was a maximum of six months after setting off to work in September 2021 – materials delays thanks to Brexit and the pandemic, as well as rising costs, meant the house wasn’t complete until May 2022 and it ran £50,000 over budget. 

But once the build was done, presenter Mark Millar, who followed its construction from start to finish, was full of praise for the gorgeous property, lauding its beautiful timber-clad exterior and unrecognisable interior transformation.

Leigh, a forensic support manager was overjoyed with the results as she stood in the new master bedroom, featuring gorgeous vaulted ceilings and a balcony overlooking the countryside.

‘Waking up here feels like we’re on holiday every day,’ she gushed. ‘How we feel right now is what we imagined, what we wanted.’

The mother-of-two had also compared the process to childbirth, admitting that it was challenging – but ‘so worth it’ when you’re over the other side.

In 2021, the couple bought the two-bedroom property – which hadn’t been updated since it was built seven decades ago – for £580,000, with a vision to turn it into their dream home.

Paul, who also has two grown up children, revealed that he wanted to get away from the city for a less isolated feel.

‘There was no real sense of community there,’ he said of Southampton. ‘We wanted to be in a village where not necessarily everyone knows everyone but, you know, there’s that kind of village feeling.’

They were enchanted by their new tiny rural location with a farm next door to the house. 

‘In some ways it didn’t really matter what the house looked like, I don’t think,’ Leigh said. ‘I just thought, “Oh, this is where I want to be”.’

The coupe proudly showed off their gorgeous modern kitchen, featuring sleek white furnishing for a modern and spacious feel

Paul and Leigh’s master bedroom was the cherry on top of the cake, featuring a four-poster bed facing stunning country views, overlooking lush green fields and apple trees

The couple, who have been married for four years, rolled their sleeves up to begin a grueling eight-month journey to the ‘dream home for their blended family’.

They started out with a budget of £200,000 – with some £10,000 in contingency – to build and renovate, not including the kitchen and bathrooms.

The pair had envisioned a stunning modern property which would be perfect for guests and socialising.

‘We love entertaining,’ Leigh said. ‘We love having the family over. So, it’s really important that although we’re creating a beautiful home for ourselves that we also have this family space and just enjoy family, enjoy the countryside.’

The plan comprised of a ‘massive build’, featuring a two-floor extension which would house a huge kitchen diner  – surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden – next to the original living room.

Sliding pocket doors in the lounge areas also meant they didn’t need to compromise between a snug interior feel and open spaces, allowing the home to have both when needed

The pair had envisioned a stunning modern property which would be perfect for guests and socialising. Pictured, their new modern kitchen

The family bathroom showed a dramatic transformation from its decades-old style, featuring a freestanding roll top and a gorgeous bath tub

The couple wanted to use the upstairs extension for their 21-foot main bedroom, accented by vaulted ceiling, an en-suite – and a balcony for gorgeous scenic views. 

They also planned to have three more bedrooms and a modern family bathroom.

Cladding the whole exterior in timber – which would over time oxidise into a gorgeous silvery hue – was the final pièce de résistance.

Mark praised their home purchase as a ‘really good investment’, lauding their vision to gut the ‘ugly duckling’ house into a home through a ‘huge contemporary makeover’. 

They were faced with unexpected challenges around every corner.

The first hurdle came with narrow country lanes.

The couple wanted to use the upstairs extension for their 21-foot main bedroom, accented by vaulted ceiling, an en-suite – and a balcony for gorgeous scenic views

Mark marvelled at the result, praising their vision and saying it was worth the wait. The presenter pictured at the new home

At the beginning of the process, concrete in foundations was due to be poured – but a 26-tonne concrete truck struggled to maneouvre where it needed to be.

Thankfully, the ever resourceful team brought in another vehicle, which had a whopping 40-metre pipe, to transfer the concrete from the mixer to the new truck.

A 20-tonne crane was then used to hoist said pipe over the top of the house, meaning the concrete could be pumped right into the foundation trenches. 

Paul and Leigh also early on began to feel the stresses of such a big project, including costs which kept sneaking up on them, as well as constant decision making dilemmas. 

After three weeks, £50,000 – a quarter of their budget – was already eaten up.

‘I don’t think you can underestimate the kind of stress that something like this puts on you,’ Leigh said. ‘Certainly, we didn’t account for how difficult it would be.’

Paul and Leigh also early on began to feel the stresses of such a big project, including costs which kept sneaking up on them

The pair, who are in their 50s and appearing in the Channel 5 show tonight at 8pm, doubled the size of their family home with a two-storey extension

In 2021, the couple bought the two-bedroom property – which hadn’t been updated since it was built seven decades ago – for £580,000, with a dreamy vision to turn it into their dream nook

She and her husband warned viewers not to ‘overestimate your involvement’ with this kind of endeavour.

In January 2022, the pair was once again stressed when they realised that the kitchen they ordered wasn’t fitting like they wanted it too, thanks to a waste pipe along the back wall which they didn’t account for.

After talking it through with Mark and their builder, they ultimately decided to pay an additional £250 to move the soil pipe instead of compromising their vision for the furniture – with the presenter praising their communication and decision-making.

Things became only more challenging when they decided to bite the bullet and call the movers. 

By March of last year, the pair had braved the decision to begin living in their unfinished home, admitting that while it would be difficult, it was proving too logistically difficult and unfeasible to rent and commute. 

A month later, while the house was taking shape, Leigh and Paul appeared drained to have been ‘living out of bags’ in a bedroom. 

Paul admitted he felt ‘done’ and was wearied by the process, especially living around ‘mess’. 

In January 2022, the pair was once again stressed when they realised that the kitchen they ordered wasn’t fitting like they wanted it too

Cladding the whole exterior in timber – which would over time oxidise into a gorgeous silvery hue – was the final pièce de résistance

However, by the time Mark visited the couple in May last year, they were singing a different tune altogether. 

They proudly showed off their gorgeous modern kitchen, featuring sleek white furnishing for a modern and spacious feel which let plenty of natural light in and had a utility area to the side.

A ceiling made up by rough wood planks added a rustic feel, which provided a contrast to the modern touches. 

Sliding pocket doors in the lounge areas also meant they didn’t need to compromise between a snug interior feel and open spaces, allowing the home to have both when needed. 

The family bathroom showed a dramatic transformation from its decades-old style, featuring a freestanding roll top and a gorgeous bath tub.

Paul and Leigh’s master bedroom was the cherry on top of the cake, featuring a four-poster bed facing stunning country views, overlooking lush green fields and apple trees.

Mark marvelled at the result, praising their vision and saying it was worth the wait. 

The ex police workers admit they ‘probably’ went £40-50,000 over budget – but ‘wouldn’t change a thing’.

Build Your Dream Home in the Country airs Thursdays at 8pm on Channel 5 and streams on My5.