To Build or Not to Build

(5 x 30)

When TV presenter Kristian Digby set his heart on owning a stylish contemporary property in London, his options – and his budget – were limited, but this wasn’t going to put him off. The solution was simple: instead of buying his dream home, he’d build one!

Using his back garden for a plot and relying on friends and family to help him with his build, Kristian was convinced he could create his perfect pad in nine months and with a tiny budget of £150,000.

But self-building is not for the fainthearted and what followed was a rollercoaster ride as Kristian struggled to prevent his dream home turning into a nightmare. From a brick wall collapsing onto a neighbour’s car to expensive mistakes on site when a steel girder was fitted the wrong way around; it seemed the odds were stacked against Kristian achieving his aim.

Tens of thousands over budget and months behind schedule the stress of self-building begins to affect everyone involved in Project Digby and as relationships became more strained, we find out if the trials and tribulations were worth it.

To Build or Not to Build is a roller coaster ride through the trials and tribulations of building your own home as Kristian contrasts his own BIY project with the finished products of other intrepid self-builders.

This is a celebration of Kristian's work.

A True North Productions production for BBC1