Emotions were running high for one family when a much-needed and long-awaited transformation of their home was revealed.

For nine days the team from BBC series DIY SOS: The Big Build renovated and reconfigured the 115-year-old cottage in Longfield.

The property is home to teenager Charlie Russell, who is blind and suffers from epilepsy and spastic quadriplegia, the most severe form of cerebral palsy, which renders him unable to walk, talk, feed himself or even support his own head.

Charlie, his parents and two brothers all moved out ahead of work beginning and returned on Thursday to see the fruits of the workforce’s labours.

Series presenter Nick Knowles had the pleasure of showing the family their new home, and was joined on site in Hartley Bottom Road by the group of more than 200 tradesmen who volunteered their skills, materials and time during the course of the build.

While there may not have been any blood spilt as the project took shape at break-neck speed, there was certainly a lot of sweat and, on reveal day, a great deal of tears.
Taking a break from filming to thank those involved, Nick said: “The parents are in bits because they realise that life changes quite dramatically for them now.”

Charlie’s family had been trying to raise more than £100,000 themselves to renovate their home before the BBC stepped in, with the help of the Friends of Shelby Newstead charity.
Planning permission for the 61 sq m build on green belt land was granted in mid-September and the programme-makers were informed of the family’s needs.

Appeals for every building skill from chippies to concrete screeders, plasterers to plumbers, went out via the Messenger and social media ahead of filming, with the incentive of “superb catering, lots of fun and the chance to turn a family’s life around.”

The response was described as incredible and all the skills and materials had been supplied ahead of work starting. Even neighbours chipped in by baking a daily supply of cakes.
Mark Millar is a carpenter by trade but build manager on the programme and responsible for making weeks of work fit into nine 12-hour days.

On reveal day he also thanked the tradesmen who had made it all possible.
He said: “We have had the most amazing turn-out on this job.

“On day one we were having a bit of a panic as it was the biggest domestic job we have tackled. You guys have done the most amazing job and the quality of workmanship is out of this world.

“I would love to live in that house, and I would love to live in this because you built it. It is out of this world. Thank you so much. It has been an amazing job and a privilege to work with you.

“You have been so positive and every problem we have got over.”
DIY SOS is now in its 26th series. No date has been scheduled to broadcast the Longfield project and it could be up to eight months before it appears on TV screens.