- Derek Wright and Christine Burford wanted to retire in Kent from Huddersfield
- They could not afford the house prices so bought a plot of land for £160,000
- Mr Wright, 71, then set to work building a three-bed home, despite no experience
- Couple are now living in a modern, personalised home which cost £108,000
A couple who were priced out of buying their dream retirement house in Kent decided to build their own for just £100,000.
Derek Wright and Christine Burford wanted to move from Huddersfield when they finished work but could not afford the rising house prices in the south east.
So the couple came up with a radical solution - and decided to build their own ultra-modern countryside home.
Derek Wright and Christine Burford (pictured) were priced out of buying their dream retirement house in Kent so decided to build their own for just £100,000
The couple built their own three-bed modern home (pictured) on the Kent-Sussex border
The family kitchen table was made out of legs from a junk shop and old wooden shelves from a cheesemaker
The architects were concerned that the couple's larger-than-life characters were not reflected in their home
There is also a glass balcony, for south facing views from living room and master bedroom
Despite having no design or building experience, Mr Wright decided to build the entire two-storey, three-bedroom property on his own at the age of 71.
They bought a plot of land on Kent and Sussex border for £162,500, before allowing themselves a £95,000 budget - collated from their life savings - to complete the building project.
And despite a series of hiccups along the way, the couple ended up with a personalised, ultra-modern home, which they say would have cost them £200,000 more if bought ready-built from an estate agent.
Speaking before the project began on The House That 100K Built, Mr Wright said: 'There is no possibility of it failing. I don't have enough time left for it to fail.'
Two years later, when the couple are set up in their home, Mr Wright tells the cameras: 'It's difficult but it's great fun.
'It's a damn good challenge and it's well worth it.'
Mr Wright and Ms Burford - who describe themselves as 'old hippies' - decided to move from the north to the south east to be closer to friends and family.
Despite having no design or building experience, Mr Wright decided to build the entire two-storey, three-bedroom property (pictured) on his own at the age of 71
The couple wanted a comfortable and cosy living room in their two-storey house (pictured)
The couple ended up with a personalised, ultra-moden home - which they say would have cost them £200,000 if they had bought it ready built
But the road to their dream home was not always smooth.
With the project taking two years - double as long as the initially thought - the couple were blighted with issues along the way.
When they has already spent £80,000 on the job, the couple were told to stop work because they had built the house in the wrong place.
The plot is too close to the pub next door - only by half a metre - but enough to cause significant planning and legal trouble.
Mr Wright tells the show: 'It really is absolutely devastation. There is no way to describe the depths your feelings go to: it's despair. We have worked on this project for a year and it's all to waste.
Mr Wright and Ms Burford (pictured outside their home during the building), who used to live in Huddersfield, describe themselves as 'old hippies'
'There is no contingency in the world that allows for complete dismantle and rebuilding off the house. Maybe we are doomed to live in rented accommodation for the rest of our lives.'
But luckily, four months after the work was put on hold, the couple were given planning permission again and allowed to build in the same position.
It is about another year before the project is complete.
Throughout the programme, presenters and architects Piers Taylor and Kieran Long are concerned that the couple's larger-than-life characters were not reflected in their home.
Mr Wright loves festivals and worked as an engineer building power stations, while Ms Burford, who ran her own recruitment agency, describes them as 'elderly hippies'.
With their help, they end up with house full of ideas that look unique but are cheap.
Unique touches include vintage pieces of cutlery which they used to replace the modern kitchen door handles, while the family kitchen table was made out of legs from a junk shop and old wooden shelves from a cheesemaker.
They also installed the windows - which cost £8,000 in total - themselves while they paid £550 to spray paint the cheap kitchen cabinets at a car body workshop place.
There is also a glass balcony, for south facing views from living room and master bedroom.
The House That 100K Built airs on BBC Two tonight at 8pm