- The Home Channel - https://thehomechannel.co.za -

Tommy’s Fix It Yourself

Tommy Walsh is on a mission to show Britain’s homeowners how they can save thousands on their home renovations by fixing it themselves.

Episode 1

Tommy leaves no stone unturned in his quest to help IT consultant Dave Gunner and his wife, Cath, transform their derelict, so-called Garden of Death for a fraction of the price they’ve been quoted by professional landscapers. From knocking up 50 metres of garden fencing from scratch to removing and replacing a dangerous asbestos garage and even roping in his old mate, Charlie Dimmock, to create the perfect water feature.

Episode 2

Tommy meets Lorraine Smith a 46 year-old civil servant who’s just bought her first-ever house and is desperate to create her dream home. But with a budget of just five grand, Tommy’s got his work cut out helping Lorraine shop around for bargain materials, install a second-hand RSJ, re-plaster and source and fit a brand-new kitchen.

Episode 3

Tommy helps maintenance contractor Peter Duck and his wife, Sharon, transform a redundant side return into their very-own private pub. It’s Tommy’s biggest challenge yet – a mammoth project made even tougher by an incredibly tight budget. The only chance of success is hard graft with Tommy showing the Ducks how to dig foundations, brick lay and tackle roofing as well as teaching housewife, Sharon, the fine of art of negotiating a deal on materials.

Episode 4

Tommy meets IT Consultant, Dave Bathe, his wife, Corinne, and their four young sons. They’ve only got three bedrooms and can’t afford to move. So the only solution is to extend upwards into the attic. To build a loft conversion that won’t break the bank – Tommy shows Dave and Corinne how to get a quality finish without the cost, shop around for bargain materials and learn tradesmen’s skills that will save thousands in labour costs.

Episode 5

Tommy meets three generations of the Tunmore family who want to build a self-contained annex for 91-year-old Granny Annie. Tommy’s got his work cut out solving tricky drainage problems, knocking up a wooden structure from scratch and creating the perfect easy-access wet room all without blowing the very tight budget. But will all his hard work be in vain when a nasty fall threatens to derail the whole build?

Episode 6

Tommy helps new parents Brendan and Lucy Jenman extend their one-bedroom flat so their baby son can have his own nursery and they can get some sleep! With a ten grand shortfall on the budget, Tommy shows them how a bit of hard graft and clever recycling can save thousands. Plus the best way to insulate and replace wooden floors and create clever storage solutions from old chimney breasts.

Episode 7

Tommy meets Quantity Surveyor, David Holmes, and his wife, Annie, who want to turn their derelict garage into a therapy and sun room. Annie has never seen a saw before, let alone used one, while David has relied heavily on builders in the past. So Tommy’s got his work cut out persuading them to get their hands dirty to save money. From replacing the old roof and cutting in the new rafters to tackling underfloor heating – can they rise to the challenge and come in on budget?

Episode 8

Tommy meets young couple Lee Newman and Marie Fitzgerald. Their flat is in a conservation area so they’ve had an expensive 18 month battle to get planning permission for a small bathroom extension. Now their build can finally go ahead, they need to tackle as many jobs as possible to keep their costs down. With Tommy’s help they knocking through walls, fit tri-fold doors and hunt for recycled gems at salvage yards. But is it enough to create the bathroom of their dreams on-time and on-budget?