Moment Grand Designs builds a roof himself to cut costs (2024)

This is the inspiring moment an ambitious man on Grand Designs set out to build a roof on his own - but a costly downpour of rain threatened to derail the project.

Kara and her husband Jonny set out to build an 'accessible but beautiful' home in the Pennines, West Yorkshire, on tonight's episode of the Channel 4 series.

The episode tells the emotional story of how Kara unexpectedly became wheelchair-bound for life while on holiday after being diagnosed with a rare disease.

Kara has neuromyelitis optica (NMO), an autoimmune condition that flares up and threatens damage to the nervous system - rendering their current home entirely inappropriate for her needs.

As a result, entrepreneurial electrician Jonny sets out to build their new home almost entirely on his own in a bid to improve their lives - and those of their two young children.

Kara (pictured) and her husband Jonny set out to build an 'accessible but beautiful' home in the Pennines, West Yorkshire, on tonight's episode of the Channel 4 series

But when Jonny tries to build the roof himself, a downpour of rain threatens to derail the entire project

The couple have sold their previous home to finance the accessible yet 'stylish and sexy' home to give Kara the independence she craves.

Read More Moment Grand Designs influencer couple with no building experience realise they've made £15k error

In a particularly nail-biting moment in the new episode, their tight budget forces Jonny to start work on the building's roof with only the help of two friends.

As host Kevin McCloud explains, it's a process that 'requires dry conditions', as just a single drop of water touching the roof could derail the project completely.

But soon, heavy downpours threaten the project - and its tight budget.

Jonny says: 'Everything is very wet... if you look down there, you can see how much water is coming off the roof. So that's kind of what it's like very day.'

The couple have a tight budget of £380,000 to build the home - made even more risky by the fact £100,000 of it needs to be borrowed.

Even though every penny counts, Kara and Jonny splash £10,000 on a zinc roof, but the additional scaffolding needed to protect it during the rain is an unexpected extra of almost £4,000.

It means the roof takes weeks longer than planned to complete - with every delay taking more precious money from their strict budget.

Entrepreneurial electrician Jonny sets out to build the home almost entirely on his own in a bid to improve their lives

The episode tells the emotional story of how Kara unexpectedly became wheelchair-bound for life while on holiday after being diagnosed with a rare disease. Kara and Jonny pictured with son Isaac

The couple have an extremely tight budget of £380,000 and every drop of rain threatens to increase costs further. Jonny is pictured

Kara (right) was unexpectedly left wheelchair bound for life after being diagnosed withneuromyelitis optica (NMO)

WHAT IS NEUROMYELITIS OPTICA (NMO)?

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), also known as Devic's disease, is a rare neurological condition.

Neurological conditions are caused by disease or damage to the brain, spinal cord or nerves.

NMO is an autoimmune condition, which means a person's immune system (the body’s natural defence against illness and infection) reacts abnormally and attacks the body's tissues and organs.

In the UK, it is thought NMO affects less than 1,000 people.

There is no cure for NMO, so treatment aims to manage attacks and symptoms, and prevent relapses.

Some of the main symptoms of NMO include:

  • muscle weakness
  • impaired eyesight
  • nerve pain
  • spasms and increased muscle tone
  • bladder, bowel and sexual problems

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Previously, Kara ran her own holistic therapy business but the family's lives changed forever when she was diagnosed with NMO.

During a family holiday, her legs started to go numb, and she had to leave the plane in a wheelchair - never to walk again.

In the programme, she emotionally confesses:‘You don’t think it’s ever going to happen to you, that as a family, you would have to be facing disability.’

A month and a half later, she and Jonny experienced another plot twist in their story as she found out she was pregnant with their daughter Winnie, a sister for Isaac.

At the start of the show, the couple are living in Kara's parents' garage - a space inappropriate for the family of four, especially with Kara in a wheelchair.

With a budget of £380,000 they set out to build a much larger single-storey home that is 'practical yet beautiful'.

Kara's vision for the project is clear in her intentions for the kitchen, as she says: 'With this kitchen, I don’t want it to look like an NHS kitchen with grab rails.

'I don’t want it to look like it’s made for a wheelchair, I want it to look beautiful.'

In a particularly nail-biting moment in the new episode, their tight budget forces Jonny to start work on the building's roof with only the help of two friends

They are forced to pay for expensive scaffolding to keep their roof dry

Even the foundations of the building cost more than £80,000 - a significant chunk of their budget

As well as the roof - which is 'just the tip of the iceberg', Jonny takes almost two months to prepare the floor, and works on the insulation and electrics of the property

The episode shows Kara's frustrations of being unable to help with the project as much as she'd like, while Jonny spends every evening and weekend dedicated to completing it after his day job as an electrician.

A fall in their previous house saw Kara break her back and necessitate metalwork to support her spine.

To manage her pain, she takes around 20 pills every single day but saus: 'I would much prefer to see my family grow up then be 6 foot under. I’ll take the pain because I need to, because I’m here.’

As well as the roof - which is 'just the tip of the iceberg', Jonny takes almost two months to prepare the floor, and works on the insulation and electrics of the property.

To be fully accessible, the floors need to be completely level, with safety measures in place in case Kara has a fall.

On last week's episode, Kevin McCloud was left stunned after an influencer couple managed to build their dream home without any help on Grand Designs - and even stayed within their budget.

Zara, a professional make-up artist and influencer, and her boyfriend Giuliano from Reading took a leap of faith to build the home of their dreams in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Tthe couple purchased a one-acre plot of land for £135,000 with a strict budget of £700,000 to build the property.

It made for the challenge of a lifetime as Zara and Giuliano had no building experience and sought to complete the majority of the work themselves.

Against all odds, Zara, 31, and Giuliano, 29, managed to complete the ambitious project for just £625,000 - and two months earlier than planned.

To see the final reveal, watch Grand Designs tonight at 8pm on Channel 4.

Moment Grand Designs builds a roof himself to cut costs (2024)

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