Canterbury

The Kennedy family have decided to leave their big city lives behind, and renovate and restore a once-in-a-lifetime property that will become their dream home in Canterbury, Kent. Alex, having grown up in the town, always dreamed of moving back here with his family. So when he found out that a Grade II listed property, in which he attended dance lessons as a child, had come up for sale, he knew that it was now or never to make the move. The 500-year-old All Saints Court is a unique property, which sits by the river and boasts fantastic views of Canterbury's historic cathedral. However, as a listed building, it's very much on the radar of the local council. The couple have already worked with officials closely in order to get their plans approved, but nevertheless they are required to meet a long list of conditions. For example, they must use specialist materials, such as wattle and daub plaster to repair the walls. To save on money, Alex and Mia are project managing the build themselves, as well as keeping up full time jobs as an IT consultant and an executive coach. And though Alex is also determined to do as much of the work as possible by himself, he and his architect must source and hire a team of highly skilled workers familiar with the processes of restoring such a specialist home. It all sounds idyllic, but the family come up against various hurdles when the real renovation work begins; their plans for solar panels are rejected due to their appearance (despite the fact they are at the back of the house and can only be seen from one street in Canterbury) and, when work starts on stripping out the kitchen, Al has to invite archaeologists in to conduct some research before the new floor goes down. Also, quality and authenticity of materials is of great importance if they are to do this house justice. Al renovates and repairs over 50 windows in the house himself, and commissions a number of hand-crafted oak staircases from a local joiners to match the original staircase in the house. So, before the Kennedy family can move in, they must climb a steep learning curve - and work their fingers close to the bone. Charlie Luxton charts their highs and lows as they endeavour to create a comfortable family home in a derelict and ancient shell...