I've just been forwarded this:

''Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you from Remarkable, a television production company that's part of Endemol UK. We are best known for our innovative series including The Food Show (Channel 4), Superscrimpers (Channel 4) and Restoration Home (BBC Two) which follows private owners of crumbling historic buildings as they save them from ruin and restore them into wonderful 21st century homes.

We have recently been commissioned to make another property series for BBC Two. This groundbreaking TV series will look at ambitious ordinary people self-building their dream home for a maximum budget of £100,000. It will challenge everything people think they know about house building today.

Presented by architectural journalist Kieran Long, the show aims to inspire a broad church of viewers to become self-builders through the prism of an engaging observational documentary series full of heart. We will follow couples/families embarking on high stakes adventures as they attempt to build their own homes on a budget within reach of many people - for the first time on TV. Some self-builders will be entirely hands-on; others will project manage all the trades; some will bring on skilled labour when needed. All will have family and friends helping with the build and therefore keeping labour costs down.

For two-thirds of the price of the average family home, 6 individuals will attempt to create a place that they can call their own, with all the character, architectural ambition, homeliness and decorum of houses way beyond of their price range.

We're still looking for people embarking on ambitious self builds for under £100,000 to take part in our series. Your organisation runs courses for self builders. I'm wondering if any of your students, past or present, might be embarking on an exciting house building project in the near future? Might any of these self builders be interested in taking part in our exciting new television series?

Any help you can give us will be very gratefully received. Please pass on my contact details to anyone you think might be able to help.

If you have any questions please contact me on the numbers below or email me at this address.

Yours sincerely,
Janet Chute

Assistant Producer
Remarkable Television (part of Endemol UK)

Tel: 020 8222 4063 | Mob: 07746 796200 | Email: janetDOTchute@endemolukDOTcom Shepherds Building Central | Charecroft Way | London | W14 0EE

I agree, Joiner, but someone might be interested, at least in finding out more. Spread it as widely as you like - that goes for anyone who wants to.

Thanks. Nick

I assume the £100,000 does not include buying the land?

The 3 plots I've looked at in the last month were priced at £225K, £315k and £325k, at those prices I don't have a hope of self building any time soon, mind you, on another property board there is talk of a price crash sometime soon - I'm not holding my breath!!

A few people I know who are involved in Tellyland tell me that, generally, the production companies want drama and tantrums and are not at all bothered about the real building (or whatever) process. They consider their time as precious and yours as worthless. It's not unusual to be kept hanging about all day without even being offered a coffee (unless you pay for it) and then if you complain they edit you to look a fool.
Best avoid, your time as a self builder is too valuable to be wasted by some lovie.

Posted By: tonyI would have thought that below a certain £/m^2 would have been a better measure than a total cost.

Two reasons I can see not to do that:

(1) Ordinary people don't care how cost-effectively built the castle is - it's still not a house like theirs.

(2) It's easier to meet specific (i.e. per-area) targets in bigger builds. A front door costs the same whether you're putting it on a 100 m² house or a 1000 m² mansion. Insulation doesn't need to be as thick on bigger builds etc.

Endemol - the production company behind Big Brother...

I hope he didn't dig it before he got the warrant.

We have been approached by C4 to appear on a programme with Charlie Luxton.

Me and SWMBO have opposing views on this but after all she is an actress, so I can see the appeal to her, but I agree with the negative sentiments posted here. Anyway for a bit of fun we went along with it and they came and filmed a 'taster tape'. On it we created friction between the two of us (came very easy to us!) - which surprise surprise went down very well. In fact they loved it so much they have put together a presentation for C4 and anticipating a positive response have already booked in the man to come and film with us for 5 hours!!!!

Anyway, I have yet to ask the important question - how much? and will let them go to the point of no return before asking.... and if there is not at least an oak staircase in it, we walk. My gut feeling is we will be walking as they think people will do it just to be on TV. Not this one.

One positive spin off, the various trades all have become very interested and some have even sharpened their pencil!

Even if you do get a contract I know from second-hand experience that terms are 'renegotiated' afterwards, and as their lawyers (and egos) are bigger than yours, you lose... You really have to be prepared to forbid them to broadcast until you are paid (and have that in writing) to keep their attention sometimes.

Rgds

Damon

Well, just had the call - C4 loved us! that confirms it, they really have got bad taste!

They are sending through the paperwork - that should provide a good laugh!

The only one of these I was ever involved with (the couple were filmed attending a DIY SWH course I ran) fell apart in acrimony. A colleague has just been involved as a contractor in a refurb, shown last night (which I missed). I'll ask for his view.

We have signed up to a simular production on channel4 that is currently being filmed, there is an element of fun to the whole thing that we have enjoyed it so far and dispite the usual format of panic and drama only to finally have it all turn out ok in the end i am hoping for good publicity for a our building company. as the old saying no such thing as bad publicity

However dispite what the producers tells you they do get in the way and although they only visit now and again the days they are there arnt very work productive. add to that the added preasure of deadlines and you just no they are going to drag a sound bite of you saying the floor will be tiled and glue it to another of you saying that you wanted carpet from the start

so if you all want a good laugh at my expense tune in next april may to a somthing called "building the dream" (i think) on channel4. ill be the one aguing with my wife over carpet or tiles

Posted By: fostertomI told Andy to get the family pig involved, but they went and ate it.

And very nice it is too.