Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer look back at loft conversions, remembering two families who wanted to transform their dark and dingy attics in the race for space. In Walthamstow and Preston, two couples are looking at starting families, but lack of space is an issue - and while one would prefer to move on, the other is keen on a loft conversion. As ever, Kirstie brings in the builders, while Phil sees what other properties are available.

Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer look back on two period properties that desperately needed to be adapted for modern-day living. They meet the Sarah and Ian Renard in Brixworth, Northamptonshire. With one toddler and two dogs to house, this two-bed rural semi is bursting at the seams and Ian wants out. There's only one thing stopping him: Sarah, who is determined to stay and convinced that the house still has the potential to cater for a growing family. They also meet Graham and his partner Ryan who have been fighting over their 17th-century cottage in Cranleigh for years. Charming though it may be, it does not offer the space the two of them now need.