Marine captain Jon's life changed for ever when he stepped onto a land mine in Afghanistan and lost three limbs. After viewing many uninspired specialist homes and considering awkward conversions, he and partner Becky realised their best option was to build a property themselves. The design is cutting-edge, with sleek glass walls, open-plan spaces and a dramatic wing-like roof, and the couple want there to be no noticeable adaptations. However, they soon use up their budget of £250,000 and encounter problems with their incredibly tight schedule. Kevin McCloud follows their progress.

Kevin McCloud meets Tamayo Hussey, who has missed Japan ever since she moved to the UK 14 years ago with her husband, quantum physics professor Nigel. The couple want to transform a 1960s forester's lodge into a unique Japanese house, complete with a tatami room - decorated in her homeland's traditional style - sliding paper walls and a bath on the roof. Keen to keep costs down, they have decided to engage only the design skills - rather than the full services - of an architect, so with no previous building experience they tackle the project alone.