Episode 4 - Huge River Homes
This episode follows Lee and Justine Oakley who want to transform an old steel hull into a 2 storey floating house on the River Medway near Rochester, England. They want a spacious open plan kitchen and living space, outside areas with great views, and 4 cosy bedrooms and ensuites below deck and all built with just a £300,000 budget.
Their builder Joe Allodi and his team have just 16 weeks to do this but from day one they have to battle bad weather and the enormous daily tide that lifts and drops the boat by several metres twice a day. This height difference and the long walk from the shore to the hull, makes bringing any materials and equipment aboard a monumental headache. So when Justine’s huge ¾ ton diesel powered oven needs to be lifted on board, it is a major problem. So much so, that the team end up breaking it down piece by piece and hauling it across the long slippery pontoon and up on to the houseboat. When the weight of the oven causes the house to tilt, Joe has to find a quick solution to balance the tilting house. The result is an amazing house with sleek modern interiors, heated by Justine’s prized oven. Modern portholes bring light into the lower level, and the upper decks provide the perfect platform on which to soak in spectacular views of the river.