Imagine being given total creative reign over your dream home – the rooms, the finishes, the materials – and then, a couple of weeks later, coming face-to-face with the real thing! This is the story of Jo and Ray Hulse, when they were – quite unexpectedly – introduced to their high-profile Self-Build house this week in Caldicot, South Wales...
THE VOLUNTEER CONTESTANTS of the anticipated ITV1 hit of the summer - House Race – Jo and Ray have been working for the last few weeks to meet the challenge of building their dream home in the middle of Birmingham Bullring shopping centre!
When the excited couple turned up at the Benfield ATT head office in South Wales, where the house has been designed and manufactured, they received a great shock!
The Benfield ATT and ITV1 Central teams had arranged to surprise the couple after learning how excited they were about the project. Only a couple of weeks since their last meeting (where they met the designers to discuss finishing details) the couple returned to the head office in South Wales to be filmed in the factory by ITV1 Central. As they entered the factory they were faced with the skeleton of their building, standing over 8 metres tall!
Managing Director Dr Michael Benfield, who stunned the couple with his team’s work commented “Both Jo and Ray were genuinely surprised that we had built their house within such a short space of time. It was a truly emotional experience for them both and we are so proud to be part of their magical journey – and even more pleased to give them a few nice little surprises along the way�.
Jo and Ray’s high-profile self-build experience in the Birmingham Bullring arena will be televised on both ITV1 and Discovery Home & Leisure this summer, as part of the House Race TV series, but was standing proud in the Bullring arcade until May 11th 2004.
