The time the kids fly the nest is often when people choose to build a dream home. But what happens when that dream is so appealing that the kids want a piece of that action too? (SIGHS) WOMAN: Whatever your grand plans are, we'll help get you home. ANZ ` proud sponsors of Three's Grand Designs New Zealand. ('GRAND DESIGNS' THEME) Captions by Alex Walker. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 Te Arai is a rural area two hours north of Auckland on the stunning east coast of the North Island. Vince and Cathy Moores bought a two-hectare block of land here in 2003. The plan was to move from New Plymouth once the kids were grown and build a home large enough to host both family and friends made while backpacking overseas. Travel is a passion they both share; it's how they met, back in 1980, when Vince was working as a tour guide. I had a trip going around Europe for 10 weeks ` 43 passengers; 38 single females. (CHUCKLES QUIETLY) And I met this young, 19-year-old New Zealand Jazzercise instructor for the very first time, and I fell in lust. I was... really impressed with Vince, cos he wasn't just a tour guide. He knew his history, and I wanted to recall everything in detail ` where I'd been and what I'd seen. So I would visit him at night and ask him for this day book, and` You had a good chat-up line, really. I mean, I said, 'No, sorry, no.' But she kept` she persisted. Yeah. So that's how we met. (EXPECTANT MUSIC) Cathy soon had a ring on her finger, and the couple set up home in New Plymouth, where they had three children, and Vince became a successful businessman. We started ` I don't know ` over 20 different businesses over the years. And, uh, I'm a bit of an entrepreneur. I get bored easily. Vince and Cathy dabbled in everything from retail to hospitality to property development, and their future looked rosy. But when Vince turned 50, life took a dramatic turn. I had a perfect storm of events with losing my mum, and... some things went very sad ` the global financial turndown. Our son was in hospital. And I, uh, went into this really bad place where I couldn't even get out of the house for a year. And unfortunately, I didn't respond to medication, so, um... Mm. Yeah. It was... So we had to look at life... differently. Vince's road to recovery from depression nine years ago came partly through biking ` long cycle rides through several continents. It inspired a new way of thinking and a desire for a simpler life. Yeah, just really getting back to the basics, enjoying our time together with family and friends, isn't it? And that's the goal here ` to create the good life. (RELAXED MUSIC) Wow. Oh gosh. You get such a good view from here. Yeah, it's pretty special. What is the plan, guys? What are you gonna build? So, what we wanted to do was a rural barn look,... country, dressed up with stone... and some nice timbers. Some hardwood. We're putting in a pool. And then we're putting in a yoga studio, cos Cathy's a yoga/bodybalance instructor. Yeah, and then having areas where different people who come to stay can have their own room. And one of the things we really enjoy is hosting people ` cyclists, hitch-hikers, friends, family ` and to be able to bring them into our home and share. Long table, lots of local produce. Oh wonderful. That's the dream. Vince and Cathy's huge Tuscan-inspired villa tucks neatly into the hill. The beating heart of the home is a colossal central atrium that Vince jokes is 'large enough to play cricket in'. A state-of-the-art kitchen gives way to a long dining table, where the couple will entertain friends and family. To the right is a large open fire and cosy seating area. Guests will stay in two self-contained wings that sit either side of this main room. There's a media room for Vince to escape to, and upstairs is the couple's loft master bedroom, which has panoramic views out to the coast. Large trusses give this generous home a spacious, barn-like feel. Tall glass doors open on to an outdoor dining area overlooking Cathy's vege gardens and Vince's petanque court. Under the house, Cathy's private yoga studio leads out on to a 20m-long heated swimming pool. This impressive family lodge is finished off with hand-crafted sandstone cladding and is surrounded by stunning mature gardens. You're building a palace. Yeah, well, with our project here, I spent quite a lot of time designing it with an architect friend of mine, got everything pretty well sorted and then got some feedback from the family, who proceeded to change everything. So my idea started to morph and change. So I said, 'Hey, I just need a bit of time out.' So I, uh, hopped on a pushbike and cycled from Cairo in Egypt 12,000km to Cape Town, across Africa. Whoa. Yeah. 'It's great that Vince has biking for stress relief 'but alarming that he's already bailed at the planning stage, 'because the actual build itself will test him.' The construction market is really tough, so having a budget is important. It would be good to know what it is. Well, it` it's interesting with the budget side of things. I know that we have a lot of variables. So have you got a figure? Well, it's multi-million, isn't it? It's a few million, yes. A few? Well, are we talking two? Are we talking 10? Well, we're hoping` No, no, no. The budget for this part of the build is over two million. Around, what, two and a half, three, is it? Or is it two? Well` It's good to get a handle on it, cos I'm interested to see if you would pull it off. Yeah, it'll be about two and a half for this part of the build. Well, we're both good with figures, aren't we? Yeah. They'll need to be. That $2.5 million budget could easily balloon out of control with such a large build. To save money, Vince and Cathy have chosen not to employ an architect. Instead, they asked friend Michael Mansvelt to design the house. When Vince and Cathy came to me, I thought they were trying to fit in too much. That was a real challenge for me, because it's probably the biggest house I've ever designed. And... I sort of thought, 'Well, this is kind of a little bit of overkill. 'How am I gonna get this, this, this, this and this and get it all to work harmoniously?' I've told them what I think, and we've actually come up with a design that I'm really happy with. And, you know, what's so great about them is they value relationships over money, and that is something I respect,... uh, very much. 'I get the idea that Vince and Cathy are stretching themselves 'to build a house that is more for their friends than it is for them. 'On-site, they've built a self-sufficient shed, 'where they've been living since they left New Plymouth a few months ago. 'This small space could be challenging, especially for Vince, 'who needs time alone to recharge. 'Today is momentous, with the first foundations being laid for this complex build.' We're building on the top of a ridge, and the engineers are concerned of a term called slippage. The soil's an expandable clay, and apparently, the geotech people are saying that it has this propensity to expand and then contract. So to actually make sure the whole shebang doesn't disappear down the hill into the bush, they've got this really grunty engineering design. Steel cages are being dropped into holes every 2m around the edge of the extensive site. Building further back on the top of the hill would've been much, much cheaper, but Vince and Cathy don't want to compromise on their vision. And also, there's` just to add another dimension to it ` there's the swimming pool, which is going in front of that. So, it's quite a large pool. So that's the concern ` is the enormous amount of weight on the edge of a... a hill. Earthworks like these are massively expensive, with no change out of $300,000. There's little room for error, and already, the contract has hit a snag ` just what you don't want when the building inspector's on site. Some of the holes have got some water in them, so he's failed four holes there, so four of the holes have gotta be drilled deeper. Eventually, over 100 piles will be sunk into the ground. While they're essential, that's a lot of money spent on something you'll never see. It's quite an investment ` a lot more than we'd intended ` but that is just the nature of the topography and the soil. It's great to get this stage under way, but Vince and Cathy's spend on the foundations is already way over the original budget, and they've only just begun. (CURIOUS PIANO MUSIC) (BIRDS CHIRP) It's four months since the foundations were laid in Te Arai. It was a complex job due to the nature of the clay earth here. Today, the team are laying a concrete floor. This will be the ceiling of the gym and yoga studio and the base of the outside deck. The first stage is to place a network of prestressed concrete ribs. As these ribs go in, there's boxing that will go and fit between each of those ribs, and then we pour a 100-mil to a 75-mil topping of concrete to form the floor, which is basically a roof. Whoa! Phil's taking some footage to keep Vince and Cathy up to date with the build while they're away in New Plymouth. OK, here we go, Vince. Things are going well, which is just fantastic. Happy? Drop. I dunno if the weather's like this where you are, but, man, look at that. Blue sky, brother. It's all going to plan. (CURIOUS MUSIC) The reason Vince and Cathy are back in New Plymouth is to try and sell an investment property. They need the funds for the build and the expensive, swanky new pool. The place has been on the market for months ` and so far, no bites. Hi, Chris. Hello, hello. Well, this looks interesting. Tell me a little bit more. Why? Well, what happened, Chris ` we initially bought this site about 12 years ago as a small plot of land next to the golf course, overlooking the lake. And we were initially planning to build 12 two-storey townhouses, but it hasn't really turned out that well with the economic downturn and people's appetite for that style of house in Taranaki. It just hasn't worked. So we had to re-engineer and rejig things. So, instead of doing 12, we've now got seven design-and-build houses. So we've been doing those progressively over the last few years, and this one has been completed. We have another one that's just been completed, and we have another one to build. And we need to sell all of these to fund the build in Te Arai. Oh, OK. So no pressure (!) Uh, well, it is a bit of pressure, for sure. Yeah. So it's not just one house Vince and Cathy need to sell, but several. They're under much more monetary pressure than I first thought. (INTRIGUING PIANO MUSIC) I have to admit I'm feeling quite concerned about Vince since his breakdown. He's found it increasingly difficult to cope. Lucky he has biking as a way to destress. When it all gets a bit tough, I hop on my bike and I disappear. I need to do this sort of stuff, cos otherwise, I start to get a bit overwhelmed on a day-to-day basis coping with stuff. Right. And you've also spent quite a lot of time touring overseas, like on this magnificent beast. Yeah. It's my black rhino. Yeah. You're cycling maybe eight, sometimes 10 hours a day,... Yeah. ...in remote places, parts of the world people wouldn't even see. You get quite, like, a meditative sort of state, really, Chris. Basically, you pitch your tent. You cycle for 160-odd K's. Put your tent up again. Very simple lifestyle. 'One of the inspirations for Te Arai 'is Vince's desire to pay back some of the generosity he experienced on his travels around the world.' Something we really wanna do is to actually be in a position to share that hospitality, so give them a bed to sleep in as opposed to a tent. And, uh, rather than a shovel and a loo roll in the bushes, we've actually got flushing toilets and everything. Wow. Wonderful. Yeah, pretty special. Gosh. I'll come. (BOTH LAUGH) The attraction of the open road under your own resources is a really, really special thing, and I can really see where Vince is coming from. And what he and Cathy intend to do with their home is embracing that as a kind of... wayside inn for passing pilgrims. And that wayside inn is advancing at a pace. Yeah, a bit of progress. We've got the frames up. And then today's a big day getting our trusses in, which is a big part of the overall design ` the big scissor trusses into the main lounge. To add to the barn-like feel of the living area, Vince and Cathy have opted for scissor-shaped trusses, where the underside slopes up in the middle. If you had just a horizontal bottom chord, the challenge is your eye picks that up, and it lowers the ceiling and could feel a little bit oppressive. With a scissor truss, it just gives that little bit of intimacy, but you've still got that volume as well, so it just feels a little bit more homely. Craning in the 300kg trusses is not easy on a site like this ` perched on an exposed ridgeline. Uh, we have had some bad winds over the last few days. It's windier the higher up you go, so, you know, we've gotta hold on to them. And these things are very, very, very heavy, so you don't want one hitting ya, crushing ya. (CRANE WHIRRS) Go, Scotty. As the cumbersome trusses are hoisted in, Vince ties off a string to ensure that they're perfectly aligned. Way off our line. He won't be happy unless everything lines up with pinpoint accuracy. Cos I'm a real stickler for detail. The string line through the centre ` it's a little bit off. See if I can snitch into that, eh? Fortunately, Scotty the builder is a carbon copy of myself. He's very good. Everything's lining up, and all those little details ` great to see. Yeah, well, that's what tape measures are for, aren't they? (CHUCKLES) You know, if you can't get it right, maybe you should change your job. (CHUCKLES) The large trusses add another dimension to this already-enormous living room. It seems oversized to me, but ultimately, it's Vince and Cathy who will be living here. I think you've got the height just right. Yep. So it doesn't feel too cavernous. It doesn't feel too big. Just right. Yeah. I think you've got it spot-on. LAUGHS: Aren't you clever?! I've done something right, have I? LAUGHS: Yeah. It's taken a while. Capture this moment. Yes. Well done, mate. (CHUCKLES) Yeah, awesome. The giant hall couldn't be more different from their temporary home on-site, which is small, cosy and, well, a tad claustrophobic. There's no way to get away from the constant noise, dust and questions from contractors. And now two of Vince and Cathy's adult children, Nicola and Doug, have decided to move in with them. I actually love living with Mum and Dad, to see them working and gardening and doing what they love. And then, I guess, it's interesting managing this space when we're all together. It's like camping. But Vince isn't totally enamoured with this new living arrangement. (BLENDER WHIRRS LOUDLY) (QUIRKY MUSIC) You want one, Dad? Not for me, thank you. (CHUCKLES) I left school at 15, and I emigrated to South Africa by myself when I was 19 and travelled the world and have been very independent. And I assumed that our children, being entrepreneurial as well, might leave home at 15 to go and spread their wings. There you go, Mummy-o. Cheers, Dougies. Tip-top. Livin' the dream. They've travelled. They've done some wonderful things. But they love being at home. And this house we're building is for the family to be able to come and stay. Big difference, though, between coming and staying and coming and living. And what's happened is they've come to live ` with all their stuff. And we haven't got the house built, so it just means that it's quite intense. Simple things ` I mean, we eat quite simply, so for me, I don't need to have a huge range of exotic ingredients. But trying to find something in the cupboards ` I've got packets of stuff I don't even know the name of that's falling out of the cupboards. I'm looking for black peppercorns, and in here, I've got every spice and condiment known to man, which I never use. I mean, I've got things like star anise, dried mint. When do you use dried mint, for God's sakes? Uh, mustard seeds, yellow. Um... Oh, here we go. Black peppercorns. Empty. It's the only one we haven't got. Welcome to my world ` living with the kids. (LAUGHS) I really hope Vince can handle having his children at home and doesn't decide to take off on another bike odyssey. (INTRIGUING MUSIC) Cathy's personal yoga studio and gym under the house at Te Arai is taking shape. Their son Doug teaches yoga like his mother, and he is keen to share his ideas for finishing the space. So, you're thinking of putting cedar down here, lining it with cedar? Yeah, I think it'd be nice ` the natural elements of the wood and then the stone. The only thing is` What I was thinking is I think the cedar would make it too dark, so what I was looking at is lining that whole wall with mirrors, and then that reflects the natural bush and the pool in there. Mm. If you're happy with that. Sounds good. (CHUCKLES) And then Mum wants a ballet bar across there to do her ballet class. You sure the ballet bar's not for you, Dad? No, it's not for me. No. Just in here. There's a bar in the corner. That's for me, for cocktails. As long as there's no smoothies, that's fine. Cocktails, pina colada ` that's fine. But a smoothie-free zone. (CHUCKLES) Oh, it's gonna be magic ` looking out to the bush, just with the bird sounds and all the doors open. Even ignoring his aversion to smoothies, Vince is clearly conflicted between loving the kids' input... but also finding it all just a bit irritating. With the block work finished and sealed, the stonemasons have moved in to work on the facade. One of the things I like about Europe, and Provence in particular, and Tuscany, are the dry stone walls. We've chosen this particular stone because of the colour ` the sandstone and the white-sand beaches here. With my OCD tendencies, I tend to pick lines and so forth. So we've gone for a random pattern so it doesn't take your eye on a set level. It gives that really warm feel, and when we get greenery and palm trees through here, and the pool, we think it's gonna really be a real 'wow' and something we really enjoy. The stonework looks impressive, but covering most of the house and the retaining walls comes at a colossal cost. A lot of the areas we work on, you'll probably get two square metres up a day. So it is a very time-consuming and expensive process because of the labour. But then, nothing about this build is cheap. (CURIOUS MUSIC) Cathy is in the city today, on the hunt for pieces to furnish their new place. A house this grand with so much space is going to need grand objects to fill it, so she's looking at antique French furniture. The house demands some strong pieces, I think. What I really appreciate is something that's already been in use, so I like things that have been repurposed or reinvented. But they have to be pretty big, yeah, (CHUCKLES) to make a statement in a big house. Yeah. This is something that I think might work. I love the colour of the timbers. The size will be perfect, I think ` I'll have to measure up ` to go behind our couch. It's taken me ages to find something just right, and I think this could be it. (INHALES) Cost. Mm. When you fall in love with something, you don't have to worry about the price! (LAUGHS) That could almost be the motto on this build. (EXPECTANT STRING MUSIC) Despite Vince's hope that the kids would move on, three months later, they're still living at Te Arai. Now Vince and Cathy have to decide whether to start building the luxuriant swimming pool. It's a tough decision, because they still haven't sold any of the properties in New Plymouth. So, um, we've had a word with the friendly bank manager. Very friendly. He phones me up every week to make sure I'm still in the country and I haven't done a runner. Um, so we've pushed the button on the pool. So, basically, this is the pool. It's 20m long, and it comes out from the gym, the yoga studio there. It's really important we try and get the pool in now, because if we put it off, we lose the summer, and now's the time to dig. So if we don't actually do it now, we lose another six months. The Te Arai clay means Grant has to take extra precautions. See these cracks? Yeah. That crack comes from the heat, and it's even worse on the far end, cos it's been exposed a bit more. And if water gets down in there, that'll collapse, and it'll cave in. There's a storm coming on Thursday. It may not hit till Friday. So tonight, we'll be putting polythene all around the whole side of the pool. Right. Any water gets in, we can chuck a submersible pump in there. Cos we're expecting quite a bit of rain on Thursday. You could be swimming at the weekend. CHUCKLES: Yeah. You mightn't look too clean by the time you come out, though. (LAUGHS) (DOG BARKS) Alongside Grant today is his loyal dog, Buddy. Come on. Let's go to work. Yep, up. 'He's been with us on the whole job since day one. He rides in the machines and stuff. 'All the boys love him, and the owners love him and stuff.' Good boy! We don't normally take dogs on-site, but, yeah, he's pretty well behaved. And, yeah, bit of a crazy dog, really, but he brings a bit of entertainment to the crew. Well, I understand the desire to start the pool in summer. A big pool like this won't give them much change out of $200,000. So that's even more debt to add to their financial stress. It's a big hole you empty your wallet into. Dig a hole and fill it with dollars. But it'll be pretty awesome when it's done. The tons of dirt Grant and Buddy are excavating for the pool are moved to nearby retaining walls. Eventually, these will be large, flat patio areas. Well, for me, it's very exciting, because we've got the diggers there, and we're creating some terraces where I'll be able to plant my permanent vegetable gardens. So that'll be all the produce for the kitchen, and that's what I'm actually most passionate about. (CHUCKLES) For me, the priority is always the planting and surrounding yourself with nature. And then the build is secondary to that, so I'm really, really excited. To date, Cathy has planted a whopping 2,500 trees on the property. Isn't she gorgeous? (CURIOUS MUSIC) With the superstructure in place, Vince and Cathy can show me the layout of their new home. I still have my doubts, though, about the sheer size of the build. This is enormous. What were you thinking? It's got a bit of volume to it, but if you like indoor cricket or badminton, it's just awesome. I'd say it's too big. I mean, the distance between here and that door down there would be at least two cricket pitches. Yeah, but you have the run-up as well, though. (CHUCKLES) So you have to cater for the fast bowlers. It looks a big room here, but when you get the furniture and the different zones, it all will be in scale. Cos what we wanted to create is, like, a lodge feel. But to get that volume ` the exposed trusses, the big fireplace ` together, we think it will work really well. So, we already have next summer booked up with people coming from the States and Europe. You can imagine that it would make a damn fine lodge, a damn fine hotel. Yeah. Well` I'd prefer it, personally, if somebody was paying, though. (LAUGHS) Well, somebody might have to yet. Not only have Vince and Cathy got people coming in to visit this summer ` they've got a tribe of friends staying right now in the small shed. Last night, the snoring was so bad; Vince ended up sleeping in the car. Oh, really? You've been promoted to the car? Yes. And how are you feeling? Shattered. (CHUCKLES) With 11 people staying in accommodation built for just two, every available space is being used. After sleeping a night in his car, Vince's tolerance is evaporating fast. This is my one last vestige of personal space ` my workshop ` and that's all gone as well, actually. (DANCE MUSIC) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Vince loves being social, but he also needs downtime alone. The money flows out to keep the build going, and the debt just keeps mounting. The unrelenting pressure of the build, precarious financial situation and cramped living finally takes its toll. (SOMBRE PIANO MUSIC) I suppose just the last few months have been pretty tough. Unfortunately, I have great difficulty dealing with too much going on. And even in social situations, I find that challenging. So when I go into a bit of a dark place, I withdraw, like a lot of blokes do. I don't talk about issues. I think there needs to be a greater understanding of mental health and how it affects people. (INHALES SHAKILY) Yeah, it affects a lot of people in the community. Yeah. And I don't think a lot of people understand that, because, on the surface, hey, we're living the dream here. Why should I have any issues? I mean, goodness me. You've got a wonderful wife, gorgeous family, friends. We're very fortunate to be able to be digging this, building this wonderful property. Goodness' sakes. Why would you actually be feeling upset? Why would you actually be having a few bad days? Beggars belief, doesn't it? But unfortunately, that's what can happen with the... with the mind and with that process. So I just have to manage that. With Vince teetering on the edge of another depressive episode, he's got to make some tough decisions ` either keep building the house to the highest specifications, which means continuing enormous financial pressure, or put the build on hold to prevent his mental health deteriorating. But that could be even more expensive. Stopping a build of this scale is a bit like stopping an ocean liner, and just as hard to get up to speed again. I've seen many of them stop and never restart. (INTRIGUING MUSIC) Mounting pressure from the build has put Vince in a dark place. He and Cathy still haven't found buyers for the New Plymouth properties. And on top of this, Vince is struggling with the cramped living conditions he's sharing with his adult children. It's a million miles from an unassuming country life. With at least eight more months of the build to go, Vince is doing some soul-searching. Uh, it hasn't rolled as we would've thought it would've rolled. For me, it's about enjoying the journey and having that freedom, And sometimes, with the financial pressure, with things not flowing as they perhaps could, um, yeah, for me, I feel a little bit trapped. If some of these things don't fall into place, yeah, we might just say, 'Well, let's just stop for a little while, just shut it down.' I think if we put things on hold, you know, we'd still work on the gardens. And I think, also, maybe do another bike ride, you know, and take time out. While I understand why Vince wants to close the build down, I'm also aware of the huge costs this creates, which would ultimately put them in an even worse financial situation. Cathy is working hard to support Vince and, ultimately, to keep the build on track. We've been here before. And because our relationship in the past has been so good and we've built up this emotional bank account, you get through those really, really difficult times. The kids are also giving Vince the space he needs. Try and get out of the house a few days of the week and come work in the city. And then on the weekends, it's nice to get up there and give him a hand and help on the build. That's kinda when you get a chance to talk about the day and life and really connect. Depression has become a very open topic in the family. We openly discuss how we feel, and, yeah, we try and work through the issues. Dad's talked a few times about stopping the build. He's kind of the one who's got the financial stress, who's helping project-manage it. He's got everything on his shoulders. But then, the sun comes out. Something happens, and the world's right again. And I think he sees the bigger vision, which keeps driving him forward. The big house will be the house that they can all come home and everybody will have their space. And that's why we're building a big house, because we actually` and Vince as well ` he loves nothing more than having house full. So it's a double... Yeah. He needs his peace, but he also loves socialising and loves having the family around. (BUSY MUSIC) Two months on, and Vince seems to be in better spirits. And despite his intentions to put the build on hold, work continues on-site. Today, the deck above the yoga studio is being sealed and waterproofed. And the pool is now ready to have concrete sprayed on to the framework. The main concern for Vince and the contractors is the very real threat of bad weather. We've got a cyclone just skirting past, and so we've managed to get a very short window to get this done. If it rains today, yep, it could be a bit of a problem. But if it gets bad, we'll build a frame over the whole pool, and then we'll drag out our covers that we've brought today, and we'll just carry on. The concrete's built, so we've gotta get it done. Five concrete truckloads are needed for the 20m-long pool. We've got quite a big crew here today. So they have to work very quickly as the concrete's going on. It's a hard job. They've gotta pull that hose around at maybe 60 or 70 kilo of hose on them and another 30, so 100 kilo dragging around sometimes. It's a demanding job, and they enjoy it. They certainly earn their keep. This huge team of workers and truck after truck of concrete all adds up to more money. It's quite an investment. Um... Yeah. No, it's a lot of money, but it is a premier product. And also, we've elected to put on an electric pool cover, and that pool cover, yes, it does cost more than our first house, so it is... a real indulgence for the project. Once again, Vince has gone for the highest-spec product on the market. There are no compromises in this build, and I'm beginning to understand why. At first, I thought the house was just too big, but now I can see where Vince and Cathy are going with this project, and I think they've got the scale just right. It's reminiscent of a grand Italian villa, perched graciously on the hill. It's still at least six months away from completion, though, and I fear there may be many more challenges ahead. (RELAXED GUITAR MUSIC) Chris. Nice to see you. 'A couple of months later, I'm back to check in on Vince and Cathy.' So, I know at the beginning, I gave you guys a bit of a hard time about choosing to build such a big project. Do you kind of feel right now like, 'Uh, maybe we bit off a little bit more than we thought we were up for'? There have been moments, absolutely. Lots of heart-to-hearts. Mm. Questioning all the time. But we need a big property to house everyone. And then once it's finished, we won't need to go anywhere. He can go to the movies in his house. I can harvest from the garden. We've got the solar. We collect our own water. I have chooks. I'll have bees. 'I'm really glad that the vision of the lifestyle that they want 'is keeping them focused on completing the build.' I guess the real question for me is ` how are things tracking in terms of the finances? I mean, are you on-budget? No, that's not going too well, unfortunately. It's been a lot more complex than, I suppose, what I envisaged. We've chosen to go ahead with the pool, the terracing, which has been a considerable expense ` well over, uh, what we... what we were anticipating. Yeah, we've got a few issues, Chris, and we've still gotta sell our show home. We've still got some sections to sell. Yeah, there's a bit of a... a bit of juggling to go to actually make sure we can keep the build going. 'Fingers crossed that the New Plymouth properties sell.' (COWS MOO) But by late winter, that still hasn't happened, and Vince and Cathy have been working all hours to get the house finished. I don't think I've ever seen them so stressed. They're doing massive days getting up at the crack of dawn, working outside in the garden ` like, really hard physical work ` until dark. And then often coming in, and then Dad's on the computer for another four or five hours till midnight, doing all the paperwork and things. And then, you know, seven days a week. So I just can't wait until they're actually relaxing on the deck, having a glass of wine and actually, you know, enjoying everything that they've created. But that triumph may now be short-lived. The huge expense of building such a lavishly high-spec home may have cost the whole family their dream. The original plan was to have this beautiful family home to host, you know, all of our family and friends. And we all travel a lot, so we've got a lot of friends from overseas. But now it's definitely kind of swapped to us having to run it as a business, because obviously, it's gone so over-budget. The idea is for the family to run Te Arai as a luxury lodge part-time. Where once Vince and Cathy had hoped to host their friends, it may well be their friends who are hosting them. If we have paying guests coming to stay here and they want to rent the whole house, well, hey, we go and stay with our friends, and we travel and go overseas and stay with our friends for a week. We go camping. We go camping. That's how we met. And then, when those people aren't there, well, our friends can come and stay. Throughout this build, I've been blown away by how Vince's drive and Cathy's irrepressible optimism has got them over the hardest of hurdles ` even the awful thought that, if finances don't line up, they may well be forced to sell. You know, home is where your family and friends are. This is fantastic, but hey, something else will happen. And, uh, yeah, further down the track, if we have to move, we have to move. But, uh, hopefully not. Hopefully not. (CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC) Vince and Cathy set out to build a hugely ambitious project, vast in scale and conception. And it's pushed them to the absolute brink, so I really hope that it's been worth all the heartache. We're about to find out. (MUSIC CONTINUES) Whoa. Looking very sharp. Hey-hey! Chris. Nice to see you. Ohh. You guys look great. Good to see you. And the house looks fabulous! Yeah. Can't wait to have a look inside. Come on through. Have a look. Come to our new home. So, this is it, Chris. Oh... my... goodness. It changed a little bit, Chris. This is extraordinary. Cheers. No, we're very pleased. It's all come together beyond our expectations. Feels like a family home. 'The cavernous cricket pitch has been transformed into a series of articulated spaces, 'defined by generously proportioned furniture.' I love the scale of your couch. It's gorgeous. And it really takes command of the whole room around the fireplace. That, together with the table, absolutely encapsulates what's going on in the living area. And in the same way that this table anchors the living room, this table... (TAPS TABLE) really anchors the dining. Yeah. It's fabulous. What's this made of? It's beech, from an industrial factory in East Germany. Wow. And it's been bolted to these cast-iron legs from a car factory in Detroit in the States. Oh, they're gorgeous. Yeah. So I have to lighten the load, Chris, with some wildflowers. Oh, it's lovely. Yeah. Oh, I can imagine some good feasts being had around this table. And what you've done with the kitchen is also fabulous. It almost feels like a kind of grand cafe. Yeah, I suppose that's going back to my catering days, Chris, as a chef ` you know, all your produce and bits and pieces. It has got a bit of an industrial feel to it. 'But behind the facade is a functionally driven design 'which has Vince's enthusiasm for order written all over it. 'There'll be no chaos in this kitchen.' The idea here, Chris, is that we have a separate bar. So there's a place for everything? Absolutely. The green smoothies will happen over there, and the morning coffee will happen over there. So it just goes from the day. You start here. You go over there, and then you end up there. Right. Or on Sundays, you end up there at lunchtime, so... (LAUGHTER) But the thing that I absolutely love about your house is this absolutely fabulous vista. Yeah, it's pretty special, isn't it? Well, it is the reason why we fell in love with the property. 'Leading out from the kitchen are terraced vegetable gardens.' It's been an absolute labour of love. I nurture and look after my plants like they are babies. I love my plants, and they give me great joy. The thing that is really coming home to me now ` that it really is country life. Yeah. It's the house and the garden together. The lavender border along the edge ` it's beautiful, and that is just so classic, kind of, traditional European gardens, isn't it? It is. 'What I really love about this project is the way that Cathy's passion for plants 'has grounded the house. The terraces following the contour of the hill 'remind me of how classic Italian farmhouses sit harmoniously in the landscape. 'The front of the house is defined by a generous porch, 'where a stone fireplace creates yet another outdoor seating area.' Now, this would be the spot to sit, wouldn't it? 'Either side of this are two self-contained guest wings, 'with the added luxury of both an inside and an outside bath.' This is a lovely room, this room. It's very, very connected with the bush and the greenery, the birds, so very peaceful room. And a little lounge here, Chris, the fireplace ` a very private and a lovely setting. Straight out on to the deck ` you've got a lovely hot bath. 'Upstairs is Vince and Cathy's more modest master bedroom, 'with views over Te Arai's rolling hills to the distant sand dunes. 'Below the house is Cathy's mirrored yoga studio and, yes, that swanky 20m pool.' Oh, this is` this is gorgeous! I can't quite believe it. The stone walls have come up brilliantly. We're really pleased, Chris. And I think the in-out flow, Chris, with the yoga studio we have here works so well. You've got this reflection of the mirrors and the bush. It really doesn't get better than this. I'm just sitting here... in quiet awe... of what you two have just pulled off, because I think what you've done is really extraordinary. Last night was our first night in this room. We lit the fire, and the family came around the table. Mm. And we all said, 'This feels like home.' Mm. That was nice, right? Very special. Yeah. Just in simple terms,... is it what you imagined it was going to be from the outset? It absolutely has exceeded our expectations. The journey to get here was a lot harder than we thought it might be. Yeah, much harder, much, much... The cycling across Africa was easy by comparison. (LAUGHS) I was going to ask ` what have you learnt from each other through this? Through this project, Chris, I've got a huge respect for Cathy of just how hard she works. And Cathy is` she doesn't do anything for herself; she always does it for everybody else ` for the children, for me and for others. So she's a very giving person. No, but I'm... But I'm getting` I'm getting what I've dreamed about. This is... Yeah. Special for her. At the beginning, your budget was two and a half. So what did it end up at? Considerably more. Mm. Yeah, a good million over, I would say, by the time it all wraps up. Three and a half? Yeah, well, plus the... shed. Maybe plus the... pool. Total project would be maybe just under five, haven't we, for the total thing. But we've got a magnificent home. I got the feeling from you both that the whole idea with this project was also to end up debt-free. So given the way that it's ended up, how do you feel about that? When we realised... that we were gonna run over, it was very, very difficult, and I was an emotional wreck. Yes, it wasn't our intention to go into debt. So the way we justified it is I've never had any personal debt, but I have no problems with business debt. So by having this as a business ` people coming to rent the house for a week ` we believe it will stack up. Yeah. It's just numbers, at the end of the day. Mm. And a shed to live in. And a shed to live in. And a shed. We've always got the shed to live in. We're very... We're very... very blessed. Very blessed. And we know that. And we don't lose sight of that. We're very grateful every day. (ENCHANTING MUSIC) Cathy and Vince have cajoled magic from this clay hillside. They've transformed it into a wonderful country retreat. With Cathy's passion and Vince's refusal to compromise, they've created a home that will age gracefully. I just hope they get to enjoy it and don't end up living in the shed. Captions by Alex Walker. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018