WALLS & NO PEACE
I was on DIY SOS & was promised beautiful extension but my house is worse than before – I had to stare at a wall all day
Family tells of their struggles but BBC isn't to blame
A DAD who appeared on DIY SOS has claimed his house is worse than it was before, despite being promised a beautiful extension.
Wheelchair-user Stuart Philips was desperate for the BBC transformation team's help when his Multiple Sclerosis further took over his life in 2019.
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Disabled Stuart started needing more support from his blind mum Lin and felt like it would be better if she moved in with him and his daughter Lauren.
But when Nick Knowles and his workmen started renovating the Torquay, Devon, property, they soon realised they couldn't get permission to extend it.
REDESIGN
Plans to make life easier for Stuart and his family fell through - with the only other option being to redesign.
The DIY SOS team changed the downstairs to make it open-plan, added in a special lift so Stuart could get upstairs and even gave him a wet room.
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But Stuart has complained he's had to stare at a wall all day after the extension couldn't go ahead.
Stuart said: "One of the things I really wanted was to be able to look out at the view over the Moors - but I am facing the wall.
"They have put up mirrors for me to look at the reflection behind me - but the mirrors were too high for me to see."
While the trio are grateful for all of the hard work put in, they say they've struggled to live in such a smaller space.
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Stuart continued: "Don't get me wrong - it's lovely. We are so grateful and we don't want to sound greedy.
"But they had to squeeze everything into the existing small house space and house three people where there had been two.
"It's not the BBC's fault."
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Stuart said getting out of the back doors in his chair is a struggle while mum Lin is living in a small room that can't even fit an extra seat.
Lin, who went completely blind in the 80s, added: "I haven't even got room for a chair. It's been very difficult. We didn't want to appear ungrateful.
"The people who were doing the volunteering were amazing."
A BBC spokesperson said at the time: "The DIY SOS team take the responsibility of building a home extremely seriously, and contributors are consulted throughout the build to ensure the design will meet their specific needs.
"We remained in touch with the Philips family regularly after filming to address and resolve their concerns as quickly as possible.”
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