BRICK BY BRICK
We went on A New Life In The Sun – our house STILL isn’t finished one year on rage devastated couple
Even when the house was done, there were still problems
ONE couple from A New Life In The Sun wanted to build a dream house for one of their parents, but it still did not go to plan.
On the Channel 4 show, singers Ellie and Gary from Nottingham bought a huge guesthouse.
7
7
7
The 10-bedroom property in Central Bulgaria cost them just £13,000, and it even came with a swimming pool.
After work dried up, the couple moved lock stock and barrel to Europe with their daughter Millie.
Initially, things on A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now?, went well for the couple.
The pair managed to get their huge home up to scratch ready to welcome guests for a bed and breakfast escape.
READ MORE ON LIFE IN THE SUN
However, they bought the empty plot of land next door as they planned to build a state-of-the-art bungalow for Ellie's mum Linda.
Although work started on the new home, it soon came to a standstill as the couple engaged in a battle with the local authorities.
They were left frustrated by all the bureaucracy as they didn't get the correct planning permission on the A Place In The Sun spin-off.
Ellie said: "We've been focusing on the planning for mum's house, which it finally came through."
Most read in News TV
While Gary admitted: "Yep, it didn't go according to plan like we knew it would and it was all paperwork."
They thought the job would only take a few months, but they were wrangling with the system for over a year.
A Place In The Sun’s Laura Hamilton on her surprising secret to losing a stone and why she laughs off people thinking she has fake boobs
Linda was then forced to live with the couple for over a year as they built the second dream home.
The duo were left fuming about the progress of the home as they showed the camera their bulging file of documents.
Ellie explained: "That's the building visa that says we could build. But then you've got documents.
"First we had to get documents from the electric company saying they'll supply electric, then we had to get another document saying they'll do the work, and then another one when it's signed off."
A Place in the Sun presenters - past and present
CURRENT PRESENTERS
Ben Hillman
Craig Rowe
Leah Charles-King
Lee Juggurnauth
Lucy Alexander
Sara Damergi
PAST PRESENTERS
Adrian Simpson
Luke Doonan
Gary was clearly even more frustrated having to live with his mother-in-law as he remarked: "It's crackers".
Glaring down at the pages of documents in front of him, he added: "Look at it! Everything gets stamped [and] signed.
"There must be 50 different things!"
When progress resumed, Linda wasn't ready to move into the house for another few months.
Read More on The Sun
When she eventually moved out of the guesthouse, nothing was straightforward in the bungalow as it had no running water.
In order to fill up the kettle to make tea, Linda would have had to improvise by using the exterior hosepipe.
7
7
7
7
Topics