Couple renovating their dream house on George Clarke's Building Home admit they've run out of money and racked up £20,000 of credit card debt - but still haven't finished the project

A couple who set out to build their dream home were left in a sticky situation after they burned through their budget and racked up credit card debt on the project - which is still not finished. Daniel and his wife Laura featured on Wednesday evening's episode of George Clarke's Building Home on Channel 4, which followed their project to renovate a derelict property in Mersea Island, Essex, into their dream abode.

Laura first moved to the idyllic island aged five with her family, but later relocated to Colchester after meeting Daniel. The couple decided to move back to the sought after beachside location to give their son Archie a childhood like Laura's - one where time after school is spent making memories at the beach.

Despite host George Clarke describing the £300,000 property as 'knackered', the couple saw its potential due to its enviable location, with the home positioned just a stone's throw away from the shoreline. They had ambitious plans to transform the old, cramped home into a modern and sustainable family house by raising the roof to build a whole new second floor with bedrooms and bathrooms, creating a new steel skeleton for the wooden walls, and insulating the new house.

The task was made additionally arduous by Daniel's plans to do a large bulk of the work himself to keep the costs down, while also relying on friends and family, including his carpenter brother, to help where possible. But just months into the process, Daniel learned that the couple had run out of money to finish the renovation, despite him picking up a new job, working seven day a week, and taking out an additional £20,000 over their original £50,000 budget on credit.

Father-of-one Daniel (pictured) got emotional telling host George Clarke on the Channel 4 show that money to fund his family's dream home renovation had 'dried up'. 'They money has dried up, and we've taken some cards out,' Daniel said in an emotional statement.

'We've got £20,000 on card now, and we're also paying back the mortgage,' he added. Laura chose to paint their predicament in a positive light, saying: 'I know that we've got to borrow along on the way, but we'll pay it back, and hopefully this is going to be our forever home, why would we not do it the way we want to?'.

George agreed with her logic and responded: 'I'm with you, I'm on your side, massively. When you get through it, and you refinance and you pay everybody back, then you're going to be in a very good place.'. While Laura maintained a cheerful outlook, the reality was different for Daniel, who took on the bulk of the workload while managing his usual nine-to-five and picking up additional jobs where possible to fund the project.

George, wanting to understand how Daniel was managing the stress, asked Laura: 'How is Dan coping?'. Daniel and his wife Laura (pictured left) told host George Clarke (pictured right) about their renovation plans. The couple purchased the 'knackered' beachside property (pictured) in Mersea Island, Essex, for £300,000.

Daniel opted to complete most of the building work himself to cut down on costs and stick to the budget. While the process was stressful, Laura maintained a positive outlook throughout the renovation project. She responded: 'He is struggling, he's doing the majority of it by himself, he's getting up early and going to bed late, it takes up every moment of Dan's spare time, it's all he thinks about.'.

Laura recalled the statement that she told her husband throughout the process: 'It's hard, but it's not always going to be like this because, at the end of the day, you're going to be able to stand in a house that you've built for your family; not many people can say they've done that.'.

Discussing his 'relentless' schedule that saw him take on another job to fund the project and pay off the mortgage, Daniel said: 'That's the way it is'. He added: 'Self builds, they are difficult, emotionally, and physically. If you want your dream home, you have to work for it. If you're doing yourself, you're in for a hard time.'.

The couple's financial situation meant that the home was incomplete by the end of the episode, but it was still world's away from where they first began, meaning they could move into the property and start their new life. Daniel and Laura seamlessly incorporated a second floor with a light and airy primary bedroom and one for their son Archie.

The father-of-one from Colchester worked seven days a week to renovate his family's dream home. By the end of the episode the work wasn't complete, but the couple had made impressive progress and had moved into their new abode. Despite going over budget, Daniel and Laura managed to add a light and airy second floor to their home.

George credited Laura's vision and Daniel's determination for the couple creating their forever home. While exploring the upgraded house, George said: 'It is beautiful, I'm quite jealous. Look at it, south facing house, beautifully designed, you've reused the old building and brought it into the 21st century, you've made it ecological and sustainable... and look at that view.'.