The video explores the many questions raised by the prospect of buying a house. Whether it’s your first purchase, you’re relocating, or your family is increasing in size and you need more space. Would a house on a new estate be a good option? How about an old house full of character? And then there’s self-build!

Having recently started a family, Ben Adam-Smith finds himself asking these questions. He wants to upgrade to a larger, more comfortable, healthy home, but he also wants it to be energy-efficient, so that running costs are low and it is kind to the environment. In the documentary, Ben explores the options open to him and speaks to a wide range of experts about houses and house building. In the process, he learns how inadequate much of Britain’s current housing stock is, and discovers that drastic changes are needed to make our homes more resilient, not just for the present day, but also for an increasingly uncertain future. A key element in assessing a building’s performance, and an excellent guide to overall build quality, is its airtightness. Many people understand the importance of insulation in reducing heat loss but few realise the more significant role that airtightness plays. In the documentary, Ben follows air leakage expert Paul Jennings from ALDAS as he tests different buildings to see how they perform and how they could be improved.