KENNETH COX: If we could live in the middle of the woods,
it'd be a dream for us.
NARRATOR: In South Alabama--
CAITLIN COX: It's very secluded and quiet.
It's exactly what we want.
NARRATOR: --a young family races to build
their waterfront dream home.
CAITLIN COX: We are ready to start building.
Oh, yeah.
NARRATOR: But when mother nature hits hard--
There's a hurricane on the way, like right
around the corner.
NARRATOR: --and critical mistakes are made--
I don't know, this seems pretty dangerous.
Whoa.
Whoa!
Oh!
What just happened?
NARRATOR: --they will be pushed to their limits.
Oh my god, Kenneth.
NARRATOR: Are you ready to go off the grid?
[music playing]
CAITLIN COX: We need to catch some bluegill for supper
tonight.
[laugh]
If we get one big enough, maybe.
NARRATOR: In southern Alabama, Kenneth and Caitlin
Cox are about to turn their favorite fishing
hole into an off-grid dream home for their family.
We have 20 acres that we bought a year ago.
CAITLIN COX: It's beautiful.
We have a three acre pond surrounded by gorgeous woods,
and it's very secluded and quiet.
It's exactly what we want.
Caitlin caught a four-pounder over there.
It was probably like 2 and 1/2.
It gets bigger and bigger every time he tells the story.
I'm Caitlin.
I'm Kenneth.
And we're going to be building our off-grid
home outside of Lake Eufaula.
NARRATOR: The Cox's 20 acre playground
is located two hours from the state capital of Montgomery,
right along the Chattahoochee River in the town of Eufaula.
CAITLIN COX: We would sleep in a tent on the ground if we could,
but we have kids.
We are a family of four.
We have an eight-year-old boy, Lyon, and he is an outdoorsman.
He loves to hunt, fish, play in the mud.
I got one! I got one!
I got one!
KENNETH COX: Good job, buddy.
I got it.
Oh, my.
I never got that kind of fish before.
And we also have an 11-month-old named Byrd.
What's that?
[byrd babbling]
She's just beautiful.
OK.
KENNETH COX: And we also have a dog named Man.
So we named our dog after humans and our kids after animals.
Whoo!
KENNETH COX: We have a lot of critters around here.
We got rattlesnakes, and we have water moccasins.
There's a gator from time to time here.
CAITLIN COX: It's very remote.
We don't have any neighbors.
No power line.
No power lines, no water lines.
So we have to be off grid.
We don't have a choice.
KENNETH COX: The home site where we
want to build the house is up on top of the hill above the pond.
It'd be nice to wake up and drink coffee to every morning.
Yes.
KENNETH COX: So we're building a 820-square-foot house
with a big front porch facing the pond.
On the back left hand side, we're going
to have a single bathroom.
On the right hand side is going to be the kitchen,
and the living space is going to be right in the front door
when you walk in.
It's going to have a two-bedroom loft.
One's going to be for us, and the other side
is going to be for Lyon.
Our bedroom should be on this side
and Lyon's should be on this side.
We'll figure it out.
Some of our off grid features are going to be solar panels,
and for heat we're going to be using a wood burning stove.
We're going to have a composting toilet,
and until we can get a well dug, we're going
to have to hand carry water in.
Our budget is $30,000 and our timeline is about two months.
What I'm looking forward to the most is the reveal.
We've been living with our in-laws for too long.
You can't say that.
[laugh]
This is going to be very challenging,
and it's going to test us, probably,
and push us to the limits.
But we're going to get it done, it's
going to be our forever home, and it's going to be our dream.
KENNETH COX: The first steps are getting infrastructure stuff
done like getting the roads done, getting rock
poured so it's not as slippery.
Clearing the top of the hill and getting the trees
moved out of the way.
I want to actually try to utilize some of the wood.
Accessing the site can be very easy if it's dry and very
difficult when it rains.
Being in the peak of hurricane season,
it seems to rain every day here on and off, all day long.
You can't trust the weather man.
It's going to rain, pretty much.
All right, we're going to-- CAITLIN COX: Break ground today?
KENNETH COX: Yeah.
Been waiting on this for a long time.
I know it's been 10 years for me.
And ever since me and her have been together,
we've been working towards this.
CAITLIN COX: This is our dream.
KENNETH COX: Yeah.
NARRATOR: For the foundation, the plan is to dig nine holes
that will house concrete forms.
After that, they'll clear out a trench for the cooling
tubes that will act as a natural air conditioner for the house.
KENNETH COX: This is exciting.
Finally getting the footers done.
My buddy Tim's coming.
He's really good with the backhoe.
He's very experienced.
He should be able to get it done pretty quick.
We really need to get it done today,
because the concrete truck's coming tomorrow.
Also, we have a hurricane on the way, so we need to try to--
That's not gonna help.
Yeah, we need to hurry it up.
You think you can get through it?
All right.
I believe it won't be a problem.
As long as we don't hit any rocks or anything like that.
I don't think there's any rock.
It's just really hard clay.
We'll see.
KENNETH COX: The pond is an old bauxite mine,
and they just threw everything from underneath the ground
on top of the hill right here.
And it's been sitting here for 15 years.
It's just gotten harder and harder.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, that'll be perfect.
TIM BOWDEN: You like that? KENNETH COX: Yeah.
TIM BOWDEN: It's definitely hard, isn't it?
It is hard.
KENNETH COX: I was worried about how hard it would be.
I mean, if you try to stick a shovel in this ground,
it's going down three inches and you're done.
Yeah, it's hard ground.
Luckily, this is a pretty big piece of equipment,
so he's helping us out with that.
Otherwise, I don't think we could have got it done.
Whoa, that is deep.
Yeah.
How deep is that?
Like 10 foot.
It's three foot.
That's where we're going to pour concrete,
and then our house is going to sit on top of that.
Oh, I get it, yeah.
Really solid, so we don't trip over and fall and get hurt.
LYON COX: Yeah.
Maybe we should put our well so we can get some pennies and--
KENNETH COX: Oh, a wishing well?
Let's get our house built first and we'll figure it out.
LYON COX: Yeah, we'll figure it out.
Now then we're done getting the nine holes done
for the pillars our foundation is going to sit on top of,
right now we're going to dig a trench
for the air cooling system.
We're going to do two of those.
If we can get it five foot deep, hopefully by the time that tube
comes in, the hot air rises through that tube,
it'll be cool and those are going to run into the bottom
of the house right there.
The one thing I'm worried about is,
there's a big drop off over here that he's going
to have to deal with that.
I'm not sure what he's going to do with that.
Come on.
He's past the bad part, at least.
When the tires were dangling in the air
I was kind of worried about it.
Think you're good.
NARRATOR: With the digging finished,
Kenneth and Caitlin are ready for concrete pillars
to be poured the following day.
But the late summer in these parts brings a familiar foe.
[thunder]
KENNETH COX: We worked really hard to get this all done,
to get the holes dug for the cement truck.
Cement truck canceled, obviously.
We're not going be able to pour today.
There's a hurricane on the way like right around the corner.
CAITLIN COX: Our driveways are a mess.
We can't get any heavy machinery out here.
It's just-- it's bad.
Hurricanes don't help.
NARRATOR: Day two of Kenneth and Caitlin Cox's off grid
build in southern Alabama, and already a late summer hurricane
has shut down their progress.
Five days later, they're finally able to return to the site
to assess the damage.
CAITLIN COX: We just got this road fixed and the storm that
just came through just washed it right out,
so we're going to have to rework this road again.
CAITLIN COX: That's all part of living
off the grid in South Alabama.
All of our holes ended up three foot by four foot deep,
and they all got filled up completely with water.
We were supposed to finish our forms tomorrow and get
concrete poured, but we're going to have to figure
out how to get the water out.
I don't have any pumps or anything like that right now,
so I'm gonna have to buy one, I reckon.
At least a couple of days.
And right now we don't have any days
that we can waste with our timeline,
so we're going to have to try to make up with it somewhere else.
CAITLIN COX: What you doing?
KENNETH COX: Before I could even think about putting concrete
in there, we had to actually go buy pumps
to pump all that water out.
Yeah, so it cost us time and money.
KENNETH COX: It's coming out pretty quick,
but, uh, it's probably about 700 gallons
in each hole based on the time and how
much pumps out a minute.
So it's going, but it's just a slow process.
NARRATOR: The Coxs make progress draining the muddy rainwater
out of the footings, but their troubles are far from over,
with forecasters calling for another storm heading
their way in a few days.
KENNETH COX: Try to get our form set between today and tomorrow
and get the concrete poured on Tuesday.
And then the rain's coming in Thursday,
so we have to get that done or else we might
have to do this all over again.
NARRATOR: To help speed things up before the next storm,
Caitlin's dad Bill and his friend
arrive to help install the concrete forms in rebar.
So we finally got the forms ready.
We worked through the night, but it looks good.
This ground is very, very muddy.
I hope he doesn't get stuck anywhere.
He's already kind of sank in one spot, so we'll see.
That's for our powerhouse to the rear,
and we got all nine pillars done.
Pretty good day so far.
We've got two more days before another hurricane comes in,
so I'm glad we got it before.
We managed to get about two weeks of pretty dry weather,
so we've been able to get a good bit done with the foundation.
It's been really nice, because we've been working together
as a family on this one.
I'm mortaring.
CAITLIN COX: Yep.
You're mortaring?
I'm just patting this down so it can stay in place.
My dad is putting the new bricks in.
After this brick, we're going to let it dry for almost
like an hour or something and do some more work.
CAITLIN COX: There we go, guys.
We're level.
NARRATOR: With the foundations all set,
Kenneth and Caitlin finally have luck on their side.
CAITLIN COX: So our house is getting here today.
We've been waiting for a really long time
and it's finally coming.
KENNETH COX: He had some issues with the shipping on the frame,
because it came out of Texas and we had two hurricanes--
Two hurricanes came through there.
--Came straight through there back to back and messed
up the trucking patterns and the power
grid there and everything.
So it's here now, so we're ready to start building.
Ready for the house to get here?
We got our house in finally, and we are ready to start building.
Oh, yeah.
NARRATOR: Before they can start building,
Kenneth plans to install the solar panels
so he can use the sun's energy to power his tools.
But his plan has come to a sudden stop.
KENNETH COX: Just got our solar panels in, and it is shattered.
They're busted.
Says do not stack.
Obviously somebody stacked something on top of it.
It's pretty ridiculous.
That's another setback for us.
NARRATOR: In the deep south of the Yellow Hammer State,
Caitlin and Kenneth Cox are attempting
to build an off grid family home on their 20 acre property.
So far, they've been pounded by misfortune,
but with the framing for the house finally on site,
they're forging ahead.
We're going to get it done.
It's a little crazy building out here.
There's no power, no water yet.
Caitlin and Kenneth, they chose to live like this.
If that's what they want to do, I'll help them any way I can.
That's not going anywhere.
NARRATOR: The metal frame for the house
goes together like a rib cage, with an anchor on each side
of the foundation and the 26 ribs connected up
to a center beam at the peak of the structure,
creating an arch shape.
KENNETH COX: So now we want to try to lift
one of these first ribs up?
Yeah, we need to build a scaffolding.
And what we'll do is we'll put one of the ribs in the top
and then try to set it in there.
OK.
The scariest part about putting the frame up
is how high it's going to be up.
It's 17 and 1/2 foot tall.
I've got scaffolding for 12 foot,
but I am a little shy of heights.
That's it.
You want to get on the ground and hold that tape
and see if I can get to 17 and 1/2 foot?
It doesn't make me nervous.
It makes me nervous for him.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, 17 and 1/2 about here.
So I can do it, but not for long.
Let's see if we can stand it up.
We don't have it anymore.
You got it?
KENNETH COX: Yeah.
WORKMAN: If you get these three ribs in the middle put
in place, that will hold it up to where then we
can move the scaffolding to each corner
to do the rest of the ribs.
Coming at you.
CAITLIN COX: Be careful, babe.
KENNETH COX: I'm trying.
Just scary.
CAITLIN COX: Yeah.
Somebody move that ladder for us.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
WORKMAN: Let me get up there.
Let me get up there.
Yeah, we're gonna need one more person.
There's going to have to be two people holding it
and then two people to bring them in.
Are you OK?
KENNETH COX: I'm about to have a damn heart attack.
Pick your side up a little bit, Kenneth.
There you go.
Just get this in there.
Get the other side.
There you go.
All right.
WORKMAN: Let's get another beam up there.
You got it?
There it is.
WORKMAN: All right, let's get it on the other side.
KENNETH COX: Being on the scaffolding was pretty sketchy.
Once we got a few of the ribs up,
I felt a lot more comfortable with it.
Every time you get another rib in place,
it tightens up the rest of the structure,
so it's harder to get the next one and the next one.
Yeah, it looks like it.
It looks sketchy.
We're getting us a frame.
You want to get up there and put the screws in?
I'm not scared.
Just don't look down, yeah.
KENNETH COX: Good job.
Yeah, I did it!
I was worried when Caitlin got up there,
but very proud of her for putting together
those last couple of ribs.
Very exciting, and glad she could be a part of that.
One more.
You got it?
And it's--
There you go, there you go.
[cheering]
We just finished our frame.
And it was very scary and challenging,
but we got it done and I couldn't be happier.
NARRATOR: With the frame complete,
the crew turns their focus to siding
and insulation for the massive 17 and 1/2 foot tall
curved walls.
It's a giant burrito wrap.
CAITLIN COX: You have to wrap the insulation
around the brackets.
Then you have to screw the metal onto that.
It's a team effort and we only have two ladders.
We can put the first sheet on there.
Hold on, I got a pile of wood back here.
[laughing]
Did you get that?
All right.
Are you OK?
I just kind of slowly lay down.
I meant to do that, by the way.
Let me grab a level.
This side is going to have to come up right there.
Heavy metal coming through.
I'm not tall enough.
Right there.
Nail her down.
I've done siding projects, but I've never done something
at the curvature like this.
That's what's making it really tricky.
It's hard to do it from the inside,
it's hard to do from the outside.
All right, guys.
That was a good day's work.
Almost halfway there.
So what's the plan for tomorrow?
We got rain coming in later in the week,
so maybe tomorrow we can get the whole thing sided off
and finish up with that.
All right, good job, guys.
Y'all buy the steaks, I'll cook them.
NARRATOR: It's a new day at the Cox family job site,
and sunny skies are forecasted to take a turn for the worse,
making the guys anxious to get the rest of the insulation
and siding up before it hits.
But with fewer hands on site than yesterday,
the tall task is starting to feel out of reach.
What do you think, Ken?
I don't know.
This seems pretty dangerous.
Yeah.
KENNETH COX: It's pretty sketchy up there, and you're on metal.
It's slippery.
There's nothing really to grasp on to.
Let's bring it on down real quick.
Let's think about it.
I don't want to risk it and I don't want anybody to get hurt.
BILL GILMORE: Well, look.
You know we got rain coming this week from the hurricane.
CAITLIN COX: Oh, I know.
We need to get all these sheets up.
We do have rain coming.
We got like 10 inches of rain coming in the next two days,
so we got to get this thing up.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, we don't have a choice at this point.
If that insulation goes wet, I mean, we're done.
Whatever we do, we've got to come up with a plan to do,
we need to do it today.
Yeah.
What do you think, Ken?
I don't know.
This seems pretty dangerous.
Let's bring it on down real quick.
Let's think about it.
Well, look.
You know we got rain coming this week from that hurricane.
I know.
BILL GILMORE: We need to get all these sheets up.
Whatever we do, we got to come up with a plan to do.
We need to do it today.
All right, I hate to do it, but I
think we need to spend the money on a boom lift, renting one.
- I'm all for it. - It'd be safer.
We're going to need it for the top anyway.
BILL GILMORE: OK.
Well, I'll head to town, rent the lift,
and try to get back quick as I can.
OK. Sounds good, man.
BILL GILMORE: All right.
NARRATOR: Running out of both time and options,
Kenneth and Caitlin decided some extra machinery is
their best bet for a bailout.
CAITLIN COX: Hopefully it'll only
take my dad a few hours to get back with that boom lift.
We're losing a lot of time, but I think in the long run
it'll be quicker with the boom lift, and a lot safer.
KENNETH COX: The boom's here.
CAITLIN COX: Yeah, woohoo, it's here!
No time to waste, though.
We got to get this done.
CAITLIN COX: We do have rain coming.
We got like 10 inches of rain coming in the next two days,
so we got to get this thing up.
Yeah, we don't have a choice at this point.
What we're going to do is attach these ropes
to the panels using vice grips.
We're gonna throw the rope to the other side,
and then y'all are going to go to the other side and pull,
and it'll pull it up to where I can get it in place.
I'll give you a shout, and I'll screw it
in until we get them all done.
A little nervous.
Never driven one before, but I'll figure it out.
Better than climbing up on a ladder, so.
BILL GILMORE: Tell me when.
KENNETH COX: Pull it.
We're fraying our rope on that center beam there.
Yeah, I see that.
KENNETH COX: Pull it.
All right, that's good right there.
Hold on one second.
NARRATOR: With the extra help of the boom,
the crew is able to safely install
the siding and insulation onto the 17
and 1/2 foot tall curved walls.
All right, this is the last one.
Good job, guys.
Yay!
[cheering]
CAITLIN COX: While my dad and the others
add some more screws to the metal roof,
me and Kenneth are going to put in the cooling tubes.
All right, let's carry this down.
Let's go about halfway and then we'll cut them.
OK.
This is going to make our house so much cooler
without having to do the air conditioning.
NARRATOR: The cooling tubes will be buried approximately five
feet deep, where the ambient temperature
will be around 55 degrees.
As the hot air moves through the tubes,
the surrounding Earth cools the air,
and that colder air is pumped into the cabin with a fan.
And we're going to do two of those just for more efficiency,
and those will plug-in right up into the bottom of the house.
CAITLIN COX: (ECHOING) Hey, babe?
Hello?
(ECHOING) Hey.
(ECHOING) This is our telephone system.
Air condition will be nice.
KENNETH COX: It's going to be nice, yeah.
By the time it makes it back to the house,
it should be close to 70.
I hope so.
Don't we have a friend with a tractor.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, we do.
Why don't we do that?
Call him in?
You don't want to do this?
No.
NARRATOR: With the metal framing and siding finally finished,
the crew is turning their attention
to the rest of the framing.
All right, let's get started.
All right.
Stand it up, and then I'll screw it down on the floor
and we'll fasten it down.
We'll lift it up and then we'll start building
up the loft on this side.
All right, we got a wall.
Yay.
We need to get the beams cut, too, right?
KENNETH COX: Yeah.
These beams came out of a house from the 1850s
that they tore down.
It was the oldest house in Clayton, which is near us.
They're made out of cedar.
They're very dense, very strong, and our loft
is going to sit on top of them.
The center beam was made out of the center of the tree,
and that's going to go in the center of our house.
So the heart of the tree is going to go
in the heart of our house.
KENNETH COX: So the framing went really well today, I think.
I thought we were going to get a little bit farther as
far as production that we did today.
But it looks good, we did it right.
I think it'd be a good idea to let Lyon come see.
Yeah, me too.
All right, are you ready to see it?
Yes.
We've gotten a pretty good bit done today.
Mhm.
OK, are you ready?
Mhm.
What!
Go in there and look around, man.
OK.
KENNETH COX: Tell us what you think.
Pretty nice floor.
Your bedroom is going to be up there.
Is that too high for you?
Yeah, it's cool.
KENNETH COX: Be careful.
CAITLIN COX: He's not scared.
Not scared at all.
It looks beautiful up here.
Lyon went up the ladder and got on top of the loft.
He seemed to really like it.
You think we should keep building?
Mhm.
We've got a lot more to do, don't we?
Mhm.
Good job, dad.
KENNETH COX: Thanks, man.
You're welcome.
KENNETH COX: Today is an exciting day.
We're going to install a couple of windows we already have in.
CAITLIN COX: And we got our big French doors
that we're going to be putting in
and our stained glass window.
KENNETH COX: It's really old and antique.
It's beautiful.
It has a bird theme, which is our daughter's name,
and I really look forward to putting it up there.
It's going to be the centerpiece of our house.
KENNETH COX: What we're going to do is me
and Matt will climb up on top of the scaffolding.
If y'all can bring the window around,
maybe put it up here and then lift that
window up to us, and we should be
able to hang it from up there.
OK, sounds good.
Y'all be careful.
It's an antique.
It's very fragile.
You got it?
Mhm.
Y'all be careful.
This is sketchy.
KENNETH COX: I haven't gotten up there yet
to see if it's going to fit or not,
so all the measurements should be perfect, but we'll see.
It's fitting kind of tight.
Yeah, it looks tight.
KENNETH COX: Whoa.
Be careful with it, guys.
KENNETH COX: Whoa!
CAITLIN COX: Oh, oh, oh!
KENNETH COX: Oh!
NARRATOR: In southern Alabama, Caitlin and Kenneth
Cox are installing a one of a kind window for
their off the grid dream home.
CAITLIN COX: Y'all be careful.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, this is sketchy.
It's fitting kind of tight.
It looks tight.
KENNETH COX: Whoa.
So I'm putting the stained glass in place at the top of the
build, and it was fitting a little too snug, so I tried
to wiggle the back back in.
CAITLIN COX: Be careful with it, guys.
And a gust of wind came through
and it really just took it out of my hands.
Oh!
CAITLIN COX: Oh!
KENNETH COX: Oh!
CAITLIN COX: What just happened?
I don't know, but that's not salvageable.
My heart is beating so fast right now.
I can't believe that just happened.
I made this spot just for that window.
It's not like a regular size window.
CAITLIN COX: What are we going to do now?
We paid a lot of money for that window.
Where are we going to find another stained glass
window this fast?
MATT: Probably not.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, I don't see it happening.
We don't have time to stop.
We got to figure something out.
The deadline's coming up quick.
CAITLIN COX: We got to keep going.
Can you just hold this up?
CAITLIN COX: So we broke the window,
but we got to move on, so we're setting
up the scaffolding right now.
And we're about to put in our French doors.
The ground is uneven where we've dug our cooling tubes
and we had to slide several boards
just to get the scaffolding level.
Somewhat level.
That looks so sketchy.
MATT: That ain't bad.
CAITLIN COX: It just really makes me nervous,
because if we break something else
we can't recover from that.
We don't have a lot of time left.
KENNETH COX: The French doors that we're putting up there
are very heavy.
If I had to guess, maybe 400, 450 pounds.
Ready?
Not only are they heavy, they're awkward.
So it's really hard to get a good grip on it.
BILL GILMORE: Back it off, stand it up,
and Steve's gonna screw that board on to keep them doors
from swinging.
KENNETH COX: We have to lift the door up actually
about four foot to get to where our door frame is actually at.
That's going to be really tricky and there's
very little room for error.
Well, we're going to turn it around, this part up.
Two of us is going to get on the scaffold.
OK.
We can let it lean up there right now.
Come on, come on.
KENNETH COX: We've had to make trips
to get these French doors, to get the stained glass.
At this point on, if we're going to make this timeline,
we need to be building every day.
You have to make sure it's out up top.
Yeah, it's out.
The bottom's got to go to him.
- Get the bottom in first. - There we go.
There we go. And then we'll get the top.
There we go.
That's it.
All right, go for it, there.
You're good.
KENNETH COX: It was a little rough getting it up there,
but when we got it up there we were able to maneuver
it into place somewhat easily.
- That's good. - That's it.
Yeah, that's it right there.
It's in there nice now.
I really like it.
That gets a paycheck?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, that does look good.
KENNETH COX: The solar panels, the first time
they came in, they were busted up on the top.
Just got solar panels in and it is shattered.
It's pretty ridiculous.
It's another setback for us.
NARRATOR: It took four weeks for the replacement panels
to arrive, and Kenneth wasted no time on the install.
We have a total of 12 panels, eight batteries.
It's a total of 3,750 watts.
The rack we made all out of scrap metal.
Average price for solar panel mounts is $1,500 to $2,500.
We got it done for free besides bolts and screws
and stuff like that.
But finally got it up, even though with all the setbacks.
We just need to wire this thing up,
and within the next week hopefully
we can be using our own power.
We have a big brush pile that we need to burn.
It's left over trees from when we cleared this property.
We've needed to get it out of the way for a while now.
We've been trying to get the build going on
and get it completed as fast as possible.
I'm trying to get as much as I can on the inside
and on the top and then come down as I go.
Probably need to try and get more in the middle up there.
That's what I was thinking.
We're used to this kind of thing,
but it could still go wrong, so we've
got to be careful and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.
We're not very close to a fire department or anything.
So hopefully nothing goes wrong.
Whoa.
Oh my god, Kenneth.
NARRATOR: In Eufaula, Alabama, Kenneth and Caitlin
Cox are about to play with fire.
We're not very close to the fire department or anything,
so hopefully nothing goes wrong.
Whoa.
Are you OK?
Did it scare you?
So I lit the fire, it starts off real fast,
it gets to that diesel fuel, and that's what sustains it.
It got pretty big.
A little uneasy for a second.
CAITLIN COX: It always only starts big
and then it gets smaller.
KENNETH COX: The burn pile is going good.
This kind of process usually takes a couple of days.
We'll just keep checking on it, being safe about it
as possible, and it'll look a lot better over there.
And it'll be a space that we can utilize
versus just a nasty pile on the side of our house.
We've had a really busy week.
We've been able to make a deck on the outside,
we put up the exterior walls on the back.
And then we're still waiting on the windows.
They're supposed to be here the next couple of days.
Once again, set back on shipping.
But once they get here, it's going to be easy peasy
putting them in, I believe.
CAITLIN COX: Today we're going to install
our new stained glass window, and hopefully
you won't break it this time.
Yeah.
So we ended up having to search a whole week to find
a new stained glass window.
We did find one.
All right, go ahead and bring it up.
Be careful with it, though.
We found a couple of different ones,
but the one that we set on actually
has a hummingbird on it, which goes along with the little bird
theme with our daughter.
So it ended up being a pretty good find.
Be careful with that, dad.
I don't want you to break that window.
All right, we're about to put it in, guys.
OK.
I am standing back.
Let's see if she fits.
CAITLIN COX: Don't drop it.
It's perfect.
The only thing that was weird with it is it's
a smaller window, so we ended up having
to reframe it off with the other one that we had already framed.
But it went in perfectly.
The colors coming through the window from the inside
look great.
It's right in the middle, the center of the house,
at the very top of the peak.
I'm very happy with it.
How's it look out there?
CAITLIN COX: It looks good.
It looks pretty from over here because I can see it.
Good.
I hope Byrd likes it.
KENNETH COX: I hope she does, too.
I think she will.
NARRATOR: On the interior, Ken has been working nonstop
installing the wood siding, but needs help from his son, Lyon,
to finish the job.
Hey, dad.
Is this like pine tree wood or something?
Mhm.
And we're going to attach the pine to the spruce.
The reason we're using spruce is because it's a lot softer
and it's able to bend with these arches.
But we'll staple the pine into the spruce
using the staple gun.
It's very fun showing my son how to do
different stuff like that.
My dad, when I was growing up, he
showed me a lot of that kind of stuff,
so it's cool to pass that on to him.
Think you can handle it?
I think I can try, I guess.
You got your safety glasses on?
All right, let's do this.
OK.
Do I go like--
You got to press the nose in, and that's going to allow
you to be able to shoot it, OK?
I love it when my dad teaches me new things.
Oh!
How does it work?
Looks good.
You want to keep on going?
Yeah, I'll go, yes.
All right, come on.
LYON COX: Dad, we sure have a lot to do here.
KENNETH COX: Yep.
We're really starting to get into a groove on this thing.
We're moving along, gotten the windows in.
We've dried in completely, got all the tin up, finished up
the interior siding, finally.
We got all the flooring done all the way through the house.
A lot of late nights, a lot of tired mornings.
NARRATOR: With Kenneth and Caitlin burning the candle
at both ends, they've called in friend
and interior designer, April Phelan
to help finish up the build.
Here it is.
APRIL PHELAN: Hey, guys. - Hey.
It looks great.
All right, so I brought a lot of stuff that I hope you guys
like. I've been following your build.
It looks awesome.
Now it's time to make this place look like home.
You ready? - Yeah, we're ready.
Just knowing Kenneth and Caitlin a little bit,
their vibe is very eclectic, very boho.
And so they've got some really unique pieces
and I can't wait to use them in the space.
It's going to look awesome.
Let's just start grabbing stuff and we'll start staging away.
OK, sounds good.
Woohoo.
April brought all our stuff in.
I thought it was amazing.
It was everything that we loved.
All right, gotta squeeze it in this doorway.
KENNETH COX: I love this couch too.
It's so great.
KENNETH COX: Where do you think? Over in this corner?
Oh, man.
Do y'all have a preference?
I like it over there.
I'm thinking on that wall, too.
Look, this is going to look so great
next to that natural wood.
Oh, yeah.
All right, guys.
This is your first piece of furniture.
How's it feel?
It feels awesome.
I love it.
I love the color.
Yeah.
It feels more like home already.
It looks really good in here.
So this can maybe function as a coffee table, you think?
Yeah.
This is pretty fun.
I love the blue and it goes good with the couch.
I love this.
APRIL PHELAN: We definitely found
some really cool pieces at some of the local stores
for Byrd and Lyon.
And so we've got some really cool themed pieces
for the kids, and it's going to make the space
look right at home for them.
Lyon, are your eyes closed?
LYON COX: My eyes are closed.
I have a surprise for you.
Are you ready?
Open.
What do you think?
I love it. APRIL PHELAN: I thought of you.
I thought that would look good in your room.
Thank you.
Do you have a good lion's roar?
TIM BOWDEN: Yeah.
APRIL PHELAN: Let me hear it.
[roar]
That's pretty good!
We've got all the stuff in there,
it looks really, really awesome, and it's
totally made this thing just brighten
up and look like home now.
All right, your stuff's in the space.
How's it feel?
CAITLIN COX: Feels good.
Yeah, it's exciting.
Really exciting.
APRIL PHELAN: That's half the battle, just getting it here.
So now we just work all night, put it into place,
and it's going to look really good.
Yeah, I'm ready.
Sounds good.
We're finally done with our house.
It feels really good.
KENNETH COX: I'm really proud of it.
I'm happy we can slow down a little bit
and relax and enjoy it.
It's been a crazy ride.
It's good to finally get to our destination.
The original budget was $30,000.
At the end of it, we ended up about $36,000.
Our original timeline was two months,
but due to the hurricanes, it ended
up being about three months.
But it was worth it.
CAITLIN COX: For sure.
I'm proud of what we've got done.
CAITLIN COX: Today we're showing the house to my little sister
Sarah and her boyfriend Andrew, and they
drove from three hours away.
And I can't wait to see what they think about the house.
Hey!
Hey.
The house looks so awesome.
You like it?
Yes.
Thanks.
Good to see you.
You too.
Appreciate it, man.
- Oh, yeah. - It looks so fun.
Look at the view. Look at the pond.
It's so pretty.
SARAH GILMORE: I know, that's awesome.
Yeah, look at the stained glass window.
ANDREW STEWART: It's got some color matching with the door,
though. That looks great.
CAITLIN COX: Welcome to our house.
SARAH GILMORE: Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Guys, this looks amazing in here.
CAITLIN COX: What do you think?
This is insane.
I love the stove.
It looks so cool.
KENNETH COX: That's going to heat our house when it's cold.
SARAH GILMORE: That's so cool.
KENNETH COX: We've also got the cooling tubes
you can see on the ground.
That rotates the air in the house underground
and pulls it back up into and cools the house down.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
ANDREW STEWART: The ceiling is amazing in here.
CAITLIN COX: Yeah.
How many pieces of wood was this?
276 pieces.
CAITLIN COX: Let's check out the kitchen.
Look at this sink.
SARAH GILMORE: Oh my god.
This was daddy's when he was a baby.
That's so awesome.
ANDREW STEWART: That's awesome.
From his childhood home? - Yes.
That's awesome.
I love this countertop, too.
With the [inaudible] to the side, yeah.
CAITLIN COX: Yeah.
This is cherry oak.
And these posts came out of the oldest
home in Clayton, Alabama, and they're from the 1850s.
KENNETH COX: They're 170 years old.
You want to check out the bathroom?
- Yes. - All right, come on.
CAITLIN COX: So here's our bathroom.
Oh my gosh, this is so cool.
How does this work?
CAITLIN COX: That is our composting toilet.
There's a bucket that you put sawdust in.
SARAH GILMORE: It looks so good.
I love that.
Y'all want to go check out the bedrooms?
- Yeah. - Yeah, absolutely.
I love this up here.
I love the loft feel.
Lyon's room.
KENNETH COX: Yeah, this is where Lyon's gonna sleep.
That looks so good.
CAITLIN COX: This is the Lyon's den.
SARAH GILMORE: I love the lion head.
ANDREW STEWART: For the loft up here,
there's still a lot of room.
Yeah.
Seeing the final product, I'm kind of blown away by it.
I love the shape of it.
I love all the natural wood on the inside.
SARAH GILMORE: I'm so proud of them.
They've been working on this for such a long time.
So the fact that it's come to life is just really awesome.
Appreciate all you guys' help.
Thanks for your help, too, buddy.
Thank you.
I'm excited to make family memories here.
[playing music]
It's challenging, but it's worth it.
We have our dream home now.
Yep.
I'm very excited to spend the rest of our lives here.
You fight for something for a long time,
and if you don't give up, it can happen, you know?
I never gave up on my dream, and it's finally
here in front of my eyes.
It's so crazy.
You're so sweet.
Are you gonna cry?
[laughing]