Sarah Beeny and her team of specialists head to the Murphy family's chocolate box cottage in Cheshire. Mum Andrea fell for its period charms but now the cracks are appearing and she and husband Steven are terrified the character features hide a multitude of problems. They're right to be worried, an investigation reveals a can of worms: floors so poorly laid their children could end up falling through them, a dangerous roof and most worryingly, a first for Sarah - a very real risk of fire. Like many period properties built before modern fire regulations, a combination of flammable materials and poor construction mean that smoke from a fire in the living room would fill the kids' bedroom above in a matter of minutes. It's an emotional discovery for the doting parents of two boys aged seven and four. With the budget gone replacing the roof they need Sarah's level-headed advice and DIY savvy to understand their home and take charge of it.

• Sarah Beeny