HOME is where the heart is but sometimes you need to spruce it up a little to keep you loving where you live. And the credit crunch has meant many people are now deciding to alter their homes rather than move. That s why retired BT engineer Chris, 60, and

HOME is where the heart is but sometimes you need to spruce it up a little to keep you loving where you live. And the credit crunch has meant many people are now deciding to alter their homes rather than move.

That's why retired BT engineer Chris, 60, and Liz Murphy, 55, of Hatching Green Close, Harpenden, agreed to go on a TV makeover programme offering them designer skills they would never have been able to afford.

Love The Place You're In on UKTV Style stars Zoe Lucker of Footballers Wives fame.

She is joined by interior designer Gordon Whistance (Changing Rooms) to help families whose homes no longer meet their needs.

The Murphys' total budget for the makeover was £30,000 and the whole job was supposed to take a month but unfortunately the elements meant it stretched to almost three.

Liz said: "I really enjoyed being part of a TV show but I couldn't go through all the building work again. It wasn't the builders' fault but we were cursed with bad weather.

"However, the end product is really different and worth all the effort. The house now has a wow factor it didn't have before."

The Murphys' three sons grew up in the 1960s-built bungalow, where they have lived for 20 years. Although they have all flown the nest, two of them are about to return home.

Chef Chris,29, is temporarily moving back and Rob, 25, is about to return home from university. Meanwhile, John, 27, visits the family home every day as he lives just a short distance away in Redbourn.

This meant the couple needed a new kitchen that would accommodate five adults, all with different tastes and lifestyles.

Over the last 20 years they have renovated their home bit by bit and have finally got round to updating the kitchen and dining room. They had an L-shaped kitchen/dining room which was divided by an archway and they wanted to totally transform the kitchen and possibly knock down the archway to open the room up.

As John is in a wheelchair it would make it easier for him to get around if the wall was removed.

They also wanted to install a breakfast bar and update the bar in their conservatory. The conservatory roof was leaking so that had to be fixed and they wanted to put an atrium above the new kitchen to create more light.

When it came to the kitchen, Liz wanted more storage space and wanted it to be bright, white and shiny.

Although Liz liked the idea of a wooden floor she was concerned that it might become marked by water but the show's designer Gordon Whistance talked her into it and now she loves it.

The atrium they installed above the kitchen meant they were unsure how to fit a ceiling light to a glass roof.

Inspired by a recent stay at the art deco hotel on Burgh Island, they wanted to transform their bar into one in that style.

The Murphys are featured on UKTV Style's Love The Place You're In on Monday at 10pm.