Understand
Southampton deaf couple watch emotional DIY SOS home rebuild screening
Overview
Ahmed and Rifat Ali, a deaf couple from Bitterne in Southampton who lost £72,000 of their life savings on an unsafe and condemned home extension, joined volunteers and tradespeople to watch the television screening of their BBC One DIY SOS: The Big Build transformation.
Key points
- The Ali family lost £72,000 on an unsafe ground floor extension that was halted and condemned.
- Hundreds of volunteers and tradespeople rebuilt and renovated the home, finishing the project in October 2025.
- The renovation included accessibility technology for a deaf family, such as cameras, visual alerts for alarms and doorbells, and colour-changing lights.
- The family and presenter Nick Knowles expressed deep emotional gratitude for the community effort and the volunteers who helped them.