Dexter (Stanley Baxter) and Juliet (Sally Smith (actress)) Munro are a married couple who move to a run-down cottage in hopes of escaping from Juliet's overbearing father, Sir Beverly Grant (James Robertson Justice). However, the couple is soon confronted by their new home's battered structure. Juliet's father offers help from a reputable building firm, but this help is refused by Dexter, who wants to remain independent of Juliet's father.