New series of Grand Designs 31st August 2022

[Ralph]

I have to say I can't watch it any more. Having struggled to build and keep on budget, people pulling extra money (sometimes more than our total spend) out of their arse because "this space deserves it" is just annoying. 

 

I do know someone who had meetings with the production team a good few years back when they were building some of the first "eco" houses around here. It seems like they did not go ahead because plans, budgets and skill sets were all in place so there was unlikely to be any entertaining jeopardy for telly.

[joe90]

I only watch it as a “do not do this”. I treat it as a comedy of errors, people with more money than sense (mostly).

[jack]

Just now, Ralph said:

I do know someone who had meetings with the production team a good few years back when they were building some of the first "eco" houses around here. It seems like they did not go ahead because plans, budgets and skill sets were all in place so there was unlikely to be any entertaining jeopardy for telly.

 

I'm sure there are cases where they've engaged to work with a self-builder, filmed some or all of the build, and then not made an episode because they couldn't build a suitable narrative. Boring people building a nice enough house with no back-story, on time and on budget, doesn't really make for compelling TV.

I remember that small house on Skye (I think it was), built by a local builder for two women. Unfortunately, while the house was nice enough, literally nothing went even slightly wrong. Everything was on time and on budget. They tried to manufacture an oo-er moment around the airtightness test ("the experienced builder has never had a house air-tested to such a tight standard before!!!"), but we came back from the break and it breezed through. Really dull TV.

[Pocster]

4 minutes ago, jack said:

 

I'm sure there are cases where they've engaged to work with a self-builder, filmed some or all of the build, and then not made an episode because they couldn't build a suitable narrative. Boring people building a nice enough house with no back-story, on time and on budget, doesn't really make for compelling TV.

I remember that small house on Skye (I think it was), built by a local builder for two women. Unfortunately, while the house was nice enough, literally nothing went even slightly wrong. Everything was on time and on budget. They tried to manufacture an oo-er moment around the airtightness test ("the experienced builder has never had a house air-tested to such a tight standard before!!!"), but we came back from the break and it breezed through. Really dull TV.

Wish I got mccloud to film me and my build . Plenty of content for many seasons .

[Kelvin]

Yes we watch it for the entertainment value rather house building value. Like when Top Gear stopped being a car programme. 
 

I do have some admiration for some of the crazy houses that get built though. The couple that built the whole place out of concrete, the house by the Thames with the floating foundation, the house built into a cave etc. My two rectangles joined together is really boring by comparison 😂 

[jack]

33 minutes ago, pocster said:

Plenty of content for many seasons .

 

*high quality, family-friendly content

[Pocster]

2 minutes ago, jack said:

 

*high quality, family-friendly content

Ummmmm , possibly , maybe , probably not 

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, jack said:

 

Some of the numbers that get bandied around on Grand Designs (both the estimates at the start and the answer to "so how much did it actually cost?" at the end) are insane.

 

There was that one on the Isle of Wight where they budgeted something like £800k for an absolutely massive 6-bedroom house. The estimate included a pool, a ground source heat pump, Swiss (I think) 3G windows, and extensive stone cladding (plus that other odd hand-made cladding that took forever to make and install).

 

They admitted to an actual cost of over £2m. 

 

Wasn't that chap an Accountant?

[Ferdinand]

48 minutes ago, pocster said:

Wish I got mccloud to film me and my build . Plenty of content for many seasons .

 

Ah McCloud.

 

There is a certain incongruity about the setup these days.

 

 

 

[jack]

31 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Wasn't that chap an Accountant?

 

Yes.

 

It was highly unpleasant episode (discussed at the time on here, I think). He was diagnosed with a serious illness - I want to say it was a brain tumour. They decided to move away from the rat race and cut their costs so they could work less and live a better life so he could reduce his stress levels.

 

But then they mortgaged themselves to the hilt and beyond to build an insanely oversized and overspecced property that would leave them in massive debt for the rest of their lives.

 

It was difficult viewing. They came across as perhaps living a bit of a fantasy world, maybe as a reaction to the stress of his near-death experience. 

[CADjockey]

1 hour ago, Ralph said:

I have to say I can't watch it any more. Having struggled to build and keep on budget, people pulling extra money (sometimes more than our total spend) out of their arse because "this space deserves it" is just annoying. 

 

I do know someone who had meetings with the production team a good few years back when they were building some of the first "eco" houses around here. It seems like they did not go ahead because plans, budgets and skill sets were all in place so there was unlikely to be any entertaining jeopardy for telly.

 

And there's the rub, if there is no jeapardy or story arc it makes for dull viewing. They must vet the participants like they do for game shows and reality tv, so if you are financially realistic, timescale realistic, not living in a cloud or are planning a dwelling of reasonable proportions, you just don't cut it. And it's a televisual bonus for McCloud to show up and the protagonists be with child while living in a shed, onsite, in the winter, with no heating, having been made redundant, one of whom has a near death experience. 🤣

[Ferdinand]

2 hours ago, jack said:

 

Some of the numbers that get bandied around on Grand Designs (both the estimates at the start and the answer to "so how much did it actually cost?" at the end) are insane.

 

There was that one on the Isle of Wight where they budgeted something like £800k for an absolutely massive 6-bedroom house. The estimate included a pool, a ground source heat pump, Swiss (I think) 3G windows, and extensive stone cladding (plus that other odd hand-made cladding that took forever to make and install).

 

They admitted to an actual cost of over £2m. 

 

Budget: 835k.

Build cost 2.2m.

Plot 935k.

Eventual sale price in 2019: 2.75m. Now estimated value by Zoopla at +1.4m over that.

 

Bit of a bloodbath, and a rather tragic story. GD overreach.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-6959659/Grand-Designs-Isle-Wight-modern-house-price-cut-1M.html

 

(TBF, that is about the same amount of cash that the Wagatha Christie libel case has cost, and not much more than the leader of Unite threw away going for Labour MP Anna Turley.)

[Kelvin]

I recall that episode. It is a stunning building in a great location and it’s great some people have the gumption to build such places. The problem, it seems, is they all fall at the first by not having a set budget and a clear idea of the build cost plus 15% for contingency. 
 

Before we bought the land we looked at a few houses. One of them was a GDesque place in Aberdeenshire. It was another case of someone building their ‘forever’ home only to end up having to sell it a few years later. Quite sad really. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Kelvin

[SteamyTea]

4 hours ago, jack said:

There was that one on the Isle of Wight

If I lived on a small island I would keep very quiet about what I have spent.

 

[jack]

2 hours ago, Kelvin said:

I recall that episode. It is a stunning building in a great location and it’s great some people have the gumption to build such places. The problem, it seems, is they all fall at the first by not having a set budget and a clear idea of the build cost plus 15% for contingency.

 

I remember one scene very clearly, where the wife was talking about how lovely it was to sit with a glass of wine and watch the ships go by. I thought (and probably said on here at the time) that they could have done that with a very pleasant four bedroom home that was half the size and a third the cost.

 

2 hours ago, Kelvin said:

It was another case of someone building their ‘forever’ home only to end up having to sell it a few years later. Quite sad really. 

 

It does seem like Grand Designs buildings come up for sale pretty often, sometimes not that long after they're built.

[SteamyTea]

Chesil Cliff House has apparently been bought, but not by Harry Styles.

 

 

[CADjockey]

25 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Chesil Cliff House has apparently been bought, but not by Harry Styles.

 

 

By Michael Jacksons ex bodyguard if the tabloids are to be believed, who is going to turn it into flats!

[Pocster]

7 hours ago, Kelvin said:

I recall that episode. It is a stunning building in a great location and it’s great some people have the gumption to build such places.

Thank you

[Pocster]

7 hours ago, Kelvin said:

The problem, it seems, is they all fall at the first by not having a set budget and a clear idea of the build cost plus 15% for contingency. 

Oh - in that case (expletive deleted) you 

[Kelvin]

I like last night’s house. Modern pre-fab. 

[JohnMo]

Me also, wife wasn't keen 

[Russdl]

13 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

I like last night’s house. Modern pre-fab. 

Likewise, that’s got to be the way ahead to improve the quality of the houses that are thrown up around the country. It’s a pity there was scant detail on insulation, air tightness etc. 

[Kelvin]

58 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Likewise, that’s got to be the way ahead to improve the quality of the houses that are thrown up around the country. It’s a pity there was scant detail on insulation, air tightness etc. 

Yes we just had that very conversation. 

[ProDave]

The modular build might improve the quality and speed, but it does not improve the price.  That one cost £370K not including the plot and services.  So to have put that on this site, would have been in the region of £440K total.  That is way over what the market value of the house would be.

 

For the self builder there needs to be a half way version where you can buy the modular building delivered and erected, but as a completely bare shell for the self builder to fit out internally.

[Kelvin]

Economy of scale. That was for a one off they don’t normally build. What they didn’t tell us was how much the block of them cost per unit that Kevin showed. I also doubt it was way over the market value of the house. 

Edited September 8, 2022 by Kelvin