the polish builders have left us with grand designs 2016

[PinkSwimGoggles]

I'm a day behind as clashes with the bake off

• growing family?
  
• pregnant house builder?
  
• caravan in winter?
  
• budget. what budget?

[PinkSwimGoggles]

the first one certainly didn't dissapoint.
properly bonkers but the couple seems nice and some of their ideas are amazing!

[PikachuSayBoo]

Not seen this week's yet but last week's treehouse was fab.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

what? I missed one?

[2rebecca]

I liked the treehouse but suspect in winter it will just look like an odd building next to a large supermarket. I don't get the desire for endless expanses of glass and open plan areas. The tree walk will be fun when friends with small kids visit and they fall off.

[2rebecca]

Just watched the latest house and love it, but feel sorry for the unloved Tudor house. Why didn't they just buy an empty plot?

[StCecilia]

I need to catch up with the tree house one.

The 'fun' house of £800k left me perplexed. The beautiful existing house was abandoned to create a huge barn like structure which will be linked like hell soon. It smacked of I have huge amounts of cash and the architects I own are amazing and clever. I couldn't work out why they didn't just buy a shitty house with land and knock it down. More to the point how the hell did they get planning.

No one got pregnant either or ran up huge debts and had to live in a caravan.

[iknowimcoming]

Agree about period house, am thinking accidental fire/falling tree might cause damage beyond economical repair and the only safe option being demolition. Somewhat dodgy re planning permission I'll bet ....... Thought the quirky dens were cool but as a parent of devious teenagers I suspect they'll regret them when the kids are older and sneaking up there to play on Xbox after lights out!

[PinkSwimGoggles]

and how do you clean up there/behind the fireplace?

[PinkSwimGoggles]

the treehouse is lovely!
what a special place.

I love love love the tiles

[PinkSwimGoggles]

I like that (so far) the designs have been quite modest with low (ish) budgets.
and very interesting.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

but I hated the 'hidden' kitchen last week. unpractical or what?

[Dillite2]

That hidden kitchen is only cool whilst not in use. As soon as you start to actually use it and have gadgets it becomes impractical. I did like the house itself though, you could see that a lot of love and passion went into building it.


I quite like the black box house as well. Hated tje fun barn. What happens when you need to clean it? Or kids grow out of it?

I want a single woman to build a house just to see whether Kevin's magic presence will get her pregnant as well mid- build.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

again a big boxy one.
grand, yes. grand design? not really.

[Dillite2]

I just watched the giant brick one. Just what is the point in living in such enormous house? And there are only 2 of them, and they aren't exactly getting younger. It's just so huge and empty.

[mollie123]

I blame the grand designs 'link by a glass tunnel' idea for the monstrosity that my neighbours have created on a grade 2 listed country cottage
The original was a 2 up 2 down agricultural stone cottage. New people move in and submit application for a 2 story extension (about the same size as the original cottage) linked by about 6 foot long glass tunnel so they can get permission for a concrete block building (coated with larchlap facings) right next to their house. Why does disconnecting the newbuild and joining by a short glass walkway allow them to get away with spoiling the environs of the original cottage it seems the in thing to do now.
BTW I don't like the nighbours as they did not mention a dicky-bird to me about their plans before applying - but that is another story.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

I found the hippy couple stressfull to watch.
this lifestyle seems so much more stressfull than working 9-5

[PinkSwimGoggles]

and the house could have been good.
but not finished after 5 years?

[Sadik]

PinkSwim - they had to spread the work out over several years because their planning permission is conditional on achieving the 75% of basic needs from the land - so they needed to get their business up and running as a priority. Also they were earning money to pay for everything as they went along.

But yes, much, much more stressful than working 9-5!

[megletthesecond]

I've missed a bit tonight. What's he crowdfunding for? Is he just getting people to pay for his house?

[PinkSwimGoggles]

I was at the crowdfunding.

if I understand correctly they can't raise enough (yet) with finance.

[megletthesecond]

Ah, Kevin just said something about them "being open for business"? Maybe they get their money back pink? I don't know how new fangled shenanigans like crowdfunding work

[PinkSwimGoggles]

why would anyone build with mud unless it's for a sauna at the back of the garden ?

[megletthesecond]

I can't help that thinking that roof will lift off in a storm.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

looks good though. but I'm partial to green roofs.
the inside looked very dark and damp.

[fresh]

But did you notice the detailing on the aluminium on the roof? Atrocious. Wobbling all over the place.