To be driven crackers by the people on Grand Designs?

[CruCru]

On the episode today, the couple have sort of fallen out with all their neighbours. The project is over budget (by more than £200k) and over deadline. The guy has sold his business to finance the project and no longer has work to support the family. And they all seem to live in the one studio flat.

Argh! I couldn't bear it.

Just watched the Tenby one and it is stunning pity that the white paint stuff had to go on, also the raillings weren't allowed either.

If you google ben law house in woods it seems you can visit the house. I really liked that episode. Most of the houses are awful. My major problem is the open plan. I hate the smell of cooking from the kitchen in the lounge afterwards. Also open plan is cold. Mind you its fun watching gd...the house in france was also good. Agree re kevin and babies....

And the kitchens and cupboards never have handles!!!

They must spend all day looking for stuff, where are the pans, plates, ketchup, batteries, gloves, wd40 in the 90 drawers and cupboard that look exactly the same whilst going slowly doolally.

and they never use normal tiles. On no. That world be too simple. They use reclaimed, hand painted, excavated from some ancient burial ground tiles from Madagascar, blessed by Druids, shipped over at great expense,or some such thing. Never mind that Homebase sell tiles.

And the glass for the windows never ever arrives on time.
My favourite was the couple in East Anglia (I think). He was diagnosed with a serious illness and died and the house was scaled down and made into a lovely, safe home for her and the children. I also loved the older couple in Puglia who built those fantastic arches and made mosaics in the garden.

I loved those 2 episodes as well EmilyAlice

I quite like GD but always sit there shouting "How can you just magic up another half a million?!"

I'd like to go on there and build an Anti-Eco, Anti-Minimalist house. Garaging for 14 cars, a heating system that could warm up Jupiter and more wardrobes than you can fill

I love GD and Restoration Man, there is nothing comparable on German tv, which tends to focus on people losing thousands to cowboy builders or people converting disused railway stations.
The only thing I find frustrating is when a couple says that they are foregoing the services of an architect or project manager to "save costs". Invariably this corner-cutting results in either additional expense or delays due to unforeseen ground or structural issues.

Where on earth do they get the extra £200,000 over budget cash from?? They all go way over budget,but manage to raise the cash from somewhere.........I couldn't go 200 pence over!!

I have no idea - would love to know too!

Crossways, the parabolic arch in Kent is my favourite GD, along with the house Monty (I think) built in Peckham with the bath under a bed. He seemed to be making it up as he went along.

Bank of Mummy and Daddy, friends, relatives, employers advancing bonuses.

All the people that I would not haver the brass neck to approach. But most of these GDers have an almost pathological belief that they are entitled to finish their (vanity) projects at whatever cost.

Today's episode may be proving me wrong. Am loving the marine.

Kevin strikes again! Another baby on the way.

Ah, she is now pregnant. Maybe it won't be that different from the other episodes.

Kevin does seem to increase the birth rate everywhere he goes!

Between him and Beeny it's no wonder there's a baby boom going on. :-)

Oh god. They're quarter of a million over budget.

I liked tonights episode, specially his remote control legs.

I'm just watching the +1hr ...

My favourite GD was the one where a completely bonkers slightly eccentric old Irishman renovated an old lifeboat station. At the end, Kevin asked how much he had spent, and the bloke looked at him with a twinkle in his eye and said "somewhere between a lot of money... and an awful lot of money. His wife didn't het pregnant either .

Ben Law does tours of his land and house that are fab. Really interesting if you are into sustainability.

Damn, I missed it

I liked the Asian lady who was an interior designer and built a house at the bottom of her mum's slope garden. Also remember chuckling at the couple who built a box somewhere. It was exactly the right size for them and their 2 children. Then she got pregnant again and they had to extend it by, er, sticking another box on the side...

Was it a really old Grand Designs where there was a couple in somewhere like the New Forest, had a lovely cottage that burnt down because of a fault in their chimney but they hasn't thought of getting house insurance. So then they had to rebuild, and she was pregnant and it was Christmas... It was thatched and they had to use local thatch but didn't want to so just went ahead with thatch from Norfolk instead... Lucky for them the Planning Officer allowed it. The house ended up quite nice but they were just so daft!

For anyone who hasn't seen it episode with Ben Law is on More 4 now!

I watched it. Again. Why is this show so addicting?

I watched it. Again. Why is this show so addicting?