to think Grand Designs is an hour long stealth boast.

[mileend2bermondsey]

I've never understood this programme. It's just an hour of, 'look how much money we have, look how great we are, watch us build a house which you could never afford to live in in your dreams peasants!' I can't stand to watch it because IMO it's just bragging. I can't even justify that perhaps they agree to do the show for money as most of them are rich as hell anyway (as shown by the houses they build).

My family say IABU but I can't be alone thinking this? Can I?

For those saying don't like it don't watch. I asked the AIBU because my family love watching it and think I am a spoilt sport because I don't want to and will leave the room to go and do something else when its one. I was wondering if I was alone in my thoughts as I am in my family or not, I don't actually watch the show.

And flutter it has nothing to do with being jealous, I just have no interest in watching an hour of bragging.

Although, to be fair there have been some pointless shit tips too. Old barn with a series of wooden boxes inside. Why?

Have you read the whole thread Flutter the OP says more as the thread goes along, and even the jealousy thing was discussed.

I'm definitely not jealous of the the ones that go underground. I like natural light not piped.

It is really not about jealousy. If these people are so succesful that they can build the homes of their dreams, congratulations and very well done to them, in all sincerity.Televising it so you can ensure everyone knows how succesful and amazing you are is what I can't warm to.

I love it because I love design and interiors.

That couple who lived next door to the orchestra were truly awful, I was delighted they had to redo the wall with the right bricks.

Harriet that's the one!

Then their builder hit the neighbours house with a small JCB type thing .

My favourites ever were:

The Manchester Water works - because they built a fantastic and incredibly versatile house

the Wiltshire barn in the shape of a cross - because it always astounded me that they would not realise that every room would end up smelling of burn toast

and the one (which has actually been mentioned up thread as a nice one) where the owner was an old college friend

Do you remember the one where some mad old guy was trying to renovate an old barge to live in? I think he just ran out of money.

His poor wife

There is one I'm curious about that I've never seen again. It was a lady who had a mansion built complete with faux Georgian columns . The roof was far too big. She spent a fortune. Kevin hated it.

There is a brilliant early episode featuring a skint couple who renovated a Georgian council flat in London. It was a labour of love as they didn't own the property. They tried to make it completely authentic. Lovely people.

(Yes I love Grand Designs)

The gd barge had a sad end. www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/02/beached-boat-a-triumph

I liked the one a few years ago where it was a very young couple building a cottage. She worked for the family firm of builders which helped but still it was a huge undertaking for them and they made this perfect little dolls house of a cottage. Utterly liveable in and beautiful.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352749/Grand-Designs--80k-Channel-4-makeover-barge-turns-Essex-beach-vandalised.html

My fav is the house in the wood

Oh no!

Jeez I haven't seen the episoe but I just read the Guardian link and wow, what a horrible, sarcastic, sneery article.

I know hence why i linked the dm one as well despite the hate mn has of dm. I feel for the couple as they had such plans for the barge. As someone who tried to buy in london i can certainly understand why they tried this grand design.

I'm going to be vague so I don't run the risk of outing myself but I know someone who was on that programme a little while ago.

The home owner is/was one of the most vile people I've ever met in my life & I think they just used the show to bump the sale price of the property up as they put it straight up for sale as soon as the show was aired. And by bump up, I mean they literally added millions to the price that they ended up having to drop it to to sell.

So in that respect, it was a huge boast just to get a purchaser.

The old water works was fantastic - the couple worked their socks off on that one.

Full list of episodes
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grand_Designs_episodes#Series_1_.281999.29

Oh thanks for that!

the Dilapidated Georgian House in series 1 is definitely worth a watch

Oh, I remember that Georgian house. That one was very interesting.

Thanks for the list of episodes. The young Welsh couple I liked were Adrian and Corinna in The Isolated Cottage in series 2. They weren't doing a big fancy Project, they were just a nice ordinary couple who wanted to live in the area where they grew up.

Yes the lovely Georgian house in Clerkenwell that they wanted to make authentic. She was a makeup artist. They seemed lovely. Unlike that glossy lady building a mock Georgian mansion in Surrey - it seemed to have an unlimited budget until they ran out of money and were never heard of again - at least that was implied on GD.

The house that £100k built is a good alternative. I really like that.

I've given up watching it. I used to love the sympathetic restoration episodes but now it seems to be how to build a clad glass box.

I don't watch it anymore, I just feel as if it's changed a lot over the years.

Used to be interesting to see the project unfold and their dreams come to be whether it was a renovation, a conversion or a environmental project.

Now it (I say now but I've not seen in recently) it has become project create a house that looks like the current trend that millionaires spend time in.

There's no homes being created just flashy (and not that nice in my opinion) houses now.

Just changing the subject slightly but what was a nice series was that Restoration Home on bbc2 that Caroline Quentin presented. Now they were interesting properties. Old, listed, protected buildings full of period quirks and charms and lovingly restored. Researched histories and appreciated architecture. Marvellous.