Grand Designs

[covetingthepreciousthings]

I couldn't find a Grand Designs thread for this new series...

Did anyone watch this weeks?!

Old Will Shakespeare would have written a block-buster tragedy about all this. Hubris indeed.

It’s King Canute Syndrome, isn’t it? “I won’t be beaten by nature” - sadly he was.

Quite the opposite. Everyone told Cnut he was king and therefore the sea would obey him. He was proving them wrong.

I really didn't like this one. too much ego not surprised the wife left him and not enough design/substance.

Even if finished the house is (a) huge for a family of 4 especially after the girls move out (b) disrespectful to its surroundings.

DH walked into the room while I was watching it and commented on the "poncey" architect.

There was a lot of eye rolling from the wife, even when they were looking united at the start. He wants to live in the Eye but I wonder what she's left with.

the initial plans shouted b&b/mini hotel to me with the separate, almost self contained guest rooms...

He said he got the money from "private investors". I'm not well up on this sort of thing, but I don't really see how 'building a house for me to live in' would be a good investment opportunity for someone else. "Private investors" means "friends and family", doesn't it?

or the possibility to remortgage to the max once built to pay it back.

Agree tableclothing. I think an "investor" would only give him money if they are expecting to make some profit on it. Either high interest rates (how is he going to pay it off?) or sell the property/turn it into am Air BnB kind of place?

It was 8% interest

Thank you sleeping.

I wonder if they have any hope of ever paying it off

It looked likely that he/they would end up bankrupt.

Yeah I reckon bankruptcy awaits. Wonder if the debt is in his name and what happens then if they divorce

Yes it was painful to watch and I agree the architect has huge responsibility here but ego took over for him and client and what a disastrous project it turned into. Such a shame esp for the wife and daughters who were probably regularly told ‘it would work out ok in the end’ etc. Truly a cautionary tale.

Having found this thread I realise I missed the first 2 episodes so might treat myself to one of them tonight!

he borrowed from a Hedge Fund as the banks wouldn't lend to him. That should have set off so many alarm bells that all the emergency services would have rushed to the scene

How is he going to pay back the Hedgefunders? I suspect they are not the most generous of people.

Massive vanity project. The architect should be hung for not costing it properly. And Edward was a massive twat. His wife should have stopped him though.

How is he going to pay back the Hedgefunders? I suspect they are not the most generous of people would they have grounds to take possession of the two properties?

His wife should have stopped him though how? I doubt he'd have listened to her

I presume the dream is now to finish the cock house and sell it and the Eye in order to pay off the debts and to pay for the divorce. He'll be project managing it for the investors.

Wow. Just Wow.

You lot are a hard-hearted, judgemental, unsympathetic bunch, aren't you!

Yes, Edward's dreams and plans were impossibly ambitious, but he has lost practically everything.

I can't imagine he is in a very good place emotionally right now, and sincerely hope he has people around him who will empathise and provide support.

Clearly not 'just' wow, as you followed that with 3 paragraphs.

You lot are a hard-hearted, judgemental, unsympathetic bunch, aren't you!

Man pisses his money up the wall, takes out loans he has no chance of paying off, fucks up a large chunk of his children’s childhood and ends up with nothing to show for it.
Yes I will judge. All this happened because of his vanity project, nothing else.

Also, no one put a gun to his head and made him make a tv program about it.
Given it was such a shit show why didn’t he call off the program.

Edward could have refused permission for the programme to be aired.

Still no reason to kick the man while he's down.