Do you know someone whose house was featured on Grand Designs?

[Cocogreen]

I'd love to know how they found the experience, given the fact that building and renovating is so stressful - plus they have tv crews appearing every few months.
Were they REALLY happy with the finished house?
Or have you had one built near you? I'd like to hear the neighbour's opinions more on some of these projects.
Obviously I'm not asking precisely which house or what area you're in.
I'm in Aus and watch our local version of GD from time to time and know pretty well a lot of the areas where the houses have been built but haven't gone for a peek at them.

Yes, some friends of an ex had a very modern house built on river frontage where there had previously been a boat house. The new house was very modern, water sealed so that it didn't matter if the river flooded.

They had quite a few problems finishing the details but got there in the end. It took maybe an extra 18 months to resolve issues.
The end result is an interesting, very serene looking house that they love.

The surrounding houses were mostly 1920s mock tudor. The neighbours still aren't speaking to them.

It wasn't one that was built with a hydraulic lift, was it? remember one being built on the waterside and they could raise the house if the river started to flood. Amazing really. Goodness how much it cost. I'm not even sure if they told us.

I remember that one! The neighbours were livid.
I always think that there must be some pressure to decorate/dress the main rooms in the house ready for Kevin’s final visit. The kitchen and living area are always perfect but then we find out they are still without running water, or the kids’ don’t have bedrooms yet. They must get lots of extra money in order to make for a better filming day at the end.

I remember that one too! Imagine the neighbours loathing you for years and probably ignoring you. Talk about holding a grudge.

I remember that one!

Was this the one? At Marlow.

Internal picture.

yes, that one.

I loved that episode. It was years ago but it's the only one I remember clearly.

I've gotta say, though, the people that do these designs do seem very driven and don't seem like they'd be that easy to get on with. That's a generalisation just in case anyone on here has been on Grand Designs! I'm sure you're lovely. 🙂

We live around the corner from the water filtration plant one, would love to have a proper look around it!

My favourite was a lovely modern eco friendly house that they then "dressed" by bringing all the old dated suburban furniture from their old house.

Kevin was not impressed, but as the pointed out it's not very green to throw away perfectly functional furniture.

I figured they have a home stager come to dress the main rooms.

They're usually so stylish, even though the owners are hugely over budget.

I know one - but he bought it from the people who built it (it’s fab) and there’s one weird eco one bear my sister but it’s been empty for ages (looks like a grass-carpeted barn).

There is one on the road I live on. It was back in 2016. I think there were a lot of complaints from the neighbours. It's not very visible from the road but looks lovely! Would love to go and see it properly.

There's been one for sale for years in my local area, they take it off the market for a few weeks then up it pops again. The problem is it's a very individual rather OTT style and not in the best area, so unlikely to sell for the price they want. I think only people who don't know the area well would buy, I imagine they'll lose money if it eventually sells. I won't link as I'd hate to hinder the sale further!

A friend of a friend was on it. They had literally no money left at the end for furniture so Channel 4 paid to stage the house, filmed the episode and then took all the furniture away again.

I must admit, I do wonder when I watch this and they end up with a huge mortgage, on the brink of divorce (sometimes) having lived in a caravan with two or three pre schoolers for years..... was it really worth it? Are you actually significantly happier than you would have been in a nicely done, normal house in a nice area? Really?

I also normally feel one partner is more into it than the other, and that one is hiding simmering resentment during the interviews and stuff, especially at the end if Kevin is doleing out praise about the house and never mentions the woman who kept the family show on the road the whole time, sometimes even doing work on the house too as the bloke goes off to do some well paid freelance work to top up the budget!!
Goodness, I didn't know i felt quite so strongly!!

the one I remember is where they built on a cliff that was subsiding. spent ages trying to shore up the cliff but it was clear the house would land on the beach in about 10-20 years. I couldn't get my head around the stupidity of that one.

I spent a week in a ski chalet with the violin factory lady. She was exactly the same in real life - very, er, driven!

@Pallisers

the one I remember is where they built on a cliff that was subsiding. spent ages trying to shore up the cliff but it was clear the house would land on the beach in about 10-20 years. I couldn't get my head around the stupidity of that one.

Oh gosh, that was awful, the architect wanted the cliff to recede more to reveal the struts? And the marriage crumbled and his daughters had their whole lives nearly in a building site or rental completely unnecessarily.

I'm currently watching the one of the couple in the Brecon Beacons, during the Foot and Mouth outbreak.
I'd love to know if they're still there and how they found living in such an isolated (albeit stunning) place! By the end of the episode they hadn't even finished building it.

I do know someone who bought a GD house. The couple who built it divorced during the build and never lived there & it was sold for almost 400k below it’s value for a quick sale. It was the biggest house in the area for ages until Red Row came in and essentially devalued all of the existing properties

I know the artist couple who live in the huge barn conversion in Essex full of their collections of art and kitsch, it made Kevin's list of all time favourite builds.
It's bonkers but very them.

The triangular one just featured this past week is not far from me. It is on the A29 in Pulborough. I only realised it was there earlier in the year when the big roof triangle got covered in zinc.
The location is really odd. Their camera shots are super-careful, but it is actually across from a huge Harwoods car showroom & the main Tesco in Pulborough is a stones throw.
I spent about a year looking for a house in W Sussex, and found that a plot of land with planning permission cost £500k in 2013, probably quite a lot more now. So Olaf & Fritha did well financially- the build cost £280k (£240k mortgage) plus the lot cost £160k, so £440k all in.
Although quirky, if they had to sell at some point, they wouldn’t lose £ on it.

@DayDate yes that was my favourite one too.