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.

I’m watching a really old one atm, Kevin looks so young it’s from 2001
A couple live in a converted chapel in Doncaster and are building a white Architectural ‘masterpiece’ from glass, the local planners turned it down so they went to the DOE
The architect is the wife’s brother and is really obnoxious and clueless (has fallen out with the governing body and is no longer certified)
Does anyone remember this one, it’s on the catch up on All4
I have never watched this in my life until now - I love it

Actually watching an episode as I am reading this, it is the one where they are rebuilding a castle , English heritage are being a real pain to them and even though the castle is nearly falling down they are still making them apply for permission by letter!!

@callmeadoctor

I loved the water treatment place, wonder if they are still together (off to google it)

I remember that one, love it. Just viewed the photos in your link, can’t see the car 🚘, an original old mini I believe that was chopped up & repurposed as a desk, or have I got the wrong GD build?🙂

Some of them are hideous for the amount of money spent. One recently looked like a soviet era nuclear bunker, all concrete and unpainted plaster.
The glass everywhere ones looks beautiful but all I can think of is oh god all those fingerprints and the cleaning.

I've never understood the need for the massive windows with no curtains. I always wonder if they aren't creeped out thinking that lurkers are watching their every move inside the goldfish bowl that is the living room.
Also lights two miles up in your double height atrium- how do you change those bulbs?
Also tiny bedrooms but warehouse like proportions to the living/dining/cooking area.
Also where are all the books, ornaments, bits of paper, cat toys, shoes.....I'm looking round my living room right now.
I too much preferred the earlier series which featured more of a variety of styles. There was one about a community build outside Brighton?

Found it. It’s from 2011. Worth a read. I’ve linked to the page where Kevin joins the chat: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_live_events/1238479-Kevin-McCloud-webchat-Monday-20th-June-1-2-pm?pg=5

@Knittingwithdragons
Thank you so much

Just read the web chat from 2011 and it was so enjoyable! Kevin is funny, very informative and enters into it all with tremendous gusto.
He even gives a great answer to that important question What Is Your Favourite Biscuit?

I loved it
Says a lot about him that he took the time to do it, he must have a busy life.
I really like him.
Thanks to @Knittingwithdragons
For going the effort of posting the link, it is much appreciated

@Vaselike

In one of the early w, a young family were featured. But between the first and second meeting, the husband died leaving his wife and very young children. The project scale got cut and the tradesfolk appeared to be “helping out” as much as possible. Often think of that family - it was a beautiful, normal budget scale home.

I remember that one. It was very sad, and sort of shocking because you don't expect real life to intrude into our programmes even though the whole show is about real life! For me I thought it looked really ordinary at the end. But honestly, hats off to her for going through all that and coming away with any sort of house at the end. That was my takeaway from that episode.

Yes, know of rather than know well. Went massively over budget, big crisis at the end and last I heard they were looking to move back to where they'd moved from.

I worry about ones that have been left with crippling mortgages having overspent by "only" £90,000.

I drive past the Rusty Metal House in Lewes a lot. It may have lovely river views but it's sandwiched between that and a very busy road with the A27 Eastbourne-Brighton road about 1/4 mile away. Very noisy I would imagine especially on a warm summers day with everyone heading to the coast.

@MotherofHeathens

I pass the ‘rusty house’ on the river in Lewes on my drive to work and raise my eyebrow every time - just why would you spend that much money for a house next to the A26 with the A27 in the background of your lovely river view?! Nice enough house if you like the glass box style but such an odd choice of location.

Didn't see your post before I added mine!

@Theoldwrinkley

The one in Dinton is near me. Regularly comes on the market but, when all is said and done it is a bit pokey, 2 bed detached with loads of stairs. If I was 'that' type of vandal, I'd dress up in black one dark and gloomy night and respray their sign to say what it should say....'Dinton Folly'. It was built as a ruin, a folly to house the fossil collection from the owner of Dinton Hall. It is so pretentious and disrespectful of the history and locality to call it a castle. It really isn't.

Yes I remember playing in the folly as a child (90s). Had no idea it had been on grand designs!

Does anyone remember the boat which had a weird conversion. He used recycled windows, everything. He had an Asian wife, 2 children. They had huge problems getting a mooring, somewhere in north Kent. The last I heard it was abandoned and washed ashore.

@notjaneausten

Does anyone remember the boat which had a weird conversion. He used recycled windows, everything. He had an Asian wife, 2 children. They had huge problems getting a mooring, somewhere in north Kent. The last I heard it was abandoned and washed ashore.

I think that is a rusting hulk now www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/disastrous-grand-designs-boat-home-23504349

I'm just watching the triangular house in West Sussex. I've driven past the site many times and it's sandwiched between a major A road and a railway line. I was interested watching it go up but it's honestly not a spot I'd like to live.

Yep. Years and years ago some friends of my parents were on it. They ended up divorced and sold the house for far less than they had spent. They were actually separated and were about to put the house on the market when they were revisited. They lied on the show!

Can't tell you which episode as my parents were featured and I don't think it would be hard to work out who they were based on previous things I've said about them on here!

You can but this one near me
granddesignsforsale.co.uk/kemeys/

I remember a prolific MLM seller renting it for a while saying that she had bought it with proceeds from selling her aloe Vera products

@TheDogsMother

I'm just watching the triangular house in West Sussex. I've driven past the site many times and it's sandwiched between a major A road and a railway line. I was interested watching it go up but it's honestly not a spot I'd like to live.

I love that one Such a lovely couple he was so hardworking - wasn’t he called Olaf ? Gorgeous blue eyes And they did IVF Was so happy for them both

Does anyone remember the huge London Underground apartment?

A couple had basically bought a 2 room flat with this massive underground complex (it used to a an artists residence and the basement held gym courts/swimming pool etc. the rights to which were sold with their flat).

They spent millions on it - super expensive finishes but it was still like living in a 5 bedroom underground bunker.

My takeaway from that was you can't polish a turd....

Or the one in the Barbican?

near to me was the stunning house on the Malverns - perched on the side of the hills where it had absolutey stunning views but personally it was not a design I would have chosen. It was for sale recently
www.themodernhouse.com/sales-list/quarter-house/
The lady of the couple was a GP in the surgery where I was a patient and I saw her a few times when she spent a lovely long time finding out what my problem was (pre-covid of course)

@bunnybuggs
I just watched that- he was en ex RAF pilot
They bought the plot whilst living in NZ

I’m new to GD so have been watching them all on catch up