What is wrong with people who go on Grand Designs?

[RobynRB]

Seriously, time and time again it's the same thing. Why do people feel they need to build a house the size of a cinema complex and then moan when they run out money. Most of these things could be 10-20% smaller and you wouldn't even notice. Don't these people understand that materials like wood and concrete cost money so buy less of them and the house will be cheaper.

Speaking of which, last night was a classic case... we haven't got any money, but we bought this copper bath for our bedroom and this (frankly disgusting but I'm guessing ridiculously expensive) gold and black marble for our kitchen.

It struck me the reservoir building was big enough to build a reasonable house in, maybe with a smaller extension to the side. It certainly looked twice the size of my three bedroomed house on it's own.

And of course five minutes after they started they announced they were having a child. What brilliant timing...

Not watched it recently but I agree, and this was one of the things that annoyed me about it. Build a nice house within your budget fgs! Everyone who’s ever watched GD knows that things go wrong and budgets run over.

and then yes when they’ve gone way over and sold their grandma to get it finished, they always splash out on £12,000 designer lampshades etc. I think they just lose all sense of reason and think well I’ve spent all this money, I’m not furnishing my palace with IKEA, I’m in debt for life, might as well go crazy.

then Kevin snarks about it at the end anyway!

They always have a baby. Me and ex used joke it was always a few months after Kevin arrived.

Agree with you 100%, I know they have an ideal finished building in their heads but even if they overspend actually building it they still 'have' to have the (marble) work top they planned etc etc. I also worry that if there are children their parents lives and money are consumed fulfilling the dream sometim for years.

Ego, massive massive ego.

Whilst Dad's sorting out the mortgage Kevin is leaving his own deposit 😂

I’m sure I read online (maybe on here?) that the production company stages it with furniture so it isn’t just full of ikea stuff.

There was one ages ago where the guy was an architect. I think there was a dispute with the neighbours but other than that it ran to time and budget - and it was still enjoyable to watch! Maybe more so.

Yeah, I think it's a certain personality type that brings all the aforementioned characteristics together. And that personality type makes for good TV.

These messages have really made me laugh. I can’t watch it anymore because it drives me mad for exactly the same reasons. There’s always a knackered pregnant wife and always one of them at the end saying they’ve gone “slightly” over by budget (aka managed to source another £500k) but that it was totally worth it. My husband loves it and I do worry it will inspire him to suggest something crazy at some point…

I think this programme is hilarious. Dickhead men trying to live the dream and it goes wrong.

I can't get enough of grand designs, it's my favourite programme. Hopefully I'll be one of those dickheads one day, building my own home and going stupidly over budget for a door knob. 😂

The money to "play with" is disgusting.

I miss the programs and episodes of impressive self-builds, make-dos, DIY's and makeovers with shoe-string to average budgets.

They should just start filming the next series of Grand Designs in the Emirates and be done with it. And send Kirsty and Phil same way.

I guess people watch it for the drama and ridiculousness but I'd prefer to see nicely executed, reasonable projects which keep to time and budget. It just makes me stressed.

I always liked the ones where they did lots of work themselves. Like the one converting the water works building. Instead of just directing a load of architects/builders.

I met someone who rented a house which had been on it. I think it was a nightmare to live in, tons of glass and open plan, the noise apparently was horrific. The owners had children and couldn’t stand it

It's called 'Grand' Designs for a reason 😂

I often think some of the finished products look awful!

I don’t watch it often because Kevin does my head in, but watched it yesterday because I follow the architects on social media and like their work. I knew it was going to be a good one when voiceover Kevin said “this project will require deep pockets, at least £1m”, then real life Kevin asked what the budget was and they said £700k

I just wish the houses were more beautiful. All that money for a glass and concrete box and airport vibes.

If I had all that money I'd be building a new manor house. Beautiful rooms, wallpaper, artwork and big fireplaces. No open plan and a gorgeous garden full of nooks and corners to explore.

Wealth is wasted on the rich.

Kevin McCloud is the Iago of the middle classes, dripping poison into their ears and leading them to doom.....
"You wouldn't want to compromise your architectural vision, would you?"

I was fascinated by the Fibonacci one I saw recently (might have been a repeat from 100 years ago, I never know with Sky). The guy engineered it to the nth degree and it should have been fabulous, but it ended up just being a big tube. Like living in a bendy Nissan hut.

I think a lot of them look like office buildings in the end.

Isn’t this the point of GRAND Designs, though?

Jill, a nurse, and Dave, a HGV driver, renovating their 3-bed terraced house in Warrington for a budget of £60k wouldn’t really fit the brief, would it?

Plus you can play GD Bingo-
Snide comment from Kevin at the start
Run out of money
Move into a caravan
Pregnancy (like a poster up-thread, I too eye Kevin with suspicion!)
Exasperated wife dealing with all the shit while the husband bores everyone about his vision
Some letdown with the builders/architects
Some glass not fitting properly
More money “to play around with” suddenly miraculously appearing

It's privileged nonsense. They have hundreds of thousands of pounds budget yet always run out of money but somehow have enormously rich relatives that bail them out.
Anyone else would be called irresponsible.
The furniture and decor at the end is a usually massive disappointment.

Interestingly this one seemed to be her dream.

The husband looked knackered and about 20yrs older by the end.

I thought this last night. They could have built a perfectly reasonable house which could have been extended later. Basically some spoilt princess vibes there I thought. The grandad dying must have saved their bacon.

I can’t watch those programs. £1000 kitchen tap and exposed breeze blocks as an ‘industrialised’ look. Honestly they’re just fucking idiots, the lot of them. Always pregnant, always in a leaking caravan. It’s like they get made in a lab.