Page 12 | What is wrong with people who go on Grand Designs?

Riverlee · 29/09/2023 09:24

trytopullyoursocksup · 28/09/2023 17:14

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but that one in Fulham Cemetery is on air bnb
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/47213436?source_impression_id=p3_1695917459_%2FG68htfcrPdE%2Fc%2Ba&check_in=2023-10-05&guests=1&adults=1&check_out=2023-10-10

We should have a whip round and go for a mumsnet mini break!

That’s my posh-boy ex-soldiers house. He only built/converted it in 2021! It’s nearly £2000 per night! I guess he’s got to recoup his money somehow.

user1497207191 · 29/09/2023 11:21

Still can't think how they're going to find the money to pay the mortgage and repay all the other loans they took. Then again, even the original plan of "only" borrowing £500k was impossible on the jobs mentioned in the program.

They must have other income sources besides their jobs (maybe not entirely legal/moral) as neither seem to be particularly highly paid work, and as for an online sweets business - it'd barely contribute anything, maybe paid a few bills during lockdowns, but not even a drop in the ocean to serve several hundred K of debt. It's a bit like the Radfords claiming a pretty small pie business can afford to pay for 20 kids, and lots of other luxuries - only naive/gullible people would believe that!

Or were they just constantly playing the emotional blackmail card to screw money out of friends/relatives that they'll never get repaid?

There's more to it than meets the eye. If they were genuinely short of cash, they wouldn't have ploughed ahead with all the expensive trimmings (like that awful marble in the kitchen) - they'd have moved in "as is" and finished it in the years to come when they started earning more money.

AdequateDesign · 29/09/2023 11:27

We bought a wreck, lived in a caravan, had a baby.
the finished place is quite impressive but it broke me mentally.
20 years on its a bit bizarre not having lived in a 'normal' house for so long and the kids have a totally distorted idea of home.

we actually have a chair from a really early series of GD bought on ebay probably in 2007. At that point Production had to broadcast something even if their build was nt finished, our spectacular, design chair was a 'statement' piece in an unfinished shell. the previous owners probably sold it to pay the builders.

A friend was a runner on an early series, he only provided Kevin and the team with snacks beginning with 'P', apparently no one noticed for ages as they munched pringles, pastries and pork pies.

loislovesstewie · 29/09/2023 11:32

Would anyone buy a house where there were no doors to the en suite? Or huge glass walls?

DigbyTheDigger · 29/09/2023 12:10

AdequateDesign · 29/09/2023 11:27

We bought a wreck, lived in a caravan, had a baby.
the finished place is quite impressive but it broke me mentally.
20 years on its a bit bizarre not having lived in a 'normal' house for so long and the kids have a totally distorted idea of home.

we actually have a chair from a really early series of GD bought on ebay probably in 2007. At that point Production had to broadcast something even if their build was nt finished, our spectacular, design chair was a 'statement' piece in an unfinished shell. the previous owners probably sold it to pay the builders.

A friend was a runner on an early series, he only provided Kevin and the team with snacks beginning with 'P', apparently no one noticed for ages as they munched pringles, pastries and pork pies.

Tell us more about it! What's not 'normal' about it, and can you expand on why your children have a distorted idea of home?

mazylou · 29/09/2023 12:10

They're hard to sell on apparently, because they are so personalised.

And no to the much to en en suite. We stayed at my partner's stepmother's place a couple of times, it's got an open en suite and a slipper bath in the guest room. We came to a very swift agreement that we'd use the loo down the corridor instead.

ShitMermaid · 29/09/2023 12:19

Kevin McLoud must be some kind of fertility god.

Breathe the air around him or rub his bald head and before you know it you will be pregnant.

loislovesstewie · 29/09/2023 12:45

Do they still put baths in bedrooms, usually right in front of the window, any more? Because I think that is naff too!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 29/09/2023 13:32

TooOldForThisNonsense · 28/09/2023 14:43

That pair last night were awful. How on Earth did they get a £600k mortgage. The house was horrible. It was like an annexe to a museum. The open en suite was grim, but I’ve seen these in a few houses. Hard no from me. Who wants to hear their partner on the crapper from bed?

she was so bloody rude to her mum as well

That is exactly what I thought, @TooOldForThisNonsense! You couldn’t do a poo on that loo, right behind your other half’s head.

Dh and I watched it last night, and while we are very happy to help out our kids whenever we can, if one of them came to us and said they had run out of money to finish a ridiculously OTT Grand Design house, and needed to borrow hundreds of thousands to finish it, the answer would be a firm NO.

AdequateDesign · 29/09/2023 13:38

Disorted view of home @DigbyTheDigger - we're lucky to have a lot of space, when DS took up drums, we built a studio shed.
We have his and her workshops in the garden
The main building is listed, so we live amongst the history and compromise on location of bathrooms, washing machines, light switches,etc Its very quirky, full of spiders and genuine wow moments.

Whilst growing up, we're very quick to crush any suggestion from the kids that we are better or more interesting or other people are boring due to property of ownership. Don't judge by appearances...

Its great the kids can skateboard in the kitchen but Tony Hawk has done alright without that privalege, its also a lot of floor to clean. Chances are our kids will move out to a more standard house and lead fun, active lives that don't revolve around endless DIY. They need to be proud of that and not sense us as parents are judgy about different life choices.

Locally, housing is very diverse, but growing up on housing estates my parents were very observant over who had the slightly bigger or smaller architectural design.

There's a local wealthy kid to us who is infamous around the local parents for the slightly sneery way she comments if invited to play in a very standard, lovely family home. We absolutely didn't want our kids being associated with that.

On last nights GD, when the dad said about the toddler running around in a £1.2 million house its just felt they were heading down the wrong path.

Fizbosshoes · 29/09/2023 13:43

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 29/09/2023 13:32

That is exactly what I thought, @TooOldForThisNonsense! You couldn’t do a poo on that loo, right behind your other half’s head.

Dh and I watched it last night, and while we are very happy to help out our kids whenever we can, if one of them came to us and said they had run out of money to finish a ridiculously OTT Grand Design house, and needed to borrow hundreds of thousands to finish it, the answer would be a firm NO.

Show quote history

We said the same, the answer would be a no from us if family or friends asking to borrow money to finish the project when they started with a decent amount and probably could have finished a more modest (or even slightly smaller) build.
(I would possibly lend them the money for a door on the ensuite though....)

OvaHere · 29/09/2023 15:01

I watched this episode from Season 2 recently. Georgian style mansion in Farnham.

I really wanted to know what happened in the end. Anyone from area know? My extensive googling turned up nothing.

Farnham | Season 2 Episode 1 | Full Episode | Grand Designs UK

Kevin McCloud meets a woman determined to build the house of her dreams, an enormous Georgian-style mansion, against all the odds. Five years ago, Helen and ...

https://youtu.be/cABjNVFAoLk?si=hozAW2wOVusaz0JG

DigbyTheDigger · 29/09/2023 15:34

AdequateDesign · 29/09/2023 13:38

Disorted view of home @DigbyTheDigger - we're lucky to have a lot of space, when DS took up drums, we built a studio shed.
We have his and her workshops in the garden
The main building is listed, so we live amongst the history and compromise on location of bathrooms, washing machines, light switches,etc Its very quirky, full of spiders and genuine wow moments.

Whilst growing up, we're very quick to crush any suggestion from the kids that we are better or more interesting or other people are boring due to property of ownership. Don't judge by appearances...

Its great the kids can skateboard in the kitchen but Tony Hawk has done alright without that privalege, its also a lot of floor to clean. Chances are our kids will move out to a more standard house and lead fun, active lives that don't revolve around endless DIY. They need to be proud of that and not sense us as parents are judgy about different life choices.

Locally, housing is very diverse, but growing up on housing estates my parents were very observant over who had the slightly bigger or smaller architectural design.

There's a local wealthy kid to us who is infamous around the local parents for the slightly sneery way she comments if invited to play in a very standard, lovely family home. We absolutely didn't want our kids being associated with that.

On last nights GD, when the dad said about the toddler running around in a £1.2 million house its just felt they were heading down the wrong path.

Ah right, I see what you mean. Yes, v important for kids not to value themselves (and other people) by the stuff they have.

PreetyinPurple · 29/09/2023 15:58

@OvaHere DH and I talk about this one all the time. I think the proportions of the house weren’t right as well if I remember correctly.
They were out of money weren’t they at the end ?

OvaHere · 29/09/2023 16:09

PreetyinPurple · 29/09/2023 15:58

@OvaHere DH and I talk about this one all the time. I think the proportions of the house weren’t right as well if I remember correctly.
They were out of money weren’t they at the end ?

Yes, loads of problems then ran out of money (don't they all!). I'd be very surprised if they didn't have to sell it either before or immediately after completion. As the programme ended they were about 200k short and maybe out of borrowing options.

I'm not sure if GD ever did a follow up on this one. I couldn't find one.

Gettingbysomehow · 29/09/2023 16:15

I've just had my kitchen replastered and it's given me a nervous breakdown. Sod grand designs.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 29/09/2023 16:24

I haven’t read the whole thread so apologies if it’s been mentioned, but is this the couple who were floating a 600k mortgage on a ‘sweetie sales’ business they started in covid? At the end they basically borrowed money from all their family to finish it off, and got stung with an additional £50k vat bill- they were never in a million years going to come in at their budget.

my dhs favourite comment is that Kevin’s speech at the end is never scripted, (he heard this on a podcast once), but he likes to tell me every time we watch it 🤦‍♀️

nonumbersinthisname · 29/09/2023 17:26

After watching GD earlier this week, DH commented today that our kitchen really needs some attention. I nearly fell over as I have been saying this ever since I moved in NINE years ago and getting nowhere. Pine cupboards all badly marked thanks to the previous owners dogs chewing the doors. Peach tiles on the walls. Right on trend for 1992.

the fact that DH thinks this is the first time we’ve ever had this conversation is not boding well for the smooth running of this project…

GodspeedJune · 29/09/2023 17:34

I felt sorry for the couple on the latest episode in a way, starting their lives as a family with all that debt hanging around their necks. Then again, they managed to get their hands on the financing without much difficulty so perhaps it isn’t as catastrophic as it seems.

Wexone · 29/09/2023 18:12

OvaHere · 29/09/2023 15:01

I watched this episode from Season 2 recently. Georgian style mansion in Farnham.

I really wanted to know what happened in the end. Anyone from area know? My extensive googling turned up nothing.

would love to know too. I think she ended up splitting up from her husband. but with regards to the house I dint know she really lost the run of herself on that one

WhatapityWapiti · 29/09/2023 18:26

There was a really sad one where the husband got stomach cancer and died before the house was finished. You know how you get to that bit in the programme where Kev starts a piece to camera with a date on the screen and you can just tell that something hasn’t gone to plan- it was just announced calmly at that point, never saw it coming at all. The widow finished the property anyway- it was a fairly sensible one- and they did a lovely final episode about what the husband would have thought of it. Very brave of her to continue being filmed.

Escapingtherealityoflife · 29/09/2023 18:43

I reckon that the Grandad left them more money than they are letting on.

cittigirl · 29/09/2023 18:44

RobynRB · 28/09/2023 09:46

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...

I'm just watching it now
.. like you, I can't get my head around why they didn't reduce the build. It's vast and no one needs all that space, especially if it takes another £1/4 million that they don't have...Bonkers, completely bonkers.

Buggersticks · 29/09/2023 18:57

Grand Delusions!
Stopped watching it as they all seemed the same, as you say, always go out of budget, baby on the way, often awful samey end result, Kevin talking bollocks nice to their faces but what he really thinks afterwards etc etc. 😄 There's one near me from a couple of years ago, absolutely awful inside, must be cold, dark, noisy especially if it rains... gah! 🤦‍♀️ More money than taste.

Bunchymcbunchface · 29/09/2023 19:51

Google David O’Doherty ‘grand designs song’