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...

bendy Nissan hut

And the rock house, which isn't far from me and is now a holiday let.

I'm always disappointed that it looks like no one lives there (minimalist to the nth degree) even when they have multiple children the youngest having arrived approx 9 months after Kevs first visit
I'd love it if they had to pick up a few toys off the floor before Kev tripped over them on the polished concrete floor (or see them in the background quickly disposing of dog crap in the garden as Kev walked up the path)

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

I've noticed the same furniture in some episodes so do think the TV company furnish it.

The one where he parked a classic car in the middle of a room, because they ran out of cash for furniture. I want to say it was a water tower, but my memory is hazy.

Someone I know was on it not that long ago. They’re a couple with lemonade jobs, champagne lifestyle thanks to his parents who are loaded and bank roll them. They tried to make out on the programme that they were poor and did most of the work themselves but we all know mummy and daddy paid for 99%
just because they wanted their 15 mins of fame.

As someone trying to sell a bog standard 3 bed detached in a nice village with a decent bus route and well connected to the local towns, I just kind of look at all these grand architectural 'visions' and think, "How the fuck do you find someone willing to buy it if/when you need to move or if you die and your kids don't want to live in it?"

I am very middle class though.

One thing I love about Grand Designs is how it's willing to do what TV virtually never does: take a story (house) and follow it over a period of (sometimes many) years. I love that it has that ambition, confidence and commitment to the houses it features, it feels like it goes against the grain of most (fast throwaway) television.
But I hate the endless parade of enormous cavernous sheds, filled with bad decisions and huge egos. It does feel like they are going for ratings-chasing drama these days with the houses/people they choose. I like the episodes, which they never seem to make anymore, where it's people on genuinely tight budgets doing something creative, possibly handmade, possibly quirky or eco-friendly. I know it's called "Grand" designs but it would be nice if they could expand the interpretation a bit. A "grand design" could be just someone's innovative vision or dream, doesn't have to be the size of a football pitch.
I haven't read this whole thread but does anyone remember a standup comic's routine, I can't think who it was who did it: 'What Grand Designs would be like if it was presented by Gordon Ramsay' - "It's now November and THEY HAVEN'T EVEN GOT THE BLOODY ROOF ON YET!" 😂

Has anyone mentioned how they nearly always have to get some bit of the house commissioned/custom made? Usually a hand carved wooden staircase or some sort of intricate glass feature window that is being hand crafted in a factory in Mongolia and will take 3 months to ship here. Inevitably costs half the budget, but of course its vital to the overall vision.

It was a Huf Haus I think.

I like the sound of Pru's house. Can anyone help me find it on All4?!

The vast majority of people on GD are couples where it is the man who is the driving force, putting his family through hell to achieve his dream concrete and glass monstrosity. Of course to an extent there'd be no story if it all went smoothly and was on budget. Kev gets sniffy about design principles and the aesthetic. Loop and repeat.

The older episodes were definitely better.

Do we all remember the Monsieur B'Astard episode with the terribly nice lady remodeling a swiss alps cow barn. She was gutted they removed the old beans because of the character. And then spent an eyewatering amount on a kitchen.

Everybody's favourite one x

I am a PM in construction and DH is a bricklayer/builder. We had to stop watching years ago as it was soooo frustrating! Being a PM is so easy, apparently... 😂
We visited the woodman's cottage from one of the earlier series. The chap that did it had to be totally self sufficient in order to get permission and it's quite an impressive set up.

This!!

I have come to the conclusion that most of the people who go on this have no idea about budgeting.

Same with the Your home made perfect 'we have a £50k budget with £10k contingency' - final cost £90k.

Does my head in!!!

I quite like the shows. Much better than Wanted Down Under when people expect to move from a bog standard house in say Bradford to a 5 bed with a pool and at the beach all day.

I stopped watching it because tbh the budgets they had were too low and I would like to have seen say two Doctors moving and seeing what they could buy.

I also think Grand Designs seems to be about men's ego's. It wont take us long to build and even when it's going wrong and over budget the men never admit it EVER. Its only because the presenter gets it out of them that it makes such good TV and even then the man gives us a look to say 'Of course I always knew it was going to be this much'

DH and I much prefer the “house of the year” (spin off?) series where, inevitably, a really beautiful family home loses out to some architectural wet dream with a £10million budget and a wall of broken shells or some nonsense. “Ooh, a cantilever!” has become a family catchphrase now.

I do find though with architects is that you say to them 'My budget is £700k for EVERYTHING including your fees' - they still design a £950k home!

I mean why did they have to build the extension? They could have just converted the water reservoir and it would have still been huge.

Absolutely hate the show. All I can see are over ambitious thrity-something couples who have a lifestyle to uphold wanting to imprint their over inflated egos onto the landscape. They all think they are 'breaking the mould' and they are just so not.

What I hate more than anthying is the 'we want great big glass walls here so we can look out over the rolling fields and enjoy nature'.

Yeah - the very view and the very nature that everyone could enjoy until you came along and built your fucking warehouse in the middle of it.

They definitely loan furniture for the reveal on George Clarke old house new home/ugly house - I know some one who was on it and was a bit embarrassed that people thought a certain table was her choice.

I was picturing magic beans there in the style of Jack and the Beanstalk..