Just watched it and we both said exactly the same thing - Why the **** are you demolishing a perfectly good house?
Just do a bit of work on that instead. Stick some nice windows in and a new kitchen and bathroom. Do it up with no expense spared for what the foundations of that place cost
I felt sorry for him at the end though. No matter how daft you’ve been, you wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
On your own, divorced, millions in debt with something that looks an unfinished soviet era gun emplacement all you’ve got to show for years of ballache
Insane - never seen anything like it, just throwing someone else’s money after someone else’s money at a vanity project and wasted the best years of his family life too.
Just finished watching this week's episode and it did really round out the set for this series: we had a dog dying, cancer x2, a divorce, another divorce...
It was quite amusing tracking when McCloud did each segment though, by his progression in outerwear, from the green jacket, through Canada Goose (x2), to his current "16 layers of blue, including Patagonia".
Also noticed that he has a hearing aid now.
As for the builds, as entertaining as ever, if a little more focused on the "human interest" rather than architectural elements...
Got me thinking that there's a lot of empty space at trail centres.
Not even any advertising hoardings!
Surely trail centres would be an ideal location to showcase these 'radical' home designs?
It probably wouldn't make good TV but my dream build would be
in a nice location but with the most important feature being that I wouldn't have any debt afterwards especially in our current uncertain times.
It's all well and good building some trophy zen house but pointless if you're awake every night thinking of paying for it.
Really strange episode / guy this week. When the programme starts and it says Dec ‘11 (or something) in the opening sequence you know it’s going to be tortuous. The posters above have pretty much said everything about the project but I feel sorry for the rest of the family who as someone else said had some of their best years together ruined.
The one high spot - Kevin’s piece to camera in the hailstorm. Pretty funny!
It probably wouldn’t make good TV but my dream build would be
in a nice location but with the most important feature being that I wouldn’t have any debt afterwards
Totally agree. The options are live in the old bungalow and not have to work again or knock it down to build a dream home and have enough debt to keep you working for the next 20 years. I think the reality is most people choose the first option but as you say it isn't good TV so we never see it. I suppose I'm glad there are a few crazy people out there pushing the boundaries, but I do feel a bit sorry for thus chap and his folly. Just chose the wrong path
A mate of mine built a large house in Surrey for £1m+ and it's big. But he can afford to run it and it's workable as a family home (the heated garage is a bit ott but then so is what's in there). Last night was just madness. The smaller house is what he should have done but his ego was bigger than his wallet and I hope the architect never works again.
Ways to spot if it is going to go tits up.
1) Starting date is more than 3 years ago.
2) Opening piece to camera involves bad weather, a ruin, or in this case a ship wreck. All with Kev looking a bit sad.
3) The builder's name isn't captioned and the writing on the side of his van is pixilated out.
This guy had all 3. His cat probably got run over by a digger too.
Finally got round to watching it last night. If he had just made "The Eye" 50% bigger then stuck a tower on it would he have got away with it?
Just look on the Daily Fail website - they love to work themselves into a froth about the curse of Grand Designs
Holy cow - look at the mortgage estimation at the bottom of that page! I think it is a GD house - sure I remember it...
It is - I remember that one. I can't find anything on the DM site though (this isn't a surprise as it is hideous). Anyone got a link?
Holy cow – look at the mortgage estimation at the bottom of that page! I think it is a GD house – sure I remember it…
The mortgage isn't that bad - I've got it down to £9000/month over 60 years, with a £100000 deposit...
Good work Princejohn, it’s a good game playing with that- all the numbers are ridiculous; if you’re looking at a 3.5m house you’ll not need a mortgage...
