he made some mistakes
Moving back here with her being the big one. His heart is still in NZ, and it's going to eat away at him over the next few years till the kids turn 18, then he'll want to up sticks again. Not sure he'll want to take the wife....
Back to the house, I think the architect had a plan for a house that he wanted to build, and didn't care where he built it. Then has sold the idea to them, they just agreed to it all, hence the windows in sub optimal places, a £15k curved wall, and not thinking about the utilities costing them £40,000....
This is just down the road from my mum's house.
Being honest, for £600k, i would want something a bit more special.
It was lacking something....yes the views are great round this part of the world, but it is right on the road, on a blind bend so pulling off the drive is a nightmare to start.
There have been some great houses on GD over the years, but this isn't one.
He had a job flying jets in the New Zealand Air ForceThe Kiwis don't have any fast jets
/pedantry
I didn't say he flew fast jets. I said he flew jets. They air force has a 757 which, given it has turbofan engines, falls under the definition of a jet.
/pedantrybackatya
Which must be as satisfying as flying 757s for Thomas Cook?
I thought he did a good job of building the place, hats off to him for that. I reckon I'd have done the same to be fair, but I could have driven the machinery as well and Mrs PP is a great project manager.....
But missing a £40k bill for utilities is just dumb. Surely that's the FIRST thing you look for on a new build isn't it?
And theirs and architects flimsy excuses for not pointing a sodding great window at THAT VIEW we're flimsy. They knew they'd cocked up. I'd have put the bedroom at the back away from the road (imagine having breakfast in that lovely back garden) and had one mahoosive open plan room angled straight at the valley, then cut the corner at 45 degrees and put a covered balcony out there. That would have probably been cheaper than that curved wall too.
We've just bought a new contemporary house (it's not finished yet!) that has a balcony and the architect has pointed it straight at the view, including the edge of the Peak District. I'm gonna be spending a lot of time in that room I think.
But missing a £40k bill for utilities is just dumb. Surely that's the FIRST thing you look for on a new build isn't it?
What wasn't clear though was that I assume he would have had the £40k bill irrespective of knowing about it at the beginning or end of the project - but I guess he would at least have been able to budget for it.
It indicated that had they done it at the start, it would have been in the region of £5k iirc not sure why though
It indicated that had they done it at the start, it would have been in the region of £5k iirc not sure why though
No I don't understand either - surely there would have been exactly the same work involved.
I thought the house was nice enough, 1 or 2 things that I would have changed but that's expected.
I think you lot are being a bit harsh on the couple, they didn't come off all that well but keep in mind how stressful it is building a house and some people don't do too well with cameras and telly crews in their face either.
And if you think Kev (and his new hollywood teeth) is bad, try watching grand designs New Zealand. That bloke has a face that needs punching.
It indicated that had they done it at the start, it would have been in the region of £5k iirc not sure why though
I think they said a normal house with pipes in the road outside the house would have been 5 grand, because they had to go all the way to the main road it turned out to be 40 grand.
If they had known in the beginning, they could have factored it into the budget and not had to borrow the extra cash from his or her parents.
Although 40k is a shedload for some pipes, given the site and the cost of the build, it is a fairly small percentage and I suspect most people would have still gone ahead.
I took it that in most circumstances the work costs 5k but because of their location it was 40k instead. If they'd put the research in at the beginning they could have found out about the cost and sacked the whole build off instead.
Presumably the architect learned architecture at the same place as the architects who designed the Glentress Peel café with its lovely views of the grassy bank rather than the view down the Tweed valley.
Having done our own build (and been the main contractor for it) the tensions felt real but the utilities thing was nuts to the extent that I wonder if it was actually a false drama that Grand Designs created and they knew all along. Utility connnections need to be designed into the house plans, and you can't do that without knowing where the connections were - they weren't buildling in the middle of a row of houses.
Its a hell of a lot easier to build if you've got your own power and water on site (and sewage - a cheap toilet in a plywood hut connected to the drain is cheaper than hiring a portaloo for the duration of the build so normally the utility connection is one of the first things you do .
The budget seemed too low when he first announced it based on what they were building so no surprise they went way over. Again I don't know if it's a Grand Designs invented drama or these people all delude themselves (or don't bother getting quotes up front and try to build of a £ m2 rate)
There was lots l liked about the house - upside down houses are great. I like the covered entrance and the overhangs on the terraces. I like the curved wall but the architect should really have thought of that before they were on site.
Some stuff depends on how you actually use your house - we spend most of our 'socializing' time in the kitchen/dining room so it makes sense for that to have the views. Our living rooms have always been mostly used at night so don't need a view. It seemed strange that the front terrace was tucked into the trees and hill rather than on the opposite corner but it might be more sheltered there? Actually being in full sun with no shade can be too much - our roof terrace is unusable during the middle of the day - theirs wouldn't be.
Stupid bloody wood burner again though - could have save 10k? not having that. A highly insulated, air tight, house with a lot of solar - as soon as they light the burner they'll need to open the windows.
Stupid bloody wood burner again though
Careful son, this is STW.
Around these parts, sheds, conservatories and VW campervans have wood burners.
More appropriate to say "just they one wood burner? how very restrained!"
Saw it last night.
The poor sod looked like a broken man.
Did the £600k total include the land purchase?
Did the £600k total include the land purchase?
I don't think so. The build budget was about £400k and he talked about being £200k over. I think they said the land was £150k, but I'm not 100% sure.
I thought the house was ok, just that the windows were in the wrong place.
The in-laws are thinking of doing a self build.
On a steep slope.
With a "contemporary" design.
In a national beauty spot.
I foresee a spot on Kev's Construction Calamities sometime in their future...
There was lots l liked about the house - upside down houses are great
Two storey, yes fine (we have one). But did they actually think about carting all the shopping up two flights of stairs to the top floor, or having two flights of stairs to get up before you get into the main living space of the house every time you get home? I doubt it.
In my view the wife was the driving force behind the whole thing and was sticking up for the [stupid] design that they had chosen. I mean, putting that bedroom in the corner off the living room... FFS!
Their furniture was also 'interesting' at best.
It's local to me. As has been said above, the very worst aspect for it is for those driving up Old Hollow. I quite like it from the fields. What didn't come across is that the road is actually quite busy at times during the day which is another reason for having the living room at the back and the main living space as high as possible.
Apparently on quite a few of these builds, the production company dress the interiors for the final shoot ( and take it away afterward) especially if they are not quite complete, so it may not be their furniture
Not sure about that, there's been loads that haven't been finished/partially decorated. I assumed it was their old furniture from NZ/previous house
I thought the £600k was the total cost?
What didn't come across is that the road is actually quite busy at times during the day which is another reason for having the living room at the back and the main living space as high as possible.
We wondered about that - we know Malvern quite well and none of those roads are quiet. Must have been odd times of day they filmed. You'd be completely unaware once in the house though.
the production company dress the interiors for the final shoot ( and take it away afterward)
Not in this case - no professional would have dressed it with such grim furniture.
But did they actually think about carting all the shopping up two flights of stairs to the top floor, or having two flights of stairs to get up before you get into the main living space of the house every time you get home?
It's only like living in a flat or walking to a bus stop - getting directly from your car seat to your sofa is why most of the country are so unfit.
I'm surprised there isn't an outside staircase up to the living room and a back door (there might be?).
The bit that made me chuckle was when the guy spent ages gathering stone from around the site only for our Kevin to smash it to small pieces saying " look at it it's rubbish ".
I could feel the Dr wife boiling up, bet she wanted to take the lump hammer and smash Kevin with it.
I think Kev may have foregone his ritual droit de seigneur. There again he might have swallowed hard and gone for it, only to get rebuffed.
We wondered about that - we know Malvern quite well and none of those roads are quiet. Must have been odd times of day they filmed
You could see how busy the road was in a few shots.
I could feel the Dr wife boiling up, bet she wanted to take the lump hammer and smash Kevin with it.
Quite a few GPs I know or worked with are completely unaware of sarcasm, irony, or even humour in some cases. Surprising lack of common sense in several, as well. I liked the clip of her in her office taking blood pressure attempting to look natural and smile at the patient. And failing.
Talk of product placement!............I take it Kev is sponsored by Canada Goose. Every shot, a Down Jacket, Puffa Jacket, Sleeveless Vest.
He must be boiling in some shots, the number of layers he's wearing!
Yeah, nah
Not sure about that one. Felt like it was all trying a bit too hard
I liked the mix of old (well faux old) and new - made a nice change from the obvious clean lines and featureless installations.
Loved the way the clip was made at the end. It made Kevin look like he was not responsible for the pregnancy 😆
Kevin banging on about her 'Black box' all the time was a bit disconcerting... 😳
I liked them and the fact that the house was to their spec rather than another boxy visitors centre. I think that Kev and his fancy jackets liked them too.
Not my taste though, but I wasn't paying for it.
The staircase looked like something out of Aliens.
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Not a fan of the staircase either.
Looked like the foyer of a self storage company from the 80's.
Stove was facing the wrong way too.
Surprised how well the kitchen looked.
It did show that decent quality / craftsmanship will work well in any setting irrelevant of weather it is contemporary or traditional.
Why do these people submit themselves to trial by Kev? Do they get paid by Channel 4?
If it's like the Channel 5 version the subject just needs to mention that they're on 'Living the Dream' (or whatever) and suppliers fall over themselves to give you stuff.
(Not me, but I knew someone who is self building.)
Why do these people submit themselves to trial by Kev? Do they get paid by Channel 4?
something i always wonder... i expect they get something, but not much.
i think its the exposure they get from it, the architects and the builders and suppliers - they all probably knock a few quid off the bill too??
the subject just needs to mention that they're on 'Living the Dream' (or whatever) and suppliers fall over themselves to give you stuff.
Maybe in the early days of Grand Designs but by all accounts not any more. Too many have been stung as 'the window company screwed it up" that some wont deal with you if you're on tv. Our architect was on the show and he advised against it and said potential for discounts was very limited.
If it's an architect or a designer they've got a product to sell and its a huge amount of advertising. People like last night? It's got to be just vanity.
People like last night? It's got to be just vanity.
It's a nice way of diarising what is likely to be a once in a lifetime experience though.
I liked the staircase until they painted it yellow an made it look like something of a top of the pops set circa 1983
I was told by someone who knows them that the fee from channel 4 to the couple was £500 for the Malvern house. For some people a record of the process is what they are after I think
As most of the [s]visitor centres[/s] homes are just 'everybody look at me!' chequebook-waving vanity projects anyway, its hardly surprising that people want it to be on telly.
I bet they then go on to bore every single visitor to death by making them watch it repeatedly while giving a running commentary
"And this is the bit where Kevin turned up to watch the windows arriving from Germany. There's a funny story about this actually. I'll just pause it while I tell you...."
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I did enjoy the husbands Black shirt + bright white linen trousers combo at the end. Quite fitting with the type of house they built
Builders didn't seem too impressed with the advice from the neurosurgeon wife to wear a hard hat....
As most of the visitor centres homes are just 'everybody look at me!' chequebook-waving vanity projects anyway, its hardly surprising that people want it to be on telly.
I would guess any house build involves 'chequebook waving', and as people build houses that they want to live in then obviously that could be viewed as a 'vanity project'.
You do sound bitter about it though
Builders didn't seem too impressed with the advice from the neurosurgeon wife to wear a hard hat....
If I'd have being acting as contractor/project manager they'd be wearing their PPE or they'd not have a job. They know the rules, there's no excuse.
Other than that I can't fathom why anyone would pay £1,300,000 for a 3 bedroom house on, basically, a bypass. That road was so busy!
You do sound bitter about it though
I can pick up that baton! 😆
£1.4 million for a three bed house on a busy main road*, small garden and no parking? The price of needing to work in London.
And I assume that the guest bedroom will become a kids bedroom at some point - why not design it that way from the start?
* busy main road - that's the key for me.
Edit: PP got there while I was making my post polite!
You do sound bitter about it though
Bitter? Why on earth would I be bitter about some middle class fluff on channel 4?
Not bitter at all, just bored of the blah, blah, blah.... £250,000 windows imported from Germany.... blah, blah, blah.....
Last weeks was the first I'd watched in ages because it just became so terminally generic years ago. Oh look... another expensive visitor centre.
The first few series had some genuinely interesting builds on, but it descended into a tedious box ticking exercise quite some time ago
