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I built my house, or at least managed the architect , build etc, and I'm not surprised some aren't perfect as I reckoned it would take 3 tries to get exactly what I really wanted. I'm not surprised some don't go to plan as they're not the stock buiolt boxes most builders deal with so some experimentation is required.
Lot of stress, but definitely worth doing if you get the chance.
We self built 9 years ago and I saw a lot I recognised in this one.
Wanted to dislike them but they clearly got stuck in. Never understand the branding rules on GD - why are some co's shown and others blurred out?
Coming in under budget was impressive. I came in on budget. How? realistic to start with (most GD aren't) - lots of research and quotes. Make sure estimates for anything you dont know are high and have a big contingency. Then scale stuff back when one thing goes over - they did a load themselves (there was a comment about finish quality being rough in places), the garden wasn't planted, some of the rooms weren't finished, had they delayed the hot tub? did they actually build the outbuildings that were mentioned at the start? (I'm guessing the gym was going to be in a garden building, they scrapped that and put it in the garage. That might have been 50k by itself..
https://www.instagram.com/thefoxesmaltings/
did they actually build the outbuildings that were mentioned at the start?
You could see the big black “shed” when looking out the big rear window
Quite a bit of jealous sounding people on here.
Thought they were a breath of fresh air. Clearly both happy to get stuck in and lived and breathed the build.
Getting it done in the timescale was ridiculous. My jaw dropped when I saw the first visit was March last year. Figured that they'd either smash it or it went horribly wrong.
As for their jobs a lot of people give influencers a bad rep cos of how many fakes there are out there. To actually be successful is full time hard graft just in a way a lot of people from older generations can't even begin to understand.
Cool disability bungalow tonight. Good for them.
Best one I've seen for ages
Best one I’ve seen for ages
i concur. lovely story and lovely place, real feelgood factor.
Wasn't sure at first, seemed to be losing too much time in life with family & kids for the sake of not looking accessible, but the finished article was just great thumbs up emoji
Yeah enjoyed that one, he was a proper grafter and seemed a nice bloke.
Like how Kevin seemed to be setting him up as a project management business for accessible buildings at the end. He really seemed get on with them, was less arsey with them.
How could you be arsey with them? Amazing people.
Did she get pregnant half way through or is Kevin losing his appeal? ?
We had a power cut as the mason was cutting the stone round the rsj.....
Certinly one of the best I've seen. Well done to them....he's a real grafter.
jamiemcf
We had a power cut as the mason was cutting the stone round the rsj…..
i doubt they're related.
Great build last night. Fabulous. Now we can't be having two builds come in around time and budget and looking great. When is the next disaster ? LOL.
Last weeks couple are busy pimping themselves around the internet. They posted on a Victorian and Edwardian renovation FB group for some reason despite being a newbuild.
This weeks was great. Loved the re-use of all the old light switches, bar rails etc.
That was my favourite build, I think.
A really nice house in a nice location built for the right reasons.
Caught up on this series.
Lighthouse / 1st episode. Guy was a complete ****, knew full well what he was doing regarding planning, the party wall and chimney looked pretty knackered and were left exposed for too long. His contractors obviously like his coin as otherwise they'd have told him to **** off years ago.
Felt sorry for the guy next door and the son.
Episode 2, I couldn't figure the angle with the farmer and his son but the build turned out okay and the young couple were likeable. £3k a month mortgage though!!!!!!!
Episode 3. MrsRNP favourite ever GD because of the woman her positive attitude and the finished interior fit out and style, lad was a grafter.
Kev's cars have come on a bit - I remember very early episodes where he drove an ex military Landrover Series 3
Kev’s cars have come on a bit
True, but that BMW is so ugly
As someone interested in design I am surprised that he chose it, although it may be a loaner
This weeks was one of the best episodes in a long time. That lad worked so hard and they created an amazing home for themselves. She had such a positive outlook on life. I wish them well
large number of these builds are be architects or “builder” who get lots of free advertising by dint of its being their build.
The programme is no advert for architects. Most episodes seem to involve the architect making some major blunder that can’t be built out doesn’t work for one reason or another
I’m not getting good vibes on this one so far. I’m not sure he’s got the right reasons for doing this or the capabilities to execute on it.
Agreed, seems to be needing to deal with his daddy issues. Surely would have been more eco to retrofit insulation, solar etc and rejig the internals?
This "U" shape house is nice.
£200k over budget…
I wonder how much he would have saved if he had just paid for the drawings and got it done the way the architect envisioned. What did building control have to say about it all ? My mate had nothing but hassle from them about the insulation in his eaves details when he converted a detached garage into a small dwelling.
Fair play to him though if he has done all that finishing by himself , that’s a lot of work. At least it kept him from gluing his hands to the M25 😉
The case was definitely empty!
"Do the drawings" has to be lesson 1 of these projects...
First time in years I’ve watched it - I’ll leave it for another 3 or 4 years to let my blood pressure reduce!!
For the same reason I can no longer watch Location, Location, Location.
And aren’t open tread stairs now banned under building regs?
I cannot fault him for effort.
But was it worth it?
For the same reason I can no longer watch Location, Location, Location
I can't watch that programme because the two presenters are just so bloody irritating, so patronising. But that's probably another thread in itself, or for the Disproportionately Cross one at any rate.
Just weird, and weird over wealthy people, odd relationship.
They essentially built a complex of four 1 bed apartments in the middle of a massive green lawn for at least£1 million build cost. I find it impossible to believe that after the initial basic structure and roof build he did it all himself even given the timescale.
I'm not seeing how it's 'eco', or how either of them are going to run retreats or wellness things.
Such a wasted opportunity. Didn't do anything for me. Tbh I nearly turned it off.
Another water tower conversion next week, could be more interesting.
I liked his approach to life. I've got all this work to do to finish my partner/wife's apartment for the sake of her health but **** it, I'm spending half my day relaxing on the lawn 🙂
Among other things stressing me out about that very weird episode were the shots of him building away with only the barefoot running shoes on his feet.
Sometimes barefoot shoes or sandals and shorts, but a hard hat lol!
Yet again, there's no barriers on the balcony, how do they get away with it?????????????/
Yes, build a house to reduce stress, by getting your wife to lay on her back painting the gutters.
The whole thing was a bit weird and he obviously had father (dis)approval issues that he was trying to resolve.
I can't be the only one who tracks Kevin's jackets throughout the episodes, not sure if he really feels the cold, or if he's always in freezing locations, but that man loves to layer! Decent Patagucci collection.
Mixed feelings about this one. Its the village I grew up in so know the site and especially those woods incredibly well and would love to able to live someday so I took it a bit personally that he built something rather underwhelming on such a lovely site.
Also from a professional perspective have some slight questions about a raft foundation on what's typically a fairly high plastic clay. The wifes an architect and she started rolling her eyes at the lack of drawings.
Had both of them accidentally swallowed The Little Book of Calm, or were they really completely hyper, anger filled people who had to behave weirdly placidly in front of the camera?
Be interesting to see it after 5yrs. Can't help but thinking it'll look tired, especially that 650mm roof border/guttering he fell out with the architect over. Looked pretty poorly finished new.
Kevin’s jackets
He has a Mk1 TNF McMurdo that gets a lot of screen time (I have the same jacket but in brown - jacket buddy's!!!!)
I started watching where the designer and him fell out over the roof capping, and I thought the designer was a stuck up person. I think he was right though, the finished product reminded me of school reports - unfulfilled potential!
Then when she got her Cancer diagnosis and saying that it makes you reflect on the important things in life - I expect starting that bloomin project felt like the least important thing in the world!