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Not sure what the fuss was about the back gate, his main gate was behind the cemetery gates so he can roam the graves after hours anyway!
The only interesting recent Grand Designs are the proper car crash ones. The Devon lighthouse springs to mind as an exercise in pure folly
If you watch Harry Dwyer's latest episode of his speedboat pootle around the UK, he takes a quick look at the latest lighthouse scaffolding :). It's a good little series, plus some madcap projects on his previous videos, such as a bike camper build and wild camp 🙂
47m40s
Thoroughly nice chap.
I thought he was brave going on tv showing his heritage and obvious money as can be seen by some of the comments above. To be fair though his swimming technique was shocking
Grand Designs on the whole has become a way of getting free advertising for selling your newly built property.
You can often find the properties have been sold or turned in to expensive holiday lets
Had to read that twice
I’m sure that would bring a tear to anyone’s eye
I read it twice and still don't get it.
I know they were whalers.
I read it twice and still don’t get it.
There was a thread on here several years back having fun changing the name of a TV show by one letter that i think started with
Extreme Fisting with Robson Green
I really like the building and the way he finished it. It’s certainly wasn’t the sort of GD that appeals to me.
However I have no financial sympathy for him. The initial quotes showed exactly how expensive the end project would have been, he knew what he was getting into. £2M mortgage seems crazy to me even if he got it interest free and he would get far more if he sold it.
I very much doubt any of it was financed n fishing trips no matter how posh they might be. That aside I quite liked it, it was certainly well done and not at any point lacking in any ambition. A lot of "what if?"s during the build had the hallmarks of a proper car crash but expect the family and potential pay off steadied the bank's nerves there.
How the other half live eh. ;o)
£2M mortgage
steadied the bank’s nerves
Indeed - must have been family guarantees on all those mortgages and a shit load of income that didn't come from the fishing business. A mortgage on the basis of income from a tour company that was not trading for the foreseeable future due to COVID seemed...unlikely...
Didn’t he have another Fulham property already (IIRC it’s what he re-mortgaged initially) though he seemed in no rush to sell that, as is normal in this sort of situation. I’d just assumed they threw the cash at him as it was worth way more than it was mortgaged for, even after the top ups?
Might be misremembering all that though.
You can often find the properties have been sold or turned in to expensive holiday lets
Indeedy the rock house locally, is now a (very expensive) holiday let, which I don't know how to feel about. That said, I don't know his situation, so ppl with glass houses and all that..
https://www.therockhouseretreat.co.uk/
Didn’t he have another Fulham property already (IIRC it’s what he re-mortgaged initially) though he seemed in no rush to sell that, as is normal in this sort of situation. I’d just assumed they threw the cash at him as it was worth way more than it was mortgaged for, even after the top ups?
sure, but you still have to have cover the interest payments (and demonstrate that you can). It sounded like he'd ended up mortgaged up to £3m or more.
Even at 2% that's £60k p.a. of taxed income...
Maybe he’s a mercenary and the “extreme fishing” trips around the globe are a cover! The dining room did look like a board/war room!
Even at 2% that’s £60k p.a. of taxed income…
How much do decent sized houses in Fulham rent out for? 5-6k a month isn’t out of the ordinary (having just checked, £10-11k isn’t impossible...) then top up with whatever extreme things he gets up to.
It was a nice enough house but I kept thinking that there is no way I'd give myself that much stress to finance and make the mortgage payments on such a big house for him and his son (then just him, then him and his Mrs).
I appreciate he could find a million or 2 significantly easier than I could but still, I'd rather not be up to by ears in debt if I can help it.
How much do decent sized houses in Fulham rent out for? 5-6k a month isn’t out of the ordinary (having just checked, £10-11k isn’t impossible…) then top up with whatever extreme things he gets up to.
I got the impression he was very local (just across the road?). Wife lived out that way when we met - it's more Hammersmith than Fulham...
True, but that rental income is taxable and buy-to-let mortgage rates likely to be a bit higher and any mortgage will have been subject to a 'stress test' - you would need to show you can cover the interest payments at significantly higher rates than at present.
Penny’s dropped where he gets his income- he’s a hitman. Perfect place to dispose of the bodies hence the need for the side gate to slip out under cover of darkness!
of taxed income…
As if the upper classes pay tax, whatever next!
there is no way I’d give myself that much stress to finance and make the mortgage payments on such a big house for him and his son (then just him, then him and his Mrs).
That's assuming that he was telling the truth about where he was getting the money from. He didn't really seem to have much of a clue about how much it would all cost (cf what he thought it should cost vs what the contractors were saying it would cost, at the start.) and didn't care about adding extra costs through the build. It is possible that he had all the funds available but was a little too polite, too tactful to announce that money was no problem for him or his family, so tried to make himself more relatable by saying he'd got mortgages here and there and everywhere.
I thought it interesting that the whole place was in extreme good taste, except for his floor which was horrible.
And..
To be fair though his swimming technique was shocking
for someone who loves swimming, he was rubbish at it. His technique was like mine, and I swim about once a year. 😀
It is possible that he had all the funds available but was a little too polite, too tactful to announce that money was no problem for him or his family, so tried to make himself more relatable by saying he’d got mortgages here and there and everywhere.
Or the producers told him to say it, just to create a bit of jeopardy. 'Incredibly rich man builds nice house with very few problems' isn't always great telly.
New episode tonight
Bingo cards at the ready with the usual GD Tropes.
Or the producers told him to say it, just to create a bit of jeopardy. ‘Incredibly rich man builds nice house with very few problems’ isn’t always great telly.
True - I may have been overthinking it!
Traquair house is something quite extraordinary and apparently Catherine and immediate family are super down to earth with considerably more taste than the young cousin Justin.
Yeah doesn't Catherine Maxwell Stuart have quite a good reputation locally? I'm a bit out of touch but certainly the Traquair Fair back in the 80s & 90s was a joyous thing - whole weekend of live music, theatre tents, good food and drinking!
I did find overall it was rather nice, but I wouldn't be up for that much faff/stress!
His fishing business does also own a fly fishing accessory company. So maybe that's the regular income.
Ok I'm already routing for them but very concerned. I sense a 'dust test' coming
Oh eh. That escalated quickly.
a mysterious fire would have probably saved them lots of time and cash
+1 for the accidental fire
Happens all the time in the countryside..
A guy I played hockey with was a private forensic investigator, I asked him how they knew when it was arson. He thought for a second or two and then sagely said "it's usually the smell of petrol"...
it’s usually the [s]smell of petrol[/s] planning application ”…
Given the state of those oak pillars, if they'd just pushed on them in a gale they'd have solved the problem
Bloody building regs. It's political correctness gone mad!
I lived down the road from two enormous pubs, both listed buildings, that were bought by property developers and are now blocks of new build flats after being demolished after ‘mysterious’ fires.
Planning laws are mental. It’s a 30 year old barn, not Westminster Abbey FFS
This is actually restoring my faith in Grand Designs after watching Little Lord Fauntleroy go a million pounds over budget last week
This one is given me the terrors! I really hope this is going to work out for them on every level
Is 'local supplier going out of business and taking your huge deposit down with it' on the Grand designs bingo card?
If she dies there’s gonna be tears from my wife!
Good for them. So much more deserving than "chuck another million at it."
I hope they don't get a dirty great lorry park out the back. That'd suck
Phew!
Not a chance building control would sign off those stairs😁
Liked that, wish them both a long and happy life there!
Awesome! Bless em
Loved the way they worked round problems rather than just chucked money at it, although with a bit of forward planning he could have avoided the issues of height and roof angle.
Beautiful looking place, love the wood facade. Top job
That was an awesome episode. Love it.
First baby of this series next week!
Well, that was absolutely bloody brilliant!
Loved that. It doesn’t look like a visitor centre, it didn’t cost 5 million quid, we didn’t have to hear about the delay in the windows being delivered from Germany, nobody had to go and shake the lower boughs of the money tree for an extra half a million and the people were actually really likeable.
On the downside; nobody got pregnant and nobody had to live in a caravan for 3 years
Jesus! Me and the Mrs were holding our breath until the credits rolled!
Great episode that, they deserve every happiness together in their beautiful new house.
Unfortunately zero score on the GD bingo card, but I won't begrudge them that.
That was wonderful.
Well that was just what I needed given what’s going around us all. I wish them well, where did I leave me hanky.
Super.
That was great. Proper grit and determination after so much cash going into the ground. I actually really liked them oiled wood outside, and the space indoors.
Clearly unfinished though, there is a few quid needed to fishing finish bedrooms, laundry (not even a washing machine yet) and handrails...
Genuinely hoping we weren't going to hear really bad news as that episode went on but a happy ending.... brilliant, very pleased for them. Great episode
Great episode and what an achievement for the two of them. What GD should be!
Clearly unfinished though, there is a few quid needed to fishing finish bedrooms, laundry (not even a washing machine yet) and handrails…
No they re sorted. No need for guest bedrooms and they can nip to the parents house for their washing. Just dump stuff in the spare rooms. He got his pool table in so priorities
Good episode. Like is said above we did fear the worst on a few occasions.
Putting as all to shame… what a bloke… and what a lovely home.
Thought the exterior was excellent, was quite an achievement considering the basic shape of the building and recycled pine boards.
Inside needed a splash of colour to help finish it off.
Considering the budget it turned out exceptionally well, great effort from both of them.
I haven’t watched it yet, but it’s just up the road from where I grew up. My mum knows them and one of my best mate’s Dad worked on it, who sadly died 18 months ago, I think before it was finished. Not exactly sure but I think he did a lot of the groundwork.
Not exactly sure but I think he did a lot of the groundwork.
Having started watching it I’ll have to find out. He wasn’t the guy that they got rid of once they had to do the underpinning.
I do know Callum though who’s just turned up with the steel work for the cube 🙂
That was brilliant, and very inspirational. What a driven young man that lad is.
Wish them every happiness.
Loved the guys can do attitude and modesty, not to shabby an outcome either despite Kevin sneering at the pool table.
The girls cancer seems really harsh, to be reoccurring so frequently really doesn't look good ☹️
Finishing it looks well doable for £25k which takes them to £295k, 15% tax back for the change of purpose, bang on budget! Great effort
Lovely place - I thought it was going to tick all the 'usual" GD boxes but it turned out so much better.
Her folks seemed lovely too. Was that an e-type in the barn at the start?
Loved that one. Couldn’t believe how good the re-used external cladding looked. Just imaGive how long it took to removed them, scrape, sand, Re-assemble, oil (4 coats) must’ve taken.
His attitude of trying his hand at anything and everything by watching some YouTube guides was brilliant. I do that on a small scale but anything that looks like a bit too much of a challenge I get a pro in. He ended up turning into the pro.
I thought there were two classic Corvettes in the barn in the opening scenes. Unfortunately didn't get to see any more of them...
What a contrasting set of characters to last week. Could we have had two such different people? Likeable, inspiring, talented, driven - more or less every good quality you could want in a person.
Really really enjoyed this weeks and I wish them all the best going forward - i really hope it works out for them.
If ever there was proof that hard work and enthusiasm beats talent that was it.
I loved the house, even more with their background. Like a few have mentioned, I was dreading the credits at the end as I didn't think she would make it.
Probably the best GD episode I've seen.
I reckon that the commissioner/ editor knew what they were doing in lining those two episodes next to each other in the series.
Also- who knew that Pink Lady apples had any kind of marketing budget for TV adverts in a semi prime TV slot.
Twodogs
Not a chance building control would sign off those stairs😁
Yes, I liked the way that Kevin said "oh, and of course for building regs there'll be a handrail installed?" so they were covered if the building inspector watched it!
That was superb. Awesome house and a lovely couple who deserve to be able to enjoy it for a long time. Loved it
Really pleased for them, and yeah, we were holding our breath until the end too.
Remarkable build.
and of course for building regs there’ll be a handrail installed
That's one from Grand Designs bingo. Non conforming stairs is a reoccurring item, and the work-in-progress cover up.
Good episode.
So, these conservation rules that meant they had to ‘preserve’ a rotten 80’s barn/shed. What’s occurring there then? Do they (planners/councils I assume) just pick a moment in time and say ‘right, the area is perfect, no changes allowed!’
Seems a bit silly for something so, relatively, new with such little merit so what’s the thinking behind it? And what would the punishment have been had it fallen down?
That’s one from Grand Designs bingo. Non conforming stairs is a reoccurring item, and the work-in-progress cover up.
or do what my builder is doing...installing a Gate handrail. As soon as you hear the building inspector close the gate behind him, you remove it 🙂
Excellent house. Loved both the exterior and the interior, which was sharp but not stark. Really great design in the end.
Their attitude was remarkable too.
The conservation area issue was just crazy. There needs to be the ability to exclude a building on a special case basis from a CA, but I doubt planning officers would have time to deal with those kind of applications.
On the handrail thing, in fairness they hadn't finished a lot of things - bedrooms, utility etc. As he was welding everything himself, it needed a fair chunk of his time so fair enough that it got pushed down the list of jobs to do.
When we did some work on our house it took me about a year to put a handrail up, another 6 months to put the spindles below it and until a week before we sold it for it to get a decent coat of paint.
Fantastic episode, up there with one of the very best. Good luck and best wishes to both of them.
My only question was over the 'dead' oak tree, that went onto make the table, and stairs.
Does a felled tree not require a process of drying over a considerable period before being used in what is in effect 'fine furniture'. Correct me please but won't it split and crack as it dries in the warm house environment?
Great to see some people getting stuck in for once and doing it so well.
I'd have knocked it down and rebuilt to match though - planners would neither have known or noticed and it would have saved a load of money on groundworks. (though the 'feet' for the uprights was a good cheap solution)
Couldn’t believe how good the re-used external cladding looked. Just imaGive how long it took to removed them, scrape, sand, Re-assemble, oil (4 coats) must’ve taken.
My thoughts exactly - can't believe how good that looks then, 'that was a *lot* of work.
His attitude of trying his hand at anything and everything by watching some YouTube guides was brilliant.
thats what we did on ours. You can get a long way with YouTube and crossed fingers.
Does a felled tree not require a process of drying over a considerable period before being used in what is in effect ‘fine furniture’. Correct me please but won’t it split and crack as it dries in the warm house environment?
You can either let it dry naturally over a few years, in which case it will still shrink and crack considerably (see my uncle in law's ash flooring from the farm in their last house) or you can get it kiln dried (which is what happens to commercial timber) and use it quickly.
“oh, and of course for building regs there’ll be a handrail installed?”
Well, having lived with no banisters or handrails for a while it's surprising how many people get freaked out by open stairs (even with a wall to one side). Having put a handrail in I'd not take it back out (though I wouldn't miss the railing on the other side.
That staircase really was an accident waiting to happen.
I suspect the 'open' stairs was a bit staged. i would guess a blockade was removed from the top for the cameras (it did look striking!).
The stairs in the bedroom up to that level were a lot safer and had a rail on the wall IIRC.
Seems a bit silly for something so, relatively, new with such little merit so what’s the thinking behind it?
I'm assuming it's to stop people knocking whatever down and building a gaudy monstrosity that was never agreed to at planning, resulting in years of legals that the council can't really afford to fight.
You’d still need to get planning approval for its replacement though, no? Just specify that it needs to replicate, or at least be in keeping with, what it replaced visually.
All they’ve done there is made a coupe with a modest budget spend tens of thousands more than they needed to, on something with no real merit. It’s not like they wanted a glass box or a mansion in its place.
His attitude of trying his hand at anything and everything by watching some YouTube guides was brilliant.
thats what we did on ours. You can get a long way with YouTube and crossed fingers.
I can guarantee that if I’d even thought about doing something like that, I’d presently be sat in a smouldering pile of rubble or quiet probably be dead