Five of Grand Designs’ biggest disasters, from floating scrapheap to ugliest house ever
Grand Designs has played host to many brilliant ideas that have dramatically failed to come to fruition.
In some cases, the would-be dream properties showcased have ruined marriages, caused heart attacks, left their owners in financial ruin and, in one instance, even washed up on a beach.
Following the news that Edward Short’s dream lighthouse mansion has once again hit the market for a knock-down price of £5.5m, we are looking back at the show’s five biggest costly renovations that went sour.
1. The lighthouse that broke a marriage and a man
One of the most famous disasters ever featured by Grand Designs is Short’s mansion, which starred in what viewers dubbed the “saddest ever” episode of the show in 2019.
What began as a grand plan to allow the Short family a slower pace of life in North Devon than in London ultimately broke up Edward and his wife Holly’s decades-long marriage, leaving him an estimated £7m in debt.
The ambitious project, which was located in a tricky coastal location, was deemed a dangerous lesson in overreaching by host Kevin McCloud, who admitted that he doubted it would be possible to complete the home in its planned timeframe of just 18 months.
Instead, the home took over 12 years to build and it still remains incomplete, with areas such as the kitchen reportedly still requiring work.
The “saddest ever” Grand Designs home is currently up for sale for a knock-down price (Tom Wren SWNS)
While it has had some interested buyers including Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard and Harry Styles, Chesil Cliff House remains on the market, with its previous asking price of £10m ultimately deemed too high.
However, it is worth noting that it was only recently relisted, so it may well find a new owner soon.
Edward told Devon Live: “I have got used to being a millionaire in debt. I’ve been doing this build for more than 10 years – so have gone past headaches now and built a lot of resilience.
“I can not make any plans of what I do next until it is sold – but I would be very surprised if they involved any more big build projects. I think I need a physiatrist and help with PTSD.”
The house is pile-driven to save it from falling into the sea when the cliffs erode (Knight Frank)
2. The Eco Barge
The Eco Barge began as a brilliant idea – a floating home made entirely from recycled materials that would provide a London dwelling for a fraction of the price of just about anywhere else.
However, as Chris Miller and his wife Sze Liu Lai began the project without a plan, it quickly went awry and resulted in many angry builders and dock owners.
One builder said in the memorable 2007 episode said the barge “looks s***” while McCloud couldn’t help but dub the home “a floating scrapheap challenge”.
The Eco Barge was described as “a floating scrapheap challenge” (BBC)
The barge seemingly met its end on the banks of the River Thames in 2011, windows broken after being looted and used as a brief party spot by squatters.
However, in 2021, it was reported that it had been purchased by new owners, Sarah and Rob Burch, who planned to finally make a success of the project, beginning with a solid plan for the former Thames barge.
But at the time of writing, there are no further updates on the barge’s fate.
3. The converted church
Another failed Grand Designs home that led to a divorce was the 18th century St Martin’s Church in West Yorkshire, which Dean Marks, his wife Hilary and their daughter hoped would become their dream home.
The 2007 conversion suffered from various setbacks including struggles to obtain planning permission and vandals – all of which took a toll on the couple’s marriage.
“I admit I worked hard on it,” Marks told the MailOnline. “I did not have a large amount of quality time with Hilary but that was a small price to pay.”
The church conversion cost its owner a lot more than just money (Channel 4)
But if a divorce wasn’t already a big enough price to pay for a house, Marks also suffered two heart attacks because of the stress of the build and, later, went on to develop testicular cancer.
Mark ended up losing his wife and having two heart attacks because of the stress of his Grand Designs home (Channel 4)
4. The Hux Shard
Grand Designs has proven time and time again that properties often go over budget, but one of the show’s most disastrous examples was The Hux Shard in Devon, which cost 199 percent more than planned.
Initially planned to cost a total of £835,000, the unusual-looking property cost £2.5m to build.
McCloud couldn’t help but admit that it was an example of Joe and Claire Pridays arguably having “more money than sense” when they spent £125,000 on just the kitchen.
The Hux Shard went 199 percent over budget (Channel 4)
The home, which was made from giant zinc shards, was not well received by viewers of the 2021 episode either.
“In all seriousness, that was one sickening Grand Design. Everything about it highlighted the gulf between the haves and have-nots. What he spent on just a kitchen??! And what about the environmental cost?” slammed one viewer.
5. The Thunderbirds Home
Taking inspiration from the Thunderbirds, this home, in theory, was a sci-fi fan’s dream, but the reality ended up being more than a little lacklustre.
The Thunderbirds-style home was described as “the ugliest house” one viewer ever had ever seen (Channel 4)
The property, while beloved by its owners, whose only critique was that it wobbled in stormy weather, was slammed by viewers for its appearance in 2021.
One called the converted steel-clad water tower “the ugliest house I’ve ever seen”.
Its owners, Dennis Pedersen and Misa Godebska, however, likened the Norfolk property to a “Bond lair”.
Pedersen admitted: “I did watch a lot of Thunderbirds.”
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