Grand Designs

[sawdust1]

Has anyone noticed how this new series of Grand Designs has changed, its more about the sob story
behind the person having the property built than the building process itself.
We have to put up with the first 20 minutes with every one going on about how they want to build
xyz with nowhere enough money, if they haven't got it then don't F in well start, i really don't
want to hear it.
I want to see more of the ins and outs of the construction process which sadly has been pared back in
this series compared with the previous ones.

 

[MikeG.]

Isn't that the way it's been for the last 20 years?

I gave up on Grand Designs years and years ago: predictable, formulaic, staged, and full of non-grand design. I really couldn't bear to see yet another cantilevered-box-on-a-box with vertical timber cladding , or "eco-house" with massive walls of steel and glass. Too much gravel to be sifting through looking for one little semi-precious stone, I'm afraid.

 

[doctor Bob]

What amazes me is how far over budget they go.
As some of you know I had a house built (finished 2 years ago). I was about 8% over budget. I changed the lighting and quality of windows.

The trick is to stick to the original detail, don't just think it's just 2k so I may as well do it, those £2k - £5k's soon add up.

Also get a fixed price if possible. Agree every detail before any money is exchanged. Never part with any money for work not yet done.

Builders will charge maximum for work not agreed.

Builders are a strange bunch, I had £22000 left to pay the builder on completion, he just never came back to finish. I got another contractor in to finish it for £12000.

 

[Tasky]

Isn't that the way it's been for the last 20 years?

^ Yup, that....

I gave up because I was sickened by how much money people are willing to throw at these ridiculous ideas, without having a flippin' clue what they're even doing, ignore all advice, make blatantly stupid decisions, don't check anything out first and end up having to shell out even more, end up getting loads of help in and still finish over time and waaaaaaaaay over budget.... oh, and then suddenly realise they didn't allow money to decorate afterward!
Rarely does a project have a good idea, a good design or a sensible client who pulls everything off even close to original spec.

Jeez, if I had even half that sort of money to throw around....!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why do dogs lick their balls? Because they can.
I don't tend to watch any more because I got tired of this philosophy in architecture and building - let's build something really different and/or weird ............. because we can - new materials and techniques allow us to. No thought as to whether something is aesthetically pleasing, practical, or economically sensible.
Whilst many of us watch programmes like this to glean ideas, many of these developments are too outlandish to learn much from.

 

[OscarG]

This design is quite nice.... #-o

Yours for a bargain £4.75m

 

[Cheshirechappie]

On the other hand ….

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... ajaxhist=0

(Bet this won't appear on Grand Designs.)

 

[TFrench]

I watch it because it's hilarious. "we're going to build a million pound house for a budget of 200k, I'm a chef with no building experience so I'll be project managing in my spare time etc" I sometimes wonder if the only reason some of them get finished is because its on the telly and you'd look a berk if you didn't finish it - never mind looking a berk for bankrupting yourself doing it...