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Grand Designs


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I have started watching these from the start this first series is quite good, the best episode is the welshman trying to build a house in the brecon beacons but just about everything goes wrong. I then watched the Grand Designs Abroad series and the last episode is ridiculous and the couple are incredibly annoying.

I see its back for 2021 but I'm about 8 series away from catching up. Anyone watching the new series? Or have some old favourites?

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I really liked "Shite House to Lovely Home" (that may not have been the exact name?  This was on a couple of months ago with the lovely lovely Angela Scanlon.  They had quite a number of hideous homes and really impressed with the transformation that not was achieved on a relatively reasonable budget.

I am currently building an extension to my tiny wee cottage and unfortunately my experience with architects has not been so positive. My extension has cost considerably more than some of the dramatic transformations on tv and whilst I am sure I will be happy with the end result I found dealing with architects incredibly under-whelming.  As my job wasn't a large development I seemed to be an after thought and in a few months went through three junior architects who were incredibly inexperienced (and made some fundamental mistakes that only came to light during the build) I had a delay of 5 months waiting on my building warrant...when I chased this for the umpteenth time it turned out that they sent the paperwork to my old address (despite sending all invoices to my current address where they were doing the work)

Foundations were prepared in October 19 and I have been hit with numerous delays - Covid-19 being the most lengthy.  However, I am impressed with my builder and his joiners - they cut no corners and always keen to do a good job.  My builder happens to be my next door neightbour (even uses his own electricity) and has made all windows from scratch in his shed next to my garden,  Should be water tight tomorrow (may have said that before)....

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33 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

The renovated water tower in London was superb. 

That's the one I always remember the most.  That and the 2 lads in Brighton who built a large white cube house along the seafront, next to the old terraced-style hotels.

The one that was on the other night always makes me laugh, the Scottish guy and his trapeze artist wife building a house next to an airstrip in Strathaven.  Looks incredibly exposed and gets absolutely battered all year round by the elements.

Was there not a Grand Designs abroad in France where the local contractor was called Monsieur Bastard?

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The ones where folk renovate former industrial intallations are great, the water tower, tin mine and water station for example. 

The first episode of the new series is a brilliant example of one where you're willing it to collapse and bury the twat. £1.2m over budget and he's pretending to be "cash poor". Creepy fucker wanted a personal gate into a cemetery and thought the council should have allowed it because he spent a lot of money. 

I'd say 75% i'm rooting for structural failure. 

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The one where the new age guy build a house in the forest from natural materials. Apparently if he ever left then the house was to be demolished which would have been an injustice.

Edited by Elric
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45 minutes ago, Elric said:

The one where the new age guy build a house in the forest from natural materials. Apparently if he ever left then the house was to be demolished which would have been an injustice.

Is that the one where he built his own pier onto the river?

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6 hours ago, coprolite said:

The ones where folk renovate former industrial intallations are great, the water tower, tin mine and water station for example. 

These ones. Too many of the episodes tend to be soulless, minimalist glass boxes. I tend to prefer the George Clark shows as the houses don't tend to look like huge white cubes.
I used to live down in Bath, and the one that was built on the hillside never got finished. It seems many tend to run into dreadful debt and end up selling. My missus has come across one or two on Right Move.

Edited by amidst-tundra
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One of my favourites was where they knocked down a transmitter tower and built a house into the hill the grass and big boulders on one side meant the house was barely visible. Think it was possibly Stranraer area of down that way somewhere. 

Also the dog died which was part of the reason they wanted to live near a beach. 

I love a bit of Grand Designs, always amazes where some people find the money, "aw we are £750k short but I put it on a credit card so it's OK" 

It also highlights the craziness of property in and around London! 

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10 hours ago, Albertlegend said:

One of my favourites was where they knocked down a transmitter tower and built a house into the hill the grass and big boulders on one side meant the house was barely visible. Think it was possibly Stranraer area of down that way somewhere. 

Also the dog died which was part of the reason they wanted to live near a beach. 

I love a bit of Grand Designs, always amazes where some people find the money, "aw we are £750k short but I put it on a credit card so it's OK" 

It also highlights the craziness of property in and around London! 

Yep I remember that one.  It was definitely down that neck of the woods.  Wickerman region.  

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On 18/01/2021 at 21:08, 8MileBU said:

Love this show but had to stop watching as 9 times out of 10 it just leaves you insanely jealous of the c***s who can afford it.

That's usually the problem but I found myself thinking "I could do that" after a couple did up an olive farm for 16k

On 19/01/2021 at 07:52, MONKMAN said:

The renovated water tower in London was superb. 

It was but could you imagine hearing your phone ring from the bottom of the tower.

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11 hours ago, Albertlegend said:

One of my favourites was where they knocked down a transmitter tower and built a house into the hill the grass and big boulders on one side meant the house was barely visible. Think it was possibly Stranraer area of down that way somewhere. 

Also the dog died which was part of the reason they wanted to live near a beach. 

I love a bit of Grand Designs, always amazes where some people find the money, "aw we are £750k short but I put it on a credit card so it's OK" 

It also highlights the craziness of property in and around London! 

Near enough. It's at Portpatrick, built in an old military radar station.

The ones in London are mental when they start chucking numbers about.  "500k overbudget just on the groundworks, so both our 80 year old parents have sold their houses and are now labouring on site, and living with us in the caravan"

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I enjoyed last weeks episode where the young couple had both survived brain tumours and were prepared to get hands on and complete a transformation of a barn into a home. Sure they had some help from her parents, but they showed tremendous commitment to the building project and deal with difficulties in the process by thinking outside the box rather than dole out the cash in credit cards. 

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3 hours ago, Yflab said:

I enjoyed last weeks episode where the young couple had both survived brain tumours and were prepared to get hands on and complete a transformation of a barn into a home. Sure they had some help from her parents, but they showed tremendous commitment to the building project and deal with difficulties in the process by thinking outside the box rather than dole out the cash in credit cards. 

I was on edge that whole episode waiting for Kevin to announce that unfortunately there had been some sad news.

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16 minutes ago, Enigma said:

I was on edge that whole episode waiting for Kevin to announce that unfortunately there had been some sad news.

I looked it up to see if she died later as well. I was so sure she'd go before it was finished.

I still think it might be awkward for him in future living in his deceased wife's parents garden.

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1 minute ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I looked it up to see if she died later as well. I was so sure she'd go before it was finished.

I still think it might be awkward for him in future living in his deceased wife's parents garden.

Aye, that’s what I thought too.

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