Grand Designs 2017: Couple build home in just under a YEAR - but what was the total cost?
GRAND DESIGNS kickstarted its new series at the beginning of September and this week presenter Kevin McCloud meets with a couple in Blackdown Hills in the West Country who built a house hoping to spend just £600,000 – but they went over-budget quite dramatically.
Stephen and Elizabeth Tetlow created a home which resembled a fossil shell, reflecting their passion for nature.
Steven, an engineer, and Elizabeth, a horticulturist, spent 12 months on their ambitious project which Kevin McCloud likened to a snake.
But how much did the build cost in total and did they over-run their budget?
The couple spent a whopping £800,000 on the unique design, but they had only planned to spend £600,000.
The couple spent a whopping £800,000 on the unique design, but they had only planned to spend £600,000.
Most of the work was the pair’s own design, which Stephen drew up himself with the help of an architect.
What took the majority of the time was attaching the distinctive roof panels to the building.
It took Stephen and Elizabeth a total of nine months to do this as they did themselves and all by hand.
The home, with its unusual design boasted breathtaking views over the Blackdown Hills where Somerset borders Devon.
Stephen, who is the chief executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said the idea for the home came from a spiral ammonite.
The couple already owned the plot of land as their existing house was there, but they sold their London flat to pay for the new home.
While the new home took a lot of time and money, Kevin was taken aback by the finished product.
He told the couple: “I’m finding it hard to do my job here because normally I’m standing in buildings enthusing about them and waxing and being energetic about them.
“What the building is doing to me is kind of giving me a gentle shoulder rub, you know? I’m kind of being lulled by it almost. It’s absolutely great.”
On a previous episode of Grand Designs, Kevin met with couple Chris and Kayo who planned to build a unique Roman-inspired home on the protected land surrounding one of Britain’s most historic abbeys in Hertfordshire.