Grand Designs - 11th March

[JCB123]

This was good - but the worst of the series so far IMO.....looked like two stacked portakabins....and cedar - sheesh - I've used it before, and that subtle natural grey they go on about - forget it, stained, blotchy, black, manky crap after 12 months.....it looks shocking!

And no, she wasn't fit!

[sleep envy]

cardigankid said:

Eh? That was a private house, not a commercial building. Tell us more...

I agree with the other guy. Money doesn't go far these days, God knows, but £650k should still buy you quite a bit of house.In my opinion however, with the exception of serious country houses, prefabrication or mass production are the future.

Prelims? Surely she was managing the subs by herself. Either that or, like Britney Spears, she was more likely miming.

Land Remediation Relief is available at a rate of 150% for qualifying expenditure on remedying contamination. Examples of eligible expenditure include the removal of asbestos and works to remove infestation of Japanese knotweed. Legislation has been introduced to encourage the use of energy efficient, water efficient and low carbon plant and machinery in construction projects. These assets qualify for an accelerated rate of tax relief and may also improve a buildings BREAM or EPC ratings.

It's not just MCs that attract prelims, even sub-contractors attract prelims.

[sleep envy]

cardigankid said:

Plus of course she wouldn't have needed Portakabins.

but she would have need to provide or pay for welfare facilities

[Oakey]

cardigankid said:

Oakey said:

SeeFive said:

matt12023 said:

hmm half the buildings on this show now seem to resemble national trust visitor centres

I have to agree with you there. This week has been the culmination of a completely uninspired set of programmes, from a misplaced American Mill to glass portacabin. This programme must be the housebuilding equivalent of "Kit Car Crisis".

Not a good series IMO.

Have any of the houses from this series had carpets? From memory most of them seem to be hard floors. Also, a vast majority also don't seem to bother with curtains or blinds. Are they all exhibitionists?

Someone already mentioned about the acoustics earlier in the thread, you don't need to wonder what they'd be like, it's very apparent at they end of each show as the owners proceed to rave on about their build with their comments echoing around the house.

Curtains don't look good on the minimal art gallery look, nor does clutter or even comfortable seats, or big fireplaces with baskets and firedogs, and carpets are barely acceptable. It's all about fashion, and we are still in a phase of reaction to Victorian clutter, strange as it may seem, 108 years on. In another 100 years (drink plenty of mineral water) they will be laughing at us, I'm sure, and living in these elegant minimal spaces on recliners which are only there to look at, will seem as ludicrous as putting skirts on the exposed legs of pianos.

None of them seem to have a clue when it comes to setting up their Home entertainment as well it seems (with the exception of that one guy in the folly). Last night's couple for example had a large flatscreen on the wall yet the sofa's were positioned vertically to it. I bet watching TV / Movies in their house is fun!

[nurburgring1]

Oakey said:

SeeFive said:

matt12023 said:

hmm half the buildings on this show now seem to resemble national trust visitor centres

I have to agree with you there. This week has been the culmination of a completely uninspired set of programmes, from a misplaced American Mill to glass portacabin. This programme must be the housebuilding equivalent of "Kit Car Crisis".

Not a good series IMO.

Have any of the houses from this series had carpets? From memory most of them seem to be hard floors. Also, a vast majority also don't seem to bother with curtains or blinds. Are they all exhibitionists?

Someone already mentioned about the acoustics earlier in the thread, you don't need to wonder what they'd be like, it's very apparent at they end of each show as the owners proceed to rave on about their build with their comments echoing around the house.

It must be very cold on your backside sitting on the polished concrete floor, I bet the kids have very tough knees etc. Give me a carpet anyday.

[stephen300o]

Well done, another car showroom.

[Swilly]

sleep envy said:

Swilly said:

You're philistines... it's great

untreated timber is great?

:wierdo:

It was treated, did you not watch

[sleep envy]

Swilly said:

sleep envy said:

Swilly said:

You're philistines... it's great

untreated timber is great?

:wierdo:

It was treated, did you not watch

ok, satin finished - granted

still looked like formwork to me

[Greg_D]

SeeFive said:

As her husband said "Brilliant piece of project management". Yeah, bringing it in 5% over budget and more than 200% of the allocated time, top notch.

Don't forget, 5% over a MASSIVE budget, when there were no trades on site to speak of.

Moderate, at best, another portakabin ecobox. They are starting to get a bit boring tbh

Greg

[jules_s]

Greg_D said:

SeeFive said:

As her husband said "Brilliant piece of project management". Yeah, bringing it in 5% over budget and more than 200% of the allocated time, top notch.

Don't forget, 5% over a MASSIVE budget, when there were no trades on site to speak of.

Moderate, at best, another portakabin ecobox. They are starting to get a bit boring tbh

Greg

I'm guessing that the contingency was probably about 25% of the 650k budget..

[Greg_D]

jules_s said:

Greg_D said:

SeeFive said:

As her husband said "Brilliant piece of project management". Yeah, bringing it in 5% over budget and more than 200% of the allocated time, top notch.

Don't forget, 5% over a MASSIVE budget, when there were no trades on site to speak of.

Moderate, at best, another portakabin ecobox. They are starting to get a bit boring tbh

Greg

I'm guessing that the contingency was probably about 25% of the 650k budget..

a budget is a budget, contingency is on top, you may be right though, they could have been bragging at the beginning "ooh look at us, haven't we got lots of money"

I struggle to see how much of an achievement it is to go over a generous budget on a build that is basically a pretty simple 'package' price build.

Foundations, steel, prefab walls, windows, bit of leccy n plumbing, done, it is the finishing trades where all the difficulty lies IME (and yes, i did built my current house from scratch)

if they are pleased though, then that is all that matters i suppose

Greg

[GetCarter]

Just a word about curtains.

As some here know I was asked to have my build filmed, but refused. I do however have no curtains. But it's isn't anything to do with fashion. I have a great view, and am not overlooked. Why on earth would I want curtains?

[scotal]

GetCarter said:

As some here know I was asked to have my build filmed, but refused.

Shame really, if the program had been half as entertainging as your build blog, it would have been one of the best GD's ever. Not in a good way unfortunately, so on balance you were probably better off without Kev's presence.

[MoleVision]

GetCarter said:

Just a word about curtains.

As some here know I was asked to have my build filmed, but refused. I do however have no curtains. But it's isn't anything to do with fashion. I have a great view, and am not overlooked. Why on earth would I want curtains?

In the end I suppose its all down to personal taste, however....

Back to my acoustic point.. curtains dampen sound
My office has lots of blinds.. they rattle, they break, they are really annoying.
Blinds generally still let loads of light in... reflections on TV's etc also really annoying.

Or you could admittedly have neither blinds or curtains... then you have a greenhouse.

Also in summer its nice to have a window or two open, get a cool breeze throughthe house etc.. you cant do that with a lot of the "must have more square acreage of glass than thou" houses on Grand Designs.. which admittedly dont really lend themselves to curtains anyway.

As I say, personal taste, but it was just an observation.

My point was admittedly more aimed at carpets, rather that curtains.

[cardigankid]

GetCarter said:

Just a word about curtains.

As some here know I was asked to have my build filmed, but refused. I do however have no curtains. But it's isn't anything to do with fashion. I have a great view, and am not overlooked. Why on earth would I want curtains?

OK you are happy to frolic around naked committing acts of debatable morality with one or more young women, at night in front of a huge frameless glass window without curtains, yes? How confident are you no-ones watching? Apart from anything else NASA or the CIA could well be watching with the photographic kit they have nowadays.

I can buy the aesthetic, but there are some practical issues.

[GetCarter]

cardigankid said:

GetCarter said:

Just a word about curtains.

As some here know I was asked to have my build filmed, but refused. I do however have no curtains. But it's isn't anything to do with fashion. I have a great view, and am not overlooked. Why on earth would I want curtains?

OK you are happy to frolic around naked committing acts of debatable morality with one or more young women, at night in front of a huge frameless glass window without curtains, yes? How confident are you no-ones watching? Apart from anything else NASA or the CIA could well be watching with the photographic kit they have nowadays.

I can buy the aesthetic, but there are some practical issues.

I am completely convinced that neither NASA nor the CIA are interested in my occasional trips to the bog. If they are, then I'd probably be flattered.

BTW... who are the young women you mention? Can I get their phone numbers?

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 12th March 17:49

[Bungleaio]

Does anyone know who made the glass?

[rfn]

Bungleaio said:

Does anyone know who made the glass?

From the Channel 4 website...

IQ Glass UK Ltd
Peter Bartels
08448 002 432
[e-mail]
www.iqglass.co.uk

[Jasandjules]

I liked the couple, I didn't like their house.... It's a real shame but I am getting to the stage where I think half the grand designs are the same building built by a different couple at a different site.......

If only there were more ones like the castle......

[Slagathore]

I know it's been pointed out where the money goes on these sort of builds, but for £650k, I'd of wanted a bit more than that!

Still, it was a pleasant enough house.