The Man Who Lost it All for a House

[@Carefreeblues]

Going into debt to build a house and in the process destroy a house that is perfectly habitable is absolutely insane.

[@CryptoCB]

ya at least build your new house in a different spot and leave the old house alone

[@Alaryicjude]

@@CryptoCB I thought that's what he was going to do at first, but nope. 😕

[@jeffder7143]

Dude right... buncha dummies.

[@salvagedb2470]

From one who nearly saw it happen , You got that right..but its then living in the Aftermath of a Delusional Idiot..

[@handymanr4729]

Thats the illusion of fame does to you

[@zwatwashdc]

My dad renovated our house throughout my entire childhood, never finishing anything and turning our lives into a mess that revolved around his delusion and lack of consideration for his family. Unfortunately my mother never left him. He left her, in the end, for his former secretary with whom it turned out he’d been having an affair for 10 years. So yeah. This story ended better than mine.

[@melonie_peppers]

oh no that's so sad. I feel like this guy had some respect for his wife but his pride wouldn't let him give up and unfortunately there are consequences for pride as many parables and proverbs have foretold

[@leeoliver7151]

You crack me up mate. Wot don’t kill ya makes you stronger 💪💪

[@hotmess9640]

At least you all had a house, and what he did to ur mom is horrible but what that got to do with you?

[@zwatwashdc]

@@hotmess9640 wow, either you grew up in such a happy home that you can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in an unhappy one or your upbringing was so dysfunctional that you imagine just having parents (unhappy, abusive or drug addicted no matter) and a roof (even if it’s over a construction site) is more than sufficient.

[@spiritwolf9582]

@@zwatwashdcbro @hotmess9640 has daddy issues or smth that response is absolutely batshit insane. 💀 she’s tryna downplay ur struggles. I’m sorry to hear what u went thru, cheating is inexcusable

[@loretta_3843]

The family who moved for a simpler life then proceed to make it ridiculously complicated.

[@cornercarton]

Gave me a good belly laugh

[@NoBootyBeauty]

🤣🤣

[@eustacemcgoodboy9702]

Their life savings was 500K but they wanted to live like multi-millionaires. Instead, they can rent apartments.

[@Kuulei265]

Exactly.

[@loretta_3843]

@@eustacemcgoodboy9702 you could live a pretty nice life with 500k in the bank. Now that they've lost everything, they probably, finally, value how good they had it. "Too late" can be a very painful spot to find yourself in 😬

[@TorianTammas]

His income relied on CD sale in 2015. This is like trying to live on selling newspapers on street corners.

[@nineteeneightynine432]

Lol right cds were about out around 2010

[@LuizAlexPhoenix]

Tbf, it can make income, plenty of retro fans. But it's a nichê market, not enough for 500k pounds year after year.

[@TorianTammas]

@@LuizAlexPhoenix Agreed, it can not generate income to cover his 500k expenses.

[@Nocturnalux]

Would have worked in Japan, where CDs are actually still a thing.

[@bramstayer]

Yrah thT makes hi. Sound really clued out its like paying 75.00 for Kodak stovk the same year digital cameras outsold the film versions. Whats Kodak worth NOW? I mean, duh!!!!😮

[@ethanol1586]

The original house, although a bit old, was magnificent and beautiful. With so much money, he could have easily gut and remodeled the entire house but instead decided to demolish a perfectly good house and ruin his marriage and family and go 7 million pounds into debt

[@jacksyoutubechannel4045]

And the 1950s still had a good standard of building, and much more individualized craftsmanship that homes built later. The original house would've been built to last. It really just needed a limewash, though I think his best choice would've been to add a stone facade and integrate a small lighthouse addition; make it feel like a cozy cottage. It's a beautiful English seaside town, and that house was never going to work in that location. Honestly, it detracts a bit from the character of the area, regardless of how one feels about the house _qua_ house.

[@pbxn-3rdx-85percent]

He can't help it. He's got the pharaoh fever. He's just got to build that new house. "It's ART DECO. Very nice." 😁😄 - Ghostbusters 1984

[@luuseri80]

And the old house suited better to the landscape. I guess he got crazy with the idea. Sorry for the family.

[@nadiae7653]

The old house was in no way beautiful, magnificent or perfect for the place. The new lighthouse was beautiful- but way to big and expensive. A third would have been perfect. I live in a house from the 50ties. NOT beautiful - but simple and functional

[@desdicadoric]

Guy was clearly a d1ck, p1ss1ing away literally millions

[@jennifergoodman7528]

That original house, was set into bedrock. Now thats a dream house. Solid, and sturdy, and could have just remodeled that space.

[@muff_jr5760]

Even spending £500k on the original house would've completley tranformed it into something incredible. Such a shame

[@UndercoverNormie]

I'm just sitting here with my jaw hanging open every time they say "...and he secured _another_ loan of 500,000 pounds" How is he even still getting these loans?!?!

[@godfreyberry1599]

Loans need some sort of security - must've gone to loan sharks & now even his life's in danger unless he sells fast.

[@thomasherrin6798]

​@@godfreyberry1599 He most probably secured more money from the original lenders, if he finishes the job they "might" get paid, if he doesn't finish they get nowt!?!

[@elizabethgraham8819]

White privilege.

[@PInk77W1]

I don’t care. LoL his problem

[@UndercoverNormie]

@@PInk77W1 It sure is, Billy. It sure is.

[@peanutbutterandjelly1609]

My ex-husband gave up our family for his “hobby”. He is very prideful in that respect and put no restraints on his time, money or job. We were married 29 years. I don’t understand how you can sacrifice people that love you for any object no matter how grand.

[@blindmown]

People get lost in the grandeur and fantasy of it all. It's only after everything falls apart that they get some semblance of clarity and it's too late by that point. Obsessions have a way of turning the most well meaning of people into utter degenerates.

[@cinnamonraw9911]

Because at that stage it’s his ego or the project, so the project with always win

[@22espec]

The fantasy trap us, I was almost consumed for something like this, thinking that everything will be great when I finished it, but luckily my family talked to me out of it si I just end it, sell the damn car for as much I could get and continued with my life

[@boogiedownforever]

it usually comes down to the sex life

[@Chipswitch22]

​@@boogiedownforever I agree. It's her own fault

[@jordysong]

why are people not happy with what they have, they could of re modeled the original house and still had a lighthouse

[@fidelio9301]

And sold it for profit. Morons

[@CaptainSouthbird]

Yeah that was immediately my thought as I saw the already existing house getting needlessly destroyed. You could've started with that house and just improved on it, for likely far less cost and much better success.

[@happyatheists9361]

Kadashion effects 😂

[@95blahblahhaha]

There's nothing wrong with wanting more and better than you have. The question is why aren't people happy with what they know they can afford

[@happyatheists9361]

@@95blahblahhaha dude u going to be fk up with u life 🤔

[@jonathonyoung3117]

As an architect that now works in construction as an estimator this project was never going to cost 1.8m pounds. Ive watched other episodes on grand design where people over committed to build a house and ended up selling or by end of the build the couple had mysteriously split, I thought those were sad. But this one had all that but on top it was just so gruelling to have taken place over a decade. People often forget the home first and foremost is for themselves and family and not for their own egos and hubris, no amount of infinity pools, lavish stones and spectacular views would replace quality time and personal connection. As I am about to embark on similar home renovation, this & like episodes of grand design always remind me of the true purpose of construction and homebuilding.

[@kegsofvomitspit]

I’ve been a professional home builder for about 25 years and couldn’t agree more.

[@iiknowgodexisted]

Thank you

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

There's also no way the house was going to take anything less than 5 years to build; I said that as soon as they said that proposterous build time in the beginning. It was always obvious that this project would take years even without the funding issues.

[@Bobrogers99]

It's hard to feel sorry for someone who was so irresponsible, even sacrificing his family, to build this vanity project.

[@devsk8er1]

When I saw the frosted tips i knew he was in idiot. Who gets frosted tips in 2018 or what ever it was

[@KebabMusicLtd]

I don't see it like that. I think the problem was that once he dipped his toe into the water, he found there was no going back. The fact that a TV show was following his progress possibly fed his ambition. Sadly, he was already in over his head before he realised and from there on he was peddling on water.

[@almi8151]

​@@KebabMusicLtdextremely lacking in wisdom no matter how you interpret it

[@JocelynBondulous]

Exactly. I don’t understand people’s sympathy in these comments for him

[@cwavt8849]

I do feel for him. We do the same, simply to a much lesser degree. We overdraw our credit cards, we buy cars that are more than we need and overextend ourselves in so doing. And, we do all that this knowing what we are doing. We just do it for a Bass boat, a grand 8 in 1 carpenter set, a purse... His grand dream ending up a colossal faurw is written all over his face and in every gray hair. It's sad, but we can all learn from it.

[@fangdelabang178]

I go to this beach all the time. When in the ocean you can see the gutted monstrosity on the cliffs. Year after year it just sits there. It’s a privilege to live in such a stunning area, the fact that now it sits there empty is heartbreaking. If I had that view I wouldn’t care what the house was like. Greed that ruins beauty.

[@_Feanor_.]

Might be a privilege to some. But I bet the number of people willing to pay 10 or 7 million for that privilege is rather small. Who with that kind of money wants to live full time in Croyde. And if it is as a summer house, you'd need someone that is incredibly rich to pay that kind of money for a house they don't spend much time at.

[@maxheadroom1506]

Elton john probably could afford to build a house like this but he did not because it is just stupid to build something i to eroding shore.

[@javierpatag3609]

The irony is that the Eye, the smaller house, wasn’t bad. Cliffside, view of the sea, a deck, yet cost just a fraction. Live in it or flip it, it would have at least not been as bad a burden.

[@pantheraleo4170]

I liked the Eye house, could have made a bigger pool with side hot-tub, but it looked a lot nicer than the monstrosity he originally planned to build, which the driveway to it didn't need support structures. Well he would fit in well in Dubai building on island made of sand which has to be replenished constantly due to coastal erosion

[@largol33t12]

He was too arrogant and over the moon to see that. The problem is he was obsessed with building the main house and focused on nothing but finding ways to drum up money for it. That's what cost him everything.

[@samuell.bookeriii3457]

Facts✅️

[@user-uj8cx3dw3r]

Better then what 90% of us could ever have

[@loosapalooza398]

Way to go "geological surveyors"! The blue slate bedrock must've just appeared overnight and caused an unforseen 6 month delay while blowing up the entire budget.

[@martymcfly420mph6]

"Trust the experts" always works, lolol

[@benjamin7114]

Owner: This build ruined my life. Builders & experts: This build helped me retire early.

[@maxheadroom1506]

For 250K youd think somebody would do their job

[@Quizack]

@@martymcfly420mph6It usually does, hence why they’re experts. Unfortunately they don’t control the construction crew. They can’t predict if you’ll use an amateur crew.

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

@@Quizack Had a small-scale version of this happen to me. Went with a company that seemed professional. They sent a crew of spanish workers with a lazy foreman that did a shabby job

[@colleenahoutz]

What a sad story. I feel particularly bad for the mother and kids. I live in a trailer here in the States, and I'm happy to have it. There are so many people out there struggling with homelessness. I don't need a mansion to feel fortunate. I'm lucky to have a roof over my head.

[@IncorrigibleBigotry]

Yep, I agree. Everytime I see famous people in their mansions with 24 rooms, 39 bathrooms and so on, I always get creeped out. I can't imagine living in a huge place like that even if I had a wife, 2-3 kids and some pets. It just wouldn't feel "home-y" to me.

[@alexanderveritas]

Fam, imagine you feeling sorry for a man that has _two_ mansions for sale.

[@tj-8422]

Such a sweet comment :)

[@GGLee1010]

@@alexanderveritasare we just gonna ignore his debt lol

[@symmetrie_bruch]

@@GGLee1010 why not ? it´s not like he´s poor now or living on the streets or even off social benefits. he´s lived a very comfortable live and still does so does his wife and kids while there are millions of people barely scraping buy or even actually homeless.

[@davidwelty9763]

The idea of an infinity pool on the windy Devon coastline is preposterous. It would rarely be warm enough to swim.

[@maxheadroom1506]

You can heat it but the winds and the maintenance when you can barely afford the initial 1.8K budget.

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

I live in New York State and people around here in actually inground pools if they're selling a house. For the most part buyers don't want to be bothered with the upkeep in this region. So, I can't imagine living in the UK and shelling out for a fancy pool by a cliff. A nice swim on 65 degree cloudy days; yeah okay LOL

[@Danuxsy]

I would've had an indoor pool instead with glass panels toward the ocean side, something like that!

[@maxheadroom1506]

@@Danuxsy in that area indoor pool would be ideal

[@jacksyoutubechannel4045]

It's heartbreaking. The 1950s house was perfect for the English cliffside. A limewash would've been a lovely way to give it a crisper look without compromising the character of the area, or ruining his poor wife's life. It's not vanity or stubbornness, it's just naked selfishness. The outcome of a selfish person's choices don't have to actually make them happy; they only need to be fixated on always being the one to _make_ the choice, and based only on their own desires and preferences. ETA: I suspect one of the reasons it's not selling is because it's _not_ Ibiza. That style of house is very cold and unwelcoming at the best of times, and building it in that location absolutely never made sense. A large house with a stone facade in the style of Cotswolds cottages, with lots of fireplaces, that felt like a cozy cottage at a lighthouse (despite being large) is what this site needed. Not a generic, LA/Miami new-money mansion.

[@imalrockme]

I live in Portugal and allthough it's sunnyer, I think new homes being build are all the same: white or metallic bulky rectangles or cubes, no respect for country side aesthetics and they all look the same.

[@georgelin8498]

Houses can be designed in Minecraft since they are basically cubes

[@EditLivy]

Exactly! You nailed it.

[@ProfessorBoswell]

Exactly, not only did he wreck his whole life, but he did a disservice to the coastline and the town. No regard for any context whatsoever, a tragedy all around. Even completed, I bet the locals absolutely hate that monstrosity.

[@TechInspected]

Yeah it sticks out like a sore thumb in that English countryside

[@mnightfamalam1510]

I could tell right away after hearing the plans for the house that a 1.8 million pound budget could not possibly cover all that 😅

[@bobbodaskank]

Even 10 years ago before the current housing cost insanity, there were houses in my ordinary Utah suburb that were smaller than that and nowhere near any luxury land that were selling for more than a million USD. For this one, a house like that on land like that I would have been shocked to hear any number under 3-4mil on the optimistic side.

[@lorenzoantoniodominguezflo9116]

@@bobbodaskankthe budget was probably more close to 6-8 million. As soon as I heard the actual initial one I knew the project was DOA

[@maxheadroom1506]

Not on a cliff

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

Nor could that timeline; as soon as they said the timeline I said no way that's at minimum a 5 year project even with no funding issues.

[@Cherrypi393]

The saddest part to me is how clearly they had the money to build a smaller but very stunning home. If they had just decided to build the eye, or maybe a slightly bigger version of it if they wanted more bedrooms, they wouldn’t have a problem. They wanted a $10million home on a $2 million budget. And honestly someone must have lied to them to tell them to could build that that quickly on that budget. Or they lied to themselves.

[@elliotoliver8679]

More bedrooms for what? Cant understand why anyone would want a monstosity of a 'house'

[@fawnieee]

​@@elliotoliver8679 vanity and for improving his status symbol.

[@blooter6162]

Why does a family of 4 need 6 bedrooms?

[@hughgrection7246]

@@blooter6162 For Thanksgiving and Xmas when the in laws visit , or when you and the wife have a spat and you need some place to sleep for the night . Also the dog/cats need a room .

[@cvspvr]

to be fair, it's not entirely greed that screwed edward. he was told that the house would cost £1.8 million, but it ended up costing £6 million (minus the cost of the eye)

[@joshuapatrick682]

The unspoken part of this is that this man was likely taken advantage of by many over the course of this whole ordeal who just viewed him as a payday and he likely way overspent on much of what is there.

[@gcrichards1]

I remember watching this when it aired, that guy's ego was completely out of control, and what a sad story for his wife and kids. The existing house should have been renovated for a fraction of the money. It serves as a warning to any self builders to keep your ego in check before you start.

[@fastinradfordable]

No They should have been grateful for owning a house beyond 90% of humans will ever be capable of.

[@wuldntuliktonoptb6861]

Yea that sucks can’t even divorce him n take everything? What ya gonna do take the kids n millions in debt.

[@JimMilton-ej6zi]

She's just as responsible, at least half of the blame goes on her for doing it too

[@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120]

@@fastinradfordable Humans? What about the elfs or the trolls?

[@pauljordan4452]

​@@fastinradfordableStop talking rubbish!

[@viiviviviiv]

update as of 02/2024, the price is now 5m and they haven't found a buyer yet. short says that his lenders are being very patient and understanding about paying them back as they know it will take time to find the right buyer.

[@mrcassette]

How do I find this kind of lender? Haha

[@agentsnorlson7913]

@mrcasette it's in the lenders best interest that it be completed and sold. Bankruptcy auction or attempted sale will be a bloodbath for them.

[@isbestlizard]

Dude wanted a rock-star house on a studio-tech budget :P

[@pbxn-3rdx-85percent]

I could have built a big warehouse with a fraction of the cost of that house. 10 times more covered area. Cheaper too.

[@richardhall5489]

He had rock a rock star budget and spent most of it on groundworks. Their back up plan was to build a smaller property on the same plot and sell/remortgage it. The problem was that access was via their existing site. Perhaps part of the blame lies with the architect.

[@_Feanor_.]

@@richardhall5489 How so? The Eye buiding seemed to be a later idea. So access to it being via their existing site wouldn't be on the Lighthouse architect unless he was responsible for the second house as well. Which we don't know. If he wasn't, it's not his problem.

[@trulsdirio]

Dude had a dream home, a family, enough money to love comfortably and still wanted more. The human mind is a marvel.

[@beno1129]

There was absolutely no need for the couple to start what was essentially a vanity project, but I can see how once they started it became more and more difficult to pull out

[@utubermanolo]

Sunk cost fallacy at its brighests

[@RenegadeContext]

It's so hard to pull yourself out and the more you put in the greater the perceived loss. Sunk cost fallacy has got me a few times aswell but I've never had as much to lose as he did

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

I bet he bored the builders rotten with his never ending "and so I said to Elton and Elton said to me and then I said to Van and Van said to me" stories?

[@JasonVoorheesFriday13th]

The issue with selling it is that there are so few people with the money to buy a place like that and even fewer who want to live in that exact home with its unique design in that exact part of the country. There may be 5 people in the UK who can afford it/would want it and given the fact they know he's desperate they will try and low ball him and he will have no choice but to accept.

[@maxheadroom1506]

Its the banks who are now making that decision sticking ed with the diffence in the loss at 8% interest.

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

For what that house costs it makes more sense to buy an actual house in Ibiza

[@paulorocky]

An outdoor infinity pool? In England?

[@isthatrubble]

lmao exactly

[@ComedyLoverGirl]

Come on man, it'll only be freezing or dark or raining and miserable to hang out in, like, 300 days of the year. xD

[@pbxn-3rdx-85percent]

Maybe he wants a really big ice cube. For the whisky? 😄😁😅

[@godfreyberry1599]

Laugh a minute including the entire design being completely sterile and a complete eyesore.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

I thought that would be a good thing to eliminate to save money

[@NefashusLP]

He could have renovated the original house, build The Eye, and have both a cozy house and something small and modern to rent or live there aswell. A sad episode!

[@Melissa0774]

This guy is really no different than people who lose all their money trying build a business that they shouldn't. That happens a lot.

[@Prolific_Troll]

Except he included his family and made them watch from the front row while he burned it all.

[@Melissa0774]

@@Prolific_Troll Misguided people who fail at businesses do the same thing to their families.

[@puddincup9879]

Exactly. I’m not sure why anyone is outraged… this is normal 😂

[@ray-mc-l]

even if he did build the house according to the plan, wouldn't he have been screwed financially anyway? at least people who try and start businesses have some shot of making money

[@Melissa0774]

@@ray-mc-l Yeah, but a house like that is supposed to make money too, in a similar way. You could rent parts of it and ideally, the resale value is supposed to increase. A house is supposed to be an investment too.

[@ducknorris233]

A married couple I knew bought property to build their dream home, sold their original home and lived in a small trailer with their two daughters while doing much of the work themselves. It took 5 years of sacrifice but it was an amazing custom home. They got divorced shortly after and I can’t help but think that the crazy way they lived was the issue. They lived in it less than a year before selling and splitting the money. I remember thinking how crushing that would be to have to sell a home you had sacrificed so much for.

[@godfreyberry1599]

Experienced the same with good friend's. Lived in a garage for years like beggars, carting their own cement, digging their own trenches & doing their own bricklaying. Day arrives to move in - they're so utterly worn out, divorce, sickness and death and the sale of the 'dream' follow in short succesion.

[@ducknorris233]

@@godfreyberry1599 heartbreaking that it was self inflicted

[@4dshow]

£2.5m at 8%! That’s £3846/week just in interest!

[@blerst7066]

I'm noh sure what to feel about this. On one hand, he got the house finished, and I think it's quite nice. On the other hand, it probably ruined his, his wife's, and his daughters' lives. Even if the house sells, I'm not sure if it could be called a happy ending.

[@Viteaification]

he doesnt even get to live in it. he's gonna sell it because of course theres no way he can pay back that debt

[@alexanderveritas]

Yes, compared to the hobos living in the streets, this man lives a miserable life indeed.

[@Tyler_Kent]

@@alexanderveritasDid someone say they were giving all their pity to Edward and, as a result, "hobos" would get zero pity? It's a zero sum Edward/Hobo game? You must choose one or the other! Lol

[@Windwalker88]

@@alexanderveritas i really wonder how people type something so stupid and think they just made a profound statement

[@symmetrie_bruch]

@@Tyler_Kent lol nice strawman you´re building there. he never said it was a zero sum pity game. i imagine you´re crying silent tears every time amazons stock drops for poor jeff bezos as well

[@heliosphere9789]

I have seen it more than once in my social environment: A family decides to build a house much too ambitious and finishes it a year or so before the now grown-up kids move out... A family life with kids wasted to years of saving (that includes no vacations, no extras, no holiday fun for the kids etc) and keeping the family on a budget just for the sake of a house that never gets finished. Dad is busy in his job and on the weekends both parents are busy busy working on the new house. And once it is finished, the kids start moving out and mom and dad live in a house much too big (mom still has to clean it all because money is still tight...) and the kids only remember a childhood on a budget with parents who never had enough time for them. But each to their own priorities, I guess...

[@sorbabaric1]

The sad thing is, I liked their original house. And it fit its surroundings. This new house is . . . Nothing I would ever want to live in.

[@91Vault]

imagine being alone in that house and it’s 2am and you need to get up to use the toilet and the wind is howling outside….no thank you

[@nicoledenise32]

And it fit in much better with the surrounding landscape. the new house is an eyesore.

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

The original house just needed renovation and a limewash.

[@headsauce]

I remember watching this episode and it hitting so hard. Kids all grown up.. his wife gone and he didn't even get to enjoy the house

[@bobsmith4690]

My father did the same thing....hits home this story....never let your pride or ego ruin your life...

[@Mantisman6233]

I built my own house-as in with my own hands. From the septic to the framing to the electrical to the finish. I was planning a large home but in the time it took to go from plans to site clearing and leveling(not to mention putting in a mile and a half dirt road) to construction, my 3 kids moved away. So, we decided to scale back and not go a single penny in debt. Since we live in a very isolated, rural part of Arizona, we downsized to 1500 sq ft with several outbuildings. We rarely have guests-and love it. Perfect for a soon to be retired couple. No debt. Off-grid. And we can retire and know we will always have our nice, humble home. Let fools chase money and mansions. I'll take what we have and be grateful.

[@screamityeah]

Glad he finished the houses, it just cost him 15 years of stress, losing his family, and almost all he's savings

[@connor3284]

It cost him all of his savings and more! He's at -7 million pounds now!

[@wolfengod8277]

@@connor3284 He’s probably up about 1-2 million after the house/s get sold. It basically cost him everything though.

[@braddishv3146]

@@wolfengod8277 It will never sell for that... You can by comparable houses and entire estates in that area of the UK for half that.

[@duckmeat4674]

@@wolfengod8277 it's tough to sell being so close to the coast line. Erosion is faster than people think

[@agrandesubstituicao]

Damn😂

[@gohumberto]

12 years of stress and misery, just to build a stunning home for someone else, whilst losing your family in the process. You can't buy those years back you lost with your kids.

[@bluetiger2468]

It's depressing. He spent years, and damaged family relationships, to make a dream house... A house him and his family won't be able to life in. I know people say "Follow your dreams" but sometimes you got to step back and realize that a dream is just a thought, an idea, but your family/friends are real. It's incredible he even finished the house, but now he's relying on a millionaire to buy the two houses. That might take years/decades. It's not a profitable market to get into with mountains of debt on your back.

[@hellosammy4105]

Wut you talking about? His family was in on the dream, but couldn’t weather the storm when the going gets tough. They are as much to blame as he is.

[@tmcurly]

Why wasn’t he getting a job though? Relying on CD sales? In the year 2015 and beyond ?? 🙄 Many people in their 70’’s still work if the situation is tight . These people kept borrowing loans. That is called living beyond your means 😪!!

[@Michadoo]

​@hellosammy4105 yes the little girls who have no authority in the house are to blame

[@bluetiger2468]

@@hellosammy4105 The kids shouldn't get any blame. Did you know anything about the challenges and consequences of building a house as a kid. The guy was a full-grown adult and couldn't foresee all these problems. I'd say yeah, the wife does get a lot of the blame by going through these plans with him, but it's obvious he was the one in charge and kept holding on to the dream instead of making something more realistic. I wouldn't even say the family couldn't "weather the storm when the going gets tough.". I've been involved with house construction work and the plans the family made were not realistic. It was possible, but damn right delusional. I'm surprised he even found people who agreed to help him build it. Instead, I'd say they basically ran straight into a storm in t-shirs and shorts, with no safety equipment or supplies.

[@romangiyoon8332]

I think one thing everything should keep in mind, is that our brains are all different. For example there are those like myself who have more impulsive-tendencies of thinking and behaving. It stems from childhood and growing up, our experiences. For him I feel it was an impulse hence he didnt think it fully through, and when things got bad, well, impulsive thinking isn't the best for that.

[@10AntsTapDancing]

You don't know what you've got until it's gone. It doesn't hurt to be happy with what you have and leave the building of enormous houses to the ultra rich.

[@HunnyDoo]

"The couple decided to place their entire life savings.." ooooh no... no no no. I see where this is going.

[@josiechaney9010]

It seems like it never goes well…

[@ivermektin6874]

The hubris is just astounding. It's like most billionaires now, vanity projects and surrounded by yes men.

[@redx11x]

This man is a genius. He managed to get £7 million in loans for such a stupid project.

[@nesq4104]

You mean he is white

[@redx11x]

@@nesq4104 fair enough

[@nesq4104]

@pandaangry1267 he's a genius because he clearly tricked someone for a stupid idea. But think he really got the money because he's a white male

[@redx11x]

@pandaangry1267 how can he be a fool if he managed to talk £7 million from banks for such a folly

[@redx11x]

@pandaangry1267 WTF, it's only a comment. I don't need his bloody life story. You need to get a life

[@SailorLavender]

Let me get this straight: The only way they can get out of the mess they were in was to sell their dream house as soon as they built it?

[@jacksyoutubechannel4045]

To be fair, I suspect there was _very_ little -- if any -- "they" involved here. I also think there was no _real_ way to get out of the mess he got them in, and that the best he could do was sell his dream house as soon as he finished building it.

[@hdhdu7634]

& even then, they'll break even😂😂😂

[@elmohead]

Yes, but living there would remind them of the bitter times anyway.

[@Peekaboo-Kitty]

Yeah a real genius, wasn't he?

[@Kuulei265]

They aren’t breaking even. They aren’t going to have a house. In the beginning, they had a house. As everyone has observed, it could have been remodeled and served the family well. Now no one has a home to come to. Mom and Dad are divorced, and the kids are gone. What was accomplished? He’s NEVER going to get that time back he could have had with his family. All they are going to remember is that Dad ruined everything.

[@91Vault]

I’m sorry but this level of self indulgence is rediculous…no one needs a house like that and no one’s needs it right on the edge of a cliff

[@hushingsilence]

Yes, the original house had an outdated design, but thousands of Mid Century styled homes are redesigned all the time. In amazing ways. And without trying to build new foundations on cliffs. 😁

[@isay207]

Older houses are very charming with a few updates

[@vercoda9997]

He could have easily updated it with a small contemporary extension, and remodelled and uodated the interior, to have a spectacular home at a fraction of the budget. But, hubris...

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

It needed renovation and limewash. That's it. Even if they gutted it and just kept the shell and limewashed it, that would've made more sense than demolishing it.

[@TheRealJellyBomb]

Living on a small island with spectacular views, I'm often met with city dwellers who want to "capture it all" in their impressive builds with all their money. Setting aside that the best part of living on an island is the people, I absolutely get why you'd want to sit in your living room enjoying a sunset over the ocean with your feet on the coffee table. This just doesn't translate to accrued property prices on an island. My house is around £65000 and it has an ocean view from the living room. It's not ON the shorefront, but close. I have to spend two minutes to walk to the ocean. This is what these city dwellers don't get. Being close to the ocean is cheap here, and we don't pay to be close to it. On the contrary, it's easy to be TOO close to the ocean, making yourself vulnerable to tides, storms, and other good stuff.

[@zionbaptiste1292]

Such a heartbreaking story. This is a lesson to anyone that reads this comment..... NEVER EVER put your entire life savings into 1 thing. Whether it's a business or property or anything else, never put all your money into one entity.

[@sicooper4230]

Absolutely.

[@stellviahohenheim]

Naw, this is comedy

[@tmcurly]

OR Live within your means ! They did not need to demolish existing house! Could have just renovated it 😿. What was the point of building a palace if both were not currently earning money 🙀. On top of everything they get into more debt for “the eye”🥺. So sad!!!

[@emersonshiff8132]

I watched all the time but recently forgot about it. In so many episodes people wound up horribly in debt with a lovely home. I'd like to know how many were forced to sell within a year or two.

[@zionbaptiste1292]

@@tmcurly True

[@guysheehy4179]

As of march 2024 the price is now 5.25 million as it was discovered that the driveway is collapsing and nit structurally sound. Probably the most frustrating episode of grabd designs ever. Someone who had it all and threw it all away

[@smoggy1964]

You would think he has a building warranty, wonder why it ain’t getting done by the builder

[@connor3284]

This dude thought "I'm going to make my life into a Faustian classical tragedy and nothing will stop me!"

[@ShmooyShmoo]

Some people are dealt a bad hand in life. Others are dealt a great hand but don’t realize or appreciate it.

[@PianoWolfg]

My mother was this guy, my mother demolish our family house because she wanted a bigger one, in the end, we never lived in that house she used all the family savings, it almost destroyed our relationship when she even used my savings without my knowledge or consent and even with that it wasn't enough, we manage to patch things up, but I was one the most horrible phases of my life, I don't know what obsession these people have with houses but at least on my case (and probably this happened as well with this guy and his family) talking with them is futile I know I tried, hope none of you suffer with a family member or romantic partner with this obsession.

[@GradKat]

My sister is like that. She and her husband don’t have kids, and the last house they lived in, she pulled it to bits to renovate it - and the renovation took 20 years!! As soon as it was finished they sold it, because the project had caused so much ill feeling between them that they couldn’t stand to live in the place any more.

[@watchout5508]

I think its INCREDIBLE that Edward didnt realise trying to sell a house thats next to a huge construction would impact its value...bro....

[@lianalonge1984]

A perfect example of living beyond your means.

[@theflyingdutchman22]

I remember watching this episode and thinking how sad it must be, his wife left, the kids (dont like him for the choices he made) and in the end he needed to sell the house where he could never live in. Oh boy, things a man has to whitstand. Much respect for the dedication tho.

[@ongkhuongduy3498]

The 1950 house had a lot of charm to it. A gutted out interior renovation (keeping the facade outside) would have been a lot cheaper, require less permit and give them a charming homestead. Sunk cost fallacy really is a thing here.

[@crabapples1995]

Some people have no taste

[@theharrisnow]

The land, so spectacular, doesn't require a monstrous building like that

[@kaischmidt730]

to think that with all the mounting issues he continued demolishing a perfectly fine house is just mind boggling.

[@MistaTofMaine]

I can't be the only one that thinks that house they took down looks better than the one they built or wanted.

[@zaneghiskhan]

Just when I thought I'd heard every story on the internet, your channel shines a light on topics I've never heard about. You're a raconteur and your S tier editing ... You're going up and up man! Stoked to be watching your journey!

[@stellviahohenheim]

You should go out more

[@blueface]

Totally agree with you! Just found this channel a few weeks ago when it was around 25k subs. Can’t believe it doesn’t have more, this is top tier content!

[@RH-vd3yu]

@@stellviahohenheimsays the ine with a gaming pfp lol

[@OMelikaO]

Calm down, other people have talked about this story before

[@_pedrokobuti]

3:54 Laughed hard when they said 18 months to build this colossus. Talk about unrealistic expectations!

[@Neiri-qg2wk]

My eyes bugged out when they said 18 mos. No way. I said this is at least a 5-year project.

[@audiobookschill5888]

Didn't see the wife smile once throughout the entire show. The dude was clearly all about himself.

[@kunalsen2123]

She was there when the going was good and quite upbeat with the cameras around. But when it got tough, she didn't hang around. It was her family home she consented to be renovated. But women and accountability are two different categories.

[@tonje.rebecca]

​@@kunalsen2123Nice way to generalise all women.

[@agrandesubstituicao]

@@kunalsen2123I don’t know anything about h that she trusted the husband but in the end he was wrong it happens all the time. The guy responsibility is clear

[@C.Church]

@@kunalsen2123 Why? Why do you losers in life have to make EVERY video about women not taking accountability? Don't you have a war to go fight in? Ukraine war was started by men. By your logic, you can never make it up to humanity for what you've done to us all with your wars. The least you can do is take accountability and fight. Go. 👉

[@C.Church]

@@agrandesubstituicao Had she not trusted him, manchild above would have blamed his failure for that. "He would have succeeded but his woman was in his ear filling him with doubts." And the ubiquitous icing: "Women and accountability don't often meet." The hypocrisy.

[@MATTY110981]

Grand Designs is a brilliant show. One of my favourite and most tragic episodes has to be the Sewage barge that was meant to be turned into a houseboat. The family doesn’t have much in the way of finances, the husband has over ambitious ideas and the thing turns out to be an unfinished mess with multiple problems with its electric and plumbing. Years later it was tacked down abandoned and vandalised. Moore recently somebody else has purchased it and plans to finish it.

[@c.w.8200]

I'm glad my parents had the sense to just renovate and add a second floor, the house looks like it was planned like this all along, the architect did a good job.

[@qonra]

Couldn't think of a better example of "A fool and his money are soon parted".

[@tropezando]

Just... Why. A lovely private house near the sea is already paradise and more than anyone could ever hope to have. Why try to build a corny, ostentatious mansion on such troublesome ground during a recession? During this same period, my parents and I lost our home of 24 years due to crippling medical debt. It crushed us, and we were nearly homeless, save for a small amount of money we were able to get from the bank for vacating our house by a certain date that afforded a deposit on an apartment where we still live. I can't imagine having what they had and tossing it all away willy nilly.

[@AshleyTheFighter]

YES EXACTLY! Like yeah it sucked that you put all your funds and savings into not a house, but a bloody mansion whilst everyone around the world dream of even finding a place to live. I'd be so happy just to get one room from that house 💕

[@ComedyLoverGirl]

Even if they did want a mansion, why smash down a perfectly fine house to build it? Not only is it a terrible waste when there are many people living in inadequate housing, from a financial standpoint it doesn't make sense either. Rather sell that house and then build on a vacant piece of land, or demolish a dilapidated house. The way they did it, they lost a perfectly fine house (a lot out of pocket + demolition costs), had to pay a lot of rent for a place to live while their dream mansion was being built, and the logistics became more complicated. Just one of a great number of red flags in this whole story of one man who had too much vanity and too little sense.

[@rabbitss11]

People like Edward are a blight on humanity

[@WobblesandBean]

You're not wrong.

[@sian2337]

Bit extreme.

[@patty109109]

That’s pretty harsh and unnecessary

[@israelthegael2342]

Luke 14:28-30 “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ Even Jesus thinks he's foolish

[@isthatrubble]

so many grand designs episodes make me think "what is wrong with you" but I don't think I ever saw this one..... I honestly don't think I could have gotten through it

[@michelleobrien9791]

yes. So many of them start with demolishing a perfectly good house to replace it with a "more sustainable" house which blows my mind

[@Colin_]

It was a sad episode when the reality of what its cost the family.

[@TWzi_QOd9E7fAYcKiT]

If he only constructed the eye and left the old house to his children...

[@cremebrulee4759]

So he ruined his life to build a house he will never live in. In the process, he tore down a perfectly nice house that could have been remodeled into something close to his "ideal" vision. How wasteful. I wonder if losing his family, his home, and his money truly tamed his ego or whether he'll get some other crazy idea in the future. The saddest thing is that he ruined his children's lives by destroying his marriage and putting his ego over his love for them and his love for his wife.

[@IngridLiseLarssen-hm4pr]

I found it odd that he choose to build the property right at the very edge! Wonder if his previous success made him feel invincible and didn't think the obvious risk would ever affect him

[@SirAsdf]

Ah yes, the sunk-cost fallacy in action.

[@sarah3796]

What is that?

[@RolandTHX]

@@sarah3796 It's when you invest a lot of time and effort into something that's not going well, so you keep going to justify all the work you've already put into it instead of giving up and taking the initial loss. Often gets people into a seriously deep hole because they keep telling themselves that it'll only take 'just a little more' to finally come out ahead.

[@SirAsdf]

@sarah3796 If you look at any major project where, part way through, everyone involved realized it was a bad idea, but because they'd already sunk so much money or resources into it, they felt the need to complete it. Think Fyre Festival.

[@frevazz3364]

Selfishness, stubbornness, and grandiosity combined in this man.

[@ScuttleBerry]

Had heard of this story before, but didn't know it had finally been finished! Great and concise video as always.

[@viraksomethenbong5295]

too bad he destroy family relation to build this ugly house why do he need 4 floors when alr on a cliff

[@andreaandrea6716]

Thank you for the update. I remember seeing the first part of this, but not the conclusion. It's very sad. I am happy the build was finished, but like a number of others here, I preferred the original, modest 1950's house. I always think that THAT kind of luxury-build is very difficult to actually LIVE IN. Those sorts of spaces are not conducive to harmonious living. They lack that very special, magical component that makes for intimacy. It's a 'show home' ... and I've NEVER understood the attraction. It would be like living in a conference-resort venue (a business) rather than a home.

[@Heymanputhisfingersinmetoooah]

It’s an air bnb now and can be rented for special events, etc. It’s a great house. Met the owner and his girlfriend who gave us a tour and then left. We stayed for a week and partied hard. The views were breathtaking and I can confirm that the pool is heated and it was amazing

[@brendanoneil3489]

Ironically, whilst widely labelled as a failure, it is actually the grandest design of the whole show. Interesting update thanks,

[@geeker6350]

What a hill to die on- literally and figuratively.

[@runninggirl2765]

I just added two "low-end" chairs and a discounted end table to my mini sunroom/porch and was worried i spent too much......

[@DLR24]

Will never understand a huge house, give me a little house on a good bit of land with a boat, a side by side, and like a quad. Rather have a bunch of money to have fun then a bunch of money put into a house that functions pretty much the same.

[@fidelio9301]

Only if you can afford both otherwise I agree

[@alisonj9533]

Like the original!

[@elizabeths4371]

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him.”

[@sarah3796]

And it’s hideous. They could of renovated the 50’s house easily.

[@Adelicows]

Could have

[@yadusolparterre]

And someone "could of" spent more than 2 days at school

[@maitequilla]

​​@@yadusolparterre sadly you didn't stay in school enough to learn good manners

[@HardNigga-tr4uy]

Not easily lol

[@GenericWhiteMan00]

All the hindsight, zero foresight. He deserves everything his choices earned him.

[@UltraMagnis]

Had a similar situation here in AAustralia. There is a small island off the coast of brisbane called Bribie island. For a good 10 to 15 years there was this ugly, delapidated, half finished huge mansion. It was owned by an environmentalist and he was using stirofoam bricks to build the house out of environmentally friendly materials. Issue was the land was right on the point as you enter the canals it's over the years just never got finished. It was a very unique and expensive build and they ran out of money. It was an eyesore at the end when they forced the owner to demolish it. He sent himself broke. I hear he spent upwards of 20 million to get the land and it to the point of construction it was at. The island council were so pissed off at this guy because it was absolutely the best bit of land on the island. Right at the mouth of the canal. He bought 3 blocks and the house covered all the land basically was huge. The owner sent himself broke trying to get someone to finish this obviously bad build. Over the years the sea air got to the foam bricks and they all crumbled to reveal a creepy looking ghost house by the end of it. Teens used it as a place to smoke and drink. It had the best views on the island. We always drove past it in the boat like man when are they Gunna get rid of that eye sore. Took em years to force the owner to sell and demolish it.

[@isthatrubble]

styrofoam isn't even environmentally friendly!

[@markus7166]

Do you know any actual details that I can search for on google ? I'd like to read about it, but I cant find anything with the description you gave.

[@UltraMagnis]

@@markus7166 was a long time ago now I can't find anything either

[@markus7166]

@@UltraMagnis damn, you dont happen to know the address, do you ? If you know the area that it's in, you might be able to look it up on google maps ?

[@UltraMagnis]

@@markus7166 if you google map Bribie island. The passage side not the open water side there is a canal inlet. 35-41 seaside drive. It isn't there anymore though it's a bunch of houses

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

A house near the sea? Hell, that's more than enough for me! That's a dream come true. Don't tear the old one down, remodel, upgrade, and later add on if you like.

[@keymaster430]

That saddest part is seeing the girls as kids when it all started. Then imagining them growing up living in a huge mansion with lots of wonderful potential memories. But, they never happened.

[@streaming5332]

Huge mansions aren't homely.

[@the_real_ch3]

Not just seeing the daughters as kids, seeing them as kids in standard definition and then their last interview as adults in crisp HD

[@Snusmumrikean]

i wonder where the measly 1.8 mill estimate came from. one quick glance at it screams 5 mil at MINIMUM. 250 thousand spent on experts and no said 'hey uh no'

[@Meela234]

How sad that this project resulted in breaking up what used to be a happy family.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

I followed this build from the initial episode but never knew it had finally been completed! Seems way too big for a family home! Why would anyone need such a big home for 4 people!

[@AidenRKrone]

The original home from the 1950s looks a lot better than the white monstrosity that took its place! I much prefer old-timey homes that have aesthetic character and historical meaning, rather than soulless McMansions. And don't even get me started on the Eye! That thing is hideous.

[@ShadeVictoria]

Yeah. He bulldozed that nice house, got in debt and ruined his marriage to build the most basic and ugly house ever. The design already looks dated. And no one bought it lol.

[@markus7166]

You're kidding, right ? The luxurious mansion looks wayyy better than that ugly ass yellow house.

[@markus7166]

​@@ShadeVictoriayou obviously dont know what the word "basic" means 🤦🏼‍♂️😂

[@ShadeVictoria]

@@markus7166 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 know exactly what it means. That's why I used it. It looks like every modern McMansion.

[@pbxn-3rdx-85percent]

Buyer: Nice house. Nice large windows. How's the heating bill? *YIKES* !!!! 😄😂🤣

[@stellayates4227]

Nothing wrong with the solid 1950's house which had large windows and worked so well for the location. A little remodelling with a terrace and a roof garden would have achieved a great effect within a modest budget.

[@mildredpierce4506]

And it would have been a lot more inviting and cozy

[@fannycraddock99]

It's sad but pride comes before a fall! I'm so sorry that he put the house before his family. They did not deserve such shoddy treatment.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen5467]

It was so sprawling and horrible. Something of that scale on that piece of land was an aesthetic tragedy.

[@mikaross4671]

This guy is the very definition of pathetic. He lost his family and time with his loved ones over obsessing about a cold, empty beach mansion. Wow. Hope his wife and kids are better off without him.

[@raymondpetrovits2336]

It boils down to champagne taste with beer money.

[@jibjones1233]

It's champagne taste with kool-aid money. From def squad El Nino

[@wl6020]

Why not just sell their house and buy a mansion that they like? Its such a waste.

[@jimcraig9882]

I've passed this place a few times, it's pretty scary how high the cliff is and it's right on the edge, I wouldn't want to live in it especially in a storm 😮

[@nanky432]

“The couple decided to place their entire life savings into the project.” -Now there’s your problem.

[@Atlantianreborn]

It is still on sale for £5.5m today 31st October 2024.

[@Colin_]

If it does ever get sold it'll be for far far less than what he wanted for it. If he breaks even ill be amazed.

[@lawrencelopez9839]

anything built cliff side makes me nervous, though I've always wanted a house where the entrance is on the 2nd floor and you have a view of the sea. Oof. The bigger the house the lonelier it gets.

[@dahken417]

At least he was behind because of digging it into the cliff. So many California houses built on stilts on sand hillsides just to slide off 5 years latter.

[@ComedyLoverGirl]

Word. Cliffside houses run into so many problems. Weathering due to sea spray, problem with the soil and likelihood of land slips. It looks perfect on paper and laymen jump into it thinking it's going to be a perfect dream house... only for it to be a nightmare to build, or if they buy it complete then it ends up rusty and leaky in a few years. There's also the issue with privacy, with all those massive windows for sea view, you're also in a diorama. There's a reason why so many of the cliffside mcmansions are empty. People too in love with their vision of a dream luxury life, they ignore the reality.

[@pbxn-3rdx-85percent]

That new house would be perfect for a thriller/slasher/horror/ghost movie. A cold foggy night, stormy sea, lightning, lonely road etc.

[@javierpatag3609]

“The bigger the house the lonelier it gets.” Here just to praise your poetry there.

[@joshkleine21]

Some people don’t deserve to have money.