Michael Jackson’s bodyguard makes offer on ‘saddest-ever’ Grand Designs home – dubbing it ‘bargain of the century’

Eco home destroyed by blaze

Simon and Jasmine Dale and their children embarked on a sustainable living project in Lammas, Pembrokeshire, Wales, with just £500 in their accounts.

They aimed to live off the land in a government-backed village and had to prove self-sufficiency within five years.

The couple used earth, straw, and timber for construction and relied on purchases from car boot sales and eBay for furnishing.

The project faced initial challenges and relied on volunteers for labour.

By October 2013, Simon hoped to have the house ready for the family to move in by the following winter. However, setting up a small business as a condition of staying at Lammas delayed their plans.

By August 2014, they were able to add to their £500 thanks to Jazmine running horticultural courses and selling produce. Simon also did consultancy work on low-impact buildings.

They spent around £5,500 on insulation and damp proofing for the house.

Four years later, the family finally settled into their new home, having spent a modest £27,000. Kevin said it was "the cheapest house ever built in the Western Hemisphere".

But tragically, in 2018, their eco-house burnt down in a New Year's Day blaze, leaving them homeless.

'Nightmare' shard home

The Hux Shard in Devon, featured on Grand Designs in 2021, ended up costing 199 per cent more than planned, totalling £2.5million instead of the initial £835,000.

Even Kevin McCloud admitted the whole design was a case of property developer Joe and his wife Claire Pridays having "more money than sense".

The kitchen alone cost an astounding £125,000. Claire said: "It is an expensive kitchen but you can't buy it from the high street. It's the focal point of the house."

The huge house spanned 6,000 sq ft, had five bedroom suites, and included a cinema, a gym, a study, and a utility room.

It was plagued with many problems from the start, including delays, bad weather, the Covid crisis, and the task of putting in 46 panes of glass that cost £200,000.

Once completed, the house's project manager Phil said: "It has been a nightmare of a project. There's nothing worse than when stuff turns up and it doesn't fit together. But as I've always said as I've gone on and on, we'll get there on on and on.

"I wouldn't want to live there. But I'm emotionally attached to it. We'll look back in time and drive past and think we built that.' 

Despite the budget and social media's backlash, Joe and Claire were ecstatic about their new build.

He said: "I am completely and utterly satisfied and that's quite rare for me. This is exactly what I hoped it would be."

Mansion with 11 loans

This mansion in the coastal village of Quarr, Isle of Wight, cost Bram and Lisa Vis a whopping £3.3million to build. They took out ELEVEN loans to finance the project.

Initially budgeted at £800,000, construction costs eventually reached £2.2million. The couple paid £935,000 for the plot, bringing the total to over £3million.

When featured on Grand Designs in 2015, host Kevin said it was the most expensive project he had ever followed.

The property features a private beach, heated swimming pool, and jacuzzi, and its stunning exterior is made of stone and timber.

Inside, the open-plan kitchen-living area offers panoramic views, while the ground floor includes a sitting room, two studies, and two double bedrooms with beach views.

Upstairs, the master bedroom suite boasts a roof terrace and a waterproof TV in the en-suite bathroom. The basement houses a games room, laundry room, and three additional bedrooms.

When the couple put the home on the market, estate agents expected it to sell for £4million. But after it failed to sell, £1million was slashed off the price.

This meant it was eventually listed for a lower price than it cost to build.