Over time, Grand Designs has seen numerous dream tasks flip into nightmares, plunging householders into debt and generally leaving them with unfinished houses.
Whereas many viewers will keep in mind the notorious ‘saddest home ever’, one other property was finally taken over by squatters after it washed up on a seashore in Essex.
In 2007, Chris Miller and his spouse Sze Liu Laine undertook a really distinctive construct: they spent £50,000 to construct an eco-friendly houseboat from a rusting ship on the Thames.
The couple had plans to create a two-storey, three-bedroom houseboat utilizing solely eco-friendly and second-hand supplies, after failing to discover a dwelling extra spacious and inexpensive than their small East London flat for his or her household, the place their two kids additionally lived. .
Nevertheless, in the course of the episode, viewers noticed them face quite a few issues and clashes with builders, with one development employee stating that their ardour undertaking regarded like ‘s***’.
Even host Kevin McCloud described it as a “floating junkyard problem.”
They finally reached their restrict and have been compelled to leap ship after blowing their finances and spending an additional £30,000.
Just a few years later, in 2011, the Medway Eco-Barge was discovered washed up and destroyed on a seashore in Essex, the place it was being utilized by squatters.
Regardless of the home’s historical past, Rob and Sarah Burch determined to attempt to breathe new life into it.
They’ve now spent £150,000 reworking one in all Grand Designs’ most notorious buildings into their dream vacation dwelling.
The couple, who personal a metal framing firm, took the chance to work on the ship at their shipyard within the riverside city of Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex.
Rob, 54, defined that they paid round £70,000 to purchase the ship from a shipyard in Southend.
“Structurally it was in an inexpensive place externally, however inside somebody had began it,” he informed Mail On-line.
“They have been doing a renovation and every part that they had finished regarded OK from the surface, however it was horrible once we began taking a look at it. So it ended up being an entire refit.
“The concept initially was to recycle the supplies again on the boat, however as we obtained so deeply into it, it actually turned a matter of taking it out and changing it.”
Nevertheless, as a result of the boat was stored on the water, they confronted a number of challenges, together with tides and storms.
‘We have been going to place a metal body on high of it, as a result of that’s our job. And the bottom flooring would simply be cleaned up, as a result of it appeared effective. However as quickly as we began taking a look at it, there was water beneath the planks and issues like that, so we knew we needed to do much more work on it,” he mentioned.
The couple managed to recycle most of the supplies already on board earlier than “tidying it up a bit and ensuring every part was sturdy.”
Extra trending
Learn extra tales
After two years of labor, the household accomplished the bold undertaking, which now options a stupendous tub, a totally geared up kitchen, a comfy front room, a small library and even an outside barbecue space.
Sarah mentioned the houseboat was a “good place to go and spend time once we’re away from dwelling.”
Additionally they mentioned that they had no plans to promote the boat, with Sarah saying they have been too ‘connected’ to it.
Grand Designs is streaming on Channel 4.
Do you’ve got a narrative?
In case you’ve obtained a celeb story, video or footage get in contact with the Metro.co.uk leisure group by emailing [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or our ‘Submission of things’ web page. would love to listen to from you.
MORE: Nice Pottery Throw Down star quits Channel 4 collection as a result of it is ‘not value it anymore’
MORE: Channel 4’s Countdown champion seems in court docket accused of stabbing rival contestant
MORE: ’90s sitcom star unrecognizable in Channel 4’s first have a look at new Era Z horror collection
