Owner of Grand Designs ‘saddest ever home’ admits ‘it was a nightmare from the first spade hitting the ground’ in update
GRAND Designs has showcased some pretty impressive properties – but none as memorable as the “cursed” Chesil Cliff house.
The owner of the property, who was left with £7 million of debt after his renovation, has now issued a fresh update five years on from his last appearance on the Kevin McCloud’s property show.
Edward Short and his ex-wife Hazel appeared on Grand Designs in 2019 with plans to refurbish an almost derelict clifftop mansion, situated between Saunton Sands and Croyde Beach in North Devon, which they had purchased in 2010.
But the renovation didn’t go to plan, and the property was quickly dubbed the “saddest ever home” by Channel 4 viewers.
Working on the clifftop mansion ultimately caused Edward and Hazel’s marriage to break down and left the former with millions of pound’s worth of debt.
Issue a fresh update about the show while speaking from Grand Designs Live at the Birmingham NEC, Edward admitted that the renovation was a total “nightmare.”
“When I originally approached Grand Designs, I did it because I wanted to have the security of having a documentary showing the building of the house,” he explained.
But Edward quickly admitted that the project ended up being too much, as it took a huge toll on him and his family.
“It was a nightmare from the moment the first spade hit the ground. We were up against it from day one, with the really vulnerable cliff in front of the house,” he said.
Edward continued, explaining that the cliff was a real issue during the renovation process: “The plot is probably more dramatic that you’d seen on TV. It didn’t show you the gradients.
“The house is about 100 feet above sea level, and in front of the house there’s a large amount of rock (especially in the old sand dune, which is gradually disappearing).
“So, anyone driving past would think ‘oh, the house could hold the sea’, hence, I wanted people to know what lay beneath it.”
Although Edward tried to remain positive, the renovation kept getting harder and harder to the point where his marriage broke down.
Edward bought the house with the intention of it being a family home for himself, Hazel, and their daughters, Nicole and Lauren.
However, the build process was so gruelling that Edward and Hazel never got to live in their dream house together.
Inside the 'saddest' Grand Designs house
Savills’s listing reads: “The property represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take on and finish the specification and fit out of one of the UK’s most spectacularly situated coastal homes.
“The bespoke design has been brought to life through impressive engineering, with the building being anchored to the bedrock, blending whitewashed elevations with steel and glass, culminating with a lighthouse feature at one end giving almost 360-degree views of the coastline.
“The position combines privacy with a diverse range of breath-taking views, all set in around 3 acres, which includes a large area of foreshore, a private tidal beach area and coves.”
The property is set in three acres of land and is equipped with an infinity pool and a hot tub as well as a spacious driveway.
Nic Chbat, director of Match Property estate agents in North Devon, who previously assisted with finding a buyer last year said at the time the sale stalled after the timeframe for the sale “expired”.
He added the previous buyer was “still wanting to buy the property,” and the sale was still expected to proceed.
The new listing though would suggest the purchase was never made with the sale now being handled by London-based estate agents Savills.
A spokeswoman for both Savills and the receivers Bellevue Mortlakes said: “The sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the UK’s most spectacularly situated coastal homes and for the buyer to put the finishing touches to the property’s interior to their own specification.
“The current sale price (offers in excess of £5.25m) represents fair value noting the prevailing economic and heterogeneous nature of this opportunity.
“The property has panoramic sea views and is set in grounds of over three acres, including foreshore and a tidal beach, with accommodation extending to over 6,260 sq ft.
“The detached guest lodge/holiday let accommodation extends to about 1,270 sq ft and is included in the sale price.
“Subject to registration with the agents, the receiver has provided an extensive suite of information and supporting documentation relating to the building’s history, construction and title, which are available via an online data room.”
He previously told presenter Kevin that his “vanity and ambition” was his downfall.
Eventually, after more than a decade of work, Edward completed the property, but his seven-figure debt meant he needed to sell quickly to recoup his losses.
The three-acre listing includes an infinity pool, a storm room, four receptions and a glass lighthouse tower.
It went up for sale via Real Estate Agents Frank Knight in 2022, but the five-bedroom luxury home was taken off the market in February 2023 as it was showing signs of structural failures. It was relisted just four months later at £7.5million.
The Chesil Cliff house is now on the market for £5.25 million, a reduction from the original asking price of £10 million.