Grand Designs require a grand budget! 4/5 Houses come in over budget by 34%

Ever wondered how much the average person spends on their Grand Designs project? How much they go over budget? Who went over budget and under budget the most? How much they make on their property when selling after build their Grand Design? Where the most Grand Designs have been built?

Well… to celebrate Grand Designs 20th year of being on TV and all things Kevin McCloud, we have watched every episode of Grand Designs, (all Series 1-19, and yes it took me a long time), and have deconstructed all of the must-know statistics in the show.

Key highlights:

• 80% of Grand Designs projects go over budget, with 7% on budget, and 8% under budget.

• The average Grand Designs budget is £371,213, but in fact people go over budget by 34% (£124,356), spending £495,570.

• 21 properties from the show are built in London, with rural hotspots such as Devon, Wales and Cornwall attracting more than 6 Grand Designs projects since 1999.

• North/South divide exists in the show with only 23 properties being built in the south compared to over 100 in the south – alone in London, a total of £12,870,000 was spent on building the 21 Grand Designs properties.

• The most over budget property was Bram and Lisa Vis who spent £1.35 million more than planned. The most under budget property was the Floating House in Series 14 that went under budget by £100,000. (I can provide details for the other Top 5 most under/over budget properties).

• The majority of houses in the show (22) cost between £200,000-£299,999. In fact 19 houses are built between the £100,000 an £199,999 mark – showing that building your own property is certainly affordable.

• On average, a Grand Designs house goes on the market at £1.29 million – after being built. The Miniature Hollywood Mansion has the biggest ROI going on the market at £3.95 million after costing £700,000 to build.

• The average Grand Designs project takes 17 months to build – 47 houses are completed in less than a year.

Shared by: Seb Burchell – seb.burchell@mojomortgages.com

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Fewer than 3% of London rental homes available

The latest research from Benham and Reeves has found that fewer than 3% of London’s private rental homes are currently available to tenants, highlighting the severe lack of supply across the capital at a time when further legislative changes could place additional strain on supply within the sector. Benham and Reeves analysed current rental market…
Read More
Adding second coat of varnish floor boards
Home and Living

Cottagecore Design

The term “cottagecore design” has risen by 100% since November 2025, with the term “cottagecore” itself now getting nearly 10,000 searches (9,900), according to Traditional Beams. Cottagecore refers to an aesthetic that romanticises simple, rural and sustainable living, popularised on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, and embraces a cosy and pastoral lifestyle. However, while…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Property specialist predicts spike in traditional interiors after Bridgerton hit

With Bridgerton Season 4 debuting with an impressive 39.7 million views in its first week on Netflix, property specialist predicts that traditional interiors will be the biggest renovation trend of 2026. Mitchell Martyn, Property Finance Specialist at Pure Property Finance, predicts that the appetite for traditional, heritage-inspired interiors is set to surge once again. As…
Read More
Breaking News

Reduced supply of homes to landlords selling up

2025 saw Westminster enact one of the biggest changes to England’s private rental sector in decades via the Renters’ Rights Act, and it has already triggered a mixed response from those working in the property industry alongside landlords. One of the biggest changes includes the retirement of section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. This is a move…
Read More
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Letting Agent Talk

The Art of the Add-On: 5 Simple Ways Letting Agents Can Upsell in 2026

Letting agents are brilliant at delivering value, but not always brilliant at charging for it, according to Sally Lawson… Here are her five simple steps for charging for what you’re worth (and more) this year. “Far too many agents bundle services together, do the extra work, solve problems, take calls, fix issues. And they never…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove reaction to the Bank of England Base Rate decision

Matt Smith, Mortgage Expert at Rightmove, said: “Today’s decision to hold the Bank Rate was widely expected, and for most homeowners and home‑buyers, there’s no immediate change to worry about. For those looking to secure a new mortgage rate or coming up to remortgage, even small rises in rates can have a real impact on…
Read More