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

footfall falls
Breaking News

Comment on inflation rising to 3.3%

Industry reaction to inflation rising to 3.3% Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners, said: “Today’s uptick in UK inflation will raise fresh concerns across the property market, which is still waiting for the full economic impact of the Iran conflict to feed through. Households, buyers and developers recognise that current data is unlikely…
Read More
Breaking News

London remains top marathon city for property values

Mayfair tops table for the world’s most expensive marathon neighbourhood as London remains priciest race city The latest analysis from Enness Global has revealed that London is currently the most expensive property market of any city hosting a World Marathon Major, with Mayfair also ranking as the world’s most expensive marathon neighbourhood for those wanting…
Read More
Breaking News

HMRC ramps up scrutiny of residential property valuations as it cracks down on inheritance tax avoidance

  Taxman’s requests for help from the Valuation Office Agency with property valuations in IHT returns rises nearly 25% Rise reflects HMRC’s increased efforts to recover revenue from underreported and misvalued estates.   HM Revenue & Customs is increasingly challenging residential property valuations in inheritance tax (IHT) returns, with the number of cases referred to…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 22/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The Building Centre launches ‘Small Scale Big Ideas’ a month-long exhibition What architecture can achieve when scale is a discipline, not a constraint.   The Building Centre is pleased to announce Small Scale Big Ideas, a major exhibition and public programme running throughout May 2026…
Read More
Commercial Agent Talk

London office workers want better workspaces, not free lunches

The latest research by BPS London has found that London office workers are more interested in better quality workspaces than superficial perks such as free breakfasts and lunches, with 63% saying they would be more willing to work from the office more regularly if their workplace was more modern, comfortable and better equipped. BPS London commissioned a…
Read More
Breaking News

The hottest prime property markets outside of London

The latest analysis from Enness Global has revealed that whilst London continues to dominate England’s prime property market, Elmbridge ranks as the nation’s leading hotspot outside of the capital when it comes to homes sold for £3m or more. Enness Global analysed Land Registry transaction data, looking at where homes sold for £3m or more…
Read More