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

Breaking Property News 2/3/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Rightmove’s CEO Johan Svanstrom … ‘is a man under pressure’ Rightmove’s ‘Unthinkable Event’ Thought Leadership by Mal McCallion CEO at ModelProp, guiding AI-driven growth in property. The #Rightmove CEO came out swinging on Friday when his company’s latest set of annual results, for 2025, showed that they…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England Money and Credit Report – January 2026

Overview These monthly statistics on the amount of, and interest rates on, borrowing and deposits by households and businesses are used by the Bank’s policy committees to understand economic trends and developments in the UK banking system. Key points: et borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £4.1 billion in January, from £4.5 billion…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide house prices showing a 0.3% increase

Thoughts from the Industry Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark comments: “Today’s figures from Nationwide show continued upward movement in house prices, reflecting resilient demand in many parts of the UK despite ongoing affordability constraints. “While rising prices may signal confidence in the market, they also reinforce the need for policies that support supply and improve…
Read More
Breaking News

House price growth holds steady in February

Annual house price growth unchanged at 1.0% House prices were up 0.3% month on month Continued improvement in affordability helped drive first-time buyer activity in 2025 Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “Annual house price growth remained steady at 1.0% in February. Prices increased by 0.3% month on month, after taking…
Read More
Home and Living

Domestic Fridge Recycling in the UK: Compliant, Convenient and Eco Friendly with Recycling4you

Every year thousands of fridges in the UK reach the end of their useful life and must be replaced. These appliances cannot simply be left out with general waste or dumped at the nearest tip. They contain hazardous materials such as refrigerant gases and insulating foam which require careful handling in accordance with strict legislation.…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Buy-to-Let Explained: How It Works and Is It Worth It?

Buy-to-let is one of the most popular property investment strategies in the UK, attracting investors who want to generate regular rental income while benefiting from long-term property value growth. Whether you are a first-time landlord or someone considering adding property to an existing investment portfolio, understanding how buy-to-let works is essential. If you are exploring opportunities with Whitegates…
Read More