Grand Designs Thames Boat House

Grand Designs ghost houses... the abandoned builds left to rot and the families torn apart

Channel 4's Grand Designs has seen some epic builds - while others have been left derelict and trashed by vandals and squatters

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Grand Designs disaster as 'saddest episode ever' sees Devon lighthouse project result in break ups, spiralling costs and anger from locals

In its 20-year history, Channel 4's Grand Designs has seen hundreds of people achieve their dreams with breaktaking builds.

But not all the projects covered by host Kevin McCloud have a happy ending.

Cash flow problems, planning battles and unexpected pregnancies are all par for the course on the show.

But occasionally, the hurdles prove to be insurmountable, leaving amateur developers divorced, destitute and devastated.

So what happens to the houses left to rot and decay after the cameras stop rolling?

From the luxury homes trashed by vandals and squatters to the projects that tore families apart, here's what came next...

The Dome House

No expense was spared on the Dome House, which featured an indoor pool (

Image:

Tripadvisor)

But it ran into disrepair after its owner hit on hard times (

Image:

Peter Powell / Sunday People)

The futuristic eco-mansion was branded "awe-inspiring" by host Kevin McCloud.

But it appeared to hit upon hard times in 2016 when locals feared it had been abandonned.

The gardens of the ultra-modern, seven-bedroom house looked scruffy and overgrown and there was no sign of the visionary proprietor, architect and owner Robert Gaukroger.

Gaukroger and wife Milla spent more than £1million on the build (

Image:

Peter Powell / Sunday People)

He spent two years building the unique property in the hillside above Bowness-in-Windermere at a cost of £1million in 2011.

But he reportedly got locked into an eight-year dispute with a neighbour and decided to move back down south to study at university.

He tried to sell the luxury home for £2.3million in 2015, before dropping the price to £1.45million months later.

The once high-end exterior looked to be in serious need of maintenance (

Image:

Peter Powell / Sunday People)

They eventually sold to Yvonne Malley - an anonymous donor who'd stumped up the cash to save the build five years earlier when the credit crunch left Gaukroger with a half-finished house.

Gaukroger said: "She said it was clear this was my dream and she wanted to help."

Yvonne and her family renovated the dilapidated property and now run it as a luxury guest house which has top reviews on Trip Advisor.

The Eco-Barge

The Eco-Barge was one London family's dream (

Image:

Channel 4)

But it had to be abandoned and was found washed up on a beach (

Image:

Alamy Stock Photo)

Chris Miller and his wife Sze Liu Lai were shown in 2007 renovating a ramshackle houseboat in Essex using recycled materials.

The couple planned to move out of London and enjoy life afloat with their two children.

But the £80,000 scheme, called the Medway Eco-barge, ran into problems and their 100ft boat was left moored unfinished in the Thames estuary near Southend.

It became a target for vandals and squatters and broke free from its moorings in 2011 before being found washed up on a beach.

Vandals caused £70,000 worth of damage (

Image:

Channel 4)

Steve Morgan, 29, from the nearby Barge Cafe, said: "I did not know what it was at first. Then I saw the roof and realised it was the boat from Grand Designs - it looked very strange just sat there opposite our cafe.

"The boat had been up the coast for a couple of years now - it's a bit tatty to be honest with you."

Owner Chris Miller later said they'd been hoping to resurrect the project, but the £70,000 worth of damage caused by vandals and teenagers throwing parties meant it was no longer a viable option.

The Lighthouse

Versus reality (

Image:

SWNS)

In an episode which Grand Designs viewers branded the 'saddest yet', developer Edward White revealed his attempts to build his dream home cost him his money and his marriage.

The build on Chesil Cliff House in Croyde, Devon, started in 2011, but the £1.8million White borrowed for the project soon ran out.

He constructed a smaller neighbouring property called The Eye in the hope of selling it to raise revenue, but was unable to put it on the market due to the building site next door.

Now £3million in debt, he needs another £2million to complete the half-finished home and admitted that once it's done he'll have to sell it immediately to pay back his creditors.

A further £2million is needed to finish the home - on top of the £3million already spent

Edward and his wife Hazel have now separated (

Image:

Channel 4)

And the pressure of the project, coupled with what White called his 'ambition and vanity', ultimately ended his marriage to wife Hazel.

"The whole project has been a horrendous strain for Hazel, I have sunk our family purse into this and I really feel for her.  I never meant to put her through any of this," he told Devon Live.

White now says he's on the cusp of securing the money to finish the job and predicts it could be completed as early as next September.

Grand Designs Thames Boat House

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/grand-designs-ghost-houses-abandoned-20671709

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