The “saddest ever” Grand Designs home has hit the market as soon as once more after being listed by debt collectors for a knock down price of £5.5 million.
Chesil Cliff House in North Devon price its proprietor Edward Short completely every part – ensuing within the breakdown of his marriage and leaving him an estimated £7m in debt.
The lighthouse home first hit the market in February final 12 months with an asking price of £10m, however despite garnering some curiosity from multimillionaires together with Harry Styles, it remained unsold, with the asking price in the end deemed too excessive.
As famous by the host, Kevin McCloud, in the beginning of the 2019 episode: “If a lighthouse has a single message that it shouts out, it is this: ‘Stay away – or risk destruction’.”
The lighthouse started as an formidable mission for Edward and his then-wife Hazel 12 years in the past, who hoped to construct their dream household home on the coast in a bid to take pleasure in a slower tempo of life than they’d in London.
They threw their whole life financial savings of £1.8m on the mission and believed that it might be accomplished in simply 18 months despite its advanced rocky costal location.
However, when the construct first appeared on Grand Designs in 2019 – in what viewers described because the “saddest ever episode” – it shortly turned obvious that this was going to be unattainable.
McCloud himself famous that it was astonishing that the couple deliberate to finish “the feat of complex engineering” in such a brief house of time.
Due to the complexity of the construct, prices and the time concerned quickly spiralled for the household who proceeded to borrow £2.5 million from personal buyers and an extra £500,000 from a hedge fund.
The couple’s daughters even tried to assist finance the formidable mission, which their father stated there can be no compromise on, by holding automotive boot gross sales.
However, seven years on from the construct starting, which noticed the unique 1950s home within the location demolished, the fashionable, artwork deco lighthouse home remained incomplete.
Edward later advised The Sun that what he put his spouse by way of whereas constructing the property was “horrendous”.
“There’s a lot of guilt about that. But there was no way out, once we started. If we didn’t finish we’d have been in big trouble,” the previous music trade gross sales govt stated.
“It was awful for the family because I pulled the stability rug from under them, without being able to give answers of how we were going to get out of it, other than that I had to carry on.”
Following on from the primary episode, Grand Designs revisited the mission in 2022, when it emerged that whereas the home had lastly been accomplished, it had price Edward completely every part within the course of.
He misplaced cash, his marriage and even the goodwill of his neighbours.
The home left host McCloud visibly impressed by its beautiful coastal views and an inside which he famous felt like the surface due to the numerous, giant home windows.
Some of the property’s notable options embrace 360 views of the shoreline and a big infinity pool. It additionally has planning permission for a helipad.
“The end game could be bankruptcy,” Edward admitted of the dream home.
McCloud then revealed that regardless that Edward managed to “finance” the dream home “to completion”, due to the way in which by which it was financed, he would “never live in his beloved lighthouse”.
“It is worth it because it’s finished,” Edward stated, “it would not have been worth it had it not been finished, it would have been painful. Very painful.”
One of the patrons final 12 months, Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes, stated he noticed potential within the property however he was not ready to cough up the £10m asking price.
Matt, who supplied £7.5 million for the home, stated: “I constructed my property portfolio within the South West and I do know the market, I understand how it really works. I advised Edward head to head and stated it wouldn’t promote however you possibly can lead a horse to water and all that. I do really feel sorry for the man as nobody desires to see anybody lose every part.
“I might flip it into 12 flats as myself and my spouse and spoke with [the estate agent] Knight Frank and it’s good for that. We would lease the opposite home and make 1000’s.”
The home additionally prompted considerations from locals, who have been frightened that due to the sheer dimension and site of the 3.13-acre property, it might nicely be swallowed up by the ocean.
Matt stated: “The residents want it abolished and knocked down. I know the leader of the local council and I would like to explain my plans and hope to get their approval. I won’t do it if they don’t want it as the place means a lot to me because of my roots as I took my holidays there.”
The residents first expressed their considerations when the home was being constructed, objecting to Edward’s planning purposes that have been in the end profitable.
Some of the cited considerations included worries that the mansion would destroy the coastal views and doubtlessly be a hazard for passing drivers due to its many lights.
Braunton parish councillor Derrick Spear stated: “It’s over the top. You could say it’s avant-garde – or, more likely, it doesn’t blend in with its surroundings, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”
But whereas locals have been initially involved, they have been reportedly sympathetic to Edward’s scenario.
One resident admitted: “After the documentary got here out, there was a huge a lot of sympathy for Ed. I can’t converse for the individuals of Croyde, however earlier than the programme individuals have been involved over the cranes for a very long time, the dimensions. For neighbours any constructing website is tough.
“But what he’s carried out is nice. The precise constructing now’s incredible. It simply took a very long time.”
While Edward described the home as completed within the 2022 follow-up episode, based on the property agent, it’s still incomplete in some areas such because the kitchen.
The home has in the end been described as “one of the UK’s most spectacular newly built coastal homes” by its agent who dubbed it an “exciting blank canvas, giving the new owner the opportunity to design their own interior fit-out”.
At the time of writing, the property is now not obtainable through OpenRent, however it’s still listed by Addland, who stress within the description that it’s a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.