I enjoyed this weeks build. Like others I would have liked to have known how the water and sewage were handled. With electricity, you can have flexible cables, but with sewage and water, not as easy. However I guess there would be some sort of concertina pipe arrangement.
As for access to the house, did the woman say there was a flexible walkway, and then two steps? I doubt very much they would be stuck in or out of the house.
The biggest problem is access via road. When you do your weekly shop, how you going to get all your shopping in to the house? If its more than one trips worth then you are buggered. Then again, I would imagine they would have a small row boat, and would row this to the other side, fill it with the shopping, and then row back across the lake. Not ideal, but do able.
Great views, will probably be a nice house once its finished, and will come into its own, in a wet rainy season. No doubt if they ever sold it, they would get their money back and then some.
Didnt like the cladding, but when you are sitting in the house, you cant see the cladding, thats the neighbours problem
How much nicer to dress it in weatherboarding with more modest windows as is traditional for this type of house.
Modest windows? You have to be kidding me. Why not take advantage of the view, with huge picture windows. You would have to be a fool to go with traditional windows. If you are looking onto some other houses, then fair enough have modest windows. But when you have stunning views, you want to take advantage of it.
On the whole I liked this build, a great idea which I hope works in practice.
I'm also wondering how the services are managed (particularly sewage when the river rises (along with the house)). I'll also add my concern about the zinc cladding, which to me looked awful.
I'm probably in a minority of one but I actually liked the "dragon scale" cladding and, for once, thought the big picture windows entirely appropriate to capture the view
Even if the house did float, I'm not sure how the services would cope with being stretched several metres - and I'm not sure I'd want to be living there with no way safe way of getting off the island. What if one ran out of wine?
Well done to them for sticking with it against considerable odds, but what a nightmare trying to get all the equipment across
I'm also wondering how the services are managed (particularly sewage when the river rises (along with the house)). I'll also add my concern about the zinc cladding, which to me looked awful.
I didn't like the cladding at all. Other than that I didn't mind the house.
I though would definitely not want to live somewhere that is only accessible by a footbridge. Thinking about buying a big shop and getting it back. How close to the footbridge would they be able to park? Then they would have to carry the bags of shopping over the bridge (often in pouring rain or even snow). When I do a big shop I have loads of bags.
Also a pain having things like furniture delivered. Bet any delivery men will curse them
It had a nice view but for £1.1M I'd expect a garage as well. No real amount of land - just a nice size front lawn. But hats off to the engineering aspect, otherwise its a boring, expensive build that has no parking.
For the neighbours, not so - with an armadillo next door.
The couple had more money than sense - and the amount the farm got....:o
I though would definitely not want to live somewhere that is only accessible by a footbridge. Thinking about buying a big shop and getting it back. How close to the footbridge would they be able to park? Then they would have to carry the bags of shopping over the bridge (often in pouring rain or even snow).
It's worse than that. As far as I can tell the house on the side of the island furthest from the footbridge and on the wrong side of a lock. The only practical access is by boat.
To get to it you have to cross a narrow footbridge from mill road to the lock and then cross the lock on one of the lock gates before reaching the muddy/flooded paths to the house.
As I said earlier the lack of access is worse than the flooding isssue.
Houses on this island have historically been less than half the price of accessible nearby propery. They may have solved the flooding issue but that's not the end of it. I don't think it's worth any more than £800k.
A heads up for next weeks episode which is a revisit to the restoration of a french chateau from about ten years ago.
I don't normally bother with revisits but this one was exceptional. Probably the greatest ever achievement on Grand Designs. I was in awe of the man (and his wife) who restored this totally derelict building mainly just through their own efforts. Extraordinary.
I would be worried about silt and detritus from a flood filling up the hole and then the house being left perched on a rubbish tip.
How would they prevent that from happening?
That's a very good point, I have no idea.
It's not as if they can jack up the house when the water levels have gone down, and you certainly can't clear out any silt, etc when the water has flooded the area.
They did mention having some sort of grille. I expect they'd have a pump of sorts too. I doubt either they or the council would want them living in the Leaning House of Marlow.
But a grill wouldn't stop any silt, and a pump would be useless once the area has already flooded as you'd remove more water than silt from underneath the house (and you also can't extract the silt once the house is sitting on it).
But a grill wouldn't stop any silt, and a pump would be useless once the area has already flooded as you'd remove more water than silt from underneath the house (and you also can't extract the silt once the house is sitting on it).
That was the first thing I thought about, the sludge and the silt gathering under the house. The project cost one hell of a lot of money just for that river view, living there has few other advantages apart from the view and many, many disadvantages
Having read through the planning info, they had to provide details of a scheme for managing the silt/debris for a 1 in 100 year flood event before permission was granted.
That's true, didn't think about the silt aspect, wonder if their architect did? (Architect = arty, make it look pretty, don't worry about practicality)
They almost need an inspection hatch at the bottom of the house to allow access
The planning permission stipulates that a wonky return after flooding would not be permitted, so they evidently have a plan for correcting. My best guess would be forcing water back under the house, dislodging the silt (think poking with a big curved stick but more technical) and then pumping out again rapidly. They only need to have a PLAN, not proven tactic.
The planning permission stipulates that a wonky return after flooding would not be permitted, so they evidently have a plan for correcting. My best guess would be forcing water back under the house, dislodging the silt (think poking with a big curved stick but more technical) and then pumping out again rapidly. They only need to have a PLAN, not proven tactic.
Pity none of these potential issues were discussed in the programme.
Pity none of these potential issues were discussed in the programme.
Agreed - especially considering the relatively unique design. They could have cut out a few minutes of the usual waffle and properly tackled the points raised here.
Comments
As for access to the house, did the woman say there was a flexible walkway, and then two steps? I doubt very much they would be stuck in or out of the house.
The biggest problem is access via road. When you do your weekly shop, how you going to get all your shopping in to the house? If its more than one trips worth then you are buggered. Then again, I would imagine they would have a small row boat, and would row this to the other side, fill it with the shopping, and then row back across the lake. Not ideal, but do able.
Great views, will probably be a nice house once its finished, and will come into its own, in a wet rainy season. No doubt if they ever sold it, they would get their money back and then some.
Didnt like the cladding, but when you are sitting in the house, you cant see the cladding, thats the neighbours problem
Modest windows? You have to be kidding me. Why not take advantage of the view, with huge picture windows. You would have to be a fool to go with traditional windows. If you are looking onto some other houses, then fair enough have modest windows. But when you have stunning views, you want to take advantage of it.
I'm also wondering how the services are managed (particularly sewage when the river rises (along with the house)). I'll also add my concern about the zinc cladding, which to me looked awful.
Nice people though.
Even if the house did float, I'm not sure how the services would cope with being stretched several metres - and I'm not sure I'd want to be living there with no way safe way of getting off the island. What if one ran out of wine?
Well done to them for sticking with it against considerable odds, but what a nightmare trying to get all the equipment across
According to the planning application they used a Klargester Bio-disc BA-BD Sewage Treatment Plant anchored so it doesn't float away. Turns the solids into a sludge and stores it, expels the cleaned up liquid into the river.
I though would definitely not want to live somewhere that is only accessible by a footbridge. Thinking about buying a big shop and getting it back. How close to the footbridge would they be able to park? Then they would have to carry the bags of shopping over the bridge (often in pouring rain or even snow). When I do a big shop I have loads of bags.
Also a pain having things like furniture delivered. Bet any delivery men will curse them
For the neighbours, not so - with an armadillo next door.
The couple had more money than sense - and the amount the farm got....:o
Ah yes, the field - meant to mention that. They paid £40,000 (I think) in total for that land. The farmer must have been rubbing his hands with glee.
It's worse than that. As far as I can tell the house on the side of the island furthest from the footbridge and on the wrong side of a lock. The only practical access is by boat.
Interesting, thanks.
As I said earlier the lack of access is worse than the flooding isssue.
Houses on this island have historically been less than half the price of accessible nearby propery. They may have solved the flooding issue but that's not the end of it. I don't think it's worth any more than £800k.
Will make a good "revisited" episode next year as I hope he is able to go back to this to see it finished.
How would they prevent that from happening?
I don't normally bother with revisits but this one was exceptional. Probably the greatest ever achievement on Grand Designs. I was in awe of the man (and his wife) who restored this totally derelict building mainly just through their own efforts. Extraordinary.
Just tune in for the segment after the last commercial break, that's what I always do.
That's a very good point, I have no idea.
It's not as if they can jack up the house when the water levels have gone down, and you certainly can't clear out any silt, etc when the water has flooded the area.
Hmmmmm.
That was the first thing I thought about, the sludge and the silt gathering under the house. The project cost one hell of a lot of money just for that river view, living there has few other advantages apart from the view and many, many disadvantages
They almost need an inspection hatch at the bottom of the house to allow access
Pity none of these potential issues were discussed in the programme.
Agreed - especially considering the relatively unique design. They could have cut out a few minutes of the usual waffle and properly tackled the points raised here.