Grand Designs UK lighthouse build that wrecked a marriage finished – but owner won’t live in it – صحيفة الصوت

It’s the moment Grand Designs fans around the globe have been waiting for – the completion of Edward Short’s infamous “lighthouse” build on the Devon coast.

And it’s a stunner, but while Short has seen his dream home finally come to fruition, he doesn’t get to live in it. The property has been listed for sale, and there’s a catch – whoever buys it will need to do their own interior fit-out.

Frequently cited as the saddest Grand Designs UK build ever, Short’s project came to a grinding halt more than three years ago when costs exploded and the family ran out of money. The music executive cited tough times caused by a recession, and innumerable problems with the build as reasons why plans to transform the family’s 1950s house into an Art Deco lighthouse ended up wrecking his marriage, and left a half-completed eyesore on the clifftop.

Grand Designs UK presenter Kevin McCloud called it “a carcass”, and said it was like finding the wreckage of a building on the seashore.

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After a long hiatus, Short managed to get the build underway again, with a new plan to sell the house on completion – it was announced earlier the property would be listed this summer. And that’s what’s happening. Chesil House, as it is known, has just been listed with Knight Frank with a price tag of £10m (NZ$19.4m).

But, while the build is completed, the interior fit-out has been left up to the new owner – they will even need to put in a kitchen and bathrooms (so the cost will be likely be more than $20m). As the listing says: “Chesil Cliff has been finished as an exciting blank canvas, giving the new owner the opportunity to design their own interior fit-out and landscaping.”

The property, in Croyde, Braunton, is described as one of the UK’s most spectacular coastal homes, “with three acres (1.21ha) of grounds including a private beach cove and foreshore with panoramic sea views over Saunton Sands and Croyde Beach”.

“First impressions are outstanding with a cantilevered bridge providing the driveway down to the garage. Upon entrance to the house, the incredible light, far-reaching views and the scale of the rooms and ceiling heights are immediately noticeable.”

The listing goes on to praise the flowing layout, and the way the living spaces are designed to maximise the spectacular view and sunsets. There are massive floor-to-ceiling windows, a double-height space in the dining area, and five to eight bedrooms.

Outside, there is a “breathtaking infinity pool” and a large terrace surrounding the house. And there is a second building, The Eye, which offers self-contained accommodation on one level – and views from every room.

And in case you were wondering about erosion, the entire house has been impressively engineered, with rock anchors embedded into the cliff.