A FOUR-STOREY ‘house’ on sale for just £200,000 looks like a Grand Designs project – but the outside left viewers stunned.
Home hunters were gobsmacked when they saw this property listing – but while some saw endless potential, others feared it may be cursed.
While it’s not a house yet, this water tower in Yorkshire, could be transformed into something one may find on a Grand Designs episode.
However, many viewers believed flipping it could hold the potential for disaster.
The “blank canvas” is situated in the village of Wheldrake, a stone’s throw from York.
It boasts panoramic countryside views and has a local school, as well as a pub, within walking distance.
Ashtons Estate Agents described it as having the “potential to be converted to a residential property”, subject to planning permission.
But one person joked: “Just needs a recently married couple and the curse of Kevin McCloud.”
Another jibed: “Somewhere, Kevin McCloud is salivating.”
Others simply scoffed at the prospect of new owners being given the green light for construction by the local council.
Someone else claimed: “I saw a couple on Grand Designs do up a very similar building… it was a complete money hole. You’re not making this liveable for less than a mil.”
While one said it was an “inevitable train wreck” waiting to happen.
Grand Designs previously saw one couple’s journey unfold as they embarked on transforming an abandoned tower in London.
Leigh Osborne and Graham Voce snapped up the Kennington property with dreams of renovating it into a whopping nine-storey home.
Not only did they pour blood, sweat and tears into the project, they forked out an eye-watering £2million.
But it only sold for £2.75million in 2021.
Meanwhile, on another episode of the Channel 4 property show, Tassy and Adam tried to convert a tower into a nine-bedroom home.
They planned to incorporate a fireman’s pole, pool and indoor slides.
However five years later it was still just a shell of a house branded a “concrete hell” by viewers.
For any adventurous developers or potential home buyers, the full listing for the Yorkshire tower reads: “A four storey water tower on a large plot in the ever sought after village of Wheldrake.
“Wheldrake is a popular village, offering an array of local amenities, schools, and easy access to York and further afield, a property in this area is sure to be popular.
“Wheldrake is in catchment for the Ofsted rated Outstanding Fulford Secondary school.
“The property itself is a former Water tower and has been owned by the current owner for over fourteen years.
“The property has vehicle access via 54A Main Street which is also currently on the market either to purchase individually or as a whole.
“The property has the potential to be converted to a residential property subject to the necessary planning permissions.
“The property is vacant and all viewings must be arranged by appointment only.”
Grand Designs home dubbed ‘saddest ever property’
A Grand Designs home in a popular UK seaside town dubbed the “saddest ever property” has finally been sold.
The famous, or infamous, coastal mansion which took 12 years to build has finally found a buyer bringing the sorry saga to an end.
Chesil Cliff House in North Devon first appeared on the Channel 4 property show in October 2019 where viewers called it the “saddest property ever”.
The former owner Edward Short began the nightmare project in 2010 for £1.4 million with the intention of it being a family home within 18 months.
The luxury clifftop property only hit the market in 2022 after a swathe of setbacks and building issues, taking 12 years to complete.
The gruelling process put a serious toll on Edward’s family and his marriage eventually broke down while being left with staggering debts.
But after years of turmoil, the property has finally found a buyer.
Savills, who handled the sale, confirmed the property was sold in October 2024.
Spread over three acres, the home includes an infinity pool, a storm room, four receptions and a glass lighthouse tower.
It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms, and comes with a detached guest lodge.
The work to Chesil Cliff House set Edward back an eye-watering £7 million, far more than the £2.5 million budget he set during original planning application in 2011.
It also cost him his marriage to ex-wife Hazel as the pressure of the property put too much strain on the pair.
“It was a nightmare from the moment the first spade hit the ground. We were up against it from day one, with the really vulnerable cliff in front of the house,” he said in an update last year.
He previously told Grand Designers presenter Kevin that his “vanity and ambition” was his downfall.
In a previous interview with The Sun, he said the project had left him close to bankruptcy and that he now classes himself as a “minus millionaire“.
The Grand Designs home was originally listed for £10 million in 2022 but that was slashed to £5.25 million in early 2024 after serious structural issues with the driveway were discovered.
