Maybe one of the most memorable and emotional property renovation and transformation journeys to ever be featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs is the creation of an epic house on the clifftop in Devon with sweeping sea views and a design that would sit comfortably within a James Bond movie.
But the cost of creating lighthouse-style Chesil Cliff House was more than just the £5.5m to £6m budget that eventually had to be spent during the 11 years of its difficult birth, it cost owner Edward Short his marriage too.
Over the years the project was hit with a range of issues and challenges, including spiralling costs, the banking crisis, Brexit, supply problems, bad weather and the Covid-19 pandemic. The result was Edward ending up £4m in debt and an epic episode of the popular property programme that was described by viewers as 'the saddest episode ever'.
