Kevin McCloud has blasted huge hikes in building costs for slowing down dream architecture projects.
Kevin McCloud has blasted huge hikes in building costs for slowing down dream architecture projects
The 65-year-old ‘Grand Designs’ host is fronting a new series of the Channel 4 self-builds show after it hit its 25th anniversary, and has opened up about the crippling impact of the soaring costs of the projects since the series first aired in 1999.
He told the Daily Record: “So 15 or 20 years ago, to build a decent self-build home from the slab up would cost about £3000 per square metre, and that was doing a nice job.
“Now it would be £4500-£5000 per square metre. So in 15 years, it’s gone up by 50 per cent but the big hikes have happened in the last 10 years.”
Kevin added the homeowners on his show are having to come up with ingenious ways to construct their dream houses in the face of the skyrocketing costs – but said it is taking them years for finish their homes.
He added: “They’re thinking their way out of trouble. Designing better buildings, making them a bit smaller, being careful and clever.
“But they’re taking much longer, that’s the trouble. In the past, on average it took two to four years to build a ‘Grand Designs’ house.
“Now it’s taking four to six years, and all the projects we’re planning to air this year, it’s like, ‘When is it going to be ready?’ So that’s had a big impact on us.”
Kevin said the issue has led him to tell the subjects of his shows big isn’t always better.
He added: “I know people, when they build a ‘Grand Design’, often think the word ‘grand’ in the title refers to the size of the building – it’s got to be huge.
“And I didn’t used to have to do this, but I now go to great pains to say to people, ‘grand’ is all about the vision.
“Size isn’t everything. Size is almost irrelevant. It’s about the grand scale of imagination, not physical space.”