Man who starred in 'saddest ever' Grand Designs' episode faces losing 'everything'

The man behind what's been termed the 'saddest ever' Grand Designs episode has heartbreakingly revealed he's "lost everything" after sinking his fortunes into his dream home. Edward Short, the owner of the notorious Chesil Cliff House in Devon featured on the Channel 4 property programme, has endured an arduous odyssey.

What was meant to be a £1.8 million project completed within 18 months turned into a 12-year financial and emotional maelstrom for Edward, culminating in the dissolution of his marriage and debts amounting to millions. The ambitious overhaul resulted in the split between Edward, from Plymouth, and his wife Hazel.

Chesil Cliff House made headlines again when listed for sale earlier this year at a whopping £5m below its value by debt collectors. Edward now admits that his debts have exceeded "a lot higher than £5.25m". Speaking with The Sun, he shared: "I've managed to turn to the dark side and become a minus millionaire."

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However, the homeowner has not yet given up hope on completing his colossal undertaking, as reported by the Mirror; he seeks a further £2 million to fix a precarious driveway at his residence, reports DevonLive.

He confided: "Mentally I already know I've lost everything I put into the house so it would have to be a miracle upon miracles but the only exit plan, in my opinion, is to build a new entrance. Without that I don't think it will sell." Throughout the ordeal of working on the property, Edward acknowledged that he has learned an invaluable lesson.

Edward, who is now accustomed to the "peaks and troughs of money," which led him to realise that "money breeds bad habits", had initially paid £1.4 million for the seaside property. He later demolished it to build his dream home, moving in with his family from 2009 until 2015.

Inspired by luxury villas in Ibiza, he hired architect Alan Phillips to design the new house. The filming of Edward and Hazel's journey began in 2016 for Grand Designs, but costs quickly escalated. Presenter Kevin McCloud was taken aback as the couple's original loan of £1.8 million rose to £2.5 million and then to a staggering £4 million.

When cameras returned to the property in 2018, they found that work on the house had come to a halt. Work resumed in 2019, and it was revealed that Edward and Hazel had parted ways. Despite remaining close friends, Edward confessed that the project was "awful for the family".

Viewers labelled Edward's episode as the "saddest ever". Host Kevin recently shared his own thoughts on the build and expressed his concerns.

Speaking at Grand Designs Live at the London ExCel, he revealed his concerns for Edward's wellbeing, more so than the grand architecture of the home itself. He commented: "I had more concerns about Ed's wellbeing and his family's wellbeing. But yes, I did have concerns about the house halfway through."

"It was unfinished, and because he couldn't proceed with works. The water was getting in and it cost him tens of thousands of pounds to remediate the steel work and glazing because it was damaged. The building wasn't fully watertight and that's a great shame."

Emerging details in February 2023 hinted at a 'serious buyer' showing interest, before the yet-to-be-completed seaside property was suddenly withdrawn from an estate agent's offerings, following what appeared to be a change of heart by the would-be purchaser.

In January this year, the dwelling made a comeback on the property roster via Law of Property Act receivers, marked up at £5.25m and overseen by high-end property experts Savills.