Grand Designs viewers all say the same thing about £550,000 ‘eco-home’ transformation

GRAND Designs fans have been blown away by the efforts of a Bolton couple who have spent seven years creating their perfect home. 

Paul and Carol Rimmer had invested all their moment into creating a fortified eco-home in the Pennine Moors, building a state-of-the-art house on a £350,000 budget. 

The bricklayer, with the support of his wife, has been working on the home for nearly a decade, with Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud first visiting the couple in 2015. 

Now, seven years later, the pair have gone through financial struggles as their efforts to keep the project running went way over budget, ballooning to £550,000 by the time they were done. 

However, it seems like it was worth it, and in the latest revisiting episode, the house made primarily of wood was finally finished. 

Paul and Carol are now looking forward to retirement in their lavish acres of land, free from complicated planning permission fights and building issues. 

The pair made every effort to make it a zero-carbon home right on the green belt, using sustainable materials, solar panels, and specific building methods in order to bring their vision to life. 

They saved money on project managers and quantity surveyors by doing the work themselves. 

Further issues were caused by weather, with flooding threatening to stop the renovation in its tracks before it was completed. Paul also had a heart attack in 2020, requiring operations to get back to full health.

Thankfully, after finding the money they needed and a much-needed recovery, the couple were able to pull through – with the eco-friendly building meaning the bills equated that of “a small terraced house”.

Now they’re letting people join them in the giant property via AirBnB. 

While some previous builds like the infamous Lighthouse project saw viewers watch through their fingers as £10million was blown on the project, this week seemed to have a happy ending. 

In fact, viewers were highly taken and impressed by the thrifty Rimmers and celebrated their job well done as the finished article finally made it to our screens. 

“£550,000 for all of that, that sounds money much better spent than some of the other Grand Designs that have been show,” one viewer wrote. 

Another added: “Gorgeous home, this family are grafters hope they enjoy it….” 

While a third said: “So good to see decent, hard-working, down-to-earth people on #granddesigns – bless them, and their lovely home.” 

“Another brilliant idea and build that looks stunning,” added a fourth. “The fella is a workaholic.” 

Grand Designs airs Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.