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The owner of the “saddest of all time” Great designs House has revealed that it not only destroyed his 20-year marriage, but also left him a “disadvantaged millionaire.”
What began as an ambitious project to create a grand art deco family home based on the original lighthouse in Croyde, Devon, ended up being a nightmare scenario for Edward Short – and it’s not over yet.
Despite more than a decade and millions of pounds being invested in the property, it remains unsold after first going on the market for £10m in February 2022 and reportedly attracting the attention of potential buyers including Harry Styles.
However, the property Short began building in 2012 was still incomplete, lacking bathrooms and a kitchen, and the sale fell through.
While the price has since been reduced to £5.25m this year, Short has admitted that unless he replaces the dilapidated driveway, he believes the luxury property will remain unsold.
Cecil Cliff House had an initial budget of £1.8 million over an 18-month period, but due to the building's tricky location, costs soon spiralled.
Great designs Short continued to borrow money and his initial loan of £1.8m increased to £2.5m and then £4m.
The situation was so bad that his daughters, Nicole and Lauren, even organised car boot sales in an attempt to raise the money needed for the ambitious project.
At the time it appeared in Great designs In 2019, Edward's marriage ended due to the stress the construction placed on the family, although he and his ex-wife Hazel remain good friends.
Short stressed that while the house was a major factor in the breakdown of his marriage, it was not the only reason he separated from his wife.
Now, six years after appearing on the show, Short is “well in excess of £5.25m” in debt and plans to borrow another £2m to replace the crumbling driveway.
“I have managed to go over to the dark side and become a negative millionaire,” he said. Sun.
“Mentally I already know that I have lost everything I put into the house, so it would have to be one miracle after another, but the only exit plan, in my opinion, is to build a new entrance. Without that, I don’t think it will sell.”
The house, which is inspired by luxury Spanish villas, has attracted criticism from locals who have argued it looks out of place compared to the original 1950s home, which Edward bought with the land for £1.4m in 2009.
It contains several impressive features, including lighthouse-style panoramic views, an infinity pool and a private beach cove.
The home has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, making it a spacious abode for anyone who wants to get Short off their back.
Great designs Host Kevin McCloud admitted earlier this year that the situation was so dire during filming of the 2019 episode that he was more worried about Short than the fate of his grand design.
In Great designs live Speaking at London's ExCel, she said: “I had more concerns about Ed's wellbeing and his family's wellbeing. But yes, I had concerns about the halfway house.
“It was unfinished and he couldn’t continue with the work. Water was seeping in and it cost him tens of thousands of pounds to repair the steelwork and glass because they were damaged. The building was not completely watertight and that’s a great shame.”
At the beginning of the episode, which viewers called the “saddest of all time,” McCloud admitted: “If a lighthouse has only one message it screams, it is this: ‘Stay away or risk being destroyed. ’”
Short eventually described the property as a “ruined dream” and said he would always feel bad about everything he put his ex-wife and family through to get it.
