‘Largest ever’ Grand Designs home that nearly ruined owner on sale for £4 million

It is seven times bigger than the average house

Emma Guinness
Wednesday 22 May 2024 10:01 EDT
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Grand Designs couple build £1.2m home viewers compare to 'conference centre'

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The largest ever home featured on Grand Designs that almost left its owner in a state of “financial ruin” has hit the market.

Described by host Kevin McCloud as an “exquisite, perfect gem of a house”, the Pavello mansion will set you back a cool £4 million, but you are getting a lot for your money.

The one storey home was featured on the hit show back in 2015, and it remains the largest ever Grand Design, coming in at 5,533 square feet.

It was built by self-made cleaning millionaire, Clinton Dall, in the village of Colgate, near Horsham, West Sussex, who bought the initial plot of land for £850,000 in 2013.

While he admit he did consider building a more conventional two-storey house, he wanted to make use of the vast space available.

The property, which is seven times larger than the average house, contains five bedrooms as well as a gym, a spa and a swimming pool.

A whopping four of these bedrooms have access to the pool, so this could be a dream home in the summertime.

Other notable features of the home include its large dining and living areas, which are complimented by the glass exterior that fills the property with natural light.

The house is on the market for offers over £4m
The house is on the market for offers over £4m (Fine & Country)
It is seven times the size of the average house
It is seven times the size of the average house (Fine & Country)
Kevin McCloud had his doubts about whether the property could be created without risking ‘financial ruin’
Kevin McCloud had his doubts about whether the property could be created without risking ‘financial ruin’ (Channel 4)

But prior to the build on the show, McCloud did have his doubts about whether creating such a modern, open-plan house would even be possible without risking financial ruin.

He also expressed concerns that the long home could end up appearing more like a museum rather than a living space.

But against the odds, Dall, who made his fortune through his cleaning business, managed to create his Grand Design for £1.5m.

(Fine & Country)
The house has been rented out for advertisements and adult films since appearing on the show
The house has been rented out for advertisements and adult films since appearing on the show (Channel 4)

While McCloud was shocked at the cost of the build, he admitted that its “glamour and luxury” was undeniable.

“Despite its huge cost this is modernist architecture at the top of its game… an absolutely exquisite experience,” he concluded.

Following the build, Dall went on to live in the home for a number of years with his four children.

(Channel 4)
The house also has its own gym
The house also has its own gym (Fine & Country)

But the home did a lot more than just house the family and was rented out for use in a Peter Andre music video, various advertisements and even adult film.

One viewer of the adult film joked: “As soon as I saw the setting for this film it rang a bell - it’s quite a distinctive property. I can’t imagine for a minute that Kevin would have ever guessed what would have happened on that table.

“I love Grand Designs and seeing what twists and turns the people will go through as they try to pull their dream property together.”

Dall first attempted to sell the property back in 2017, when it was listed for £3.75m, but this price was later dropped to £3.5m.

It ended up selling for £3.45m in 2019, but following a general trend of inflation in the UK, it is now being listed by Fine & Country for overs over £4m.

If this does happen to fit your budget, the estate agent is hosting an open house in June.

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