Chesil Cliff House in Devon was one of the most famous properties on Grand Designs - but it's still not been sold.
The doomed project originally started on a budget of £1.8million with the hopes of being completed within 18 months. After 12 years of development hell, the incredible coastal mansion, near Braunton, North Devon, ended up costing owner Edward Short his marriage and reportedly left him in £7m of debt.
It featured on the Channel 4 series - which turned 25 on Monday - in October 2019 and was described by viewers as the 'saddest ever' episode after the ridiculously ambitious renovation forced Edward and his wife Hazel apart. The £10m cliffside property made headlines again when it was listed for sale earlier this year through debt collectors for almost £5m less.
Huge price drop
In February 2023, the unfinished cliffside pad was removed from an estate agent's site amidst talks with a "serious buyer" - before they then reportedly pulled out at the eleventh hour. Then in January this year, it appeared back on the market again through Law of Property Act receivers, indicating that the sale is part of debts being resettled.
The listing is still online four months later and appears to be available for £5.25m, on behalf of luxury property merchant Savills. The mansion offers three acres of land and a lush infinity pool and hot tub, as well as a spacious driveway. Plans for a helipad at the property have been given the green light, the listing claims.
The house "combines privacy with a diverse range of breathtaking views", including a private tidal beach area and a large area of foreshore. The Rightmove listing goes on: "The property represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take on and finish the specification and fit out of one of the UK's most spectacularly situated coastal homes.
"The bespoke design has been brought to life through impressive engineering, with the building being anchored to the bedrock, blending whitewashed elevations with steel and glass, culminating with a lighthouse feature at one end giving almost 360-degree views of the coastline."
Nic Chbat, Director of Match Property estate agents in North Devon, who previously assisted with finding a buyer last year, said at the time that the sale stalled after the timeframe for the sale "expired". He told the Express that the previous buyer was "still wanting to buy the property", with the sale still expected to go ahead.
Savills declined to share an update when approached by the Mirror. The Mirror reached out to receiver Bellevue Mortlakes.
Multi-millionaire interest
Multi-millionaire Matt Fiddes - the former bodyguard of pop superstar Michael Jackson - expressed renewed interest in buying Chesil Cliff House in January. Matt previously made a £7.5m bid for the property in 2022 and warned owner Edward that the £10m asking price would need to be drastically dropped to sell it.
Matt said: "I built my property portfolio in the South West and I know the market, I know how it works. I told Edward face to face and said it wouldn't sell but you can lead a horse to water and all that. I do feel sorry for the guy as no one wants to see anyone lose everything."
The global martial arts school owner, 44, said he would consider turning the property into apartments. He said: "I would turn it into 12 apartments as myself and my wife and spoke with Knight Frank and it is perfect for that. We would rent the other house and make thousands."
Matt has fond memories of family holidays in Croyde and hopes to return. "My family saved up to go there and I created my plans for the martial arts school there so I would love to go back there," he shared.
But local residents had concerns about his plans. Matt said: "The residents want it abolished and knocked down. I know the leader of the local council and I would like to explain my plans and hope to get their approval. I won't do it if they don't want it as the place means a lot to me because of my roots as I took my holidays there."