Grand Designs couple beg £60k from STRANGERS to build 4-bed home with a winery after crowdfunding when they deliberately overspent
Mark Diacono, a food writer, and his wife Candida, decided to go ahead with the build with £100,000 less than they needed
A COUPLE who embarked on an ambitious house building project, which included a winery and four bedrooms, were forced to beg strangers to donate £60,000.
The project features on this week's Grand Designs, as the pair stagger Kevin McCloud by insisting it could be completed in seven months despite not going in with enough cash.
Mark Diacono, a food writer, and his wife Candida, decided to go ahead with the build with £100,000 less than they needed.
They hoped to build a four-bedroom family home and winery in the Devon countryside.
Mark admitted they did not have enough money to fund the whole project, estimated to cost £560,000, despite the sale of their family home.
As the build progressed and the funds dwindled, they decided to crowdfund to raise the rest of the money.
They needed to raise £60,000 in 28 days as Mark explained to an astonished Kevin those who were asked to donate would get something in return.
He said: "If you like this and would want to be part of it you'll get something in return.
"It might be as simple as a signed book or "come to the launch party" or any course you fancy over the next year.
"You can get involved for a five or tenner or more."
This week's episode of the inspirational house building programme follows Mark and Candida's plans to build the home on a 17 acre smallholding.
They had been using the land to grow produce like mulberries, quince and pecans, as well as making sparkling wine and cider from a vineyard and orchard.
Mark said they planned to move in with their daughter Nell and hold food courses, events and bring schoolchildren to the land to educate them about food production.
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The couple wanted to dig a cellar to store wine, cider and other produce, with walls made from clay, sand and straw.
As the main aim of the new build would be to hold classes and sell produce, the majority of the floorspace would be taken up with a farm shop, kitchens, visitor toilets and office space.
The upstairs section would be taken up with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The ambitious pair did manage to complete the project, but it took a year rather than seven months, and required the extra £60,000 from generous strangers.
Kevin, although confounded initially, was impressed. he said: "This is solid evidence of optimism."
Grand Designs regularly features overly ambitious projects which suggest they will not be completed in time.
Last month Tom Raffied, 34, who runs a steam-bending wood business with his wife Danielle, 36, was featured with host Kevin casting doubt over whether the property could be achieved on a £100,000 budget.
And a couple with a fantasy of living off the land with their children managed to build their dream home after starting the project with just £500 in the bank.
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