I worked on Grand Designs – I can’t believe how much the homeowners make from appearing on the show
A Grand Designs insider took to Reddit to reveal how much money homeowners actually make from their TV appearance.
The Channel 4 series, which is presented by Kevin McCloud, 63, follows homeowners in the UK as they attempt to design and build the home of their dreams.
There have been more than 200 episodes of the home renovation series since it was launched in 1999.
Many viewers assumed that homeowners would be paid to appear on the show. However, a Reddit thread exposed the truth.
A Grand Designs insider explained that they are working on a project for the show and they know that the homeowners don’t actually make a penny from their TV appearance.
“I’m currently working on a project that is set to be on Grand Designs in 2023 (hopefully). Whilst they may not get paid directly from the show, the client on this project has been keen to let suppliers know that their products will be on TV and has been successful in some cases in getting better deals on purchases,” the user revealed.
They added: “That’s potentially an incentive for people going on the show. Budget issues aside, they may be able to get better products for their money.”
Several other Reddit users jumped on the thread and responded with their own experiences or stories about their friends.
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They all confirmed that homeowners don’t get paid to appear on the renovation show.
“Friend was on it, never got paid, but the exposure as an architect has gave him huge success,” one user said.
Another admitted: “This is anecdotal, but a family friend was going to potentially be on it but pulled out when they discovered they wouldn’t be paid anything.”
Shocked by this revelation, another user replied: “Wild! Why on earth would you add the stress of being on tv to an already enormously taxing endeavour if you’re not getting anything out of it??”
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While some users felt that going on the show and not getting paid would be stressful and a waste of time, others tried to look at the positive side.
One user explained that there could be several benefits for homeowners who appear on Grand Designs, even if they don’t get paid by the show.
They said: “I also imagine that if you have television tracking the build anyone you contract with might be more apt to put their best foot forward and if you feature certain interesting products or building materials or something, the company may be more responsive and give you a break on the price.
“I also feel like the tv show would add some pressure to actually finish which isn’t always a bad thing.”
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Another added: “On top of what everyone else has said I’d also imagine that the show would help with property value. It’s basically an hour long advertisement for the house and if you ever want to sell there would be a lot of people interested.”
Grand Designs is expected to return to Channel 4 for another season later this year.