Room to improve???

jayo99

When I first saw the trailer for this RTE 'gem' I got the general idea.. couple in a semi-d wanting to upgrade their living environment, but as the series has progressed (now into its 2nd season?) I'm beginning to think the title is how you'd describe the architect (Dermot Bannon) involved.

Every week he seems to cock up something. Take example tonight.. He was extending a house in Rathcoole and incorrectly measured the boundary by 2 metres! The client and builder involved didnt get the kitchen plans until 8 weeks into the build.

He never seems to come in on budget or is it that budget simply does not exist in his vocab.
The client tonight had a budget of 100k.
Dermot went off, drew up his plans and the estimated cost he said was ~ 102k
The final figure for the build was 110k !!

And its not just nights episode.. I've watched previous episodes and all were equally fully of blunders. In fact the trailer for next weeks episode is also full of blunders..

Did RTE fail to mention it was a comedy or something?

jayooo

Reginald P. DuM

Are these repeats Jayo? I think I have seen them before, got a deja vu vibe from tonights show. He does generally seem to make errors alright, but in the end he comes good and everyones always happy. I suppose the producers like it that way for drama, wouldn't it be very boring if everything went smooth each week.

jayo99

Emm.. not sure if they are repeats.. Possibly, I hadnt seen the one tonight previously.

I though the mistake tonight was really bad though. He draws his plans up based on his measurements so when his mucks up the measurements....

Also, the bookshelves wouldnt hold most of the books the client had. He also changed her mind about the colour of the kitchen worktop. Its her kitchen at the end of the day..

Aidric

Typical architect tbh, no appreciation of coming in on budget.

An tSaoi

I like the honestly of the programme; they're not afraid to show him making mistakes. It could so easily have been a very stage-managed, false-drama type reality show.

murpho999

Yes they are repeats.

I have to admit to really liking this show. It's a simple idea that just works

What I really like about it is the plans that Dermot comes up with and the results he gets, they are often amazing.

Budget overruns are often due to discovering of unforeseen problems with wiring/plumbing etc when buidlings are stripped.

marwelie

I wouldn't let Dermot Bannon into my driveway, nevermind my house. He seems to forget that the customer is king. He comes across as being completely disorganised and incredibly arrogant and thinking that he was always right. I remember reading how shocked he was himself when he saw how he came across on the Restaurant.

Reginald P. DuM

I watch the show too, it's good to get ideas for free on various design aspects. Yes Dermot can be a bit pushy on clients, but only when he truly believes that his idea will benefit the project, and/or be worth the extra spends. Ultimately his is always vindicated as the clients see the results of his vision and love their new home. There's an example of this in nearly every episode, but a recent one that stands out was a couple were dithering over putting in a skylight in the kitchen because of cost. He convinced them to go for it and it made the place so much better.

I'd have no bother giving him a gig, assuming he's competitively priced. Just because he's on the box doesn't entitle him to expect a higher fee.

Hope there's a new series, and it's likely too because more and more folk are choosing not to move but to renovate.

The Lovely Muffin

I love the show.

It's great for ideas/inspiration, imo.

noveltea

I wonder is there any other architects out there that think Dermott is a joke. As the op stated all his project are over budget and include either a glass wall at the back or a light "courtyard" even in the smallest houses.

He is obsessed with flat roofs that WILL leak in the future and he thinks its all about looks rather than practical aspects.

At the end of the day he does not seem to realise that the client has to live in the house.

The last programe I watched was the family farmhouse in Templethouy, the programe just suddenly came to an end with "Since filming, Sean and Joanne have received full planning permission from North Tipp County Council and have completed the new build".

In the programe Dermott said he was going to be there to the end.

What happened to Dermott? Did they kick him of the job?

WaltKowalski

Reginald P. DuM wrote: »

I watch the show too, it's good to get ideas for free on various design aspects.

Same basic idea every episode. Extend. Big Windows/External doors. Light colours.

Ordinary man

i just watched this weeks episode. Budget was 200000. It came in slightly over at 238000:rolleyes:. That dermot is such an unbelievable tool. He has to be sleeping with someone high up in RTE:mad:

kippy

Its pretty rare any of those type of programmes' builds come in under budget. I know its not grand designs but almost all of the Grand Designs I've watched have come in considerably over the initial budget.

jayo99

I think the rules of this program need to be altered.. The customer sets the budget.. if it goes over budget Dermot picks up the difference.. :-)

JonathanAnon

Looks like Dermot makes another balls up tonight.. I watch this program more for the rows than the architecture..

Millieboo

tonights show budet was €70-€80 (could push to €100), fianl budget comes in at €170+ - Jesus Christ, the man could single handedly ruin a couples finances and send them into bankruptcy!

mike rolite

Dermot Bannon is so BAAAAD at his job. I have seen that show a good few times over the years but he has NEVER stuck to the budget. Never seems to budget for contingencies, though I wouldn't have thought FLOORING would come in that category.
Every time I see him I wonder who the hell would employ him. Spanner extaordinaire.

Blobby George

Millieboo wrote: »

tonights show budet was €70-€80 (could push to €100), fianl budget comes in at €170+ - Jesus Christ, the man could single handedly ruin a couples finances and send them into bankruptcy!

The guy is a joke. Tonight's show will take some beating, a 100k over budget. Even the builder was looking at him ina WTF kinda way.

Millieboo

his complete disregard for the budget takes away from the enjoyment of the rest of the programme and the finished project because you're just left wondering how much debt he went off and left the poor clients in at the end.

Blobby George

Millieboo wrote: »

his complete disregard for the budget takes away from the enjoyment of the rest of the programme and the finished project because you're just left wondering how much debt he went off and left the poor clients in at the end.

And he even found time to have a rant about the presses which they needed for extra storage. What a stain.

KevArno

Yeah tbh I enjoy the show. Not for any of the "reality" portrayed, but I see it as a drama show. Dermot is shockingly arrogant regarding some of his design traits and signature styles. A good architect should be able to work within a brief and a budget, communicating with their client, and certainly not playing fancy with a clients money.
But unfortunately there are many architects like him, a lack of imagination and stubborn!

But I also think the clients are at fault here to a certain extent. Camera's or no camera's, it is their own money being spent, so grow a pair and put manners on the man. They seem to universally accept whatever Dermot puts in front of them, with very little questioning of the budget or anything else really. I understand that this is all due to editing of this process, but realistically the end product inevitably ends up as Dermot planned... Also you get the impression that very little previous research has been done regarding the details by the clients.

Sorry, long and waffly!

JONJO THE MISER

That guy is a Joke, does he not realise that this couple will be stuck with debt for the rest of there life, i would never in a million years hire one of these cowboys because thats all they are, they can have the nice suit and nice samile but all there are is cowboys every last one of them.
I know a few people who hired one of these people and every one of them went over budget.

KevArno

Well I genuinely do think a lot of people come to these kinds of projects with unrealistic budgets to begin with. But the architects, instead of reigning in their clients expectations, bull ahead with their templated designs anyway. There are always unforseens in a project like this, and so project overruns are common, but there just seems to be a complete lack of communication, and understanding between Dermot and his client. It is a two way street, but he is the professional and should act accordingly.

Kristian_

How does he get away with it! Tonights show was shocking, they must have been thinking to themselves wtf did we do. Alot of the extra money was pumped in when problems surfaced with the existing shell, they could have knocked and built a tidy new pad. Also these issues should have been identified before Bannon even began his drawings. 170k+ for what they got :eek: crazy stuff! There original max budget of 100k was even too much.

Millieboo

as a professional he has a duty of care to his clients and getting them in that much debt is a major breech of that duty.

Apart from that the reason the give a budget is so he can show them what he suggests they do for that money, there should also be a contingency. Obviously he could have done amazing things if budget was no option but he was given one and should have stuck within the parametres of what the budget allowed!

murpho999

Just watched it and to me it seemed to be more the client's fault than Dermot's.

He came in at €120k, which they agreed to. Then there was problems with plumbing, roof etc. Then turned out that clients not Dermot had mismanaged figures (remember that the lady took over as project manager herself) and then they added on extras like solar panels.

Don't see how Dermot is to blame for all that, and I also think it was €170k well spent and means the house is right now and won't need to be corrected in the future.

Also laughed when they were talking about the rainsoak and Dermot saying it would cost about 3 grand instead of the actual €100. Good wind up!

fluke

I've watched it the last couple of weeks it's been on and enjoy it (as others here have said) for the drama of it but I feel sorry for the couples involved what with the debt they will be in - sure the house(s) are lovely but I know it would leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

kippy

You'd build a fairly nice house for 170k.
I often wonder to people ever consider demolition then build a new house altogether.
I didnt see this particular show but thats the first thing I thought of when I spotted that figure.
As I said before, these shows almost always go over budget.

KevArno

Just watched tonights episode, and for once I think he actually did fairly good with the couples budget. €60,000 was never a realistic budget, and with the addition of the raft foundation, the velux, the new kitchen, all in all he did ok. I think the incident with the wall was a bit of a joke though, and really shouldn't have been an issue to begin with.

baalthor

noveltea wrote: »

I wonder is there any other architects out there that think Dermott is a joke. As the op stated all his project are over budget and include either a glass wall at the back or a light "courtyard" even in the smallest houses.

He is obsessed with flat roofs that WILL leak in the future and he thinks its all about looks rather than practical aspects.

At the end of the day he does not seem to realise that the client has to live in the house.

The last programe I watched was the family farmhouse in Templethouy, the programe just suddenly came to an end with "Since filming, Sean and Joanne have received full planning permission from North Tipp County Council and have completed the new build".

In the programe Dermott said he was going to be there to the end.

What happened to Dermott? Did they kick him of the job?

What happened there was that the clients decided to increase the size of the build without telling Dermot. Dermot came back, saw it had increased over the size requiring PP and told the clients they now had to apply for planning.

Next bit was priceless; client: "Sure why do we need to go for planning permission, no one will know ..." Except the people watching on TV you f***ing eejit !!

KevArno

Ah yeah but fair enough, there is a cries of retail thread somewhere that reflects the general ignorance of the public at large.

People get annoyed because Dermot is a professional and should, as an architect be able to guide people in the right direction, as well as working towards budgets, all the while maintaining his professional integrity and turning out jobs he is pleased with.
My issue with this man, and many others like him is that they list off many architects that have made their names in huge civil and corporate projects, as influences and heros, and then these guys try to implement the same design ethos into domestic jobs. He is also an architect that likes to believe (so it would seem) in design in a vacuum, as he rarely cares for the impact decisions have on construction.

JonathanAnon

Dermot is at it again.. Another couple with more money than sense.. and an architect that wants to look artistic as opposed to giving the people what they want..

I love the bit in the show (usually every week) where Dermot arrives on site, only to find out that he's made a big fukup, and he's left looking sheepishly at his plans while scratching his helmet... eh, maybe I should rephrase that..

JonathanAnon

Was listening to Dermot Bannon talking about this on the radio today... It's some mess up.. The woman is a real battleaxe, and doesnt let he fiancée have a word at all...

Spudmonkey

This one is a right pain in the hole altogether.

Dardania

She is some goer for sure...and the gombeen fiance looks beat into submission at this stage...

I think Dermot could have been a bit stronger on client management...I wonder how much time was spent on client briefing sessions & sign-offs.... Although I feel his pain in fairness when dealing with eejit clients pushing the solution on you rather than discussing the problem...

The builder is gas'd: the client has their QS looking after their interests, and he has his, to screw as much money as he can!

JonathanAnon

Would be some laugh if when Dermot called back to the house, she had the poor husband tied up down the basement with a rubber mask over his head... I wouldnt put it past her..

Spudmonkey

It's all her her her. Id be outta there like a shot if I was that lad. He seemed to have no say whatsoever.

discus

Spudmonkey wrote: »

It's all her her her. Id be outta there like a shot if I was that lad. He seemed to have no say whatsoever.

Ah I dunno, sometimes with some women, ya just let them have their rants while they are acting like that one.

Having said that, the girl is not very accomodating to Dermot, who's expertise is probably coming to her for free. Ungrateful cow.

DeepBlue

What's with the new hour long format? Wasn't this always a 30 minute show?

But good God that client must have been the most obnoxious bint ever to appear on that show. I was really hoping she'd hate the house when it was finished.
The mostly elderly neighbours seemed delighted a young couple was moving in to their road. They're gonna have plenty of time to regret it. :pac:

marvin80

What a horrible woman, how ignorant kicking over the shelf, dermot was showing her.
And her mother going on about how calm she was, with her renovating a house, planning a wedding and doing her Phd and working, what a martyr..

JONJO THE MISER

I bet she likes it rough, that type always does.

discus

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

I bet she likes it rough, that type always does.

Are you talking about her partner, mr submissive? Joking! He seemed like a nice, easy going chap.

She does look like a goer!

telekon

Only caught the last 10 minutes. Can someone tell me what happened with the original floor tiles? Did the builders rip them up carelessly or were they in poor condition and unsalvageable?

Cos she was dead right to be p*ssed off and demand them reinstated. I noticed at the end that there were brand new tiles in the hall way which looked nothing like the old ones except for the colour. I would have been very disappointed with that result.:( You just can't beat original features...

DeepBlue

The original tiles got destroyed while being taken up. I think the builder said one in three were salvageable. He did have a big guilty head on him while telling Dermot this so I doubt they worked delicately when ripping them out.

jos28

I like the new format, the show is better with the hour long episode and I was glad to see a QS brought in to keep Dermot in budget. Really liked what they did with the house tonight even if your wan was a moany bint.

Skerries

the couple reminded me of these two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5P-uZqm0RE

JonathanAnon

jos28 wrote: »

I like the new format, the show is better with the hour long episode and I was glad to see a QS brought in to keep Dermot in budget.

Yeah I think this was something I suggested earlier in the thread.. What I dont like is the way the thing is edited so that it looks like a three act play...
ACT I: Meeting discussing the "ambitious" project..
ACT II: It's all gone wrong, how will Dermot ever get it sorted
ACT III: It's all sorted and everybody is happy with Dermot...

I would also have a few suspicions about the budget tonight.. I'd say a few free favours were definitely called in to keep that on track..

CaptainOats

Think people are probably being a bit harsh on that poor girl - it's her house that she's going to have to live in for the foreseeable future so she probably felt that she had to put the foot down and guide the project in the direction that she wanted. At the end of the day Dermot won't be living there... i'd also say that there was some choice editing of the show to boot..

Fair dues to her in my opinion - the house is gorgeous and i'm sure that herself and her fiancé will both be really happy there!

jos28

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Yeah I think this was something I suggested earlier in the thread.. What I dont like is the way the thing is edited so that it looks like a three act play...
ACT I: Meeting discussing the "ambitious" project..
ACT II: It's all gone wrong, how will Dermot ever get it sorted
ACT III: It's all sorted and everybody is happy with Dermot...

I would also have a few suspicions about the budget tonight.. I'd say a few free favours were definitely called in to keep that on track..

Hopefully they change the editing around a bit as the series goes on. I was a bit suspicious about the budget myself. A hell of a lot of work for €140K.

wickan

CaptainOats wrote: »

Think people are probably being a bit harsh on that poor girl - it's her house that she's going to have to live in for the foreseeable future so she probably felt that she had to put the foot down and guide the project in the direction that she wanted. At the end of the day Dermot won't be living there... i'd also say that there was some choice editing of the show to boot..

Fair dues to her in my opinion - the house is gorgeous and i'm sure that herself and her fiancé will both be really happy there!

I think a lot of her problems came from ignorance as she simply didnt understand what Dermot was talking about like with the windows once he showed her them in another house she loved them but when he was telling her about them she was having none of it.

Cherry Blossom Girl

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Was listening to Dermot Bannon talking about this on the radio today... It's some mess up.. The woman is a real battleaxe, and doesnt let he fiancée have a word at all...

What radio show was it please?

Your one was a total pain, her poor fiancé :eek:
anyone else notice the close up on her Chanel handbag :rolleyes:
Wonder who's footing the bill for the renovation, her wedding and her phd all at the same time..
House is fab though, I especially loved the garden and path up to the front door.
Edit: Had to laugh at her tipoeing around the site in her totally inappropriate shoes.. Surely if you were going to a muddy, dirty building site, you'd wear something other than sandals or heels!