A couple without any building experience are slammed on tonight’s episode of Grand Designs for refusing professional help. 

Zara, a professional make-up artist and influencer, and her boyfriend Giuliano from Reading take a leap of faith to build the home of their dreams in the Lincolnshire Wolds. 

In the second episode of the new series of Channel 4’s iconic home design show, the couple purchase a one-acre plot of land for £135,000 and have a strict budget of £700,000 to build the property. 

It’s the challenge of a lifetime as Zara and Giuliano have no building experience and seek to complete the majority of the work themselves. 

One particularly risky error occurs when installing a £15,000 five-ton metal Corten – the centrepiece of their ambitious modern redesign of a 17th-century historical malt house. 

After refusing professional help, an incorrect measurement of the steel sheet throws the whole project into chaos and risks jeopardising the build entirely.  

A couple without any building experience are slammed on tonight’s episode of Grand Designs for refusing professional help. Pictured: Giuliano

A very costly error sees the wrong measurement of a steel Corten, risking throwing the entire project into jeopardy

The Corten itself is fabricated at a workshop in Bedfordshire for a cost of £15,000, and estimated to weigh between four and five tons.

Zara, 31, and Giuliano, 29, had initially been quoted £50,000 to supply and fit the sheet – but with an increasingly tight budget, they decide to measure and fit it themselves.

‘The risk of taking those aspects on yourself and not relying on someone else and paying someone else to do it, is if something goes wrong, it could end up costing you a lot more money at the end of it,’ commented one worker at the Bedfordshire site. 

He added: ‘It’s a lot of metal – I think it’s in the region of four or five tons or something in total.’

‘I admire them both for doing it, but it’s not like wood, you can’t just shave it off. So, fingers crossed it will all go to plan.’

But when installation begins four weeks later, the project is thrown into disarray when the frame doesn’t fit. 

Project leader Jim reveals the brickwork is out by 3ml, while the timber frame is out 3ml the other way, leading to a 6ml gap, 

Zara, a professional make-up artist and influencer, and her boyfriend Giuliano from Reading take a leap of faith to build the home of their dreams in the Lincolnshire Wolds

The couple have purchased a £135,000 plot of land in the Lincolnshire Wolds – with work beginning in April 2023

Project leader Jim reveals the brickwork is out by 3ml, while the timber frame is out 3ml the other way, leading to a 6ml gap

At the Bedfordshire factory, the couple are warned that their ambitious plans to do the work themselves is a big risk’

They opted for the £15,000 Corten (pictured at the factory) after being quoted £50,000 to fit it

The avoidable error leads Giuliano to admit: ‘Our measurements perhaps, could have been more accurate.’

In the episode, Singapore-born Zara, a professional make-up artist and social media influencer, and Giuliano, who works for a tech firm, set to transform their one-acre plot of land.  

They have planning permission to build in the style of the original 17th century malthouse on the site, camouflaging a modern home behind a traditional building. 

Giuliano says at the start of the episode: ‘We sort of craved peace, quiet, outdoors space. 

‘We sort of thought, what’s stopping us from making that move to the next chapter of our lives now, to raise a family? Somewhere we can call home.’

The unique design features a central portal connected to 30m wooden pergola with two storeys and spacious rooms. 

Giuliano decides to project manage the overall process, despite having no experience in construction.  

Despite working full-time jobs, Zara and Giuliano do a lot of the work themselves to cut costs

It’s the challenge of a lifetime as Zara and Giuliano have no building experience and seek to complete the majority of the work themselves (pictured with host Kevin McCloud)

Host Kevin McCloud said: ‘They’ve been able to build clear boundaries around all of their projects. 

‘The thing is though, that building does not respect boundaries. It fills your life with chaos and worry, and that’s what it’s going to do here.’

The final reveal of Zara and Giuliano’s house will be revealed on Grand Designs tonight on Channel 4.  

Last week, Grand Designs viewers branded an ‘infuriating’ homeowner the neighbour from ‘hell’ over his never-ending five-year renovation. 

Zahid and Ferzana from Leeds had begun renovating an old coastguard’s cottage in East Yorkshire into a three bedroom family home in 2019. 

The final result, boasting panoramic sea views, was described as ‘breathtaking’ – but viewers were astounded that it had dragged on to 2024.  

Zahid had failed to draw up detailed construction plans and obtained the wrong planning permission – meaning the ‘disaster’ 10-month project ended up lasting five years. 

Grand Designs viewers have branded a homeowner the neighbour from ‘hell’ after a disastrous five-year renovation. Pictured: The house before renovations

The final result (pictured), boasting panoramic sea views, was described as ‘breathtaking’ – but viewers were astounded that it had dragged on to 2024 

Viewers were quick to point out that the couple’s neighbour Vic – who shares a wall with the cottage – was the real victim of the construction works. 

Though he was initially onboard with the project, viewers soon predicted Vic would have ‘months of hell’ due to sharing utilities and the noise of the building site. 

And as the building works dragged on for years longer than expected, people couldn’t help but feel sorry that he had to put up with the noise and disruption.  

They took to X/Twitter to write: ‘I’ve only just started tonights #GrandDesigns and already feel very sorry for the neighbour as he’s disturbed for and dwarfed by this new build’;

‘5 years! I really feel for the poor Neighbour. There should be timelines in place with the planning and he should have been compensated. He does look miffed. And 375k…I’m sure That will have been through the books…’;

‘This episode was completely spoilt by the lack of consideration shown for the neighbour who was amazingly supportive at the beginning despite the obvious risk to his own home. I was shocked when they revealed he only jad permission for a renovation to begin with’; 

‘That neighbour must have the patience of a saint because I’d have killed them after two years’;

‘This is an absolute disaster! The bloke hasn’t really got a clue has he considering his job. Not fitting in with the countryside either, although the views are amazing! Feel for his neighbour looking at a frame for 2 years!’;

‘Can we send the neighbour on a holiday i feel like ĥe could use it poor man’; 

To see the final reveal, watch Grand Designs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.