'Perfect' Grand Designs home hits market for £1.5m after 20-year renovation
The Grand Designs home was transformed over two decades and is now available for purchase after one of the original owners tragically died
A special Grand Designs property that took two decades to renovate has now gone up for sale for £1.5 million, and fans have praised it for being "perfect". Green Dragon Barn, which is nestled in the picturesque South Hams area of Devon, was lovingly restored by Sue Charman and Martin Whitlock after they purchased it in 2000.
The couple managed to successfully convert a series of interconnected barns that are three centuries old into a breath-taking five-bedroom home on Channel 4. Their eco-conscious renovation kicked off in 2001, and at the time Kevin McCloud visited the site in its early stages for the programme.
Two decades later, the presenter has returned to admire the finished result. He gushed: "This is a home lovingly, painstakingly, time-consumingly transformed. Resplendent with 20 years of devoted care."
The renovation was very much a passion project for Sue and Martin, who were drawn to the barn’s location because of how close it was to both the sea and the vibrant town of Totnes. Martin shared: "The barn was a complete wreck – actually three barns built together over three centuries, and a bigger project than we were planning, but it allowed us to really go to town and create some stunning rooms."
The couple enlisted Adrian Slocombe from Earthway Design as an architect, and he helped them figure out how to successfully build on a hilly landscape.
Martin explained the sheer length of time that went into the project, saying: "Although it took 20 years, it wasn’t 20 years of work on the house.
"We moved into two rooms in 2001 and gradually expanded out from there as we found time to do the work in our busy lives. So every so often there would be new rooms or features to enjoy. A real adventure."
The result is a beautifully crafted home that features a large open-plan kitchen, a 30-foot reception room with oak flooring and a wood-burning stove, and a striking atrium and hall with grand pillars.
The upper floor boasts four spacious bedrooms, two of which have en-suite shower rooms, and a luxurious family bathroom. Martin's favourite space is a vast vaulted room under the thatched roof.
Environmental sustainability was the couple's main focus when carrying out the renovations. Martin elaborated on this, sharing: "Sue was passionate about environmental issues and we were determined to make the house as natural and sustainable as possible.
"So the house is eco-conscious in its use of traditional, natural materials such as lime, stone, cob, slate and thatch, but is also highly insulated, has modern double glazing, a reed bed, a heat recovery system and a wood pellet boiler."
Sue tragically died in 2023, and Martin has now decided to sell the home and begin a new chapter. Although the house is finished, he says he understands if future owners want to make it their own.
"I can’t imagine living in any house that I didn’t want to make changes to, so I’m open to a new project if I can find one," he explained. "But whatever happens it will be a lot smaller – something on the scale of Green Dragon Barn is really a once-in-a-lifetime project."
The property is listed with Stags estate agents with a guide price of £1.5 million.
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