‘What were they thinking?’, cry locals as they slam rustic home’s renovation that ‘makes it look like a Premier Inn’
LOCALS have asked “What were they thinking” and compared the renovation of a rustic home to a “Premier Inn.”
The refurbishment of a charming farmhouse Crabbs Cross, Redditch, Worcestershire, has sparked a row.
Locals claims the new owners have wrecked the property’s charm and unique appeal.
Some posted messages on social media suggesting the farm house now resembles a “Premier Inn” or something from a Butlins holiday camp, report Mail Online.
One person wrote: “Looks like the sort of Premier Inn you see on a ring road.”
Sheila Percy, 62 said: “I prefer it as it was. I have known the house for 40 years and now it looks like it should be down Butlin’s Holiday Camp.
“It’s nice that they restored it but they should have restored it how it was to match the next door property. It is just too modern for round here.”
Jennifer Sutor, 72, said:”That may be the oldest house in Crabbs Cross and I do not like the new look.
“I am sure the windows needed replacing and it would have probably cost a lot to modernise it but why only do the front and leave the sides? It is out of character for the area.”
Builder Fred Cole, 62, said: “That used to be the School House. It looks smart enough but they should have modernized using older materials. It’s all plastic.”
Another person called the house a “crying shame.”
However some locals dissented and said the refurbishment was fine.
Ella Thomas, 30, said: “I have no issue with the house whatsoever. I think they have done it up quite well.
“No houses look the same anymore. I get that these are original houses but in this area there are modern houses all over the place.”
Maria Aspinall, 52, an accountant, said: “I think it looks great and actually brightens up the area.”
Carpenter Ben Crutch, 35, said: “‘I remember it looking very dated before and it’s nice that they have brought some life back to it.
Café owner Jackie Kalach, 56, said: “It has certainly had a face lift but I think it’s a bit of a shame that they have not kept it looking in keeping with its age.
“But having said that, I have looked at the pictures and I like what they have done to the inside. They have put in a modern kitchen but they have kept the fireplaces.
“Everything changes around here. The Co-Op used to be a pub a few years ago and this café used to be a butcher’s, then became a dog groomers and now it’s a café.”
A spokesman for the local building firm responsible for the work said: “We are proud of what we’ve done. The house hasn’t sold in living memory because it was structurally unsafe and no-one could get a mortgage on it.
“We have spent a lot of money sorting that out, we’ve upgraded the windows, given it a new front door, and turned it from a four into a five bed with an ensuite.
“It was cold, damp and wet before and we have made it a lot more habitable, with cheaper bills and improved the aesthetic look.
“We didn’t have to go for planning because it’s not in a conservation area, it’s not a listed building and we weren’t changing the area of the property.”