A house makeover has been dubbed ‘the worst renovation in Britain’ after new owners gutted a homely neo-Georgian pad and turned it into a ‘Kim Kardashian nightmare.’
The property in Sheffield was once a much-loved home with a cosy farmhouse-style kitchen, original parquet floors and a mature garden.
But after it sold in August 2019 for £610,000, a huge renovation took place with the size of the house increasing, the garden was scrubbed and everything was painted white.
This has come as a shock to people who saw pictures of the transformation online, with no-one believing the cute cul-de-sac home was the same one – and others dubbing the change ‘criminal behaviour.’
In fact, the only clue to it being the same house is a sad-looking single magnolia tree in the garden.
The four-bed detached property was last marketed five years ago when it was put up for sale.
It boasted a quiet position on a no-through road in a district to the south-west of the Yorkshire city.
Older pictures available on Rightmove show a well-cared-for family home with manicured lawns, flowers in every room, a bright conservatory overlooking lawn, flowerbeds and trees and a pretty patio area.
However, recent pictures show the ‘appalling’ change the house has gone through.
It has had a huge open plan kitchen and dining area added with an enormous plastic-looking corner sofa, sliding doors that are almost the width of the house, a warehouse-style grey kitchen, and much of one kitchen wall is a giant TV.
Taking minimalism loved by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian to the extreme, a dining room is completely white with black chairs, another room is almost empty except for a huge television, white sofa and blue walls and an enormous black and white hallway contains just a wall stencil of an elephant.
Meanwhile. a utility room contains nothing that isn’t white while all the bedrooms are carpeted and contain only beds.
The only trinkets in the entire property appear to be two gold statues on the side of a bath, done out almost completely in black.
According to some, the saddest part is the garden, which has turned into a grey mass with grey walls and fence, just a few trees left, every shrub removed and a large area of empty patio.
A description for the rental market on street.co.uk says: ‘This outstanding four bedroom detached house is situated on a quiet-cul-de-sac within the sought-after Whirlowdale Park development.
‘Finished with a modern contemporary style, the property has undergone a significant refurbishment and offers immaculate accommodation across two floors.
‘The heart of the home is undoubtedly the open plan living/dining space, with sliding doors to the garden, integrated sound system, media wall and adjoining snug.
‘This space also incorporates a stunning fully integrated kitchen and breakfast bar area, complete with a full range of integrated Miele appliances and quartz worktops.
‘Moving upstairs, you have four equally impressive bedrooms – two of which have en suites including the fabulous principal which also features an extensive dressing area with fitted wardrobes.
‘A luxurious family four-piece bathroom adds a further touch of style and the layout is complete with a study.
‘The finishing touches throughout the property are extensive – whether that is the tiled walls, feature lighting, app controlled heating, integrated Sonos in the bedrooms & CCTV, it truly is a unique family home.’
The existing owners, who purchased it five years ago from an elderly widower and oversaw the renovation, moved out in June six months after the work was finished and now rent it out. The current tenants declined to comment to .
The owners submitted plans for the mega home at the end of 2020 and the plans were approved by Sheffield City Council with conditions in February 2021.
They included demolition of a rear conservatory and replacing it with a two-storey rear extension and a first floor side and front extension and erection of a new canopy.
The application saw complaints from neighbours who said the remodelling was overbearing.
One even suggested it was so bad it would devalue nearby homes, saying: ‘There is no doubt in our minds that if approved, the plans as submitted, will have a very detrimental impact not only on our views and light but also will undoubtedly have an impact on the value of all the neighbouring properties.’
A further six neighbours went on to complain about the initial design for the property, with one describing it as ‘completely out of character.’
One neighbour, who lives opposite the controversial detached house now estimated to be worth £1.1million in the desirable cul-de-sac in Whirlow, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: ‘It is absolutely ghastly and should never have been allowed. It is not in keeping with our leafy close and the wider Georgian-style development and it has caused so much aggravation.
‘Now the owners don’t even liver there. That speaks volumes in my opinion.’
Retired metal worker Bob Bebbington, 86, and his wife Irene, 84, whose pristine home overlooks it from the back, agreed it looked ’tacky’.
Mr Bebbington worried that the renovated house will set a precedent on the estate, said that two other nearby homes had now changed their Georgian style windows to plain glass.
He said: ‘I’ve got the impression that an officer on the planning department dislikes Georgian style houses and wants to wreck the look of the estate.
’Some of the councillors disagreed with the plans but they were overturned.’
He said the house, which he and wife Irene can see from their beautiful property, ‘looks like a warehouse.’
He continued: ‘My wife and I have lived here since 1975 and looking at that house, which isn’t in keeping, makes us sad.’
People who saw the makeover online were universally horrified.
‘Easily the worst renovation in Britain. A total Kim Kardashian nightmare,’ one said tetchily.
‘The architect should be done for crimes against humanity,’ a second fumed.
‘There was no architect involved in this,’ said a third, while one replied: ‘Yeah, this is a prime example of why you should get an architect.’
Another lamented: ‘Why would anyone do this?! The garden after looks so sad.’
A further comment read: ‘Hi, if I give you loads of money, can you remove all character from my property?’
Another described the house as ‘appalling’, adding: ‘The f*cking state of that back garden.
‘House just needed redecorating, and it still does. Must have been a sale on contract matt white emulsion.’
One described the property as ‘genuinely the most depressing renovation I’ve ever seen in my life.’
‘The back garden is so sad. Why would anyone want to sit looking out to that miserable grey fence, couple of half dead shrubs,’ they added.
‘It’s all too depressing. The front of the house looks like it could be a business of some kind rather than a home.’
And one property hunter described it as an ‘Impressively bad renovation.’
‘I’m all for extending a home out the front if you have lots of room and the planning permission to do so but at least make it look good,’ another postulated, adding: ‘That is rank.’
Another said: ‘Absolutely tragic. An example of what happens when greedy builders cut costs on design to maximise profit but inadvertently create a dogsh*t product without any architectural value.
‘The front facade has no design details which enhance the appearance of the property.
‘Just a cheap flat roof to the right, a hideous entrance door which is screaming for some kind of roof or trim, and a boringly cheap roller garage door.
‘The property is desperate for something interesting to extrude from the facade which is otherwise completely flat and devoid of relief.’
Others said it was ‘an abomination’ and ‘sad’, adding ‘looks like an admin building.’
And another went further, stating: ‘Borderline criminal behaviour. Not sure I’d get on with the perpetrator of these acts.’