VIEWERS have slammed a couple who went £100,000 over their initial budget on George Clarke’s Old House New Home. Accountant Mark and music teacher Natalie spent £160,000 renovating the 300-year-old Georgian home that they had purchased for £750,000 in the seaside town of Broadstairs. The couple had initially aimed to spend just £60,000 on refurbishing […]
VIEWERS have slammed a couple who went £100,000 over their initial budget on George Clarke’s Old House New Home.
Accountant Mark and music teacher Natalie spent £160,000 renovating the 300-year-old Georgian home that they had purchased for £750,000 in the seaside town of Broadstairs.
The couple had initially aimed to spend just £60,000 on refurbishing the house but their “flexible” budget saw them spend over the odds transforming the space.
But despite the former care home’s dramatic transformation viewers were left flabbergasted at the couple’s overspending, pointing out that they have “nowhere to eat.”
Taking to Twitter one fumed: “Where do a family of 5 eat if they only have a dining table for 2 people?
“I’d be gutted to spend 160K and have nowhere to eat.”
Another baffled viewer wrote: “160k. That’s not flexible, that’s more than double-able.”
A third agreed adding: “A hundred and sixty thousand pounds! That’s one hundred thousand pounds over their budget!
“Who has that kind of money lying around?”
“Just where do people get that kind of money?” tweeted another.
Built in 1784 the property formerly served as a care home to 29 OAPs and so came with some rather unusual quirks including three downstairs toilets directly next door to each other.
It also housed two expansive kitchen spaces and the rear of the house was fitted with what George Clarke described as “cheap add-ons.”
While the house may be Georgian the décor certainly was not, featuring “comic” 80s interior designer such as an overbearing fire place.
One room decorated with busy wallpaper and a pattern carpet sees George insisting they leave because it “hurts his eyes.”
But the seven-bedroom property is virtually unrecognisable following its restoration.
With George’s influence the couple opted for grey walls popular in late Georgian era paired with embossed wallpaper as affordable way to add character and texture.
The bizarre trio of loos has been replaced with one practical area including a utility room.
Perhaps the biggest transformation is the music room, with the garish wallpaper and carpet replaced with a chic muted finish with Chinese influences.
“It’s hard to believe how much it’s changed” says Mark after viewing the property for the first time.
Natalie adds: “I can’t believe it’s ours, it’s like a dream house.”
Catch up on Old House New Home now on All4
In other property news, we told you about a woman who spent 10 years transforming her bland Essex home into a pink palace.
And one woman who spent seven years to save a £62k deposit for a £278k four-bed house near Coventry.
