Old homeowner visiting, thoughts?

youth_leader

I was embarrassed when the very first owner's son knocked at our station, I just couldn't invite him in. We'd just got back from Portugal, my late husband had been hospitalised while on a golf trip, I had to go out to collect him.   The house was a tip as I'd had to leave the kids on their own, and the garden was an overgrown jungle.  The new owner is a developer, six months on he has just cut down all the trees.   I'm looking forward to seeing him doing the 'extremely urgent roof works' that he demanded so much money off for.

Murphybear

We revisited a property we used to own. It was not a happy experience.  My OH had hand built a larder in the kitchen and the new owner ripped it out.  He’d made a few other changes which we didn’t like.  He then sold it.

I would never revisit a property I used to own again.

some years ago I went to have a look at my old college which was part of the University of London.  It had merged with Kings College and they’d turned it into luxury flats  .  I Googled them later, the asking price for the penthouse was £18million.  Well, it was just off High St Kensington!

frogglet

I drive past my childhood home  and would love to see what they have done as it could only be an improvement as everything was bodged by my dad.
I'm stood outside of it on Google maps forever frozen in time.

Mickey666

Hannimal said:

A few years ago I visited the house I spent most of my childhood in. My great-great-grandpa built the house and my gran lived there until late 90s. My mum grew up in that house in the 40s and 50s, and she was born in the outdoor sauna that is still standing (albeit renovated). We drove there a couple of years ago to see the place. The current owners had restored it beautifully and invited us in for coffee. They were quite happy to show us around. We are Scandinavian so it's very common to invite people in for coffee and baked goods, unlike here where people are a bit less inviting. Mum told them what the house had looked like when she was a child and shared a lot about the history and anecdotes that the owners did not know. We were only meant to ask if we could visit the pier quickly but ended staying there for a good while and the owners and mum are still in touch over Facebook and mum has sent them copies of lots of old photos. It's making me feel tearful just thinking about that day, it meant a lot to me and mum. I am glad the current owners are nice people and didn't get all weird about us visiting. 

Lovely story.  Just shows that people can be decent and civilised without thinking the worst of others.

I can relate a similar story.  Mrs Mickey and I found ourselves driving near the village where Mrs Mickey lived when she first started school about 40 years ago.  It was a huge house on the outskirts of the village (and I mean huge . . . 10+ bedrooms) that her father had rented and was remembered for being in very poor condition.  We found the house and stopped on the road outside.  It was set well back from the road but clearly visible.  We took a few photos and someone came out to ask if they could help us, but in a genuinely friendly and non-confrontational way.  My wife explained she had lived there as a child and it turned out the current owner was the child of the previous owner who had rented the house to my wife's Father and that they vaguely remembered him.  After a few minutes of reminiscing they asked if we would like to come in to have a look around, which we accepted.  We stayed for an hour or so, looking around, reminiscing and having tea and cake.  They were lovely people and had renovated the house into a magnificent family home.  Thank goodness not everyone is suspicious of strangers!

avawat20

Be careful - may be a scam!

Davesnave

avawat20 said:

Be careful - may be a scam!

You mean the government might be involved?

RAS

One of my childhood homes was cob under thatch; very old with 19th century additions.

I've not been back, but one time my sibling was in the area and drove down the lane. The owners came out to speak to them (maybe to check whether they were Ok or casing the joint). On understanding the reason, they were invited in to see the house and asked about the changes undertaken by the intervening 2 owners.

As a result I was asked to draw a plan of the house when we lived there and also the gardens, farm building and the fields, since altered by major roadworks; although they'd been sold off a decade earlier. The later eastern extension to the house was all used for farming related activities when we were children apart from a bedroom over the workshop, and has since been incorporated into the house, for example.

The owners were delighted to receive the drawings as it helped them understand how the house had developed and its place in the landscape. and I was happy to answer a couple of additional queries.

I have seen more recent sales literature for the building and thought some of the work difficult (I'm not in favour of siting the dining room at the furthest end of the house from the kitchen down two flights of stairs even if they are short). 

The then owners and more recent owners aren't responsible for that decision and I wouldn't express that opinion if I met them, Nor do I feel the need to revisit, however.

Jeepers_Creepers

Some lovely stories on this thread, and some mixed opinions on how to react to Cookietree's 'dilemma'.

I suspect it largely comes down to the manner of any approach. In Cookie's situation, it does seem as tho' the old occupant could be coming across as a touch obsessive, coupled with being tactlessly critical of any changes; not exactly a recipe for a friendly chat and an invite in for a cuppa. I can't blame Cookie for being a bit cheesed off by it, but it's hardly stalking and it might be that the poor fellow is taking the changes to his life pretty hard and this is how it's coming across. I'm sure Cookie will find a tactful balance between not being hostile, but keeping a discrete distance too.

We've had something not dissimilar to others here - our bungalow was built in the late '30s for a composer who lived in London but fancied an escape to safer Devon at the outbreak of the war - there's even a small bomb shelter in the back garden. Around a decade ago we were contacted out of the blue by an elderly 'fan' who used to own a music shop up t'North and who had started to write a biog of this guy after he, one day, happened to walk in to his shop to ask if he could have his piano tuned! (His wife had given him an ultimatum - get the piano tuned and play it, or get rid...) He asked if he could come and visit and see the house when next down in Devon with his wife, and of course that was absolutely fine. 

A lovely, lovely couple who have since visited again - and who gave us a CD he'd had made with a professional pianist of this fellow's works, some of which could - just about - have been composed in our house a looong time ago.

pollyanna24

I go past my childhood home every now then nostalgically.  As much as I would like to have a look inside, I'd never ask, but yeah, it would be nice just to see what's changed.

in_my_wellies

I moved into my house nearly 40 years ago, brought up family and relocated 200 miles to Devon. I needed to visit my old village often and my house came back on the market, much improved and far too expensive for me to re-buy, however word got round and the owner let me rent it for a peppercorn rent if I would also be caretaker. I don't think he really wanted to sell but had to relocate for work. Suits us both for now. 

It is a little strange living in 'my' house with 'his' furniture but it's very upmarket - I can live with it