Old homeowner visiting, thoughts?

barbiedoll

When my husband was researching his family tree, we found out that the cottage where his grandparents used to live was only 45 mins drive from us. (He couldn't remember the location as he was very young when his grandparents died) We took a trip out to see it, and to visit his grandfather's grave in the same village. Rather than stand outside taking photos of the house unannounced, my husband knocked on the door, to ask permission to photograph the front of the property. The couple living there were so lovely, they invited us in to show us what the house looked like now. It was stunning, two cottages are now converted into one, but there were loads of original features left, including a tiny pantry at the back, which made my husband a bit teary, he said that seeing it again brought back a really strong memory of his grandparents, and of being in the house as a small child. My husband had quite a horrible childhood, so seeing him finally have some happy memories, was something that I'll never forget.

Having said that, if they'd not been happy for us to take photos, we would have just left them alone. Everyone is entitled to their privacy, it's now their home, we don't have any claim on it. We haven't been back, nor do we keep in touch with them. It was a lovely moment, but that's all it was, they don't owe us anything else!

kinger101

Cookietree said:

 why have you cut down the trees, she loved them, why you changed the windows, why the fence, etc.

The correct answer would have been "Because this is MY house and home".

AlexMac

The OP has, wisely, long gone but some interesting memories have been evoked amonst us bored Lockdown surfers...

Not that mine is very interesting, but here goes,

I bought a wreck of a house in 1975 in Brixton, South London, then a very run-down suburb.  Only afforded it due to a 100% mortgage (yes, really!) from the regional authority; the long abolished "GLC"- the Greater London Authority (given the chop by Maggie T as being far too socialist).  Aided by a "Home Improvement Grant"  from the lefty local Lambeth Council towards basics like a roof, central heating, etc.  In effect a kind of homesteading approach to get young people onto the housing ladder and improve slum property.  

We lavished it with TLC and sweat; mostly DIY- ripped up, relaid and stripped original Victorian floorboards, re-boarded collapsing ceilings, fitted a decent kitchen... even tore up the concrete of the little rear yard and planted tomatoes (this was the 1970s!)

A few years later, I saw an elderly  Jamaican man outside staring at the house.  We spoke. Turned out that when he had first been recruited by the UK Government to come to work in booming post-war Britain as part of the Windrush generation, he'd lived in our house. I showed him around. He explained that in those days, four families had lived there; pointed to where there had been gas cookers on the bedroom landings. A fascinating and slightly humbling piece of social history...

Fast forward almost 50 years and I did some similar stalking of my own; only I did it virtually, online, on the property websites a couple of years ago.  Found the latest Estate Agents prospectus; blinged up beyond all recognition compared to our basic re-furb; re-instated Victorian Fireplaces (far finer than the ones we'd ripped out!), the usual big patio- doored kitchen diner, posh bathrooms... With a price tag to match and a current value well north of  £1 million.  A long way from my humble ten grand wreck?  Another fascinating insight into demographic change...

pinkteapot

Caramac said:

I would be interested in seeing any changes made to my old house, but wouldn’t dream of going and asking to have a look. 

Exactly. That’s what Streetview is for.

pattycake

When my parents died, my brother and I inherited the house we grew up in.  He bought out my share and his son now lives there.  It’s only a few minutes walk away from where I live and I pass by often.  But I haven’t been inside for 8 years and in fact prefer it that way.  Externally it looks worse.  My dad took much better care than my nephew does so although I’m sure it’s more modern inside, it’s not the home I remember.

AdrianC

AlexMac said:
the long abolished "GLC"- the Greater London Authority (given the chop by Maggie T as being far too socialist).

The Greater London Authority is the GLA - founded in 2000.

The GLC was the Greater London Council, abolished in 1986 - when its powers were fully devolved out to the boroughs, which had been established at the same time as the GLC in the mid 60s, all replacing and partially devolving the previous London County Council.