A couple were slammed by George Clarke’s Old House, New Home viewers for splashing out £100,000 ‘decorating and refitting’ their Victorian terrace home in London.
Appearing in last night’s episode of the Channel 4 show, NHS consultant psychiatrists Masim and Maria explained that while they had lived in a five-bedroom Victorian terrace house in Clapham for 15 years, they now hoped to transform into their dream family home.
Packed with original features, the couple said they wanted to make the home more practical for the family with a ‘flexible’ £50,000 budget.
And after an eight month renovation, Masim and Maria told George they were overjoyed with the results, despite confessing they had spent £50,000 more than their original budget.
Many people watching couldn’t distinguish between before and after photos of their home. One wrote: “They have more money than taste or sense.” The wetroom can be blinding.
NHS consultant psychiatrists Masim and Maria were slammed by George Clarke’s Old House, New Home viewers for splashing out £100,000 ‘decorating and refitting’ their Victorian terrace home in London (pictured, their kitchen before)
After an eight month renovation, Masim and Maria told George they were overjoyed with the results, despite confessing they had spent over £50,000 more than their original budget (pictured, the kitchen after)
Although they made many changes over the fifteen years that the couple lived there, it felt like most, such as removing a wall between the two front rooms (pictured is the previous front room).
The space was transformed by new furniture and pops of color on the chimney breasts.
One commenter said, “Christ no. There’s nothing wrong with an old kitchen. Just take out the island and add warm colors. It’s so horrible now.
Visiting the property ahead of the renovation, George said it was ‘really light and bright’, with Maria adding: ‘We still love it, there are just bits that just don’t work for us.’
Each room of the house required a complete rethink. The old bones were rearranged to make it more practical for modern families.
Over the years the couple made many changes to their house, including converting the front two rooms into one large living area.
Maria’s mother Maria was also unable to use the wetroom on the second floor.
This bathroom was modernized by the couple using marble tiling (pictured) and other gadgets to make it more functional.
However they confessed they never actually used the front room, as Maria explained: ‘The front room is quite dark, so we tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.’
There were also steep steps that connected it to the kitchen. This was not ideal for Maria’s mother Margaret (91), who lived in the house with her family.
Maria explained that her mum is very afraid of the stairs. Mum’s mobility has deteriorated so the house is no longer functional. We would love to make the house a bit more safe for our daughter.
“We need an open space. It’s too cluttered. This space should allow us to make more use of it.
She said, “I hate the island in my kitchen. The kitchen area is important because we are a large family.
There was a master bedroom on the first floor as well an unutilized office, a bedroom for the teenage child and another smaller room.
Despite their enthusiasm for the property, many of those watching slated the couple for their design choices and £100,000 budget (pictured, Maria and Masim)
But the couple suggested the spaces weren’t working for them, with Masim saying: ‘The office has never quite worked, it’s a space we never really used.’
Maria claimed that Maria had found two additional bedrooms on the second floor. Maria stated: ‘We were going to ask Mom to move up to the third floor so she could be close to us. But, she isn’t ready to.
She loves it, even though its location is high up in the house.
Margaret was more concerned about having a beautiful view than anything else. Her grandmother admitted that she could see into the city from her room. This room is my favorite, no matter what you do.
The couple said they had a flexible budget of £50,000.
George was informed by the couple that their office space wasn’t being used and was impractical. The family seldom made use of the balcony terrace overlooking the garden.
Maria and Masim re-located one of their teenage kids into the basement room during renovations. (pictured)
Maria’s elderly mom confessed to Maria that she was reluctant to get out of the attic bedroom (pictured)
Maria and Masim transformed Margaret’s space by painting it and adding new flooring.
George recommended that the couple get rid of their island unit.
Meanwhile he suggested they supersize the dining table, while a bespoke built in bench will maximise storage.
He explained how new sofas in the living area would help the space feel less like a corridor, and on the top floor, Margaret’s bedroom would be getting a refresh to make the most of her beloved view. ‘
After eight months George finally returned to the couple to see their amazing renovations.
Masim stated that the new kitchen was a complete renovation. The family removed the outdated white units and installed chic black panels. It is simply beautiful.
George said that other modifications to the property made him awestruck, such as the transformation of the office into a fashionable bedroom.
The couple groaned when the host asked how much they had spent and then they shook their heads.
Masim said: ‘In the end, it’s awful really, but we ended up doubling the budget to £100,000. We have a different way of looking at this. This is not for Margaret nor our son.
“After this, we won’t do any other work.”
The kitchen was not practical and had a huge island that the family hated to have to maneuver around.
A bench was added to one end of the extension. It gives the family lots more space for socialising.
Meanwhile the family also added pops of blue throughout the home to create a stunning living space (pictured, the renovated lounge)
Maria said, “It’s one of the most important things we could invest in.” Many thanks.
Many people watching wondered what they had done with their money.
One commented: ‘Nothing wrong with the first house – new sofa, fix the leak, tidy up and it would cost less than £2,000.’
Another said, “All they did was redecorate as far I can see.”
Despite the couple’s enthusiasm about the renovation, many of those watching questioned how they had spent £100,000 because they ‘didn’t do any building work’