Before-and-after photos of baffling home renovation spark outrage: 'What a catastrophe'

A resident wasn't a fan of their neighbor's decision to apparently rebuild their home from the ground up, changing a classic facade into a more modern look with mixed results.

On the "r/PriceyPads" subreddit, the original poster shared the before-and-after photos of a house they explained was a "brick home demolished to make way for this new stone facade home."

According to the OP, after the home, located in Illinois, was sold in 2015, it fell into disrepair and was bulldozed to make way for the new stone structure.

Redditors weren't impressed by the new look, with one person commenting, "That's disappointing."

Another felt, "The old one was warm, inviting, cute, seemingly well-built, and had established landscaping. The new one is a hideous eyesore with no landscaping. Why do people do this?"

Many in the comments wondered about the need to replace the original brick home and rebuild an entirely new one, especially when it comes to longevity. One person noted, "The original home was in disrepair but lasted for over a century."

According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, building McMansions requires vast resources like concrete, not to mention the heating and cooling needs for all that square footage, especially if there are large open spaces.

Knowing that adds to some people's frustrations because brick homes are quite eco-friendly and energy-efficient. They are good at keeping heat out and cool air in and can stabilize the internal temperature of the home, according to Angie's List. They are also fire-resistant, hold up well against weather damage, and require less maintenance than other exteriors.

"There's a scrape off and build done by someone without an ounce of taste," said a commenter, "What a catastrophe."

While some people are clearly still into the McMansion trend, there is a growing movement to downsize with tiny homes, from converted RV campers to a smaller-footprint homestead. Many people are finding they are saving money on utility bills and other expenses by making that kind of change.

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