A former council semi-detached house in St Albans, Hertfordshire, has become an unlikely internet sensation after its radical modern makeover was listed for sale at £850,000. The property's striking rear extension has drawn fierce criticism and comparisons to a crashed UFO.
A Tale of Two Halves
From the street, the red-brick 1950s home on Nelson Avenue appears entirely conventional. However, the rear reveals a towering double-storey extension that has been described as jarring and out of place. Online commentators were quick to mock the design, with one branding it a 'Toblerone from hell' and another suggesting it looked like 'a UFO crashed into a suburban terrace'.
The extension, a sharp white-rendered wedge featuring vast 'cathedral' windows, timber cladding and artificial grass, was added during a comprehensive rebuild in 2022. Owners Sujal and Tina Patel, who purchased the home for £296,000 in 2012, market it as 'a modern, energy-efficient home that combines technology with comfort'.
Planning Controversy and Neighbourly Disputes
The dramatic overhaul did not go unchallenged. In 2019, neighbours Lehna and Matthew Gardiner formally objected to the planning application, warning that the extension's 'extreme height and depth' would dominate their living space and garden, removing their privacy.
Despite these objections, St Albans City and District Council granted planning permission. Officers acknowledged the 'unusual design' but concluded it would not 'unacceptably harm' neighbours, stating the impact on the local area's character was minimised by its rear position.
Online Uproar and a Slashed Price
When photographs of the four-bedroom house circulated online, the reaction was largely scathing. Critics labelled it 'dreadful', 'sterile', and 'ghastly', with many questioning the aesthetic disparity between the original front and the new rear. One social media user quipped: 'Council out the front, Grand Designs at the back.'
Amid the mockery, the property's price was reduced from an initial £900,000 to £850,000 in November 2023. The Rightmove listing boasts high-specification features including resin flooring, microcement bathrooms, underfloor heating, and a Control4 smart home system.
Not all feedback was negative. Some defenders pointed out the home's location in the desirable Marshalswick area of St Albans, with its outstanding schools, arguing the price was reasonable for the location. Others noted that similar-sized extensions exist nearby, albeit in more traditional styles.
The saga highlights the ongoing tensions in UK housing between individual architectural ambition, planning regulations, and suburban street aesthetics, proving that one homeowner's modern dream can quickly become another's visual nightmare.
