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37 ‘Then Vs. Now’ Pics Of Houses On Google Maps That Made The Internet Seriously Mad
It’s great to see architecture and design with real character. The problem is, not everyone thinks this way. And developing a sense of taste takes time. So, property owners might make decisions to change their homes that they personally enjoy, but which objectively make the building look worse.
There’s this one online account, @homechange6, that posts side-by-side photos from Google Maps showing how people’s houses have changed over time. And it is sad to look at what happened. We’ve collected some of the most egregious comparison pics to show you what to avoid doing... though some properties have mixed reactions, not just negative ones.
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#1
⭐️:
That’s literally a printer
UnrealShawty:
it looks like the back of a Mcdonalds
RELATED:
#2
𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞:
i will never understand why people feel the need to modernise things unless there is something actually wrong with it
ɦαɳα ᢉ𐭩:
it looks so cheap now
anon:
from last of the summer wine to mother drank all the wine
#3
msergani:
This ruined my day
#WRW:
Tesla driver behaviour
The fact is that people enjoy being surrounded by beautiful and inspiring architecture and designs. And it’s painful to see architects, designers, and builders remodel buildings that are already full of spirit, character, and uniqueness into something bland, boring, safe, and, well, for a lack of a better word, modern (derogatory).
There are lots of different reasons why this is happening, but the top two are probably money and short-sightedness. It’s cheaper to create something run-of-the-mill with cheap(er) materials. And the people in charge of the designs don't consider the impact of their work as much as they should.
However, there’s another problem, too. It’s not enough to make a building look unique: it also has to coherently fit into its surroundings. The aesthetics have to make sense for the area.
#4
Chris:
Looks like a motorway service toilet
samsara:
I genuinely cannot understand how anyone thinks the second one is better
Stephanie🌻:
That first house was charming. It had a quintessential English cottage vibe. The second slide looks like a shipping container from the docks. What an eyesore
#5
Charlotte:
For my mental health this is AI
_hall.nia_:
That should be illegal
#6
kortney:
this looks like an ikea tv stand?
ella:
WHAT?! It looks like a spaceship
msergani:
You ruined my day
As Dezeen points out, you can see innovation being stifled in the architectural field. “Architecture is at the mercy of a deeply conservative insurance industry, which is resistant to building with anything other than the most familiar materials. Add to this the building and planning regulations in some countries that entirely discourage innovation and do not even ensure energy efficiency or good quality and you have a system that strips joy or invention from the industry, leaving no spaces in between.”
Furthermore, there’s this sense that, ultimately, architects will “go where clients pay them.”
#7
glitter_unicorn_h*e:
Looks like a McDonald’s
Abs:
This is the worst one yet
#8
Maria:
Bonham After a long day at the office you can go home and relax in…..another type of office building
MaDuRo:
Why people seems to have problem with having trees and vegetation in the garden ?? Why everyone choosing paved gardens and zero trees
#9
Laura:
I can't explain it, but the 2nd house looks like tommy shelby
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝘳𝑚𝑒𝑑1998:
Looks like a workhouse
It would be a mistake to claim that it’s only now that we’re seeing soulless architecture take over. Bland and dreary contemporary architecture has been an eyesore for decades and decades.
A piece in Current Affairs argues that contemporary architecture gives “most regular humans the heebie-jeebies.”
“Let’s be really honest with ourselves: a brief glance at any structure designed in the last 50 years should be enough to persuade anyone that something has gone deeply, terribly wrong with us. Some unseen person or force seems committed to replacing literally every attractive and appealing thing with an ugly and unpleasant thing,” Adrian Rennix and Nathan J. Robinson explain in Current Affairs.
#10
BenPowell:
Could be worse
Sune’:
Lost a lil whimsy but the best out of just about all of them, could’ve left the tree tho
Cyril Sneer 19 hours ago
I've never been a fan of faux tudor, so for me the second version is better (still not nice though). At least it's not a box
#11
Leo (he/him):
I mean the 2026 one looks good but not like a home
reddyredman:
I'm gutted. I actually like the new house, but absolutely NOT at the expense of the old one. I know Mock Tudor has it's critics but that was an elegant house imo.
#12
Juan cena:
That is genuinely awful
Ruby Noodles:
That poor house is sad, it’s mourning its previous owners who brought light and colour and love into it, it’s sad cause it now looks like a boring grey breeze block. It’s sad because it’s lost its uniqueness and now looks like every other boring uk breeze block house.
“The architecture produced by contemporary global capitalism is possibly the most obvious visible evidence that it has some kind of perverse effect on the human soul. Of course, there is no accounting for taste, and there may be some among us who are naturally deeply disposed to appreciate blobs and blocks. But polling suggests that devotees of contemporary architecture are overwhelmingly in the minority: aside from monuments, few of the public’s favorite structures are from the postwar period,” they write.
“And when it comes to architecture, as distinct from most other forms of art, it isn’t enough to simply shrug and say that personal preferences differ: where public buildings are concerned, or public spaces which have an existing character and historic resonances for the people who live there, to impose an architect’s eccentric will on the masses, and force them to spend their days in spaces they find ugly and unsettling, is actually oppressive and cruel.”
#13
jfkey90:
Downgrade Button ——>
icedt:
Why does no one want a nice garden these days
Abi Glynn:
This has pissed me off
#14
eva:
from a home to a house
Skellies:
All character has been lost. And that wonderful chimney
matthew:
What does everyone have against plants
#15
Axl Mont:
This account makes me sad
✟:
Huge upgrade
Don't listen to me 16 hours ago
Well I've just been complaining about all the boring grey & white and i do prefer the new clean lines to the old house. But that sandy brick excrescence is wildly out of place.
However, just because a building is aesthetic, artsy, and (over)designed doesn’t automatically mean that the architect cares much about the needs of the people. It might be a way for them to flex their ego.
Rennix and Robinson stress the fact that everyday good architecture should focus on the needs of the people, not the building itself. However, their needs or wants aren’t always considered. For one, people’s homes should be comfortable and fit in with their surroundings, instead of being the architect’s way of showing off or making the project all about themselves.
“Architecture’s abandonment of the principle of ‘aesthetic coherence’ is creating serious damage to ancient cityscapes. The belief that ‘buildings should look like their times’ rather than ‘buildings should look like the buildings in the place where they are being built’ leads toward a hodge-podge, with all the benefits that come from a distinct and orderly local style being destroyed by a few buildings that undermine the coherence of the whole.”
#16
𝐿𝒾𝓁𝓎:
I like the new one better honestly
Lucie:
Why does it now look like a school entrance
#17
Anna:
Money can’t buy class
swissyphus:
how this doesn't violate heritage protection laws i will never understand
#18
RS24.365Zz:
For this one I think it’s acceptable
Shan:
How did I know that beautiful house, with colourful fittings, would become a monochrome box, before I even looked at the after shot. There is no colour left in this world. Because everyone is doing the same thing. Wiping away all the beauty.
The @homechange6 TikTok account, which shows how some people’s homes have gotten worse over time, has seen massive success online. At the time of writing, around 23.9k people follow the curator’s account on the video-sharing platform.
On top of that, all of the posts shared on the account have amassed a whopping 3.7 million likes. The curator stresses that they keep all the addresses private so as not to create trouble for the owners of these properties.
#19
ᴍɪᴏᴜᴜ..:
first time ive actually liked the second better😭srry guys
Dotty:
I hate how there’s no garden now just concrete slabs
JSA:
home vs house
#20
lillya86:
Then - looks like a cosy home. Now - looks like a dental practice
georgia:
Just buy a new build I swear to god
clared_16:
Same happened with my grandparents old home, I was reminiscing looking at photos and my aunt showed me photos of what the house looks like now as it's on sale again, it looked awful not as cosy as it once was
#21
Cali:
Every house in Bournemouth is morphing into one omg
Cassie:
I feel SICK
Norfolk and good 1 hour ago
A flat roof in a country where it rains more often than it doesn't probably isn't going to end well.
We’d like to know what you have to say, Pandas. After you’ve upvoted all of the comparison pics that you loved to hate the most, share your insights in the comments at the bottom of this list.
Which of these houses do you think had the worst makeover? How would you have tried to solve some of the issues these homeowners had? What does your dream home look like and why? We can’t wait to hear your perspectives.
#22
Erica:
why do they remove all the greenery? do people hate plants that much
Cody Hickling:
That’s the best renovation I’ve seen for a while
#23
Robean:
Should honestly be environmental regulations against paving over whole front gardens
RD8:
It’s so much better I don’t get why everyone hates so much
#24
JACSydney:
You just know that garden was her pride and joy
NixxyR80:
We need to take this as a small win, atleast the house still has original charm
#25
Otterley:
Ugh, that's probably the worst I've seen so far.
ToriB:
RUINED RUINED RUINED….these posts make me saaaaad!
Panda McPandaface 11 hours ago (edited)
"Why can't we keep anything nice?" Because it was not nice. At all (apart from the garden).
#26
Jamesticktock100:
Surely this must devalue the house loads ? Why do they do it?
Megan:
hello police? id like to report a crime
#27
Werner Odendaal:
ok now this one not too bad
Josh:
Ouch
princessfluff:
Its good design but it looks sad without soul…
#28
TheMadCyclist:
This is like a bad dream. What a horrible house it’s become
Sivert:
They could at least kept the hedges
#29
Ish:
Even the X5 changed haha
.:
I don’t hate it
🥗🍇🫐Shan🥑🍊🍅:
Why do people make beautiful, strong, characterful houses, that were made of really good materials back then and turn them into boxes and angles. It’s so sad that these beautiful homes built by craftsman who cared into this.
#30
William Smith:
I hope that's fake
mistadobalina:
don't actually hate this one...
#31
Umar:
previous owner having a Maserati, and new having a mini and fiesta says a lot abt their taste.
Global5325:
Looks like a Dental Surgery
#32
Siri:
From notebook to macbook
Indahh:
What is wrong with people omg
lily:
When did we decide to become allergic to whimsy GODDDD
Panda McPandaface 11 hours ago
I'm not keen on the 'after' but I don't like the original 'Evita' balcony either.
#33
Rhubarb:
This one is actually okay
lillya86:
Then - family home Now - nursing home
#34
Marius:
the 2026, isnt to bad. it has less plants which is kinda sad. but the color and so on works with the house
sarahetregonning:
The original window frames were beautiful
#35
Cain:
it's gorgeous, just a shame about the cobble drive going and the garden but I like the house
frazzle1211:
I’m wondering what’s getting built next to them, is it a multi storey car park?
#36
Stacey:
That beautiful arched doorway
Olly:
glow up
#37
ez | acnh:
the pavement drive is always so sad to see. they barely had a garden as it was
Be kind don't bully:
I would have kept the shutters but painted different colours
Amanda the Panda 4 hours ago
Why do so many of the new renos have piles of rubbish outside the house?
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What do you think ?
Hiram's Friend 1 day ago
Most of these aren't remodels, they are complete rebuilds on the original footings.
Keighley Luna 4 hours ago
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Kabuki Kitsune 1 day ago
I'd be willing to bet, the majority of those that were complete rebuilds on the original footprint, came about because the houses weren't able to be brought up to modern building codes or standards. Meaning it's just cheaper to demolish the old structure, and build a new one; as opposed to pouring more money than the property is worth, into bringing it up to modern building codes.
Did I say that out loud? 14 hours ago
Most likely that they wanted to demolish and rebuild to begin with. Any decent UK builder should be able to carry out work while complying with current building regs.
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Hiram's Friend 1 day ago
Most of these aren't remodels, they are complete rebuilds on the original footings.
Keighley Luna 4 hours ago
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Load More Replies... Kabuki Kitsune 1 day ago
I'd be willing to bet, the majority of those that were complete rebuilds on the original footprint, came about because the houses weren't able to be brought up to modern building codes or standards. Meaning it's just cheaper to demolish the old structure, and build a new one; as opposed to pouring more money than the property is worth, into bringing it up to modern building codes.
Did I say that out loud? 14 hours ago
Most likely that they wanted to demolish and rebuild to begin with. Any decent UK builder should be able to carry out work while complying with current building regs.
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