A family raffling off their flat on TikTok received a letter from neighbours telling them they do not want ‘riff raff’ coming to the village.
Nick and Jess Smith, known as The Smithy Family on social media, renovated a three-bed flat in a mid-Devon village and have offered their six million followers the chance to win the house in a raffle draw.
For £3, entrants would bag the keys to the newly-done flat, as well as £10,000 to put towards decorating, with the couple aiming to shift 65,000 tickets.
The Smiths revealed they had received a letter from neighbours branding the raffle ‘wholly inappropriate for an established village such as ours’, arguing the area was ‘not an experiment or a marketing exercise’.
It explains residents, ‘do not want the area opened up to riff raff or opportunists who see the property as a prize rather than a place to live’.
The letter ends by pressing former builder Nick, 38, and Jess, 35, to ditch their plans and sell the property in the ‘traditional’ way that the villagers ‘expect’.
The Smiths shared the letter to their Facebook page.
Concerned neighbours told the couple the raffle was, ‘wholly inappropriate for an established village such as ours’.
They added: ‘This is a settled community with a strong sense of identity. Many residents have lived here for decades and take pride in maintaining the character, safety, and standards of the area.
‘Opening the property up in this way risks attracting individuals with no genuine connection to the village and little regard for the community as a whole.
‘There is already a growing feeling among residents that the influx of people relocating from London has placed pressure on village life, and this proposal only heightens those concerns.
‘There is growing concern about the wider impact this could have on the village. Turning homes into raffle prizes risks shifting the area toward novelty and short term interest rather than stable, long term residency.
‘Many neighbours feel this undermines the values of the community and opens the door to individuals who may not respect the character, privacy, or standards of the village.’
The Smiths claimed the flat was about giving a ‘life-changing chance to someone who might otherwise struggle to get onto the property ladder’.
The Smithy Family’s Facebook post said: ‘We didn’t expect to be feeling like this today but here we are.
‘We’ve read some negative comments, messages, and even received a letter about what we’re doing with the flat, and if we’re honest, it’s been really upsetting.
‘Not because everyone has to agree with us, they don’t, but because of the assumptions being made about our intentions and about the kind of person who might one day live there.
‘This isn’t a gimmick. It’s not a joke. And it’s definitely not about attention or trying to be controversial.
‘It’s about giving someone a chance. A real, life-changing chance.
‘In a housing market where so many people feel completely locked out, we wanted to do something that opens a door instead of keeping it shut.
‘The hardest part to read, especially in the letter, was the idea that people think they get to decide who does or doesn’t deserve to live somewhere.
‘No one has the right to decide where someone else should live, or whether they’re “good enough” to be there.
‘Whoever ends up with the flat will be a real person with a story, hopes, and pride in their home.
‘They won’t be ‘riff raff’ – They will be someone who’s taken a leap, invested in the opportunity, and will value that home deeply.
‘We truly believe what we’re doing is a good thing and that it comes from a place of fairness, kindness, and trying to help someone in a tough climate.
‘We know not everyone will agree, and that’s okay but our hearts are in the right place and we stand by it.’
