A house where John Lennon lived as a child has been turned into an AirBnB and will soon allow guests to stay there.
The Grade II listed building in Woolton, Liverpool, was previously owned by George Smith, the husband of Lennon’s Aunt Mimi.
The Beatles star stayed home as a baby with her mother Julia and, after her death, frequently visited the house and her family.
Retired nurse Kelley Kupfer bought the property by chance in 2016, after it went on the market for £325,000, although she admits she’s not really a Beatles fan.
She will now open the property to guests and Beatles fans as an AirBnB.
John Lennon’s childhood home in Woolton, Liverpool, which is AirBnB ready. Pictured with American owner Kelley Kupfer
Liverpool, was previously owned by George Smith, the husband of Lennon’s Aunt Mimi” class=”blkBorder img-share” style=”max-width:100%” />
The Grade II listed building in Woolton, Liverpool, was previously owned by George Smith, the husband of Lennon’s Aunt Mimi
Retired nurse Kelley Kupfer bought the property by chance in 2016, after it was put on the market for £325,000, and will now rent it out
Several years ago, Kelley suffered from a brain tumor that left her blind for nine months and affected her speech.
As part of a bucket list, the 60-year-old took a guided tour of Liverpool and eventually met Jackie Spencer – a Beatles expert in the city.
Kelley said: “This journey started for me three years ago and an illness that took me a very long time to recover from and at first I lost my sight and it took nine months to regain my sight.
“My speech was much worse and I sounded like a broken record and said the same thing over and over.
“As I was recovering those same things got better and my eyesight came back at that point I told my husband I don’t know if this will happen again or what the future holds but I would really like to get started on fulfilling my bucket list.
Lennon lived in the house with his mother as a baby. After his death, Lennon frequently visited the house and his family who lived there.
After a tour of the best Beatles hotspots in Liverpool, new owner Kelley wondered why no one had started an AirBnB to let people into homes.
After a huge restoration, Kelley transformed the building with the help of Jackie and Lennon’s family – cousin David Birch and sister Julia Baird
“So that’s how it all started, I wanted to go back to places I had been and always wanted to go back to and I wanted to visit places I hadn’t been or didn’t want to to visit.”
After a tour of the best Beatles hotspots in Liverpool, Kelley wondered why no one had launched an AirBnB to let people into homes.
She added: “I was flabbergasted that no one jumped on it and opened one. [AirBnB] at the top.
“The closest thing was the night of the rough days and that’s not a real connection – but don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there a few times.
“It just happened and if I hadn’t been so ill I would never have done my travels. I probably never would have come to Liverpool, and certainly never would have thought of buying a property here.
‘But it’s because of that and going through something like that, that your whole perception of life changes.
“I never thought I would ever meet John’s family and they wanted to visit – they hadn’t been here for almost 50 years.”
Although she’s not a particular Beatles fan, the retired nurse filled the house with carefully thought-out memorabilia and never-before-seen photos provided by Lennon’s family.
In the back garden there is also a soundproof recording studio, where bands and artists can record their songs or just relax and play a few tunes.
The furniture is set up the same way the Beatles family had it when they lived there, with frames and plaques to explain the artifacts placed around the house.
The house was to be listed on Host So Simple – an AirBnB management in Liverpool. However, the house will not be taking reservations until the end of the year.
Now, after a huge restoration, Kelley has transformed the building with the help of Jackie and Lennon’s family – cousin David Birch and sister Julia Baird.
Although she’s not a particular Beatles fan, the retired nurse filled the house with carefully thought-out memorabilia and never-before-seen photos provided by Lennon’s family.
The furniture is set up the same way the Beatles family had it when they lived there, with frames and plaques to explain the artifacts placed around the house.
In the back garden there is also a soundproof recording studio, where bands and artists can record their songs or just relax and play a few tunes.
The rooms were also given titles after the names of the family members who lived there.
Kelley said: ‘Naively after the purchase I was sitting in the States and thinking I was going to throw some paint on the walls, buy some new furniture, rent it out and put it on Trip Advisor.
“But as soon as I walked through the door I was stunned and thought what did I get myself into?
“But it became a labor of love and it’s my baby – I couldn’t have done it without John’s family and their blessings.”
The house was to be listed on Host So Simple – an AirBnB management in Liverpool. However, the house will not be taking bookings until the end of this year.
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