It would depend on whether the Tranters had been hoping for a council house with all mod cons, rather than an inconvenient farmhouse, which may or may not have had indoor plumbing, etc. From the text, it sounds as though they weren't, so Mrs Bertie and Shep, who may or may not have had lovely council houses themselves, may well have disapproved. On the other hand, if they had their council houses, they might well have taken the line that "Well, if that's what Miss Karen really wants; we know it's not what the Tranters hoped, but really, once they moved in, they'll be that comfortable, mark my words! Be wishing they'd asked to be evicted years ago, shouldn't wonder!"