CAL Hunter and girlfriend Claire Segeren thought they were bidding on a two-bed flat in Glasgow but instead they ended up owners of 120-year-old ‘Jameswood Villa’ in the Scottish countryside.
The couple made the mistake after the auctioneer’s accent confused them, but the pair had no choice but to go through with the purchase as auction bids in Scotland are legally binding.
They even had to look the location Dunoon up on the map as neither had a clue of its whereabouts.
Describing the moment when they accidentally bought the six-bedroom mansion on their blog, Claire wrote: “When Cal realised, the panic set in, and he left the auction house to call me and let me know what had happened.”
The century-old property had been untouched for decades, its walls were covered in graffiti, the furniture was plagued by mould and the ceiling was on the verge of collapse.
View this post on Instagram
With water and electricity disconnected long ago, the drainage system had also suffered complete failure, adding to their list of challenges.
To compound matters, they soon discovered they had actually only acquired half of the building. Undeterred, they embarked on a six-month journey to purchase two additional derelict units.
Cal, 26, from Hull, and Claire, 24, who is originally from Toronto, documented their journey on Instagram and via their own blog and have even taken part in a BBC Scotland documentary ‘Accidental Renovators’.
During their restoration journey, the couple overcame countless challenges, one of which involved the daunting task of re-roofing the villa. One company declined to undertake the project, and another provided a quote of £40,000 for reslating alone—an amount that was way beyond the couple’s means.
View this post on Instagram
The mansion has now been transformed into an idyllic home and vacation villa. Cal, a skilled carpenter, and Claire now reside in a three-bedroom apartment within the property, with the remaining space hosting three two-bedroom apartments.
The couple are now ready to welcome guests. “We’re open for business! Visit jameswoodvilla.co.uk to book a stay,” she said. “This is what Cal and I have been working towards for years. We can’t thank you all enough for your support throughout our journey.”
The holiday apartments can accommodate up to four guests and are pet-friendly. Additionally, they provide inflatable kayaks for all the guests, allowing them to add a touch of adventure into their stay.
“We can’t wait to share Jameswood with all of you, and for you to see how special this quiet corner of Scotland is. We have wholeheartedly fallen in love with this area, and we know you will too. It’s time to fill these walls with new memories – and we’d love for you to join us in doing so.”
“We’ve had a photographer come and take photos of our two holiday rentals – we just couldn’t do the space justice ourselves. We are looking forward to sharing them with you, when they become available!
