A young couple who thought they were buying a two-bedroom flat instead purchased a derelict mansion because they struggled to understand the auctioneer's accent.
Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren thought they had snapped up a discounted apartment in Glasgow for £30,000 before finding out they were actually the new owners of a 120-year old property that needed major improvements.
Auction bids in Scotland are legally binding which meant the couple had to go through with their purchase of the six-bedroom Jameswood Villa in Dunoon, reports the Mirror.
So Cal and Claire rolled up their sleeves and have now transformed the property into their dream home – living in a caravan in the grounds while transforming the crumbling property.
Cal had gone to the auction alone when he mistakenly placed the bid.
He told the Guardian : "The problem was auctioneers speak fast, and this one had a strong Glaswegian accent. I was really struggling to follow
"I couldn’t believe it when nobody tried to beat my opening offer. Then a few things happened at once: the gavel fell, the screen switched on, and the bloke next to me asked in my ear, 'Mate, have you seen that place?'
Cal recalled looked up and he was filled with "dread" as he realised his mistake.
He messaged Claire with the news who was "unfazed" even after a check on Google Maps showed only one angle of the property and plenty of hedges.
Cal said his reservations grew after he visited the property, which had warning signs that read 'Danger, keep out' amongst the "crumbling, rotting mess".
The property, which had been abandoned for 20 years, had mouldy furniture, graffiti on the walls and "the ceilings were falling down".
The property's water and electricity had been switched off and to make things even more complicated, the couple had bought just half of the building.
This forced them to spend six months buying two more derelict units.
They've been working on their new home full-time since 2019 and say they wouldn't change a thing.
Cal said: "It’s a special place – if you’re going to accidentally buy a house, you couldn’t do it somewhere better."
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