Couple Ends Up With Derelict Mansion After Struggling To Understand Auctioneer's Accent

Aug 11, 2021 by apost team

Not many people can say that they accidentally bought a mansion at an auction, but not many people are Cal Hunter. In a strange encounter, Hunter, an English citizen looking to buy a home in Scotland with his Canadian girlfriend Claire Segeren, ended up buying a derelict mansion after not understanding the auctioneer's strong Glaswegian accent. 

The couple actually had plans to buy an apartment that was situated within Glasgow and Hunter entered the auction knowing exactly what he wanted to bid on and how far he was willing to go with it.  However, after a glitch on the screen and confusion about what was being put up for auction, Hunter became the sole bidder on what he thought was his dream apartment. 

Hunter wrote on the Guardian, "It was my first time at a property auction. I took my seat and waited patiently. The problem was auctioneers speak fast, and this one had a strong Glaswegian accent: I was really struggling to follow." 

He continued, "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?'"

This is sure to make anyone nervous, especially someone who did not understand what was up for auction. Hunter revealed, "Someone had mentioned a few last-minute additions to the sale that hadn’t been in the booklet. The penny dropped. What had I bought?" Upon further inspection, Hunter and Segeren realized that they did not buy a property in Glasgow but the Jameswood Villa in Dunoon, Scotland in 2018. 

Hunter recalled that he spoke to Segeren soon after, who "looked at the place on Google maps, although, with all the hedges, you could see only one angle. Dunoon wasn’t Glasgow, but it didn’t look far. And 10 grand for a place to call home, how bad could it be? This was before we’d seen a single picture."

However, even though Dunoon was close to Glasgow on the map, the couple had to take a ferry to reach the place, and they were excited to finally see their new home. However, when "we saw what we’d bought and thought: oh, Jesus. Behind the overgrown bushes and a sign that read “Danger, keep out” was a crumbling, rotting mess. There was mouldy furniture, graffiti on the walls and the ceilings were falling down; abandoned for 20 years, the water and electricity had been switched off – a chair had even fallen through the floorboards." 

However, the couple saw this as an opportunity rather than a mistake and immediately began to transform the place. "Claire and I have been working on our new home full-time, living in a caravan in the garden. It’s hard work, but we’ve both learned lots – taking on so much has helped us grow as people," Hunter wrote. 

He continued, "While quiet Dunoon isn’t quite Glasgow city center, we love it. The neighbors have welcomed us with open arms: stopping by with soup and lending us tools." Buying the property may have started as a mishap, but it has changed this couple's life for the better. As Hunter aptly explained, "Given the chance to go back to that auction, I’d put my hand up for this house, no question." 

You can follow the couple's transformation of Jameswood Villa on their Instagram page @whathavewedunoon. 

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