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​Couple Accidentally Buy House After Misunderstanding Auctioneer's Scottish Accent

​Couple Accidentally Buy House After Misunderstanding Auctioneer's Scottish Accent

Cal put his hand up to bid on a house at the auction, but found that – to his surprise – no one else seemed keen

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A couple accidentally ended up buying a derelict house after one of them misunderstood the auctioneer's Glaswegian accent, and have since chosen to breathe new life into the property with a whole lot of TLC.

Cal Hunter and Canadian girlfriend Claire Segeren decided they wanted to start a new life in Scotland, settling on the 'vibrant city of Glasgow'.

Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

Claire was at home in Canada when Cal went to an auction to try and buy them a flat, but he soon found himself in deep water.

Speaking to the BBC, 28-year-old Cal said: "Cal said: "I was struggling with the auctioneer's Glaswegian accent."

He explained that he tried to work out what was going on by looking at the auction brochure, but some lots weren't actually in there.

He eventually put his hand up to bid on one in Sandback, Dunoon, but found that - to his surprise - no one else seemed keen.

Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

"I accidently bought the wrong house," Cal recalled.

Claire, 26, added: "It was a little further than we were planning to be commuting. It's about an hour, an hour and a half out of Glasgow, if you take the ferry."

He phoned Claire to ask if she was happy to go ahead with the £10,000 sale he'd mistakenly got them into, but as his phone battery was dying they had to make a quick decision.

Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

After a quick chat, they agreed to proceed - and they've since been renovating the home and documenting their process on Instagram at @whathavewedunoon.

Thankfully for the couple - who met on a ski trip in the French Alps - Cal is a skilled carpenter with experience in restoring period properties.

With Claire as his 'apprentice', they set to work on the Victorian house, which had its roof falling in, rotten timbers and a wall on the verge of collapse.

Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

"It was completely derelict, and it had been for 20-30 years," Cal said, adding that he reckoned the photo from the auction had been taken several years ago - and from a flattering angle.

In their blog for the project, Cal and Claire wrote: "We're a young couple taking on a BIG task. We accidentally bought Jameswood Villa, a derelict building that has been empty for over twenty years. Together, we're taking on the enormous task of restoring this beautiful building."

They explained that the Jameswood villa is a 'stone building from 1900' located in Sandbank, a 'small loch-side village' nestled adjacent to Trossachs National Park.

Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

The couple continued: "To say we've taken on an enormous task is not an understatement. Jameswood Villa has been left empty for 20 years.

"Our roof has gaping holes that have left our timbers exposed and rotten after years of West Scotland rain, and drainage issues left our land waterlogged, leading to serious structural problems caused by subsidence.

"The councillors and locals have advised us to knock it down and start over."

But they said they were 'excited' to take on the ambitious project, and have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money - having already raised more than £17,000 towards the renovation.

Follow their journey on Instagram at @whathavewedunoon.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@whathavewedunoon

Topics: UK News, News, House