A couple who accidentally bought an abandoned mansion are now taking holiday bookings after a renovation
After having a strange mix-up with an abandoned 120-year-old mansion, Cal Hunter and Claire Segerin spent four difficult years bringing the property back to life as a vacation villa — and now they’re welcoming guests
A couple who bought a derelict 120-year-old mansion by chance have started making holiday bookings after they gave it a dramatic renovation.
Cal Hunter, 26, from Hull and Claire Seagerin, from Toronto, were hoping to get their hands on a cut-rate city center flat in Glasgow for £30,000 – but they ended up getting something very different after four years of mixing up the numbers since . After accidentally offering Cal the wrong unit, they are instead given Jameswood Villa – an uninhabitable property in the coastal town of Dunoon, western Scotland. The couple then decided to consider the house a sustainable project and ignored expert advice to demolish the house, even though they only had £10,000 in the bank and had no experience with renovations.
They decided to live in a caravan in the grounds while they undertook their first challenges, which included removing massive amounts of debris in the building and making the structure safe by raising the roof. In July, the couple confirmed that their home had finally been signed off by inspectors, ending four years of hard work, the Daily Record reported.
Cal and Claire have now begun the next stage of their journey by opening as a tranquil villa resort – and spoke of their excitement when they finally started accepting guests. In a post on their Instagram pageMahavidonon’, Claire said: “We’re open for business! Visit jameswoodvilla.co.uk to book a stay. This is what Cal and I have been working on for years. We can’t thank you all enough for your support throughout our journey. Jameswood wouldn’t be as special if you hadn’t joined us On our adventure.
“We can’t wait to share Jameswood with you all, and for you to see how special this quiet corner of Scotland is. We’ve fallen wholeheartedly 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.” “
Each villa apartment has two bedrooms and sleeps four guests – plus “furry friends”. Complimentary inflatable kayaks are also provided to all guests to allow them to bring a little adventure into their stay. Apartments can be booked for £125 per night, with a minimum stay of two nights.
The couple wrote in their letter to fans: “We had a photographer come to us and take photos of our two rentals – we couldn’t afford the space ourselves. We look forward to sharing them with you, when they become available!” Thank you again, for joining us in restoring Jameswood Villa. We can’t wait to share our next adventure with you!”
