Sometimes, we just need to deal with the mistakes we’ve made. More often than not, even the worst missteps in life can provide opportunities and lessons. That’s certainly what happened to young Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren. While working through college, the couple thought they could do anything they set their minds too. Little did they know that life had in store for them…
Just before graduating, Hunter and Segeren started looking for a place to live together. Within a few weeks, they thought they had found the perfect bargain house and purchased it at an auction. Unfortunately, what they thought was a simple fixer-upper, turned out to be a 120-year-old mansion in the Scottish countryside!
1. A Young Couple
Claire Segeren, who is from Canada, and Cal Hunter, who is from Britain, first met when they both worked a ski season together at a resort in the French Alps. According to the couple, it was love at first sight. When the winter season finally came to an end, the couple decided to stay together. Afterward, they traveled across Europe and Canada, before finally settling in Scotland for school.
Not too long ago, as Segeren finished up medical school, the two decided to take their relationship to the next level. So, the young couple decided to purchase their first home together!
2. The Day of the Auction
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Not only did Segeren and Hunter want to buy a home together, but they also wanted to prepare for their future. So, the couple decided to purchase a fixer-upper house, live in it while they restored it, and then flip it for a profit. It seemed like the perfect plan!
After weeks of looking, Segeren and Hunter found a property just outside of the city of Glasgow. The house had been subject to a fire, meaning they could save a fortune! So, Hunter headed to the auction house and placed a bid of £30,000 ($37,000) on the home. Unfortunately, what he didn’t know was that he accidentally bid on another house – and won!
3. It’s Not So Bad
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As it turns out, Hunted had purchased a 120-year-old property, seen below, in the remote town of Dunoon, Scotland! As soon as Hunter realized he had made an awful mistake, he headed to the auction officials and tried to reason with them. However, no matter what he said, the officials quickly shut him down, reminding him that “all sales are final.”
At that point, Hunter realized that he had no other option but to tell his girlfriend that they were now the owners of a completely different property. Believe it or not, while Segeren felt surprised, she understood and took the news well! After all, how bad could this property really be, she wondered.
4. Their New Property
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Hunter and Segeren wanted a DIY opportunity from the beginning, so they tried to remain positive. However, even finding the home turned out to be a challenge! After all, with a population of less than 5,000, Dunoon is quite a small town. Thankfully, the hamlet did not lie too far away from the city where Segeren studied medicine.
Then, the couple looked up the property, Jameswood Villa, on Google Street View, and they found online showed them an old, dilapidated mansion. However, Hunter and Segeren agreed that it had a lot of character. They even felt excited at the proposition of transforming the home into a beautiful masterpiece! But, what the couple didn’t realize is that the photos didn’t show them the whole picture…
5. Lowering Their Expectations
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The morning finally came for Claire Segeren and Cal Hunter to head out to Dunoon and look at the house. Driving out through the moors of Scotland, the couple could not believe that the quiet fields would soon replace their city life. Then, Segeren and Hunter arrived at the house…
Immediately as they pulled into the driveway, the couple realized the mansion would require far more time and effort than they initially imagined. Most of the windows were smashed in, and the roof had collapsed in! Not only that, but they realized that the house was also sinking into the Earth! All of this had led to the local council labeling the property as “dangerous.” no wonder they had been able to pick it up so cheap!
6. Moving Forward
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While most would give up under the stress of such a discovery, Hunter and Segeren were not about to give up on their project. The young couple managed to see beyond the crumbling walls and the broken interior. In their minds, they could envision all the potential the home contained in its old bones – they just knew it could become something beautiful!
However, Hunter and Segeren quickly had to abandon the idea of flipping the home for profit anytime soon. Unfortunately, the more they research the project, the more the couple realized: to make their dream come true, they would need a lot of cash…
7. The Proper Way To Do It
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After carefully considering all their options and working out how they could afford the renovations of the property, the couple realized they only had two options: go hard or go home. If they wanted to go restore the mansion, Hunter and Segeren would need to use every penny they could save. Of course, this meant changing their living situation.
So, the couple rented out a small trailed and placed it in their new backyard. That would be their home for the duration of their project! One of the most basic trailers on the market, Hunter and Segeren soon faced life without electricity or running water. Would they be up for the challenge?
8. An Adventurous Couple
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For many of us, living without electricity or running water would drive us insane. However, Hunter and Segeren managed pretty well! You see, the couple had made it their mission to go on as many adventures together as possible. In fact, it was that sense of adventure that had led them to the auction and Dunoon in the first place!
Soon enough, thanks to sleeping in the trailer, the couple had enough money to begin work on the incredible villa. But, before long, Segeren and Hunter quickly realized that money was not all that they would need. No, they would also need some help to accomplish their task.
9. Helping Hands
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Thankfully, the couple’s friends and family did not want to simply watch Hunter and Segeren’s progress from the sidelines. Since they are a young couple with little money to their name, Hunter and Segeren could not hire contractors or professionals. So, their family stepped up and starting helping where they could. As Hunter has worked as a construction worker before, he leads the family team on each new portion of the restoration!
Meanwhile, the additional help also allowed Segeren to continue school, although she now works on the house fulltime. The support also enabled Hunter to work a full-time job, providing the income for the restoration.
10. More Difficult Than They Anticipated
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While the couple initially felt very excited to start their renovation project, they quickly learned that the journey would be much more complicated than they had ever imagined. Since arriving at their new home in November of 2018, Hunter and Segeren have encountered new challenges and problems almost every single day.
For instance, when their caravan got stuck in the driveway, they had to dig up a hole to set it free. Later, Hunter realized they would need to do the same thing over and over to find an elusive water supply pipe. To make matters even worse, the couple spent at least five months merely trying to find the main electrical cable to the house that would allow them to connect to the power grid. And that was just the beginning!
11. Trouble After Trouble
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Unfortunately, the problems only became worse inside of Jameswood Villa. After taking a look at the interior of the mansion, the couple realized that they would need a new roof. You see, the old roof was riddled with holes and gaps, and large portions had collapsed into the house.
However, even before they could install the roof, Hunter and Segeren would need to jump yet another hurdle. Both knew that a roof needed strong walls, and all of the walls in the house looked incredibly unstable and unsound. In order to place a new roof, they would also need to replace or improve the strength of the walls. As you might imagine, the young couple started to feel that they had bit off more than they could chew…
12. Relying On Each Other
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As the problems continued to mount, Hunter and Segeren started to feel discouraged. However, their family would not let them back down! Meanwhile, the local community and those who lived near Dunoon had begun to hear of the couple’s enormous task. Loving the idea and wanting to help, the community started to rally around Segeren and Hunter.
Soon, neighbors allowed the couple to use their baths and running water. Meanwhile, many others allowed them to use their kitchens to make a proper home meal. As if that wasn’t enough, they also encouraged the couple to move forward!
13. An Eco-Friendly Home
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The couple felt incredibly grateful and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from their local community. It seemed like everyone wanted to help them out, in one way or another. For those that did not open up their homes, they would often offer advice, building supplies and materials, or contacts.
Some people even contacted the couple with information on when to find old building materials and supplies that were no longer needed. Unsurprisingly, this helped the couple a lot, and they subsequently pledged to make their renovation process as eco-friendly as possible. In the end, it not only saved them money but the Earth as well!
14. A Strong Bond
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Without a doubt, the couple’s renovation and DYI skills had been tested over the course of this project, but that wasn’t the only thing put up for a test. It’s safe to say that their relationship has also been tested immensely. After all, the couple has had to deal with a stressful situation that forced them to put their lives on hold, move into a tiny caravan, and work incredibly long hours!
However, they didn’t seem to worry about that. In fact, Segeren noted that if she and Hunter can get through this unusual situation, they can get through anything. If anything, Segeren says that the project has strengthened their relationship through and through!
15. Goodbye Trash
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One of the first, and biggest, projects the couple needed to tackle was the sheet amount of junk lying around the property. Before they could get to work on the walls and then the roof, Hunter and Segeren had to clear old furniture and trash, making room for construction equipment.
So, little by little, the couple started taking out the trash! Every single day, they would haul the trash out to the front, fill up their van, take it to the dump, and then begin all over again. Soon enough, Hunter and Segeren could begin work on gutting the house and fixing everything inside!
16. Safety First!
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Of course, given the age and condition of their new mansion, Hunter and Segeren also had to make sure they remained safe during the restoration. First, they invested quite a bit of money into safety vests and helmets, to keep themselves protect from falling rubble.
Next, the couple spent quite a big chunk of money on face masks. You see, Jameswood Villa was covered in mold, soot, ash, dirt, and chemicals, so the last thing they wanted was for their family, friends, or themselves to inhale these particles and fall ill. Meanwhile, the couple always makes sure to wear gloves whenever they decide to go inside the home, protecting themselves from sharp objects or debris.
17. Taking Breaks
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As you might imagine, Hunter and Segeren spend most of their time working on their house. However, they realized that they can’t work all the time. Also, two 20-somethings need to have a night out on the town every once in a while! After all, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!”
So, the couple has made sure to hang out with friends and leave the confines of their property every so often. They don’t want the project to get the better of them! Still, even with their breaks, Hunter and Segeren are moving along quite well…
18. On Their Way to Success
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Since the couple started their project back in 2018, they have hit quite a few exciting milestones. One of the most important came back in March 2019. As stated, Jameswood Villa did not come with electricity. So, Hunter and Segeren were forced to do work by candlelight on the nights they stayed late to work! Meanwhile, the lack of power also meant charging equipment far away from the house.
Finally, in March 2019, Hunter and Segeren managed to connect the property to the power grid! Afterward, the couple cracked open their first bottle of champagne on the land. Unsurprisingly, the addition of electricity marked a vast difference in the couple’s progress, and they started to see the benefits right away.
19. Splitting It
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While working on their “happy accident,” as Segeren and Hunter like to call it, the couple realized that the renovation provided them with a clean slate. They could do anything they wanted! So, Hunter and Segeren started to think of ways that they could change the house to better work for them. Before long, they came up with a great idea.
Segeren and Hunter have decided they will split the mansion into three different apartments. Once finished, they will rent out two of them, helping regain the money they spent on the project. Meanwhile, they’ll keep the third apartment as a rent-free home! Of course, both Hunter and Segeren know the risks of their goals…
20. Better Than Not Knowing
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Even though Hunter and Segeren know there’s a chance that they won’t make any profit once the project is finished, they say that debt is better than not knowing. Many have told them that they could have simply sold the house for a loss after purchasing it. However, for Segeren and Hunter, that was never an option.
You see, the couple does not want to live their lives with “what-ifs” bouncing around their heads. So, instead, Hunter and Segeren simply put their heads down and started restoring the 120-year-old mansion. Even if they never make any money off it, the couple says they will feel happy knowing they transformed the grounds into something beautiful. But they still have a long way to go…
21. It’s All on the Floor
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After they were able to add electricity to the mansion, Hunter and Segeren moved on to doing something about their floorboards. You see, because of the age of the villa and the lack of care over the years, most of the floor had either become rotten or fallen through. In the places where the floor remained, it would often crumble away when someone walked on it!
Not one to leave a potential hazard around for their family to hurt themselves on, Segeren grabbed a sledgehammer and removed the floorboards all by herself! Fortunately, she was able to achieve her goal in no time!
22. A Mild Setback
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As Hunter and Segeren completed one project after another, they felt confident they were on the right track. It seemed their problems had stopped arising! At least, so it seemed. However, as they continued work on the home, the couple noticed that the birds were not only chirping outside the house, but inside as well!
Believe it or not, a family of crows had infested what remained of the roof of the house. Apparently, they had been living in the crumbling home for a while. While the couple didn’t want to harm any animals, they knew they needed to do something. In the end, they used a variety of methods to scare the crows away, including making their own scarecrow!
23. Getting Over It
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Of course, no renovation project is free of emotional toil. However, Segeren faced a particular challenge. Believe it or not, she has an intense fear of heights! However, despite this, she has needed to face her fear head-on multiple times during the process. After all, the entire property needed to be covered in scaffolding once the couple started working on the walls.
The scaffolding meant that anyone who wanted to access the second level or roof of the property needed to climb ladders and ramps to get there. At first, Segeren could barely breathe when making her way up the scaffolding. Soon enough, though, she managed to conquer her fear of heights. Now, Segeren works on the roof regularly!
24. Back to Basics
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If there’s one thing that the couple has learned throughout this entire challenge, it’s that sometimes there’s nothing better than going back to basics. As you can imagine, living in a trailer doesn’t give the couple the chance to wash their clothes in the washing machine or cook dinner in the oven. As such, they had no other choice but to improvise.
To wash their working gloves, Segeren realized that she didn’t need to head to the town to use the Laundromat. Instead, she decided to make her way to the stream located on their property. There, she washed their gloves and hung them up to dry. It was an old, simple trick, but it certainly worked for them!
25. Taking Advantage of Sunlight
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If you’ve ever lived or stayed on a trailer, you know that you quickly miss the creature comforts of home. That’s why when summer finally came, Hunter and Segeren decided to make the most of the sunshine. So, instead of heading over to their neighbors to cook their meals, they actually created their own makeshift kitchen just outside of their caravan door.
What’s more, they even created cupboards, a stove, and even trash can to complete their outdoor kitchen. And it worked great! While it was far from the most luxurious or well-equipped kitchen in the world, it felt much better than having nothing at all.
26. Time to Move The Base
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Speaking of the couple’s trailer, they soon realized that they couldn’t keep it at the front for much longer. You see, although it was out of the way where it was parked, any passing traffic from the street would actually rock their mobile home, sending all their belongings flying!
As such, the couple tried their best to clear a track from the road to the side of their home and towed their trailer to its new base. While the process took all day, Hunter, Segeren, and their family completed the move without damaging the home or trailer. Afterward, not only did the trailer not shake, but the couple woke to the sounds of nature, not cars and trucks. What an improvement!
27. Keeping Their Guest Comfortable
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As the couple moved ahead in their project, they needed more and more help. So, they decided to ask some friends back in the United Kingdom to lend a helping hand. Believe it or not, the couple received more responses than they knew what to do with!
While their friends felt eager to help, Hunter and Segeren didn’t want their guests to shell out for a hotel. However, they had no space to house them, given their tiny trailer. Never ones to back down from a challenge, the couple created a little home for their friends in their backyard! The guest tent included a bed, lamp, table, minifridge, and other small comforts. It looks adorable!
28. A Very Important Window
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As the Hunter and Segeren finished up the walls of Jameswood Villa, they realized they quickly needed to move on to the roof. You see, over the year of work, they had fallen absolutely in love with the bay window on the top floor. Unfortunately, the couple soon realized that not only did the window have many cracks, but the situation was getting worse and worse!
At first, they assumed the mansion’s sinking into the ground was the cause of the problem. However, they quickly discovered that actually, roof timbers were sliding and pushing the window out of place. In order to save it, Segeren and Hunter promptly got to work…
29. A New Roof
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As 2019 came to a close, Hunter and Segeren achieved another massive milestone: they finished their new roof! After they finished, Segeren could not contain her excitement and told the internet all about it. “I’m so glad we did this by ourselves,” she wrote in a post on Facebook. “It was such an empowering part of our project, and I truly believe that if we could get a new roof on our house all by ourselves, we CAN DO THIS, WE CAN RESTORE JAMESWOOD!”
After the young couple finished the roof, as you can see in the lovely photo above, they decided to have a nice drink of champagne on the roof. Guess Segeren really has conquered her fear of heights after all!
30. Working Out For The Best
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Those around the young couple feel incredibly proud of what they have accomplished so far. Hunter and Segeren have taken their challenging situation and turned it into something magical! While it has not been easy for them, they have remained positive every step of the way.
Furthermore, many of the couple’s closest friends and family believe it was fate that Hunter accidentally buy this home. After all, while most couples would crumble under the pressure and stress, Hunter and Segeren have only become closer. No matter what troubles befallt them, their friends and family are confident that everything will work out well for the couple and their mansion.
31. Still Going Strong
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Today, Hunter and Segeren are still working on their restoration project. Even though they still have a long way to go, there’s no question that they have come incredibly far from the auction. More importantly, they keep moving closer to the finish line, every single day.
Of course, this has come at a great personal and monetary sacrifice to the couple. Everyone is hoping that it all works out for Hunter and Segeren! Regardless, however, one thing is for sure: the restoration has changed their life forever. After all, it’s not every day that you buy a 120-year-old mansion by mistake! Want to keep up with the lovely young couple? There’s an easy way how…
32. Keeping Up With Their Journey
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Without a doubt, restoring a 120-year-old mansion is hard work. One of the things that helps Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren get through it all is the love and support from their friends, family, and fans. Yes, you read that right! Segeren and Hunter created their own blog and social media accounts called “What Have We Dunoon?” to allow people across the globe to follow their journey. They currently post on Instagram, Facebook, and their own personal blog.
The couple continuously posts photographs and updates of their mansion. Not only that, but they also celebrate with their more than 100,000 followers when every time they check another project of their list.
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