Our experience purchasing a £1.1…
Our experience purchasing a £1.1 million farm through Signature Properties has been nothing short of a nightmare and has completely overshadowed what should have been one of the happiest milestones for our family.
Completion took place on Tuesday, however we did not receive the keys until Thursday because the previous owners had not finished removing their belongings. Even then, we were not handed all of the keys for the house and outbuildings.
We purchased the property on the understanding that it would be handed over with vacant possession. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
When we arrived, we discovered three work units still full of previous tenants’ belongings, five caravans still being stored on the land, a large storage container packed with rubbish and equipment, and farm buildings full of unwanted items and waste. The house had not been cleaned, the gardens had been left completely overgrown with grass around three feet high in places, and the property was nowhere near the condition we had been promised.
To make matters worse, we were given no information about essential aspects of the property, including the location of the septic tank or the electricity meter, leaving us to work these things out ourselves.
Because we had been assured that the units were empty, we removed locks to gain access, only to be confronted by tenants who believed they still had the right to occupy the units. This created an incredibly stressful and intimidating situation that should never have happened.
We later discovered that the previous owners had continued taking rent payments from some of the tenants for the month after completion and that they were only told to vacate after we had legally taken ownership of the property. It is completely unacceptable that we were placed in this position.
The most disappointing part of this experience was our dealings with Lucy Warriner. Initially, she assured us she would contact the previous owners and help resolve the issues. However, once the full extent of the problems became apparent, her attitude changed noticeably. Rather than supporting us or helping to find a solution, we felt our concerns were repeatedly dismissed and we were told that the previous owners’ son was under a lot of stress. Instead of taking responsibility for helping resolve the situation, we were simply told to deal with it through solicitors.
At no point did we feel that the seriousness of the situation was recognised. After spending £1.1 million on what should have been our dream property, we were left dealing with occupied units, abandoned belongings, caravans still on site, rubbish throughout the property, an overgrown garden, missing keys and a house that had not even been cleaned. We were effectively handed the keys and then left to deal with the consequences ourselves.
It was also extremely disappointing to later learn that Lucy had a personal friendship with the previous owners. While we cannot say whether this influenced the way the situation was handled, it inevitably left us questioning whether our concerns were being dealt with impartially.
As a direct result of the way this property was handed over, we have suffered significant financial losses, have been unable to use the units as intended, and have had no option but to instruct solicitors to pursue the matter.
Purchasing a property of this value should have been an exciting and memorable experience for our family. Instead, it has become one of the most stressful experiences we have ever been through. Based on our experience, we would not recommend Signature Properties.
