There are times in everyone’s life when we question ourselves, when we reflect on what we have done in the past and what we want to do in the future, and where you decide to change your life. This is what Stef Burgon and her husband Simon Hunt chose to do: after seeing pictures on Facebook of an old Scottish castle for sale, they suddenly realized what they had to do: they had to buy it, move in there and change their lives.
#1
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It all started in 2014 when information appeared on Facebook: “Buy a Scottish castle for the same price as a parking space in London!”. By clicking on the ad they saw photos of the old castle, for sale for just £ 375,000. The photos showed an almost heavenly place, with fireplaces and a beautiful green landscape – a far cry from what they were used to in Dubai, where they lived and worked at the time. The couple are tired of life in the United Arab Emirates: she works as a radio presenter and he in advertising. They thought about what it would be like to live in an old castle and started to consider moving.
#2
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Before making a final decision and changing their lives, they visited the place – Kilmartin – and immediately fell in love with it. This 16th-century castle is set in a large park, two hours from Glasgow. It had been closed for many years and needed major renovations: roots were sticking out of the ground and plants were climbing the walls. But first you had to make an offer: other people were also interested in the purchase: they offered £ 331,780 and got the castle. No bank was willing to give them a loan for a 500-year-old building, so they asked a company for a 50% loan.
#3
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They started to put together the money to pay for the castle by renting out the rooms at £ 165 per night which was successful and the rooms filled up quickly. In 2016, the couple got married on-site, in the castle, and spent several months traveling Europe to collect antique furniture and fittings. They then started the renovation project: they demolished the walls while the builders started the work. Gradually, the project took shape: the castle was rehabilitated and the couple began to receive many reservations.
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The couple has settled in the castle for good, while the other four bedrooms are on offer for £ 140 a night: the old ruin becomes a true luxury hotel and the couple makes it their full-time job. After all the doubts, funding worries and hard work, Stef and Simon made their dream come true.
source used: The Mirror