Property auctions are a fascinating world, filled with opportunity and challenges. At times, they present cases that seem insurmountable, opportunities that seem unreachable, and complexities that seem entangled in the cobwebs of legalities. But what if we told you that sometimes the impossible can become a reality? This is an example of persistence, strategic thinking, and an unwavering belief in our ability to create opportunities where others see barriers.

Discovering the challenge
In our relentless pursuit of connecting perfect properties with our exclusive clients, we stumbled upon a semi-detached house, offered by receivers in one of the London auctions. The property had planning permission granted for demolition and construction of flats (this information was not included in the auction catalogue). However, the plot thickened as the planning was granted for demolishing two semis, not just one. The other house, tangled in ownership complexities, was not part of the auction although it was owned by the same people. They only defaulted on the loan on one of the houses and hence receivers were appointed only for that one. Our client was certain that she would only want to buy two houses, not just one that was in auction.

The challenge was not only acquiring both properties but also balancing the risks. What if we secured one house but failed to obtain the other? It was a puzzle that required both creativity and determination.

Facing the rejection
Our initial approach to the auctioneer was met with indifference. “We only offer one, deal with it,” they said. So, deal with it, we did! This is something that we see often. Auctioneers have rather short attention spans and very limited viewpoints.