Coastal Perfection

Why they came to Stacks:

Patrick and Nina looked for a long time to find their perfect coastal house – we looked at everything from isolated clifftop farmhouses via modernist villas to village cottages. They weren’t sure whether they wanted a project, whether they wanted land, whether they wanted north or south coast, east or west. So it was a journey for all of us!

What the local area could offer:

Cornwall offers the allure of pristine beaches, exceptional surfing, breathtaking coastlines, lush gardens, a vibrant dining culture, and, frequently, favourable weather. This is precisely what people are now seeking more than ever: the promise of an enhanced way of life.

What they were looking for:

he only constants were the need for a spectacular sea view and wanting to be walking distance to a beach for their grandchildren.

How Stacks helped:

They had a fabulous budget and we looked at some staggering properties which was great fun – but in the end we realised they didn’t need the swankier properties – we found an Edwardian house in a village in West Cornwall with a pretty and private garden and an uninterrupted blue view down to the sea.

As is often the case, the hard work had only just begun at that point… first off was a bidding war which ended in sealed bids – we had to throw everything at it, personal letters, lots of prior due diligence, proof of ID and funds, as well as money – vendors don’t always go for the highest offer. Luckily we ‘won’ and  one of the first things I did was to check the title plan against the brochure – to our horror we discovered that the vendor didn’t actually own a big chunk of the garden, including part of the parking area!  

The happy outcome:

The process was so hard, it would have been all too easy to give up (multiple times), but we stuck to it, the agents were very helpful, the clients were patient saints and we took every problem as it arose and worked through it. 

Eight months later, they have finally moved into their house with a big blue view. 

It was one of the more stressful acquisitions I have worked on, but the clients were utterly wonderful to work with, unfailingly enthusiastic and happy to put in the time to look at some of the crazy things I sent them and even when we were tearing our hair out, they were calm and a pleasure to talk to.  I have worked on cases which took two weeks from beginning to end, and this took two years – but in the end all that matters is that, however long it takes, the client ends up with the house of their dreams.