Couple buy abandoned house in north Wales for less than £200k - without seeing inside - here’s what they found when they got the keys

A couple who took a chance buying an abandoned house they hadn’t even seen inside got more than they bargained for when they finally got hold of the keys. Ryan Knight and wife Jenny Knight paid less than £200k for the four-bedroom property and knew it hadn’t been lived in for a while, but nothing could prepare them for the state it was in, inside and out.

Saying they had a feeling this house had a "unique" character to it, they decided to take a shot. Putting forward a bid for the crumbling pink house built in the 70s, the pair were surprised when they were told their offer had been accepted.

When they finally got in, and after removing tonnes of rubbish, they realised "how big" the house really is - with around 3,000ft in floorspace. They also found numerous unusual items, from an ornate chessboard to false teeth. The house is set in an idyllic location too, surrounded by woodland, two streams and a pond in Anglesey, north Wales.

Jenny, 47, a horse riding instructor said: "We were looking for a small property and couldn’t find anything. We didn’t want it to go into auction because it would keep getting higher. We had a budget and didn’t want to get over our budget. We were really lucky we got it.

"The house is so unique and that is why we wanted to buy it - it is a really special house. It needed to be saved. If it had gone a few more years like that it might have not been saved. Hopefully we’re gonna bring it back and make it look like it used too."

Initially the couple from Anglesey were going to buy a small property to renovate and then sell on but they could not find anything in the local area that grabbed their attention. Then, one night Jenny went on Rightmove and spotted the ‘fixer-upper’.

She said: "This house came up and the pictures were really poor and you couldn’t make much of it. My husband said he loved it. As it was just down the road, we drove there [the] next day. But there was loads of branches so we couldn’t really see it."

Despite the property being scheduled for auction, bids could be submitted beforehand. Ryan and Jenny's first bid was turned down, but this didn't discourage them. To their surprise their following offer was accepted and they were able to secure the property for just under £200k.

Contracts were exchanged on Friday, January 9, and the property was promptly dubbed the “Pink House”. She said: "It’s always been a house. Only four or five people have owned it and it goes back to the 70s. As you drive in to the property it’s got two gargoyles on the pillars and one is sticking the tongue out and the one isn’t so that makes it quite unique. Unfortunately the previous people who lived there got pretty unwell and then there were squatters living in it so you can imagine there’s a lot of rubbish inside and outside the house."

Once they got the keys they drove to the property with Jenny feeling "really curious" about what would be inside. She said: " We knew it was going to be messy but didn’t know how messy it would be.

"We found old newspapers, pictures, clothes with price tags and labels, boxes and bags. False teeth were definitely the weirdest thing we found - they were the funniest and did provide the most laughs. Ryan is terrified of spiders and there’s some really massive cobwebs in the house."

The Pink House boasts four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large lounge and a living room as well as an extra lounge at the back of the property. Jenny said: "The first thought I had was that it was of a Mediterranean feel. It’s got these big arched windows and it looks quite Spanish. But we were told it was built with a Roman villa inspiration.

"From walking around the outside we could see it was big but the indication from the auction people property pack they didn’t say it was as big as it is. The property is really substantial and it is an imposing building. We are really lucky where it is situated with a nice stream and woodland in the back of the property. It is really nestled in the middle of nowhere which is lovely."

Jenny says there's "a lot of work" ahead of them and the house is in need of new plumbing, electrics, new windows and work on the roof. "It is a complete renovation," she said.

Within a week of completing the purchase, they became hot on social media - with their debut video going viral with over two million views in just six days. Jen started sharing footage of the renovation journey on the very day the pair finalised their purchase. To her amazement, her Facebook following skyrocketed from 600 to 90k within 10 days.

She said: "When we started we didn't realise that social media would go as mad as it has. I honestly don’t know how I got so many followers on Facebook. People like the process of seeing things change. I have never been a massive social media person so I had to learn all about hashtags."

Their goal is to move in within a year but they said they are not in a hurry. Jenny said: "We'd like to be able to go there and have some friends without moving in, but there is no way it will be finished in 12 months. We want to renovate it and bring it back and we are not in a rush.”

You can follow their progress on their social media channels. They can be found on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.