House sold to stranded passengers

An Exeter-based estate agent has sold a waterfront house to a couple who have been stranded by the shut down of UK airspace.

The couple, who are currently based in Ireland, had come over to the UK to go house hunting in Devon. ‘After viewing 21 houses in 5 days without seeing anything they liked, they were due to fly home,' explains Simon Scott-Nelson, director of Winkworth in Exeter. ‘But just as they were preparing to head for the airport, they spotted a house at Wembury Point on our website for sale.'

After their flight was cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud, they took the opportunity to visit the four-bedroom house which is located just a few minutes from the South West Coastal Path. ‘We agreed an offer on site,' explains Mr Scott-Nelson. ‘The house is new to the market and had lots of interest so the buyers had to move quickly. We did the deal by calling the owners on the loudspeaker from the phone in the car.' The exchange is expected to take place in 4 weeks.

Tribbetts, which dates from the 1930s, has panoramic sea and coastal views and was on the market with a guide price of £675,000. (Winkworth 01392 422 320)