First-time buyer finds out ‘dream home’ to be demolished hours after moving in

A devastated first-time buyer was in the middle of celebrating when she received the shocking news that her “dream home” was set to be demolished just hours after moving in.

Dr Fabiola Creed had just popped open the champagne to celebrate her new three-bedroom house with her husband when a letter landed on her doormat that her home was lined up for demolition in a £2.2 billion redevelopment of Birmingham’s Ladywood area.

The letter informed Dr Creed that her property was inside a regeneration zone facing the bulldozer.

The horrible circumstance has left the academic researcher “shattered”, telling Birmingham Live: “I wake up with a sense of dread every morning, and it’s always in the back of my mind because I cannot plan ahead. I thought buying a house would give me certainty and roots; this is a nightmare.

“The first day we moved in, my mum helped us, and we were so excited. On our wedding day we had been given two expensive bottles of champagne, one to toast the first home, and one for our first child, and it all felt perfect. The next morning everything changed.”

Things quickly unravelled for the couple, who discovered a leaflet from local MP Shabana Mahmood, asking for their opinions on the Ladywood regeneration plans.

This prompted the new homeowner to do some investigating, and she quickly discovered her property was inside the development’s ‘red zone’.

She said: “We were devastated. Do we renovate as planned? Do we wait to have children? These were the questions we were asking ourselves.”

At first glance the three-bed house in Lighthorne Road, Ladywood, listed for £230,000 had a lot going for it.

“It’s located close to the city centre, and to work, has three bedrooms and a garden, and is in need of quite a bit of work that means we can gradually put our mark on the place – these were all big pluses for us,” said Fabiola. 

And now Dr Creed is urging an investigation into why potential house buyers are left in the dark about proposals of such a huge magnitude, claiming she was left blindsided.

“I started saving when I was just 14 years old, doing a part time job. I started saving £50 a month, then as I got older and started earning it was £100, then £200, so really for 16 years I have been saving up for my first home. Owning a home meant the world to me because I never had a safe home growing up.

“When I found this dream fixer-upper I was delighted. I was sold by the seller’s stories that the house was a wonderful place to have and raise children.”

Wentworth and Rose Estate Agents, who sold the property, have since claimed: “We regret to learn of Ms. Fabiola’s concerns regarding her recent property purchase, particularly in light of the proposed regeneration plans for Ladywood. At this stage, we understand that the regeneration initiative remains in the proposal phase and has not yet been formally approved.

“We undertake significant efforts to ensure that any material information provided by sellers, which could impact prospective buyers, is appropriately disclosed during the listing process. In this instance, it is unfortunate that the buyer’s appointed representatives did not flag this proposal as part of their due diligence review. We extend our best wishes to Ms. Fabiola as she works towards a satisfactory outcome with her representatives.”

The council and Berkeley Homes are currently in the middle of negotiations, with affected residents, who could lose their homes, being offered settlement terms. They could ultimately be subject to a compulsory purchase order.