The €600,000 guide price was also affordable for the couple, as long as they disposed of their Stillorgan base. “We were the last people to view the house and the auction was on a few days later, so we decided to go along, more in hope than expectation,” says Duggan.
We were by far the youngest people there and I’m sure a few jaws dropped when we started to bid,” she says.
The steely pair’s resolve was tested when bidding eclipsed the €1m mark, but they kept their composure and secured the house for €1.15m. “I turned completely pale when our bid was accepted,” says Duggan.
The young couple suddenly found themselves with two mortgages and two homes, one of them in a perilous state of neglect. “We’re both quite impulsive and I think that if we had had more time to really weigh up the decision, we might have got cold feet. Our parents were supportive, but were obviously worried that we were getting in over our heads,” says Hughes.