She has been left to pay the hefty bill after the buyer of her Grade I listed flat pulled out

10:24, 27 Apr 2026Updated 10:57, 27 Apr 2026

An individual stands in a room filled with various art pieces, decorative items, and furniture. The room features yellow walls adorned with framed pictures, a large wooden cabinet filled with books and ornaments, and a smaller table with a red vase. The person is holding a cup and standing next to a stool.

Boudicca purchased her part of the villa in 1997 aged 27

An antiques expert has issued a warning to property owners after being landed with a £13,000 service charge bill when the buyers of her Grade I listed flat withdrew at the last minute.

Boudicca Scherazade, 57, bought part of Garrick’s Villa, a stately home, in 1997 for £130,000 before purchasing the rooms she currently occupies for £350,000 in 2001. Since then, she has painstakingly restored the flat to its 18th-century splendour.

The residence, located just a stone’s throw from Shakespeare’s Temple theatre in Hampton, South West London, was constructed in 1754 and belonged to the revolutionary English actor David Garrick, who redesigned it with assistance from the renowned neoclassical architect Robert Adam.

An individual is seated on a couch adorned with a red cushion, positioned within an elegantly decorated room. The walls are painted yellow and adorned with various framed artwork and decorative pieces. A yellow lamp casts a warm glow on the scene, and a chandelier is suspended from the ceiling. The room also features a wooden cabinet, a window with curtains, and a carpeted floor.

She painstakingly restored the home to its original glory

In May 2025, Boudicca listed the property for £1,025,000 and received interest, but the prospective buyer withdrew after making an offer. This has resulted in Boudicca being liable for her £13,000 service charge – which she hadn’t accounted for as she was anticipating the property would have sold.

Boudicca, a former music archivist and DJ, had expected that the new purchasers would cover most, if not all of the charge, but the collapse of the transaction has left her strapped for cash.

She has been attempting to leave London since 2021, but feels “trapped”, with no alternative buyers in sight. Boudicca, now an antiques expert and seller, from Hampton, London, said: “The trouble is, I almost feel like the house isn’t wanting to let me go. It’s been a nightmare; there have been times I’ve been crying every night, woken up in tears. There’s been times when I’ve considered the unthinkable, when I thought that’s the only way out of the financial situation I’m in.”

A formal, large building with multiple windows and decorative white columns situated against a cloudy sky, accompanied by a tree in the foreground.

The grand property is located in Hampton, South West London

She continued: “It’s an unusual property, it’s enormous, but I had an offer last June. They offered £200,000 under the asking price, and initially I was very reticent, but I want to retire to the countryside. I thought I was going to be walking free, but no, they pulled out at the last minute.”

Boudicca added: “Then the next day, I got the annual service charge bill. I was hoping to only have to pay a bit of it with the rest covered by the new buyers, but now I have to pay the full amount. It’s dreadful.”

Boudicca has owned various rooms in the property over the last 30 years, but has listed two bedrooms, a balcony, a kitchen, a bathroom and 1090 sq. ft Chinese drawing room for sale. The Chinese Drawing Room, boasting a “20-foot” ceiling and 10-foot chandeliers, was painstakingly restored to closely match Robert Adam’s original design following a devastating fire – “the mother of all disasters” – which left the property uninhabitable for seven years in 2008.

The interior of a room features a vibrant red wall adorned with numerous decorative plates and framed pictures. The room includes a wooden table, a white cabinet with drawers, and a large red carpet on the floor. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, contributing to the room's aesthetic.

Boudicca had support from English Heritage to restore the home to its historical state

Boudicca revealed that the flat’s period authenticity appears to be putting off prospective buyers. She said: “I’ve put everything into this house. I’ve lived here for thirty years, it was the family home with my mum until she died in 2021. I’m very, very bonded to it, I have a tattoo of the house on my leg. I really am Mrs Garrick. There’s no question.”

She added: “After the fire in 2008, I turned the living room back into being the big Chinese drawing room as it was during Mr Garrick’s time – it was previously partitioned. I’ve turned it back to being exactly as it was, had a huge amount of support from English Heritage but in so doing, I’ve lost two bedrooms and a bathroom. Now, it’s a different scale and maybe it’s a bit daunting. “

An elegantly designed bedroom featuring a four-poster bed adorned with red curtains, complemented by a luxurious carpet and ambient lighting. The room also includes a large window draped with white curtains, offering a serene view of the outdoors. The interior is further enhanced by wooden furniture and a selection of framed artwork on the walls.

Boudicca is concerned that the historical style of the property is ‘daunting’ to buyers

Boudicca purchased the property as a “subprimer” and now finds herself facing more than £3,500 in bills and mortgage payments. Over the past year, she’s generated in excess of £80,000 through her eBay venture selling antiques, yet the unforeseen service charge demand compelled her to launch a GoFundMe campaign to prevent falling into arrears.

She’s arranged to repay the service charge at £1,000 monthly, in addition to her £2,000 monthly mortgage interest charged at 8 per cent, plus £500 in council tax.

The crowdfunding appeal, aimed at her more affluent clientele, became a reluctant final resort after potential buyers withdrew. She said: “It’s been so humbling to see people donate, and it’s been an eye opener because it’s all the people that can least afford it, not the celebrities I provide for. My situation’s dire, but there are certainly people in worse situations.”

An individual dressed in casual attire stands on a porch, leaning against a pillar. The porch features a decorative railing and is adorned with potted plants, including a prominent topiary. The backdrop includes a lush garden with trees and a clear sky.

Now Boudicca is fundraising to cover the cost of her service charge

She added: “I’m putting all the money into the building’s insurance aspect of the service charge, and and making sure all my donators get a nice antique present through as a thank you. I bought this when I was 27 – I just hope lenders can start to free up money so that young people have the chances that I had to come here.”

You can read more and donate to Boudicca’s Gofundme fundraiser here.

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