Shan’s story. From stressful renovation to safe haven with a Probate Loan

After losing both her husband and mother within the same week, Shan was left facing grief, debt, and a half-finished renovation of their dream home in the Scottish Highlands. Struggling alone and overwhelmed, she turned to Provira after failed attempts to find help or financial support elsewhere. With Provira’s empathy and support, Shan secured the funds to complete the project, regain stability, and find peace in the home she and her husband had envisioned together. 

Back in July 2022, Shan endured an unimaginable series of losses. In the same week that her mother died, Shan’s husband, who had been ill on and off, passed away suddenly and quite unexpectedly.  

Not long before, Shan and her husband had remortgaged their family home in London and were in the process of relocating 500 miles away, in the Scottish Highlands. 

There, they planned to embark on a renovation project and begin the next chapter of their lives. Her late husband, a conservation architect, had led the project and was due to carry out much of the work himself. In the immediate throes of grief, Shan made the bold decision to continue the project by herself, in doing so, she became fixated on realising their shared dream. 

“I couldn’t think about all the other stuff. All I could think was, ‘I have to get on with this project.’ It was his dream house, I just felt I owed it to him and couldn’t see past it.”

Not long after both funerals, Shan’s daughter, who’d just started college, subsequently suffered a breakdown and returned home for Shan’s care and attention.

Up in Scotland, ready to embark on the renovation work, Shan thought she had enough money from her and her husband’s pension pots to see the work through. However, things quickly spiralled. The renovation costs soared, she got ripped off by a builder along the way and she had additional costs of helping her daughter get back on her feet.

Before long, every penny was gone. Half the house remained unfinished, debts were growing, and she was forced to borrow from friends & family.

“It was an especially painful time. I just know my husband would have handled things differently. He was an architect; he would’ve spotted the red flags straight away.”

At this point, with building work unfinished and debts mounting, Shan explored borrowing options against her property. After being steered down the wrong route by another provider, and enduring weeks of delay, her probate loan application was rejected. She came away from the whole situation devastated, hopes dashed and feeling very low.

“It all fell apart; I was in a total panic. I was like jelly; I just couldn’t deal with any of it”

Then Shan found Provira. Unlike previous experiences, she was met with empathy and expertise.

Initially, Shan wanted to avoid borrowing more against the family home in London, so she sought advice on using her mother’s flat to secure a loan. Unfortunately, the flat didn’t meet the necessary criteria for a Provira probate loan. Undeterred, Shan revisited her options with Provira and eventually put forward the family home in London.  This time the arrangement was successful.

“Throughout, Provira staff were so kind. I really felt Tracey was genuinely pleased to be able to help me. I’ve had several experiences with all kinds of people since dealing with both these bereavements, and it makes a massive difference if people are kind.”

A period of financial relief

Receiving the funds brought overwhelming and immediate relief.  With the money Shan could complete the first phase of the building work, pay back any money owed and close a painful chapter. It relieved an awful lot of the stress she’d been carting around for months, affording her stability and peace of mind.

Now, with the chance to reflect, Shan sees her decision to take on the renovation not as one of impulsion but as an act of love to her husband, honouring their dream of building their home in the Highlands. 

“I couldn’t even think of selling it. It’s become my safe place. I don’t want to leave it. It’s not just a house, it’s a very significant place to me. He is buried just 500 metres away.”