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Nov
Harrogate interior firm pledges to repay creditors after liquidation
A Harrogate interior design company has pledged to pay back creditors after going into liquidation.
Houz of Harrogate Ltd – trading as House of Harrogate – appointed Begbies Traynor LLP to liquidate the company on November 5.
The business offers kitchen, bathroom and bedroom design services.
Owner Mark Edwards, who set up the company a decade ago, told the Stray Ferret the business was “owed money by quite a few people”, so he decided to seek legal advice.
A source told the Stray Ferret they were owed a significant amount of money by Mr Edwards' company. We put this to him, but Mr Edwards said he has agreed to pay creditors back “on a gentleman’s handshake”.
He said:
We will try to pay remaining creditors back when we are back on our feet.
The company last month moved out of its large Cheltenham Mount showroom to a unit on Saltergate Business Park. The Stray Ferret asked Mr Edwards if this was also part of the liquidation process.
He told us the company had come to the end of its 10-year lease and he was planning on moving out of the premises anyway.
Mr Edwards also said the company name has been changed to House of Harrogate Ltd – still trading under House of Harrogate – which was registered on Companies House in August.
He told the Stray Ferret he did “everything by the book”, adding:
It's a difficult position to be in. I've been doing this for 10 years.
After speaking to others, a lot of people are moving out of the town centre.
I’m not getting stung by business rates at the new site. I feel like I’m doing a better job out of the town centre and I’m less stressed.
But there’s just two of us now – we’re re-adjusting.
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