A five-branch estate agency has entered administration after failing to maintain repayments on a six-year rescue deal involving almost £665,000 owed to HMRC.
Hat and Home Limited, founded by Ben Gee in 2020, entered administration on 15 September 2026. Creditors had approved a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) just seven months earlier.
Companies House documents examined by Property Industry Eye reveal that the agency agreed to pay at least £9,520 a month for six years.
However, it made just four payments, totalling £38,080, before falling into arrears.
HMRC submitted a creditor claim of £664,749.33. It subsequently received just 7.24p in the pound against its admitted preferential claim through the failed CVA.
EYE understands that Hat and Home has ceased trading, with the last of its five offices now closed.
Hat and Home’s rapid expansion
Hat and Home opened its first office in Wokingham in February 2021. It subsequently expanded into Crowthorne, Bracknell, Ascot and Sandhurst.
By 2023, the agency employed 31 staff across five branches.
In October that year, the business opened a refurbished, 2,700 sq ft headquarters in Sandhurst.
The premises housed a high street branch alongside centralised marketing, financial services, sales progression and tenancy operations.
Hat and Home joined The Guild of Property Professionals in 2024. At the time, Gee spoke of his ambitions to build a business recognised for customer service and branding.
However, The Guild has confirmed to EYE that the agency left its network in 2025.
Company records also show that former managing director Luke Strzadala ceased to be a director in August 2025. Jacqueline Gee followed in October.
£665,000 HMRC debt deal unravels
Hat and Home’s financial difficulties became clearer in February 2026.
Creditors approved a CVA designed to keep the business trading while it repaid its debts.
The original proposal identified PAYE liabilities of £403,630 and VAT liabilities of £244,916.
HMRC subsequently submitted a voting claim of £664,749.33. The tax authority supported the CVA, but imposed strict conditions.
These included at least 72 monthly payments of £9,520. The agreement also restricted directors’ dividends and remuneration and required the company to meet all new tax liabilities.
But the rescue plan quickly ran into trouble.
According to the supervisors’ final report, revenue fell substantially below forecasts during the opening months of the CVA.
Despite further cost-cutting measures, Hat and Home could not maintain its repayments or meet ongoing HMRC obligations.
The company made four monthly contributions before defaulting.
On 24 July, the supervisors issued a formal notice of breach after the agency missed a £9,520 payment.
Creditors face losses as pre-pack sale pursued
Hat and Home entered administration on 15 September, automatically bringing the CVA to an end.
The company’s sole director initiated the appointment of joint administrators Chris Newell and Jo Leach of Quantuma Advisory Limited. Both had previously supervised the CVA.
Their final report shows that HMRC’s admitted secondary preferential claim stood at £589,231.94.
In October, the supervisors paid a first and final CVA dividend of 7.24p in the pound. This amounted to approximately £42,670.
HMRC may recover further funds through the administration.
The report also reveals that the supervisors took steps to market Hat and Home’s business assets through a pre-packaged administration sale.
They intended the proposed transaction to secure a better outcome for creditors than compulsory liquidation.
According to the supervisors, HMRC knew about the proposed administration and pre-pack sale and raised no objection.
However, the report does not identify a purchaser or confirm whether the sale went ahead.
Although EYE understands that the agency’s remaining offices have closed, questions remain about its assets and managed property portfolio.
Six months ago, Gee publicly revealed that he was undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery to manage Parkinson’s disease. He said doctors had diagnosed the condition six years earlier.
In a LinkedIn post, he also outlined plans to raise £1m for Parkinson’s UK.
The insolvency documents attribute the failed CVA to weaker-than-expected trading and the company’s inability to meet its financial commitments.
They do not establish how the tax debts accumulated or identify misconduct by the directors.
Property Industry Eye attempted to contact Hat and Home. The company failed to respond.
