BLACKROCK HOUSE LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC106574 · ltd · incorporated 1987-09-11
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2023
Net worth
£-2.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis
Sector: Real estate
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 71129Other engineering activities
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed property-backed borrower — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 81). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 38.2y

30/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 38.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (72/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (1 active, 12 linked, 8 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
126 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £2,715

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
-£3k
Current Assets
£3k
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2023-12-31
Total assets£2.33M
Current assets£3.5k
Net assets£-2.7k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-07-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-03-17
    ➖
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret resigned
    secretary
  6. 2022-03-17
    ➖
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret resigned
    director
  7. 2022-03-17
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  8. 2022-03-17
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  9. 2022-02-11
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, David William, Dr appointed
    director
  10. 2022-02-11
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr resigned
    director
  11. 2022-02-11
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2022-02-11
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  13. 2022-02-11
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  14. 2022-02-10
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  15. 2021-09-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2020-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2019-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  18. 2018-12-24
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr appointed
    director
  19. 2018-12-24
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  20. 2018-10-09
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  21. 2018-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  22. 2018-09-01
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr resigned
    director
  23. 2016-07-01
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr appointed
    director
  24. 2012-10-10
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr resigned
    director
  25. 2012-10-10
    ➕
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret appointed
    director
  26. 2006-11-01
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, David resigned
    secretary
  27. 2006-11-01
    ➕
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret appointed
    secretary
  28. 2006-11-01
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, David, Dr appointed
    director
  29. 2006-11-01
    ➖
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret resigned
    director
  30. 2003-04-02
    ➕
    CRAWFORD, David appointed
    secretary
  31. 2003-04-02
    ➖
    HAWKINS, Ann resigned
    secretary
  32. 2000-05-30
    ➖
    CRAWFORD, David William, Dr resigned
    director
  33. 2000-05-30
    ➕
    WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret appointed
    director
  34. 1995-05-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  35. 1994-11-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  36. 1994-11-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  37. 1994-10-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  38. 1993-06-16
    ➕
    HAWKINS, Ann appointed
    secretary
  39. 1993-06-16
    ➖
    WHITTAKER, Gillian Audrey resigned
    secretary
  40. 1993-06-16
    ➖
    WHITTAKER, Paul Gerard resigned
    director
  41. 1991-11-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: James Finlay Bank Limited
  42. 1991-11-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: James Finlay Bank Limited
  43. 1988-02-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  44. 1987-09-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BLACKROCK HOUSE LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 81 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 81 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 39 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Dr David William Crawford
Individual · British · DOB 06/1945 · age 81
——sig. influencesignificant influence11/02/2022
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • M/S Dawn Margaret Westcottceased 09/02/2022· 75-100% shares

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1987-09-11
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC68320 — Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis

Registered office

Blackrock House
2-8 Millar Crescent
Morningside
Edinburgh
EH10 5HW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-25
Last: 2026-02-11

Officers (1 active · 11 resigned)

CRAWFORD, David William, Dr→
director · ~81y · appointed 2022-02-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CRAWFORD, David→
secretary · appointed 2003-04-02 · resigned 2006-11-01
Resigned
HAWKINS, Ann→
secretary · appointed 1993-06-16 · resigned 2003-04-02
Resigned
WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret→
secretary · appointed 2006-11-01 · resigned 2022-03-17
Resigned
WHITTAKER, Gillian Audrey→
secretary · resigned 1993-06-16
Resigned
CRAWFORD, David, Dr→
director · ~66y · appointed 2018-12-24 · resigned 2022-02-11
Resigned
CRAWFORD, David, Dr→
director · ~66y · appointed 2016-07-01 · resigned 2018-09-01
Resigned
CRAWFORD, David, Dr→
director · ~81y · appointed 2006-11-01 · resigned 2012-10-10
Resigned
CRAWFORD, David William, Dr→
director · ~81y · resigned 2000-05-30
Resigned
WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret→
director · ~79y · appointed 2012-10-10 · resigned 2022-03-17
Resigned
WESTCOTT, Dawn Margaret→
director · ~79y · appointed 2000-05-30 · resigned 2006-11-01
Resigned
WHITTAKER, Paul Gerard→
director · ~73y · resigned 1993-06-16
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property06/10/1994—
satisfied
James Finlay Bank
James Finlay Bank Limited
Standard security1 property20/11/199109/11/1994
satisfied
James Finlay Bank
James Finlay Bank Limited
Bond & floating charge1 property14/11/199109/11/1994
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Standard security1 property18/02/198810/05/1995
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (126 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-09-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-07-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-29
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-03-17
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-03-17
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-02-11
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-02-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-11
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-02-11
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-02-10