However, about two weeks ago he sought police assistance after feeling intimidated by the existing occupant who was the son of the deceased owner and refused to leave until the balance of the sale was paid.
Mr Speer said the police had given the man until Monday last week to be out of the house.
The occupant did leave, and Mr Speer had just begun renovating the building before the fire broke out about 4am yesterday.
A Fire Service spokesperson said three appliances and a water tanker from Hastings, along with a water tanker from Otane, were sent to fight the fire which was well involved when firefighters arrived.
It took until about 8am yesterday to completely extinguish the blaze, the cause of which was being investigated.
"We do not know if it was suspicious or not, which is why the fire investigator was brought in," the spokesperson said.
Mr Speer said he did not know about the fire until about 7.30am yesterday when he was on his way to the property to continue work on the house.
"I had just started doing it up - the power was newly on and I had put new windows in, and I was hoping to move in myself in about three weeks.
"There's nothing left standing, it's just shell - I don't know what to think, I'm dumbfounded."
He said he was thankful he had not been in the house at the time.
Although he had insurance, he said the work on the property to date had "cost a pretty penny" and he was curious to know what had happened.
