House too dangerous to enter may fetch £300k
ARUN-DOWN house in one of the West’s most expensive suburbs that has been frozen in time and is now too dangerous to enter has been put up for auction at £300,000.
The period townhouse in Clifton, an upmarket area of Bristol, is covered in overgrown ivy, has no stairs, a fallen-in ceiling and has been vacant for five years.
Nearby properties in the area regularly sell for more than £1m, with the average asking price for a terraced home in the BS8 postcode hitting £909,000 in the last 12 months.
Auctioneers say that while potential buyers cannot look inside the property for safety reasons, it could still prove to be a bargain if snapped up around the £300,000 guide price.
In the listing, agents at Hollis Morgan advise: “Due to the dangerous condition of the property no internal viewings are possible.”
They added that the property has “severe water ingress throughout” and “now requires complete modernisation”.
However, the auctioneers are hopeful that the property on Meridian Vale “has scope for a fine three-four bedroom home in this incredibly sought after residential enclave”.
The freehold end-of-terrace period property is arranged over three floors occupying a large mature plot.
Although the property has been vacant for five years, it still contains plenty of books and furniture left behind by previous dwellers.
Estate agent Andrew Morgan said: “This property looks as though it has just been vacated by Miss Havisham because it certainly engenders Great Expectations!
“Its romantic ivy-clad walls certainly indicate that it is a property in need of restoration but it offers that very rare opportunity of a blank canvass to create a home of the purchasers’ dreams, be that traditional or contemporary.
“What makes this so unusual is that this is a manageable-size family home in an area where most of the properties are of mansion-house size. Additionally its location in a leafy quiet enclave within easy reach of the city centre makes this a true gem.”
The property is to be sold to cash buyers only as “given the condition of the property is it highly unlikely residential mortgages will be suitable for the purchase”.
The property is due to go up for auction on July 26.