Update & Unique Property Manual Competition
This week our Unique Property Bulletin is being written and uploaded from the metaphoric internet “lifeboat”. We preface this Bulletin with an introduction, update, and even a small – free to enter – competition. When the main .co.uk website was created, the web server kept putting our site offline, citing overload issues due to increasing visitor numbers, and asking that we upgrade our webhost service package. From £1.25 a month, to £9.99 a month; then to £39.00 a month. Two weeks ago, Webhost UK Ltd., put our main .co.uk site offline again, demanding we upgrade to £99 a month. Good & Bad.
Lifeboat – Guess The Ship Name & Win A Manual (c) 2013 Russ McLean
Our IT Wizard Techy Bod advised us that even the £39 package we had was over-engineering our needs. So we baulked a fortnight ago when faced with a £99 a month Webhost UK Ltd., upgrade demand from our existing £39 package. Hence we are publishing this .org backup website from our separate safety-net webservice, whilst our main .co.uk web domain is moved to a more reliable, and competitive service provider. As an asides, if you can guess which ship the above photographed lifeboat is from, the first email (via our) Tayport Group Contact Page out of the hat with the correct ship name will receive a free copy of our Unique Property Manual. This mini competition closes 4th April 2013.
COMPETITION
Unique Property Manual Competition (c) 2013 Russ McLean
Writing this webpage from the internet lifeboat, is, oddly, a wonderful thing – as at this end of the keyboard we see the amazing and welcome increase in site visitors since we moved from 25 years of paper, to fully online 14 months ago. Though it was, and is hugely frustrating to have the site outages because the main site webserver keeps putting our fully functional .co.uk website offline rather, than ask us to pay for an upgraded service BEFORE they do anything precipitous. To have a website go offline repeatedly and without warning is incredibly frustrating this end. As a reader it must look fairly annoying from the visitor end as well.
That is why we took out an insurance policy last year and spent a very good value £90 (annual fee) renting space on an entirely separate webserver for the .org backup website version of Unique Property Bulletin.
Torturing A Metaphor – Fixing Our Website (c) 2013 Russ McLean
Apologies with the nautical metaphors. Back to this mini Bulletin. Anyone reading this would be well advised to consider a mirror website insurance policy for their own website, and have a backup safety site to fill the void if their primary website goes offline.
More Good & Bad. Or rather Bad & Good
The change of webserver going on over at our main website (currently offline) is tortuous. It is a real pain. However, what is extraordinarily good is for the computer dinosaurs writing this has been to realise the NEXT BIG THING is about to appear. A few Bulletin issues ago, we mentioned that libraries and bookshops are closing in alarming numbers. Partly as a result of technological revolutions such as Kindle and eBook readers. The phrase that has gained common currency nowadays for this type of structurally seismic event is a game-changer.
A similar game-changer is occurring with pubs. We know! Our sister website – consisting of a group of Bulletin readers – started a hobby in 1997 buying old closed buildings to re-open and revive back to a useful and meaningful life. Not just refurbishing near ruinous closed premises, but providing micro-finance and mentor support to new tenants. One of those buildings our group refurbished was a near derelict pub, which we renovated and turned into a coffee shop plus internet cafe.
Internet Cafe After Refurbishment (c) 2005 D. Rutherford.
To our shock it took off and was almost more than we could handle in terms of business volume…
http://realdragonsden.com/turning-a-corner/
Over 15 years the modest group has – more by accident than design – reopened 20 closed buildings, and created more than 100 jobs. Plus a lot of enjoyment along the way. All because of a hobby, and a group of friends whom, amongst other things, wanted to make a serious point to a government enterprise body of how young folk could and should be given a chance to thrive. In essence good came from bad. But that Real Dragons’ Den is a whole other story.
So what is the point of this Bulletin introduction ? In so many ways, like an iceberg, there is a massive game-changer on the horizon, just slightly visible above the waterline. We hadn’t a clue about this until last week. One of our IT guys is a year ahead of the field in this game-changing initiative, and we have been knocked six foot sideways having seen just a little of what is to come.
Now for the naughty bit. You are beloved reader will need to wait for a Bulletin or two to come before we narrate more fully what the “The Next Big Thing” will be. For the avoidance of doubt this is not so much to do with the Unique Property Bulletin (though it will help several readers move to unusual buildings and have the ability to earn a living anywhere they choose), but a much, much wider global issue.
For now, after this temporary site Bulletin, and whilst our main website is being moved from the very upsetting Webhost UK Ltd., web service to a better and more reliable web hosting provider elsewhere, we have, here, courtesy of the wonderful Hostgator a lifeboat backup site. A small version of the Unique Property Bulletin for 17th March 2013. We cannot thank Hostgator enough for being our lifeboat and keeping the Unique Property Bulletin online when the other lot at Webhost UK Ltd., have let us down so badly.
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Good Old Fashioned Windmill Home
Stow Mill, Paston, Norfolk (c) 2013 Roger and Andrea Hough
Mill + House + Shop + Business
Unique Life + Unique Lifestyle
As a relief to our internet website hosting woes, it is nice to return to finding and featuring unique and unusual property to call home. The virtual world has it’s virtues, but the real world is reassuringly tangible.
This lovely mill, situated in an area designated “of extreme natural beauty” is 6 miles south of Cromer just outside the seaside village of Mundesley on the coast road to Paston, Norfolk. In 1999 the mill was taken over by the current owners, Roger and Andrea Hough, who have carried out considerable restoration work, and have now turned Stow Mill into a loved and favoured tourist spot.
Stow Mill, Paston, Norfolk (c) 2013 Roger and Andrea Hough
The mill was built between 1825 and 1827 and operated from 1828 until 1930, a working period of over 100 years. Then ‘out of work’, it was stripped of it’s interior machinery below the brake wheel and turned into a small home but redeemed in 1960 when it was selected for preservation by the Norfolk County Council. From then until 1999 the mill was maintained by a private owner with the help of donations and admission charges.
Location: Stow Mill, Stow Hill, Paston, Norfolk, NR28 9TG.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: OIRO £495,000
Contact Stow Windmill Owners Direct: http://www.stowmill.co.uk/find_us.html
Online Brochure & Photos ….
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Planning To Go To Court
The Court House, Flintshire (c) 2013 Countrywide Auctions
This property is now available post auction. A Grade II Listed former courthouse configured as offices extending to 2656 square feet (246.74 sq m) with secure parking. Planning permission and listed building consent has been GRANTED by Flintshire County Council (Ref: 047178 & 047179) for partial change of use of ground floor and entire first floor to form 3 self contained apartments and alterations to finishes of yard area. Prospective purchasers must rely on their own enquiries in this respect. Planning Permission for ref 047178 was granted on 21 March 2011 and ref 047179 was granted on 23 March 2011.
Note – Room sizes and overall sizes are provided for guidance purposes only. Purchasers should rely on their own measurements.
Tenure: Freehold.
Location: The Court House, Halkyn Street, Holywell, Flintshire, CH8 7TX.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: £100,000. FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION. Worth a look? Possibly a little bargain to be struck?
Original Auction Date: 14th March 2013 at 01:00 PM – Lot 106.
Contact Countrywide Auctioneers Tel: 0870 240 1140.
Online Brochure ….
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Lanky Barn
Barn at Bleara Moor, Lancashire (c) 2013 Eddisons
Located on Bleara Moor, this Barn is just off Coolham Lane, Earby in a rural setting approximately 10 metres from the road and 600 metres from Earby village. Nearby towns include Nelson (11 kms), Colne (8 kms and Barnoldswick (4 kms)
Planning Consent: The site has the benefit of Full Planning Permission for the conversion of the barn to form a single dwelling house, including the formation of a new access. Application Reference Number 13/12/0462P Dated 3 December 2012
The planning permission is for the conversion of the barn to form a three bedroom house.
Please note: The site is currently occupied on a grazing licence dated 11 May 2012 at a rent of £230. This licence terminates 24 March 2013.
Location: Barn at Bleara Moor, Coolham Lane, Earby, Barnoldswick, Lancashire, BB18 6LE.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: Reserve £170,000. FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION.
Contact Eddison Auctioneers Tel: 0845 505 1200.
Online Brochure ….
http://www.eddisons.com/property-auctions/online-catalogue/171-136/
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Half Mill Cop Shops
Helmsley Police Station & Two Houses, York (c) 2013 Roy Pugh
This is one of our favourite flavours. A property that has failed to sell at auction. Just shy at half a million, as an FTSAA, there is the aroma of a bargain in the air. A LOT of bricks and mortar for the money. Plus a nice mix of residential and commercial. We firmly believe this is THE way to go. Folk moving to houses with a little commercial annexe to work from. More and more people will get fed up commuting with this on so many days travelling into work….
No More Traffic Commute Nightmares (c) 2013 Albert Bridge
With the wonders of home based internet businesses, freedom to work anywhere will abound. More people that ever before are opting for the one-minute commute from home to a home-based study.
In the UK a recent report showed an average of 52 minutes (men = 58 and women 47 minutes every work day) spent commuting from home to work and back again ….
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/14/daily-commute-slog-joy
As an exercise in examining quality of life logistics, and how to improve this, here in the UK, if we take an average 205 days each year as work (and commute) days …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18144319
Multiply that by a working life of 45 years, equates to a staggering 333 days of YOUR life commuting.
Depending on how you look at this, if you remove the commute, your lifespan may go up by a whole additional year. Something to contemplate?
Digression over. So this listing could reduce your commute from the average of 52 minutes a day, to a wonderful one-minute between the house and the old police station – where your new internet or Skype based e-business could thrive from.
What do we have? Here is a very useful mix of unusual buildings. One to live in, one to rent out for a useful income, and a little bit left over for your proper commercial office to run your internet business from. Even have a very secure place to lock up the computers (the jail rooms).
Auctioneer’s Narrative: Vacant former police station with two 3 bedroom vacant houses on a site of approximately 0.36 Acres. The property is located on Ashdale Road which is accessed via the A170 close to the centre of Helmsley. Helmsley is located approximately 20 miles north of York in the North Yorkshire Moor National Park. The property comprises a ground floor former police station, with two adjoining vacant three bedroom houses where the first floor accommodation extends over the police station.
As this failed to sell at auction, maybe, just maybe you could secure this old police station and houses for a figure starting with a “3”. An interesting perspective is freedom from life’s commuting drudge, gifted by a custodial suite of police cells!
Location: Former Helmsley Police Station, 33-35 Ashdale Road, Helmsley, YO62 5DE.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: Guide: £450,000 – FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION PROPERTY – 26th February 2013. Formerly Lot 35 – A bargain to be had?
Contact Roy Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2 722444.
Online Brochure and more photographs …..
http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Leeds/20130226/035
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Millionaire Cop Shop
Harrogate Police Station, North Yorkshire (c) 2013 Roy Pugh
This property comprises a vacant two storey former police station with extensions to the rear set in landscaped grounds together with rear car parking area and a detached former three bedroom house to the rear as well.
What do you get for the seven figure sum? 1.4 acres of fun, plus lots of buildings. Almost criminal.
The premises front North Park Road approximately 500m from Harrogate town centre and close to the junction with Station Avenue. The surrounding properties are predominantly residential with some commercial uses nearby. Harrogate itself is situated approximately 17 miles to the north of Leeds.
As with the previous listing, this old police station, may, in an odd way, go from being a place of incarceration, to a place of freedom – away from commuting nightmares.
If you do buy this interesting structure, perhaps let us know how you get on? There are several television companies and newspapers keen to narrate the adventures of folk taking on such projects.
Location: Harrogate Police Station, North Park Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5PJ.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: £1,900,000 – FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION PROPERTY – 26th February 2013. Possibly a bargain to be had. But you will need deep pockets.
Contact Roy Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2 722444
Online Brochure and more photographs ….
http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Leeds/20130226/020
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That’s All Folks – For Now
It is a relief to manage to upload some form of Bulletin this week. Much thanks to Hostgator (our lifeboat backup webhost) and our IT Techy Bod for helping keep the Unique Property Bulletin website afloat during this uncertain period.
Hopefully we will have our MAIN Unique Property Website (the .co.uk full facility version) back online for 24th March 2013.
Finally, a BIG thank you for all the emails and messages of support. They have been quite unexpected, but give this free website for eccentric property people quite a lift.
For the time being, if you need to get in touch, our temporary contact page (whilst the main website is being transferred to a new webserver) is via our parent company …..
