This Edition’s Feature…
Unique Property Syndicates
Special Email Alert List: Syndicates
Or…
How An Auction Guide of £2,000 Becomes £85,000
Water Tower, Great North Road to Doncaster Road, Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN10 6NX
Photograph Copyright 2015 (c) Michael Patterson
Early 2014 Guide: £2,000
New 2015 Guide: £85,000 to £105,000
Click Here for Brochure & Architect’s Plans
A former water tower, NOW, with the all important residential planning consent for four bedroom dwelling on a site of approximately 652 square metres.
Contact – Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2722444.
Feature details at the foot of this page.
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Beaky Bargain
Houghton le Spring Magistrates Court, Dairy Lane, Houghton le Spring, DH4 5BH
We just couldn’t resist this bargain property. Many a Beak [thought to be derived from the magistrate worn regalia word: beag ], who sat in judgement of an accused person sat on the naughty chair in the picture. There is something fascinating about the dynamic of this room. It is fairly rare to have a safety glass enclosure for the person in the dock. But it is usual to have fine wall panelling in such rooms. Possibly a feature that might be retained for the decor design in a possible conversion of this place to an abode.
Guide £10,000. Yup that is just ten thousand pounds.
Contact – Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2 722444
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Clipper Schooner Art Deco
Halved In Guide Price
The Clipper Schooner, 19 Friars Lane, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2RP
SHORT NOTICE LISTING PLEASE BE QUICK.
Also remember to check if it Failed To Sell At Auction!
Former public house with self-contained two bedroom apartment. Ceased trading in 2014 and is now to be sold with vacant possession. The building could provide a wide range of uses subject to planning permission and also benefits from a spacious two bedroom apartment on the first floor.
From a guide price of £160,000 [now moved from estate agent to auction]….
Click Here For The OLD Priced Details
To a guide of half the original price following closure. Now Guided at £80,000
Click Here For The NEW Priced Details
Contact – Auction House Tel: 01603 505 10
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Old BT Needs A Whitewash?
Buxton TRS, Long Hill, Fernilee, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6ST
Here is an old BT TRS – Telephone Repeater Station – with fabulous views over countryside. The only thing is, the building appears dank. It could really do with a couple of coats of whitewash/masonry paint. You would be amazed at the uplift in building presentation and injection of life a fine coat of white can make. Here is an example of an old tired building we bought a while back. New windows and a decent whitewash gave it a whole fresh appearance – one we prepared earlier! The particular Telephone Repeater Station photographed above for this listing is one of the larger TRS variety.
Auction Narrative: Detached single storey stone former BT building offered with vacant possession. The property benefits from planning consent for change of use to a 4 bedroom residential dwelling.
Guide: £175,000
Click Here For Online Brochure & House Plan Drawings
Contact – Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2722444
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Please Can You Help The Bulletin?
Since going online over 3 years ago, we have made the Unique Property Bulletin free to all readers. For each edition, a small group of volunteers are very happy to put together something that appears to interest a substantial amount of people. Anywhere between 30,000 and 50,000 readers. This still amazes us.
As a favour for this effort by the Bulletin volunteers, we are asking each reader if they will consider signing a petition which has been established by the founder of Unique Property Bulletin.
Were it not for the person who helps our founder and contributor to these pages, then there would be NO Unique Property Bulletin.
So it is with a warm heart that we ask readers if they would consider signing the petition that is shown on this website:-
http://qe90.net/
(Please Click The Above Weblink To Study The Linked Petition. Thanks)
The first page is a general summary. The second page details why the petition has been established – to say a thank you to someone that has exhibited human kindness to a less physically able fellow human being – and as an ancillary benefit, helped keep the Unique Property Bulletin going for our readers.
There is a weblink on every page of the QE90 website that links with the petition, and signing is relatively straight forward.
A sincere thank you from…
All here at the Unique Property Bulletin
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Shropshire Union Lock House
Lock Keeper’s Cottage, 66 Hoole Lane, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3DX
A picture paints 1,000 words. This home for sale by the canalside looks just sublime. What is really thought provoking is that the water just outside your potential new home is the same water that goes across the world famous, and somewhat vertigo inducing splendour of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. If you buy this canal lock keeper’s house, you must surely think about buying a canal boat. It is a wonderful wee adventure along the canal – about 20 miles – meandering over this iconic water bridge… 
This Is Where Your Canal Leads To: The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Splendid Photo Montage – Click Here
Also more at:-
Click Here For Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Website
Back to the lock keeper’s cottage for sale. There is a dedicated website with lots of information and photographs…
Lock Keeper’s Cottage For Sale: Dedicated Website
Guide: £235,000.
Contact – Hart & Co: Click Here & CLICK “CONTACT SELLER” BUTTON
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WANTED
London Underground Building
or
A Building Space Under London
Within M25 Orbital Catchment Area
Cash Waiting
This is an unusual insertion within the Unique Property Bulletin. 98% of what we review is for sale or rent. But someone in London asked the question, has the money, and would like us to see if we can do the honours and make an introduction.
This buyer said the last bit of London Underground that we featured [ Click Here ] was something they looked at, but were pipped to the post. One thing for sure, London is quite a scary place when it comes to property prices. Brompton Road Underground Station sold in 2014 for £53,000,000. Incredible. 
Brompton Road Underground Station Atop Much of Interest
Copyright (c) 2015 Transport for London Museum Archive
But for Londoners, many don’t bat an eyelid. Must be a perspective thing. You can get used to seven and even eight digit purchase prices if that is what the majority go for. Anyway, if you have something along these lines for sale…
Brompton Road Underground Station: Below
Copyright (c) 2015 Alan Murray Rust
…or indeed any subterranean structure – for example:-
An Alternate Underground Project: London Loo Home – Click Here
…that you would consider selling, please feel free to contact us and we would be delighted to introduce you…
Click Here To Contact Us For An Introduction
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Calling An Estate Agent For…
A Unique Property Bulletin Joint Venture
Would You Like To Share £36,000?
Unique Property Bulletin is a website run on a not-for-profit basis, but it does have costs such as webhosting fees, IT support, computers, photography etc. However with between 30,000 and 50,000 regular readers, many active in buying and selling, we cannot help but have sales happen as a result of our website. The listing for a “wanted” property above set us thinking on how to remedy an ongoing problem – the requirement to gently increase our modest funding for the Unique Property Bulletin so there is not too much loss in the not-for-profit principle at the end of each year! A possible solution? Some form of joint venture with an established estate agency.
Tarbat Ness Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages (c) Photo 2014 Tain Cottages
A Successful Unique Property Bulletin Introduction of Buyer & Seller
The Unique Property Bulletin was started many years ago by some eccentric friends who like living in unusual homes and wished to share details of unique property coming to market. The Unique Property Bulletin was born. At first in paper format, which ran for quite a while with a circulation that peaked around 3,500. Then 3 years ago when we went online with this website. This internet version of the Bulletin has so far grown to a range of 30,000 to 50,000 readers – property buyers and sellers. Major media articles such as these help…
Daily Telegraph – Unique Property Bulletin Researched Article
and another example…
BBC – Unique Property Bulletin Researched Articile
Such media coverage has been a shock, at literally the tens of thousands of extra click-visits that follow by new readers each time a newspaper, or radio interview goes live.
But recently we have had two of our Bulletin writers/helpers emigrate. Plus our founder has a season ticket for surgery at the local hospital and is offsite quite a lot. The result is that Unique Property Bulletin needs to employ a couple of part-time employees.
Without even trying we know that in the last year the Bulletin made estate agents that are not part of the Bulletin over £36,000 in commission.
So here is our proposal:-
We cordially invite a motivated and established estate agent to come alongside to establish a joint estate agency venture with Unique Property Bulletin.
We have so far managed to create…
Newstart Unique Property Estate Agency Company – Click Here
… but we simply haven’t the spare time to create a whole new estate agency, let alone manage anit full time. So the ideal is to form a joint-venture with an established estate agent. Such an estate agency would have a boost of 30,000 to 50,000 readers – and growing – with folk who have asked us to sell their property having the help we want to give them in selling their property.
To The Fore of Ailsa Craig Island: Winch House, Railway & Pier (c) 2015 Knight Frank
Another Successful Unique Property Bulletin Introduction of Buyer & Seller
A joint venture with an established estate agency would be an excellent solution, and enable the Bulletin to increase circulation, content, range and quality with two part-time employees. Whilst an external estate agency looking to increase their online revenue stream side of business would, or should manage to do just that. Such an established estate agency will have all the appropriate protocols in place – staff, experience, qualifications, licences, access to Rightmove etc.
The ace is that we can then restart the Unique Property Bulletin media articles which have been deferred for a while given the Bulletin’s temporarily restricted ability to cope with the sheer numbers of readership, emails, buyer and seller enquires etc.
A good result all round.
So if you are a motivated estate agency and can recognise an opportunity to boost your business by joining up with an established property website, please:-
Click Here For Joint Venture Estate Agency Details
and/or…
Click Here To Get In Touch
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Former Church & Belfry
All Saints, Old Church Hill, Langdon Hills, Basildon, Essex SS16 6HZ
This picturesque detached former church has been privately owned since the early 1970s when the current owner changed the use to residential. Accommodation: Entrance Porch, Living Area, Kitchen Dining Area, Study Area, Ground Floor Bathroom, Gallery Bedroom.
Click Here For The All Saints Church Online Brochure
Guide: £375,000
Contact – Strutt & Parker Tel: 01245 254626 – Sharnie Rogers
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Baker Street Windmill & Mills
Orsett Windmill, Stifford Clays Road, Orsett, Grays, Essex, RM16 3LX
This spectacular unique property is believed to date from 1674. Baker Street Mills is a magnificent hexagonal windmill, one of the last three examples of a smock mill remaining in Essex, now Listed Grade II as being of architectural and historical importance. It was an operating windmill until 1912 from when it fell into disrepair and was then restored and converted into a private residence in 1981. The current vendors completed their restoration of the windmill in 1999 including the restoration of the majestic sails which are fully operational.
Guide: £1,250,000
Click Here For Orsett Windmill & Mills Brochure
Contact – Strutt & Parker Tel: 01245 254626 – Sharnie Rogers
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Unique Property Competition
For January + February 2015, the Unique Property Bulletin competition prize is:-
A Nice Note From The Bulletin To One Of Our Readers
This Is Our Modest Prize. Unless Requested, Payment Will Be Made By Cheque.
Competition Hint
“Anything In Common Founder”
Can You Name This Unique Property ?
The first correct entry for the name of unique property – out of the hat – wins the prize.
PLEASE NOTE: The prize is NOT the building, just the £50. Sorry we haven’t reached the level of prize value that enables real buildings to be awarded to winners. Yet!
For our previous competition in November/December 2014 we featured the MOST obscure unique building that we could find. The reckoning was that nobody would manage a correct answer. We even featured the pre-renovation photo. But still there were 4 correct entries!
Our conclusion? There is now a very substantial knowledge base amongst our readers that pretty much covers most of the UK. In a Feature Article soon to be published in the Bulletin we shall see if there is any way our philosophy of sharing details and news of unusual property between readers can be expanded in to help those who are actively on the hot trail of finding and securing their dream home. However, for now and this competition, we have had to halve our prize fund as it is looking a little dry with all of the very well informed readers winning each round. Even so, we hope it still appeals to those that enjoy this element of our publication.
Best wishes and good luck from the Unique Property Bulletin Team
Free to enter. Just let us know have your competition answer by 28th February 2015. Email free entries to:-
Unique Property Bulletin Competition Entry Contact Page
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Architecturally Unique
Please note, each week we feature the work of a unique architect. These properties are NOT currently for sale, but are included to help inspire readers as to the talent that abounds when a good architect’s mind meets the imagination of a unique property person, and something that little bit special is created by the synergy.
Growing Architecture
The Bradford Residence (c) 2015 Bart Prince Architects
A wonderefully imaginative house that, to quote the architect “grew out of the hill” . Also being built in an elevated hillside positionand this unique home has fabulous views.
Photo Montage & Further Reading – Click Here
Architect’s Website: Click Here
Contact: Bart Prince Architecture – Click Here
So our commended architect for this edition is:-
Bart Prince
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Try Before You Buy
The property included within the try-before-you-buy section of the Unique Property Bulletin – is NOT for sale. Our endeavour is to provide a sample, and actual experience of what it would be like to live in any particular genre of unusual abode. This specific listing is for a short-stay break. Our offering for this edition is:-
Locked Up For A Good Night
Lock Keeper’s Cottage, 66 Hoole Lane, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3DX
Photograph Courtesy (c) 2015 Bill Harrison
Okay we are kind of doubling up this week by listing the old Lock Keeper’s Cottage sort of twice. It is for sale, as noted above with the estate agency link.
BUT, you can also spend a few nights holidaying in the property. We would very much recommend this. All four of the hotels we bought via our sister website – Real Dragons’ Den [ Click Here ] were ones where one of our crew had spent a night or two staying in them before they ended up being bought by our lot along the way. So it is recommendable that if you are thinking about buying this former Lock Keeper’s Cottage, maybe you would be well counselled to spend a couple of nights holidaying there first to see if it suits you.
Online Brochure/Reviews: Click Here
Prices: From £95.
Contact: Click Here (a form towards the bottom of the Lock Keeper Cottage webpage).
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Unique Property Bulletin Main Article
This Edition’s Feature
RSVP Unique Property Syndicate 19
Email Alerts – An Invitation To Join This List
An Earlier Unique Property Syndicate
Former WWII Training Unit With Fine View & Amazing Adventure
This week is a fairly brief feature, but hopefully one that packs a punch. Regular readers will be aware of previous Unique Property Syndicates – 18 of them over a 12 year period. A few basic rules. All funds and title deeds are handled by the solicitors. Plenty of due diligence – which is why we walked away from the proposed MV Saturn ship syndicate last month.
Plus transparency. For example we have published previous accounts of these Unique Property Adventures [ Click Here ].
Past figures illustrating the profit side may also be of interest to readers:-
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Unique Property Syndicates Late 1998 to Early 2000
Income: £217,500
Outgoings: £84,000
Gross Profit £133,500
Profits Shared Amongst Syndicate Members By The Solicitor
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Unique Property Syndicates 2000 to 2001
Income: £496,672
Outgoings: £371,500
Gross Profit £125,172
Profits Shared Amongst Syndicate Members By The Solicitor
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More recent syndicates accounted for on a project-by-project basis, usually via a dedicated stand-alone limited [Ltd] or public limited company [Plc] company.
A key part is that there MUST be some fun, with adventure and of course a unique property of some type:-
The Island Railway Winch House
Past Syndicates Have Led To Amazing & Unique Adventures
Above Photo: 2015 Copyright Permission of Mr James Towill
Example: This Small Island Railway & Winch House Great Fun
Above Photo: 2015 Copyright Permission of Mr Phil Catterall
The reason we bring Unique Property Syndicates up this week is almost from frustration. Our headline property for this Bulletin is the former Bawtry Water Tower…
Water Tower, Great North Road to Doncaster Road, Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN10 6NX
Water Tower, Great North Road to Doncaster Road, Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN10 6NX
We know this tower reasonably well, as one of our family members was keen on it – he asked our advice, then registered with Eddisons Auction and bid for it. The guide price was £2,000. For what it is worth, we reckoned Bawtry Tower was worth a lot more so the suggested he maybe look at bidding a more realistic £15,000 to £20,000. It would be either a brilliant home for him, or a resale on grant of planning permission with a tidy profit to be realised. Even with £22,500 as his top bid – 10 times the guide – our family member was shocked at the amount Bawtry Water Tower actually sold for: £30,500 [ Click Here for proof – seven paragraphs from the end of the article]. It was a bit of a surprise. Though this genre of unique property is always very popular.
We don’t know if any other of our readers were there at the Eddisons Auction – with over 30,000 regular visitors to the Bulletin it may have been possible.
But here is the thing, Bawtry Water Tower did sell for £30,500 last year, and our prediction of a “tidy profit” in the numbers has come true. This week we received an alert from Pugh Auctioneers that they have been instructed on a “new” [for them] auction entry: Bawtry Water Tower, guided at £85,000 to £105,000.
Now that is a useful resale profit.
Two important things are proven from this.
One: The standard A4 piece of simple 80gsm paper commonly known as a “planning permission” is worth tens of thousands of pounds. Between the 2014 sale at Eddisons last year without any planning permissions, someone has made a very good effort and obtained the valuable piece of paper from the local authority planning department. Hence the huge uplift in value. From experience this water tower is very likely to command a sale at around the £85,000 mark, and make a magnificent, very unique, 4 bed home for somebody.
Two: We are getting itchy feet. By that we mean it has been a fairly dry period for the syndicate since the banking crisis of 2008. All our friends and core syndicate members, including ourselves, have drawn in the financial horns. In other words locked up the piggy bank.
Well now we are wanting to come out and play again. Several core members and new joiners have emailed in saying it’s about time. In fairness, last year we came very close to buying the Dunnet Head Lighthouse Compound.
Dunnet Head Lighthouse Syndicate – We Bid: But Narrowly Missed It
Almost sure it went to another Bulletin reader as the estate agent asked us to feature it on the Unique Property Bulletin and also our Lighthouses For Sale website [ Click Here ]. The five Dunnet Head Lighthouse syndicate members were really gutted at losing that lighthouse compound.
As too was our website member at losing Bawtry Water Tower. Goodness knows what he will say when we chat about what the water tower is now guided at.
So here’s the thing. We are going to compile a special list of folk who would like to be added to our Unique Property Syndicate EMAIL ALERTS. Because of strict financial service authority rules we have to structure newer syndicates in a slightly different format – each member will actually own a part of a property, rather than effectively own the thing in common with fellow members. This is due to the fact that the normal route would be a public share issue and we have run two of those. They are very expensive and inefficient ways of running syndicates.
Hence why the Dunnet Head Lighthouse Compound suited so well – each member would own one of the five individual buildings.
For clarity our previous syndicates have always looked to see if a fairly prompt resale at a modest profit can be made before doing anything substantive to the building. After exploring a resale option as “Plan A”, our firm “Plan B” is being longer term ownership. The majority of the 18 earlier syndicates have resulted in resale and profits. The philosophy being that we can always find another unusual property to play with.
Anyways, if you would like to be notified of any future proposed Unique Property Syndicates, please let us know and we can email you details?
These Unique Property Syndicate candidate properties will be private and not appear on the website as we don’t want to lose out in the way that Dunnet Head Lighthouse Compound seemed to go! It is frustrating for folk at this end, and especially Bulletin readers and members doing a LOT of work, only to be pipped at the post in this way.
Hopefully all the above makes sense?
So if you would like to receive any candidate property email alerts for the next Unique Property Syndicate – Number 19 – please email us. Even if you are one of our long standing members, or past syndicate participants, please can you let us know if you want to consider Syndicate 19 candidates? In the past we had 17 core and 70 occasional syndicate members and don’t want to miss anyone out from the next Unique Property Adventure.
Click Here
… and advise that you would like to go on our
Unique Property Syndicate Alert Email List
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Finally, We Seldom Get Tired of Recalling What Earlier Syndicates Have Produced…
The Above Document Is The Solicitors Certification For Syndicate Period Late 1998 to Early 2000
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The Above Document Is The Solicitors Certification For Syndicate Period 2000 to 2001
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