BT Bill £15,000

Hatfield Chase BT TRS, Levels Farm, Hatfield, Doncaster

We start the listings element of this Bulletin with a popular style of diminutive building – the old British Telecom Telephone Repeater Stations [TRS]. For older readers BT was formerly known as the GPO [General Post Office], before the pesky Buzby transmogrified the GPO into BT. But that is going back a ways.

This particular example is located approximately 2 miles east of Hatfield town centre. The property is situated adjacent to Levels Farm on the A18. The description is interesting due to the point that the property has a small kitchen and also a shower room and w.c., which would allude to it having some form of residential use or holiday permission. You will need to check the paperwork on that to be sure.

The price tag looks affordable [this property has specifically been listed as a nod to our friend and fundraiser donor, Dave who is looking for light priced unique property]. At £15,000 for the freehold, land and building you don’t need to be a millionaire to buy this one. In fact you only need to be a penny millionaire and it might be yours [1,000,000 pennies being a relatively modest £10,000 which is generally a low price area for a detached buildings].

Location:  Former Hatfield Chase TRS, Levels Farm, Hatfield, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN8 5SQ

Guide: £15,000

Further Details: Click Here

Contact: Pugh Auctions Tel: 0844 2 722444.

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Council Tax Bargain

Former Council Offices, Orrell Road, Orrell, Greater Manchester

This is a big detached building for sale at a knock down price. Formerly a council office paid for with council tax, it may be an interesting conversion project and not too taxing if you get the old sums right. Not too sure what the Mancunian property market is doing just now, save for the knowledge that a nice flat in Manchester City can set you back a cool million, as our next unique property – in Manchester – illustrates. For now, this old council building is priced at an tasty level.

Location: Former Council Offices, Orrell Road, Orrell, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN5 8LY

Guide: £75,000

Further Details: Click Here

Contact: Pugh Auctions Tel: 0844 2 722444.

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Spectacular Renovation

Flatted Conversions At St. Georges Church, Manchester

Agency Narrative: Unique signature statement within the city. The Clock Tower arguably one of the most sought after properties to come to the market in years. Dominating St George’s Church is a Grade II star building encapsulates flare and stunning 21 century vision of Castlefield, with its own chrome and glass lift and high specification detailing throughout. It is well worth studying the fabulous interior photographs of this unique conversion, not least to fire up the imagination.

Marvel at the 9 floors of architectural design with the finest materials and interior design. Vast reception rooms and four bed rooms, gymnasium level, sauna room level and the top floor terrace. External security gates and the option to purchase a further seven car park spaces. This is an addition to the three provided with the property. Breathtakingly beautiful fusion of the classic architecture and newbuild.

Location: Arundel Street, Former St. Georges Church, Manchester, Greater Manchester , M15 4JZ

Guide: £1,000,000. Nice price for what is admittedly a very beautiful, luxury flat.

Further Details: Click Here

Contact – Bridgefords Tel: 01614 520 081

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Almost There

Unique Property Bulletin Fundraiser: Not-For-Profit Website

Our annual fundraiser for the website hosting fees – which are now several hundred pounds – went online two weeks ago. It is humbling that so many readers have contributed.

We are now 92% towards the target.

So still time to pop a few pounds across – with much appreciation from the volunteers at this end. Even just a £2 for the year will go a long way. £5 would help us get the bill paid quicker, and £10 would make you a star in our books. As for the 3 Bulletin readers that have each sent £25 across – this just knocked us six foot sideways – in a good way. Genuine heartfelt thanks for that. Remember this donation is for a WHOLE YEAR of Bulletins. Just press our “Donate” button and the Paypal system will take you through the rest…

 

THANK YOU

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VERY FRESH LISTING

Lighthouse Compound For Sale

Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound For Sale

Originally Formatted As FIVE Lighthouse Keepers’ Homes

Please Note The Offshore Lighthouse Tower Is NOT For Sale

During the past few days we have received a very nice email from the owners of the Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound advising that they are putting their lighthouse buildings up for sale. So we are delighted to add this former Northern Lighthouse Board compound to our main Bulletin.

For the sake of good form we need to make it clear that the Unique Property Bulletin is NOT an estate agency, nor have we received formal instructions nor paid advertising to feature this property. We also need to declare an interest as we intend to assemble the members of our core Unique Property Syndicate to establish whether we can put together an offer for the owners of Rattray Lighthouse Compound to consider. We would very much like to assist the owners in presenting an attractive offer for the whole site that will meet their approval.

Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound Has Particularly Beautiful Surroundings Helped By Picturesque Sand Dunes

Regular Bulletin readers will be aware that we have run 18 of these Unique Property Syndicates to date, and have been trying for Syndicate Number 19. Our members’ recent bid to buy the Dunnet Head Lighthouse Compound was narrowly beaten by an alternate offer, so we have a core group on standby for a similar type of lighthouse compound to Dunnet Head. Consequently, Rattray Head looks like a good candidate.

Whilst previous syndicates have resulted in some financially positive results…

Unique Property Syndicate Details: Click Here

…we are hoping that if our co-ordinated approach for the Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound is successful, it will be a long-term acquisition. That having been said, the nature of a Unique Property Syndicate purchase would be on 100% ownership of each element of the compound as chosen by given syndicate members.

To explain the Unique Property Syndicate approach: Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound consists of two main parts: The owners accommodation, and a second building which incorporates accommodation for guests who visit on a bed and breakfast basis. ORIGINALLY FIVE former lighthouse keeper dwelling units in total.

Rattray Head
Main Lighthouse Keeper’s House

Above Photo – Proposal To Revert to Original TWO Semi-Detached 3 Bedroom Houses

Rattray Head
Secondary Lighthouse Keepers’ Houses

Photo Above – Current Format THREE Houses, Each With 2 Bedrooms

The owners have guided the two main buildings, plus land and ancillary elements at an overall figure of £490,000

This price level can be a financial block to many would-be buyers. Unless there is a cash purchaser with £490,000 in five pound notes [fairly rare] then a mortgage is usually needed. Because Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound is currently formatted and used as a commercial entity, it requires a business mortgage; these are as rare as hens’ teeth, and if found, require circa 40% deposit. Almost £200,000 in cash to attempt a purchase. This stops many a keen buyer in their tracks. Fortunately there is a way to make this sort of unique property purchase happen – read on…

Rattray Head Lighthouse Tower

Please Note The Tower Is NOT For Sale

It Is The 5-House Former Lighthouse Keeper Compound For Sale

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HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

We have managed, successfully on a number of occasions in the past, to buy these sorts of lighthouse compounds. Our Unique Property Syndicate lawyers – of 17 years experience on this –  draw up individual title plans for ownership of the separated dwellings by, and for, each given syndicate member. Each constituent building distilled from the main title then owned 100% by that participant. This protocol has two enabling effects. Firstly buying a home means that IF a mortgage is needed by any individual syndicate member, it is residential finance and not commercial that will suit. The domestic mortgage deposit is reduced to circa 10% in many cases, equalling £7,900 on the smaller buildings here. The secondary advantage is that the entry amount to own part of this amazing place is reduced from near half a million pounds to a much more manageable £79,000 for ONE of the buildings [starting level]. The individual property elements are guided in this Unique Property Syndicate at:-

A] Assistant Lighthouse Keeper’s Dwelling. Starting at £79,000.

B] The Main House as ONE Dwelling: £249,500.

ALTERNATIVELY:-

C] Subject to planning permission and building works to revert the Main House to it’s former 2 x Semi-Detached format – each at £126,500

The key, as with our previous successful lighthouse compound purchases at the Ailsa Craig Island Lighthouse Compound and then Strathy Point Lighthouse Compound is to have the lawyers precisely co-ordinate the funds and title deeds/title splits and deliver each building with clear and first class title to each syndicate member. Whilst ensuring that the owners receive the overall £490,000 price from the Unique Property Syndicate solicitors for the Rattray Head Lighthouse Compound. If you are interested in buying one of these five former lighthouse keepers’ homes, please get in touch…

Unique Property Bulletin Contact Page: Click Here

Location: Lighthouse Cottages, Rattray Head, Rattray, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 3HA

Guide: £490,000 – Whole Compound of Five Properties, or:-

A] One of the THREE Assistant Lighthouse Keepers’ Dwellings starting at £79,000.

B] The Main House: Formerly the Principal Lighthouse Keeper’s House WITH the Depute Lighthouse Keeper’s House currently formatted as ONE 5 Bedroom Dwelling: £249,500.

ALTERNATIVELY:-

C] Subject to planning permission and building works to revert the Main House to it’s former 2 x Semi-Detached format – each at £126,500.

Additional Details: Click Here

Contact: Click Here

Click On The Photo Above:

To watch a visitors view of the Rattray Head Lighthouse Tower, and also a brief encounter of the mainland lighthouse keepers’ buildings. The latter being the subject of this sale.

 

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EMAIL ALERTS

If you would like a reminder email each fortnight once each new Unique Property Bulletin goes online, please feel free to join our ALERT list. Just…

Click Here For Email Alert’s

…fill in the brief form typing the Subject Header with the simple word “ALERT” and we will do the rest 🙂

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Princess With Long Hair Required

Matthew Tower at Tower Hill in Glounthaune

We don’t tend to stray that far from mainland UK shores, but this picturesque and luxuriously converted tower home in the southern coast of Ireland just jumped off of the page and we simply had to include it. Only a short ferry crossing and you are on the doorstep. This tower is also included for our very good friend Jean who lives not too far from here. Jean, what do you reckon? Maybe Phil would like a move to an exotic new house 🙂

Matthew Tower is an elegant building with the contemporary extension which allows a comfortable and beautiful family home. The modernised wing comprises 4 bedrooms, 4 reception rooms, 3 balconies, a large terrace, a utility room and a large 2 car garage. The way in which the Castle has been linked to the contemporary extension means that it can be closed off from during quieter times leaving the home owner with a comfortable, luxurious and manageable home. This property was originally built to take full advantage of the views of the surrounding areas and there is no doubt that GR Pain, the original architect, would have been delighted by the building’s current status – marrying the old with the new.

Location: Father Matthew Tower, Tower Hill, Glanmire, Glounthaune, Co. Cork, Ireland

Guide: £688,000 [Euro 950,000 as at 17 May 2015]

Online Brochure: Click Here

Contact – Christies Tel: 353 (21) 4273041 – Shiela O’Flynn

 

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Grand Designs Abroad

Chez Jallot 

“Before” Renovation Photo: Chez Jallot, Vidaillat, Creuse, France

In February 2003 a shell of a ruin – Chez Jallot – located in France was purchased by Deni and Doug and began a dual journey. Primarily as a major restoration project. Secondarily as the structural star of the popular property programme Grand Designs Abroad.

There were no floors or roof in the building, and just getting to the house was a nightmare. The new owners ended up removing about 100 trees from the side and back of the house. Once inside, there was even more greenery to be cut down.

Click On The Photo Above To View The Grand Design’s Programme

Chez Jallot, Vidaillat, Creuse, France

Talk-Back Thames, the production company driving the Grand Designs series visited the owners at their Dorset to film an interview. Then all decanted to the “Before” Renovation Photo of Chez Jallot as pictured above to film the restoration. The first Grand Designs programme for this building was televised in September 2004.

Grand Designs does not normally return to projects 10 years after but the interest in Chez Jallot prompted them to do so. The new programme was shown on Channel 4 on the 22nd October 2014.

Helicopter Filming of Grand Designs: Chez Jallot, Vidaillat, Creuse, France

Last week, the owners, Doug and Deni contacted Unique Property Bulletin to advise that after a dozen years custodianship, they are now looking to sell this unique Grand Design. It may only be twelve years later in time, but it is a millennia away from the ruin that once sadly occupied this spot, and now restored to a splendid element of the local community.

“After” Renovation Photo: Chez Jallot, Vidaillat, Creuse, France

Location: Chez Jallot, 23250 Vidaillat, Guéret, Creuse, France.

Guide: £326,798 [Euro 450,000 as at 17 May 2015]

Website: Click Here

Contact: Click Here

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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:-

Fancy A Home Afloat? 

Then Maybe Try A Holiday Experience First

We have a steady stream [pun intended] of Bulletin readers enquiring about living on the water, rather than by it. Prior to taking the plunge, we would heartily recommend a short holiday in one of the increasingly popular holiday-hotel-cruising vessels that ply our inland waterways. You need not worry about having your master’s ticket or boatman’s licence as all of this is taken care of. You just have the job of relaxing and taking in the scenery as it meanders by on your sedate journey through the inland waterways of Britain.

Pictures paint a thousand words, and short videos even more so. Therefore, whether you fancy a meander around the River Thames in London, or something more to the rural areas, please consider taking a few moments to taste what is on offer in the world of canals here in the UK. It might just whet your appetite for a possible purchase of a canal vessel of your very own.

Click On The Photo Above To Watch The Video

Click On The Photo Above To Watch The Video

 Click On The Photo Above To Watch The Video

Further Details: Click Here

Contact: European Waterways Ltd., The Barn, Riding Court, Riding Court Road, Datchet, Berkshire, SL3 9JT

Tel: 01753 598555

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Annual Fundraiser 2015

Unique Property Bulletin: Not-For-Profit Website – Just 8% Shy of This Year’s Target

If you have enjoyed this edition of the Unique Property Bulletin, please consider helping us to pay the annual webhosting fees. Even just a £2 for the year will go a long way. £5 would help us get the bill paid quicker, and £10 would make you a star in our books. Remember this donation is for a WHOLE YEAR of Bulletins 🙂 Just press our “Donate” button and the Paypal system will take you through the rest…

THANK YOU

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This Edition’s Unique Property Feature Article

Underground London

Heads-Up: Property Below – Surfacing For Sale

Underground Station Coming Up For Sale? Aldwych (Strand) Underground Station

Used As A Film Location

For this edition of Unique Property Bulletin we have a heads-up in relation to London Underground stations that are likely to be coming up for sale. These are incredibly rare properties. You may need to have financial pockets almost as deep as the subterranean structures tunnelled out from beneath some of the most expensive real estate on the planet. We do know several of our readers develop this sort of property – to multiple dwellinhouses – and several dozen additional folk are looking for the finished items to buy as a city home. Even more having a curiosity as to what can be done with these iconic places. So the Bulletin is delighted to feature some candidate Tube Stations that are highly likely to be headed to the for sale list.

York Road Tube Station, York Way, Bingfield Street, N1 0AZ1

Photograph Courtesy of Mike Quinn

Not sure if or when York Road Underground Station will come up for sale. We do know that it is currently unused. So worth keeping an eye open on this. Better still, become proactive and use the techniques for locating unique property and owners via the…

Unique Property Manual – Click Here

As for price of York Road Tube Station – the neighbouring property, which you might like to buy to enhance the overall development project potential of the York Road Underground Station is an old car sales forecourt guided at £89,000 ANNUAL RENT [purchase guide would likely be circa ten times that]. So if it came up for sale you are looking at a fair sized wedge of money to buy [Click Here]. Though the thing about underground stations is that they are like Dr Who’s Tardis – and almost as iconic. It may look as though it is just a modest sized building, but there is usually a massive amount of square footage below, and anyone who knows about London property prices, understand the cost of a square foot of Capital real estate can be astronomical.

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Bournmouth University have made a really interesting film – featuring in part – the next in our Underground Stations for sale likely-list. The interior of Aldwych (Strand) Underground Station shows the redolent richness of character that still exists to this day below London…

Please Click On The Photo Above To Watch The Video

Just Imagine The Potential So Much Interesting & Unique Space Has To Offer?

What Fun A Good Architect Could Have With Platform B

The key with all of this is to spot disused underground stations. Transport for London are looking to raise many billions [that is the word “billion” starting with the letter “b”] so that means a lot of this type of unique London property will be coming up for sale. A recent taster of old underground railway engines, and more recent Tube Stations that have sold can give some ideas…

Above Picture: Old Tube Railway Engine Commemoration

 

Old Brompton Underground Station: Featured In Unique Property Bulletin 2014

For Sale Last Year, But Now Sold.

For guidance on price, otherwise known as ‘comparables’, in 2014 we featured Old Brompton Road Underground Station which had come up for sale. It subsequently sold for an eye watering £53,000,000. That is for an impressive 28,000 square feet [£1,892 psqft], and the location, location, location is close to Harrods. Also it is a huge complex, and any other size of London development site would yield many, many dwellings. Therefore the end buyer may be looking at under a million pounds to buy a single home within this complex – if that is the way the current developer is minded to go. Indeed that is the new owner’s stated position and he has already created many high-end apartments in London, so this space is well worth watching. We can only imagine with baited breath how exceptional, unusual and interesting such former Tube apartments will evolve from the architect’s drawing board.

Old Brompton Underground Station was taken over by the War Office and used during the Second World War as Winston Churchill’s anti-aircraft operations HQ. Hitler’s right-hand man Rudolf Hess was reportedly interrogated there.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE UNDERGROUND STATIONS

MAY COME UP FOR SALE?

By a relatively simple process of deduction. First we have hints from various government departments…

As to the official line, Defence Minister Andrew Murrison said:

“The Ministry of Defence is committed to selling off its surplus land and property in order to provide the best possible value for money to the taxpayer. At the same time we take our role as a custodian of the nation’s history very seriously and have been working to record the historic significance of the building. The property contains a drill hall, garages, offices and mess above ground and has recently been used by university and other military training units.

The tube platform and line itself are the property of Transport for London and the new owner will not have access to them.”

Further details: Click Here.

Then the revelation that imminent UK State owned property sales are expected to raise £30,000,000,000. Consequently a Ph.D., degree in deductive logic is not required to understand that many unused property assets ARE going to be sold. The water has already been tested with the sale of Old Brompton Road Tube Station being sold off, and at a handsome price for the government. So it is a case of proactive research to find the secret stations? Those all but forgotten London Underground gems that will come up for sale soon, and most probably within a five year period.

The secret to acquiring a London Underground Station is getting good advance notice. This helps ensure your own funding is in place. Whether that to be for the whole development project, or even to take an option with the developer for an off-plan purchase. Such is the dynamic of property sales in London that you really do need to be ahead of the game to acquire homes, especially those that are unique and/or located in an area where demand is high.

So back to our tentative inaugural list…

Leinster Gardens – False Facade
Any Potential Here?

With buildings taken out at Leinster Gardens to develop the new mode of transport when it was first created, developers decided to conceal the unsightly cutting to create a District Line tunnel with a false building to keep up appearances. Might there be room for creative architecture in the void here?

Next station in our journey is Down Street…

Down Street Station

Down Street was first opened in 1907 but was closed in 1932. However, in WW2, it became of use again, housing the Emergency Railway Committee, it was also used by Winston Churchill of several occasions when the Cabinet War Rooms were unavailable. Travelling further along the tracks we find more and more buried treasure…

South Kentish Town

Click On The Photo Above To Watch The Video

Mark Lane Underground Station

Video Above: Mark Lane Underground Station

Click On The Photo To Watch Video

Click On The Photo To Watch Video

We understand that Transport for London (TFL) is planning to invite companies to bid to convert the abandoned spaces into tourist attractions including hotels, shops and museums.

There are at least 40 derelict Overground and Underground stations, as well as hundreds of old horse tunnels hidden away, deep below the streets of London.

TFL owns around 750 of the tunnels, is said to be in talks over whether it should invite construction firms to bid for a single site to begin the project, or for a group of the vacant subterranean spaces tranche by tranche.

Former Euston, Drummond Street Underground Station (c) Christopher Hilton

Another Researchable Candidate Station For The Sale List?

This Bulletin feature is just an entrée. We have made enquiries at Transport For London [TfL] as to the definitive list and timeframe/protocol for disposal. As soon as we hear back, the news will be relayed in the next available Bulletin.

As an asides, those who have lived in London and now reside many miles from the city know how scary the prices can be. But if you eventually move from London, the world, or at least Britain is your oyster. One of our lot sold a very modest house in the area, and moved to a huge hunting lodge hotel bought for cash with the equity released by the London house sale. From the position of indentured mortgage servitude to the bank working in London, to many acres and eight buildings with the main property having 14 bedrooms and the happy situation of needing no mortgage as a result! Plus several acres and a private beach included into the bargain. Not bad in exchange for a small pad in the city! Good old London. However, this is a digression. As far as our Secret Stations and the Tube in Underground London go, hopefully the Bulletin feature above has been of interest and any further details/news will be posted on our website as soon as we hear.

In reciprocation, if you have information on any London Underground Station that is disused and a possible candidate for the TfL £30 billion pound sale [that’s a lot of stations, even in London money], it would be really nice to share this, and who knows you may have a bit of an exclusive on your hands as we have several television property restoration programmes regularly emailing in for this genre of unique property.

If you would like to propose a candidate disused London Underground property potential for sale list, please feel free to contact us: Click Here.

The disused underground station does NOT have to be for sale just now. We are endeavouring to compile a list of LIKELY or POSSIBLE candidates that will come up in the TfL underground station sales coming along the track and help our readers who have a desire to go in that direction.

If you would like to find out more, we recommend a read of the Unique Property Manual: Click Here.

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