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Unique Property Bulletin 2 March 2014

Not A Stationary Market

Railway Station Brentor 1 RSZ

Brentor Station House – Infilled Track Beds & Lawn (c) 2014 Owner’s Collection

There is phenomena that is interesting to the volunteers that put together each week’s edition of the Bulletin. After many years of contributing, it has only become apparent since transferring the Unique Property Bulletin online. This phenomenon is the sparking of extra interest in a genre after any given listing or feature. To clarify, last week we included the already popular railway signal boxes and their conversion to residences. Following this, there were many emails asking for more railway property for sale [we include 3 in this issue for readers to mull over]. On a separate issue, there appears to be a structural change in the UK property market. We are seeing clear evidence of this at the Bulletin. Each week, during compilation, some property, mainly within London and the M25 boundary, is often sold between the 5 days between being included on the draft Bulletin being made ready for publication, and the actual, factual Sunday night finished version.

EPSON scanner image

Brentor Station House & Original Railway Track Beds (c) 2014 Ben Brooksbank

The tipping point between our being in a buyer’s market and seller’s market seems to be happening. Whether this is a long term change, or a short term one is yet to be established. But for many areas, and people it is already a seller’s market. Therefore harder work will be required to locate property to buy – that isn’t already “under offer”. The Bulletin is already working on the problems that arise from this change in market conditions. There is of course the Unique Property Manual but we need to bolster that property buyer’s aide with more help as the number of buyers becomes far greater than sellers and property scarcity starts to be a major problem again. We will be addressing this issue in a feature later in the year. For now we firmly believe that this is not a stationary property market – albeit we are starting this Bulletin with a station. So for now, we are pleased to respond to specific genre requests that arise from any given edition of the Bulletin. In this case we have railway aficionados prompted into action as a result of last week’s Bulletin and carry further rail stock for sale or coming up for sale in order to help readers.

Railway Station Brentor John Winder

 Brentor Station House, Tavistock, Devon (c) 2014 John Winder

Agency Description: The Station House is a quietly located and spacious detached, character 3 bedroom country house located on the edge of the popular Brentor village, set within the picturesque Dartmoor National Park. The former station and station managers house, still retains many of the original features provides comfortable family living and potential to create a tea room or boutique restaurant. There is also the potential to use other rooms as further bedrooms.

The well-presented accommodation provides an entrance hall, dining room, drawing room, study, snug sitting room, kitchen, breakfast room, utility and shower room. On the first floor 3 double bedrooms and a family bathroom. To the rear of the house is the original station platform with the ornate station canopy providing an alfresco dining and entertaining area. Situated just across the lawn is the former waiting room offering potential to create a garden room or ancillary accommodation. All set in extensive lawned gardens, grounds and pasture paddock, which in all, approximate to 4 acres.

  Railway Station Brentor 2 Owner

Original Railway Station Features Galore (c) 2014 Owner’s Collection

The former Brentor Station has a very useful and informative website:

http://www.brentorstation.co.uk/

Agency Summary:- A former railway station now converted into a character country house. Original Features 3/5 Bedrooms 5/3 Reception Rooms 4 Acres Gardens, Grounds & Paddock Business Potential Quietly Located.

Original Railway Station Features:- Original Lamp-Lighters Hut: 2.42m x 1.77m (7’11 x 5’10 ). Of timber frame construction with corrugated sheet cladding and roof.

Store: 1.90m x 1.90m (6’3 x 6’3 ). Of concrete construction and, formerly, a line side storage facility.

Workshop/Store: 4.28m x 3.06m (14’1 x 10’0 ). Of timber frame construction with shiplap cladding under a pitched box profile sheet roof, with power and light and an outside power point.

Store: 3.33m x 2.13m (10’11 x 7’0 ). Of concrete block construction under a mono-pitch corrugated sheet roof. Potential pony stable.

Store: 3.60m x 2.40m (11’10 x 7’10 ). Old railway line side storage shed of concrete panel construction.

Land: A pasture paddock extends to approximately an acre of level grassland enclosed within post and wire stock proof fencing with an area of amenity woodland stocked with a variety of deciduous trees. Mains water trough.

Location: Brentor Station House, Brentor, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0LP.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £595,000.

Contact Kivell & Partners Tel: 01822 810810. Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

http://www.drkivellandpartners.co.uk/search/tavistock/5-bedroom-detached-house-for-sale-in-tavistock/full_details_adv/617125

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Neighbour Station For Sale Too

Railway Station Tavistock

Tavistock Railway Station, Devon (c) 2013 Fine & Country

There is also another Railway Station conversion just down the line at £1,250,000 and still for sale. We featured this second station around 7th July 2013 …

http://uniquepropertybulletin.org/unique-property-bulletin-7-july-2013/

Location: Old Tavistock Railway Station, Quant Park, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0JQ.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £1,250,000.

Contact Fine & Country Agencies Tel: 01752 663322.

http://www.fineandcountry.co.uk/search/tavistock/detached-for-sale-in-tavistock/full_details_fandc/50014941

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Future Signal Box Sales

Signal Box Northorpe Roger Geach

Northorpe Signal Box – Future Network Rail Sale (c) 2014 Roger Geach

NOT for sale yet, but we have firm evidence this railway signal box at Northorpe, Gainsborough will be for sale in due course. So here is a heads-up for Unique Property Bulletin readers who like these particular structures – of an imininent sale. For conversion to either a permanent unique home, or perhaps for holiday use. Indeed when you study the details of another signal box several hundred miles north of Northorpe Signal Box  …

Newtonmore Signal Box – Holiday Experience

… in the Bulletin of 23rd February 2014, it becomes apparent that it is almost FULLY BOOKED for holidaymakers for the full year. So whether you are looking to buy one of these little railway gems for a home, or a rental property, there is plenty of interest in this genre of property.

For Further Hints About Being A Home Buying Detective, Consider …

Studying The Unique Property Manual

Readers of the Unique Property Manual will already know how to find future delights and gain valuable time to sort out finances, survey and due diligence long before the actual property formally comes up for sale. In response to the various emails asking for former railway signal boxes to be listed, we have followed the guidelines and come up with this future sale of another signal box coming up for sale.

SAFETY: Please be very aware of high speed trains near to railway property and take appropriate precautions. For example wear high visibility jackets. Please NEVER go on railway track that is prohibited. ONLY use proper railway crossings, and in the manner by which their use is intended. 

There are other signal boxes being decomissioned. For further details, please consider ordering a copy of the Unique Property Manual please Click Here and ask for our “Signal Box Decommissioning List” to be included.

Location: Northorpe Signal Box, B1205, Gainsborough Road, Northorpe, Gainsborough, DN21 4AJ.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £To Be Advised – SIGNALLED BY NETWORK RAIL FOR FUTURE SALE

Contact Network Rail Asset Disposal Agencies Email: NDSRedundantAssets [at] Networkrail.co.uk

To help avoid Network Rail being spammed, please replace [at] with @ when retyping the email address.

Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent/owner know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

Not Yet Published – Sale Flagged For 2014/2015

This Is an Advance Notice For Prospective Buyers To Register Interest, Sort Out Finance, Planning Permissions, Etc.

Keep Reading Unique Property Bulletin Online For Further Information As The Sale Of This Building Firms Up – & More Become Available.

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Unique Property Auctions

Entries Now Invited

A warm invitation to all of our unusual property owners to consider selling your unique property via …

Unique Property Auctions – Click Here

Generator Station

The Old Generator Station – Mull of Kintyre (c) 2003 Argyll Group plc

This Old Generator Station – built when the National Grid was yet to be created and you had to make your own electricity – has beautiful sea views. We entered it into auction and this, like earlier properties at auction, made THREE times it’s reserve. An electrifying result with a lot of buzz.

To prove the merits of the auction route, this is an example of one of a series of building that we have sold at auction. Now it is time to see if a new Unique Property Auction enterprise will manage similar successful results – for you.

Readers who own an unusual or unique property that they would like to consider selling via a major London auction house, with the joined up efforts of such a large property sale venue combined with our own Unique Property Auctions, please email us for further details …

Just Click Here For Further Details

THANKYOU

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New Nick

Police Station Nelson C Jaggery

Police Station, Nelson, Mid Glamorgan (c) 2014 C Jaggery

Here is a relatively newbuild detached former police station for sale. It includes a number of offices along with ancillary space, kitchen and wc/shower rooms. Further double garage to rear. GIA: Police Station: 121.66 sq m (1,310 sq ft) / Garage : 33.93 sq m (365 sq ft). Site area approximately 0.1 acre. Conversion to either a home, or as our sister website illustrates, possibly a Telecommuter Home.

Nelson is a popular commuter village and former mining community on the western fringe of the County Borough of Caerphilly within south west Wales. It is located approximately 17 miles north west of Cardiff and 10 miles south of Merthyr Tydfil. The nearest train station is at Ystrad Mynach approximately two miles to the south east. The subject property occupies a prominent position on Dynevor Terrace immediately adjacent to a local authority operated car park.

Location: Former Nelson Police Station, Dynevor, Nelson, Treharris, Mid Glamorgan, CF46 6PD.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £ Please call agent for price – 029 20 028821.

Contact Bruton Knowles Tel: 029 20 028821 or 0845 200 6489 – Lisa Roberts. Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent/owner know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

http://www.brutonknowles.co.uk/component/iproperty/?view=property&id=2391

or

Nelson Police Station Brochure PDF Format

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Old Barn With Plans – Restoration Man?

Barn Parkside 1B

Parkside Barn, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire (c) 2014 Savills

Firstly, a big thankyou to architect and television presenter George Clarke and his Restoration Man television programme team. It is a genuine pleasure to sit down and watch one of these old pile of near derelict bricks progress in an hour of television time, to a state of former glory. George narrates the programme so well and it is a real treat to watch. We know, from emails, and a subtle change in the buyer/seller state of the market, that readers are putting offers in for property that we are fortunate enough to feature. If anyone progresses to a completion, and would like to appear on a future episode of Restoration Man, please let us know? The researchers at the television production company are really nice and always keep in touch. We would be delighted to make the appropriate introduction to a unique house buyer and George’s production crew.

Given the shape and state of this old barn masonry, it may well be worth a try-before-you-buy experience. We have found a restored barn to holiday at in order for would be barn renovators to have a very real idea of what living in the final abode might feel like [barn holiday at the foot of this page].

Barn Parkside 1A

Parkside Barn, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire (c) 2014 Savills

Agent Summary:

Parkside, Northorpe, Kirton Lindsey, Lincolnshire DN21 4AJ.

Kirton Lindsey – 3 miles. Lincoln – 20 miles.

Large brick brick barn under pantile and slate roof.

Approximately 39.14 acres (15.84 hectares) grassland.

Potential for a significant barn conversion.

For sale as a whole.

Agency Description:

Parkside Farm consists of an extremely attractive block of grassland – approximately 39 acres – with a striking and substantial brick barn located centrally on the holding. Subject to appropriate planning consents the barn and yard area could convert into a fine residential property. Alternatively the amount of buildings could easily allow for a number of developments. Please note, that a PLANNING PERMISSION HAS NOW BEEN GRANTED – further details from the selling agent.

Situation: Parkside is located south east of the village of Northorpe approximately 3 miles south west of Kirton Lindsey. From the A15

Coincidentally, this old barn is just a stone’s throw from our Northorpe Signal Box as featured above. 

Location: Parkside Farm & Barn, Northorpe, Kirton Lindsey, Northorpe, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 4AJ.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £425,000.

Contact Savills Agency Tel: 01522 508933. Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

Parkside Barn Details – 1

or/and

Parkside Barn Detail – 2

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Unique Property Competition

For this month, the Unique Property Bulletin competition prize is

Twenty Pound Note Prize

Crisp £20 Note – Unique Property Bulletin Prize

This is a very modest prize – for fun. Here is the

Competition Hint

In November 2013 we featured a property in Por**** . This month’s competition is what covers the surface of a **** .

Free to enter. Just let us know your guess of who you think the above Competition Hint refers to? Please email your entry to us by 31st March 2014. Email free entries to:-

Unique Property Bulletin Competition Entry Contact Page

 

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Black Horse Bargain 

Black Horse Bargain 1 MAIN

Black Horse, Bishop Auckland, County Durham (c) 2014 Pugh & Co

Regular readers will be aware that one of the writers of the Bulletin was, and still is, very keen on bringing closed shops and businesses back to life. Over 15 years this has become an accidental success. One example was an old derelict pub, that was purchased – http://scotslion.co.uk/turning-a-corner/ . However having run a pub, a lot of that job entails being vomited on. This left little enthusiasm for more drunk customers with a pub in the property portfolio. Added to which a change in career with service in the police where more drunk people ended up being arrested left a dilemma. No more drunk people please. After a chat with the local planning authority, it transpired no change of use permission was needed if the pub was turned into a “Coffee Bar”. Just as long as a “bar” was kept in the building. It is often a relief not to have to submit a planning application. Though the chief planner said he didn’t think that a non-alcoholic bar would work out financially. Our writer had doubts too. But the thing really took off.

So every now and then we will feature a bargain pub for sale. More for the unique lifestyle that the unusual building nature. This one includes residential accommodation. For the benefit of Bulletin readers an issue worth mentioning is about mortgages on mixed use property. We know first hand that a given flat can be worth say £60,000, but if it is above a shop and that shop is included, then a residential mortgage is not usually possible. So a buyer is often obliged to seek a commercial mortgage. Good luck with that – even in the good economic times. During a recession, you often need a 50% deposit. So if a flat and shop are for sale together, the pool of buyers is made so small because of the commercial mortgage problems and the price plummets. A £60,000 flat that has a shop attached – all as one combined lot – can end up going for £40,000 or less. We have, in the past gone for a shop-chop and split the residential and commercial parts. So a £40,000 purchase ends up with a £60,000 sale of a flat and a free shop left over. By splitting the two building elements, the newly separated flat stands on it’s own mortgage merit, and is eligible for a traditional, relatively low deposit residential mortgage. It really does work. In this listing, we have a public house and flat, rather than a shop. But the theory may still be worth studying.

 Black Horse Bargain 2

Black Horse, Bishop Auckland, County Durham (c) 2014 Pugh & Co

However we CANNOT guarantee this. Such property initiatives require due diligence on behalf of the buyer, and each property purchase carries risk, for which proper legal and independent financial advice should be sought.

Though with this Black Horse Pub and flat – if it were geographically nearer to us, one of our team would be putting a in bid. Especially as this is a Failed To Sell At Auction building, and may end up going for a lump less than the £40,000 guide [already reduced from a £60,000 guide).

There may be a unique lifestyle here for someone. Ideally these sort of transactions – because of the scarcity of commercial mortgages – is via a cash purchase. Living mortgage free is a fantastic thing.

Location: Black Horse Pub, 107 High Street, Tow Low, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 4DN.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £40,000 (reduced from £60,000) Failed To Sell At Auction: Lot 68 – 25 February 2014.

Contact Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2 722444. Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate auctioneer know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Newcastle/20140225/068

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Coaching Along

Coach House 1A

The Old Coach House, Tavistock, Devon (c) 2014 Country & Waterside

This is a very nice restoration of a former Coach House ready to move into. There are plenty of character features which have been retained. The weblink below has several more photographs illustrating how fine the interior is.

Coach House 2

The Old Coach House Interior (c) 2014 Country & Waterside

Agency Summary:

Entrance Hall

Living Room

Kitchen Breakfast Room

Study

Four Bedrooms

Two Ensuites

Shower Room

Parking For Several Vehicles

Garden

Detached Studio

 Coach House 3

The Old Coach House, Tavistock, Devon (c) 2014 Country & Waterside

Agency Description: A sympathetically restored former coach house, believed to have been built around the mid 1800’s. The property boasts four double bedrooms (two with dressing rooms and en-suites), stunning living room with feature vaulted ceiling, exposed roof trusses and log burning stove, refitted kitchen/breakfast room with solid fuel range. Further annexed accommodation could be created within the old shippon. There is also a brick paved courtyard, and good size private lawned garden

Location: The Old Coach House, Manor Close, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0PN.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £675,000.

Contact Country & Waterside Prestige Tel: 01392 308 414. Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

http://www.countryandwaterside.co.uk/buy/property/4-bedroom-detached-house-in-tavistock,pl19-for-gbp-675,000-ref-2630513/

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Unique Property Bulletin

Apologies, but our current operating system only allows 100 emails to be sent out at a time. This means at present, we unable to offer a facility to send an email reminder weblink to each of the 30,000 readers. This would take about 3 hours to manage each week. The Unique Property Bulletin website is entirely free for readers and run by volunteers – we simply don’t have the resources to email direct URL weblinks at this time. Sorry. It is a frustrating situation which we hope to remedy during the year. So for now, we would ask readers to help by proactively …

Collecting Your Edition By Googling 3 Words:

“Unique Property Bulletin”

THANKYOU

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Architecturally Unique

Lautner, Just Lautner

Polin House 1 Chad Rogers Realty

The Polin House, 3542 Multiview Dr, Los Angeles (c) 2014 Chad Rogers Realty

Very rarely do we feature unique property for sale outwith the United Kingdom. One exception is the truly unique architect John Lautner. Unique Property Bulletin readers can find out more from one of our Extra Extra articles …

Extra Extra – Architect John Lautner – Infinite Space

Even in the UK press, such as Grand Designs Magazine Lautner architecture features well. To fire up your imagination, just take a look at some Lautner designs …

Photo Montage – John Lautner Designed Houses

This week we have been advised that one of John Lautner’s architect designed houses has come up for sale. The Polin House …

Polin House 2 Chad Rogers Realty

The Polin House, 3542 Multiview Dr, Los Angeles (c) 2014 Chad Rogers Realty

Agents Description:-

Architect John Lautner’s Polin House, 1947 – Exceptional renovation of one of Lautner’s most iconic homes. Up a private drive lies this published Architectural with landscaped grounds and exceptional city views. Meticulously restored while keeping the architect’s original architectural design and integrity, this home features polished concrete floors, designer kitchen, formal dining and luxurious baths. With the perfect in-and-out door flow and walls of glass, the Polin House rests in a unique tranquil setting with mature trees, gardens and terraces perfect to enjoy the best of the Southern California lifestyle. Additional guest suite includes bedroom, bath and kitchen. Bedrooms: 3. Bathrooms: 2.

Polin House 3 Chad Rogers Realty

The Polin House, 3542 Multiview Dr, Los Angeles (c) 2014 Chad Rogers Realty

Location: The Polin House, 3542 Multiview Dr, Los Angeles, USA, CA90068.

Tenure: US Freehold Equivalent.

Guide: $1,495,000 – exchange rate can be calculated via http://www.xe.com/

Contact Chad Rogers Realty: http://www.chadrogers.tv/contact.html

Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent/realtor know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure & Lots of Photographs …

http://www.chadrogers.tv/content/properties/3542-multiview-dr/

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Try Before You Buy …..

Cowside Barn, Langstrothdale

As is usually the case – 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 for our readers to possibly call home in the future. This specific listing is for a short-stay break.

This week’s offering is:-

Barn Langstrothdale

Cowside Barn, Yorkshire Dales National Park (c) 2014 The Landmark Trust

With all the rain this winter, we thought it might be an idea to show some snow. Though hopefully with everyone now in the month of March we can have some nice weather. This week’s TBYB listing is described by the owners thus …

Generations of hardy Dales folk have stomped across the threshold of this farmstead, banging the door against the elements, to warm themselves at the monumental inglenook fireplace in the hall (today’s kitchen). Uninhabited for decades and bequeathed to the National Trust in 1989 by David and Graham Watson, Cowside had fallen into dereliction. The group of buildings (house, barn, byre, piggery and privy) is remarkably intact and characteristic of its period and setting. We were delighted to be able to rescue it by taking a long lease.

Cowside in the heart of the North Yorkshire Dales National Park is surrounded by drystone walls and green hills. The River Wharfe passes by along the foot of Cowside’s north-facing fell.

Barn Langstrothdale Cozy

Snow Maybe Outside, But Cozy Is Inside (c) 2014 The Landmark Trust

Location: Cowside Barn, Langstrothdale, Oughtershaw Road, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 5JR.

Tenure: Short Stay Holiday Experience – Barn Style.

Guide: Sleeps 5 for 4 nights from £305.00. Equivalent to £15.25 per person per night.

Contact Landmark Trust Tel: 01628 825925 or via email …

http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/contact-us/

Please can readers help Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the letting agency/owner know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure ….

http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/cowside-5807

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Previously on Unique Property Bulletin …

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