Due to the hospitalisation of the main contributer, and surrounding family issues, unfortunately the next edition, scheduled for 12th January 2014 will regrettably be missed. We hope to have the Bulletin back to normal as soon as possible – next edition firmed up for 19th January 2014 at 9pm. Apologies for the disruption. Kind regards, Unique Property Bulletin.

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South Walney Island

Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage

Happy New Year to all of our Bulletin Readers. We hope that 2014 is a prosperous one for you, your family and friends. Most of all we are keen for you to find that very special place to call your unique home. Anything we can do to help, please just email. Thankyou to all the Bulletineers who have contacted the Unique Property Bulletin – supported, helped and contributed to this endeavour over the past 12 months. This has been incredibly heart warming. This first edition of 2014 returns us to the regular WEEKLY Sunday 9pm slot for fresh Unique Property Bulletins. We start this edition with an island lighthouse building …

We have just been advised by selling agency, Corrie & Co., that the ongoing “Sale Subject To Contract” for the above lighthouse keeper’s cottage has failed to conclude.

Consequently this former lighthouse keeper’s cottage in beautiful Cumbria has returned to the “for sale” list. This makes the point, if ever it needed making at Unqique Property Bulletin, that it is always worth keeping an eye on properties that have seemingly gone off of the market. In fact it was a very similar set of circumstances that prevailed when we thought our small group had lost the Strathy Point Lighthouse Compound, only to win through on the second round when it came back up for sale a few months later. Back to the South Walney Lighthouse Cottage that is back up for sale – and with a very nice guide price of £250,000 ...

General Details: South Walney Island Lighthouse Compound has a former lighthouse keeper’s house for sale [Lighthouse Tower NOT included]. This gives readers an idea of what ONE former lighthouse keeper’s home can be priced at. The level bears comparison to other similar lighthouse properties elsewhere in the country. It should also be understood how location to towns and cities as compared to the more remote properties does affect price. Of course nowadays it should also be brought to mind how Broadband and e-commerce can help folk to live life very happily in remote areas.

Basically you pays your money and takes your choice.

This particular house is in a very nice location and is sure to fire up the interest of several of readers going by our current mailbag.

Agency Narrative: Entrance Porch: Sash window to the front, red quarry tiled floor, electric light, and power. Stripped pine door leads to the second reception room. Reception One: (size: 4.97m x 3.67m / 3.28m). Sash / opening window looking to the front and the courtyard. The central feature is the black cast multi fuel stove recessed to the chimney breast with stone lintel and slate hearth. There is a single radiator with thermostat, four double power points, and TV aerial. The character is reflected with the exposed stone walling to the alcoves and stained floor boarding. Reception Two: (size: 4.26m / 4.03m x 3.52m). Full description on the Corrie & Co., agency weblink below.

Exterior: The rear has a concrete and walled garden area with an external tap and outbuilding for store (23 / 7.01m) with electric light and power. The garden has an additional store (17 / 5.13m x 8 / 2.4m) of brick construction. There is a stable and tack room.

Garage: (size: 5.20m x 3.11m). Garage with wooden doors, external side door. Mains electricity supply connected to the Garage, though untested.

Location: 1 Lighthouse Cottages, South Walney Island, Barrow In Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3YQ.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £250,000.

Contact Corrie & Co., Agencies Tel: 0800 8620126 or 01229 825 333 – Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin website stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.

Online Brochure and a RANGE OF ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS ….

http://www.corrieandco.co.uk/corrie_propertydetails.asp?ID=24492963

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Big Nick- Small Change

From the great outdoors of South Walney Island to the compact indoors. Complete with a bedroom for the mother-in-law. The sort that locks on the outside. Sorry the old music hall jokes are the best. But it is true. There are cells in this substantial detached former police station.

It is also one of the more visually appealing of the ilk we have seen. Though probably by far the most attractive feature of this former plod palace is the price.

Agency Details:-

A substantial detached former police station located in the heart of the former mining village of Caerau, near Maesteg in South Wales. The property would lend itself to a variety of alternative uses, subject to planning permission. Approximately 2,034 sq ft (188 sq m).

Internally, the accommodation comprises:

Ground Floor
Entrance lobby with service hatch and door to:
Reception/Office 1
Meeting Room
Internal corridor leads to:
Detention Room 1
Detention Room 2
Office 2
WC

First Floor
Landing with access to:
Kitchen with range of fitted base units
Office 3
Office 4
Shower room/WC
Office 5 interconnecting to Office 6

There is a car park to the rear.

Location: Former Police Station, Duffryn Road, Caerau, Maesteg, Mid Glamorgan, CF34 0SS

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £80,000

Contact Bruton Knowles Agency Tel: 029 20 028821 – 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=2366

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2014 New Year Resolution

Costly Commutes

At the very time of writing this edition, the mainstream UK news is awash with the cost of commuting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25567969

Costly commuting is a subject that we feel passionately about. For example: Bulletin 11 August 2013. In that edition we calculated that commuting can cost an average of £88,697 and 1 year 70 days of your life. The essence of the article …

As we have mentioned, a likely “next big thing” is for folk to work from home in greater and greater numbers. The boom of broadband and expansion of the internet gives credence to this. You don’t need a crystal ball to see a future game-changer on the horizon. In fact the case for the prosecution is well put – sorry, but we are talking about a cop shop here. Refrase M’Lud. The case for having a homebased internet business is compelling. Saving for example a 30 minutes drive from home to work equals 60 minutes per day; multiply that by 232 working days per year; multiply again by 45 working years equals ONE YEAR and 70 DAYS of your life SAVED by ditching the commute. The economists also would pipe up here. Opportunity cost. What pay would you expect to be reimbursed, in monetary terms, for that one year and seven months of your life [10,440 hours]? To be hyper-accurate the one year seven months needs to be divided by 8 hours etc., to work out the correct loss to your lifetime income. The REAL commute/work-pay/loss would be a staggering 3 years and 209 days LOST in your lifetime. So if you were on an average £24,808 per annum wage [Source Career Advice Monster ] then multiply that by the commuting loss in your wage/time and it is around £88,697. That is a real number. It is what YOU LOSE over your lifetime by commuting to work 30 minutes a day. Alright you may have some “thinking time” in the commute journey, but given the choice would that time not be better spent watching and spending precious moments as your family grows up, or doing what you do best during the work part of your life – work at a job of your choice!

This whole issue of commute cost has been brought sharply into focus by the January 2014 news cycle. Having worked in the South East the writer of this checked what a season ticket would now cost for rail journeys into the Capital. Jings, £7,316 a year for a Season Ticket every year!

The True Cost of Commuting – Thousands of Pounds Every Year

Contrast that with the eccentric lifestyle living in an unusual home. Last week we filled the car up, and it cost £29.05. That is with the wondrous factory fitted LPG system.

Unique Economy Non-Commute – To Match Unique Property Living

LPG being substantially cheaper than petrol at 68.7p a litre instead of £1.36 for ordinary fuel. We would thoroughly recommend an LPG car. It just made it through tons of snow to the very, very the top of the country on less than one tank of gas. Literally. That was a property sleuthing excursion. The main, daily commute is 40 seconds and just a few paces.

Sorry digressing a bit. The point? Perhaps consider dumping the commute.

So whether it is via train, plane or automobile, stop wasting life and money on a crowded train, airport terminal nightmare or car traffic jam. It is now possible, with the help of Broadband to work from almost anywhere in the country via a telecommute job. The best of all worlds. Save a large chunk of your life, a lot of money, and move to that magnificent unusual home that you keep dreaming of.

That is pretty much the essence of this website. The big cities have huge attraction, but the wide open spaces, and some of the finest places in the world can be found in the British Isles.

2014 – Time To Change Your Lifestyle ?

A New Years Resolution Maybe ?

For now, back to writing this week’s Bulletin …

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Robin Hood Railway Station

A pleasant conversion from what was formerly a Station Master’s House.

Summary: Semi detached house; 3 Bedrooms; Garden to rear; Located at the top of Robin Hoods Bay; Shed and Storage Room; Stone built; Front yard with WC.

Agency Description: This is a unique opportunity, to acquire a former station master’s house in the immensely popular location at the top of Robin Hoods Bay. The accommodation has retained a wealth of Victorian character along with the huge bonus within the village of having a garden. This really is a must to view for all those railway enthusiasts or someone looking for something that little bit different!

Approached from the front, a timber door leads into…

Covered Front Yard: The front yard has been enclosed and roofed to create a really sensible and practical front porch. This provides ample space for deckchairs, surfboards, prams, pushchairs etc avoiding cluttering up the house. Lying off the yard, doors lead to coal shed and the outside loo housing a WC with a low level cistern. A third door leads into…

The “Hepburn Millennium Shed” 11’6 x 8’9 + 6’ x 4’2 An immensely useful, large L- shaped shed with a window, providing invaluable storage.

Externally: To the rear of the property lies an enclosed garden, enclosed by trees and fences, with a level lawn and a practical sitting area. There is a gate at the end of the garden providing access to the front of the property.

Location: Railway Station House, Station Road, Robin Hoods Bay, Fylingthorpe, Whitby, YO22 4TG.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £297,500

Contact Richardson & Smith Agencies Tel: 01947 602298. 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.

No Direct Estate Agent Website Brochure. Rightmove Version ……

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-14581416.html

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Bank Bargain

Here we have a favourite type of sale – Failed To Sell At Auction. The guide is already a bargain at £70,000. Gives pause for thought. Even on a bad day, this solid looking structure must have had more than that in the vault room within.

Now it is available post-auction. Any canny takers for a bargain bank?

PLEASE NOTE – the upper floor has been sold off and is NOT included. What you would be buying is the ground floor and the basement …

Approximate Measurements:-

Ground Floor 171.05 sq m (1,841 sq ft)

Basement 108.50 sq m (1,163 sq ft)

Total: 279 sq m (3,004 sq ft)

Location: Former Bank, 67-69 Deardengate, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 5SB.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £70,000 – Lot 134 – Failed To Sell At Auction.

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

Online Brochure ….

http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Manchester/20131205/134

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Unique Property Bulletin

Back To Our Normal Weekly Sunday Night 9pm Slot

To Pick Up Your Edition Just Google 3 Words:

Unique Property Bulletin

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Old Butlins

For readers of a certain age, this is a little sad. Many happy holidays filled with nostalgia were had at Butlins.

Here we have a former Butlins holiday camp for sale. Mostly raized. Though it does have some elements of the former life still in existence. There is also a huge location, location, location attractiveness about this listing. The mind can almost run amok with imagination in looking at the sort of unique building could go onto this fine site.

Agency Description: Prominent headland site, 4 hectares (10 acres) development site, Grade II Listed former toilet block on adjacent site of 0.17 hectares (0.4 acres), site available individually or combined.

Site A – This site was historically used as part of Butlin’s Holiday Camp until its closure in 1997. This parcel of land measures approximately 4 hectares (10 acres) and is currently used for overflow car parking.

PLUS…

What Could You Do With A Grade II Loo ?

Site B – Adjacent to Site A, this Detached Grade II Listed former toilet block is on a site of approximately 0.17 hectares (0.4 acres).

Nell’s Point is situated at Barry Island on the coastal path between Whitmore Bay and Jacksons Bay and is a popular destination for local residents and those visiting the area for a holiday. The surrounding area benefits from a pleasure park that operates seasonally, amusement arcades, take away and cafe operators and a number of pubs/restaurant. Barry Island train station is within walking distance of Nell’s Point and has a regular direct service to Cardiff City Centre and Bridgend Town Centre.

Location: Former Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Nell’s Point, Barry, South Glamorgan, CF62 5AJ.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £ Please Call Knight Frank Agencies

Contact Knight Frank Agencies Tel: 029 2044 0147 – Neil Francis, or 029 2049 2492 – Rebecca 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://search.knightfrank.co.uk/cpd184603

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Ghosts In The Soil

There was a visual quality that hit us from this site. Ghosts In The Soil.

This particular listing is a large property. However the original planning consents starting in June 2007 are certainly “dusty”. Therefore it may be that the price is flexible. Even subject to more manageable subdivision plots. Though this is probably one for our land-banking readership members. Perhaps time to look at an alternate use for this large and unusual site. Subject to any the requisite planning permmissions.

The property comprises a mainly undeveloped site, formerly used as a community hospital, one of the original buildings remains and is currently vacant and derelict. The former World War II prefabricated buildings have been demolished to slab level. The site extends to approximately 5.22 ha (12.89 acres). For sale as a whole. Please check sale terms for overage and site uplift quantum. Sedgefield 1.5 miles, A1(M) 4 miles, Darlington 13 miles, Durham 16.5 miles, Newcastle Upon Tyne 32 miles.

Location: Former Sedgefield Community Hospital, Sedgefield, County Durham, TS21 3ET.

Tenure: Freehold.

Guide: £1,500,000 – Perhaps ask how much flexibility exists in this price due to the length of time on the market.

Contact Strutt & Parker Agencies Tel: 020 7318 5184 – Conrad Payne. 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://search.struttandparker.com/residential/former-community-hospital-sedgefield-county-durham-ts21/1387

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Architecturally Unique

This week we spotted a very unique architect – Peter Vetsch. One of his specialities are earth dwellings.

Vetsch Architecture – Earth House Webpage

Don’t worry that Mr Vetsch is based in Switzerland – the designs have been created for places all over the world …

Montage of Vetsch Arhitectural Buildings

If you fancy engaging an architect who specialises in such wonderful structures, here are the contact details …

Vetsch Architektur AG
Hammerstrasse 43
8008 Zurich
Switzerland

Tel: +41 44 741 07 10

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Try Before You Buy …..

Care For A Castle ?

As usually the case for this section in the Unique Property Bulletin – please note this particular try-before-you-buy property is NOT for sale. Our endeavour is to provide a sample 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 and beach hut experience.

This edition we have the wonderful Kingswear Castle, and a proper looking sea fortification it looks like as well. A wonderful Turret Bedroom can be seen on the floor plan drawings …

Kingswear Castle – Floor Plan Layout

In 1481 a new castle was begun at Dartmouth, to defend the harbour there. To support it from the opposite shore, Kingswear Castle was completed in 1502. Together they represented the most advanced military design of their day.

Within 50 years Kingswear Castle was redundant; for another century it was manned in time of war, but thereafter was left to decay, until rescued and turned into a summer residence in 1855 by a rich young bachelor, Charles Seale Hayne. During the last World War, a concrete Blockhouse was built 50 yards from it. The rooms have that sense of sturdy habitability in an exposed place, which the Victorians knew so well how to achieve, despite the building’s inherent susceptibility to damp and cold (not even 21st-century devices can fully overcome this).

Location: Kingswear Castle, Castle Road, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0DX

Tenure: Short Term Holiday Stay.

Guide: Sleeps 4 – 4 nights from £551.00 equivalent to £34.44 per person per night

Contact/Booking:

http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/kingswear-castle-8737#tabs=5

Please can readers help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the letting agent/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/kingswear-castle-8737

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Previously on Unique Property Bulletin …

Please Click Here To Catch Up With The Previous Bulletin – 15 December 2013

Please note, the Unique Property Bulletin was taking a break over the Christmas period. So there were no editions on 22nd nor 29th December 2013.

Unique Property Bulletin 5 January 2014

South Walney Island

Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage

Big Nick- Small Change

2014 New Year Resolution

Costly Commutes

2014 – Time To Change Your Lifestyle ?

Robin Hood Railway Station

Bank Bargain

Unique Property Bulletin

To Pick Up Your Edition Just Google 3 Words:

Unique Property Bulletin

Old Butlins

What Could You Do With A Grade II Loo ?

Ghosts In The Soil

Architecturally Unique

Try Before You Buy …..

Care For A Castle ?

Previously on Unique Property Bulletin …

Please Click Here To Catch Up With The Previous Bulletin – 15 December 2013

Original ISSN: 1460-5716

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