AUCTION catalogues hold a certain fascination.
Of course auction guide prices are just that, there to tempt you in and are generally a good chunk below the reserve price
It's the mix of stuff I think, the untold stories, potential bargains and hidden gems.
I was once very tempted to bid on a beach, complete with ramshackle boat house, on a wild Scottish coastline which had a guide of £15,000 and not a hope of ever yielding a holiday home.
Of course auction guide prices are just that, there to tempt you in and are generally a good chunk below the reserve price the hard pressed property owner is willing to take.
But auction rooms are perhaps the best place right now to get a handle on property prices.
Edward Mellor’s next sale is on September 19th at Lancashire Cricket Club and is the biggest and most eclectic of the year so far they say.
You can download a brochure here: edwardmellor
Louise McDonald from the Stockport based agents, said: “We have plenty of traditional auction lots, about 20 of them with no reserve, which is no great surprise because this is what we have built our reputation on. What's nice is the variety of stock we are now offering, such as Wesley Mount in Stockport which is described as a deceptively large five bedroom villa and is being offered with a guide of £250,000 to £300,000, it's absolutely fabulous. Properties like this will open the market to a whole new range of buyers and I can guarantee that the auction room will be jam packed come the 19th."
Louise McDonald, of the Stockport based agents
Others she has picked out include:
Lot 10: The Millstone, Blackley Village - Detached two storey public house with basement Guide Price: £25,000
Lot 10- The Millstone, Blackley Village
Lot 18: Heathside Road, Cheadle Heath - Two bedroom terraced house Guide Price: £70,000+
Lot 18- Heathside Road, Cheadle Heath
Lot 32: Derby Road, Fallowfield - Substantial four bedroom detached house Guide Price: £195,000+
Lot 32- Derby Road, Fallowfield
Lot 34: Albert Street, Burnley - Two bedroom terraced house Guide Price: £17,000
Lot 34- Albert Street, Burnley
In fact there are several properties in Burnley, none too shabby that may come for £25,000-£30,000. These may not be that appealing right now but the planned re-instatement of the Todmorden loop will mean a fast and direct rail service to Manchester.
For me it’s Lot 19, a three bed house on Top Street off Huddersfield Road in Oldham. Originally two houses now knocked into one it could easily be prettied up with new windows and has a guide of £45,000. It’s currently owned by the bank so the hammer price will be influenced by the debt outstanding on the property.
Or Lot 13, which is a pair of houses, one semi-detached and one detached around an enclosed cobbled courtyard on Levenshulme Road at Gorton. The larger is a four bedder with five bathrooms and is described as a handsome house. I don’t see it myself and while I don’t generally advocate demolition the site as a whole looks like it would suit redevelopment. It has a guide price of £150,000 to £200,000.
