SDL Auctions December sales bring more opportunities for investors

The remaining December auctions from SDL Auctions will feature unusual lots and plenty of buy-to-let opportunities.

A large Victorian school building in Belper, Derbyshire, is expected to see plenty of interest from investors at SDL Auction Graham Penny’s next auction, which takes place at Pride Park Stadium on Friday 14 December.

Having served as the Belper Adult Community Education Centre in Holbrook Road in recent years, the property has potential to be converted into apartments or redeveloped into four detached dwellings, subject to planning permission.

This quirky lot, which has an internal area of 5,798 sq ft and lies on a mostly walled site extending to 0.5 acres, has a guide price of £250,000-plus.

Robert Stone, senior valuer at SDL Auctions Graham Penny, commented: “This is a unique opportunity to acquire a large Victorian freehold detached property over three floors, offering all sorts of potential conversion or redevelopment uses, subject to planning permission.”

“The light and spacious accommodation is based on a site that already has a large parking area accessed off Quarry Road and is within walking distance of Belper town centre which has an excellent range of independent shops, supermarkets, public houses and restaurants.”

Situated along the main A6 arterial road, the property has swift access into Derby, the historic spa town of Matlock and Chatsworth House, while Belper itself has a rich industrial history, was the birthplace of skyscraper technology and sits at the heart of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

“Properties of this potential rarely come to the market in such a fabulous area and this really could offer a superb residential or commercial opportunity for the right developer,” Stone added.

The SDL Auctions Graham Penny Derby auction takes place on Friday 14 December at Pride Park Stadium and features a catalogue of 43 lots. The full auction catalogue can be viewed here. 

One of the firm’s December auctions has already taken place, with plenty to interest both landlords and first-time buyers in SDL Auctions Cheshire and North Wales’ latest sale. It took place on Tuesday 11 December at Chester Racecourse.

The first lot to go under the hammer was a spacious, three-bedroom end-terrace house at 41 Padgate Lane in Warrington, with a guide price of £70,000-plus. The building, which has a large rear extension, could be converted for commercial purposes subject to planning permission.

Also in Warrington but requiring less work was a two-bedroom mid-town house at 19 Larkspur Grove, which had a guide price of £95,000-plus. The property benefits from gas central heating and double-glazing throughout and sits in a desirable residential location at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

A traditional three-bedroom semi-detached house at 6 Clover Lane in Lache – ideal for either home buyers or as a buy-to-let opportunity – had a guide price of £90,000-plus. This lot is suitable for a growing family, with a potential income of around £500 per calendar month if bought to let.

Another excellent buy-to-let opportunity was a three-bedroom semi-detached house on the North Wales coast at 29 Sandy Lane in Prestatyn, with a guide price of £115,000-plus. This property also benefits from gas central heating and double glazing and is within easy reach of the A55 Expressway for commuting to Chester, Manchester and further afield.

Meanwhile, an attractive residential investment opportunity is a four-bedroom mid-terrace town house at 11a Derby Road in Wrexham with a guide price of £140,000-plus. This property is currently let producing a rental income of £8,340 per annum, has low maintenance front and back gardens and convenient roadside parking.

Debs Latham, head of residential auctions at SDL Auctions Cheshire and North Wales, said: “We have a good selection of family homes that are ready to move into and potential investment properties that require more work and they provide excellent opportunities for home buyers and those seeking to add to their buy-to let portfolios.”