Auction roundup – money raised at BidX1 and Clive Emson auctions

Property Investor Today provides another auction roundup, with BidX1 breaking its record of most bids received and Clive Emson raising a whopping £19 million at its latest sale.

BidX1 sale raises over £9 million with record bids received

Digital auctioneer BidX1 has raised over £9 million in its July auction – the second highest achieving sale of the year.

The online catalogue was viewed by 93 countries in the run up to auction and received a total of 3,150 bids on the day.

One of the most highly anticipated lots on offer was Cannock Cricket and Hockey Club, a freehold multi-sports ground and pavilion located in Cannock, Staffordshire and arranged over approximately 25 acres.

The lot was listed for sale on behalf of Duff & Phelps Ltd acting as a fixed charge receiver. Bidding started at £600,000 and eventually sold for £1.45 million – achieving 142% over the guide price and smashing BidX1’s record for the highest number of bids received (729).

“Committed sellers achieved strong results and we have seen a particular appetite amongst bidders for value-add opportunities, such as Cannock, both in this catalogue and at previous sales,” Oliver Childs, head of commercial auctions at BidX1, said.

Another significant lot was the outdoor activity centre in Talybont-on-Usk, situated in the heart of the Brecon Beacons and listed on behalf of Newport City Council. The Grade II listed former railway station was purchased by an international bidder, receiving 134 bids and selling for 64% over the guide price at £452,000.

Other highlights from the sale included:

• Lot 2: 8 Golding Terrace, Longhedge Street, Battersea SW11 5EU – a freehold three-bedroom terraced house in a popular location in South West London. The lot received 45 bids and sold for £530,000.
• Lot 5: 39 Westway Close, Raynes Park SW20 9LN – a freehold three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in a popular residential area in Greater London sold for 56% over its guide price at £688,000, having received 63 bids.
• Lot 25: 166 Booker Avenue, Allerton, Liverpool L18 9TB – a leasehold semi-detached three-bedroom house with full vacant possession sold for £238,000 with a total of 59 bids.
• Lot 52: 3 Bay Tree Hill, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4BE – the property sold for £54,800 after receiving 50 bids.

Clive Emson sees bidding war for 100-year-old former Canterbury school

A former school building in Canterbury sold for £850,000 after a bidding war at Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneer’s summer auction.

Builders and developers fought for the old St Christopher’s Independent Day School, which closed last year after nearly 100 years, driving the price well above guide.

The property is considered to have potential for conversion or development, subject to all necessary consents being achievable.

The school was just one of many sales at the auction, which raised £19 million and achieved a sale rate of 70% after cataloguing 125 lots. It was the fifth of eight sales which took place across five days in five venues from July 22-26.

“The sale of the former school is a perfect example of how our auction provides the optimum circumstances for both vendor and purchaser to achieve a great deal,” James Emson, managing director of Clive Emson, said.

“With such a vast range of properties and land available in one place there is every opportunity for buyers to find that perfect lot – and sellers know that our packed salerooms are conducive to successful outcomes.”

Other highlights of the July auction included:

• The double-fronted Old Post Office at Porthallow, Cornwall, needing refurbishment/modernisation and located just 100 metres from the beach, with a ground floor commercial unit and three-bedroom maisonette, went for £174,000 freehold.
• A vacant 60-bedroom seafront Esplanade Hotel in Sandown on the Isle of Wight was sold for £750,000 in a bidding war. The hotel, an amalgam of five Victorian residences, requires significant upgrading and refurbishment.
• Twelve acres of grazing land in two adjoining parcels on the outskirts of Frant, near Wadhurst, Sussex – let at £6,000 per annum – went under the gavel at £159,000.
• A detached six-bedroom house needing improvement near Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, once accommodation for adults and children with disabilities, was sold for £388,000 freehold after strong bidding.

The firm holds a regional auction at five locations every six weeks. The sixth sale of 2019 starts at 11am at the following venues:

• Essex & North and East London – Monday 9 September at the Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford.
• Kent & SE London – Tuesday 10 September at the Clive Emson Conference Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent.
• Sussex & Surrey – Wednesday 11 September at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, Brighton.
• West Country – Thursday 12 September, at the St Mellion International Resort, Saltash.
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight – Friday 13 September at the Solent Hotel at Whiteley, near Fareham.

Clive Emson also stages a fixed date, online-only auction. The next one concludes on September 19. Full details can be found at www.cliveemson.co.uk.