Hosted from the firm’s salerooms in Cambridge, the Cheffins property auction on Wednesday 27th September will feature a series of unusual opportunities, including abandoned properties, land and commercial lots.
With the highest pre-sale estimate at £650,000 - £700,000, a three-bedroom bungalow in the heart of Wandlebury Country Park is set to lead the sale. In need of full refurbishment, the spacious property includes a separate self-contained annexe and a detached outbuilding that incorporates a double garage and large studio, together with extensive gardens with a greenhouse and fruit cages, located within the Wandlebury Ring Walk. The house has been in the same ownership since the 1950s, when the estate was part-gifted to the Cambridge-based charity, ‘Cambridge Past, Present, Future’ by the Gray family, the final private owners of Wandlebury, and the cottages and additional houses were sold off.
Ian Kitson, Director, Cheffins, says: “Properties simply do not come up for sale on the historic Wandlebury estate. Originally an Iron Age Hillfort and later with an 18th-century house, stables and gardens, this historic and famous estate is now in the ownership of a local charity, however, this bungalow, named ‘The Farmery,’ is available freehold following significant fire and water damage. Having been in the same ownership since the 1950s, this charming house needs some updating, however it is a real opportunity for someone to live the rural dream in an idyllic and protected landscape, only minutes from Cambridge city centre.”
The Farmery, Wandlebury Country Park
Another headline lot is a vast abandoned Victorian mansion just outside of Longstanton. Following a number of fires at the property, the house has been uninhabited since the 1950s and is offered alongside an additional two acres of land. With a pre-sale estimate of £100,000 - £125,000 for the house, Redlands comes with a series of outbuildings. Similarly, there is a detached rural cottage set on the Great Fen Road, just outside of Soham, Ely, which needs complete restoration, having been left empty for five years. It has two bedrooms, 1.3 acres and could be replaced with a new dwelling, subject to planning. This property has an estimate of £125,000 - £150,000.
Redlands, Longstanton
Two former Methodist chapels, one in Tempsford near Sandy and one in Great Barford, both in Bedfordshire, are available for those looking for a building to convert. The Tempsford chapel is understood to date from 1804 and comes with a small courtyard garden and a pre-sale estimate of £125,000. The chapel in Great Barford dates from 1840 and includes a large, vaulted area, with parquet floor and a small courtyard with an outbuilding. It is estimated to sell for over £100,000.
For commercial investors, a three-storey mixed-use building in the centre of Saffron Walden is available. With a ground floor retail unit currently let to Phase Eight, the building has planning permission for three residential apartments on the upper floors and has an estimate of £585,000. In Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, a Grade II listed pub with a generous garden and accommodation above is also available, with a pre-sale estimate of £220,000.
Ian Kitson continues, “This 23-lot catalogue offers something for everyone. With land lots, commercial opportunities and plenty of residential options, pre-sale estimates vary from £2,000 to £700,000. We expect The Farmery to draw significant interest, as will the abandoned house in Longstanton, both of which are set to capture the public’s imagination and have huge potential to create wonderful homes in exceptional locations. Commercial investors would do well to consider the building in Saffron Walden, which sees a healthy return from the ground floor unit and considerable potential in the upper floor refurbishments. With demand for rental property at an all-time-high locally, we have seen a number of investors coming back to the market, looking mainly for mixed-use opportunities where they can spread their bets across both the residential and commercial sectors.”
Cheffins’ property auction grossed around £10,000,000 in 2022, throughout the East Anglia and Mid Anglia regions.
The auction will take place on Wednesday 27th September, from 2pm, online at www.cheffins.co.uk
To view the catalogue, click here.
For further information, contact Cheffins Property Auction team on 01223 213343, property.auctions@cheffins.co.uk