This Edition’s Unique Property Feature:-
Way To Go: 3D The Future
Spectacular Lighthouse
Shining light on a brilliant new way to view property throughout ALL of the UK
Having sampled the new interactive virtual-viewing experience we are sure that this is an important development in the future of property sales and purchases.
This Bulletin provides a glimpse of what we believe will help tens of thousands of folk. It will save countless wasted trips into estate agents and the inevitable traipse around properties that, had you know more about before journeying to, you might have crossed off of the candidate list for your new home purchase. The example pictured above might be remote, but the principle is sound – it will eventually apply to the majority of the UK, and certainly most of our readers.
The main article below is not meant to focus on the lighthouse property or location.
The new 3D interactive virtual-viewing works in ALL parts of the UK.
Not that this case-study example of a Shetland beauty – as featured in the eponymous television series – would be crossed off of our top 10 list. The location is dramatic, and understandably so, when watching the classic villain actor Ciarán Hinds (click here) meet his vertiginous demise in a finger-nail-cuisine fashion during the literal cliff hanger ending for episode 2, series 3 of Shetland. You will need to view the episode to understand that point. Maybe call it home work. The best sort of work in learning new ways to find a home. We must emphasise that this 3D virtual-viewing revolution will become a must-have service all over the country – London, Bristol, Kent, Manchester, Cardiff, Antrim, Suffolk, Liverpool, Isle of Wight, Yorkshire, plus hundreds more locations. The geographic list is huge, as is the potential of this 3D property viewing technique.
The Unique Property Bulletin is not an estate agency (though an architect friend of ours is working on a sister project in that direction – details of which, we will be revealing soon). Anyone reading the full feature of this edition will understand the significance of what the virtual-viewing protocol Countless numbers who live in a house (95% of the population perchance) will be affected – buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and the myriad of related professions associated with buildings and homes. I believe everyone using this new facility will find it helps them.
The full feature appears later in this edition…
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Regular Bulletin Listings Now Follow
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Fort For Sale
Haile Sand Fort, Humber Estuary
Photograph Courtesy of Steve Fareham
This genuinely unique place is now for sale. Haile Sand Fort is one of two such defensive structures at the Humber Estuary (click here).
The one for sale is Haile Sand; an off-shore fort built between 1915-18. Constructed from reinforced concrete and brick, clad with riveted steel armour plating so don’t lose your front door key as this will present a problem! General access is via a timber and steel jetty. Exploring the internal elements of the fort, there is a circular tower on hexagonal base – balcony at sea level. Three further floors in brick to south-west, with basement and magazine below sea level. Topped off with an additional two storey observation tower. For a little inspiration of what you might manage to renovate this fascinating property into, have a look at what an amazing achievement has been made at Solent Forts. Their owner’s website can be studied: click here.
Haile Sand Fort, Humber Estuary
Photograph Courtesy of David Wright
It is very rare for one of these man-made island properties to come onto the sale list and we are delighted to feature this particular gem. Please check out the next Unique Property Bulletin (3rd April 2016 – if the fort is still for sale) as we are arranging for extra interior photographs of this historic and fascinating building to be included then. Whilst this fort is clearly utilitarian in design, it has an amazing location, and some truly beautiful sunsets to view. The middle floor at Haile Sand Fort has a group of three projecting turrets, the middle one supported on a cylindrical shaft with a row of shuttered windows beneath a flat roof.
Haile Sand Fort, Humber Estuary
Photograph Courtesy of Steve Fareham
The approaches to the River Humber have been guarded by this fort with gun batteries and anti-submarine nets of steel mesh stretched between them across the mouth of the estuary (now removed). Originally Haile Sand Fort had full amenities for a garrison. It is believed that 40,000 tons of concrete and steel went into the construction, at a cost of around £1,500,000. Haile Sand Fort was constantly manned during both world wars, and often under attack from aircraft and submarine. The army left in 1956, but the fort was still manned until the early 1960’s.
Location: Haile Sand Fort, Gayton Le Marsh, Tetney, Lincolnshire, DN36 WET
Guide: £350,000
Further Details: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact 1: Click Here.
Contact 2: Tel: 01702 870878. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this fort for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep the bulk of this publication free for all readers.
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SECRETS AND DONATIONS
This year we say thank you to all donors by giving a special offsite feature article. Once your donation has been processed, please keep an eye out for the password.
95% of Unique Property Bulletin is free to view. However, we do have some offsite pages that contain particularly tasty information. To access these you will need a password.
Click Here For Password
There is a small ANNUAL donation (£3.65) – which works out at just 1p per day over a year! This helps us maintain the IT, webhosting and broadband bills for the Bulletin for the WHOLE year. This website is run by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis and as such, we rely on the goodwill of readers. Indeed since going online in 2011 we have accumulated a modest deficit of £4,000 which is budgeted for and over time will move back towards a balanced set of accounts with neither debt nor surplus. Though for the time being you can help us keep this publication cost-neutral by making a modest donation. In the spirit of reciprocity, if you do donate £3.65 (or more if you would like 🙂 ) we have something that will help you locate…
Hundreds of additional unique properties
Click Here For The “Secrets” Article
You will need a password: Click Here.
The passwords are good for several other special pages as well.
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Hertfordshire Hopes
Forging Ahead With £50,000
Old Barn & More – Pembridge, Hertfordshire
In the handsome location of Pembridge, this part-barn, part-forge, part-shop restoration is for sale, with a bargain price guide of £50,000. Just check out the Google 3D link below for an interactive walk-through of the village. It is picturesque in the most traditional of chocolate box lid ways. Much charm is given by the timber frame frontage and old wood clad upper parts.
Up for auction on 24th March 2016, this property is currently laid out as cottage. It was previously a shop – with kitchen, living room, wet room, WC, two first floor bedrooms and attached barn…
Old Barn, Pembridge – Visually Fascinating
Understood to date from the 1890’s, the cottage has previously been used as a varied history. At one time used as a blacksmith’s forge. The property has been under the same ownership since 1972 as a home with garage and workshop. Extensive refurbishment is required and along with the adjoining barn, would make an ideal project to create a lovely home in the centre of this popular area.
Pembridge is a lovely village steeped in history with a range of facilities that include a popular primary school plus a local farm shop and mobile post office. The nearby towns of Leominster and Kington provide a wider range of social, shopping and leisure facilities.
Location: High Street, Pembridge, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 9EB
Guide: £50,000
Further Details1: Click Here.
Further Details2: Click Here.
Google 3D Streetview: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact McCartneys Tel: 01568 26600. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this old forge and blacksmiths for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep the bulk of this publication free for all readers.
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How To Fund Your Unique Property
In our Unique Property Manual, the byline is a promise to…
Help readers find, fund and have fun with unique property
The Old Stables – And What A View.
Fully funded stable purchase – Just one of many where Bulletin project funding succeeded
To find out more, cosider studying the Unique Property Manual – click here
Since 1998 we have managed 18 unique property syndicates. These have grown modest amounts of funds to larger sums which, in turn, have enabled members to fund their own purchase of an unusual dwelling. Simply put, we have evolved our own collegiate way to grow little financial acorns to a size where numerous fascinating adventures have progressed in a very real way. If you would like to see some of the proof…
Click Here For Some Track Record
If you would like to see our next adventure – the 19th…
Click Here To Find Out About The Forthcoming Unique Property Syndicate
You will need a password – click here to obtain one.
You never know – a couple of unique property syndicate adventures and you too may have grown a nest egg and caught the bug.
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Windmill With Plans
Designing A Devon Dream
Fernicombe Windmill, Paignton, Devon
Auctioneer’s Narrative: A rare development opportunity to purchase this historic Grade II listed, former windmill. Located in a popular part of this coastal town and which has far-reaching views to both Dartmoor and the sea.
Fernicombe Windmill, Paignton, Devon
Photo By Crispin Purdye
Location: Fernicombe Windmill, Adjacent Windmill Cottage, Windmill Lane, Paignton, Devon. TQ3 1AA
Guide: £125,000
Further Details: Click Here.
Google 3D Streetview: Click Here.
Contact Clive Emson Auctioneers Tel: 0845 6013633 – Scott Gray or Katie Semmens. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this windmill for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.
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WANTED
Building Land With Trees
Reader Request
Mirror Tree House (c) 2016 Treehotel AB.
We have just received an email from a reader who has been and seen the brilliant tree house structures featured on our dedicated webpage…
Click here to view the full webpage for Mirror Tree Houses
In essence, our Bulletin subscriber is looking to buy between one and five acres of wooded land where the local authority would be minded to grant permission for one of these…
Mirror Tree House Interior (c) 2016 Treehotel AB.
The idea of a mirror tree house in the UK has excited one website puppy tapping away at this keyboard. Can’t quite make it to Sweden just now, but would really like to visit and take photographs to share if we are able to introduce someone looking to sell woodland and trees with the person wanting to buy and import one of these amazing mirror tree house structures.
Please contact us if you have woodland to sell: click here – and we will be delighted to make the introductions.
Video of Mirror Tree House…
Click on the picture above to enjoy the video presentation.
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Monthly Editions
We are tweaking the new monthly format of Unique Property Bulletin so that readers instinctively know when a the next one is scheduled. A new edition of Unique Property Bulletin will now be published online on the first Sunday of each month at 9pm. The following dates should help with synchronising this…
Sunday 3 April 2016
Sunday 1 May 2016
Sunday 5 June 2016
Sunday 3 July 2016
and every first Sunday of the month thereafter.
Please remember this new monthly format runs alongside our efforts to add a unique property for sale, pretty much every day via the Bulletin’s Facebook (here) and Twitter (here) social media accounts.
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Pretty Parish Property
Plans in Place in Cumbria
Methodist Chapel, Great Asby, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
This former Methodist Chapel has full planning permission to convert it into a 3 bedroom home. The picture says a thousand words. A picturesque property in a beautiful countryside setting. Over to you. If you do buy this nice little church, perhaps let us know how you get on.
Location: Methodist Chapel, Great Asby, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria CA16 6EJ
Planning Permission Archive: Click Here.
Guide: Offers in the region of: £149,950
Further Details: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Brochure (pdf file): Click Here.
Contact Cumberland Estate Agents – Tel: 01768 899090. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this chapel for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.
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Marine Fire Station For Sale
By The Famous Tees Transporter Bridge
Marine Fire Station For Sale
By any standards a marine fire station ticks at least two of our boxes for unique property. By the water, and with a touch of the old smoky fire station about it. Whether there is potential for residential use is debatable. Our gut feeling is that there is a strong case for residential use on a mixed classification basis.
Planning permission may require some lateral thought. Apply for a change of use based on a hybrid. From commercial to “commercial with residential”. In essence to have some form of continuation of the current class of permission, but add the very pertinent issue of part of this site being given over to domestic use as caretaker dwelling on site. Not that you may wish to be a janny as a career move – nothing wrong with this, just the horizons may include some additional adventures too. This former marine fire station will be a very interesting place to live if – for example – you had an internet business to augment any physical work/life balance by the impressive ferry bridge. Perhaps you might like to take a virtual wander around to see how the Marine Fire Station and Tees Transporter Bridge physically relate to each other via use of the Google 3D interactive facility: click here.
Meet The Spectacular Neighbours – Famous Tees Transporter Bridge
Marine Fire Station Appears Below In This Photograph
Fascinating history right by your front door
It may take some persuading of the local planning authority to allow part of the fire station to be used as a dwelling, but when you think about “mixed use” in the past, it has a long and proud history. Just look at the classic Ronnie Barker and the Open All Hours style of business. Living above the shop used to be the way things were. It also helped ensure the security of the commercial property as you were close by to keep an eye on it.
All of this planning malarkey might just over complicate things and be avoidable. In fact here is another option. You don’t necessarily need to apply for planning permission to live here. Just buy a boat! Regular readers of Unique Property Bulletin will know how vitally important harbour-side berthing and wharfage is. This property has tons of the stuff. Had we owned this sort of berth fifteen or so years ago, then the old MV Southsea we bought would have had a safe home to go to, but that is a whole other story.
You Would Own Wharf Space To Park Something Like This To Live Aboard
One example, as shown – just £70,000 – further details: Click Here.
For now, you might like too study what sort of interesting vessel you would like to live aboard and berth next to your own marine fire station buildings. Access to and from deep water is good (click here). The main caveat being to satisfy land-based planning regulations is to show the boat or ship has engines that work. Otherwise as a static object – even one that floats and looks like a boat – would still need a planning consent. Whereas if it has engines and a propeller or two, plus cabins for crew aboard, then it is a ship and as such fully entitled to berth by the Marine Fire Station. You have the best of all worlds. Floating home and an amazing place alongside to work from.
Engines & Essential Kit Must Work If You Plan To Live Aboard & Alongside
Further Details: Click Here.
Plus you have a very interesting building as a neighbour – the Tees Transporter Bridge. All these things considered, this marine fire station is not that far from becoming a unique property syndicate. We have one running for another place just now, but when that concludes a revisit to this marine fire station will be on the cards.
Agency Description: The property comprises a modern 2-storey detached purpose built fire station. Part of the premises includes a piled jetty with additional floating pontoon jetty adjacent.
Internally at ground floor level the premises comprise workshop with up and over loading door, reception offices, WC accommodation and staff canteen facilities. At first floor level the premises comprise kitchen facilities, WC accommodation, modern office accommodation, meeting/lecture room and dormitory facilities.
Externally, the premises have car parking and loading access facilities to the front with piled decked jetty space to the rear.
Location: Marine Fire Station, Ferry Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS2 1PL.
Guide: £300,000
Further Details: Click Here.
Google 3D Streetview: Click Here – Look left for the Marine Fire Station
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact Craig Stobbart Tel: 01642 426900. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this marine fire station for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.
Check out your new neighbour – The Tees Transporter Bridge…
Tees Transporter Bridge Video
Click on picture above …
Plus some extreme bungee jumping at the Transporter Bridge…
Transporter Bridge by the Marine Fire Station
Click on the picture above to watch the video
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Unique Property Syndicate 19
We believe we have now found THE best candidate
Click Here
You will need a password – here
Binn Hill Tower At Kinfauns
Photograph By Scott Watson
We are till looking for our 19th unique property syndicate property. More than enough folk joined the Binn Hill Tower syndicate – so enabling a formal legal offer to be made. Unfortunately for our team, this tower was bought by an alternate bidder at a higher amount.
Same story for the most northerly part of British mainland – Dunnet Head Lighthouse keepers’ dwellings were particularly frustrating. Sufficient syndicate funds were raised to ensure a good offer was submitted. But again we were outbid by another. This is a main reason why all syndicate pages are now PASSWORD PROTECTED. It is a delicate balancing act in bidding at the right level. Though one good aspect about being outbid is this kind of gives proof of the resale value and availability of onward buyers for property bought by a given unique property syndicate. Even so, it still hurts when we lose something as amazing as this…
Dunnet Head Lighthouse Keepers’ Dwellings (click here)
Picture By Photographers Resources
Moving on – to date, after six weeks working on the Bridge candidate property we managed £249,500 out of £375,000 in pre-launch numbers. It is important that we don’t over-pay for any given property and leave a margin for profitability. There are always more project buildings and compounds to offer for . Writing of which here is the news…
Click Here To Study The Next Syndicate Candidate
A FAMOUS LOCATION – AN AMAZING PROPERTY
Click Here to access the PASSWORD in a way that avoids delay 🙂
You can also click Here to access the PASSWORD for free; though sometimes with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround (we have about 100 emails a day, and this website is run entirely by volunteers, so you’ll need to forgive us a little with speed of reply times).
Existing syndicate members should already have their password notification and updates.
If you would like to become a member of Unique Property Syndicates and receive emails and updates, please…
Click Here To Join Unique Property Syndicates
…then type the word SYNDICATE into the ‘subject line’. We will then keep you update with news and events..
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Previous syndicate results.
First THREE YEAR period – total value of property purchased:
£717,172
Cumulative Profit:
£258,672
Distributed directly from the syndicate solicitors to each syndicate member on a strict pro rata amount, depending on how much each participant had sent the solicitor in the first instance. Equating to an overall return of…
36.06% Profit
… as evidenced by the statements of account from the syndicate solicitors (click here).
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Ireland Island
Treasures and Doubloons
Spanish Island, Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland
Photograph Copyright of Vladi Private Islands
A Bulletin reader sent details of this island for sale to us for sharing with other readers. We treasure that. Thank you. At first sight, a place called Spanish Island in Baltimore and we were thinking of that great American city wondering whether this was an exotic island on the Patapsco River. But no, here we have something much closer to our own shores. Situated off of County Cork, it is an island off of Ireland.
Through The Mist – A Golden Renovation Opportunity – Spanish Island, Ireland
Photograph Copyright of Vladi Private Islands
This is not just the name of this classic unique retreat that has connotations of Spanish trove and doubloons. A little background research would appear to show much gold has been shaved from the original price. An earlier newspaper article (click here) indicates the price of £436,000 on or around 19th May 2015. This equates to approximately 551,080 euros (click here). Nine months later to now – the date of this listing the price tag has been reduced by some 100,000 euros.
Your Future Home? Spanish Island, Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland
Photograph Copyright of Vladi Private Islands
Torturing the treasure trove analogy – where you find a few gold doubloons, there may be more for the pleasure of discovery. In other words, if the price has been reduced by one hundred thousand euros already, then more may be available to negotiate away. Savings from the price paid for this island, will be available for renovating the house on this little gem, which has views of the magnificent Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Location: Spanish Island, Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland
Guide: £356,039 – as at 24 February 2016 Exchange Rates (click here).
Further Details: Click Here.
Google Map View: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact Form Vladi Private Islands: Click Here.
Contact Form Charles McCarthy: Click Here.
Contact Tel – Vladi Private Islands: Nova Scotia +1 902/423 3202.
Contact Tel – Charles McCarthy Estate Agents: +353 28 21533. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this place for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.
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Mid-Edition Updates
We are still fine tuning the new monthly format of Unique Property Bulletin. It is becoming apparent that there is a need to add one or two extra properties that crop up between main editions, and have a little more detail than we can fit into our regular Twitter or Facebook newsfeeds.
So as not to miss anything, it is maybe an idea to pop back in the middle of the month to this spot and see if we have added any news of mid-edition additions.
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Church Production
Former St Margaret’s Church, Glanamman, Carmarthenshire
Thanks are due to a Bulletin reader who emailed this property to share. The estate agents have provided a video in their sale details…
Click Here – To View Video Presentation
This sort of thing is becoming very helpful to many buyers.
Previously for sale prior to conversion (click here). It is important to give credit to the new owners as a lot of time, effort and money has been spent in the restoration and conversion process. Not least the navigation and obtaining of planning consent to change the use.
Agency Narrative: This lovely family home offers versatile accommodation to include seven bedrooms, open plan lounge, kitchen and dining room, family room and utility room. Situated on the outskirts of the Black Mountains in the village of Glanamman and close to local amenities at Ammanford.
Stylish Interior – Church Conversion, Tirycoed Road, Glanamman, Ammanford
A driveway provides off road parking, a wooded area, lawned gardens and lovely countryside views stretching over the Betws Mountain, the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. The versatile accommodation offers a wealth of original features to include stained glass windows, font and pulpit. Upgraded and modernised to high standard this generous family homes also benefits from under floor heating to the ground floor, gas fired central heating and double glazing, modernised kitchen and bathroom. Entered via a porch the ground floor offers hall, open plan lounge. kitchen and dining room with vaulted ceiling, family room, utility room, three bedrooms and bathroom. The first floor has a master bedroom with en-suite and three further bedrooms.
Location: The Old Church, Tirycoed Road, Glanamman, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, SA18 2YE
Guide: £349,950
Further Details: Click Here.
Google 3D Streetview: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact Peter Alan Black Estate Agency Tel: 0845 045 5550. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this place for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.
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Welsh Watermill
Picturesque Property on the Beautiful Anglesey Island
After The Conversion – Llandyfrydog, Llannerch-y-Medd, Anglesey
There are some very interesting ‘before’ and ‘after’ renovation photographs for this picturesque property conversion – for ‘before’ pictures and information click here. There is a veritable feast of photographs on the weblink for the completed project in the sale details below.
Before The Conversion – Llandyfrydog Watermill, Anglesey Island
Agency narrative: A prestigious, Grade 2 listed corn mill renovated to high standards. With four bedrooms in the main house, plus an extra bedroom in the cottage. There is an impressive open plan kitchen/dining living room, utility room plus a wet room.
After The Conversion – Llandyfrydog, Llannerch-y-Medd, Anglesey
The converted and restored watermill is located in approximately 5.5 acres of landscaped grounds, with extensive lawn areas, waterfall, running stream with footbridge, paddocks, decking and patio areas, electronic double gates providing access to a gravelled driveway with large parking area. All set in the heart of Anglesey’s beautiful countryside. Approximately two miles from Mynydd Bodafon.
Interior With Refined Mill Features – Llandyfrydog, Anglesey
Many character features are retained – from the original mill shaft and grinding cogs and impressive water wheel on the main elevation. Separate detached double garage, with self contained 1 bedroom cottage, providing a holiday let income, accounts are available for prospective purchasers.
Location: Llandyfrydog, Llannerch-y-Medd, Anglesey Island, LL71 8AY
Guide: £795,000
Further Details: Click Here.
Google 3D Streetview: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact Beresfrod Adams – Tel: 01248 730 166. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this converted watermill for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep the bulk of this publication free for all readers.
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Still Water – Still For Sale
For this Kent property, the price level is evaporating!
“Before” Conversion – The Limeworks, Faversham Road, Kent
We first featured this visual feast of a unique property conversion for sale in 2013…
Click Here For Earlier Details
The former water softening plant has been reduced from £3,750,000 to £2,950,000. Now it sits at £1,500,000. We include it in this edition after a regular review of older properties that have been for sale over a year. This qualifies on that count. A buyer who likes to haggle may yet land this impressive home at a very attractive price. It has been “stuck” at £1,500,000 for a while now. Maybe time for further negotiation on the current £1,500,000 price? Just saying.
“After” Conversion – The Limeworks, Faversham Road, Kent
Property Summary
4 reception rooms, cinema room
6 bedrooms, 6 bath/shwer rooms
2 roof terraces
Heated, roof top swimming pool
Gym suite, sauna, plunge pool
Lawned gardens, pasture
About 8 acres
Location: The Limeworks, Faversham Road, Kent, ME13 0SE
Guide: £1,500,000 – though possibly now time to haggle on current price.
Further Details: Click Here.
Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here.
Contact Savills Tel: 020 7016 3780. Please can folk mention to estate agent that they found this water works and water tower for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep the bulk of this publication free for all readers.
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EMAIL ALERTS
If you would like a reminder email each month, once each new Unique Property Bulletin goes online, please feel free to join our ALERT list. Just…
Click Here For Email Alert’s For Each New Unique Property Bulletin
…fill in the brief form typing the Subject Header with the simple word “ALERT” and we will do the rest 🙂 ensuring that a weblink for each new Bulletin is sent for you to enjoy each month.
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Unique Property Competition
For March & April 2016, the Unique Property Bulletin competition prize is a nifty
£50
Sponsored By Scotslion – Real Dragons’ Den
Please Name This Unique Building & The Location…
The winner is the first drawn from our Competition Box at close of competition on 30th April 2016
Competition Hint
“Beaming From Underground”
Email free entries to Unique Property Bulletin:-
Click Here For Competition Entry Contact Page
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Architecturally Unique
Please note, each edition we feature the work of a unique architect. These properties are usually NOT currently for sale (although this one is – £950,000), but are included to help inspire readers as to the talent that abounds when a good architect’s mind meets the imagination of a unique property person, and something that little bit special is created by the synergy.
Curved Creation
Serene In Somerset
Toller View, South Harp, Over Stratton, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5LF
Our Top & Commended Property Designers For This Unique Property Bulletin Are:
Boone Brown Architect
Boon Brown Architects
Motivo,
Alvington,
Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2FG.
Tel: 01935 420803
Official Website – This Property: Click Here
Estate Agency Listing: Click Here
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Interior Curved Room Outlook: Toller View, South Petherton, Somerset
Click Here To Contact Architects
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Try Before You Buy
The property included within the try-before-you-buy section of the Unique Property Bulletin – is NOT for sale. Our endeavour is to provide a sample, and actual experience of what it would be like to live in – or in this case to visit – any particular genre of unusual abode. Our offering for this edition:-
A La Ronde
A La Ronde, Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon
Photo By Chris J. Dixon
Quirky 18th-century, 16 sided house with fascinating interior decoration and collection
Octagonal First Floor Gallery – Interior of A La Ronde
Photo By Richard Croft
This unique sixteen-sided house was built for two cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, on their return from a grand tour of Europe in the late 18th century. It contains many objects and mementoes of their travels.
The extraordinary interior decoration includes a feather frieze, gathered from native game birds and chickens, laboriously stuck down with isinglass.
A La Ronde, Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon
Photo By Richard Croft
There is also a fragile shell-encrusted gallery, said to contain nearly 25,000 shells, which can be viewed in its entirety using a touch screen 360 degree virtual tour.
Last entrance for tours to visit the house are at 4.00pm. Please telephone the National Trust on 01395 265514 to ensure that A la Ronde will be open at the time and on the day you are considering a visit, so as to avoid disappointment in case the place is closed if you arrive unannounced.
Location: A La Ronde, Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 5BD.
Directions: Click Here.
Guide: Adult – £8.40; Child £4.20; Family £21.00
Further Details: Click Here.
Contact Tel: 01395 265514.
Please can folk mention to the National Trust that they found A La Ronde in the Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep the majority of Unique Property Bulletin free for all readers.
Video Presentation…
Click Onto The Photo Above To Watch The Video
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This Edition’s Unique Property Feature:-
Way To Go. 3D The Future
Budget Star Wars ‘Droid-On-A-Stick – Reflected In A Bathgroom Mirror
But what is it?
Technically it is a camera taking a picture of itself. This photograph of a camera: droid-on-a-stick (in a bathroom mirror) might look like an inconsequential budget version of the famous Star Wars’ C3PO. However, we are absolutely convinced this will be one of the most influential events to hit property sales and purchases for a decade. In fairness to a thin-stick-cam-robot it is much more than the physical appearance of the camera, but the software and programming that this amazing mash-up of internet IT and estate agency produces. The crystallisation of all that, has lead to this 2D picture transforming into something dynamic that you can operate remotely from your computer keyboard – right now.
The Real Start Wars. A Famous Gold Stick of a ‘Droid and Camera
Photograph Copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC
First things first: each Unique Property Bulletin has around 1,200 new readers each month, so with apologies to our regulars who know this already – we need to emphasise that when we give an example property (lighthouse building in this feature), it doesn’t mean that this genre of unusual home is exclusively what we are referring to. Far from it. The principles of this treatise, as in so many covered in these pages, apply to the full spectrum of unusual homes. The A to Z of unique property. Converted air control towers, barns, castles, distilleries, forts, etc. Hopefully the point is well made.
For the purposes of this article, we are focussing upon the property at Sumburgh Lighthouse. Mainly because it has a brilliant example of what we want to show. This feature could equally apply to a myriad of other styles: converted water towers, or a railway stations, windmills, nuclear bunkers etc. So please substitute your own favourite type of home, as required, when reading this section.
What is it that we are featuring here and now? Remote interactive 3D property viewing. What? That doesn’t sound very sexy. Well we think it is. If you are wanting to save countless real-life property viewings, often dozens per month: week-in, week-out, then this is for you. It will save many hours, if not days of your life. A precious resource in and of itself. So here goes…
Click Here
Then just click on the picture and see where you go.
Hey presto – 3D virtual property viewing
Does our excitement at this end of the Bulletin mean we are property anoraks?
If, perchance this 3D virtual-viewing link does not work on your mobile phone or tablet, please can you let us know which type of device you are using so we can quantify how much of a problem cross-spectrum device non-availabilty coverage is (click here).
You should be able to access the 3D-viewing link above via another platform. For example a laptop of PC. Once you do get into the 3D system, please take a moment to navigate yourself around the property. The interior and the exterior. Also, look up, look down, look all around. Zoom in, zoom out. You might even find the surreal moment we looked into the bathroom mirror and this looked back at us…
Click Here To See-Thin-3PO In The Mirror and Look Around
Are you getting the 3D property viewing vibe yet?
Here is a 2D view of the start of a 3D interactive tour
Just in case your current device isn’t communicating with the 3D-viewing weblink.
Okay, many of the unique buildings we show have fantastic still-frame photographs…
Sumburgh Lighthouse
Shining light on a new way to view property
Having sampled the 3 dimension and interactive viewing experience, I am sure this will be one feature that property brochures and schedules will gravitate towards. But here’s the thing, and this is a true story. About ten years ago I was selling a buy-to-let flat in Argyll. It had beautiful sea-views. The buyer primarily wanted an asset-backed investment with a decent rate of return. All our communications were by email and at first I didn’t catch on. However, the emails were arriving in my account at 3am. Still didn’t twig. The buyer was firm. They asked for details of my solicitor, instructed their own surveyor, conveyancer, bank etc. A clean deal. Payment made in full. Ownership title transferred as appropriate. But there is a slight twist in the tail: about 14 days after the sale was completed a postcard arrived from Kilcunda, a town proximate to Melbourne in Australia (hence the 3am emails back in Britain). I will never forget the surprise of that card. “Lovely doing business, hope to meet you next (empty tenancy) void. The wife and I will be over to visit Britain for a few months and will be staying there between tenancies”. What I hadn’t realised is that the couple who had just bought my flat had done so by remote control. They had never been in Britain. But with an interesting logic, had acquired a solid asset which was already producing an income. Then when the tenant eventually would leave, they could pop across and explore the UK from their very own base between tenancies. Genius.
Aerial Photographs – 2 Dimension
An important aide to for property buyers and sellers
What was missing then, and seems to have been rectified now is a way to properly view the inside and outside of a building. Not just still photographs but a way that the buyer can explore the property via interactive 3D. Not perfect, and ideally you would visit the building in person. Of course purchases can be managed by RICS survey report and the quality of title ensured by conveyancing solicitor and guaranteed by the Land Registry with underwriting of that by the State. However sometimes it is not possible to get across to a property in time for the sale or auction deadline.
Also if you are viewing several dozen properties each week – and we do that here as part of researching each Unique Property Bulletin, then it would help us, and save you a huge amount of time to be able to virtually view a building before selecting a small subset of those where a physical on-site inspection is necessary.
With regard to the sale of my flat 10 years ago to the folk from Australia – the deal almost didn’t work. It was saved by some half-decent ‘still’ photographs of the sea-view which tipped the balance and ensured the sale progressed to completion. I can’t help feeling that if we had 3D viewing back then instead of 2D, the near-miss of a lost sale would have been far less, and the likelihood of improving other 2D still-photo sales would vastly improve. From now on, whenever we can manage, there will be 3D-Viewing links added to property listings in the Bulletin.
Still Pictures – Sumburgh Lighthouse Buildings
These 2D photographs are all good and well, but the 3D interactive facility gives the property viewing via virtual online facility that extra edge.
For what it’s worth everyone here at the Unique Property Bulletin reckons this 3D interactive viewing facility – internally and externally – will be a big addition to how property purchase and sales progress in the months and years to come.
One last thing: we are still getting to grips with the IT aspects of having property photographed and presented in a 3D-interactive-viewing format. If any of our readers know about this 3-D technology, please can you email a note to us of your experience (click here). Similarly if you know of local or regional photography businesses that carry out these 3D services please can you pop a note of their contact details to us, as we will be compiling a directory of such 3D photographers for those who wish to turbo-boost their chances of selling and at an improved price by virtue of 3D viewings.
We already know of some companies that are developing this sort of service, with some variations on style: click here. It seems 3D virtual-viewing is a growth area, and we think it is an excellent way forward. But the more we can find out, the better we can make the Unique Property Bulletin for you. So any help or weblink leads and information on this from you to us will be greatly appreciated.
3D virtual-viewing – a unique way to inspect unique property
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A little bit more…
Just in case you would like some additional information about the Sumburgh Lighthouse buildings, here are a couple of short video films….
Click Onto The Photo Above To Watch The Video
Click Onto The Photo Above To Watch The Video
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