This Edition’s Unique Property Feature Introduction:-

Two Summers & No Winters

We study the possibility of banishing the winter blues – Unique Property Bulletin style… 

AAA Isle of Arran - Holy Isle

The Holy Island, Off of Lamlash on The Island of Arran

In the summer this island in the north is sublime. Winter is alright, but like the birds, many local folk fly south for extra summer weather and longer daylight hours? Extending this principle a little gives us two-summers-no-winters. Are you curious?

Photo: Jason Hawkes

Although I was born in Glasgow, a great part of my formative years were spent growing up on the island of Arran. Even when work took me away from this beloved gem of a place, I travelled back across the water – islands tend to require a lot of boat sailing. The photograph above is a route I used to ply when coming back home in one craft or another and passing by the wonderful Holy Island with it’s distinctive lighthouse building (in photo below). A sign of things to come with the seed of a lighthouse beam well and truly planted…

AAA Holy Island Lighthouse, Arran

Holy Island Lighthouse (Inner), Arran

Photo: Gordon Brown

So what’s the score with this edition of the Bulletin? Well our unique property ethos is more than just about unusual buildings. Unique styles of life are important too. In our feature article below, we examine a relatively unknown phenomenon of converting night time into daylight – by the ton! It’s about squeezing every last hour of daylight from each year. We shocked ourselves at just how much more daylight can be extracted by tweeking some lifestyle choices. Plus having unique property fun into the bargain. For a lucky few, when circumstances allow, it is possible to spend 6 months of summer in the north where, because of the proximity to the Arctic Circle means enjoying long summer days and very short nights. The further north you go/live, the more likely it is not to get dark at midnight. Conversely, between October and March each year, anything in the southern part of Britain tends to give many extra daylight hours for those travelling from the far north to the far south. Between 240 and 260 extra hours of daylight each year can be achieved. It is not magic nor alchemy, it is real. No Merlin required. This gets very close to our ideal of …

Two Summers, No Winters

On Arran back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s the received wisdom from my rusty memory is that half of the islands hotels closed during winter, leaving enough winter and off-season tourism business for those remaining open to survive, whilst the hibernating hotels had their lucky owners fly south and enjoy a hard earned rest at some exotic place in France, Spain, or even further abroad such as New Zealand or Australia. I grew up in a hotel and know first hand how hard that lifestyle can be. The upside is it can also be incredibly interesting. Friendships form that last a lifetime. But the dismal winter nights with 6 hours daylight and 18 hours darkness can be draining on the spirit. Even with those beautiful crisp snowy December days and spectacularly bright January mornings that are made for taking sunrise photographs, the general darkness and rainy cold winters can get mighty old on the bones. So the edition we go in search of a real life remedy.

Plus there are some wonderfully unusual properties to consider whilst searching for more daylight…

AAA France - Island and Lighthouse

L’île Louët et le Château du Taureau – Baie de Morlaix, Finistère, Bretagne (Click Here)

Truly unique French island and lighthouse property

We have covered the international two-summers-no-winters lifestyle a couple of years ago (here), so it is also possible to reconsider a move outwith the UK. Say France – the small island at Bretagne above is a cracking winter hibernation candidate. Whether you rent Château du Taureau, or keep to the Cornwall-Kent Coast, the Bulletin invites you to join us studying how to squeeze more daylight out of each year. Also to see what sort of unique properties might be on offer to make life exotic during those winter months. There is a lot to choose from, both in the north and south. This Bulletin covers September 2016, and as we sail into the darker, colder autumnal nights, we enjoy a reverie – turning thoughts and dreams into reality – perhaps you might like to join us in banishing winters, and having two summers each year?

The full feature appears later in this edition…

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Regular Bulletin Listings Now Follow

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Pole Land Wanted

Building plot to buy – not the country of Poland!

Pole House - The Pole 1

Australian Pole House – This Style of Building Plot Sought In The UK.

At 60 Banool Road, Fairhaven, Victoria, Australia there was a difficult plot of land to build upon. The solution was this inspirational and elegant pole house (click here). Thousands of miles away, and in the last century there was a similarly difficult plot of land. Located at 7776 Torreyson Drive, Los Angeles California, America, and built by the renowned architect John Lautner in the 1960s, the Chemosphere House is one of out all time favourites (here)…

AAA Chemosphere House

Chemosphere House – On A Pole. Similar Sloping Land Building Site In UK Sought

There are several interesting ways to build on sloping building plots (here). Whichever way our reader chooses, we are putting this request on the Bulletin in the hope that we can help find a suitable piece of sloping land in the UK for a unique property adventure.

Do you have a sloping site for sale?

Please contact our sponsor…

Unique Property Agency

Click Here

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MoD & Mega Golf Property

AAA RAF Balado Bridge 2 by Dr Duncan Pepper
Former RAF Balado Bridge, Balado, Kinross

Photo Courtesy of Dr Duncan Pepper

We are advancing into the big boys and girls property section now. The owner has a very tasty £950,000 (offers over) seven figure price tag for this former Ministry of Defence base – RAF Balado Bridge (click here for several excellent photographs).

AAA RAF Balado MAIN Aerial

Former RAF Balado Bridge, Balado, Kinross

The most notable part is the Radome. Colloquially known as a big golf ball for obvious reasons. Heaven help us if a golfer had size appropriate golf clubs for this. RAF Balado Bridge is now an iconic Perthshire landmark close to the villages of Kinross and Milnathort. The ideal location for commuting throughout east central Scotland with the M90 a five minute drive away. In June 2014, the site of the ground station was offered for sale, with an opening price of £1.1 million.

So where do things stand now? The gentleman who owns it seems like a unique property person in a similar vein to many here and those that read this Bulletin.  Just looking at the site, the buildings the location being in the heart of this part of the country and great connectivity links, this is  a property we here at Unique Property Bulletin are sorely tempted to make an offer upon.

The location close to arterial route M90 may add value. 

AAA RAF Balado Bridge by Keith Boardman

Former RAF Balado Bridge, Balado, Kinross

Photo Courtesy of Mr Keith Boardman

A major “T in The Park” concert going on in the photo

But can you spot the Balado Radome?

For the time being, we will leave this listing here for now. The Unique Property Syndicates are still being rebooted since the sabbatical and we are not quite at this level of candidate property price range – yet. There has certainly been some interesting discussions here about end use for this site.

A case of watch this space? Ironic given that it was formerly a satellite station and used for space-watching.

If any of our current Unique Property Syndicate folk would like to consider this former MoD base as a candidate property, please feel free to email us to discuss further (click here). Alternatively if any of our readers end up buying this golf ball base themselves, please consider letting us know as we have a television company keen to feature projects such as this.

Address: Former RAF Balado Bridge, Balado, Kinross, KY13 0NJ

Guide: £1,1000,000.

Telephone the estate agent: 0800 999 1565.

Background Information: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

Estate Agent Details For Balado

& Contact

Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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REGULAR DOSE OF UNIQUE?

So if this style of unique property floats your boat, best find a way of taking a few days out to travel and inspect what is a genuinely unique property. To establish whether it is of interest, take a few moments to watch this beautifully filmed video…

Please click on the picture above to view the lighthouse and island video

Fancy A Small Island & A Lighthouse Building For £111,000?

Then a good idea to visit the Bulletin via social media regularly

Please remember that every few days we add an extra unique property to our main social media newsfeeds. So you don’t need to worry about missing out on your ideal home falling off of your radar….

Unique Property Bulletin on Facebook: Click Here

Unique Property Bulletin on Twitter: Click Here


A Church At £38,000

Not bad value when compared to a single church in London at £10,000,000

An illuminating lesson in location and valuation

AAA Elim Church

Former Elim Church, Knight Street, Mountain Ash, Mid Glamorgan

This small church being auctioned with a former guide of £25,000 (2009) and current (2016) auction ballpark estimate of £38,000 might not seem a likely building to make a point. 

It is a salutary demonstration of the difference a location can have in property value. One of the most expensive buildings we have ever come across in 25 years at this Bulletin is a single church situated in Kensington, London: Click Here. That a single church conversion can attract an eye watering ten million pound price tag is literally jaw dropping. We regularly review the London property market, but such is the dynamic of the majority of buildings within the M25 orbital and arbitrary circle of property value that we struggle to find property to feature that does not become sold within days of being placed onto the market. Though the £10,000,000 church featured later may stick around for a couple of weeks as it is exceptional on several levels. Perhaps reflect a little on the difference between a £38,000 church in Mid Glamorgan and a £10,000,000 structure of similar genre at Kensington? You could buy 263 churches akin to Elim at Mountain Ash, or one of a kind that sits in London.

Returning to our Welsh worship structure. The little church at Mountain Ash is a stone built property under a pitched slate roof being of special architectural and historical ecclesiastical design (Grade II* listed). Consisting an entrance vestibule (with WC), the main hall with upper floor balcony areas. Side access leading to a function/meeting room (understood to potentially hold up 80 persons), kitchen area, office and cloakroom/WC.

Planning enquiries: Click Here

Address: Elim Church Knight Street, Mountain Ash, Mid Glamorgan, CF45 3EY

Guide: £38,000

Further (2016) Details: Click Here

Previous (2009) Auction Details: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived (2016) Details For Future Reference: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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Bargain Home Brew

Imbibe This Potential Devonian Development

AAA The Old Brewery

The Old Brewery, 45 High Street, Dawlish, Devon.

This former brewery building located in the heart of Dawlish, Devon, has an interesting planning history. Distil your own home? Change of use appears notto be required in order to refurbish parts for residential use. The auctioneers mention possible residential conversion for the remaining commercial parts, but we know that there is a demand, at least amongst a significant proportion of Unique Property Bulletin readers for a place to use as a home and business combined.

Given there are sea views promised in the agency blurb from this tower…

AAA The Old Brewery Tower

The Old Brewery Tower – Potential Study or Dwelling – Dawlish, Devon.

…we can see the appeal at converting the upper commercial part to residential use, or better still a study to work from.

If you live in, or want to move to Devon and you are intending on an IT or internet based business, then the vistas and aromas from this former brewery might just help those creative juices to flow. Plus this may well suit the two-summers-no-winters southern property requirement as discussed later in this Bulletin.

Address: The Old Brewery, 45 High Street, Dawlish, Devon. EX7 9HF

Guide: £65,000

Further Details: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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Four Funerals & A Wedding

Dark Humour Home: Stockton-On-Tees

A Lodge Cemetery

South Lodge, Oxbridge Lane, Stockton-on-Tees

If you reach the time of life when the number 5 goes in front of your age, and it is more Four Funerals and a Wedding than the original title of that Hugh Grant hit movie (here), the sense of humour becomes just a tad darker. So with this in mind, the cemetery lodge is not dog friendly…

A Graham 1
I mean, when you have dead quiet neighbours, the last thing you want is your pet dog appearing at the door like this.

Not a good look.

A Graham 2

Agency Narrative: Are you looking for home with peace and tranquillity, and a home with plenty of outside space? Then this property could be for you! Once you get over the unusual situation of this property, where the entrance is via a cemetery, you will discover an exceptional home that offers bags of charm with some period features remaining. On entering the property the hall is an inviting space with a vaulted ceiling and period entrance door. The lounge features a bay window, flooding the room with natural light, and a second reception room providing a separate dining area. The kitchen is fitted with a range of units and offers a place for everyday dining.

Moving through the accommodation and up to the first floor there are 3 bedrooms and a family bathroom. Externally, there are lawned gardens to the front and side of the property, and enclosed rear courtyard.

Location: South Lodge, Oxbridge Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 4HP

Further Details: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Guide: Was: £210,000. Now £205,000.

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

Contact Hunters Estate Agency – Tel: 01642 224 366. Please can folk mention to the estate agent that they found this cemetery lodge for sale in Unique Property Bulletin. This helps us keep this publication free for all readers.

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Old School House For Auction

Dorset Doer Upper

AAA Old School for auction

Old School House, Sandford Orcas, Sherborne

Details of this property are sparse. Apparently due to it being a sad possession case. Prospective buyers need to make their own enquiries. Especially with regards to the legal pack, quality of title/burdens, and last but not least, please make sure you have a look inside of the building. Ideally commission a survey report.

Meanwhile, this Dorset dwelling is just the right latitude in the southern part of our two-summers-no-winters initiative, as discussed later in the feature article at the last section of this Bulletin.

Address: Old School House, Sandford Orcas, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4SA

Guide: £140,000

Further Details: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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Wow Church

Brobdingnagian Sized Church Project In Todmorden

AAA Old Church 1

Christ Church, Burnley Road, Todmorden, Lancashire

For Bulletin readers who love churches and are looking for a challenge, here is a part converted project of wonderfully impressive proportions. First impressions of the outside will have many folk thinking twice about the magnitude. When you glimpse the Nave…

AAA Old Church 2
Large Nave, Christ Church, Todmorden

 …many folk will have a sharp intake of breath at the size and volume here. Then you see the progress that has been made with parts already finished…

AAA Old Church 3

The Lounge: Christ Church, Todmorden

AAA Old Church 4

The Bathroom: Christ Church, Todmorden

AAA Old Church 5

A Bedroom: Christ Church, Todmorden

Well, for what it is worth, if any of us here at Bulletin HQ lived within 50 miles of Todmorden, then it would be right into the car and across to have a good look. A magnificent building, but also quite a lot of work to undertake. A fairly big survey bill to pay for prior to buying as well.
Christ Church, Burnley Road, Todmorden, Lancashire

Auctioneer’s Narrative: Detached grade II listed former church with grounds which is partially renovated and refurbished into a five bedroom residential dwelling. The property is offered with vacant possession.

The completed property will provide for the following accommodation: Ground Floor: Entrance Hallway, Lounge, Living Room, Study, Kitchen, Utility Room, Gym, Shower Room and W/C, Snug and Storage Areas. First Floor: Gallery, Five Bedrooms (Three with En Suite Bathrooms), Dressing Rooms and Storage

Outside: There is a Lychgate at the start of the driveway with approval to widen which will allow the creation of an enclosed driveway and parking area. There are gardens landscaping surrounding the property.

Address: Christ Church, Burnley Road, Todmorden, Lancashire, OL14 7BS

Guide: £160,000

Further Details: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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If Romeo & Juliet Were In Herefordshire

AAA Oast House MAIN
The Oast House, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire

This former Oast house is a little different from others we have seen when compiling the Bulletin. It has a little of the Romeo & Juliet tower about the thing. Agency Narrative: Detached three bedroom Oast house conversion with approximately two acres of paddock. Field Shelter and planning permission for stables.

AAA Oast House 3

Oast Interior – Circular Kitchen. Hop To It Jamie Oliver

Large established gardens. Long private driveway. Set in a quiet rural position with views across open farmland, on the outskirts of the village of Stoke Lacy. Grade II Listed.

Address: The Oast House, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4QZ

Guide: £450,000

Further Details: Click Here

Past Price Research: Click Here

Proposed Title Plan: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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More Oast For Less Toast

AAA Oast Double MAIN

Twin Oasts, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire

The earlier single tower Oast house listed above at £450,000 is a fine building, but here we have a double barrelled Oast house conversion for less money. Albeit the two towers are situated on a smaller plot of land.

AAA Bromyard 3

Twin Oasts – Interior – Our Flavour of Home Study Space

AAA Bromyard 2

The Circular Kitchen Is Non Too Shabby

This twin Oast also has an very nice piece of modern video to go with the helpful album of still photographs on the brochure – for the movie: Click Here

Agency Summary: Character residence on small, exclusive, development 4 miles from Bromyard. 3 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, garage, private gardens and potential for further enlargement.

For readers with a love of these traditional brewery beauties, here are a couple of videos. A very short, atmospheric clip from long ago, and another with a little hop history – please note, this old clip is a different Oast house and the video is included for edification…

Please click on the picture above to view an old Oast House video clip


Please click on the picture above to view video of hops, brewa and beer.

Address: Twin Oasts, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4HJ

Guide: £395,000

Further Details: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview: Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

This website is run on a not-for-profit basis since 2011 online and 1887 in paper format. Our HQ members volunteer their time to assist other folk in locating unique property places to live. Please help us to help you by letting the estate agent know you found their property via…

Unique Property Bulletin

Many thanks.

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DIY Unique Property Searches

Turbo boost your own chances to find that special unique home

Graham Rogers, 42, jumps from a helicopter as the fourth man in black in the Cadbury's Milk Tray television commercial.

Sometimes Good Unique Building Finds Take Extra Effort 🙂 

Though we will try to help you avoid jumping out of helicopters

Hundreds of additional unique properties available…

…in the geographic area and of the genre that you choose.

Buy at £8,000 to £80,000 or even £800,000

Our extra article will show you how to find these sorts of former municipal buildings…

Click Here For The DIY Search Secrets To Boost Your Chances

You will need a password…

Click Here

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Whether you are looking for an old fire station, nuclear bunker, stately home, public convenience, museum, library or police station…

There are often dozens upon dozens hundreds of unique properties available…

Locally to you.

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Old Railway Station, West Sussex

Beautiful Home & Lifestyle With Income

AAA AAA Petford Railway Station MAIN

The Old Railway Station, Petworth, West Sussex

Here is an unusual railway station conversion, even by Bulletin standards. Built in 1892 under influence of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. The property has 11 bedrooms. Plus a beautifully converted interior, including former ticket and station rooms. The old platform is exquisitely presented with the fine positioning of further, very special guest accommodation in the form of restored rolling stock. Currently this old railway station is operated as a unique hotel with an emphasis on the fleet of Pullman Coaches for guests to experience. 

The principal building has a West and East wing. The East wing comprises two en-suite guest rooms, a library and public toilet facilities. The West wing houses the hotel reception and the owner’s accommodation. The owner’s accommodation benefits from open plan living space to the ground floor and a large en-suite bedroom to the first floor.

AAA AAA Petford Railway Station 2
The Pullman Coach Fleet At The Old Railway Station

For buyers considering a move into the hospitality industry, the bed and breakfast is an award winning favourite of guests from all over the world, Recent plaudits include the Good Hotel’s Guide Editor’s Choice for romantic hotels and a place in the Trip Advisor’s ‘Hall of Fame’.

AAA AAA Petford Railway Station Int

Pullman Coach Interior

In addition to the painstaking detail with which Mr Olafsson has restored the station building and the Pullman carriages, he has had his eye firmly on the future, with the installation of a sustainable biomass boiler. The boiler keeps heating costs down and makes the ongoing running costs considerably lower than they would otherwise be. Whilst the future holds much attention, the past is also interesting…

AAA Petworth Old Photo
Petworth Railway Station: The Last Train – 1955. Gravelroots (here)

Owner’s Income generating element: The business is award winning and has achieved four gold stars from the AA. Net turnover for the year ending 31st Mar 2014 was approximately £240,000 with a gross profit of approximately £135,000. Accounts available upon request.

Click on the picture above to view the video of Petworth Railway Station

Address: The Old Railway Station, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0JF

Guide: £1,500,000

Further Details: Click Here

Dedicated Website & Additional Information: Click Here

Google 3D Streetview (pictures taken in 2014 – restoration well under way): Click Here

Google Map Location: Click Here

Archived Details For Future Reference: Click Here

Contact: Click Here. Please can folk make first contact for this old railway station for sale via Unique Property Bulletin. We are then able to demonstrate to the estate agents selling each property that our not-for-profit websites help their clients, and in so doing can encourage them to support the Bulletin. We monitor our email inbox at least three times per day, so will make the introduction for you promptly. By helping us this way, we can continue to help you. A virtuous circle. 

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Property Club News

Just a quick mention for our unique property club members. We have been rummaging through the old filing cabinets and archived boxes – there are several dozen of them averaging 25 files in each. This week we located the old paperwork for the 2007 Unique Property Syndicate 18 – the last one we did in that phase. For nostalgia, and to show that even a small utility building can have an interesting outcome, check out our dedicated UPS18 page…

Click Here To Study The Last Completed Property Club Outing: UPS18

AAA Hamilton Racecourse

Complete Unique Property Syndicate 18 (click here)

A little ironic that the last property club we ran had a small functional building close to a major sporting stadia (horse racing), whilst our next proposed syndicate is also diminutive, basic and close to a major sporting location (golf)…

A Carnoustie WC and Dibble Tree

Unique Property Club 20 (click here): Just 2 Places Left

But UPC21 and UPC22 are soon to be announced – likely candidates: a castle, then a railway station.

Please note Unique Property Club 19 is fully subscribed (here) in case you were wondering why we have gone from number 18 to 20.

If you would like to see the above password protected webpages, please: Click Here

For folk new to these property clubs, some background can be found: Here

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Unique Abroad

INFINITE SPACE: The Architecture of John Lautner

For anyone who has yet to discover the work of American architect John Lautner, you are likely to be in for a treat. This is one of Unique Property Bulletin’s top 5 architects. Ever. Click on the picture above to enjoy a brief video presentation. If you would like to know more about this amazing architect, treat yourself to a book on his work: Click Here

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Try Before You Buy

Small But Perfectly Formed

AAA TBYB

Click Here For Further Details

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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 To Receive 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 August & September 2016, the Unique Property Bulletin competition prize is a modest twenty pound note…

AAA 20 Pound Unique Property Bulletin Prize

Sponsored By Scotslion – Real Dragons’ Den

Sponsors Website – Click Here

Competition Question: Old Coastguard Station – But Where Is It?

A former coastguard station that was for sale in April at £10,000.

AAA August and September 2016 Competition

All you have to do is identify the location of this old coastguard station?

The winner is the first drawn from our Competition Box at close of competition on 30th September 2016 

Email your free entries to us…

Click Here For Competition Entry Contact Page

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Architecturally Unique

Please note, in each edition of the Bulletin we feature the work of a unique architect. These properties are usually NOT currently for sale, but are included to help inspire readers as to the talent that abounds when the mind of a good architect meets the imagination of a unique property person. Something that little bit special is often created by the synergy.

AAA Unique Architect Tree House

Tree House, But Not As We Know It

Architect A Masow

Click on the picture above to enjoy the tree house video

So our

Commended Architect

For this Unique Property Bulletin is:-

A Masow

Click Here For This Architect’s Dedicated Website

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FEATURE ARTICLE

This Edition’s Unique Property – Main Feature:-

Two Summers & No Winters

Towan Island Steve Daniels

We Are Looking For Candidate “Two Summer” Properties

After you’ve read this feature, maybe you can help? Even join in with an adventure along these lines?

Photo courtesy of Steve Daniels

The idea of two-summers-and-no-winters is relatively simple. Spend approximately half the year (May to September) living at the north of the hemisphere where the daylight hours are longest, pleasant and sunny. Then migrate for 3 to 6 months to either the southern hemisphere, or for the purposes of this specific article, the southern part of the UK. Thereby achieving the aim of eliminating much winter and significantly increasing your life’s summer.

AAA Sun Light Website
This Strange Looking Website Pictured Above May Hold An Interesting Secret

A remarkable effect on giving you 260 hours of extra summer each year

When you are old and grey, if I offered you an extra 20 days of 12 hour sun for each year you lived, that might equate to a 40 year adult lifespan. Extrapolating those numbers, would it surprise you to know you could have more than two solid years of extra summer days to your life? An additional 800 extra summer days? You might think I’ve lost the plot, but spend 10 minutes reading the rest of this Bulletin and then a few hours ruminating over the thesis of this. Especially when you can buy 6 houses all in, freehold for £19,000 (yes that does say nineteen thousand pounds)…

Extreme Far North: Unst.

MoD Base With An Interesting Sale History: Click Here

Please be aware that this article was first written in 2012 and updated in 2021. So the £19,000 sale price of Saxa Vord MoD base is long gone. Best keep an eye on Unique Property Bulletin for some juicy gems. For example, we have a mainland building plot with enduring planning for a seaview detached house and know that £28,000 cash will secure a deal. Click Here.

As for Saxa Vord, the fact of the 2012 sale at £19,000 are indisputable. Here is the government’s own Land Registry site covering the far north…


We produced an earlier two-summers-no-winters article is 2014 (click here). That covered and international way of doing this. Since then we’ve had several discussions with folk about a version within the UK that requires less travel – hundreds of miles rather than several thousand. On reviewing the actual forensic detail, we’ve discovered even the British Isles has a significant range of day-lengths between geographic areas. Who knew? Not too long ago I was on Orkney and utilised the Skype video link to contact a friend in Cornwall. Remarkably close to Towan Island, Cornwall as pictured above. My friend couldn’t get over the fact I was in bright daylight and they were in the dark at the wrong side of sunset. It was a curious experience for both of us. The received wisdom was I should have been in the dark on the northern islands whilst my friends would have been down on the Cornish and Devonian beaches enjoying the sun. Not so. Why? Patience dear friend, we will get to that soon.

AAA John O Groats Hotel When Derelict Main
Unique Property For Sale Earlier – John O’Groats During It’s Derelict Period

Photograph Courtesy of Mark Chalmers

Segue the two-summers-no-winters idea with unique property, and it is perhaps an idea to mention a geographically extreme developer by the name of Peter de Savary. This gentleman bought property at Land’s End in Cornwall during 1987 for a reported £7,000,000 (here). Two years later in 1989 he bought the other end of Britain – John O’Groats (here). There was a publicity coupe surrounding the event. Unfortunately Mr de Savary was unable to progress his dreams for the two ends of the country and sold up that endeavour in 1991. If you are so minded, it may be an interesting exercise to study Mr de Savary’s adventures, they have much of the unique about them and inspiration can be drawn from twenty minutes or so on Google in this respect.

AAA JoG - Lands End
Mainland Britain – End To End Map

Long enough to make a substantial daylight difference. Often two hours extra between top and bottom of the country, and not in the direction you might first imagine.

The distance between Land’s End in Cornwall and John O’Groats in Caithness is approximately 603 miles direct flight path, or more practically 837 by road (can vary depending on which map or internet mapping you utilise). This isn’t just about distance, our two summers initiative is about increasing the amount of daylight to a materially significant degree in your life and our life.

Sufficient to enjoy many longer days by relocating yourself at both ends of Britain. Plus the addition of a little of the unique property element into the mix. As far as possible locations go, more adventurous souls may wish to extend the geographic range and capture a greater amount of sunlight days.

AAA Muckle Flugga Lighthouse Martin Third MAIN

Muckle Flugga Lighthouse – Britain Close To Norway & Iceland (here)

For just one example, £79,000 would buy you a unique lighthouse home (here) on Unst in the Northern Isles, and where you get some serious sun in the summer, and very long daylight with little night darkness.

AAA Muckle Flugga Shore Station - Mike Pennington
Muckle Flugga Lighthouse Shore Station on Unst

Was for sale at £79,000 (click here)

Whilst up on the Northern Isles, I ended up with a very bad case of sunstroke. Far worse an experience than just a dose of sunburn. Who would of thought such a thing to be a problem up there, but the local GP says it happens quite a lot. People just assume – wrongly – that it is just cold and damp in the north of the country. Because so many folk dismiss the idea of staying a while anywhere north of the Watford Gap, they miss out on more than extra summertime. A significant amount of sunshine abounds the nearer you get to the Arctic Circle during summer months. Folk also lose out on big time bargains. For example this former MoD base and Radome would make an amazing summer pied a terre  at just £19,000 – yes that is the right number of zeros after number nineteen…

AAA Saxa Vord Radome

Saxa Vord Radome Before Deflation

Above is a picture of the Radome in situ. After the base closed, this structure was dismantled. Re-erection/replacement with a more solid Radome that included domestic accommodation would be an interesting project. The old auction schedule and details can be viewed: click here.

AAA Saxa-Vord-Mike-Pennington

Northern Radome & Base At Saxa Vord Sold For £19,000

Fancy a shot at buying this northern MoD base?

To help you, consider getting hold of a Unique Property Manual for ways to make that happen (click here).

We have certainly had properties listed in the Bulletin near Skaw at the most northern climbs, and plenty of Cornish/Devonian buildings on these pages. Though the hardcore Bulletin readers who want to test drive two-summers-no-winters with a little extra jump across to the Channel Islands may want to try Jersey (or even Gibraltar). First port of call… 

Click Here To View Jersey Island Properties For Sale

AAA Jersey Round Tower Photo Ms Chipie

Unique Property On The Island of Jersey (here)

The two photographs immediately above illustrate the style of unique property that might be located at both northern and southern extreme ends of the British Isles. By my reckoning the extreme tips at the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands in the south, and Unst in the north are about 960 miles apart. This is where the real harvesting of daytime hours can be maximised.

AAA Jersey to Unst

Significant Extra Summer Hours By Living at both ends of the British Isles

Islands of Unst and Channel Island of Jersey (here)

As we enter September, the blues of this month are palpable. Wherever you live in the UK, right now, as daylight hours shorten, dark nights are getting longer. Sunshine becomes more precious. At Bulletin HQ we go from 13 hours 50 minutes of daylight to 11 hours 34 minutes in the single month of September: here.

Have a go at finding your areas daylight rations yourself: click here

This time and daylight website can be fun and interesting.

Of material note is the difference of daylight hours enjoyed just now between say Shetland in the far north. This is where we unravel some of the detail in that odd screenshot picture earlier in this article: Here

Sunrise: 06:00. Sunset: 20:07. Approximately 14:07 hours of daylight.

Compare the daylight available in the southern mainland UK – for example Penzance: Here

Sunrise: 06:37. Sunset: 20:06. Approximately 13:28 hours of daylight.

Over the month, that means living ‘up north’ where most folk think of as poorer light has, in fact…

30 days of 39 minutes extra daylight!

In one month, the Shetlanders enjoy 11 hours more daylight than folk in Cornwall. Go figure!

That also works in reverse for Cornwall and Devon – through to Kent, depending on the time of year.

To the point, at the extremes of geography in Britain alone we have a curious difference in daylight each day…

Midwinter – Far south in Cornwall: 22 December – 8 hours 4 minutes of daylight.
Midwinter – Far north in Shetland: 22 December – 5 hours 49 minutes of daylight.

Midsummer – Far south in Cornwall: 22 June – 16 hours 23 minutes of daylight.
Midsummer – Far north in Shetland: 22 June – 18 hours 55 minutes of daylight.

Source: Penzance: Here
Source: Lerwick: Here

What this means is that if a Shetlander had a second home in Cornwall and decanted there for 4 months each year, at the depths of midwinter they would have an extra 2 hours and 15 minutes of daylight each day. Averaged out over four months their winter daylight would increase by around 240 hours. On a 12 hour daylight cycle that is 20 extra days of daylight over winter.

Conversely, and this is a point many folk in the south miss out on with a squiffy misunderstanding of how sunny the far north can be, if a Cornish person had a second home on Shetland and migrated north for 4 months in the summer, they would have an extra 2 hours and 22 minutes of daylight. Averaged out over four months someone from Corwall, Devon, Plymouth, Torquay, Southampton, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Brighton, Hastings, or Dover would have their summer daylight increase by around 260 hours every year.

This idea of two-summers-no-winters does not suit everyone. But there is food for thought within this narrative. Yes? No? If we restrict the idea to finding unique property to stay in at either end of the UK, it may be a remedy for those moments of horrendous emotional torture that families go through on “Wanted Down Under” when grandparents, family and friends realise they are unlikely ever to see their grandchildren again, with the rare exception of international flights once in five years from UK to Australia.

Many examples of this long distance dilemma can be found on this BBC television series – on air since 2007, with over 150 episodes to date. But I find elements verging upon the cruel. Worse, I’ve seen this sort of thing first hand and in real life with good friends when their kids grow up and move to Australia…

Not good when you see the end result for some poor folk: Here

So for this Unique Property Bulletin we are looking remedy the upset in that video clip above – provide a way where folk can enjoy a more exotic lifestyle without the genuine trauma that close family have in virtually losing their children and grandchildren.

More than that, we intend to put the two-summers-no-winters theory into action – actually buy a place at either end of the country and put together a diary – maybe even a short film of how this idea works if tested within the confines of the UK (as opposed to our international version here). Perhaps with an added bonus of reducing family stress by examining a UK way of maximising summer and minimising winter whilst not ripping families apart as featured in each painful “messages from home” television torture segment via the BBC series “Wanted Down Under”.

I remember in my home village of Corrie on the island of Arran a wonderful lady who spent each summer on the island for 25 years. Her kids and grandkids visited. Lifelong friendships were formed. The 4 month summers worked way back then, so why not now?

AAA Corrie Port and Cottages - Isle of Arran

Corrie on the Island of Arran

First time I saw two-summers-no-winters work

In the detail of UK daylight hours above, if an extra 260 hours of summer sun isn’t enough, we can always study the island of Jersey or even Gibraltar where the extra daylight hours gained each year by having a foot in the far north and far south would accumulate even more daylight hours.

Of course for some folk there are no strong family ties, and the bigger distances of intercontinental travel present no crushing family estrangement’s. For this edition we are leaving the two-summers-no-winters idea within UK boundaries. It is likely we will return to this topic with the full-on international initiative and seek candidate properties as winter migration destinations later.

Indeed, if you have read this far, you are definitely a hardcore reader of the Unique Property Bulletin. So we’d ask you to informally join our current dozen friends of the Bulletin and send in your candidate unique properties from the south of France, Spain, even Australia and New Zealand. Anywhere that the winter sun exceeds 12 hours a day, whilst back here in Old Blighty we are dealing with a miserable 5 hours worth of daylight at the pits of winter. Please…

Click Here To Send Your Two-Summer-No-Winter Candidate Unique Properties

…in the southern hemisphere, the equatorial regions, and even south of France, southern Italy, Spain etc. Even the south coast of England. Together we must surely be able to make some wonderful mischief.

One last thing – Alastair and Joe have put together a mighty fine micro adventure. Just came across it by accident. Thought it fun to share. I like their style and ethos…

You just have to say the wonderful words…. “Muckle Flugga”

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