Back To The Future
Techniques To Realise
Your Unique Home Purchase
It may help you to find the perfect unique property if you keep an eye on older listings from the archives here at Unique Property Bulletin. Scroll back on the time-lines for tasty hidden gems. Weeks, months, years, even decades!
^^ One of The Finest Views From A Home In The World ^^
^^ Some Buys Sell ^^
^^ Some Buys Don’t ^^
Earworm song here (sorry)
Click on the property above to link
to the full detail. An awesome view and
a home in London at relatively low cost.
Unique Property Bulletin originally began in 1986. We transferred to social media in 2012. This internet element relaunched a few months ago in February 2022. We are still experimenting with formats/timing of updates etc. Apologies if we hiccup along the way ~ in our hearts we aim to do right by you, our readers.
=> Please remember, we are not an estate agency, just a group of unique property owning friends who volunteer to run a website designed to get you into healthy and satisfying property mischief.
Even though we are only 5 months back into the rebooted internet version, there is already a useful archive of several dozen unique properties. The original social media account was started on 3rd July 2014, so if you check back: click here most will be very old and many expired, but with Sherlock Holmes style research you might find some are ready to come back onto the market (we cover stamps and s.a.e.s later into this article).
We have TWO Facebook pages (a second one (here) had to be started when Facebook locked us out of the first one for years).
These all build up to a sizeable body of work because we list a FRESH unique property on our social media pages every couple of days…
Facebook: Click Here.
Instagram: Click Here.
Twitter: Click Here.
PLUS a main feature article on the
front page of our website at least once per month.
The big front-pagers will increase to a weekly frequency.
These are already sufficient in numbers online that we can illustrate our “Back To The Future” principle. Basically, we recommend you have a rummage around some of the older property-listings every month or two as tasty bargains lurk like diamonds lost down the back of the sofa.
=> RULE #11: Not all property sells at first go.
=> RULE #12 This can be good rule for you if you are a buyer. There are bargains to be had by virtue of owners willing to reduce their price if a property “sticks.” By that we mean if a building remains unsold, then often a price is lowered with a happy buyer (you) as the new owner.
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Back To The Future
Real Life Example
By way of a real example, here is what can happen for your own efforts if you follow our “Back To The Future” principle…
Back in October 2016 we featured the following lighthouse station in Unique Property Bulletin. It was being sold by the Clan Sinclair Trust. It was so attractive we were very tempted to gather our core group of mischief makers here and put in an offer as we needed a new office. This is part of our target to make this website free for you forever.
However, there was not enough time to study the history. Nor a grace period to conduct sufficient due diligence. It hurt, but we walked away from this magnificent place…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
We said thanks, but no thanks
…first time around.
Yet, the original buyer ended up abandoning their efforts. The seller had worked hard to conclude their side of the bargain. We had shortlisted this lighthouse station as a possible purchase following a rummage in our “back to the future” online archives one evening. Basically looking back over several months to see what had sold and what was still lurking about in our own publication with a “for sale” board still attached…
=> Bingo.
With spookily good timing we happened upon this lighthouse station again, and at the point where the earlier sale had dissolved. So the agent was contacted immediately. The Americans have a phrase for this type situation…
=> A motivated seller.
Within seven days of that phone call, our bid had been accepted and our sister entity, the Unique Property Club was headed on the path to becoming owner of this awesome lighthouse station.
The buildings at this set of unique properties were close to becoming derelict. But with a lot of work they could return to their rightful good condition. In nautical terms…
=> Ship Shape & Bristol Fashion.
Added good news: the sellers voluntarily REDUCED their asking price by £100,000.
So it would be rude of us not to buy this gorgeous set of lighthouse buildings. Even though they did require a major amount of renovation work over the following 12 to 18 months…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
Before Renovation Work
Our friends across at the Lighthouse Paint Team helped with the exterior part of this renovation.
Below, we feature some example photos of “before” and “after” renovation work. Fuller photo album: click here.
This is what we ended up with. A great and enjoyable adventure, because we…
=> Looked back on our earlier listings for something that had “stuck” and held great potential for the future.
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
After Renovation Work
As a rule, we do not buy that many of the items that land across our Unique Property Bulletin desk. It isn’t normal for a website or a set of writers to do this. But if, or rather when you are in the position where you have worked hard and are able (sometimes with the help of a group of friends) to buy that dream property, a water tower or windmill, maybe even a castle, or a modest railway signal box, what are you going to do?
=> Sometimes you have to take the plunge. For sure we have some regrets, but they are small in number.
=> Whereas the thill, the enjoyment, the fulfilment levels are far, far greater.
During his short life, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose had a way with words…
He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That dares not put it to the touch,
To gain or lose it all.
It would be far, far worse in our carefully considered view, to have missed an adventure that bought a derelict lighthouse station and enjoyed the transformation that brought it back to being a place of useful purpose again. An iconic set of buildings that are enjoyed by many…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
The intention was to keep ownership of the office-building and one of the former lighthouse keepers’ houses so that one or two of our new team members due to be employed on this website and on our PAYE payroll to help run this publication professionally could do so at the lighthouse station (after 35 years with the eccentric volunteers).
=> Sadly as many readers know, our founder was hit on the head by a 5,000 ton CalMac ferry and suffered a stroke. So that kinda put the kybosh on our northern office plan.
Incidentally, there is still one lighthouse building left to sell. Here is the original drone footage BEFORE renoation work. Maybe see if you can spot the Keeper’s Cabin…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
Before Renovation.
This video was filmed in 2017
To help identify the Keeper’s Cabin building, here is a photo that includes the property in the lower left hand side…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Fully Refurbished.
Rightmove Details…
Click Here
In these days of remote viewing, our next video is for the precise purpose of a remote viewing.
It is worth remembering that this property is connected to the internet via broadband landline. Importantly the local Tesco in Wick Town Centre arrange home deliveries. So it is entirely possible to live on the compound with plenty of sunlight and fresh air away from the Covid worries of city life.
FOR SALE
RENOVATED KEEPER’S CABIN
INTERIOR VIDEO
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
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FOR SALE
RENOVATED KEEPER’S CABIN
RIGHTMOVE SALE DETAILS:-
Click Here
Real-life viewings can be arranged by telephoning the number on the Rightmove page: click here.
A curious fact is that due to the proximity to the Arctic Circle, there are 2 hours more daylight here at Noss Head Lighthouse Station during summer than in London. At midnight it just gets a bit dusky and then sunrise happens a short time after.
In the winter, there are magnificent displays of the Aurora Borealis…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin, Noss Lighthouse Station ^^
Photo Copyright Release: Compliments from Ollie Taylor
^^ Keeper’s Cabin, Noss Lighthouse Station ^^
Photo Copyright Release: Compliments from Lynn Sinclair
Durinng daytime, the light has a special quality…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin, Noss Lighthouse Station ^^
Photo Copyright Release: Compliments from Russ McLean
Unique Property Bulletin are still fine-tuning the relaunched website functionality. At this time we aim to have a main and substantial MONTHLY FEATURE ARTICLE on this front page, moving to FORTNIGHTLY FEATURES and then onto a WEEKLY FREQUENCY.
PLUS every couple of days we will add a fresh unique property for you to review on our social media feeds…
Facebook: Click Here.
Instagram: Click Here.
Twitter: Click Here.
Now onto the SECOND half of this BACK TO THE FUTURE article…
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Back To The Future
Freshly Picked Oldie
From direct feedback it continues to be the case that a majority of our readers like the thought of living near to water, or with a view across the sea and similar. Recently we featured a very economic way to live in London. But alas these do not stay available for long. Though the principle is sound.
=> RULE #8: If the property you were after has sold and BACK TO THE FUTURE technique is not working, then prepare to find folk who will be selling properties you want in the FUTURE.
In simple terms, we write a letter to the owner of an interesting property asking if/when it might for sale and enclose a polite sticky backed label.
^^ Include A Sticky-Backed Address Label ^^
With Your Address and
Telephone Number On It
& Postage Stamps
THIS WORKS
You might be surprised at how many folk telephone you six months to six years later! We have succeeded in buying several buildings simply by deploying the polite letter + label + stamps.
Putting the self-addressed-letter technique asides, we move onto a real life example that occured this week when we were following our own advice…
=> RULE #7: Regularly go BACK TO THE FUTURE and rummage around OLD property listings to see if there are any that have gotten “stuck” in the nether world between unsold and zombified.
It may help you to find the perfect unique property if you keep an eye on older listings.
=> We cannot emphasise this enough (it is the whole point of this article).
=> We just deployed Rule #7 above and realised IF this piece of HIDDEN quayside was nearer to our northern office, we would have written a cheque for £40,000 to tempt the buyer (currently asking £45,000). Due to distance, we will NOT be bidding on this site. Though we would be tempted to go a 1/3 shares at £15,000 each if any of our readers fancy some unique property mischief?
=> If this location is near to you, then you may have an amazing adventure just like ripe fruit, ready to fall off the tree and into your hands.
Is this location suitable for you (at £40,000)…
Here is one we found, simply by going BACK TO THE FUTURE via our old archives of the past.
Turns out that after we featured it 8 weeks ago at an earlier auction and IN SPITE OF “SOLD” being splattered all over the place, this gem of a place at £45,000 is STILL FOR SALE (auction archive: here)…
^^ Old Quayside & Land For Sale ^^
Barely Visible
But Crucial If You Like A Boat Home
We cannot emphasise how vital and valuable quayside frontage is, if you like life, living aboard a boat. Here near to Plymouth, there is a discreet piece of quayside that can easily accommodate a modest 50 to 100 foot boat alongside.
We have added a photo of one of our old ships, the beloved MV Lochmor (before substantial refit). A great wee vessel and at 102 feet long, she would fit into this berth very nicely. The reason we are focussing on this ship as an example is they usually cost a LOT LESS that the smaller fibreglass gin palaces. Russ bought MV Lochmor from CalMac Ferries in 2000/2001 for less than £100,000. A similar sized “mega yacht” would cost over a million pounds…
^^ Our Beloved Lochmor ^^
We have been trying to buy this back since 2001!
A significant problem is finding a berth.
A great thing about owning your own berth and quayside is you can…
CHANGE YOUR HOME
WHENEVER YOU WANT TO
…but you don’t have to move. Just change the ship or boat!
Also keep a chunky sized letterbox at the top of this site by the front gate. We did that at the northern Unique Property Bulletin HQ and it worked out very well for the postie:-
^^ One of These ^^
At: 861 Wolseley Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 1JX
Then you can up anchor and go wherever your heart’s desires take you. On the southern coast, there are many amazing places to visit. Owning a discreet piece of land with quayside frontage is bliss if you like life aboard a boat. Here near to Plymouth, it was easy to miss exactly what this site had to offer. It can easily accommodate a modest 50 to 100 foot boat alongside…
It is easy to visualise when the bits of jigsaw are put into place. This next photo is the current access. We would strongly recommend you put a heavy-duty security gate here instead of the flimsy, ornamental thing amongst the rubble...
^^ A New Electronic Security Gate ^^
Located Here AND a New CCTV System
Would be A Wise Idea
^^ Your New Boat Home ^^
At: 861 Wolseley Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 1JX
^^ Your New Boat Home ^^
At: 861 Wolseley Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 1JX
^^ Our Beloved Lochmor ^^
Would fit in here beautifully.
Though the ship was extensively updated and overhauled with major improvements made…
^^ Formerly MV Lochmor ^^
Currently on service at Iceland
We show a few interior photographs as this indicates just ONE of THREE decks you have to play with as far as your living accommodation is arranged.
^^ Formerly MV Lochmor ^^
This vessel would be easily adapted for residential use. It is very important that the engines work, otherwise the local planners may insist you change the use to “residential” at your £40,000 piece of quayside.
Whereas if your ship is fully functional, ideally under the mega-yacht code (or modern equivalent), then officials boarding without proper authority may be conducting an act of piracy. Time to get the gang-plank out and feed the miscreants to the ferocious jellyfish.
^^ Jellyfish on The Menu? ^^
It doesn’t take too much imagination to see the large spaces are more than capable of being reconfigured to add your extra desired rooms such as lounge, additional cabins ( bedrooms). There are crew cabins down below alongside one for the chief engineer. The master’s cabin used to be just astern of the upper deck wheelhouse (that configuration might have changed during this ship’s time cruising with tourists by the Jurassic Coastline).
^^ Best Be Quick In Buying The Quayside Site ^^
We’ve almost talked ourselves into going to the current owners of MV Lochmor, buying back our boat and purchasing this wonderfully located piece of quayside…
^^ Your New Home ^^
At: 861 Wolseley Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 1JX
It doesn’t look like much.
But find a classic ship and
tidy up your harbour. Then…
you have a blissful waterside hHome
What do you do next?
Go view the property, then speak with the planning officials on your intentions. Maybe even submit a PRE-PLANNING APPLICATION. This is a quick way to see if the planners have vetos to deploy that you are unaware of.
Maybe seek wise counsel from an independent architect (to avoid the planning officials making you abandon your plans through the NO NO NO mantra that some older planners still witter on about – causing more dilapidations and ruined buildings.
Then depending on your own thought process, maybe arrange for an EARLY PRE-AUCTION offer to go in (and avoid the risk of a rogue buyer turning up to steal your thunder on 7th – 8th August 2o22).
^^ Still For Sale ^^
Current sale schedule: here. Archive: here. Auction deadline, unless sold earlier: 8th August to 9th August 2022
We must emphasis some places on the internet are WRONG when they state this place is “sold”.
It is clearly and evidently STILL for sale…
Source Details
Click Here
Archived: Here.
For manual URL reference…
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Previous Edition of
Unique Property Bulletin
Feature Article
Click Here
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FOR SALE
Lighthouse Keeper’s Cabin
Lighthouse Keeper’s Cabin For Sale
Click Here
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Social Media &
Unique Property Bulletin
Please remember, we have DAILY unique property updates on our social media feeds…
Facebook: Click Here.
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Twitter: Click Here.
MAIN ARTICLE: This front page is changed at least every MONTH. We are aiming to upload a new article every FORTNIGHT and then on a WEEKLY basis. This website is free. No charge. No paywall. This facility is kept going by volunteers who enjoy sharing their passion for life lived in unusual homes.
Best wishes.
The Unique Property Bulletin Team
Endeavour House, 1 James Street, Arbroath, Angus, UK, DD11 1JF.
