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MAIN ARTICLE: This front page is changed every fortnight with a new ARTICLE written for you. This special feature article covers the importance to you if you are buying of properties that…
Fail To Sell At Auction
Real Life Example
Here is a property we featured in 2016 at £275,000 (the reserve was £300,000). The sale fell through. We couldn’t resist buying it as Unique Property Bulletin is looking for new offices. The sellers were utterly fe up being messed around. We were shocked when they agreed to sell at £200,000. A saving of £100,000…
Unique Property Bulletin Northern HQ
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
It works because we went from leasing a humble old lookout station 35 years ago at £5 per annum: click here. Final renovation: here and here. Fast-forward 30 years to 2016 and we ended up with 24 members of our sister website (Unique Property Club) members owning an awesome his 33 acre lighthouse station with 8 buildings on the site…
Unique Property Bulletin Northern HQ
None too shabby for an eccentric publication!
Though it is down to a solid crew of
core club members that have been working
with each other over 20 to 30 years
We mention this example as first time round it FAILED TO SELL. We left a polite note with the seller’s agent in case they needed an under-bidder to step in.
Six months later we got a call and the original buyer had dissolved away. We had been squirrelling away previous home-sale funds for such an eventuality and a few weeks later, on 23rd May 2017, our group of mischief makers bought this magnificent place.
=> The wonderful shock was the seller’s were fed up by this time and the agent said they would drop £100,000 off of the price.
Just as well because that hundred thousand pounds and a LOT more were consumed in a long-overdue renovation.
It was MUCH MORE than just a lick of paint…
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
BEFORE
The major overhaul of several former keepers’ homes.
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
AFTER
The major overhaul of several former keepers’ homes.
If the burden of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of renovation work and project management were too much for any given day of that 18 month renovation, then a very pleasant walk down to the lighthouse loch and an outdoor lunch was a cure for any fatigue setting in…
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
Lighthouse Loch. Bliss.
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Failed To Sell At Auction
One To Watch? Why?
The founder of this publication had been yearning to build either an underwater house or a genuine island style house…
^^ Floating Island ^^
All we need is a reservoir.
These large lakes and lochs sell very economically
^^ Floating Island ^^
The underwater parts are exciting because this type of engineering has been accomplished elsewhere in the world…
^^ Underwater Homes ^^
^^ Pretty Unique Bedroom ^^
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Failed To Sell At Auction
One To Watch? Here Is An Example:
A real world reservoir that is on the cusp of selling. From our own experience of hundreds of properties spanning 35 years, around 20% make up our own source of successful purchases. Though however tempting this one is, we are ruling ourselves out. Maybe you fancy this one…
^^ Possible FTSAA ^^
FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION
That means a likely bargain for you.
This is happening all across the UK
It does NOT matter that this particular reservoir is in the north. Water Boards’ all over the UK are selling off a LOT of their assets to balance the books. South of the Border in England and Wales the water assets were privatised and the asset sales are like the Wild West of America – but watery and in the UK.
49 Acres of Land & Reservoir
Current Sale Is A Bit Wobbly
Whilst north of the Border in Scotland, the water organisation is still in public ownership. Good people at the working end, but at the top of this outfit? It is run by diabolical Board who are very close to having the police sent in. So maybe there will be many more of these assets sold off before the fan blades turn fast enough for the Auditor General to be called in. The alleged malfeasance at Scottish Water Board level is not a topic for this Bulletin, but is likely to hit the national press sooner of later. For this article we shall focus on the actual buildings and land.
49 Acres of Land & Reservoir
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Affordable Inland Islands
A genuinely unique effort. Our founder had in mind a reservoir as the main site and with some lateral thought, FLOATING ISLANDS or some sort of imaginative water based home….
INSERT TRIUMVIRATE OF EXAMPLES HERE
Either under, alongside, on top of or above.
Let your imagination run wild…
INSERT TRIUMVIRATE OF EXAMPLES HERE
Sadly current health issues that have stalled due to Covid (spinal surgery delays) mean that this reservoir is no longer on his radar.
But it does give a real-world example of what you might like to keep an eye on if you fancy an affordable island home.
This is the very essence of a POSSIBLE property that falls within the FAILED TO SELL AT AUCTION category that is the topic of this article..
BELOW THIS LINE IS PREVIOUS BULLETIN DETAIL, FROM WHICH ABOUT 5% TO 10% WILL BE RECYCLED INTO THE LATEST ARTICLE FOR CONTINUITY…
.
.
the late 1980s, Unique Property Bulletin was established in this old coastguard station on Davaar Island. We leased it for FIVE POUNDS A YEAR. It is still possible to find these bargains…
UNIQUE PROPERTY: Actual buildings from just £5 (here) ~ all the way up to £5million and more. Try Tower Bridge Anchor Brewhouse ~ Click Here.
LATEST SPECIAL BULLETIN: A signal box for sale at £150,000 ~ Click Here.
ALSO ON SOCIAL MEDIA: This website is free for you forever. We are a not-for-profit website. Please consider helping us by sharing properties that you like or that you think your friends might be interested in. Social media every second day. Facebook: Click Here. Safety FB backup: Here. Instagram: Here. Twitter: Here.
MAIN ARTICLE: Just £5 for this (over 30 years ago but these deals still exist)…
Relaunch For You in 2022
Unique Property Bulletin
In the late 1980s, Unique Property Bulletin was established in this old coastguard station on Davaar Island. We leased it for FIVE POUNDS A YEAR. It is still possible to find these bargains…
^^ The Lookout: £5 A Year Lease ^^
Old Coastguard Station on Davaar Island.
Do you fancy a challenge like this?
Then consider checking back regularly to this website and we will make best efforts to get you into unique property mischief. To help you get started, we have…
DAILY UNIQUE PROPERTY LISTINGS
On social media: click our link…
www.facebook.com/uniquemischief
Or…
Click Here
The agreement for our first unique adventure back in the 1980s was as a new leaseholder for the Old Lookout building on a remote island. This was at a magical rent of £5 per year. In reciprocation we agreed to bring that dilapidated Old Lookout building back to meaningful use. That leaseholder was the founder of this website. This is what the building looked like after much needed TLC in the 1980s…
^^ The Lookout ^^
Old Coastguard Station on Davaar Island.
^^ Watching The Ships Go By ^^
Bliss.
Photograph with much thanks to Andrew Macpherson
To see the island in perspective,
here is an aerial view…
^^ Davaar Island ^^
Accessible by causeway at low tide
Or by boat to the island pier at normal times.
We leased this sanctuary for several years. Alas, employment here at the Old Lookout (near to the remote Mull of Kintyre) was not possible.
=> Ironic as “remote-working” nor the internet had been invented in the 1980s (at least not for mere mortals such as your author of these words).
So with a job in London beckoning, the Big Smoke led to a life away from this beautiful spot.
But here’s the thing: three decades publishing Unique Property Bulletin and we took a decision to re-structure this not-for-profit magazine in a way that it is…
=> Free For You Forever.
Much more detail later on. The tipping point was when we moved online in 2012 from old-paper-print of the 1980s. The readership numbers grew much quicker than we had appreciated.
Our IT volunteer confirmed this in 2017 and even now we struggle to believe some of the numbers. Especially via social media. Seriously, this next number is seared into our Unique Property Bulletin memory…
186,399
^^ 186,399 Saw This Post ^^
We started with 1,200 readers and a “post” then
meant a printed paper version posted via Royal Mail!
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So where are we now?
How does this affect you?
Well on 23rd May 2022 we will be on our THIRTY-SIXTH anniversary of leasing the Old Lookout on Davaar Island: a place where this publication was born.
The 23rd May 2022 will be our FIFTH anniversary of the most recent Unique Property Bulletin adventure near John O’Groats. We are still at Noss Head Lighthouse Station amongst other places…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
This purchase and adventure must be true:
It is on Wikipedia: Click Here
So where are we? Fortunately in a good place.
=> How does all of this affect you?
Well it might not.
You may enjoy being handcuffed to the job…
^^ Are You OK To Be Handcufffed To Your Job? ^^
If you are and you enjoy that style of life, cool. That is dedication and we have our fingers crossed things will work out.
But if you fancy an adventure, simply by seeing something interesting for sale in the UK or Europe, perhaps even America, then please feel free to drop in and check out this main feature page (changed once a month, but will soon be a weekly magazine format again).
Or keep an eye on our…
DAILY
UNIQUE PROPERTY UPATE
Click Here
We also go on real-life unique property purchase adventures with our small team here at UPB-HQ. These are recounted in the hope of providing some inspiration for our readers. The latest property is on our radar is from Madame Bev Poirot, one of our unique property sleuths. Our editor craves a moated chateau. That answers a question that folk ask many times since the 1980s: “What is your favourite unique property”. This is in the top five…
^^ A Top Candidate ^^
For Actual Unique Adventures:
Click Here
There is a lot more we have to feature. That is why our crew here at Unique Property Bulletin just managed to top the quarter of a million pound mark to buy and staff a new HQ set of offices to make sure we can assist YOU in finding that unusual home for your own unique lifestyle.
=> We cordially invite you to our gentle relaunch as we get the old Unique Property Bulletin fit for 2022 and beyond.
We emphasise the word “gentle” as that underscores the whole process. In February 2022, we have re-started the DAILY updates on social media. Facebook to begin with, now a foray onto Instagram. Twitter can be a bit of a troll-pit so we tend to steer clear of that. Maybe we will dip a toe in the water in due course.
=> But we now have the daily listing sorted, albeit mainly on Facebook (here)
Next up is to have our main front page have a regular FEATURE ARTICLE. This front page you are reading now will change once a month, then once a FORTNIGHT until our volunteers manage a major Unique Property Bulletin feature article once every WEEK.
=> Towards Autumn of this year (2022) and possibly into next year (2023), we are looking to employ staff and retain freelance journalists in order to return this publication into it’s old fulsome magazine format with a weekly frequency and broad spectrum of articles that appeal to as many of our readers as possible.
For now, and in closing this segment, we illustrate what we mean by a Unique Property Bulletin FEATURE ARTICLE by showing our newer readers an old favourite in the second half of this page.
Kindest wishes,
.
The Unique Property Bulletin Team
Endeavour House, 1 James Street, Arbroath, Angus, UK, DD11 1JF.
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Davaar Island
& Coastguard Station Video
Before we go to the next segment, here are a couple of videos to let folk know how the Old Lookout coastguard station looks now in 2022. The owner passed away many years ago and the editor here handed the keys to his widow to help sort things out and make sure vacant possession was given. The lady was very kind and handed the keys straight back. A couple more years of enjoyment at this wonderful island sanctuary, but tinged with sadness as the owner was a very nice gentleman and much missed.
Eventually, the lease was surrendered and the son of the owner now lets the cottages out. This is great as many folk can experience life on a remote island. Especially a place with the character of Davaar Island.
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This next part is a sample of the feature articles
we regularly include.
Please note, this was in the MIDDLE of the Covid pandemic,
so may appear to have aged a bit!
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Island in Norway For Sale
£690,000 for the whole island
Or just £295,000 for ONE one of the two houses
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway (Postcode: 5936).
Please note, the FULL price of this island is approximately £690,000 depending on the prevailing exchange rate.
If you are interested in buying just ONE of the houses and around 40% of the island, then it is entirely possible to achieve this for a more affordable £245,000.
This option is ONLY available through Unique Property Bulletin as one of our main shareholders as indicated his wish to own a small island from which he can explore Norway and Sweden.
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Since Covid-19 lockdown in the UK and various countries across the world, here at Unique Property Bulletin we have noticed a staggering…
Fourfold increase in enquiries we have received from our readers looking for a remote style of life where they can work from safe home.
Ideally an island and via telecommuting on Skype, FaceTime and Zoom etc., whist maintaining a high quality work/life balance. Plus escape the overcrowded cities that have been seen to be a significant hazard to those susceptible to the more severe forms of Coronavirus.
The shocking thing that hit us in this example property was the comparison between…
Covid-19 deaths in the UK at 46,413 souls so far
and…
Covid-19 deaths in the Norway at UK at 256 souls.
The UK has a population approximately ten times larger than Norway, so a very empirical extrapolation would be one country where you live has a 46,413 death rate and the other country which has an island you are looking at has a remarkably low pro rata Covid-19 nominal figure of 2,560.
Looking at what went onin London during Covid-19 is it any wonder why the UK has 20 times more Covid-19 deaths than Norway…
Little wonder our telephone has been ringing wildly off of the hook with city folk looking for a sane sanctuary somewhere elsewhere, other than sardine tubes of death.
It would be difficult to deliberately design a more efficient way of spreading Covid-19 than reducing the number of trains servicing key worker demand and then cramming those folk into such tightly packed spaces where social distancing stands no chance and they might as well all be giving each other mouth-to-mouth resuscitation contamination. Really, what chance do they have. In fact some of our friends are working in the major UK cities and require to use public transport. With official USA research evidencing the “safe” social distancing as being 26 feet, maybe it is time for you to study the rest of this island feature and the other islands we will be adding to Unique Property Bulletin. Then properly isolate yourself and your family in a nice place for 2 years or so where you can safely telecommute electronically via Skype, FaceTime and Zoom.
Source: CDC: Click Here
Of possible interest to poor folk on the London Underground tubes of death, social distancing on small islands and castles with moats has overloaded our switchboard. So there does seem to be a lot of legitimate concern on this matter and the possible solutions. Please remember there are a LOT of islands in the UK and sooner rather than later another British island will come up for sale. So maybe make a regular visit to this website to make sure you are not missing anything.
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
As this article about buying a private island was prompted because of there being so many Covid-19 orientated calls from our readers craving a safe harbour, it is important to reference some facts.
In the UK the grimly stark figure from the UK Government as of the date of this page (6 August 2020) is…
Source: UK Government: Click Here
If the “excess deaths” actuarial model is utilised, then the UK Covid-19 deaths as at 30th June 2020 was in excess of 65,000.
Whereas in Norway it is a remarkably low figure that have suffered from this virus…
Source: Worldometer: Click Here
Having been lucky enough to own and/or lease small islands we really prefer that way of becoming physically free from Covid-19, or until the vaccine/medical regimen such as Dexamethasone is tested + approved by the regulators. Islands are a bit special and really do provide the most sublime of physical barriers.
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Locating an island that is “turnkey” ready is also a challenge. Grønholmane Island is both. It is priced at £690,000. However to help those readers who are thinking seriously about this sort of adventure, perhaps for two to three years until, like the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1919, the Covid19 pandemic burns itself out, Unique Property Bulletin have worked out a way where you can own around half an island and a house ready to move into for £245,000.
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
One of the first questions you are likely to have is about getting to the island. This particular one is akin to one of the BBC Top Gear adventures. A 25 hour car journey from the Channel Tunnel. You will be far safer in your car than on a plane or train (see underground sardines above). Better still would be to purchase a motorhome RV vehicle for getting to your Norwegian island and back to the UK.
The journey from the UK to your island home is a magnificent one…
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
A big question you may have for this example we are studying is time taken to get to the island and distance.
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
The drive-time from the UK Channel Tunnel up to your new island home is approximately 25 hours.
There are tens of thousands of small islands in the world. During the 33 years that Unique Property Bulletin has been published, we have featured dozens of these.
However, those that are for sale at any one time are fairly rare. Finding one reasonably priced can be very difficult.
But as is our job here at UPB-HQ we researched a few candidates and came up with this one from several fairly quickly.
We must emphasise that there will be fresh UK islands for sale and these shall appear on the pages of Unique Property Bulletin. The Norwegian island will not suit many folk,
But we hope this page and essay gives our readers some helpful pause for thought.
As for the size of the island. Here is an aerial picture…
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
You may wish to build a modest bridge as if you choose the £245,000 house option, then two separate little islands will be 100% owned by you and a modest foot bridge would make for easier and more elegant access plus be quite picturesque and a good way to get your daily eercise ()without worrying about some Covidiot accidentally bumping into you.
In the aerial photo above you can see the two islets on the right hand side. These would be included with your ownership of the island.
The inside of both houses on the island are turnkey ready to move into…
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Plenty of healthy items to enjoy.
Whether you prefer fresh water of salt water swimming, this place looks to be Heaven on earth.
The rip from the island to the mainland is a very quick 10 minutes by boat…
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
The Price of An island Sanctuary?
Grønholmane Island ~ The Price?
At Unique Property Bulletin our job is to find you interesting properties. Canididates that might make it onto your wish list. Indeed we do more than that and aim to work out a way to actually make what you want to happen to become real.
On first impression, this random Grønholmane Island nearly got put in the “unlikely” pile. Fortunately the tight-wallet editor was just a tad curious at what 8,250,000 Norwegian Krone looked like when converted to UK Sterling.
Norwegian Krone: 8,250,000. Conversion Tool XE.COM
Click Here
The exchange rate as at 6th August 2020 meant the whole island and two houses came in at around £692,000. This was a lot less than the millions it is priced at. A subliminal number, albeit i n Norwegian currency that almost made this a “miss” rather than a “hit”.
We can confidently call it a “hit” as one of our shareholders is ready to rent a motorhome and do a BBC Top Gear style adventure: drive from Portsmouth, through the Channel Tunnel and look at buying half the island and the bigge (more expensive) of the two houses.
This would mean your detached home on a safe island in a Covid-19 safe nation with 1/20th the fatality rate of the UK would cost around…
£295,000
Grønholmane Island, Manger, Near Bergen, Norway
Magnificent private island complete with two cabins, heated pool, boathouse and floating pier
Grønholmane is a 9,585 sqm private island with beautiful rock formations and stunning nature. The island boasts an extensive upgraded outdoor area that can be easily maintained. Enjoy the sunshine in undisturbed surroundings from morning to evening. Regardless of wind direction, the island offers many sheltered areas. Both the cottages as well as the terrace areas offer stunning views of the ocean.
The island offers a main cabin, guest cabin, boathouse, heated pool and pier – a perfect setting for wonderful holiday memories with family and friends. It is also possible to rent or buy land with a boat and car park on the mainland, just 900 meters from the island.
For further information, or to REGISTER your PROVISIONAL interest,
please contact Unique Property Bulletin
Click Here
