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Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Joanne Ridout

Former funeral directors and three-bed home too dangerous to enter is up for auction

Even if you bring your hard hat, steel toe safety boots and high vis jacket to this property for a look around inside with the possibility of buying it at auction, the estate agent won't let you in.

It's just too dangerous.

No amount of pleading will get that door open, there are no viewings taking place at all, so the photos that the intrepid estate agent risked his health and safety to capture will have to be the basis of an internal inspection.

READ MORE: Cottage renovation near Tenby with the chance to build two extra homes in the garden

Of course, a look around from the outside of this end of terrace, if accompanied by the estate agent, is possible from the street and around the back to the garden, and from a look through windows, or where windows used to be.

Some people might see huge potential at this three-storey, three-bed house and former funeral directors, and some might run a mile and not look back.

But those people who do get excited by the prospect of saving this property from a further slide into dereliction will see a guide price of £45,000 and start doing the mental maths.

The property is located in Clydach, Swansea and, according to property portal Zoopla, the current average value of the road is £124,359, with terraces hovering around £125,897 within the last 12 months.

The house is considered to be well-positioned for city amenities as well as local facilities, plus the gorgeous Gower peninsula is just a short drive away.

Or closer to home a stroll along the sand of Swansea Bay to the vibrant coastal town of Mumbles, consistently included in surveys as one of the best places to live in Wales, and offering independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, sounds appealing.

Former funeral directors looking a bit tired and needing a totally renovation (Dawsons Property Auctions)
The office front still remains (Dawsons Property Auctions)
There's a period fireplace that could be renovated and loved again (Dawsons Property Auctions)

But first, before any exploring of the location can begin in earnest, there's the small matter of a big building looking for a robust renovation project.

But it will have to be a buyer with a wad of cash waiting to be spent in the bank to secure this house, as the property is for cash buyers only.

So what do you get for, potentially, a guide price of £45,000?

Well, you don't get a roof, floors and windows within a portion of the rear section of the house, currently offering alfresco dining and star-gazing from a bed inside the four walls.

There's a good reason you can't go in (Dawsons Property Auctions)
Gives a new meaning to light and airy (Dawsons Property Auctions)
But the bonus space at the back makes the floorplan impressive for the type of house on the street (Dawsons Property Auctions)

But when there are floors installed, the back extension is a bonus and large space that has three floors of accommodation.

In total, combining the original house with the rear extension , the property has three reception rooms, potentially four bedrooms and a lower ground floor basement room.

This bonus level, not obvious from the street, has the potential to be a wonderful space if bi-fold doors to the good-sized garden are installed.

On the first floor one of the bedrooms leads into the rear extension, and this bonus area has the potential to be reconfigured to either create an extra bedroom, an office, or an ensuite and dressing room to the bedroom to create a show-stopping master suite.

There's currently no bathroom so at least a first floor bathroom and ground floor cloakroom should be factored into the plans, budget and timescale.

The house also has a handy car parking space at the back as part of a neighbouring block of apartments development.

The renovations were previously started but due to unforeseen circumstances, the work on the property ceased.

The lower ground floor is slightly scary (Dawsons Property Auctions)
But the lower ground floor is another bonus space (Dawsons Property Auctions)

Callum Thomas, senior auction consultant and valuer at Dawsons Property, says: "As you enter there's the familiar smell of damp and decay that you get in many auction properties.

"As you move towards the back, where the rear is exposed to the elements, this is where you get the feeling you're in an unsafe property and shouldn't be there for too long.

Help with your next hunt for a home here:

"However, looking past the initial shock you can see the potential because the property does have a large footprint. Thinking as an investor you could potentially see flats, subject to planning, or more bedrooms and potentially more living space.

"In 2017 we sold the house next door for £90,000 and now, if the renovations were done to a high standard, in the current market and not extended further, we would estimate the resale value to be around £115,000 - £120,000 although this is obviously subject to variations in the market."

Three reception rooms in total (Dawsons Property Auctions)
Three bedrooms but ample potential to create more (Dawsons Property Auctions)
Lots to do but lots of value to add (Dawsons Property Auctions)

A potential buyer needs to know that as soon as the auction purchase completes, they need to get a move on with the transformation of this property.

This focus on time is because the house comes with a requirement for the new owner to complete the works within a set time due to the attached Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 80 abatement notice in respect of statutory nuisance.

In other words, this empty house needs to be finished, with maybe starting from scratch with the extension, and turned into a thriving home, full of life not full of debris, and maybe you are the one to have the vision and skill to do it?

End of terrace looking for an end to its renovation project (Dawsons Property Auctions)
The garden will need attention too but what a big bonus to have a big outdoor space at a family home or shared with the creation of flats (Dawsons Property Auctions)

Dawsons Property states that the property will not be entered into an online auction until the legal pack is complete and there is sufficient interest for bidding to commence.

For further information, including the legal pack, fees, the abatement attached to the sale, contact Dawsons Property on 01792 478903 or visit the company's website.

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