'Horror house' listed for £1 sells for £181k despite bomb-site interior

Ellen Manning
Updated
GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
This house in Acocks Green, Birmingham, was listed for just £1 but sold for £180,000 despite its horror interior (Picture: SWNS)

A dilapidated house which went on the market for just £1 has sold for £181,000 despite its horror interior.

The Victorian terrace in Acocks Green, Birmingham, boasts an original gable porch, three bedrooms with original cast iron fireplaces and two reception rooms.

Despite its attractive appearance from the outside, inside the run-down home needs more than a bit of work - with a bomb-site bathrooms, gaping holes in the roof and piles of rubbish.

GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
The house on Douglas Road was listed at auction with a guide price of just £1 (Picture: SWNS)
GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
Despite its attractive appearance from the outside, inside the house is a bit of a mess (Picture: SWNS)

But the house’s frightful condition didn’t put off bidders when it went under the hammer on Tuesday.

Despite its £1 listing, it sold for £181,000 at the auction at Birmingham’s Villa Park.

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Auctioneer Andrew Parker, from SDL Auctions Bigwood, said: “We knew this property would attract some serious bidding and were not disappointed.

“Serious property developers relish a challenge and will have looked beyond this house’s outward appearance.”

GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
The house attracted plenty of interest when it went under the hammer (Picture: SWNS)
GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
Its new owner has some serious work ahead of them (Picture: SWNS)

He said although it was in a poor state, the property had a lot going for it, including period features such as cast iron fireplaces, a bay window and picture rails.

“I’m sure the new owner will work their magic on it and it will be unrecognisable from the ‘house of horrors’ you see today,” he added.

On the ground floor, the property has a hallway, kitchen and two reception rooms with 1930s fireplaces.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom while outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized rear garden.

GV of 93 Douglas Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, which is coming up for auction with a guide price of just £1. See SWNS story SWMDhouse. On the ground floor, the property has a hallway and kitchen, plus two reception rooms, both with impressive fireplaces which appear to be later additions installed in the 1930s. The front room has a large bay window, while the rear reception room has French windows leading out into the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms – two with original cast iron fireplaces – and a bathroom. Outside there is a small yard at the front and a good-sized – albeit overgrown – rear garden. Douglas Road is within walking distance of a good range of shops and amenities, including Acocks Green Railway Station, which runs three trains per hour into Birmingham. It is six miles from the city centre and the same distance in the other direction to Birmingham International Airport.
Auctioneer Andrew Parker said the property has plenty going for it (Picture: SWNS)

Mr Parker added: “The foundations are all there for a lovely family home to be revealed, admittedly after a great deal of work and investment.

“But the rooms are well proportioned, the bathroom is upstairs – a bonus in a property of this age – and there’s a garden at the rear.

“Combine this with a great location within walking distance of shops, amenities and Acocks Green Railway Station, and you have a property which, once completed, will make a great family home or rental property.”

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