Overgrown property in Bassett sold at auction after bidding war

A severely overgrown plot in Southampton’s sought-after suburb of Bassett has been sold at auction for £411,500 in a bidding war.

Attracting 72 bids, the freehold property at 17 Ardnave Crescent went for £71,500 above guide price.

Mike Marchant, a senior auction appraiser in Hampshire for the regional land and property auction firm Clive EmsonAuctioneers, said: “There was keen interest in the house, which is on 0.22 acres.

READ MORE: Winchester mansion with pool complex up for sale for £3.75 million

“The plot is severely overgrown and indeed the property itself has been enveloped by vegetation.

“Depending on the condition of the house, it may be suitable for refurbishment or perhaps demolition and redevelopment of the plot, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.

“However, we are not privy to any plans the new owner may or may not have.”

In a recent auction, held jointly with Enfields, a block of residential garages in Southampton fetched £30,000. Let at £4,800 per annum, the ten garages are at the back of Claudeen Court, in Candy Lane, Bitterne.

Four of the garages are sold under the terms of 999-year leases from 1963, with the remaining six let on licence agreements for a combined total of £400 per calendar month.

Mike added: “There appears to be a strong appetite for residential garages in Hampshire, as seen here with the purchase of ten in Southampton for £30,000.

“Also, in Andover, 64 garages have been sold for a total of £377,000 in our three most recent auctions, including the May one.

“Residential garages are of interest to individuals for private use or investment to generate an income from local residents.”

Freehold, with vacant possession, a semi-detached house with three bedrooms at 12 Wolfe Close, Winchester, fetched £200,000.

Meanwhile, freehold land in a residential area of Eastleigh, which was guided at £80,000 - £90,000, is re-available. The 0.17-acre site, at the rear of 91B The Crescent, is occupied by the remains of a former car repair garage.

The firm’s next auction, the 250th, ends on June 12. Lot entries close on May 20, with the catalogue available from May 24.