Put a property on your Christmas list
National Property Auction
Tuesday 20th December 2022 at 10:00am
You can find the addendum for this month’s auction by taking a look at the link below.
The addendum is where you can find any last minute updates or changes to the lots on offer – it can change at any time, including on auction day itself, so if you’re bidding on Thursday, make sure to regularly check back to stay in the know.
Welcome to your December
auction catalogue
Andrew Parker
Managing Director & Auctioneer at
SDL Property Auctions
It’s my pleasure to launch the catalogue for our December National Property Auction, taking place on Tuesday 20th December – with over 120 lots featuring this month.
This month’s auction falls a little earlier in the month as we all get ready for the Christmas break. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
With plenty of properties for you to browse through this month, simply use the view all lots button at the end of this section to see the full range of over 120 properties on offer.
A fantastic opportunity is coming to auction in Nottinghamshire, where 4 Grange Estate in Cossall is being sold in partnership with Robert Ellis Estate Agents. This three bedroom semi-detached house sits in a semi-rural location and benefits from secure gated parking. The property has been partly refurbished, giving ample potential for the new owner to finish the property to their taste, including finalising the landscaping of the garden to the rear of the property. With a guide price of £200,000+ plus fees, this is a great chance to acquire a lovely family home.
Lot 45
- 4 Grange Estate, Cossall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 2SL
- Guide price*
- £210,000+ (plus fees)
On the other hand, over in the North West is 51a Watergate Road South in Chester. Found in a beautiful black and white timber fronted building, the apartment retains a great deal of character throughout including ornate plaster work, exposed beams and a central feature staircase. The site of the building itself has a rich history, with the rows the built on Roman remains in the Medieval era. Featuring two good-sized bedrooms, the flat sits within the heart of Chester and is a stone’s throw away from a host of shops, bars and other recreational activities. With a guide price of £175,000+ plus fees, this could make a lovely home, buy-to-let or even Airbnb or holiday home opportunity.
Over the border in Wales, is The Grove in Mold. This is a traditional two bedroom bungalow set on around 0.5 acres in a semi-rural location. The property benefits from views to the front over the surrounding hillside, making this a great opportunity for a quaint getaway. It also offers great potential for some modernisation works and extension works, subject to the appropriate planning consents being obtained. With a guide price of £180,000+ plus fees, this is not one to be missed.
Lot 100
- The Grove, Denbigh Road, Nannerch, Mold CH7 5RH
- Guide price*
- £180,000+ (plus fees)
It also wouldn’t be an auction without the chance to buy something a little different! Being sold in partnership with Savidge & Brown is Westhouses Methodist Church in Alfreton, Derbyshire at a guide price of £95,000+ plus fees. Originally constructed in the late 1800s, it features a number of unique features including a stained glass window at the front of the property. The church would suit a variety of uses, including continued use as a place of worship, but also a possible change of use to a residential property, subject to planning consents.
Lot 14
- Westhouses Methodist Church, Alfreton Road, Westhouses, Alfreton DE55 5AH
- Guide price*
- £95,000+ (plus fees)
If you’re interested in bidding in this month’s auction, you will need to register before midday on Monday 19th December – to do so, simply head to our quick and easy online form here. It’ll take no more than a few minutes to complete and costs nothing to sign up.
There’s also a handy guide below which takes you through all our remote bidding options: online, on the phone and by proxy, so that you can bid in the way that you’re most comfortable with.
Our first National Property Auction of 2023 takes place on Thursday 26th January. If you’re interested in selling by auction in the New Year, take a look at our frequently asked questions below or contact our friendly team on 0800 046 5454.
Frequently asked questions
Over the past few months we have naturally received some questions from our bidders about how the buying process works. Largely we are operating as we always have been, we’re simply not able to see you in the auction room when you bid. We’ve put together these frequently asked questions to help guide you through your auction purchase.
A reserve price is the price stated as the lowest acceptable figure by the seller. This figure is confidential between the seller and auctioneer.
No, not always. The guide is an indication given by the auctioneer. Where the guide price is a bracket figure, the reserve cannot exceed the top end of the bracket price. If the guide price is a single figure, then the reserve can be up to 10% in excess of this.
After the auction has ended one of our team will contact you to advise you of the result.
Yes, and these vary depending on the method of sale associated with the property and the country in which you are purchasing. These are listed below – please note the reservation fee does not contribute towards the purchase price. Any further additional costs, which are payable in addition to the purchase price will be included within the Special Conditions that are attached to the Contract. Therefore all prospective purchasers must inspect the legal packs thoroughly. We also strongly advise prospective purchasers to request a legal representative reviews the pack for every lot that you may wish to bid on, so that you are fully aware of any additional costs, if applicable.
England and Wales
Unconditional with Fixed Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will be legally bound to purchase the property. The successful bidder must immediately exchange contracts and pay a 10% deposit (subject to a minimum of £5,000), along with a non-refundable Buyer’s Fee. The Buyer’s Fee is £1,074, and completion must take place within 20 business days, unless the Special Conditions of Sale state otherwise.
Unconditional with Variable Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will be legally bound to purchase the property. The successful bidder must immediately exchange contracts, pay a 5% deposit (subject to a minimum of £5,000) along with a non-refundable Buyer’s Fee of either 4.8% of the final sale price of the property up to and including £250,000, or 3.6% if the final sale price is over £250,000. The Buyer’s Fee is subject to a minimum of £6,000. Completion must take place usually within 20 business days unless the Special Conditions of Sale state otherwise.
Conditional with Reservation Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will enter into a Reservation Agreement with the seller and be granted an exclusivity period of 40 business days to purchase the property (unless the Special Conditions of Sale specify a different timescale). The successful bidder must use the exclusivity period to proceed to exchange of contracts and complete the purchase. On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder must immediately pay a non-refundable Reservation Fee of 4.8% of the final sale price of the property up to and including £250,000, or 3.6% if the final sale price is over £250,000. The Reservation Fee is subject to a minimum of £6,000.
Scotland
Unconditional with Fixed Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will be legally bound to purchase the property. The successful bidder must immediately exchange contracts, pay a 10% deposit (subject to a minimum of £5,000) along with a non-refundable Buyer’s Fee. The Buyer’s Fee is £1,074, and completion must take place within 20 business days, unless the Special Conditions of Sale state otherwise.
Unconditional with Variable Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will be legally bound to purchase the property. The successful bidder must immediately exchange contracts, pay a 5% deposit (subject to a minimum of £5,000) along with a non-refundable Buyer’s Fee of 3.6% of the final sale price of the property, subject to a minimum of £4,000. Completion must take place usually within 20 business days unless the Special Conditions of Sale state otherwise.
Conditional with Reservation Fee: On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder will enter into a Reservation Agreement with the seller and be granted an exclusivity period of 40 business days to purchase the property (unless the Special Conditions of Sale specify a different timescale). The successful bidder must use the exclusivity period to proceed to exchange of contracts and complete the purchase. On the fall of the hammer, the successful bidder must immediately pay a non-refundable Reservation Fee of 3.6% of the final sale price of the property, subject to a minimum of £4,000.
There are a number of options when selling by auction which can include paying no fees at all and having the buyer an additional fee instead.This is often an attractive option when you are selling due to a bereavement or a divorce and you have limited cash prior to the auction to fund the sale. Alternatively as a seller you can pay an initial fee and commission price for the sale of the property, meaning the buyer doesn’t have to pay anything extra, maximising the final sale price of the property
Regardless of which auction route is selected, there are solicitor fees to prepare the legal pack for your property, which typically costs around £350 to £500. After your home is sold, you will also need to instruct a solicitor for the conveyancing of the property, which can cost anywhere from £450 to £750.
Yes, if a reserve price is not met during the bidding process, then the lot will not sell. We continue to market our unsold properties after the auction and if a post-auction sale is agreed it will be carried out under auction conditions.
Bidding registration
Bidding registration closes at midday the day before the auction.
Registering to bid in one of our National Property Auctions is quick, easy and painless. By completing our online form, you can register for bidding online, on the phone and by proxy, meaning you can bid from the comfort of your own home. There’s no need to wait for the legal pack to be completed before registering, there’s no obligation to bid on the day and there’s no money taken prior to bidding.
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What to look for when buying a commercial property at auction
When buying a commercial property, you’re likely to fall into one of two types of people. You’re either someone who’s looking to acquire a space for your own business instead of renting one, or you’re a landlord on the lookout for an investment opportunity. Depending on which camp you find yourself in, you’ll have slightly different priorities – balancing your own business needs versus the potential to attract good tenants.
Regardless, there are a number of things you should keep in mind while you hunt for your perfect commercial property, all of which depend on the type of commercial property you’re interested in. We’ve broken these down into class, location, tenure, security and size.
Class
According to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, commercial property can be split into four main classes. Class A includes retail premises, financial/professional services buildings and food and drink locations, with Class B tending to cover any other kind of office, business, or industrial space. Class C for the most part covers hotel, hostels, residential institutions or dwellinghouses – finally, Class D includes non-residential institutions such as museums or leisure facilities.
If you’re purchasing a commercial property, it will fall into one of these classes – this kind of information will be available in the property’s description and/or legal pack. If you’re planning on using the premises within the remits of its current class, you shouldn’t need to worry too much about what you can and can’t do. However, if you’re considering changing the use – for example, turning an old bank into a bar, you’ll need to apply for change of usage/class with the local authority. If this is something in your plans, we’d recommend discussing your ideas with your solicitor, as well as making independent enquiries ahead of bidding with the local planning teams.
Location
As the saying goes, location, location, location. This will, of course, relate entirely to the type of property you’re purchasing. For example, if you’re looking to buy a retail premises, you’ll likely want to operate in an area with a high level of footfall, while also taking into consideration other things such as any competition nearby and how visible your storefront will be. On the other hand, if you’re hoping to open a restaurant with a unique proposition, its likely that customers could be more willing to travel to somewhere off the beaten path. If it’s office space you’re interested in, proximity to public transport is a key factor in making the business accessible to commuters. At the end of the day, your location needs will be unique to your own project and purchase, but it’s worth considering these factors nonetheless.
Tenure
Just as with residential lots, it’s important to determine the tenure of your commercial property before you bid – i.e. if the ownership is freehold or leasehold. This can sometimes cause confusion, but to break it down to simple terms, leasehold is where you own the property but not the land it stands on, whereas with freehold purchases, you have ownership of both. We’ve taken a closer look at this before in our ‘What is the difference between freehold and leasehold?’ blog post. Typically, this can impact any changes you’re able to make to the property, so if you have dreams of grandeur, make sure this is one of the first things you check.
Security
Taking into consideration how secure a property is should be considered for any property purchase – but if you’re looking at a property for retail, storage or office purposes, it’s likely to be more important due to the amount of high value stock or equipment on site. Make sure to take a look at any pre-existing security systems that you could use, or if they’re not sufficient, try to scope out how much any upgrades or replacements could cost. This goes for everything from a small high street shop, to a large warehouse space. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Size
Size matters! As with security and location, this will be entirely specific to your plans and business, but it’s still important to properly consider. For example, if you’re hunting for a new retail premises, does the property you’re interested in have enough room for your shop displays as well as stock room(s), staff space and any offices you might require? Similarly, if you’re hoping to acquire a warehouse, just how big is it? Does it have enough room for any large machinery or the right access needs for that? Once you’ve ironed out these fine details, you’ll know whether you’re wanting to bid or not.
Regardless of your commercial property goals, we can help you find the right one for you. We have a fantastic range of commercial properties online now. Click here to view the commercial lots on offer today.
Remember to tune in!
Our Auction Events are broadcast online, live from our auction studio in Nottingham.
It’s really easy to tune in and watch on the day. The auction begins at 10:00am and will run throughout the day, with our each of our auctioneers taking to the rostrum. Simply visit our website where you’ll be able find a link to the auction on the day or follow the link below!
Our buyers terms
If you’re planning on bidding at auction, it’s really important that you do your due diligence prior to the auction – part of which is reading our buyers terms which you can find below. Make sure to read them in full to ensure you’re prepared to bid.
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Guide to additional fees
Important notice relating to fees, costs and charges payable by the buyer in addition to the purchase price.
In addition to the purchase price, buyers may be required to pay additional fees, costs and charges. These may include, but are not limited to, Value Added Tax (VAT), Stamp Duty, ground rents, rent arrears/apportionment of rent, outstanding service charges, sellers search costs/disbursements, reimbursements of sellers solicitors, auctioneer costs or reservation fees. All prospective buyers are advised to inspect the legal documents including the contract and special conditions of sale and seek their own independent legal advice as to the full cost of purchasing a specific property.
Homes under the Hammer
If you’re successful in this month’s auction, you could take part!
Despite the current restrictions the Homes under the Hammer team are still looking for properties to feature in upcoming episodes of the show, even though they can’t be in the auction studio. If you’re interested in taking part in the programme or would like any information about what is involved in taking part please contact Vaila Walterson on 07814 079910 or Emily Hazlitt on 07966 167076 or alternatively use the button below to contact them via email.
Legal Packs
We recommend reading the legal pack prior to the auction, to make sure you’re aware of all the information before bidding.
It’s really important that you take a thorough look through the legal pack for the property you’re interested in buying before placing a bid, as they lots of important information regarding your purchase. We recommend going through the pack with your solicitor prior to the auction. To view the legal pack for a property you’re interested in, simply click through to the lot using the list linked below, and select ‘legal pack’ on the right-hand panel.
