This three-bed property in a seaside town is on sale for the third time this year at just £90,000 - but neighbours fear it is a "ticking time-bomb".
Neighbours in Broadstairs, Kent, say the semi-detached house is "wonky" and its foundations could be "hollow like a cave" after a giant sinkhole appeared on the street - more than 10 years ago.
It's on the market for less than a quarter of the average house price in the area, it is thought largely due to this reason.
The latest sale follows a yo-yo of buyers who were allegedly drawn in online by the price and quickly moved out.
Residents on the street are urging authorities to stop the relentless sales of the property.
But Rightmove describes the property as "an ideal long-term investment and family home alike".
The property is the only house on the cul-de-sac which has not been repaired since the 2009 sinkhole. However, the current listing by SellProp Auctions gives no written indication to the reported lack of utilities or past subsidence issues.
The front door sits at a strange angle, fresh white paint on the wall appears to cover cracks, and the front garden and path slope downwards – it reportedly has no utilities either.
Jill Allum, who also lives on Victoria Road, was among those evacuated in 2009 and said they still have their bags packed in case they need to leave quickly.
She claims the road beneath their homes was never filled in afterwards.
She said: “In 2014, it was completely hollow underneath, like a cave. You’d shine a light down and couldn't see the bottom.
"We have cracks in the front of the house and in the bedroom and they are getting bigger.
"Really, it’s a ticking time-bomb.
"The water board said given the same set of circumstances that happened in 2009 it would happen again because there are no foundations. It's hollow underneath."
Jill's husband George said one man paid £129,000 for the house, after his wife bought the property without viewing it.
"He came down and said ‘I've just lost my money - there’s nothing you can do with it,'" Mr Allum said.
“It has happened so many times. I hope the council can do something about that property and someone can hold people accountable for selling it. It’s condemned and has no foundations.
“The fact that it can’t be sold is also decreasing the value of everyone else’s property down here.
“If people don't go and see a property before buying it they are foolish, but equally they haven’t been given all the facts in this case."
The chasm appeared two days before Christmas in 2009, when a burst water pipe created a massive sinkhole that swallowed the ground around people’s homes and washed away the foundations beneath the houses.
Residents were evacuated and at one property the subsidence was so severe the family were not allowed to return for over two years.
Another six metre deep sinkhole opened on Victoria Road in 2014, leaving residents fearing the street is a “ticking time-bomb” and claim the foundations beneath their houses are completely “hollow.”
The destroyed foundations had been made of silt and old tyres because the properties were built on a former chalk quarry.
Sold prices on Zoopla can take up to six months to appear, so the reported recent sales are not available.
Currently, the property website reveals it was sold for £110,000 in September 2017, then just a month later for £136,000.
Just six months after that it was snapped up for £151,000.
Mum-of-five Karen Rumsey, who lives on the street, is fed-up with seeing the house for sale.
She said: “I want the council to do something so it can't be sold again.
“Every time it goes to auction we think ‘oh, here we go again.’
“It went to auction in February, sold, and within a month it went back to auction, sold again, and now it’s back on the market.
“How are they getting away with that? They advertise it as needing modernisation, but it doesn't - it has no services running to it.”
Mrs Rumsey, who rents her home, says signs of the damage caused by the first sinkhole remain.
She said: “When we moved in we didn't know about the subsidence.
“If we had, we wouldn't be living here now - it's caused nothing but grief for us.
“When my husband put the shelving up, he said to me ‘I've done it wrong, it's wonky’ but he hadn’t - the chimney breast is slanted.
“We're sick to death of it - we've been on the housing list for two years waiting to get out.
“We can't afford to move - we have five children, and renting in Broadstairs is bad enough. We only live here because it's cheaper and there's nowhere else to go.
“Something absolutely will happen again - but it's out of our hands.”
A spokesperson for Thanet District Council confirmed the authority issued dangerous structure notices for the homes in Victoria Road impacted by “sudden ground subsidence” in 2009.
They said: “All the properties were subsequently repaired, with the exception of 58 Victoria Road. This property remains empty and still subject to a dangerous structure notice.”
“In addition, a Land Registry search would also provide information that the property was subject to subsidence.
"While we understand that this property has been sold several times we were not aware that it was due to be sold again: the owners do not have to notify us and we usually only become aware of this when we receive enquires from prospective buyers.
“The onus is on anyone purchasing a property at auction to carry out due diligence prior to the sale."
A Kent County Council spokesperson said repairs were carried out to Victoria Road after the sinkhole emerged in 2009. However, they wouldn’t comment on whether a risk of another chasm opening remains.
They said: “As the highway authority, Kent County Council is responsible for ensuring public roads are safe to use.
“In 2009, we repaired damage to the road in Victoria Road, Broadstairs, while individual householders’ insurance companies dealt with damage caused to properties off the public highway.
“KCC has received no reports of concerns or enquiries relating to the condition of the road surface at this location so far this year.
A Southern Water spokesperson said the company is not aware of any current issues and would not comment on whether a risk of further sinkholes remains.
“Six properties were affected by subsidence, following a burst water main in December 2009.
“The burst was fixed and the insurers of the property owners then carried out work to ensure the homes could be reoccupied.
“All repairs to the properties themselves following the 2009 burst water main were completed by the insurers of the properties at that time.
“We are not aware of any issues with Southern Water assets in the vicinity of the properties.
“Matters relating to the location and construction of these buildings are not for us to comment on.”
SellProp Auctions said they would not comment.
