If you've made it your mission to get on the property ladder in Bristol this year but house prices and mortgage rates seem to have other ideas, you may well be considering buying at auction and getting your hands dirty with a fixer-upper. Unfortunately, sometimes it can seem as if every property in Bristol has already had all its development potential wrung out of it several times over.
However, there are still opportunities to be found for those that have the skills to take advantage of them. From keeping your eyes peeled for the worst house on a good street or keeping an open mind about odd pockets of land in excellent locations, even in Bristol, there are still possibilities to add value and your own stamp if you're willing to put up with the inconvenience and costs of renovations or building work.
We've dug up a few great prospects that are on the market right now, which, with a little imagination and a lot of handy work, could be transformed. Many of the properties on this list are available at auction, and not all may be mortgageable, but for the right buyer, we think they could be a bargain.
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Wick Road, Brislington, Bristol £250,000 guide price
Ok, so this retro three-bedroom mid-terraced house is still pretty pricey, considering it's in need of a complete refurbishment. But according to Rightmove, the average selling price of terraced properties on this street last year was £411,583, so there's potential to add a lot of value here.
This home offers three reception rooms and a rear kitchen extension on the ground floor, while upstairs are three bedrooms and a bathroom. A fixed ladder leads to a subdivided loft space with a roof light, although the agent doesn't believe this is a habitable space. Outside to the front, the property is set back from the road and to the rear is an overgrown garden which benefits from vehicular access.
Describing the potential of the property Stephen Morris, Auctioneer of City & Rural Property Auctions said: “I am often asked to let people know when I come across a 'project'.
"The word project can mean anything from changing the wallpaper to a complete rebuild; however, 27 Wick Road in Brislington is what I imagine most people are referring to. If restoring/upgrading Bakelite switches, flat panel radiators, Victorian fireplaces or the thought of potentially uncovering wooden spindles on the staircase or tackling an overgrown garden is what you mean by a project, then look no further." The property will be offered by Livestream Auction on January 18 and can be viewed by arrangement on 0117 9 464949.
Balmain Street, Totterdown, £220,000 guide price
The property in popular Totterdown has been a much-loved family home, but with some updating could be transformed into something quite special. Valued at only £220,000 when it goes to auction on February 15, average house prices on this road were £455,000 over the last year, according to Rightmove.
Downstairs are two reception rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom with separate WC, while upstairs are three good sized bedrooms with the primary boasting an original fireplace. The vendor notes that similar properties have opted for attic conversions and extensions to the rear and suggests this could be an option, subject to permission, if buyers wished to move the bathroom upstairs.
Andrew Morgan, the auctioneer for Hollis Morgan, said: “Period houses of this size never lose their charm. They provide good accommodation in central parts of the city where potential buyers can enjoy a blank canvas to create a period or contemporary home or something unique to themselves. One has only to look in the magazines and paper supplements to envisage the endless possibilities such a property presents, and here is an absolute gem! “
Britannia Road, Kingswood £175,000 guide price
This two-bedroom Victorian terraced house may be in need of modernisation throughout, but it appears to have been well cared for and might suit a novice renovator. With a guide price of just £175,000 when it goes to auction with Maggs and Allen on February 14, it could make the ideal Valentine's gift, as average prices on Britannia Road were £436,750 last year, according to Rightmove.
The property benefits from two separate reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor. Upstairs are two double bedrooms and a spacious family bathroom.
There is a private south-facing rear garden with access and a large cellar for storage. Located just off Forest Road in Kingswood the property is within easy reach of local shops and schools.
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