Going up...
Once upon a time - oh, alright, in 2005 – I decided I’d rather like to live in Arundel. Because I work from home, I reckoned my essential criteria were simply a nearby post office and a railway station. I also wanted to be relatively close to the majority of my friends and family, which effectively ruled out Assisi and Bath – despite my fondness for both.
Anyway, one of the houses I looked at was on Tarrant Street. A terraced two-bedroom cottage with a spiral staircase. Yes, a spiral staircase. As far as I could tell, it hadn’t been sympathetically renovated (or even unsympathetically renovated) since being converted from two one-bedroom cottages, which helped to explain the two-foot thick wall jutting into the lounge.
Originally on the market, if I remember rightly, for £225,000. Open to unreasonable offers, hinted the estate agent. I offered £167,000. No deal. £175,000? No deal. I wandered down the road and bought somewhere else.
As a curious type of soul, I’d been checking property prices in the area using OurProperty.co.uk. One day in 2006, I decided (in one of those internet off-on-a-tangent moments) to take another look at local prices. Well, I wasn’t surprised to discover the spiral staircase-equipped house had eventually sold for £175,000. Nice to see I’d guessed right.
Over the following months, I noticed there was a fair amount of building work going on. Hardly surprising, I thought. It really did need a new kitchen and a fair amount of decorating – and I’m neither particularly fussy about décor nor an enthusiastic cook.
And then, last week, I noticed a ‘for sale’ sign outside. So I wondered about the price. It’s for sale in one of the local estate agents for £289,950. And that's the end of the story. I’ll let you choose your own punchline…
Anyway, one of the houses I looked at was on Tarrant Street. A terraced two-bedroom cottage with a spiral staircase. Yes, a spiral staircase. As far as I could tell, it hadn’t been sympathetically renovated (or even unsympathetically renovated) since being converted from two one-bedroom cottages, which helped to explain the two-foot thick wall jutting into the lounge.
Originally on the market, if I remember rightly, for £225,000. Open to unreasonable offers, hinted the estate agent. I offered £167,000. No deal. £175,000? No deal. I wandered down the road and bought somewhere else.
As a curious type of soul, I’d been checking property prices in the area using OurProperty.co.uk. One day in 2006, I decided (in one of those internet off-on-a-tangent moments) to take another look at local prices. Well, I wasn’t surprised to discover the spiral staircase-equipped house had eventually sold for £175,000. Nice to see I’d guessed right.
Over the following months, I noticed there was a fair amount of building work going on. Hardly surprising, I thought. It really did need a new kitchen and a fair amount of decorating – and I’m neither particularly fussy about décor nor an enthusiastic cook.
And then, last week, I noticed a ‘for sale’ sign outside. So I wondered about the price. It’s for sale in one of the local estate agents for £289,950. And that's the end of the story. I’ll let you choose your own punchline…
posted by Mark Bridge at
2:02 pm
8 Comments:
Mmm they have done a lot to it then????Moved the wall perhaps??
I reckon they've done an awful lot if they're hoping to increase the price by 93% in the last year... I wouldn't be surprised if there's a proper staircase to replace the spiral one... and I think the wall's been painted white now. I fancied putting a hole in the middle of the wall and having a fireplace you could see from both sides.
utter madness all this, spiralling out of control (ho ho) costs.
Ah, but it hasnt sold yet has it?
Indeed not, Faith - so I'll be keeping a careful watch (not least because my house is a similar size)!
Let us know!
It's getting quite ridiculous isn't it. People don't stand a chance these days of getting onto the property ladder unless they either win the lotto or have very rich parents. Crystal x
A year later and it's still unsold; now offered via a different estate agent. The asking price is currently £235,000.
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