Run-down townhouse in one of UK’s most desirable areas for sale - but so dangerous you’re not allowed inside

A run-down townhouse in one of the UK’s most sought-after area has gone on the market - but it’s so dangerous that you’re now allowed inside the property.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A dilapidated townhouse in one of the UK’s poshest areas that has been frozen in time and is now too dangerous to enter has been put up for auction - with a price tag of £300,000. The period home in Clifton, a highly desirable suburb in Bristol, is covered in overgrown ivy, has no stairs, a fallen-in ceiling and has been vacant for five years.

Nearby properties in the area regularly sell for more than £1m with the average asking price for a terraced home in the BS8 postcode hitting £909k in the last year. And auctioneers say that while potential buyers can’t see inside the property for safety reasons - it could still prove to be a bargain if snapped up around the £300,000 guide price.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the listing, agents at Hollis Morgan said: “Due to the dangerous condition of the property no internal viewings are possible.” They added that the property has “severe water ingress throughout” and “now requires complete modernisation.”

However, the auctioneers are hopeful that the property “has scope for a fine three-four bedroom home in this incredibly sought after residential enclave”. The Freehold end of terrace period property is arranged over three floors occupying a large mature plot.

Due to the dangerous condition of the property no internal viewings are possible.Due to the dangerous condition of the property no internal viewings are possible.
Due to the dangerous condition of the property no internal viewings are possible.

Although the property has been vacant for five years, it still holds plenty of books and furniture left behind by previous dwellers. Andrew Morgan MBE said: “This property looks as though it has just been vacated by Miss Havisham because it certainly engenders Great Expectations.

“Its romantic ivy clad walls certainly indicate that it is a property in need of restoration but it offers that very rare opportunity of a blank canvass to create a home of the purchasers dreams, be that traditional or contemporary.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“What makes this so unusual is that this is a manageable size family home in an area where most of the properties are of mansion house size, additionally its location in a leafy quiet enclave within easy reach of the city centre makes this a true gem.

The ceiling in the property’s sitting room has fallen in.The ceiling in the property’s sitting room has fallen in.
The ceiling in the property’s sitting room has fallen in.

“As well expressed in the marvellous musical ‘The Boyfriend’ - ‘A ruin can be charming’. Vast interest and keen bidding anticipated.” The property is to be sold to cash buyers only as “given the condition of the property is it highly unlikely residential mortgages will be suitable for the purchase”.

The property is due to go up for auction on July 26. You can find out more on the Hollis Morgan website.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.