SDL’s second national online auction attracts 125 lots

A house once belonging to renowned artist Samuel ‘Lamorna’ Birch is one of the lots up for auction in the latest SDL Auctions North West online sale on May 28.

The Grade II-listed chocolate box cottage built in the 1700s and bursting with character and history is situated in Halton, Lancaster, and has a guide price starting at £369,000.

Once the home of the Cheshire-born artist, Green Beck House in Halton Green, is a five-bedroomed detached property with a wide range of reception rooms and bedrooms providing a great deal of flexibility.

Combining exposed beams, fireside cupboards and feature fireplaces with the conveniences of modern living, the property would make a distinctive family home, with a beautiful, yet manageable, garden and delightful countryside views.

Andy Thompson, head of auctions, said: “This is truly a dream property, with its stunning wisteria across the front and packed with character.

“It’s a fabulous location on the edge of Halton Park and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and yet is only five minutes from the motorway.”

Green Beck House is one of 125 lots being auctioned later this month in SDL’s second national property auction, following lockdown measures introduced to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The first, last month, lasted seven hours and featured 115 lots.

City flats, coastal retreats and rural family homes across the North West, and all over the country from Scotland to Cornwall, are among the lots going under the hammer this month, alongside commercial properties and land.

Andy Thompson said: “We are excited to be holding another national property auction, with even more lots than last month. We are selling a great range of properties to suit private buyers, investors and developers alike.”

Another North West property featured in the sale will be 16 Meribel Square in Prescot, Merseyside, a one-bedroomed apartment in a beautifully-converted development in a former church and schoolhouse built in 1878.

The ground-floor apartment, which has a guide price of £42,000+, has double glazing and electric heating and features a hallway, lounge, fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

Andy said: “This is a smart property with an attractive guide price in an up-and-coming location, where much regeneration has already taken place and is ongoing. Definitely one for the savvy investor.”

He said developers are sure to be interested in a building plot on the east side of Ashbourne Drive, and land on the North side of Ashbourne Road in Lancaster, which has planning permission for two semi-detached houses. Ready to build on as ground works have already been completed, the plot has a guide price of £82,000+ and is in a convenient location for the historic city of Lancaster and the M6.

And among the commercial properties going under the hammer is a first-floor self-contained office within an attractive courtyard in the heart of Knutsford, which Andy described as “perfect for a small business looking for their own premises or indeed as a popular buy-to-let investment in a prestigious location”.

67C King Street in Knutsford, which has a guide price of £150,000+, offers flexible accommodation over one large open-plan office with a private meeting room, kitchen and WC and shower.

Since lockdown began, SDL has raised more than £17m for sellers and Andy said: “It is clear the need to sell property has not diminished during the crisis and we’re proud to be able to help sellers achieve their aims by providing the certainty of an auction sale.”