Would YOU pay £350,000 for this home? Estate agency is blasted for listing rundown property unoccupied since 1965 – as Reddit users say it should be ‘bulldozed’
- Redditors have blasted ‘bit of a doer-upper’ property advertised on Rightmove
- Claim building in West Sussex should be ‘bulldozed’ and replaced by new houses
- £350,000 former Grade II listed lodge has been unoccupied since 1965
An estate agency has been blasted for listing a derelict property which has been unoccupied for sixty years for £350,000.
Posting under the handle ‘u/sillyness’ on Reddit, an anonymous man shared a link to a four bedroom house in West Sussex that has been advertised for £350,000 despite being completely run down.
Sharing several snaps of the former Grade-II listed property, he joked: ‘A bit of a doer-upper.’
A selection of photos accompanying the advert show the Gate Lodge surrounded by metal railings, while the collapsed roof and lack of photos showing the interior suggested it isn’t safe to enter.
Redditors have argued a derelict former Grade II listed Gate Lodge (pictured) in West Sussex should be destroyed instead of listed for sale
Warning off a potential buyer, one commenter wrote: ‘I laughed out loud seeing it listed as “detached”. Like, yeah, man, I can tell!’
Another said: ‘Why are these “listed” – bulldoze this piece of s***. Don’t create s**** small properties that can’t be insulated well.
‘Could build several family houses on the lot. Give families proper modern living accommodation!’
The real estate agent explained the derelict property is a former gate lodge at the entrance to Stopham House believed to date back to the 1870s.
Posting on Reddit, commenters were divided if the four bedroom houses is a good investment or should be replaced by newly built houses
The condition of the building has deteriorated significantly since it was last occupied in 1965.
Photographs of the property show large areas of the roof have collapsed, plants growing across the walls, and open frames where doors and windows were once fitted.
The estate agent boasted that it offered an ‘unique opportunity’ to rebuild the original structure of the ‘one-off’ home, because planning consent has been granted for restoration and extension.
The four-bedroom house has three bathrooms including one ensuite, but is located on private grounds, which also require reinstatement.
The four bedroom home in West Sussex with three bathrooms including an ensuite, has been unoccupied since 1965
Buildings are listed if they are considered to have special architecture or historic interest of national importance that is worth protecting.
Around 92 per cent of listings are Grade II, which means there are extra controls in place to limit the changes that can be done to the building.
The advert reads: ‘The property is located at the entrance to Stopham House (now divided into private apartments), within the parish of the historic small hamlet of Stopham, which is steeped in history and is mentioned in the Domesday Book that records ‘a manor of Stopham or Stopeham’.
‘The Barttelot family has held the manor since the Norman Conquest and at the heart of the village is the picturesque Anglo Saxon church of St Mary the Virgin.’
Photos of the ‘dangerous’ to enter house show large areas of the roof have collapsed and plants have started to grow both on the exterior and interior
‘Mains water is available for connection at the property. The ingoing purchaser will need to make their own arrangements to connect to the mains gas supply, more information is available from the agents.
‘The purchaser will also need to make their own arrangements for the installation of a private drainage system.’
The ‘dangerous’ to enter home is located close to village shops including supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Tesco, while Pulborough main line is the closest rail station for accessing London.
The agents added that the house has an open plan kitchen, living room and dining area.
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