Champagne Auction
January 2012
We held our final auction of 2011 at Sherborne on 15 December. Fifteen lots were offered under the hammer with terrific interest from all over the country and prospective purchasers also flew in from Northern Ireland, Switzerland and New York.
Auctioneer Mark Lewis said, “There was a terrific response to the marketing campaign and we registered over 800 potential purchasers for all the lots throughout November and December. Many properties received over 100 viewings which, considering the adverse media reporting about the economy, was terrific.
We had properties in five counties spanning Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and even as far as Kent.
The results were as follows:
Land at Batcombe Hill, Dorchester, sold for between £5,700 an acre to £8,700 an acre.
In North Dorset two houses in need of updating sold well. Longthorpe in Gillingham for £120,000 and Haven in Sturminster Newton for £108,000. There was fantastic interest in Ham View at Child Okeford. This was a detached, three bedroom cottage with lovely views of Hambledon Hill. The guide price of £195,000 was easily exceeded to £291,000.
In Somerset Yewtree Farmhouse, Templecombe, a large five bedroom period house in need of updating sold for £246,000, whilst two semi-detached cottages at Bishopstone, near Salisbury, sold for £164,000 and £260,000.
In Devon there was enormous interest in Christopher Cottage at Chardstock, near Axminster. Guided at £150,000 the gavel fell at £241,000.
The star lot however was Black Hill Pit at Bere Regis, a 7 acre former quarry in a lovely peaceful location. The guide price of £10,000 was easily exceeded and the hammer fell at £41,000.
As we are rather superstitious Lot 13 was a magnum of Veuve Clicquot champagne which we offered in aid of Help for Heroes. The unlucky lot number turned out to be lucky for a local solicitor who purchased this for £60.”
Our next auction will be in February and then monthly throughout the year. Entries are invited.
Please ring your local Symonds & Sampson office or Mark Lewis on 01258 474266.
Click for more news