Auction News

Eco Warriors Fight It Out At Sherborne Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s auction on May 29th at Sherborne in Dorset was an exciting affair and the large crowds that we associate with this firm’s property auctions were out in force^.

A catalogue of 14 Lots saw everything sell bar one and £1.867m was raised from properties in Dorset, Somerset and Hampshire.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis was very pleased with the results and commented that some properties went for 40% above the guide price and people were definitely bidding with their heart as well as their head because many of the Lots had an emotional significance to the buyers.

Of particular note was Sandpits at Penselwood. An Ecohouse built into the side of a hill and set in 3 acres with woodland and bluebells. The property had received huge media interest particularly from the Sunday Times and the BBC and over 200 people viewed the property. The battle to purchase came down to two people, one from Sherwood Forest and the other from London with the man from the City winning and paying £240,000.

Also of particular interest was a Victorian semi-detached house in Sturminster Newton with views of the local landmark Sturminster Mill at £236,000 and Lucerne a semi-detached house in Sherborne for total refurbishment and modernization at £141,000.

Symonds & Sampson’s next auction is on 9 July back in Sherborne.

Lots of Variety at July Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s property auction on Thursday 9 July2009 will provide the most varied selection of lots to be offered so far this year.

Mark Lewis, the Principal Auctioneer in the firm says: " We have properties in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire and the week following we will be holding a separate auction for some wonderful properties in Devon.

"Top of the list for 9 July is Higher Farm, Over Compton – a handsome Grade II Listed farmhouse with barns, outbuildings and 65 acres which we will offer in 3 lots. The total is £1.1million but Lot A the farmhouse, buildings and 11 acres is £850,000.

"At Holbrook Farm, Wincanton you will find a charming Grade II Listed 5 bedroom house in need of some modernisation with a wonderful range of traditional buildings all set in a delightful square and an 8.3 acre paddock. The total land available is 9.5 acres and the guide is £700,000.

"Down to West Dorset at Lower Park Farm, Whitchurch Canonicorum there is a traditional 3 bedroom detached farmhouse with a range of modern stone outbuildings, set in grounds of about 80 acres. The total sum for all 3 lots is £530,000. Just up the road from there at Hogshill Street, Beaminster is a wonderful mid-terrace 2 bedroom cottage just crying out for more work to be done and now needs complete renovation. This looks a steal at £75,000.

"Waterloo Mill at Silton is a beautifully restored former mill which now needs further improvement and modernisation and has a stream and a paddock, in all about 1.39 acres for £350,000.

"At Podimore, Somerset a detached farmhouse requiring modernisation set in half an acre with 3.19 acre paddock will be offered at £395,000 and in Milborne Port, a spacious 3 bedroom property with garden, parking and potential to improve will be guided at £130,000.

"Land prices continue to remain strong and we have some really interesting parcels including some at Bugley near Gillingham where there is a most attractive and mature lake of about 2 acres planted with trees in a secluded and quiet valley sheltered from all sides. The lake is supplied by a small spring fed stream with outflow to the River Stour. The lake and 6 acres will be marketed at £120,000 whilst field and woodlands of about 17 acres is £125,00.

"Down in West Dorset we have 64 acres of pastureland with woodland at £322,500. At Castle Cary 45 acres with river frontage will be guided at £275,000 and at Tintinhull 13 acres at £83,000.

"Back in Dorset we have land at Middlemarsh and Holnest, bringing the total value for auction to over £4.5million."

Symonds & Sampson Go Organically Eco Friendly

Symonds & Sampson’s May auction at The Digby Hall, Sherborne will include some of the most diverse lots to go under the hammer in Dorset and Somerset.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis says that it is a mouth watering prospect; "As well as the usual renovation projects there will be some unique lots.

"In Penselwood we have an Eco friendly underground house designed to blend into the contours of the land. It comes with its own wind turbine, a rain water collecting system and a wood burner for heat. Set in 3 acres of land with woodland, bluebells and wild garlic, it is a paradise for anyone wanting to get away from it all.

"In Shillingstone near Blandford there is a Colt bungalow that won the design award at the 1951 South Bank Exhibition. As well as a four bedroom single storey property you also get half an acre of delightful gardens.

"And for lovers of organic produce, we will be offering 13.38 acres of registered organic land at Compton Dundon.

"A total of 14 lots have been catalogued and we can honestly say that we have something for everyone."

 

Top Record Smashed at Symonds & Sampson Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s auction on 26 March at Sherborne in Dorset was a milestone for the firm with just under £5million worth of property sold, showing a 100% success and a new record for the firm for a single lot sold at auction at £1.6million.

Auctioneer, Mark Lewis, was very satisfied with the result.

This auction has really put down a marker in these very difficult times, but if you get your marketing right then the rewards will follow and we started the build up to the auction on Valentine’s Day and after a concerted advertising campaign, both nationally and regionally, it made sure that we attracted a crowd of around 500 in the sale room.

Mr Lewis was sanguine about whether this auction proves that the property market is back on track.  “There is the old phrase that one swallow does not make a summer but I think that this shows that so long as the right properties are in the room with the right firm of Auctioneers, then sellers have a very good chance.

“The auction included properties in Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and right down to Devon borders with the top price being Higher Pound Farm; a farmhouse with holiday cottages and 65 acres near Lyme Regis selling for £1.6million.

“Farmland sold to a stunning £8,000 an acre whilst a multi-development site, sold to a local investor, proving perhaps that both confidence in the property stabilising once these houses are built.”

Symonds & Sampson’s next auction is 29 May 2009 and now they invite entries and for a free market appraisal please telephone Mark Lewis 01258 473766.

Top Auction Accolade for Symonds & Sampson

Symonds & Sampson are very proud to announce their recognition as the most successful firm of Property Auctioneers in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire for the 5th year running (figures from EIG).

Senior Partner Alastair Cowan was delighted to hear the news: “2008 was one of the most difficult years for anyone trading in property with values suffering a fairly substantive correction, so to have such success with our auctions was a great fillip.”

“A terrific amount of hard work is put into our auctions; it is imperative that our guide prices are sensible at the beginning of the campaign but our marketing is vital and we make sure that the advertising is pushed far and wide. Our internet presence is huge with 9 websites feeding directly or indirectly from our Symonds & Sampson main site.

“Reputation and experience are the rock that our firm is built on and we have built up a terrific following, not only over our last 150 years, but more particularly in the last 6 years when our property departments have strengthened. Our client loyalty is immense and something that we are extremely proud of.

“Mark Lewis is the most experienced Auctioneer in the region, a second generation who followed his Father onto the rostrum. Calmness under pressure especially when the market is so testing only comes with years of experience and the ability to relax both buyers and sellers in the room is a gift that our competitors do not possess.”

Chief Auctioneer Mark Lewis, said: “We now have our eye on the No.1 spot in the South West. Maintaining our status in the region is terrific but Hampshire and Devon could be areas for expansion.

“In 2008 we auctioned property from the New Forest all the way through to East Devon and broke into new markets particularly in Weymouth where we expect to build on our blossoming reputation.”

Symonds & Sampson’s first auction of the year will be on 26 March at Sherborne and if you would like to learn more about how the firm can help you, then please telephone them 01258 473766.

 

Fabulous Festive Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s last auction of 2008 was a real Christmas cracker with strong bidding for the lots being offered in Dorset and Wiltshire. Auctioneer Mark Lewis was delighted with the results: "This takes our auction total of the year to £18million and to fill a room seven days before Christmas was brilliant and showed that putting together properties of a diverse nature was the key to success.

"The properties for sale ranged from a semi-detached property on Portland, being sold for the Ministry of Justice, which made £128,000 through to a magnificent house in Belle Vue Road in Weymouth with a fantastic view of Portland Harbour which sold for £535,000.

"It was amazing how far people travelled for the auction. We had a lot of people catching the train from London and there was quite a conversation in one carriage as seven passengers were all reading the Symonds & Sampson auction catalogue.

"Also on offer was a Woolaway bungalow in half an acre at Margaret Marsh near Shaftesbury selling for £195,000 and agricultural land East Knoyle and Tincleton near Dorchester.

"With the pre-auction sale of a Sherborne town house for well over the guide of £500,000 and anticipated exchanges on a house in Poole and another in Salisbury, the expected turnover for the sale will be around £2.5million."

 

Symonds & Sampson will be holding auctions throughout 2009 starting on 27 February and for further information and a free market appraisal please telephone Mark Lewis on 01258 474266.

 

Farmland Prices Stay Strong

Symonds & Sampson’s auction in Devon on 12 December proved many agents wrong who are calling the ‘top of the market’ for land when 64 acres of pasture went under the hammer.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis said: "The number of people present was astounding and there was strong bidding on all lots, not only from local farmers but also investors looking to put their money out of banks and into something tangible. The sale total of £433,000 put land at over £7,000 an acre and there is great confidence that farming will be good next year.

"Ross Wilmington from the Axminster office was delighted. A lot of Legal Packs had been requested and read so I was expecting the land to sell but perhaps not quite at the high levels that we achieved."

 

 

Symonds & Sampson’s next property auction is on 18 December at The Sherborne Hotel at 2pm.

 

Land Prices Hold Up At Symonds & Sampson Auctions

Auctioneers Symonds & Sampson have a very exciting auction being held on 27 November at Sherborne in Dorset when 112 acres of land in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire will go under the hammer.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis recently sold land at Bagber near Sturminster Newton being 22 acres for £107,000 just under £5,000 an acre and he expects even better results later this month.

“A lot of people are still nervous about keeping their money in the banks” explains Mr Lewis, “and I anticipate that local farmers as well as people from out side the agricultural community will be looking to purchase the land in the safe knowledge that they will have a tangible asset that should, if commodity prices stay high, prove an excellent investment.

“The land for sale covers a large area with paddocks in the New Forest available at £10,000 an acre, this is on the edge of a village and could possibly come for residential development one day.  There is land on the edge of the Chard Reservoir at £5,000.  Light arable land at Tolpuddle near Dorchester for £5,500 an acre.  There is also good grass growing land at Ansty, mid Dorset and Buckland Newton for around £5,000 an acre and a good pasture field at Higher Chilfrome near Maiden Newton at £4,800 an acre.

“At the same auction, Styles Farmhouse a detached listed farmhouse for renovation in a village setting with an interesting range of farm buildings and paddocks adjoining with 6.61 acres is being sold for the Dorset County Council with a guide price of £625,000 and there are also investments in Bridport and Yeovil as well as an idyllic smallholding at Compton Dundon near Somerton which is on the market for £395,000.”

“Any buyers who miss out” adds Mr Lewis “may get another investment opportunity on 12 December when 64 acres of land at Kilmington, Axminster, Devon will be auctioned including one lot with woodland and a lake and another with excellent farm buildings and a yard.

It is going to be a fascinating sale and further details can be obtained from Symonds & Sampson 01258 473766.”

 

£2.2million Raised at Sherborne Auction

Auctioneers Symonds & Sampson are delighted to report that their auction on Friday, 26 September 2008 was a terrific success with £2.279million raised from the sale of 17 lots.

Mark Lewis who conducted the auction said: “We had a wonderful catalogue with properties available from the New Forest through to Lyme Regis and four counties covered including Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset.

“The room was full to overflowing with an estimated crowd of 400 witnessing some astonishing prices with strong bidding on most lots.

“Agricultural land prices continue to strengthen with land in Dorset selling to £7,000 an acre and Somerset £6,000 an acre.  A 6.5 acre wood near Wimborne sold for £10,000 an acre.

“Redevelopment projects at Corfe Mullen in East Dorset sold for £355,000 whilst two thatched cottages near Fordingbridge sold for £400,000.

“The star of the show, however, were some old poultry buildings in a small acreage, Part Buttewell Farm in East Stour, selling for £40,000 and a bungalow with a large garden overlooking The Cobb at Lyme Regis which had a guide of £300,000 sold after eight bidders competed for £535,000.”

Symonds & Sampson’s next auction is on 31 October 2008 in Sherborne again and for further details please telephone Mark Lewis on 01258 473766.

 

Generous Wedding Present Bought at Symonds & Sampson Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s four counties auction on 26 September 2008 turned over £2.3million including a pair of dilapidated cottages in the New Forest which sold for £400,000. 

Auctioneer Mark Lewis was amused that the buyers bought blind for their son who was getting married the next day.  “It was going to be a surprise wedding present, which I am sure it would be as the bride and groom had not seen it either.  It is uninhabitable so their first few months of married life could be quite tiring!  All will be revealed when the story appears on Homes Under The Hammer next year.”

 

 

 

Symonds & Sampson's 150 Years of Auctioning by Mark Lewis

I have always appreciated the people who have helped me with my career whether they are clients who trust me with their lots to auction or colleagues who act as mentors sharing criticism and praise when due.

Symonds & Sampson, however, are remembering the Founding Partners of the firm as we celebrate 150 years in business.  In common with many well established businesses, the firm started modestly but with a character, Giles Symonds, who was well respected in a local environment.  In 1858 work was done very locally and, by today’s standards, at a frustrating pace and of course all the buyers would be personally known to the auctioneer.

What times the firm has lived through.  World wars, car, train, plane, space travel, telephones, faxes, internet, period of depression, recession and huge growth.  Symonds & Sampson stayed in business through good and lean times to build on these foundations so that today our business spans five counties.

We have never forgotten our auctioneering routes but now we attract buyers from all over the UK and abroad.  The power of the internet and The London Office connection is paramount to our success but it is the special art of auctioneering handed down through decades of experience that have made us the top firm in the region and one of the leading firms in the country.

Our auction on 26 September in Sherborne will reflect the strength of Symonds & Sampson with lots stretching from The New Forest Hampshire in the East to Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border to the west.  In between we have property in Wimborne, Blandford and Bridport in Dorset, building plots in Mere and Durrington in Wiltshire, renovations in Yeovil and Martock in Somerset, and parcels of land and woodland throughout the four counties.

The Thatched Cottages, Ogdens, Fordingbridge is a classic auction property.  A Grade II Listed thatched cottage tucked away in the heart of The New Forest is an absolute gem.  Set in approximately ½ an acre of gardens and grounds, there are a number of useful outbuildings and open forest all around.  It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the purchaser of such an ideal spot and details can be obtained from our Salisbury office on 01722 336944.

St Vincents, Cobb Road, Lyme Regis is a three bedroom detached bungalow ideally suited as a holiday home or investment but also suitable as a family residence.  The property has an excellent seaside position right in the heart of Lyme Regis and overlooks the seafront, harbour and beach.  The guide price for this property is £300,000 and further details are available from our Axminster office on 01297 33122.

It seems strange to thank people who we have never met, but we feel certain that 150 years after he founded our firm, Mr Giles Symonds will be proud of our business today.

Sizzling Summer Sale at Sherborne for Symonds & Sampson

Symonds & Sampson’s latest auction at Sherborne drew a large crowd so that the room at The Sherborne Hotel was overflowing with buyers from all over the South of England.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis said that he was delighted with the response to the regional advertising and the launch at The London Office together with the number of ‘hits’ that Symonds & Sampson received on the website. The prices achieved were generally well ahead of expectations particularly for small parcels of land and building plots in the region.

On offer were properties in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire;  a building plot with large garden in Kington Magna achieved £168,000; a good size building plot at Charlton Horethorne sold for £120,000 and a delightful property in Weymouth selling for £190,000.

Land prices continue to be strong and parcels all sold well with competitive bidding. The star of the show however was 2 blocks of land at Ibberton which achieved terrific interest with 35 people either viewing the legal pack at Symonds & Sampson’s office or applying for the Legal Pack at the solicitors.  It was an emotional purchase because the property was so beautiful: Lot A being south facing land with some woodland and stable achieving £39,000 and Lot B a mixed deciduous indigenous woodland selling for £47,000.

The next Symonds & Sampson auction is on 26 September 2008 and further entries are welcomed.

 

A Couple Buy Blind At Three Counties Auction

Symonds & Sampson’s June property auction raised just over £1million to a full room at The Digby Hall in Sherborne.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis was very satisfied with the results saying that: “It is not only a matter of getting the right property for auction, it is also setting the correct price and with the media quoting percentage falls in property values, this is all taken into our account when we organise the catalogue.  There was strong competitive bidding in the room and the few lots that did not sell we expect to put under offer within the next few days.

“We were auctioning property in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire: 15 Newtown Cottages, Charlton Marshall, Nr Blandford with a guide of £95,000 sold for £139,000; a terraced house at Tidworth made £104,000 and a cottage at Ash, Martock sold for £230,000.

“The star of the show, however, was Long Acre at Adber in Sherborne with a guide of £295,000 this was chased up by six bidders to £388,000 and we sold to a couple who have been looking for property throughout the South West for a very long time.  They had not viewed inside the house but they said that as soon as they drove down the drive that this was the property for them.”

The whole auction was filmed for the BBC daytime television programme Homes Under The Hammer and will be broadcast next year.

 

TV Cameras at Dorset Auction Again

Lion Television, who produce the BBC1 daytime television programme, Homes Under The Hammer, came along to the Symonds & Sampson property auction at The Digby Hall, Sherborne on Friday, 30 May and were very complimentary about how the auction went.

A room full to bursting saw £3million worth of property go under the hammer and the television crew were amazed that such a large crowd came along as a lot of other auctions that they cover all over the country have been sparsely attended.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis was equally delighted with the result.  “This is the largest property auction to take place in the South West this year with what appears to be a record crowd and it was a very exciting sale with some prices going for over treble the guide.  I always say that we are very fortunate to live in this part of the world and an article in The Daily Telegraph that morning had said that people who live in Dorset live longer, so I am sure that that sort of media attention did us no harm at all.

“On sale was building plots in Beaminster selling at £228,000, a property at Owermoigne near Dorchester £142,000, two properties in Organford near Poole selling for £275,000 and £100,000, a house and 16 acres at Broadwindsor with the most fabulous views selling for £546,000 and a house with a protected tenancy in Powerstock selling for £150,000.

“There was land at Middlemarsh selling for £16,500 an acre and land at Westbury in Wiltshire selling for £5,300 an acre.

“The real excitement however came in Powerstock where we were selling Townsend Farm on behalf of the Executors of a Deceased Estate and the interest was phenomenal with people bidding from London, Paris as well as more local people.  The farmhouse and 6.6 acres sold for £642,000 and 8.6 acres adjacent sold for £21,000 an acre.  The remaining lots of land made extraordinary money with small parcels at £26,000 an acre and the largest lot of 15 acres going for £15,000 an acre.”

Mark Lewis was interested to see the different types of people bidding, The Dorset Wildlife Trust for example bought one lot but the non farming buyers really did push the prices to new record levels.

Symonds & Sampson will be holding further auctions in Sherborne every month through to November.  For further details please telephone 01258 473766.

 

May Property Auction could be the Biggest Yet

Symonds & Sampson’s property auction at The Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne on 30 May promises to be a bumper event with properties for sale throughout Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Devon.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis is excited at the prospect: “We have some wonderful lots, mainly from Deceased Estates and The Court of Protection, many of which are coming to the market for the first time in decades.  Townsend Farm at Powerstock for example, is already attracting good interest and is a farmhouse in need of renovation with 38 acres and river frontage for sale in 7 lots.

“Conegar Farm at Broadwindsor is a detached three bedroom house with 16 acres and there is further land available at Westbury in Wiltshire  and Middlemarsh near Sherborne.

“Always popular at auctions are the cottages for renovation and building opportunities; there is a stone store/workshop with planning permission to convert into a two bedroom cottage at Beaminster, a barn for conversion at Broadwindsor, a delightful Grade II Listed cottage at Chideock and a detached cottage in need of complete renovation at Thorncombe.

“We then have bungalows at North Cadbury and Owermoigne near Dorchester, a cottage at The Cross, Shillingstone and a cottage subject to a Protected Tenancy at Powerstock.

“Also included in the catalogue a property at South Molton, Devon being a semi-detached cottage with lovely views and about 10 acres including lakes.”

The BBC cameras will be at the auction to record everything for their daytime programme, Homes Under The Hammer, and Symonds & Sampson will look forward to seeing you there.

For further details please telephone 01258 473766

 

Milestone at Sell Out Auction in Sherborne

Symonds & Sampson’s latest property auction at The Sherborne Hotel on 24th April was a 100% success rate with a full room and properties sold in Dorset and Somerset.

For Mark Lewis it was a particular milestone as it took his personal total of auction properties sold to over £150million.  “It was a great feeling” said Mark.  “I had worked out before the auction that I was getting close to this figure and afterwards I realised that after the sale of some land at King’s Stag, it had taken me over the £150million figure.  The most satisfying part of the day, however, was to sell every property especially when the national average is standing at around 80%, so Symonds & Sampson really have bucked the trend.”

On offer were parcels of land at Holnest near Sherborne selling at £7,000 an acre, a smallholding at King’s Stag at £404,000, a cottage for renovation in Marnhull at £175,000 and a semi-detached property in Templecombe for £130,000.

 

Lovely Lots to be sold at Symonds & Sampson's Auction

The property auction scheduled for 24 April at The Sherborne Hotel includes some lovely property in the Dorset countryside.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis is looking forward to the sale: “The Glen at King’s Stag is a delightful four bedroom house in need of improvement and modernisation with a 4 acre paddock and comes to the market for the first time for 80 years.  The Glen stands in such a good plot that there is plenty of room for extensions, subject to the necessary planning consents, and the 4 acres adjoins the house with a further 1 acre field available for £10,000.

 

“The Homestead in New Street, Marnhull is a charming three bedroom detached cottage in need of renovation and modernisation in a good position in this popular village giving prospective purchasers a great chance to extend and improve the property or even knock down and start again if they so desire, subject to the necessary planning consents.

“We then have two fields at Holnest being productive and free draining organic pastureland with good road access.  Lot A is 4.8 acres guided at £24,000 whilst Lot B is 9.67 acres guided at £48,000 which borders a stream.  The land receives annual payments under an Organic Entry Level Stewardship Agreement.

“It should be interesting therefore to see what happens on the day.”

Further details can be obtain from Mark Lewis on 01258 473766

 

Auction Triumph at Sherborne 

An estimated crowd of over 300 people overflowed at Symonds & Sampson’s latest auction when properties in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire went under the hammer.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis was astonished with the number of people present: “We had a lot of interesting properties to auction and the response to the viewing days had been very strong but to get so many people at the auction was quite surprising.  Many were seeking reassurance that, contrary to reports in the national media, prices remain stable and this was borne out by the strong bidding on the day.

“We are very fortunate to live in what I have always considered to be the best region in the country and with so many people wanting to take advantage of the coast, countryside and lifestyle that we all enjoy, I believe that prices will remain strong.”

The auction raised £1.63million taking our total for the year to £3.3million.

On offer were 11 lots including land at Somerton selling at £11,300 per acre, a conversion at Mere at £80,000, a building plot at Yetminster at £152,000 and another building plot at Stalbridge at £60,000, Bleak House at Hazelbury Bryan at £250,000, a lovely house tucked away in Beaminster for £415,000 but the star of the show were two industrial units in Dorchester where prices zoomed to double the guide selling for £550,000.

Symonds & Sampson’s next auction will be at The Sherborne Hotel on 24 April.  Further details from Mark Lewis on 01258 473766.