Published: 11/06/2025 By Finn Rawlings
Have you considered selling your property at auction? It is a fast and efficient method of sale with minimal risk of fall-through, and one where committed buyers compete against each other to maximise prices achieved. Properties are often sold well in excess of the guide price, as is the case with four commercial properties recently sold at auction, and all either producing or with the potential to produce some impressive returns on the buyers’ investment as Graduate Commercial Surveyor Finn Rawlings explains:117 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth. Striking both in appearance and income generation, this property comprising tenanted residential and commercial assets. It was offered for sale with a Guide of £425,000 and sold for £460,000. Producing an annual return of £56,000 per annum, the current income generated equates to a gross yield of 12.17%.
86/86A Cheap Street, Sherborne. A mixed use/retail property in the centre of town already produces an income of £27,700 p/a. Planning consent is in place for a further three dwellings, each anticipated to produce an annual income of £10,200. The property went to auction with a Guide of £350,000 and sold for £427,000 – an impressive £77,000 above guide. With a combined established and anticipated income of £58,300, this property will generate a gross yield of 13.65%.
5-6 Lansdowne Crescent, Bournemouth. Formerly Lloyds Bank, this handsome four storey Victorian building in a prominent position on Lansdowne Crescent was offered for sale at auction in May with a Guide of £200,000. After competitive bidding, it was sold for a staggering £455,000, 127% above the guide. The property was sold with a small, tenanted unit and planning permission to reconfigure the ground floor and create four residential flats, creating an excellent investment opportunity in the heart of Bournemouth.
30 Trinity Street, Dorchester. A former café/restaurant premises with a residential flat, garden and parking in central Dorchester was offered for auction with a Guide of £200,000. It sold in excess of the Guide at £238,000 and has potential to produce a healthy income from the commercial and residential assets.
If you are considering selling commercial, investment or development property, Symonds & Sampson‘s experts can offer a comprehensive service to guide you through the process from an initial concept, through planning and design, to point of sale. We work together to explore every avenue and ensure that you achieve the best return possible on your property assets.
Our property auction at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on 20 August has already attracted some interesting commercial and development site entries, so if you would like to discuss how selling at auction could work for you, please contact Finn Rawlings, Jan Merriott MRICS or Ryan Holmes Assoc RICS on 01305 261008.
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