Welcome to our Final Sale of 2023

Since we returned to the rostrum in September 2021 we have seen an ever growing number of bidders attending our sales, rather than bid online or over the phone.  In fact, our auction offering is unique as no other national auctioneer has been able to sustain this, some have tried and failed whilst others prefer to sit behind their PC, cut costs and in my view, one of the most essential elements of an auction sale and do little more than run their auctions like Ebay. 

 Sadly this has also given rise to many in our industry manipulating results and not presenting a true picture of results and what is really happening (and indeed selling) in the market.  If you can only bid online at these sales you have to register first, the auctioneer requires you to disclose the lot you wish to bid for and, if they have no registered bidders before the auction they simply tell their client that they have withdrawn that property from sale.  In a real auction, people arrive in a room and only they know what they want to bid for so such manipulation cannot take place.  In fact for our sales, if you chose to bid online you simply complete your registration but you are not restricted, just like bidders attending, and you can bid on any lot you like!  In fact we know that on many occasions a bidder will miss out on one lot and then decide, almost on a whim, to bid for something else.  Of course we always recommend that any buyer carries out full due diligence on a lot before bidding but, the choice as a buyer is yours and the last thing we want to do is limit choice. 

I am left to speculate whether our unique offering is one of the factors behind the growing volumes of lots we are offering. Including this sale we will have offered almost 3,000 lots this year, that’s over 300 lots more than last year and with a sales value already this year exceeding £285million. 

My teams throughout the country are always on hand, in the run up to the sale, to help with all your enquiries.  For every auction, we hold 100’s of open house viewing days so please make sure you take the opportunity to physically see the lots you are interested in.  The online catalogue also has links to a host of video and 3D tours so take the opportunity to have a look online and see if there is one available for the lot you want to bid for. 

As we enter these colder winter months and especially darker evenings we have to run a fairly tight viewing schedule in daylight hours.  Our viewing staff can’t wait for people arriving late as they will have other lots to get to so please turn up promptly at the times provided.  

I guess it’s also this time of year that we start thinking of holidays and the warmer months to come next year. On this point I spotted some lots in this sale that may well do more than just provide some holiday inspiration:

Lot 44 has to be one of the most unique lots we have offered for some months. Guided at £110,000 it is just over 13 acres of land next to the beach at Porthtowan, one of the most popular and beautiful beaches you can find in Cornwall.  Alternatively at Pevensey is “The Moorings” a beach fronting former restaurant, uninterrupted views of the beach and coast and with the benefit of planning permission to convert to a family dwelling.  Guided at £975,000 this must be the opportunity of a lifetime to create a truly unique family home right on the beach.

Or, if you prefer your holiday home ready-made then look no further than Lot 60 at Ferrymans Quay at Netley Abbey near Southampton.  This is a stunning beach house offers two bedroom modern accommodation with additional land and uninterrupted views across Southampton Water and is offered at a guide price of £250,000.

But whichever lot (or lots) you decide to bid for, I hope you will take the opportunity to attend the sale rather than risking your internet or phone connection dropping out at the exact time you need to bid – that can’t happen when you’re at the auction!

So come along to the sale, enjoy the buzz and excitement of the auction and why not use the trip to combine your property shopping with some Christmas shopping whilst in town. 

We look forward to welcoming you to The Grand Connaught Rooms on the day and wish you the very best of luck with your bidding!