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Gowerton property goes through major renovation

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The hall before and after renovation, and  Richard Stait and Jason Applin in the plush new kitchen)

It is a property transformation which would look perfectly at home on the BBC’s popular Homes Under The Hammer programme.

Number 12, Victoria Road in Gowerton – sold at auction by Dawsons Property and now on the market again with the same estate agents – has gone through an impressive make-over from run down, uninhabitable shell to a sought-after family home which has been renovated to an impressively high spec.

When developers John Stait and Co bid successfully for the end-of-terrace house at Dawson’s auction they paid £70,000. To the untrained eye, the sellers looked like they may have achieved a good sale price because the three bedroom property was in a state of disrepair.

The wall was coming down in the master bedroom, the kitchen was literally under the stairs and the garden and drive were overrun by eight feet high brambles.

Jason Applin, the project manager at Number 12, a seasoned developer, admitted it was one of his more challenging projects.

“It had to be gutted; taken right back to the bones – it needed a total rewire, the plumbing need a complete overhaul and the rendering and plastering had to be redone,” he said.

“Not only were some of the walls unstable but there were other things we had to overcome. For instance you had to go through the third bedroom to get to the bathroom.

“It was challenging project but I’m extremely happy with the outcome – it has exceeded expectations.”

So much so that Dawsons have put the house on the market for £145,000.

“When you take on a property like Victoria Road you have to have a real vision for the renovation and we pride ourselves in turning around properties such as this one,” explained Richard Stait, director of John Stait and Co.

“A lot of credit has to go to Jason for his ability to produce impressive renovations like Victoria Road.”

Richard says that the process in the case of Number 12 has been helped by their relationship with Dawsons from auctioneer through to vendor.

“During the auction process Dawsons were extremely helpful and when it came to putting the house on the market they seemed the most impressive of the agents we contacted.”

Dawsons have noticed a continuing trend towards buying at auction both from professional and amateur developers.

“Buying and selling at the Dawson’s auction has become more and more popular over the last couple of years. It has become a real growth market,” said Julie Lawry Auction Manager at Dawsons.

“We have noticed a trend where the typical purchaser is now an amateur investor looking for an initial ‘buy to let’ property to finance a long term pension scheme. These purchasers are now competing with the professional investors creating competitive prices in the auction room.

“The unsuccessful professional bidders at the auction are often utilised as project managers because of their in depth experience of renovation and development, this can be invaluable to the new investor.”