Walking House
Walking House (c) 2013 N55
This lovely lateral thought concept is a firm favourite here at Unique Property Bulletin. Sorry, but nobody guessed the cryptic clues from the past couple of Bulletin issues. So the £100 prize fund stays intact for another day.
However, we will soon be placing this Walking House onto our Top Ten.
The video of this prototype…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvxIB83Y0PA
… may have had mixed comments, but with OVER half a million views, it is certainly generating a lot of interest.
For those reading and watching who share the vision of the designers, we reckon that you can expect larger and more ingenious “Walking Houses”. One of the reasons that engineers have to go to such extremes are – in the UK for example, the archaic British planning laws. So it will be very interesting to see what a larger, more habitable version of this Walking House would do when let loose in a lovely field – several of which we have featured in the past few Bulletin editions.
Not sure if the various geographic locations that are readers come from have proactive and well reasoned planning officials, or if there are more of the officious variety [thankfully getting rarer]. Whatever flavour of planning official you have, this walking house is bound to cause some “interesting” conversations or emails.
Walking House – Collective Group (c) 2013 N55
Technical Specifications:
Basic module:
Height: 3.5 meters
Width: 3.5 meters
Length: 3.72 meters
Weight: 1200 kg
Max speed: 60 meters/hour
Component list:
Plating and framework wood and plywood
Legs made of steel and mechanical components
12 linear actuators
solar panels
micro windmills
polycarbonate plates
interior equipment
Walking House – Lounging Relaxation (c) 2013 N55
Location: Wonderfully Wanderable
Tenure: Wherever You Have Your Freehold.
Guide: T.B.A.
Contact Ion Sørvin, founder of N55 in 1994 – http://www.n55.dk/cv.html
Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.
Further Details, Additional Photographs & A Range of Projects …
http://n55.dk/NEWS/omninews.html
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9 Acres For Walking & More ?
Green Fields For A Walk, Kent (c) 2013 Clive Emson
After the very unusual home featured above, we feature somewhere where it may be possible to try it out?
Nine acres in Kent. Even better, this large piece of picturesque land is an FTSAA – Failed To Sell At Auction. Which can often mean you have a bargain in the making. At least you are in a less pressurised environment as a buyer. Not having the stress of an auction arena. Plus the advantage that a buyer is on the backfoot. A little ironic as you may be on many feet !
Auctioneer’s Narrative: An attractive parcel of grazing land, divided into three paddocks, with lovely views to the south and east. There is a right of way for vehicular access from Lodge Hill Lane and a water supply on site. The site is conveniently located for the Wainscott Bypass (dual carriageway) leading to the M2 motorway.
Site Area: Approximately 9.7 acres (3.9 hectares).
Viewing: Interested applicants may view directly on site.
Location: Land Behind 1 & 2 Farm Cottages, Lodge Hill Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME3 8NS.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: £78,000 – Auction Lot 23 – FTSAA – Failed To Sell At Auction 23 July 2013.
Contact Clive Emson Auctioneers Tel: 0845 8500333 – Mr John Stockey or Mr Ben Snelling. Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin stay FREE to use by letting the estate agent/owner/auction house know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.
Online Brochure ….
http://www.cliveemson.co.uk/listing_view.asp?Lot=23&Auc=163
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Competition Note
This Competition Now Ended – Another One Will Happen Soon.
Balmoral Castle One Hundred Pound Note (c) Royal Bank of Scotland plc
Thankyou for all who entered. Many really interesting suggestions. But alas the clues must have been too cryptic. No reader hit the target – naming the unusual home at the top of this page. No correct entry. So the old £100 sits on our desk ready for another day. Given the popularity of this competition, it is very likely we shall start a regular slot for this element. We will need to see how the finances go. This whole website is run on a not-for-profit and break-even financial basis, so the pennies do need to be marshalled carefully. For sure we will manage some form of competition in the next few issues.
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Citadel Being Sold
Salvation Army Building, Swadlincote, Derbyshire (c) 2013 Roy Pugh
This is the first Salvation Army Citadel that we have ever listed. They come in many shapes and sizes …
Sally Citadels – All Shapes & Sizes
The Salvation Army was founded in London around 1865 by former Reform Church minister William Booth and his wife Catherine. In a couple of years there will be a 150th Anniversary commemoration. From the East End of London the Salvation Army has grown to a worldwide charitable relief and religious organisation with approximately 15,175 Ministers and 1,442,388 Members. More information on the Salvation Army ….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army
The particular Citadel we have featured here failed to sell at auction in July 2013.
Auctioneer’s Narrative: The property fronts on to Wilmot Road in a predominantly residential area. Swadlincote town centre is approximately ½ of a mile to the north. Derby city centre is approximately 8 miles to the north west. The end of the M42 motorway is 3 miles to the south.
Description: A detached single storey church hall with development potential subject to gaining the necessary consents and offered with vacant possession.
Accommodation: The approximate net internal floor areas:
Main Hall, Offices, Stores, Kitchen, Toilets, Changing Rooms 227.40 sq m (2,446 sq ft).
Site Area: Approximately 368.56 sq m (441 sq yds).
Salvation Army Building Interior (c) 2013 Roy Pugh
Location: Former Salvation Army Church Hall, 151 Wilmot Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9BN.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: £35,000 – Auction Lot 43 – Auction Date 18th July 2013.
Contact Roy Pugh Auctioneers Tel: 0844 2 722444 – Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin stay FREE to use by letting the estate agent/owner/auction house know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.
Online Brochure and LOTS OF ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS ….
http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Manchester/20130718/043
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Engineering A Return
The Engine House, Padiham, Lancashire (c) 2013 Roy Pugh
This former Engine House is featured to illustrate how it is important to deeply mine the hundreds of properties contained within our online Unique Property Bulletin. We featured this Engine Room Building in our Unique Property Bulletin of 30 June 2013 . A quick check of back issues showed it Failed To Sell At Auction. So if you live anywhere near Padiham, or would like to relocate to a remarkable and historic ruin, ripe for renovation, maybe an idea to call the auctioneers and see what their “best price” is for this building?
Please let us know how you get on?
Location: Former Engine House, Shakespeare Street, Padiham, Lancashire, BB12 8RG.
Tenure: Freehold.
Guide: Now downgraded from £45,000 to £40,000. Can you shave off more? Failed To Sell At Auction – 18 July 2013 LOT 64.
Contact Pugh & Co Auctioneers Tel: 0844 27 22444 – Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the auctioneer know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.
Online Brochure ….
http://www.pugh-auctions.com/Lot/Manchester/20130718/064
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Signalling Some Interest
Converted Railway Signal Box Home £90,000 (c) 2013 Haddon & Turnbull
It is a delight receiving emails from readers Via Our Contact Page. One such missive this week was as a result of an interesting article from the BBC on railway Signal Boxes …
We will see IF any of the 26 may be coming up for sale and report back in future Unique Property Bulletins accordingly. For the record, the current 26 being “Listed” for special preservation are:-
Hebden Bridge Signal Box, Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
Hensall Signal Box, Selby, North Yorkshire.
Bournemouth West Junction Signal Box, Poole, Dorset.
Lostwithiel Signal Box, Restormel, Cornwall.
Marsh Brook Signal Box, Shropshire.
Par Signal Box, Restormel, Cornwall.
Totnes Signal Box, S Hams, Devon.
Brundall Signal Box, Broadland, Norfolk.
Bury St Edmunds Yard Signal Box, St Edmundsbury, Suffolk.
Downham Market Signal Box, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk.
An Example Being Listed – Skegness Signal Box (c) 2013 Dave Hitchborne
Skegness Signal Box, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
Thetford Signal Box, Breckland, Norfolk.
Wainfleet Signal Box, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
Wymondham Signal Box, South Junction, South Norfolk, Norfolk.
Aylesford Signal Box, Tonbridge and Malling, Kent.
Canterbury East Signal Box, Kent.
Cuxton Signal Box, Medway, Kent.
Eastbourne Signal Box, East Sussex.
Grain Crossing Signal Box, Medway, Kent.
Littlehampton Signal Box, West Sussex.
Liverpool Street Signal Box, City of London.
Maidstone West Signal Box, Maidstone, Kent.
Rye Signal Box, Rother, East Sussex.
Shepherdswell Signal Box, Dover, Kent.
Snodland Signal Box, Tonbridge and Malling, Kent.
Wateringbury Signal Box, Maidstone, Kent.
Returning back to our email form a reader of the Unique Property Bulletin. The gentleman asked if we had any in our big box of unusual properties. Surprisingly there are very few. IF YOU KNOW OF ANY SIGNAL BOXES FOR SALE AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS WITH FELLOW READERS, PLEASE EMAIL US VIA OUR CONTACT PAGE.
Here is one such example for sale [as photographed above] at Shankend, Hawick ….
http://uniquepropertybulletin.co.uk/for-sale-signal-box/
Location: Former Signal Box, Shankend, Hawick, TD9 9TY.
Tenure: Feuhold (Scottish Equivalent of Freehold).
Guide: £90,000.
PLEASE NOTE: As of 2nd August 2013, we have been advised that the Shankend Signal Box has been taken off of the sale market by the owner.
If you would like us to notify you should the Shankend Signal Box be placed back up for sale, please ask to be added to our “Shankend Signal Box – Possible Buyer Interest Notification List”. You can do this by emailing us ..
http://uniquepropertybulletin.org/contact/
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Chopity Chop.
Bairnkine Sawmill, Borders (c) 2013 Haddon & Turnbull
We are hoping to feature some “woodlanding” specialist elements soon. Here is a chopity chop place that may just fit the bill. If you have an interest in this area, perhaps you could be kind enough to help inform our future feature on “woodlanding” by contacting us at Unique Property Bulletin.
Notwithstanding our future feature on woodlanding, this particular piece of land does already have in place an interesting planning permission.
Agency Narrative: A development site situated in the lovely Jed Valley and extending to approximately 0.25 hectare with Outline Planning Permission for four detached 2 bedroom holiday cottages with parking and ancillary facilities.
Location: Bairnkine Sawmill, Jedburgh, Borders, TD8 6PH.
Tenure: Feuhold (Scottish Equivalent of Freehold).
Guide: O.I.R.O £170,000.
Contact Haddon & Turnbull Tel: 01835 863202 or 01450 372336 – Please can you help the Unique Property Bulletin stay free to use by letting the estate agent know that you found their property on the Unique Property Bulletin website. Thankyou.
Online Brochure ….
http://www.scottishbordersproperties.co.uk/property-details.asp?PropertyID=812
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Unique People
Trinity Buoy Wharf (c) 2013 Urban Space Management Ltd
As the online Unique Property Bulletin has evolved we generally include property from £1 [yes you can buy property at one pound] to £10,000,000. We endeavour to cover the entire geographic area of the United Kingdom as well – in a balanced way, giving each region a fair showing. A few week’s back at the excellent suggestion of a reader, we now include a unique holiday, or unique rental property at the end of each Bulletin. More recently we have started to cover some “Unique Architecture”. This week we also have some unique people included. A slight digression. Whilst truffling about we came across the brilliant Urban Space Management Ltd., and a group of dedicated unique property people there. Just a taste of the range of unusual projects and wonderful lateral thinking can be found at …
http://www.urbanspace.com/projects
The unique property – the one that jumped right off of the page for us was Urban Space Management’s project at Trinity Buoy Wharf. This is in a league and at a level which requires a large bank balance, and a lot of confidence to take on. But it is well worth looking at what can be accomplished with sites that have had a previous life and declined. Sites that are fortunate enough to be considered for regeneration…
http://www.urbanspace.com/projects/trinity-buoy-wharf
Is That A Baby Lighthouse? (c) 2013 Urban Space Management Ltd
Developer’s Notes: Trinity Buoy Wharf – 1998 – Present Uses Performance and arts venue, workspaces for creative uses Area 90,000sq.ft Jobs created 515 Investment £4 million Major initial tenants English National Opera, University of East London, IPAD, Thames Clippers, Faraday School, The Prince’s Drawing School Highlights London Festival of Architecture, Tide Marks Exhibition by Stephen Turner, Streetwise Opera, Red Bull Air Race, The Ghost Sonata – performance by Goat & Monkey Theatre Company, location for James Bond ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, Launch of the David Beckham Football Academy.
The reason we have included Urban Space Developments within this week’s Bulletin is to illustrate, and show some inspirational detail of what some unique people can achieve. More about this remarkable company at…
http://www.urbanspace.com/about
Urban Space Management has been a prime mover in the creation of attractive, affordable retail initiatives since the company was started by Eric Reynolds in 1970. Whether the challenge is breathing new life into derelict sites, reviving jaded retail centres, conserving heritage buildings or creating vibrant new places, Urban Space Management has long and wide experience in practical development, common sense consultancy, hands-on retail management, and bringing national expertise to the local context. The formula combines imaginative promotion, close involvement with the arts, and above all nurturing of small business, in which a market is often an important ingredient.
Urban Space Management have a fine set of core principles:
Tread lightly on the earth.
Be timely, site specific, cost effective.
Leave space for creativity and listen to the place and the people.
Further detail of this company and past, current and future projects – maybe one of yours can be discussed with Urban Space Management – Contact Information:
Urban Space Management Ltd
The Riverside Building
Trinity Buoy Wharf
64 Orchard Place
London
E14 0JW
Tel: 020 7515 7153
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Try Before You Buy …..
What A Nice Fiver
Culzean Castle Five Pound Note (c) Royal Bank of Scotland plc
The moths are fair flying about from the wallet today. What with the £100 picture of Balmoral Castle featured further up this Bulletin, we now have the more modest £5 note. Featured thereon is a nice line drawing of Culzean Castle. Though this week’s unique holiday treat may take more than just the one of these five pound notes to enjoy. Ballpark £250 to £375 – prices correct as of July 2013. Though keep an eye open for Special Offers: Click Here What a fine castle. What a historic apartment to stay in. What a lovely view.
There is a steady stream of enquiries about buying or living in castles to Unique Property Bulletin. Long before we made the “Try Before You Buy” tail end property a holiday of medium term lease a permanent Bulletin element, we mentioned the “Culzean Castle Experience”.
http://uniquepropertybulletin.co.uk/previous-1/
Culzean Castle (c) 2011 Mr Gordon Brown
The wonderful opportunity to holiday for a while at the Presidential Suite within the castle. Where President Eisenhower resided when visiting Scotland.
You too can visit and stay in this wonderful castle
http://www.culzeanexperience.org/accommodation.asp
There is a lot of inspiration to be had from a few days in the President Eisenhower suite at Culzean Castle. Though please be mindful – if this does prompt you to buy a ruinous castle elsewhere for a few thousand pounds, and we do feature such bargains – please be advised that a LOT of work is required. Not just to restore such monumental buildings, but to keep them fit for purpose.
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The “Try Before You Buy” element should be a firm principle for anyone looking to live in an unusual type of home. From first hand experience we saw a couple very keen on moving to an island, but it wasn’t the ideal home that they had hoped for. An expensive mistake was avoided by trying before buying. So whenever we can we recommend folk try before they buy. What better way than spending a weekend, a couple of weeks or even a couple of months at a unique home to see if it suits. Ideally spend a short while in the middle of summer, then the same in the middle of winter. That way you can see for real, whether your choice is right for you, and your style of life fits in with it.
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Previously on Unique Property Bulletin …
Please Click Here For The Previous Edition