A plot of land in Goudhurst home to a ‘manky old shed’ attracted the attention of national media when it went on the market for £895,000.
The Sun on Sunday reported this week that a ‘ramshackle old farm shed’ was on sale for nearly £1m, although the two acres of land surrounding it has planning permission for a six-bedroom house designed by ‘top architect’ Sir Terry Farrell and worth £2.5m.
It is one of two similar sites in the village offered by Weald Property, the other a five-acre plot, complete with pump house and planning permission for a three-storey ‘architecturally significant’ ecohouse, on sale for £995,000.
The Sun on Sunday quoted ‘a neighbour’ as saying: “It’s a fair whack for a manky old shed. But the views are spectacular.
“It looks like it could blow down in a strong breeze.”
But Weald Property described the site as: “A rare building plot of approx. 2.1 acres in North Road, Goudhurst, in the heart of the village with planning consent to build a stunning architecturally significant six-bedroom new build with the finest views in Goudhurst looking down the Tiese valley, designed by Sir Terry Farrell.
“Very rare consent granted for a building of outstanding architectural merit.”
The news came as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said property prices increased at an accelerated pace in the southeast in July, and a shortage of housing coming on to the market could ensure this did not change.
Anna Midcalf, senior sales negotiator at Bracketts, said the findings reflected the estate agent’s observations in Tunbridge Wells.
She said: “We have been experiencing limited stock for a long time which has certainly contributed to prices rising, particularly in the middle market sector where properties are often chased by more than one buyer.
“More recently there has been a slowing of demand and interest for properties in the higher price ranges – over £1m – reflected by asking prices being reduced and a slower demand in this sector.
“We expect property prices to continue to rise as there is no imminent solution to the lack of stock available but buyers are astute and uncomfortable with paying top-heavy prices.”
