Walsall workhouse offices sold for more than double the guide price at auction

The £236,000 paid for the Victorian Grade II-listed former Board Of Guardians Offices at 100 Pleck Road was part of more than £19.6 million raised in sale prices at the livestreamed event on Thursday, December 14.

The building, which had a £99,000 guide price, has been empty for some years but still retains many features, including glazed tile dados, panelled doors, stained glass and a first-floor board room with a moulded plaster panelled coved ceiling.

Gurpreet Bassi, chief executive of Bond Wolfe, said: “It’s rather fitting that this building, which could easily have featured in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, has fetched such an impressive price in the run up to Christmas.”

Bond Wolfe saw 130 lots sold out of 146 offered at the auction.

The enthusiasm of bidders was reflected in the 515,000 website pages views before the auction, with 116,201 video tours watched and 21,892 legal documents downloaded.

Mr Bassi added: “Festive jollities aside, the keen appetite for property was reflected in the strong competition we experienced throughout the auction with many healthy prices achieved.

“In spite of prevailing economic circumstances, our auctions consistently surpass the industry standard, delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients nationwide.”

Other highlights at the auction saw a three-storey, locally listed building that has stood at 2 Bearwood Road in Smethwick for 120 years successfully sold for £450,000 on behalf of Sandwell Council.

This large property has numerous rooms on all floors and has the potential for change of use from offices to education facilities, a health facility or residential use subject to planning permission, although conditions expressly exclude any use as a house of multiple occupation.

Two three-bedroomed terraced houses on the same street were sold on behalf of Wolverhampton City Council at 85 and 95 Joeys Lane raising healthy sales prices of £181,000 and £242,000 from guide prices of £128,000 and £155,000 respectively.

Another lot that sold well for Wolverhampton City Council was a four-bedroomed, semi-detached house at 7 Kingsland Road, which raised £182,500 from a guide price of £114,000.

A substantial detached period property which has been converted into 25 accommodation units called Aven House on Birchills Street in Walsall, which had a guide price of £460,000 was sold prior to auction for £550,000

Bond Wolfe’s next livestreamed auction starts at 9am on Thursday, February 8.