ROYAL WATERFRONT: The Prince Consort building, formerly known as the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and behind a curved wall, overlooks the Solent from Ryde on the Isle of Wight and has a guide price of £400,000-plus (lot 47). It is among 147 lots listed in the March auction of Clive Emson Auctioneers, the firm’s second of eight in England this year.

 Clive Emson Auctioneers has 147 lots listed in the firm’s March auction, the second of eight in England this year.

James Emson, Managing Director, said: “Our spring catalogue includes 57 vacant residential properties, 37 investment buildings and 25 commercial ones; we anticipate keen interest from investors, developers and house buyers.”

One of the highlights, with a strong link to royalty, is a four-storey waterfront building at Ryde on the Isle of Wight, overlooking the Solent.

The property, with a guide price of £400,000-plus, was completed in 1847, with the foundation stone having been laid by Prince Albert in the spring of the previous year.

James said: “Unable to enter the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, which was a male-only establishment, Queen Victoria, far from amused, effectively set up the Royal Victoria Yacht Club as a rival.”

The yacht club was based in the building until 1966, after which it has had a varied history, having initially traded as a restaurant.

In more recent years, the upper two floors have been converted into apartments with wonderful views. The lower two floors were last in use as a call centre but have lain vacant for some years.

The freehold of the building is now offered for sale with scope and potential to bring the lower two floors back into meaningful use.

Previous, though now lapsed, planning permissions were achieved in 2016 for conversion of the ground floors with both residential and commercial options and usage.

Another highlight is The Lighthouse Inn on the Old Dover Road, Capel-le-Ferne, Folkestone, Kent, which has uninterrupted sea views and is on a plot extending to around 0.33 ha (0.81 acres), with a guide price of £600,000-plus (lot 12).

James said: “The building requires improvement and may be suitable for conversion into flats, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable. Equally, the entire site may be suitable for re-development, with houses or blocks of flats taking advantage of the uninterrupted sea views, again subject to planning permission.”

Video: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/12/

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Three properties in Kent are guided at £1m and over.

Let at £155,000 pa, a 23-bedroom HMO in Faversham is guided at £1.3m-plus (lot 108).

Also in Faversham, land with planning permission for 30 flats, two bungalows and commercial space has a guide price of £1m-plus (lot 114).

Generating £144,000 pa in rent, a detached house in Gravesend with 15 letting units has a guide price of £1.1m - £1.2m (lot 112).

Guided at £400,000 - £425,000, a ground floor commercial investment with a flat above, in need of modernisation and improvement, a former coach house with potential, and two three-storey cottages in need of finishing, is located at the rear of the High Street, Maldon, Essex. The commercial unit is let at £8,000 pa (lot 10).

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In Lewes, East Sussex, a mid-terrace period cottage over three floors, chalked “for improvement throughout”, has a guide price of £150,000 - £160,000 (lot 33). Video: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/33/#

A town centre office building in Alton, East Hampshire, is guided at £450,000-plus and previously served as office accommodation for the local authority including partial use as a tourist information centre;  residential conversion is considered a possibility (lot 75).

Video:  https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/75/

In Fareham, near Portsmouth, a house and former car sales site with consent for housing is guided at £950,000-plus (lot 55).

Cornwall Council has instructed the disposal of former public toilets on the seafront at Penzance.

With picturesque views towards St Michael's Mount and Mount's Bay, the property is guided at £20,000-plus (lot 76).

Video: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/76/

Clive Emson Auctioneers has also been instructed to sell land at Lostock Hall, Preston, Lancashire; guide price £20,000 - £25,000 (lot 43).

In Cambridgeshire, in the Fenland village of Upwell near Wisbech, a cottage requiring renovation is guided at £135,000 - £145,000 (lot 58).

Video: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/58/

The auction ends on Wednesday, 20 March; bidding opens 48 hours beforehand.