Today, Wednesday 13th March 2024 we spotted a huge property for sale by auction in Kent.

Sadly, this building has seen better days. We are hoping someone with imagination, initiative and a fair wedge of cash may well end up having an adventure rebuilding this structure to its former self. We hope for that. Though some cold-hearted heathen may just bulldoze the entire site and build 500 very small, overpriced boxes on this land. Please can someone with a bit of soul buy this place and restore it to a first-rate local amenity.

We have found that local planning authorities can be supportive to granting permission for a couple of modest newbuild unique properties in the grounds of sites such as this, to help pay for all the building work. This former Lighthouse Inn certainly has ample spare land and we have a Rolodex phone number diary full of folk wanting to buy suitable parcels of land upon which to build a modest unique home.

Full address: The Lighthouse Inn, 111 Old Dover Road, Capel-le-Ferne, Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7HT. The earlier (much better condition of the building) guide from Fleuretts estate agents was £500,000. The current guide from Clive Emson looks about right at £600,000.

Setting the guide aside, our own valuation would we would range between £380,000 to £695,000.

Here is a very helpful link with plenty of photos and history: http://www.dover-kent.com/Lighthouse-Capel.html

You can have a “virtual” wander around the area here: https://tinyurl.com/Lighthouse-Inn-Streetview-3D

Auction contact:: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/248/12/

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, but for the 37 years of Unique Property Bulletin, each year, a small group of between 20 and 40 of us bung in some funds and buy something like this. Can, no mortgage. Then spend a year or two renovating it. The last one was Noss Head Lighthouse Station and hotel. The Boss is writing an article on that project with plenty of “before” and “after” photos. It really is a delight to see these places come back to life.