Roomy two-bed house on sale for £70,000 - but there's a small catch

06 January 2024 , 11:00

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The house looks normal from the outside (Image: bettermove.co.uk)

This spacious two-bedroom Lake District left prospective homeowners baffled when it hit the market for just £70,000.

UK house prices rose for a third consecutive month in December, according to Halifax. The bank said that the average price of a UK home was £287,105. So, when bargain deal goes on the market, house hunters need to snap them up quickly.

A terraced house in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, looked to be a steal for an asking price in excess of £70,000 and the chance to recoup cash through rent payments - but there is a catch. The property, which was spotted on Rightmove last year - was dubbed as an "exciting investment opportunity". But, it came with junk which almost reaches the ceiling.

The freehold property's master bedroom had an overflowing chest of drawers and the second bedroom was piled high with drawers and boxes. Its kitchen had food squeezed next to containers and utensils that littered the counter tops and the bath even had an upside-down Pot Noodle tub on its edge.

Shocking images on its Rightmove listing showed tenants had piled the so-called "spacious" rooms chest-high with clutter. The entire living room floor appeared to be covered with household items while a sea of bags, bedding and containers engulf the dining room.

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The Rightmove listing shows the tenants have piled the so-called 'spacious' rooms chest-high with clutter (Kennedy News/Bettermove/Rightmove)

House hunters rushed to social media after being stunned when they stumbled across the listing. People questioned estate agent Bettermove's promising summary of the property.

One individual described it as being like "buying a personal nightmare" while others mocked how the listing makes no reference to the ransacked rooms, instead claiming the deal is 'not to be missed'.

A 'nightmare' house is being sold as an 'exciting investment opportunity' (Kennedy News/Bettermove/Rightmove)

One social media poster jibed "at least they tidied up for the photos". Another commented: "So they're expecting someone to buy it with those tenants still in there. It's like buying a personal nightmare."

Another joked: "I like the way the description makes not even an oblique mention of the state of it." A third added: "There could be any number of nasty surprises hiding behind that stuff!"

The two-bed terraced house in Cumbria looks a steal for an asking price in excess of £70,000 but comes with a catch (Kennedy News/Bettermove/Rightmove)

One user disagreed and said: "If they pay on time regularly, it's unlikely they will move out in a hurry so it could be a fairly consistent rental income."

A Bettermove employee said at the time: "We sell properties to investors so they can be quite run down and need a lot doing to them, so it's not an usual thing. It'd suit investors that are looking to expand their portfolio."

They confirmed an unnamed rental management company were responsible for the tenants. The property is no longer listed on Rightmove or Bettermove.

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Adam Wareing