Although in need of modernisation, this 1 Bedroom First Floor Flat offers at low cost, an ideal opportunity to start a rental portfolio, or for first time buyers looking to get on the housing ladder in this present market.
It has its own front door, offers good sized accommodation and with such a big car park, you can park your car almost right outside.
The flat itself is self-contained, enjoying its own street door opening to a Hallway that has doors into each of the four rooms: these comprising a quiet rear Lounge, front Kitchen, large rear Double Bedroom, and the Bathroom.
Two big built-in cupboards in the Hall provide great storage, all the internal doors are new, there's a new fuse box (consumer unit) , full Gas Central Heating via radiators and a modern boiler, plus the windows are double glazed too.
Out and across the main road, a public footpath takes you out into the countryside around White Post Farm on Noak Hill Road and you're just a 5 minute walk from the Grange Road Parade of shops for your daily essentials.
Billericay High Street with its central Waitrose Store is exactly a mile away up 'Bell Hill', with buses a-plenty in the area, taking you to the Station and surrounding towns too.
We understand the Lease has 90 years left to run and the Service Charge is fairly low at £700 per annum. We have asked the owners to make enquiries as to the cost of extending the Lease if desired.
FYI, for the Investors amongst you, you may be interested to know the last two flats in Selworthy have rented out for £900pcm.
The Accommodation
UPVC entrance door through to:
HALL 9ft 3' x 2ft 10' (2.8m x 0.86m)
The first thing you'll notice is the lack of floor coverings. The old ones have been taken up to enable an immediate start to easy redecoration.
You'll also see that all the internal doors are brand new and come with sturdy hinges. We thought upgrading the door handles will top them off nicely.
At the end on the right is a built-in cupboard. Previously the airing cupboard, but with the tank now removed, it provides a useful storage facility.
LOBBY 2ft 10' x 2ft 6' (0.86m x 0.8m)
A door from the Hall leads through into an Inner Lobby, with a door ahead opening to reveal a large walk-in under stairs cupboard, and a doorway to the right leading in to the Lounge.
WALK-IN CUPBOARD 4ft x 2ft 10' (1.2m x 0.86m)
With a handy light and if the Lounge were used as a bedroom, it could, of course be shelved out and used as the wardrobe. We also wondered whether it could be completely removed to open up the Lounge even more.
LOUNGE 13ft 5' x 10ft 1' (4.1m x 3.1m)
It is important to note that the main areas of the Lounge and Bedroom are essentially the same size. Therefore, these two rooms could be used interchangeably.
An unusual feature of the rear windows in the Lounge and Bedroom is that they are 'Tilt and Turn' windows. This allows the option of tilting it back from the top, or for the window to be completely opened, almost like a door, allowing maximum opening space for an emergency exit, but also of course perfect for very hot summer days.
Another unusual quirk of this room is the set of three built-in drawers built in to the wall. These course could be removed in favour of having it as a simple storage cupboard that would measure 3ft 6' deep x 2ft 10 wide x 3ft high (1.1m x 0.86m x 0.9m)
KITCHEN 7ft 9' x 7ft (2.4m x 2.1m)
Fitted with a small range of kitchen units with modern 'White Gloss' doors and drawer fronts.
(The middle drawer upon inspection, looks like it could be easily repaired and a good clean of the kitchen will probably go surprisingly far. Taking off the old 1980s tiles and skimming over those walls and repainting could potentially bring it to a rentable standard for fairly little money).
First time buyers/Owner occupiers will, of course probably want to refit the kitchen, which would be a fairly straightforward affair.
There's a modern wall mounted Vaillant ecoTEC pro30 Combination Gas boiler serving the Gas Central Heating via radiators and the hot water, and the front facing window provides plenty of working light.
Inside one of the wall cupboard is a new 'fuse box' (electrical consumer unit), installed last year. As the property is an Ex-Rental, it also has a current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR report).
BEDROOM 16ft 1' into the built-in wardrobe, narrowing to 13ft 4' x 10ft 8' (4.9m > 4.1m x 3.25m)
As mentioned, this could be used interchangeably as the Lounge.
Here we see the same tilt and turn fully opening window, and the wardrobe recess has a double power socket and a TV aerial indicating prior use as a location for the TV.
We have seen other identical flats with this recess still having the original built-in wardrobe, and others who have removed the timber threshold and used it in conjunction with some of the main room area as a part recessed Dining Area.
BATHROOM 6ft 10' x 6ft (2.1m x 1.8m)
The light blue tiles are dated, but do appear to be surprisingly intact, and the suite is modern and so potentially could clean up.
Replacing the basin taps, a good clean, painting the pipework and areas on the walls where previous tiles have been removed and a new floor covering, could bring it to a rentable standard.
Again, for owner occupiers, a complete refit would be the order of the day. It's a good size bathroom too, so would look great with a whole new suite and tiling plus there's a high level window for natural light.
EXTERIOR
The development has communal gardens and a really big Car Park, so there's always enough parking for all.
LEASE
The Lease is 125 years from the 9th May 1983. So 86 years remain on the lease. On the plus side, the Ground Rent is only £10 per year, and as the Freeholder is Basildon Council, one would expect the Lease extension cost to not be inflated and according to three online Leasehold extension calculators, extending the lease based on the low ground rent may only cost a few thousand pounds plus costs.
SERVICE CHARGE
The Owner advises us they pay £64.32 per month.
GROUND RENT
£10 per year.
Council Tax
Basildon Council, Band B
Lease Length
85 Years
Notice
Please note we have not tested any apparatus, fixtures, fittings, or services. Interested parties must undertake their own investigation into the working order of these items. All measurements are approximate and photographs provided for guidance only.
Great Burstead as a village dates back at least to AD500, when it was settled by Saxons, from Lower Saxony, nowadays better known as Germany. It was first recorded, about 975, as 'Burgestede' meaning 'stronghold-site'.
The adjacent village of South Green was first recorded as 'Southwood Greene' in 1593, becoming the more recognised South Green in 1777.
GREAT BURSTEAD
The centrepiece of Great Burstead is the Conservation area, centred around the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Church Street and a trio of listed buildings, one of which I had the pleasure of selling about ten years ago - a beautiful16th-17th century timber framed house.
The Grade 1 listed Norman church dates back to the 12th century and was the original parish church for the whole of the area, in those days encompassing Billericay too.
Great Burstead has a great local pub on the corner of Mill Road and Southend Road, which serves great food.
The King's Head Pub dates back to 1750 when it was known as the White Horse and interestingly travellers to and from Rochford and Brentwood would stop here before passing through the toll-gate which I think stood adjacent.
The 'Outstanding' St Peter's Catholic Primary School on Coxes Farm Road is almost opposite the pub and at school run times you'll often see the Lollipop Man/Lady on duty, guiding the children across the road in front of the pub.
Along Kennel Lane are the popular small housing estates of Coopers Croft and Froden Brook. Pretty developments built in the early 1990's by Countryside Homes, on the site of the Balls Plastics factory.
The old brook itself is still there, running underground but surfaces as a culvert in the lower part of Church Street.
Opposite the developments, on the other side of Kennel Lane, is a 1.25 acre, 12ft plus deep (in places) reed fringed Fishing Lake with a good mix of different fish.
As a local agent, I associate the whole of Church Street, Mill Road, Kennel Lane and some of the roads off these as Great Burstead. A few other pockets fall into the area (part of Southend Road, Coxes Farm Road and Grange Road, etc), with the rest coming under South Green.
SOUTH GREEN
Towards the top of Bell Hill, Gatwick House, a Grade II listed building from 1767, now secluded from the road by trees, presides over the area which heads down towards the village green on the right.
A great parade of shops on Grange Road overlook the ancient 'Green' (originally much bigger) and together they form the heart of the area.
The shops include a Tesco Express Supermarket, Post Office, Chemist, Greengrocer and a pretty good fish and chip shop.
The local South Green Infants & Junior Schools both have 'Good' OFSTED Reports and the area falls within catchment for Billericay Secondary School, also benefiting from a 'Good' OFSTED rating.
Built in 1956 the local village hall serves the community well and on the opposite side of the road a bit further up, 'Main Road Garage' provides petrol and the usual garage services.
The bulk of the residential development has been London Borough estates, built in the 1950's and 1960's to cater for London overspill. That said, there is a number of old properties in the area, particularly around the Green, providing character appeal.
Finally, public transport. There are bus stops a-plenty in the area taking you to Billericay High Street and Mainline Railway Station in minutes and the surrounding towns in little more.
In 1997 legislation was passed resulting in the two parishes coming under the Billericay area of the Basildon District Council.
Tim Kirkman
