A first floor flat in need of complete refurbishment smashed its upper guide price by £40,000 when it went under the hammer.

The property in Oaklands Road, Bedford, was sold earlier this month for £140,000.

Ian Kitson of our Property Auctions department said the guide price of between £90,000 and £100,000 had outperformed expectations; he added that the property market in Bedford and the surrounding villages had made a particularly strong start to 2016.

"There was huge pre-auction interest in this particular lot, including more than 40 viewings and a total of 78 legal packs downloaded in just three weeks.

"We were pleasantly surprised with how well it performed but it demonstrates just how sought after properties of this type are.

"It was an affordable flat in a good part of town, offering potential for a good rental yield.

"The Bedford market appears very strong, with owner/occupiers and investors alike keen to acquire property of all types. Similarly, the town offers much better rental yields than others which attracts investors from locations such as Cambridge and Huntingdon.

"The modifications to buy-to-let rules have created a surge in demand from buyers keen to purchase before April."

Cheffins next Property Auction will be held on Wednesday 22 June at Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge.