We are delighted to hear that our auction partner, Clive Emson Auctioneers, had a hugely successful first of auction of the year. The Devon results are now in, with the highlights from the 11th February auction sale shared below.
Seaside flat sells at auction
A top-floor holiday apartment with sea views of the north Devon coast has been snapped up for £40,000.
The two-bedroom flat at Westbeach Holiday Resort, Westward Ho!, Bideford, was among 177 lots listed in the first auction of 2026 by Clive Emson Auctioneers, which is one of the top five property auctioneers in the UK.
Auction Appraiser Steve Appleby said: “The new owner has acquired a modern holiday apartment with sea views in a popular coastal area.
“As well as being a holiday bolthole, it also offers potential for letting income through an option to join a collective rental pool of all the holiday apartments in the development with income split between each.”
The apartment was auctioned with the remainder of a 125-year lease from February 2012.
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Flats spark strong bidding
A property with seven flats in Plymouth city centre sold for more than double its freehold guide price when the auction hammer fell at £396,000.
There were more than 114 separate bids for the Citadel Road building, which was listed with a guide of £150,000 to £175,000.
Auction Appraiser James Lofthouse said: “This property drew considerable attention from bidders before selling well in excess of its guide.
“All of the flats require improvement works although the new owner may also see the potential for some form of alternative residential development, subject to the necessary consents.”
There are a mixture of studio and one bedroom flats – with all but one currently vacant.
In Molesworth Road, in the Stoke area of Plymouth, a commercial investment property sold for £50,000 – exactly on its leasehold guide.
A ground floor shop currently trading as a hairdressers, it is let at £6,000 per annum.
Auction Appraiser Steve Appleby said: “This retail unit delivers an immediate return on investment for its new owner with rental income from its existing tenant.
Properties of this calibre continue to remain in demand both for long-term capital growth and consistent rental income.”
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Flats in demand
A freehold property in Exeter city centre with partial conversion into three flats has sold for nearly half a million pounds at auction.
The building in Pennsylvania Road was listed with a freehold guide price of £385,000 plus but went for £469,000 when the gavel finally fell after 79 separate bids.
Auction appraiser Steve Appleby said: “There was strong bidding which took the final sale price for this property to a figure considerably in excess of its freehold guide.
“Its potential for rental return in a city centre location post completion made it an attractive proposition for bidders.
“The new owner now has the option to complete conversion of the property, or they may have other schemes in mind, subject to the necessary consents.”
A two-bedroom, top floor flat in the centre of Crediton with a leasehold guide of £80,000 plus sold prior to auction.
The refurbished property in the High Street was sold with remainder of a 999-year lease from January 2023.
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House sells at auction
A detached house with four bedrooms in Torquay has gone under the hammer at £151,000. (
Auction appraiser James Lofthouse said: “This property offers its new owner a range of options post works, including resale back onto the market, letting or they may wish to live in the property themselves.”
Clive Emson Auctioneers’ next auction concludes on 26 March, with bidding live from 48 hours beforehand. Lot entries close on 2 March, with the catalogue online from 5 March.
If you have a property in Devon that you'd like to sell quickly, and would like an auction appraisal from the team, get in touch today!