A mixed catalogue of farmland, building plots and renovation projects created great interest from both home and abroad at Symonds & Sampson’s latest property auction held in Sherborne.

Auctioneer Mark Lewis said “We were inundated with viewings and enquiries for all of the lots and the profile of the interested people was quite varied. We talked to a lot of developers who were looking to improve the buildings and then sell them on which proves that there is a long term confidence in property. Most calls, however, were from buyers just looking to improve the dwellings and stay in Dorset.

There was renewed confidence in agricultural land with 113 acres of meadow land adjoining the meandering river Stour at Sturminster Marshall selling well at £565,000. Considering that the land floods this was a fair price.

Amenity land is also highly sought after with an acre of land close to the centre of Marnhull proving very popular and attracting bidders from Hertfordshire and Berkshire. Guided at £18,000 the hammer fell at £36,000 to a couple from the village.

A building plot in the centre of Yetminster was sold for the Boyles Educational Trust. Robert Boyle, 1627-1691 was ‘one of the founders of modern chemistry’ and his father left him the manor of Stalbridge where he conducted many of the experiments. The Trust was set up in 1955 and funds are used for the benefit of local people continuing their studies/ vocational training at college or university. Planning permission had been gained in Boyle’s yard for a dwelling and the selling price, from a guide of £100,000, was £112,000.

Cosmore bungalow at Middlemarsh is a large property set in about an acre of land. It needs updating and improvement but will be a very good project and sold for £312,000.

Most of the fun was reserved for Droop Cottage near Hazelbury Bryan which had been in the same family for over 80 years and we wonder whether this was the first time the property had been exposed to the open market. We showed over 70 people around and 12 people downloaded the legal packs form our website. Some thought they would extend and renovate others decided that a new building was required but with an orchard adjoining and set in just over an acre it certainly drew people from London and Guernsey. Our furthest interest came from Kuala Lumpur however and by the time we managed to get telephone contact the bidding had risen from the guide of £225,000 to £275,000. I was calling the bidding three times when the person in Malaysia started bidding and this pushed the price up to £342,000 with the hammer falling to the local couple who were present in the sale room. There were 47 bids recorded.

It was a very strong end to an exciting campaign and Symonds & Sampson will be holding three further sales in June and July.  Entries are now being taken for the 23rd September auction.