Acuitus has released its largest auction catalogue of the year, with 71 commercial property lots set to go under the hammer in October. The sale features a broad mix of asset types across the UK, ranging from leisure and retail to office and industrial investments.
Among the headline lots, a substantial pub with a garden in Royal Tunbridge Wells is being offered by a major UK fund with a guide price of £2.4m. The property is let to Marston’s Estates until 2054, with rent reviews every five years linked to the Retail Price Index, subject to a 1% collar and 4% cap.
“Leisure assets, including a wide range of places to eat and drink, are becoming increasingly popular with investors owing to their ability to provide long-term income with possible future asset management potential,” said Jon Skerry of Acuitus. “We expect there to be strong interest in this well-located, well-let asset.”
Nearby in Royal Tunbridge Wells, the same fund is offering the freehold of the Pembury petrol filling station and convenience store. The lot has a guide price of £2.55m and generates an annual income of £165,611.
Mixed-use and regional opportunities
In Leicester, 30–32 Granby Street is being sold on behalf of the receivers. The property comprises a ground floor and basement let to a coffee shop and restaurant, with 27 fully let flats above, producing a total annual income of £310,260. It carries a guide price of £2.25m.
In Bedford, an entire 26,235 sq ft freehold industrial estate on Harrowden Road is being offered with a guide price of £2.1m–£2.2m. The site spans 1.7 acres, with a low site coverage of 32% and includes an undeveloped parcel of land.
Office investments also feature prominently. Southern House, near Winchester, is a 35,875 sq ft freehold property mainly occupied by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS and South Central Ambulance Service. It produces an annual income of £410,646 and has a guide price of £1.95m.
Investor confidence returns to office market
Units 7–8 at Quartz Point Business Park in Birmingham, a Grade A office building fully let to Lely Atlantic until 2030, are guided at £1.05m–£1.1m. The property generates an annual rent of £132,870 and is located a mile from the new HS2 Birmingham International Railway Station.
“There is improving investor sentiment towards the opportunities provided by strategically located office assets let at sustainable rents, and this property is firmly in that category,” said John Mehtab of Acuitus.
In central London, assets continue to draw strong buyer interest. The sale includes 318 Chiswick High Road, a freehold retail and residential investment producing an annual income of £110,280 and guided at £1.5m.
“The diversity, quality and scale of the lots which this sale features are testament to the fact that sellers are increasingly seeing our auctions as the most effective mode of selling to achieve best value,” said Richard Auterac, chairman of Acuitus. “We expect this trend to continue into the year-end as the growing number of sellers tap into increasing investor demand.”
