Three derelict homes have gone on the market and could be bought for a few pounds. The dilapidated former tin miners cottages near the village of Machen in South Wales go on auction on July 25.
They are in such appalling condition that a potential buyer will need to complete extensive near total repairs before they can be inhabited. The three-floor 'Wesley Buildings' have no initial expected bid.
Pictures of the properties show their decimated interiors, missing windows and doors, and extensive undergrowth that has taken over parts of the homes. Gemma Vaughan, of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions, says they were rebuilt during the 1980s by a carpenter who transformed the cottages into a huge single property.
She said: "It has an interesting history. The vendor advised me that he bought the cottages back in 1979 when he arrived back from Saudi Arabia as a carpenter.
"He bought the property, his old family home, as he saw that it was up for sale. His great grandfather and mother were born there.
''His great-grandfather worked in the tin mine in Machen. The cottages are now in an extremely dilapidated condition, but could well present a blank canvas to a developer, subject to planning and the removal of a vast amount of undergrowth.
"This property most certainly presents a challenge, but listed with a nil reserve, it means that a single bid of just £100 could secure the lot - as long as there are no other bidders. These cottages will be sold for whatever bidders want to pay with the highest bid, whatever that is, winning the lot."
The Wesley Buildings are situated in between Newport and Cardiff in the Caerphilly Borough, within the historic boundaries of old Monmouthshire. The homes are 'as basic as they come', and are not even connected to basic utilities like water.
Bidders can make an offer online at Paul Fosh Auctions digital sale, starting from noon on Tuesday, July 25, and ending at 5pm on Thursday, July 27.
