52 Baxters Lane, St Helens, Merseyside

Description

Vacant freehold former funeral parlour on a secured site. Total accommodation extends to approximately 305.8 sq m (3,292 sq ft). Includes on-site car parking and garages. Potential for owner occupation, refurbishment, repositioning or alternative use, subject to consents. The property cannot be used for the purposes of funeral directors, monumental masons or any associated or ancillary trades relating to the provision of funerals. VAT is not applicable.

Accommodation

Total accommodation extending to approximately 305.8 sq m (3,292 sq ft)

Location

St Helens is a large Merseyside town located approximately 11 miles east of Liverpool and 23 miles west of Manchester. The property benefits from access to the A58 and A570, with the M62 motorway nearby. St Helens Central Railway Station is located approximately 1.2 miles from the property with frequent services to Liverpool Lime Street, Wigan North Western and Glasgow Central. The property is situated on the east side of Baxter Lane, adjacent to its junction with Hughes Street. Occupiers close by include Glow Supplies & Power Tools Ltd, Baxter Lane Care Sales and a mixture of industrial and residential units. The property is in a mixed-use industrial/residential location.

Tenure / Property Information

Investment Analysis

The supplied sold comparables are freehold terraced residential properties on Baxters Lane (£102,000–£160,000) and are not sufficiently comparable to this 3,292 sq ft commercial former funeral parlour with parking and garages. No commercial sales, rental evidence, planning evidence, condition report, EPC, or formal GDV estimate is supplied. The £300,000–£320,000 auction guide is therefore not independently supported by the evidence provided, and no reliable market value or maximum bid can be calculated.

Investment Snapshot

Strategy Recommendation

Do not proceed on the supplied evidence alone. Obtain commercial valuation and comparable evidence, confirm planning and permitted-use options, inspect condition, and establish all auction and project costs before bidding.

Works Required

Undertake an inspection-led refurbishment and consider repositioning or an alternative lawful use, subject to planning and other required consents. The evidence does not establish specific defects or required works. Confirm the restriction prohibiting funeral directors, monumental masons and associated or ancillary funeral trades.

Rental & Market Context

Sold Comparables

The following completed sales were identified within approximately 5 miles:

Potential BRRR Position

BRRR cannot be quantified because there is no supported post-refurbishment GDV, rental value, refurbishment budget, planning position or refinance evidence. The restriction on funeral-related uses and the need for consents make the exit and refinance assumptions particularly uncertain.

Buy-to-Let Analysis

A BTL assessment cannot be completed because no sufficiently specific rental comparables or auctioneer rent estimate is supplied. The property is commercial and vacant, and its permitted future use is not established by the evidence.

Flip Analysis

A flip appraisal cannot be supported. The residential terraced sales are not appropriate evidence for the value of this commercial building, while no commercial resale comparables, works budget or selling allowance is supplied.

Investor Risks & Due Diligence

• Residential terraced sold comparables are not directly comparable to the commercial property.

• The property cannot be used for funeral directors, monumental masons or associated or ancillary funeral trades.

• Alternative use or repositioning is expressly subject to consents, which are not evidenced.

• No sufficiently specific rental evidence or passing rent is supplied.

• Condition, refurbishment cost and compliance requirements are not evidenced.

• Additional seller or third-party charges may apply, with no amounts supplied.

• Vacant possession creates no established income stream at acquisition.

Recommendation

Do not proceed on the supplied evidence alone. Obtain commercial valuation and comparable evidence, confirm planning and permitted-use options, inspect condition, and establish all auction and project costs before bidding.

Strategy Rating

Analysis Confidence

The property description and guide are supplied, but there is no usable commercial valuation evidence, rent evidence, condition assessment, planning information, works budget, EPC, or buyer/admin fee detail.