WHO lives in a house like this – two large reception rooms, five spacious bedrooms with a central location and off-street parking?
Well you could have this for £40 a week if you take on the role of a property guardian at the Holy Trinity Vicarage on Palmyra Square.
Ad Hoc Property Management find tenants to live in abandoned buildings that developers are struggling to sell and they have just put the £650,000 property on the market for tenants.
Nick Hilton, from Ad Hoc, said: “We help people with problem buildings.
“When you leave a building alone long enough you get anti-social behaviour and squatting. It is a wasted resource in the town centre.
“We have a dozen other vicarages across the north west. This is our most beautiful by far.”
Instead of paying for expensive security services building owners can pay a small fee to the company to rent it out to tenants to stop vandalism and squatting in the buildings.
As an extra sweetener for potential residents the building owners pay for the utility bills so the rent is all you pay.
The idea is a non-tenancy scheme, which means that anyone moving in doesn’t have to sign up for a minimum term of rent.
But what happens if the building is suddenly sold?
“Officially we give a two-week notice,” added Mr Hilton.
“But in this world of property nothing moves quickly. We take on buildings that are empty for the longer term.”
With the vicarage laying empty for a number of months potential renters may be put off by the worn furnishings.
Yet residents can make cosmetic changes to the property such as painting walls in neutral colours, putting up new curtains and even fitting new carpets to give it a homely feel.
This is the first such property guardian scheme in Warrington, but they have proved very popular across the country.
Mr Hilton said: “The whole idea originated in Holland and some of those properties we have had over 15 years, We take on offices, residential homes and churches.”
All potential tenants are first vetted and must be over 21 and working.
The property offers communal living so with just one bathroom it might be a rush in the mornings.
David Shing was the first potential tenant to get a look at the vicarage.
He said: “I found out about the service on the internet. It appealed to me because it’s cheap and in the town centre.”
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