5 Of The Most Unusual Things Found By Property Auctioneers
The wonderful world of auctions sees all manner of properties head under the hammer. In fact, in the nine years that Auction House West Yorkshire has been established, we’ve sold lots consisting of everything from single parking spaces all the way to two-hundred-year-old Gothic Churches.
Auction House West Yorkshire valuers visit hundreds of properties each year, some of which haven’t been lived in for decades, meaning they never know what they’re going to find behind closed doors.
With this in mind, here are 5 of some of the weird and wonderful things that our auctioneers have found in their years of experience.
A Live Fox
“The property was locked and secure on my arrival however I heard a scratching sound coming from upstairs and went up to investigate. As I reached the top a fox shot past and flew out of the cat flap!” – James Pank (Auctioneer)
A Life Size Elvis
“I was inspecting an occupied property but had been told that all tenants were out at work. The last room I looked in was the bedroom and when I turned the light on I nearly jumped out of my skin. There in the middle of the room was a 6 foot tall 3d model of Elvis Presley!” – James Pank (Auctioneer)
A Turtle In The Bath
“At one property I visited the owner was an avid animal lover. Lizards in the lounge, cats and dogs in every corner. When I went to take photos of each room I had to stop and investigate why the bath was full of water. Peering over the bath I found two live swimming turtles! A first for me.” – Chris Jackson (Auction Valuer)
Mint Condition War Time Newspapers
“I was in Hyde Park in a house that had not been decorated since the 1950s. Some of the old vinyl flooring was missing in the kitchen and underneath were some war time newspapers. Having provided some much need insulation for the owners over the years, they were still in mint condition and a fascinating read. What struck me was how upbeat the stories were and how many rude cartoons had been thrown in to keep morale up.” – Chris Jackson (Auction Valuer)
A Home Made Model Railway Museum
I was on a routine auction valuation in a 3 bed semi-detached property. Downstairs was exactly how you would expect a house of this nature to look however the upstairs was nothing of the sort. The owner has knocked through every bedroom creating a circular miniature railway that passed through every room on the first floor! – James Pank (Auctioneer)
