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Grade II listed Newport city centre building up for auction

Grade II listed Newport city centre building up for auction

South Wales Argus18 hours ago

The 11,523 sq ft property, located at 7-8 Commercial Road, is being auctioned by Auction House South Wales Newport.
The auction, scheduled to open on Monday, June 23, 2025, at midday and close on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at midday, presents a significant investment or development opportunity.
The building currently generates £11,500 per annum in rental income.
The ground floor is leased by a tenant at £10,000 per annum, while the upper three floors and basement, leased to Sports Retail Ltd, contribute £1,500 per annum to the total income.
According to the estate agent, terms have been agreed for the ground floor to be let at £20,000 per annum to Luxury Leisure, trading as Admiral, for a ten-year term.
The details of this agreement will be available in the legal pack.
The premises, situated on the pedestrianised section of the main high street, are surrounded by a mix of national and local retailers.
Recent developments in the area include the Newport Food Market, Mercure Hotel, and the conversion of the Chartist Tower into residential apartments.
The estate agent suggests that there are several future redevelopment options for the property, subject to contract and planning.
They also note that while Sports Direct holds a lease on the upper floors, they are not currently occupying the space.
This situation could potentially offer an opportunity to negotiate the return of the long lease from the company.
Interested parties are advised to conduct their own measurements of the property, although third party estimates put the ground floor at approximately 2,711 sq ft, the first floor at 4,382 sq ft, and the second floor at 4,430 sq ft.
No measurements are currently available for the third floor.
VAT is payable on the purchase of this property, and further lease details are held within the legal pack.
The property has an EPC rating of C.

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Grade II listed Newport city centre building up for auction
Grade II listed Newport city centre building up for auction

South Wales Argus

time18 hours ago

  • South Wales Argus

Grade II listed Newport city centre building up for auction

The 11,523 sq ft property, located at 7-8 Commercial Road, is being auctioned by Auction House South Wales Newport. The auction, scheduled to open on Monday, June 23, 2025, at midday and close on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at midday, presents a significant investment or development opportunity. The building currently generates £11,500 per annum in rental income. The ground floor is leased by a tenant at £10,000 per annum, while the upper three floors and basement, leased to Sports Retail Ltd, contribute £1,500 per annum to the total income. According to the estate agent, terms have been agreed for the ground floor to be let at £20,000 per annum to Luxury Leisure, trading as Admiral, for a ten-year term. The details of this agreement will be available in the legal pack. The premises, situated on the pedestrianised section of the main high street, are surrounded by a mix of national and local retailers. Recent developments in the area include the Newport Food Market, Mercure Hotel, and the conversion of the Chartist Tower into residential apartments. The estate agent suggests that there are several future redevelopment options for the property, subject to contract and planning. They also note that while Sports Direct holds a lease on the upper floors, they are not currently occupying the space. This situation could potentially offer an opportunity to negotiate the return of the long lease from the company. Interested parties are advised to conduct their own measurements of the property, although third party estimates put the ground floor at approximately 2,711 sq ft, the first floor at 4,382 sq ft, and the second floor at 4,430 sq ft. No measurements are currently available for the third floor. VAT is payable on the purchase of this property, and further lease details are held within the legal pack. The property has an EPC rating of C.

Labour's latest EPC idea would be laughable if it weren't so pernicious
Labour's latest EPC idea would be laughable if it weren't so pernicious

Telegraph

time5 days ago

  • Telegraph

Labour's latest EPC idea would be laughable if it weren't so pernicious

I've said it before and I'll say it again: sometimes I feel I live in an alternative reality. I don't know how this escaped me, given how up to speed I am with all things EPC (I always need some good bedtime reading), but I can only think after my last painful and expensive experience where I tried to achieve a grade 'C' and failed, I switched off. It's the only explanation I can find for how I missed the latest shenanigans when it comes to the EPC proposals for 2030 – they apply to all 'rentals'. We're not just talking about private rentals now. Nope, these plans are so much wider reaching and damaging than I had ever realised, because the proposal is to also include all holiday lets, temporary accommodation such as immigrant housing and social housing. Now, you may not know this, but holiday letting and social housing currently do not have to comply with any EPC regulation, so have been spared the burden while the private sector has had to carry it. Anyway, the good news is that all of these rental sectors are apparently going to be measured by the same metric as the private sector. It's a surprise move given the level of outright discrimination landlords have had to suffer, but I can only surmise Labour wants to spread misery to every corner of the housing market for full impact. It's also the only reason I can think of – apart from money making – for the fines increasing to £30,000 for non-compliance. However, while I welcome the equality, I have no idea if Angela Rayner is secretly planning to bring a load of talented tradespeople over to fill the gaping skills gap. Currently, there's no way all rental properties can be retrofitted to meet the 'C' grade standard by 2030. And anyway, does anybody care to remember that there is still a cost of living crisis going on? I'm not sure where all this extra cash is going to come from. Landlords have been squeezed in recent years and few are likely to have the sort of sums required for upgrades to hand. There are ways to improve your EPC rating, without breaking the bank, but the Government's target is still unrealistic. But this is all before we even get to the heart of the matter, which is the unreliability of the EPC test in itself. This has been proven time and time again to be defective – and yet still they persist. To give just one example, electricity is more expensive and so even though only using electricity to heat your home is better for energy efficiency, the expense means you will get a worse EPC score. Last week Labour unveiled a reformed EPC assessment with more stringent criteria that is more expensive for landlords and could see properties drop a rating. What is it with brick walls and banging your head? The worst thing is, I feel like a fool. I try to be a good landlord. I try to see what I can do to get to an EPC 'C' because even if I don't like all the noise and stuff going on, I know my tenants appreciate upgrades that make properties cheaper to run, particularly given the Government still hasn't got a handle on the utility bills crisis. Such is the level of this eco Shakespearean farce that it's little wonder to learn about the lack of enforcement when it comes to EPC certificates. Since 2020, private landlords have been unable to let a property unless it got an 'E' or was exempt. But – and here's the plot twist: a Freedom of Information request by technology provider Reapit has found only 147 fines were issued between October 2008 and August 2024, and only by Liverpool, Bristol and Newham for non-compliance. Now, before you start getting all excited, I have to remind you – if you don't have a valid EPC, you'll get fined. But more importantly, for anybody thinking of flouting the law, if you don't have a valid EPC certificate at the start of the tenancy, trying to recover possession will be extremely difficult. Providing a tenant with an EPC is a legal requirement, and if landlords have not done this correctly, they will not be able to use a s21. notice to evict a tenant. And that, dear reader, is the madness of the world we live in: the tenant may not be paying rent and may well have destroyed your property, but if you haven't got the right EPC and served it on the right day, you can kiss goodbye to what was once yours.

Landlords face higher EPC bills as Labour's reforms kick in
Landlords face higher EPC bills as Labour's reforms kick in

Telegraph

time15-06-2025

  • Telegraph

Landlords face higher EPC bills as Labour's reforms kick in

Landlords could be forced to fork out hundreds more for energy performance certificates (EPCs) from Sunday as new rules come into force, experts have warned. Under reforms, energy assessors will be expected to use a new data collection system, raising the price of certificates to up to £250 each. The more stringent criteria could also mean that properties could drop an EPC band, experts said, making them impossible to let under rules set out by Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary. Under the new methodology, assessors will be required to inspect the size, frame type and glazing of every window in the house more thoroughly, as well as recording any extractor fans and blocked chimneys. Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) property body, warned that the price of an EPC certificate, which typically costs between £50 and £120, could rise by £20 this summer as a result of the changes. He said: 'It's reasonable to assume that it will take assessors longer to take more precise measurements and input more specific data, so price rises are inevitable.' However, Sean Horton, of mortgage adviser Respect Mortgages, said the more intensive assessments could increase the price of certificates 'to £150-£250 easily'. He added: 'The window measurements alone are crackers. Instead of just noting 'typical double glazing,' assessors now need to measure each window individually, record orientations, frame types, glazing gaps, ages, draught proofing – the lot. 'That's going to make each assessment much longer, with the cost passed on to the landlord.' From 2030, all rental homes must have an EPC score of at least C, while landlords accepting new tenants will be expected to achieve the required standard by 2028. The plans are championed by Mr Miliband, who said it was a 'Tory scandal' that Britain's poorest households were living in 'cold, draughty homes', adding that 'many rent from private landlords, below decent standards'. But Anna Moore, of retrofit company, Domna, warned that the new system would likely result in many homes dropping an EPC band. She said: 'In particular, the model changes how electric heating systems are scored, intended to solve the problem of people installing heat pumps and then seeing their EPC go down. 'The new model also lowers the 'default assumptions' on carbon emissions in traditionally heated homes, so many properties will see their EPC drop. 'For example, a 1960s 90m² home, with empty cavity walls, might drop five points from EPC D to EPC E.' Labour is due to replace the beleaguered EPC system entirely with the much-anticipated Home Energy Model, following years of consultation. Among other changes, the reforms are expected to favour homes with the 'capacity to integrate with smart technology', which some fear will penalise homeowners who refuse a smart meter. Mr Norris, of the NRLA, said: 'When the Home Energy Model launches, the increases could be significantly more, depending on the outcome of the expected consultation into their methodology. 'While it is difficult to predict, it would not be unreasonable to expect that prices could double.' Kundan Bhaduri, of the Kushman Group real estate firm, said: 'For portfolio landlords, this is death by a thousand clipboard checks. 'Costs will rise sharply, and worse still, homes that previously scraped a C rating could now drop to a D, dragging us into yet another regulatory penalty zone. And this is just the warm-up act before the even more chaotic Home Energy Model arrives.' Many landlords are expected to sell up ahead of the changes, while others will be forced to spend thousands of pounds insulating properties or installing heat pumps to meet the required grade. Labour has floated a spending cap of £15,000 per property, and on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed £13.2bn worth of funding for insulation upgrades. However, there are fears the cost of green improvements will ultimately be passed on to tenants in the form of higher rents. Research by Swedish bank, Handelsbanken, revealed 92pc of UK-based landlords believe tenants would pay more for greener homes. Tom Darling, of campaign group Generation Rent, urged the Government to impose rent caps on landlords who accept grants for eco upgrades. He said: 'With so many renters in fuel poverty, it's vital the Government is trying to make homes easier and cheaper to heat through higher energy efficiency standards. 'However, these plans must take place alongside amendments to the Renters' Rights Bill to protect renters from eviction and rent rises where public money has been used to improve a property. These grants aren't there for landlords to turn a dime off of.' A government spokesman said: 'Everyone deserves to live in a warm, comfortable home. We're investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade five million homes over this Parliament, cutting energy bills for good through new insulation, solar panels and heat pumps. 'These long-planned changes make EPC assessments more thorough, giving people a clearer picture of how energy efficient their home is.'

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