A former Swansea corner shop which had been shut off from the outside world for decades and hadn’t served customers for years sold at auction.
The dilapidated time warp shop and living accommodation, 17 Wern Road, Ystalyfera, Swansea revealed for the first time in years when inspected prior to sale, listed for £26,000 sold for £50,500.
Sean Roper, of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions who sold the property, said: “Although the former shop hadn’t been open for very many years and was in a very poor condition it seems there were a number of people who could spot its potential.
“After some strong bidding from eight individuals and after 95 bids it eventually sold for almost twice the guide price. Included in the price is the contents of the former shop which includes things like some really old cans of food and jars which would have sold in the shop years ago.
“The garden seems as though it is trying to invade downstairs. Plants have come in through broken windows and have taken up residence in the actual bath.
“It really is a place which is lost in time. There are the tattered remains of the last century material curtains and even a really old-fashioned style ladies brolley and mac hanging on a peg as if left there by a previous owner after a shower.
“The property will now require a complete renovation and modernisation. The versatile building would be ideal for a number of uses including retail with live over accommodation or conversion to residential, such as one larger family dwelling, or as two flats, subject to necessary planning consents.
“It’s a real time warp gem which seems to have has quietly faded away over time as the rest of the world rushed ahead on its merry way.”
“Where the property is situated allows ideal access to link roads to the M4 motorway and Swansea and also to the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Black mountains. The local areas are well served with a good range of shops, and local amenities.”
The former corner shop is among almost eighty properties listed by Paul Fosh Auctions in its February online sale which generated a total of £4.4m sales.