A ONE-bedroom seaside cottage – just over five times the size of an average garden shed – is set to be sold after going on the market for £500,000.
The tiny 300sqft former harbourmaster’s hut in Rozel was put up for sale for the first time in 70 years, and quickly caught the eye of potential buyers despite the housing and cost-of-living crises.
And with a sale value equating to £1,666 per square foot, the property’s precious floor space is twice the price of that of the flats in the luxury Waterfront Horizon development, where a square foot would set you back a mere £800.
The property, which comes complete with a roof terrace offering views to the Ecréhous, is now under offer with Broadlands estate agents.
If it fetches its asking price, the cottage will be worth three times that of a standard home in the north-east of England, where the average property is worth £166,000.
Broadlands managing director Roger Trower said there had been genuine interest in the property, adding: “You can’t compare it with anything else.” He explained that ascribing a value to such a unique property was difficult because it might depend on whether prospective buyers had links to the area, such as a boat in the harbour or, perhaps, a cottage on the Ecréhous.
“It comes down to what someone wants with it because a property like this does not come up very often.”
The stone-built cottage – which has been extended to take in an adjoining garage – comprises an open-plan living area with space for seating and a double bed, a kitchen and dining area, and a bathroom with bath and overhead shower.
Described as “very quaint”, the cottage has been used as self-catering accommodation for up to two adults.
A survey published last year by TwentyEA – which provides data to estate agents and other residential property market professionals – found that average prices per square foot of property in England ranged from £170 in the north-east to £724 in central London.
Currently, a three-bedroom apartment with garage in Poole of just under 1,000 square feet – described by an estate agent as “a convenient coastal retreat ready for a new owner to put their stamp on” – is being marketed at the same price as the Rozel cottage.
Statistics Jersey’s latest House Price Index report for the first three months of the year would also put the £500,000 price at £10,000 below the average for a two-bedroom Jersey flat.
