Seaville Farm, Silloth on Solway, Cumbria

Introduction / Location:
Seaville Farm is located only 4 miles from the Victorian Seaside town of Silloth, on the unspoilt Solway Coast which is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The farmhouse commands stunning views across the Solway Firth to the Scottish hills beyond. Walks from the farm lead to the SSSI wildlife site of Border and Skinburness Marsh and onto coastal paths.

This northwest corner of Cumbria sees the majestic fells of the Lake District give way to undulating coastal plain of the Solway Firth. Across the tidal sea estuary, the mountains of Scotland stand proud and on a clear day the skyline is filled with high peaks. All around Seaville Farm lies open farmland with the sandy beaches of Silloth and Allonby a short car journey away. Further afield is the border city of Carlisle with the northern Lake District and Bassenthwaite Lake with Keswick beyond being about 40 minutes' drive to the southeast. Junction 43 of the M6 motorway lies 22 miles to the east.

The nearest primary schools are located at Abbeytown and Silloth, with secondary schools located at Silloth and Wigton.

The sale of Seaville Farm provides an opportunity to purchase an extremely well-presented and appointed property with well-established Letting Units providing a lucrative source of income. The property may also hold further development potential to either extend the farmhouse accommodation, to increase the number of Letting Units or to possibly change use to residential occupation subject to any necessary planning and building regulations consents that may be required.

Summary of Property/Guide Prices

Lot 1 - Guide Price - £1,205,000
Consists of the Grade II Listed, 3 bedroomed farmhouse and range of traditional and modern buildings together with holiday lets and land and woodland extending in total to 20.14 acres (8.15 ha) or thereabouts.

Lot 2 - Guide Price - £72,000
A single field extending to 6.08 acres (2.46 ha) or thereabouts.

Lot 3 - Guide Price - £108,000
A single field extending to 9.36 acres (3.79 ha) or thereabouts.

Lot 4 - Guide Price - £48,000
A single field extending to 4.32 acres (1.75 ha) or thereabouts.

Guide Price as a Whole - £1,433,000

Outside
To the front elevation of the farmhouse is a well-presented lawned area with herbaceous borders.

Services
The property is served by a mains single-phase electricity supply, mains water supply and has septic tank drainage. The vendor has confirmed that the septic tank is of fibreglass design, was installed in 2002 and serves the farmhouse and all of the holiday let units. Please note that no formal investigation has been carried out as to the operation of the septic tank. This may not meet current General Binding Rules 2020 and the property is being sold on this basis.

Council Tax
We understand that Cumberland Council has scheduled the property as lying within Band D.

Business Rates
We understand that the holiday lets are subject to Business Rates, the property reference number is with a Rateable Value (RV) of £11,000. Due to this Ratable Value and the vendors having no other business premises, they received the Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and so no Business Rates are currently payable. On checking the government website, the RV is stated as £11,000 - still qualifying for SBRR.
Prospective purchasers should make their own enquiries and seek their own advice on rateable values prior to making an offer to purchase the property.

Buildings
The farm buildings consist of both modern and traditional agricultural buildings.

Holiday Lets
The 6 holiday lets consist of 5 adjoining units with a sixth separate holiday let (which was formerly a tearoom). The 5 holiday lets are located within a sympathetically converted traditionally constructed former barn and lie to the rear elevation of the main farmhouse in a courtyard.

Lot 1
Lot 1 in total to include the farmyard, access tracks, farmland and woodland extends in total to 20.14 acres (8.15 ha) or thereabouts. The Lot is ring-fenced, benefits from a mains water supply, has roadside frontage from the west and is fenced for cattle and sheep.
Guide Price - £1,205,000

Lot 2
Lot 2 is a single field enclosure and extends in total to 6.08 acres (2.46 ha) or thereabouts and is sown down to permanent pasture. The Lot has roadside frontage, is fenced for cattle and sheep and has a mains water supply.
Guide Price - £72,000

Lot 3
Lot 3 is a single field extending to 9.36 acres (3.79 ha) or thereabouts. It has a shared mains water supply and roadside frontage to the northeast boundary.
Guide Price - £108,000

Lot 4
Lot 4 extends to 4.32 acres (1.75 ha) or thereabouts. The lot has a mains water supply and roadside frontage.
Guide Price - £48,000

General Remarks

Tenure
We understand that the title of the property is freehold. The land will be sold with the benefit of vacant possession.

Exchange of Contracts, Vacant Possession and Completion
The purchaser(s) will be required to pay a 10% deposit of the purchase price on exchange of contracts. Vacant possession will be given on completion.

Ingoings
There are to be no ingoings for any of the Lots.

Listed Building Status
We understand that the farmhouse is a Grade II Listed building dating back to the late 18th or early 19th century. The List Entry Number on the Historic England website is 1289446. The Listing specifically mentions that the lean-to extension (which houses the utility rooms) and the barn adjoining the house (currently used as a garage and housing the laundry room) are of no interest from a Listing point of view. The full Listing can be viewed on the Historic England website by searching under the List Entry Number quoted above.

Holiday Letting Business
The holiday letting business has currently been 'moth balled' and the vendors are not taking bookings for the forthcoming year. Moving forward, this will enable the successful purchaser of the property to manage the letting business to their own specifications either in-house by setting up their own bespoke website or using a holiday letting company.
Historically the current owners let the units through a specialist letting company who organised the bookings and advertised the properties using their own website on behalf of the owners. The contract for this letting agreement has now lapsed so the new owners are not contractually obliged to continue using the existing letting agents.
In the last season of letting each letting unit was let out for a minimum of 3 nights occupation at a rate of £80 per night during high season and £30 per night off season.

Matters of Title
The property is sold subject to all existing burdens (covenants, rights of way, wayleaves, easements, drainage easements, rights of maintenance, ancient monuments, scheduled monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest etc) whether public or private and whether constituted in the title deeds or not. The purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied themselves as to the nature of such burdens and are advised to contact the Vendors Solicitors on any matters arising.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
The farmhouse is listed and therefore does not require an EPC.
Each of the holiday lets has an EPC. A full copy of the EPC can be obtained from the Sole Agents.

To summarise each of the holiday lets have an EPC banding as follows:
The Millers Cottage - Band D
The Swallows Nest - Band C
The Hayloft - Band D
The Granary - Band C
The Coach House - Band D
The Old Tea Room - Band D

Boundary Maintenance
The maintenance liability for the property is shown in the usual manner with inward-facing "T" marks denoting liability. Where no "T" marks exist, the responsibilities are not known.

Purchaser Registration
As part of Government Anti-Money Laundering Regulations relating to the sale of property, we as Sole Agents are obliged to carry out Customer Due Diligence checks on any potential purchaser prior to a transaction being completed. Anyone wishing to offer to purchase the property must provide us with proof of their identity prior to an offer being made.