Bidding Frenzy as Former St Austell School Sells for Over Five Times Guide Price

A fire-damaged former school in St Austell has sold for £262,000, soaring well beyond its £50,000–£70,000 guide price at auction following an intense bidding war.

Fierce Competition for Carclaze Infants School

The former Carclaze Infants School, located on Carclaze Road, was placed for sale by Cornwall Council in the first auction of 2025 by Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers, one of the UK’s top five property auction houses.

With 76 separate bids, the auction saw fierce competition before the gavel fell at a price far exceeding expectations.

Auctioneer David Henwood commented:

“There was keen bidding amongst prospective buyers which mean this lot achieved a price significantly in excess of its guide.

“It offers a range of possibilities for potential renovation or replacement for its new owner. Clearly, this could include some form of residential scheme, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.”

Cornwall Council Land Fetches Unexpected High Prices

Two parcels of land off Burngullow Lane, High Street, St Austell, also placed for sale by Cornwall Council, attracted strong interest.

• A 0.13-hectare (0.31-acre) plot with an outbuilding, listed with a freehold guide of £500, sold for £40,050.
• A smaller 0.04-hectare (0.1-acre) plot, also guided at £500, fetched £15,500.

Polperro Bungalow Goes Under the Hammer

Elsewhere in Cornwall, a semi-detached two-bedroom bungalow at Langreek Bungalows, Polperro, sold for £85,000—landing within its £80,000–£90,000 guide price.

Auction appraiser James Lofthouse said:

“This well-located bungalow reached the mid-point of its guide.

“The purchaser now has a number of options before them, including owner-occupation, renovation and resale or letting on the rental market.”

Redruth Properties Smash Guide Prices

In Redruth, demand was strong, pushing prices well above expectations:

• A three-bedroom end-terrace house in Raymond Road with land, guided at £50,000–£60,000, sold for £152,000—three times its original estimate.
• A two-bedroom terraced cottage in Tregea Terrace, Portreath, sold for £181,000, exceeding its £140,000+ guide price.
• An end-terrace three-bedroom house in Falmouth Road, Redruth, listed between £120,000 and £130,000, sold for £139,000.

All three properties were sold in arrangement with MAP Estate Agents.

Meanwhile, freehold land and roads at Barncoose Industrial Estate, Barncoose, sold for £20,250—ten times its £2,000–£3,000 guide price. The land provides access to the Gateway Business Centre.

More Auctions Ahead

Clive Emson Auctioneers, which has a regional office in Exeter, was recently named Residential Auction Service of the Year at The Negotiator Awards 2024—often called the Oscars of the UK’s residential agency sector.

The next of their eight auctions this year concludes on 20th March, with bidding live 48 hours beforehand. Lot entries close on 24th February, with the catalogue available from 27th February.

🔗 More details available at: https://www.cliveemson.co.uk