St Leonards mixed-use investment opportunity snapped up at auction

A mixed use investment opportunity in St Leonards-on-Sea was sold this week.

The 32 Kings Road property was among 174 lots listed across southern England in the latest auction held by one of the top five property auctioneers in the UK, Clive Emson Auctioneers.

It had been listed jointly with EC Consultancy with a freehold guide price of £310,000 to £320,000 at the firm’s auction which ended on Thursday 5 November, but was sold prior to the auction.

The property comprises two ground floor commercial units, together with two separately accessed residential flats located above.

The whole freehold title is let under the terms of an overriding full repair and insuring lease for a 16-year term at £33,282.64 per annum, ending in February next year.

Auction Appraiser Jade Flood said: “The property is situated in a prominent position on Kings Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, within easy reach of local shops, amenities and the seafront.

“We had considered it ideal for continued investment at present – and our buyer certainly agreed by completing an acquisition in advance of the auction taking place.”

A mixed residential and commercial building with potential at 187 Queens Road, Hastings, went under the gavel at £178,000 freehold, exceeding the guide price..

The four storey mixed-use property occupies a prominent position on busy Queens Road, within easy reach of Hastings town centre and mainline railway station.

The property comprises ground floor retail accommodation with mezzanine storage room, together with a maisonette arranged over three upper floors, along with basement accommodation and rear yard.

Director & Senior Auction Appraiser Sam Kinloch said: "We had considerable pre-sale interest in this property, which translated into competitive bidding and resulted in an excellent outcome for both vendor and purchaser.

“We had considered that the property offered potential for reconfiguration, conversion or alternative uses, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.“

A three-bedroom old school unit with potential in Robertsbridge was sold prior to the auction. Old Salehurst School, Northbridge Street had been offered jointly with Peter Buswell.

The property comprises a residential dwelling together with substantial additional accommodation and requires refurbishment and renewal throughout.

Clive Emson Auctioneers holds auctions eight times a year offering specialist advice for auction purposes with offices in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the West Country, selling with skill, speed and efficiency.

The final auction of 2026 goes live on Tuesday 13 December and concludes on Thursday 15 December. Entries close on 23 November, with the catalogue available online from 26 November.

See https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/ for more details.