An estate agent’s clever language to lure potential buyers has confused a property hunter.
Luke Neve (from Sheffield) found Hunters Bar a 1-bedroom house for Right Move. He tweeted a photograph of the back yard and wrote: “Just found this stunning ‘private compact backyard garden’ on Right Move.
A set of double doors opens onto a small area of decking. Two plants are placed along either side.
The property on sale for £185,000 boasts of spanning over three floors that offer a ‘light, spacious and contemporary feel’
Luke’s blog post became viral Twitter After racking up more than 13,000 likes and many sharing photos from other small, quirky properties.
Luke Neve from Sheffield started a thread about small-sized properties after seeing a Right Move listing that featured a compact garden.
Many have been questioning Hunters Bar’s ‘garden space’ after it was renovated in 2020. A picture was taken of the property so that they could identify where the “courtyard” had been built. After renovation, this is the terraced house.
Luke was able to share a link with the terraced home that had been owned by two people before the third owner modernised it to improve its value.
Google Street View captured in 2020 shows that the front yard of this house was recently given a fresh lease of life by painting it and having the garden neglected replaced with paving.
The interior is brightly lit and appears to be decorated with white walls.
The agent claimed that the property is ideal for commuters as well as city workers.
Unimpressed by the garden, Luke tweeted: ‘I’m convinced that whoever wrote this has lost it: ‘super quirky and individually designed one double bedroomed, bay windowed terraced property”
Twitter user Luke wrote: “Oh Luke! Man, that’s what I expected in Hunters Bar. England’s greenest place!”
The quirky exterior of the house is not visible in the photos, but the inside shows brightly lit spaces with modern furnishings.
Luke’s tweet was laughed at by some who commented that the garden was ‘unique’. However, they don’t know why the estate agent claimed the property is in an area where children can play.
Another laughed: “An extremely rare opportunity has emerged to purchase …’ They aren’t kidding!” It’s a unique opportunity… There can’t possibly be another private compact courtyard garden like it anywhere else!
A third person found other problems with the listing and wrote that he loved the way it talked about the area as a great place for kids, with schools, play-parks, nurseries etc. Sorry, where the f*** am I storing the child in this property? Is this an open-air, timber-decked child containment cell?
The thread conjured up a memory for one Twitter user who revealed a 7ft-wide house was sold in her area for around £235,000 in 2014, while another dubbed a freehold studio in Chelsea that was advertised as a one-bedroom house for £395,000 ‘insane’.
It was a colorful, expensive property that is no longer for sale.
Luke’s tweet received some responses. They pointed out that although the Sheffield house is not the first one to go on the market, it’s not the only one.
Others said they had seen disappointing listings online after being inspired by the descriptive descriptions.
One person wrote, “I had a similar experience.” Viewed flat/w wrap around balcony. It was possible to climb out of a window and stand in the guttering. The estate agent advised us to manage our expectations when we arrived. A spiral staircase that was too small to accommodate furniture meant we had to get a crane hired.
One other said that she had viewed an apartment in London which featured a private terrace on the roof. We reached the terrace by climbing from our window and standing on the roofs of neighbouring apartments. They said that they sold access to another roof because it was a mistake.
The third was: “When our house was purchased, the gravel pit in the back yard was advertised for ‘garden which has been landscaped to make it easy to maintain’
Others replied to the thread confirming that they have seen houses with unusual features following being inspired by online listings.