Evening star., 1932-06-05
BARGAINS OFFERED
IN ENGLISH HOMES
Fine Old Estates Being Sac.
rificed for Low Prices
in Selling Fever.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
LONDON, June 4 (N.A.N.A). ).-Her
gold rush over, England has embarked
upon a real estate rush. Agents in the
West End are overrun with clients
anxious to rid themselves of beautiful
country homes surrounded by fairylike
gardens or noble parks, at prices they
would have scorned few years ago.
The agents, especially old-established
firms, do not welcome this rush. If you
persuade one to unbosom himself he
will tell you that the market is glutted
with selling offers which are advertised
In such numbers that buyers, If they
can be found, expect bargain counter
prices.
This, if 1t continues. will result in a
lasting and unjustifiable depreciation of
English real estate values. The agent,
continuing his condolences. will tell you
the rush Is to certain extent artificial.
Hard times and diminishing incomes
are no doubt directly responsible for the
majority Of offers to sell. but the thing
has been worked up by the smaller
agents into selling boom in which
people are losing their heads.
Rushed to Sell Jcwelry.
Just as, a few weeks ago, people not
needing money were selling gold. jewelry
and plate because everybody was dong
it ana talking about it and the news
papers were full of it. so now property
owners are bursting into the market to
sell because so many others are Selllng,
and they think that if they do not get
rid of their houses at once they must
keep them forever.
Great estates and mansions are not
coming into the market in larger num-
bers than usual Nme-tenths of the
properties advertised are houses with
from two to five acres of gardens in
the home countieS-that Is to say, with
In a 50-mile radius of the heart OF
London They are usually sizable
houses with six to dozen bedrooms.
Tennis courts and garages may be
counted upon. with beautiful surround
ings guaranteed.
Prices run from f2,50O to about
pounds about $4,000 at current ex-
change, does not seem high for
large house with gardens and grounds
within an hours motoring of London.
In many cases it is a genuine bargain;
but here again, if you have won the
confidence of the estate agents. you will
be warned that there is often snag in
the offer.
For instance, the scenery may be
beautiful, but it hasn't been mentioned
that somebody is running an arterial
road through which will carry an enor-
NOUS volume of motor traffic day and
night and will rob the house of the
quiet and seclusion most people want
in a country home
Frequently country places come into
the market because flying field with
q flying school attached has been
started close by, and the air for miles
is perpetually full of the drone and
roar of engines. Or some land COM
pany may have bought a neighboring
estate with the intention of building a
colony of cheap villas on It,
Ashcroft Home for $1,000.
Nevertheless. genuine bargains in
houses are to be had by those who buy
with care. There is. for instance. a
large house in the pleasant modern
Tudor" style, Ashcroft, near Taplow on
the Thames. about 20 miles from Lon
don. 1t has all conveniences, fine
halls and reception rooms, 10 bed
rooms, stables and garage, and excep-
tionally fine gardens and grounds. The
price asked is little over $25 900 for
the house and 25 acres of gardens and
other land. If the purchaser does not
want so much land he can buy the
4iouSC diiu IlFC dllQ d Ildll dCIcS lOI
about sll 900.
Ashwell Court. Buckinghamshire, %
miles from London. is a fifteenth CEN
tury house containing some of the fin
est and most perfect period" work.
manship 1t is a solid oak-framed
structure and could easily be taken to
pieces for transshipment and then re-
assembled. With this beautiful. an
cient house go five and a half acres.
The price asked is about $4,000.
An interesting house of different
character is Highwold in Surrey. also
just outside London. 1t has Is rooms,
can be reached by automobile from
London in half an hour, and is modern
III every respect. 1t has fine gardens,
conservatories, commands a beautiful
view. and is for sale for about $4,000.
With this house go five acres of ground.
A very old house in the market is
Sockets Farm, at Oxted Surrey. 20
miles from London. This is a four
teenth century house brought up to
date in comfort and rich in exposed
old oak timbering. The old open fire.
places have been preserved, and Stock
etts Is in perfect state without and
within. With 80 acres Of land it could
be bought for about S48, 900.
A real estate man said that If a rich
American came along who wanted to
buy a great property say for a quarter
of million dollars, he would find 1t