Summary - 2 WEST TERRACE, WESTGATE DL13 1JJ
4 bed 1 bath Detached
Spacious countryside plot with high ceilings and major refurbishment potential.
Chain free 4-bed detached former education centre, circa 1850
This former outdoor education centre, set on approximately 0.75 acres in a quiet hamlet, offers a rare conversion opportunity for an investor or sympathetic developer. The single-storey Victorian stone building retains dramatic vaulted ceilings, three vast reception rooms and period features that could be reconfigured into striking living space. Renovation work has begun — an LPG Worcester boiler and radiators are installed and a new kitchen and some insulated plasterboard are in place — so a buyer can occupy while completing works.
Important constraints must be clear: the sale is cash only and there is an 80% clawback payable to Durham County Council on profits from any additional dwellings created for 80 years from 2015. The property needs further modernisation throughout, carries an EPC rating of G, and sits in a medium flood‑risk area; some lenders may decline finance because of these factors and the clawback. Structural issues are not described; buyers should commission full surveys and checks on services and insulation (stone walls assumed uninsulated).
Potential is considerable: the open-plan dormitory/classroom layout, high ceilings and exposed beams could accept mezzanines or distinct sub‑units, subject to consents. External space is extensive with substantial tarmac areas, lawned southern boundary and scope for formal gardens, large parking or outbuildings. Chain free and with residential change-of-use already approved (DM/15/02055/FPA), the site suits a cash purchaser who can manage refurbishment, permissions and the council clawback.
Viewings are best for buyers comfortable with a renovation project, familiar with rural planning constraints, and confident in cash purchase. This is an opportunity to create a character home or a distinctive rural investment, provided the clawback and flood risk are factored into costs and exit plans.
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