THE former Kensington Day Care Centre in Newport sold for twice its original reserve when it went up for auction.

The property was just one of a number of commercial lots in and around Newport which created a storm of interest at the sale by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions.

The sale of just three prime commercial lots realised £750,000 as buyers were red hot for the Newport-based properties.

Kensington Day Centre, a former public sector owned building at Oaklands Road, Newport, sold for £300,000 after fierce bidding in the hall and on the phones.

The substantial, single storey freehold property, situated in a popular residential area of Newport, had originally been listed with a guide of £150,000, which was upped to £190,000 due to keen pre sale interest.

Set on approximately 4,300 sq ft, the former care centre is on a site that extends to about one acre of fenced and walled grounds with parking and mature gardens in Maindee close to Beechwood Park and the arterial Chepstow Road.

Paul Fosh, of Paul Fosh Auctions, Newport, said: “There was phenomenal interest in this property leading up to the sale and on the night with a number of parties bidding against each other to secure it. The atmosphere in the room was electric and exciting. It got so heated we had to open the doors to let some air into the room. We are delighted to have achieved £300,000 for our client for this very substantial property in Newport.”

Another commercial property to sell at the auction was at 106 & 107 Lower Dock Street, Newport.

A tenant of the deceptively spacious period property, close to established commercial occupiers such as Newport City Homes, the Passport Office, Newport Magistrates Court and Asda supermarket, is established dance school Danceland.

Listed with an initial guide price of between £90,000 and £100,000, the property eventually sold for £135,000.

The building provides a ground floor dance studio with storage to the lower ground floor level which is currently let at an annual rental income of £5,244 to Dance World. It was listed on the night with a revised guide price of £125,000.

Further commercial buildings up for sale at the auction were single sited Ringwood House and The Helyg Centre at Dents Hill, at Ringland Circle, Newport.

The large, two storey, detached properties located on the edge of the residential Bishpool Estate to the east side of the city offered combined total of 120 individual rooms. Set in a site of circa 1.25 acres the total area of the two properties comes to some 13,820 sq ft.

Ringwood House, the property at the front, had previously been used as a day care centre. The property has sixty individual rooms with offices, reception area and conservatory. Helyg House, which also has sixty rooms, has until recently been used as offices and ancillary accommodation for a local service provider.

The properties are located in an area of established housing and had a combined guide price of £250,000 plus and after another intense bidding war sold for £301,000.

The number of properties sold was 45 at a combined total of £3,671,250.