What it is:The remains of an oast house, set in a quarter of an acre in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty on the North Downs. The property is going to auction at the Hobbs Parker office in Ashford, on March 21. It is being sold by the owner of neighbouring Cherry Tree Farm, who is raising money to pay for the cost of converting other outbuildings. The hamlet of Stalisfield is seven miles from Faversham and nine from Ashford, from where it is 65 minutes by train to London Charing Cross.

The problems:The 39ft x 15ft property is completely derelict: it has no roof, but three of its four original walls are still standing. The flint and brick former oast is being sold without any planning consent, so any new owner is taking a £65,000plus gamble. It is unlikely that the planners of Swale borough council would consent to full residential use, but they may be more amenable to granting permission to convert for holiday use or for a rural office. The cost of converting the oast into a two-bedroom home or an office, should designs be approved, is £80,000-£100,000. The new owner will also have to fence the site within 28 days of purchasing the property.

The advantages: “It is very difficult to buy anything for less than £100,000 in the southeast,” says the selling agent. “Unconverted oasts and barns are like gold dust.” The agent estimates that a two-bedroom cottage with a holiday restriction could sell on for £150,000.

Although the Ashford area of Kent has been blighted by a poor rail service to London and the reduction of Eurostar services to twice a day, a high-speed rail link is due in 2009 that will cut travelling time to the capital to 35 minutes. A251

Hobbs Parker, 01233 506 220, www.hobbsparker.co.uk

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