Two buildings owned by Cornwall Council have been sold at auction for a combined six-figure sum.

The authority instructed the sale of the two sites in Lansdowne Place and Penalverne Avenue in Penzance through regional land and property auctioneers Clive Emson, with the sales going through for a total of £117,463.

In Lansdowne Place, one store sold for £49,000 – well in excess of its freehold guide price of £20,000 to £25,000.

Similarly, the store in Penalverne Avenue, which came with an area of land, sold for £68,463 – comfortably above its freehold guide of £35,000 to £45,000.

Both were sold with pre-application reports from the council for potential development, including for a single home with parking in Lansdowne Place.

Senior auction appraiser David Henwood said: “There was keen interest in both of these properties.

Falmouth Packet: The former Cornwall Council stores in Penalverne Avenue, PenzanceThe former Cornwall Council stores in Penalverne Avenue, Penzance (Image: Clive Emson)

“The advantage of pre-application reports gave prospective buyers clarity to bid for the properties.

“This was reflected in the final sale prices, which comfortably exceeded their guides and represented a strong return for the local authority.”

Also at the same auction, two detached homes with character in the Penzance area sold above their guide prices when they sparked strong bids at auction.

Poltreen House in Coombe Lane, at Treneere, fetched £352,000 and Due South in Trevegean went for £225,000.

They were among the lots in the seventh sale of 2022 by regional land and property auctioneers Clive Emson.

Senior auction appraiser Katie Semmens said: “Both of these detached properties attracted strong bidding.

Falmouth Packet: Poltreen House at TreneerePoltreen House at Treneere (Image: Clive Emson)

“They attracted owner-occupiers by virtue of their character and location yet also offered potential for improvement and re-sale or even some form of modest development or extension subject to the necessary consents.

“Bidders recognised that property continues to remain a safe haven for capital compared with other forms of investment.”

Poltreen House was listed with a guide of £300,000 plus and Due South had a guide of £200,000 plus.

Due South was auctioned in arrangement with Stacey Mann estate agents of Penzance.

Clive Emson’s next auction is on December 14. Lot entries close on November 21, with the online catalogue released on November 25.