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Time-warp house set to go under the hammer

What is thought to be one of the last remaining houses in the country without electricity went under the hammer today - selling for a whopping £370,000.

The three-bed semi in Sevenoaks fetched more than £100,000 above the guide price, despite still being lit by gas.

The sum will now be split between two charities, which were left the home in the will of the previous owner.

The house is still lit by gas
The house is still lit by gas
A gas lamp. Stock image
A gas lamp. Stock image

Estate agents from Ibbett Mosely said visiting the semi-detached home in Hillingdon Avenue was like going back in time as little inside had changed since the 1920s.

The house has been in the ownership of the same Baldock family for 70 years, and the last resident – Ms Baldock – left it to Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation when she passed away.

A neighbour has reportedly told the estate agents that the owner’s father did not want the property to be upgraded to electricity as he thought it was “too dangerous”.

Inside the gaslight home
Inside the gaslight home

Speaking after the auction today, James Baring at Ibbett Mosely, said: “I think we have once again achieved a good price for our client.

"It all adds up when you look at what could be done with this property, but I think all the publicity about the house was beneficial, and helped to achieve a higher price than it would have done otherwise, which is great for the charities."

Houses in Hillingdon Avenue when fully modernised generally sell in the range of £450,000 to £500,000.

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