Pubs for Sale. Buying pubs to convert to dwellings.
I am a big fan of pubs, and I
really like my beer. I live in Portugal where there is a serious
shortage of beer. The locals drink a vile brew which they call beer,
but which is really a tasteless lager.
In the UK of course we have
dozens and dozens of beers, including the output from the excellent
small breweries, my current favourite being Ripon Jewel from the
Daleside Brewery. Unfortunately I am long way from the brewery and
suffering withdrawal symptons.
I visited a few pubs in the Northampton area recently, and picked up
the local CAMRA booklet "Over the Barrel". There is some depressing
reading inside the covers. Apparently 27 pubs in the region have closed
over the past year, which is a worrying figure.
I can see us getting to the same situation we already have as regards
churches for worship. So many have closed over the past fifty years
that there are now groups of worshippers using spare front rooms, and I
have a long list of eager worshippers without premises, especially in
the London area. Worshippers seem to be on the rise. I'm not sure why.
I am a confirmed atheist and just dont get it, but there are a lot of
people out there who dont think the way I do, which should be nice, I
guess.
I have noticed over the years that pubs are sold as businesses, and
therefore valued as such. This means they are usually cheaper than
houses. I shouldn't be encouraging you to turn pubs into homes, but if
you are shut out from the normal housing market by price, then do look
at some of our pubs. They are large, have interesting cellars, and
usually already have a manager's flat upstairs. They would be ideal to
combine business with residence, especially if you are an artist of
some kind and need a workshop.
The current crop of pubs are
in the north, mainly on the west side of England, and some of them look
very interesting properties. But you do need to be a member to get onto
these pages. It is worth it.
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