An ordinary-looking house in York has left would-be buyers reeling after it hit the market with a staggering £1.1million minimum asking price.
The buff-coloured 1970s property is being marketed by estate agents as sitting in ‘a sought-after location’, just a short stroll from the city’s railway station and historic centre.
But potential house buyers have branded the five-bed home ‘uninspiring’ and wildly overpriced – pointing out it sits beside a hotel, directly opposite a school car park and barely 100 metres from the busy East Coast main line.
Land Registry records show the house last changed hands for £800,000 in 2022, meaning its sellers are now hoping to pocket an extra £300,000 in less than four years.
The seller is understood to be David Griffiths, the former principal of prestigious The Mount School, which famously counts actress Dame Judi Dench and astrophysicist Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell among its former pupils.
Mr Griffiths purchased the property in 2022 when he was appointed principal.
Reaction to the valuation has sparked derision online and when the Daily Mail visited the property this week, Mr Griffiths’ neighbours found the price was hard to understand.
One resident said: ‘£1.1million for that? It’s a decent house, but it’s hardly a showstopper.
This five-bedroom property in York comes with a staggering £1.1million minimum asking price
The property was last purchased for £800,000 in 2022 and neighbours claim little work has been completed since
The seller is understood to be David Griffiths, the former principal of prestigious The Mount School
‘It reminds me a bit of a post-war council house but it was built in the late 1970s, if I remember correctly. I don’t think there’s been any work done to it since.
‘The area is pleasant but it’s not an exclusive enclave. You’ve got the trains going past all the time and it’s opposite the school car park – it’s not the ultimate des res.
She added: ‘Even in York, you would expect something really special at that price.
‘Maybe they’re hoping someone from London will pay without batting an eyelid.’
Local residents said they too were taken aback.
Shane Sayner, a 48-year-old cleaner, added: ‘If that house is for sale for £1.1million, then what chance have the rest of us got?
‘It shows how ridiculous the property market is when a bog-standard detached house is fetching seven figures.
‘But estate agents aren’t stupid – they must think they’ve got a chance that someone will want it.
‘It’s a nice location but the house is ordinary. I think it’s just insane.’
The ambitious price tag comes despite figures from Purplebricks showing property prices have fallen in York in that time.
A property in the North Yorkshire city cost just £302,931 in November last year, down from £310,337 three years prior.
The Love Lane home still stands out as an outlier even within its own YO24 postcode.
Detached houses in the area sold for an average of £481,987 over the past year, down six per cent on the year before.
Rightmove’s own valuation tool puts the property closer to £800,000.
One local estate agent was blunt, telling the Daily Mail the listing looked ‘extremely optimistic’.
They said: ‘Offers over £1.1million are hard to justify when it sold for £800,000 in 2022 and very little seems to have changed since.
‘The market simply hasn’t moved enough to support that kind of leap – and affordability has actually gone backwards.
‘Since the mortgage-rate shock in 2022, buyers have become far more cautious and focused on value for money.
‘Against that backdrop, this asking price looks extremely optimistic – and pitching it this high could make it harder to sell in the long run.’
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Would YOU pay that price for this home?
The property is bright and spacious but doesn’t show any signs of heavy renovations
Detached houses in the area sold for an average of £481,987 over the past year
The ‘substantial detached house’ boasts two reception rooms, five bedrooms, a fitted kitchen and what agents describe as the ‘huge benefit of four garages’, along with easy access to the city centre.
But eagle-eyed viewers noted the garages are so narrow it would be impossible to fully open the doors of a Range Rover.
The listing quickly became fodder for ridicule on online forums.
One online viewer wrote: ‘This might be the most uninspiring house for £1m I have ever seen.
‘It’s fine on the inside (albeit dull), and it’s obviously big, but man is it boring to look at.’
Another potential house-hunter added: ‘It sold just 4 years ago for 800k (still overpriced) with little to no visible work done since.
‘Would love to hear the estate agent explain it away with a 10 year old’s understanding of inflation.’
Another commented: ‘That’s tragic. The kitchen and bathrooms put together must’ve cost about £10k, they’re the most budget fittings possible. There’s zero character in that house whatsoever.’
A third joked: ‘I love doctors surgery exterior aesthetic, just what I’d like to spend a million quid on,’ while another said: ‘Imagine somebody telling you “This is a million pound property!”
‘The housing market is tragic.’
Holly Price, of Price Independent Estate Agents, said the market would ultimately decide its fate
Another commented: ‘The kitchen reminds me of the one I put in the first house I bought 30 years ago.
‘I was on a very tight budget. If I was spending over a million on a house the Wickes budget range is not what I’d be looking for!’
Estate agent Linley and Simpson insists the 154 square-metre property, available with no forward chain, ‘really must be viewed to appreciate both the fabulous location, as well as the space available’.
‘Perfect for accessing the city centre and the railway station, the property has many additional amenities close by on The Mount and there is also easy access heading out of the city towards both the A64 and the outer ring road,’ the firm adds.
Holly Price, of Price Independent Estate Agents, said the market would ultimately decide its fate.
She said: ‘York is a highly sought-after city to live in, particularly areas just outside the city walls where family homes, generous plots and proximity to the centre command a premium.
‘Location absolutely matters, and historically properties in this part of York have performed well over the long term.
‘That said, pricing still has to reflect the current market. Since 2022, we haven’t seen the kind of growth that would support very large uplifts unless there has been significant improvement to the property itself.
‘Buyers today are far more informed, mortgage-rate conscious, and value-driven.
‘Ultimately, the market will decide where the value sits.’
