A seaside home that comes with its own model village has had its price slashed by £75,000 after failing to attract any bids from interested buyers.
The model village of Polperro, a scale replica of the real thing, is available alongside a family’s three bedroom home in Polperro itself.
Like the Cornish village where the house is located, Polperro Model Village has pubs, shop and cottages nestled around a harbour and was on sale for £725,000.
However after no offers were forthcoming the price has been dropped to £650,000 – house, model village and all.
The house was dubbed by Rightmove as one of the ’25 homes that broke the internet’ – but that hasn’t been enough to attract interest.
Lee Gregory, 59, and his wife Julie, 59, have owned the model village in their back garden for 39 years.
It was originally built in the late 1940s and purchased by Lee’s father after moving from Wolverhampton.
Last year the couple decided it was time to pass the iconic village on to new owners, but have struggled to sell the property.
Lee and Julie Gregory pictured with the Model Village Polperro, Cornwall
Mr Gregory says despite their home and model village being up for sale and on the marke, the pair would only move up the road
The previous price included a parking space in the village.
But Lee and Julie have recently changed their estate agents and have lowered the price, which now does not include a parking space.
Lee said: ‘We are still here but we don’t mind!
‘We haven’t received any offers – but we said from the start we are in no rush, so we have dropped the price and shall see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
‘Running the village is an absolute doddle.
‘It’s the same sort of business for a restaurant, cafe or Airbnb but compared to what you have to do with those it’s nothing really.
‘All it takes is an hour in the morning to sweep up and do a bit of gardening then you just sit here and take the money!’.
After moving to Cornwall with his family aged 20, Lee’s parents decided to purchase the unique model village in 1984 as a retirement business.
The couple express their delight at living in the beautiful and ‘brilliant’ South West village with a ‘great community’
Lee, who owns and operates the model village, admits he ‘loved it right from the start’ and he took over when he was in his 30s.
The model village itself was constructed in 1948 by Jim Beddoes, who Lee says bought the place as a working forge – and then came up with the idea of the model village.
The model village is a ‘very very close’ representation of the quaint seaside village of Polperro, with a one in 24 scale.
It’s accuracy is reflected in its popularity with tourists and locals alike, explains Lee, who owns and operates the model village.
It has a model railway and animatronic displays of Cornish folklore including pirates and smugglers.
Lee said: ‘People often come in and recognise where they have been.
‘They sometimes see our model village first and then look at where they are going to go.
‘Back in the day there was no Google Maps or anything like that, so having a bird’s eye view is very unique.
‘It is quite brilliant how they first designed it. I would have thought it was with iron measurements to measure the scale.’
The model village in minute detail is nestled behind a family’s three-bedroom converted forge in Polperro
The model village attraction, which currently charges adult visitors £4 and children £3 for entry, is complete with the beautiful beach, as well as its Willy Wilcox cave.
The couple have previously expressed their delight at living in the beautiful and ‘brilliant’ South West village with a ‘great community’ despite now feeling ready to move on to another property in Polperro itself.
He added: ‘We’d never leave Polperro – but its been nearly 40 years and its time, we both want to do something else now and it’s time we handed the model village over to someone else, who is going to be enthusiastic and do more with it.
‘It’s a delightful business and a lovely home we are selling with it too.
‘it’s gonna be hard to leave but time to move on.
‘Whoever buys it I’m hoping I can still be involved to help build houses as an outsider.’
