Charity boost as office building changes hands

A city centre office building in Bedford has changed hands after a bidding battle, commercial property consultants Kirkby Diamond have announced.

The freehold of the 13,402 sq ft premises at 1 Lurke Street has been acquired by a private investor after a number of competing bids pushed the offers well above the £800,000 guide price.

Nathan George, head of lease advisory at Kirkby Diamond, said: “Following a successful marketing campaign which resulted in strong interest and packed open days, Kirkby Diamond and joint agents Koopmans Property Asset Management achieved an excellent result for our client. We surpassed their expectations both on the price achieved and the speed of the sale.”

A total of 10 bids were received and an eventual sale price agreed which was well in excess of the quoting price.

Nathan added: “There was a bonus which came about through working with VC Property Maintenance who cleared the site after the previous occupiers, a law firm, vacated the building. Hundreds of law books have now been donated to a charity and will be shipped abroad to teach children and adults in countries like South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, India, Zambia, and Pakistan.”

1 Lurke Street is a four-storey office building located near Bedford high street. It comprises a ground floor reception area, general office space, lift to upper floors, meeting rooms, and a private car park.