Cheers As Pub Building Sold For £2.52 Million

The Godalming High Street property that houses JD Wetherspoon, Fat Face and Snap Fitness has been bought by Queensbury Investments Ltd through property consultancy Vail Williams, which also manages the building.

A prominent building at the heart of Surrey market town Godalming has been sold off-market for £2.52 million. Property consultancy Vail Williams, acting on behalf of a private client, sourced a purchaser for 48-56 High Street.

Queensbury Investments Ltd is the new owner of the property, which is let to pub chain JD Wetherspoon, operating as the Jack Phillips, which is named after a local man who was the heroic radio officer on the ill-fated Titanic.

Hampshire-based clothing firm Fat Face and 24-hour opening gym Snap Fitness are the other tenants.

The building generates £265,431 per annum in rent, representing a net initial yield of 9.9% for the purchaser.

Vail Williams Senior Surveyor Ben Duly and Associate Ed Martin worked closely with their client in bringing the deal to a successful conclusion.

Ben, based at the firm’s office in Bournemouth, said:

“We were instructed to dispose of the property. After speaking to a number of parties we felt might be interested in the off-market opportunity, a competitive bidding process was held and the property sold to the highest bidder."

“The result was a great deal for both vendor and purchaser. At a time when retail investments can still be reasonably tricky, it demonstrates yet again that investors remain confident in retail bricks and mortar.”

Vail Williams has managed the building for a number of years through Ed, working out of the Southampton office, who is being retained by Queensbury Investments. He said:

“We are delighted to be retained by the purchaser. As property manager, we maintain the common parts, inspect them frequently and deal with issues identified."

“We also deal with the service charge management, which includes budgeting for expenditure and annual service charge reconciliations in accordance with the RICS. Because we have built up a good relationship with the tenants it helps obtain a steer on how their businesses are performing."

“We take a collaborative approach with the client and the tenants to ensure we deliver the best possible service and take overall responsibility for the building.”

Vail Williams’ 31 property asset managers look after almost 400 properties across the UK, with a rent roll of £44 million-plus.

Queensbury Investments Director Ross Kemp said: “

We are grateful to Vail Williams for approaching us regarding this off-market opportunity as they knew we had other assets in the town. It complements our commercial property portfolio in the immediate vicinity.”

Law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper acted for the vendor while TWM Solicitors represented the purchaser.

Vail Williams’ full-service property advice includes commercial agency, investment and development advice, building consultancy, property valuation, planning, lease advisory, property asset management, business rates and occupier consultancy.