Post by GarethPost by MusicManiaBrookside Close as it is today.
It's nice to know it's still there.
Could still be used again one day.
http://youtu.be/Ga30D2eF0ao
No. The houses were sold to a private developer in 2005 and, having been
renovated, were put up for sale in January 2007. So far no takers.
Ah...
According to this morning's C5 "How To Be A Property Developer" (itself an
apparent repeat of a 2006 edition), there's been a downturn in the (City
of) Liverpool housing market. I have to say that surprised me, given how
property programmes in the last few years have featured one-bedroom flats
in the city for £200,000 or so. This was a nice three-bed semi in
Childwall, for which the vendor couldn't get £135,000.
So perhaps there's a reason why the Brookside Close houses haven't sold.
Is the area still fenced off and guarded?
No, there are security cameras and patrold but discrete access is now
possible - if you're interested in buying a house you can, of course, go
inside one or more of the houses and be shown around by the developer.
The estate a little bit shabby though and it has to be said that the
developer hasn't gone to great effort in terms of marketing the houses. Odd.
The housing market is in a funny place at present and the properties have
only been on the market since January so, what with high interest rates and
all that, it isn't perhaps too much of a wonder that the houses aren't
going. The developer is also asking new build prices but without providing
the relevant guarantees.
If I had the money - and if I needed to live in Liverpool - I would buy a
house on the small estate: they're actually quite nice and there's a decent
amount of space between the houses (which you don't get with modern new
build) so you don't have to live too close to a scally chav in the worst
case scenario. And there's no social housing there.
I was thinking yesterday and today what a shame it was/is that Brookside bit
the dust. I think there was at least a bit more life in it if only CH4 would
have been patient enough to allow the costly redesign to filter through. Oh
well, that's life I guess but sad to say I do miss the characters and I can
still remember as a 13 year old watching the very first episode when it
aired.
Gareth.