Well Secured Retail Investment in Historic Market Town Centre
27 Strait Bargate | Boston | Lincolnshire | PE21 6EG
£490,000
subject to contract
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GALLERY
Summary
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Freehold retail investment opportunity in the principal agricultural centre of Lincolnshire
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Let to WH Smith (who have occupied for over 50 years)
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Highly secure income - Net Assets: £614m
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Tenant has committed to a new lease during COVID-19
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New 5 year lease from January 2021
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Rent recently rebased to 67% of previous rent, from £61,500 pa to £41,000 pa
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Prime town centre retailing pitch
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One of only two Post Office facilities in Central Boston
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£490,000, subject to contract
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8.00% Net Initial Yield
Location
The market town of Boston has a rich history dating back to Medieval times and is located on The Haven. The town lies approximately 34 miles (54 km) south east of Lincoln, 35 miles (56 km) north of Peterborough and 50 miles (80 km) east of Nottingham. Communications to the town are good being located on the A16/A52 road intersection.
Direct rail services to London (King’s Cross) are available from Boston Railway Station with a journey time of approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. Air transport facilities are easily accessible with Humberside and East Midlands International Airports being within a one-hour drive of the town centre.
The town is one of the fastest growing locations in the eastern region and offers a borough population of 83,500. [Source: Lincolnshire Research Observatory March 2020].
Situation
The subject property is at the entrance to Boston’s prime pedestrianised retail pitch on Strait Bargate with the Pescod Square Shopping Centre directly accessible to the rear of the property.
Strait Bargate, Wide Bargate and Market Place combine to form the prime reatiling locations in Boston with the neighbouring 71,000 sq ft Pescod Square Shopping Centre further increasing footfall in the area. To the rear of the property is the historic Pescod Hall which dates from 1450. To the east of the property is both Cattle Market Car Park and Boston Car Park providing a positive amount of footfall from those using these facilities. Surrounding occupiers include Santander, Clintons, Specsavers and Next.
Every Wednesday and Saturday there is a market on Strait Bargate close to the property thereby driving additional footfall past the building.
Description
The property comprises a terraced retail unit with extensive accommodation at ground floor level with staff and ancillary/storage accommodation on the first and second floors. The property benefits from a goods service door on the east side of the property. The property provides a typical retail width through to Zone D but then widens considerably which is very well suited for the Post Office at the rear.
Internally the unit has been fitted out to the typical corporate style of both WH Smith and The Post Office.
Accommodation
The floor areas have been agreed for the purposes of the lease, provided by the seller, and the property has also been measured by BKR Floor Plans. The following Net Internal Areas are as agreed at lease renewal:
Internal Width | 5.69 m | 17 ft 20 inches |
Shop Depth | 34.95 m | 114 ft 8 inches |
Sq M | Sq Ft | |
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Zone A | 35.58 | 383 |
Zone B | 33.54 | 361 |
Zone C | 28.61 | 308 |
Zone D | 41.25 | 444 |
Sales Remainder | 176.24 | 1,897 |
Ancillary Remainder | 40.69 | 438 |
ITZA | 885.70 | |
Total Ground Floor | 355.91 | 3,831 |
First Floor Ancillary / Storage | 78.60 | 846 |
Second Floor Ancillary / Storage | 44.78 | 482 |
Total Net Internal Area | 479.29 | 5,159 |
A set of floor plans as measured by BKR Floor Plans is available to download and the measured survey report will be assigned to a purchaser at a cost of £395 + VAT.
Tenure
Freehold.
Tenancy
The entire property is let on a full repairing and insuring lease to WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited (t/a WH Smith & Post Office) for a term of 5 years from 15th January 2021, expiring on 14th January 2026. The lease is subject to a tenant only break option on 15th January 2025, subject to not less than 6 month’s notice.
The current passing rent is £41,000 per annum, which we equate to a Zone A of £43.29 per sq ft, allowing for £2.00 per sq ft on the first and second floors (as agreed at lease renewal).
As part of entering into a new lease, the tenant benefits from a rent-free period expiring on 15th October 2021. The vendor will “top-up” the income by way of an appropriate adjustment on the completion sum in order that a purchaser does not suffer an income shortfall.
We understand the tenant has been in occupation for over 50 years and entered into a lease renewal in 2021, demonstrating their desire to remain in the property. The rent has been rebased from £61,500 per annum to £41,000 per annum.
Rental Evidence
We have reviewed recent occupational activity in the neighbouring units and have established the following as of comparable nature.
Address | Tenant | Date | Rent | Rent (psf) Zone A | Lease Event |
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27 Strait Bargate | WH Smith | January 2021 | £41,000 | £43.29 | Lease renewal |
3 Strait Bargate | Vodafone | December 2018 | £41,850 | £42.50 | Lease renewal |
60 Market Place | Carphone Warehouse | March 2018 | £26,750 | £44.25 | Lease renewal |
2 Strait Bargate | Dorothy Perkins | November 2017 | £55,000 | £42.95 | Lease renewal |
9 Stratit Bargate | Cooplands Bakers | June 2017 | £25,000 | £44.20 | Lease renewal |
Covenant
WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited (Co. No. 00471941) has reported the following figures:
31st August 2019 | 31st August 2018 | |
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Turnover | £187,524,000 | £180,610,000 |
Pre-Tax Profits | £117,887,000 | £116,924,000 |
Net Assets | £614,113,000 | £440,781,000 |
WH Smith has a major High Street presence and operates over 1,700 stores, comprising circa 590 UK travel units, over 580 international outlets and over 560 High Street stores, as at 31 August 2020. The company currently employs approximately 11,695 people.
WH Smith’s offer is complemented in over 200 of their High Street stores with their partnership with Post Office Limited. This agreement has been in place since 2006 and permits customers to access the Post Office facility for seven days a week and longer trading hours, in line with WH Smith trading hours. (www.whsmithplc.co.uk).
VAT
The property is elected for VAT. We anticipate that the sale should be capable of being treated as a Transfer of Going Concern (TOGC).
Proposal
We are instructed to seek offers in the region of £490,000 (Four Hundred and Ninety Thousand Pounds), subject to contract, reflecting a net initial yield of 8.00%, assuming standard purchaser’s costs of 4.66%
Please note that a purchaser will be re-charged the costs of searches and surveys which are provided in the data room.
Please note that a purchaser will be charged a Transaction Fee of 1.00% of the Purchase Price plus VAT.
Investment Considerations
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An opportunity to acquire a freehold retail investment in the heart of Boston town centre;
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New letting at a re-based rent;
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Let to the strong covenant of WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited (Net Assets £614m);
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WH Smith have been in occupation for over 50 years and renewed their lease during COVID-19, demonstrating their continued commitment to the property;
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The tenant is one of only two Post Office’s in the town centre and given its close proximity to public car parking, is a convenient facility for the local population;
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A purchase at the asking price will provide an investor with an attractive net initial yield of 8.00%;
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The internal configuration of the unit suits the tenants demands very well;
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Attractive lot size for an investor.
Data Room and clicktopurchase®
Access to the data room and for the ability to purchase online with speed and ease, please click the clicktopurchase® “C” icon or the clicktopurchase® side bar. Purchasers will be able to access the complete legal package, clear verification and submit legally-binding offers to acquire the property.
Purchasers benefit from the trust, security and transparency provided by the platform. All activities, including the online contract execution, will form part of the electronic audit trail which is anchored in the clicktopurchase® Blockchain.
clicktopurchase® provides the opportunity for any investor, whether located UK or abroad, to uniquely purchase online with ease and certainty. To learn more about clicktopurchase®, click here.
Finance
We have established relationships with a number of leading finance companies who are in a position to quote terms for suitable situations. To learn more, please visit our “Finance” section.
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Contact Us
Singer Vielle | +44 (0) 207 935 7200 | |
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Jon Skerry | jon@singervielle.co.uk | +44 (0) 203 995 6211 |
Dale Henry | dale@singervielle.co.uk | +44 (0) 203 701 1356 |
Daniel Elia | daniel@singervielle.co.uk | +44 (0) 203 701 1353 |
Neil Singer | neil@singervielle.co.uk | +44 (0) 203 478 9120 |
Vendors Solicitor
Robert McLaren Solicitors | +44 (0) 179 834 2363 | |
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Robert McLaren | mclarenlegal@btconnect.com |