Unassuming home hiding a dark secret inside goes up for auction – and there’s a surprise for the new owner
A FLAT up for auction is hiding an illegal past.
The home in Finchley, North London has hit the market after being used for nefarious purposes.
The two-bedroom flat has recently been used to grow cannabis and the images of the inside of the property make no effort to conceal that from potential buyers.
Listed on Zoopla with a guide price of £275.000 the ad openly states: “The property has been recently used to grow cannabis and requires a program of refurbishment.”
Images of the house show what appear to be cannabis leaves on the floor of one of the rooms, with pots of soil scattered around.
The window appears to be taped over, and the walls are covered in a silver reflective material.
In the same image, there are lots of wires hanging from the ceiling, along with two fans and what appear to be large pipes overhead.
Other images of the inside of the property show the kitchen with bottles of water and various cleaning products strewn on the surface.
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In the bathroom, the image shows the bath filled with big black bags.
In the UK cannabis is classified as a class B drug, and it is unlawful to cultivate any part of the plant.
Doing so carries a maximum of 14 years in prison.
The Zoopla ad states that the property is “situated on a residential road close to local shops and amenities”, with the open spaces of Victoria Park within easy reach.
There is a virtual tour of the flat which, along with showing the clutter left behind by the previous tenants, also highlights just how sizeable the cannabis growing setup was.
The property is being auctioned by Auction House London and takes place on March 15.
A representative from Auction House London confirmed to the Jewish Chronicle that the flat had “previously been used as a cannabis farm”, noting “there is interest on that perspective, but it is priced quite effectively for the area, so there has been decent interest”.
“A client of ours decided an auction was the best way to dispose of the property. As long as the price is right, people will buy it,” he said.
A representative from Auction House London told the Independent cleaning the property was “not the auction house’s responsibility.”
They added: “We believe in giving our buyers all the information they need to make an informed decision, and it is important to provide a fair representation of the property in its current form.
“We pride ourselves on transparency and honesty in all our dealings and maintain our high standards, even with properties that may have a controversial past.”