Bids reach £1.5m in hot competition for Sweater Shop

There has been intense competition for a freehold retail building in Dublin's Wicklow Street which has been offered for sale …

There has been intense competition for a freehold retail building in Dublin's Wicklow Street which has been offered for sale by the Hibernian Group. Agent Palmer McCormack had been quoting a guideline price of around £1.2 million (€1.52m) for The Sweater Shop at 9 Wicklow Street, but when tenders closed last weekend, it is thought that some of the 10 offers may have exceeded £1.5 million (€1.9m). The high level of interest in the investment by private investors stems from the shortage of well-located commercial investments under £2 million (€2.54m) and the availability of cheap mortgages. There is no shortage of players for solid commercial properties, according to the agents. The single-let Wicklow Street building is producing £43,000 (€54,600) a year. The 35-year lease runs from 1982 and there is a personal guarantee on the rent. The four-storey over basement building has 2,558 sq ft of floor space.