A former care home in Grantown has gone on the market at offers over £450,000.
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors is marketing Grandview House, which shut after the company that ran it plunged into administration earlier this year.
It is expected the sale could lead to the building’s conversion to residential flats, subject to planning consent, or see it reopen as a hotel, hostel or other tourist accommodation.
Dating from the late 1800s, Grandview was previously the Palace Hotel. It had operated as a care home since 1989.
The agent has highlighted its “extensive frontage to the High Street” and central location close to The Square.
Our next commercial property auction will take place on Thursday, 1st September at 2.30pm and will be live streamed.
12 lots ranging from £18,500 to £370,000.
A list of the available properties can be found at https://t.co/xQWpSSldQ2
— Shepherd Surveyors (@shepherdsurvey) August 18, 2022
Shepherd is also hoping the chance to own such a property in the Cairngorm National Park and Spey Valley, renowned for leisure opportunities including “excellent” salmon and trout fishing, golf and winter sports, will reel in potential buyers.
The three-storey building – totalling 31,885sq ft – boasts 45 bedrooms, mainly single occupancy with en-suite facilities.
Neil Calder, partner in the Inverness office of Shepherd, said: “While the property has most recently operated as a care home, other potential uses including conversion to residential flats, hotel, hostel or tourist accommodation may be possible, subject to securing the appropriate planning permission from the Highland Council.”
Grandview provided residential and nursing care, relying mainly on referrals from local authorities but it also had a small number of private fee-paying residents.
According to a document lodged at Companies House by the joint administrators earlier this year, Grandview House Limited suffered a deterioration in trading performance following the Covid-19 outbreak.
Summing up the reasons for the care home’s demise, Julie Tait and Stuart Preston, of professional services firm Grant Thornton, said: “Covid-19 had an impact on the availability of staff and, therefore, the ability to maintain occupancy levels at full capacity.
Financial challenges
“The reduction in occupancy rates presented some financial challenges for the company.
“Also, the shortage of skilled care staff in the local area resulted in a reliance on agency staff – which increased costs and created additional pressure on the company’s cash position.
“As a result of the deterioration in trading performance, the company was unable to meet loan repayment obligations.”
End of the road
The joint administrators added: “In February 2022 the directors undertook an assessment of the company’s future cashflows which indicated that, without additional borrowing, the company would be unable to generate sufficient cash from trading to meet its obligations.
“Having considered all the options, the board of directors of the company concluded that the best option… was for it to be placed into administration.”
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