A former north-east care home has gone back on the market after plans to sell it at auction collapsed last year.
Buchanan House in Fraserburgh closed last October with its final resident moving on to another home in the town.
The building was originally valued at £350,000 by Auction House Scotland, but the property was withdrawn before bidding even commenced in December.
It has now been relisted by the Glasgow-based company at a reduced valuation of £295,000, with bidding scheduled to take place on March 21.
The B-listed property has 14 bedrooms and two bathrooms.
In promoting it, Auction House Scotland said: “This is an excellent opportunity for an investor looking for a great return on their money or a builder or developer looking to change the property into residential accommodation.”
The home’s owner, Inverness-based Marchmont Homes, has declined to comment on the building’s future, but some locals are concerned a developer could step in to convert former care home into a house in multiple occupation.
One neighbour suggested that locals do not want “the problems” associated with an HMO on their doorsteps.
Last night, he said: “The continued uncertainty regarding the future of the property is disappointing. Local residents are still concerned over its future, and fear it may become a HMO as at the Station Hotel.”
Homeless charity Shelter said it could not comment on speculation surrounding the building.
The closure of the facility, which had operated for about 30 years, came just a year after the Care Inspectorate branded staff at the home “exhausted”.
Employees told inspectors they had no time to talk to the people they were supposed to be looking after and had to use petty cash to pay for shopping, leaving residents waiting on personal allowances.
A team from the watchdog concluded that the only reason the facility was running safely was the “goodwill” of staff and the shifts they were working – “frequently in excess of 50 hours a week and for seven or eight consecutive days.”