Stunning fairytale £250k cottage with sea view faces having price slashed again… as there is a VERY big catch

A STUNNING thatched-roof cottage with incredible sea views faces having its price slashed again – as buyers cotton on to one very big downside. The fairytale property boasts of three bedrooms, an ensuite bathroom and a spacious living room with lots of natural light. Despite its beautiful views, this three-bedroom property in Devon is still on the market Credit: SWNS The property is overlooking a precarious 400ft precipice The quaint cottage went up for auction yesterday with a reserve £250,000, but failed to sell – meaning the buyer could face having to slash the price again. Located on the edge of a precarious cliff along Sidmouth’s coastline in Devon, there’s a serious issue with the home’s location. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Its value plummeted after it lost part of its garden to a “cliff fall” in 2024 and was left just metres from a massive drop. Drone footage shows an enclosed and manicured garden with a wooden gate roughly 40ft from the cliff face overlooking a precarious 400ft precipice. The Jurassic Coastline, famous for its fossils, is made of soft and unstable red sandstone and prone to sudden collapses. At auction yesterday, there were three bidders for the property with a top offer of £249,000. The owners have been forced to take a massive hit after they paid £695,000 in June 2011 and its normal market value listed between £1.1million to £1.6million. It lost part of its garden to a ‘cliff fall’ in 2024 Credit: SWNS The home failed to sell at auction for a £250,000 asking price Credit: SWNS There have been numerous cliff falls in the area in recent years with the council regularly having to close beaches below to avoid people getting injured. Most read in The Sun When the cottage lost part of its garden in 2024, another rockfall incident occurred days later when a large portion of the cliff collapsed a few hundred metres away at Jacob’s Ladder Beach. Having failed to secure a buyer yesterday, it is understood the homeowner is now seeking offers and may return it to auction at a later date. Inside, the home has a bespoke kitchen, and a large sitting room with French doors that open on to a breathtaking terrace. The property was listed by Bradley’s Estate Agents with the listing noting that the area has suffered from coastal erosion. It stated: “The property has in recent years suffered a cliff fall within the very far boundary of the garden. A full cliff survey can be seen within the legal pack. “Occupying a spectacular clifftop position, this unique detached thatched residence enjoys some of the finest panoramic sea and coastal views in East Devon, stretching along the Jurassic Coast. “Designed and built in the 1960s for renowned novelist R.F. Delderfield, this distinctive home features an imaginative circular design that maximises natural light and captures the breathtaking outlook from many of the principal rooms. “Beautifully presented throughout, the accommodation includes a bespoke integrated kitchen, an impressive sitting room with French doors opening onto terraces, a versatile dining room/bedroom three, two generous first-floor bedrooms, a contemporary bathroom and an en-suite. ”The mature landscaped gardens provide exceptional privacy and seclusion, with terraces, ornamental pond, lawns and colourful planting all enjoying stunning coastal vistas. “A garage and extensive driveway parking complete this rare opportunity to acquire one of Sidmouth’s most iconic and beautifully positioned homes.” Comment now