Level Contributor“” We were lucky enough to find The Beacons for our short break in Worthing. On arrival the owners were very welcoming and made us feel at home. Our room was furnished and decorated to a very high standard with a wall mounted television and a much needed hospitality tray. There is also free Wi-fi.The breakfast menu gave an excellent and... Level Contributor“” I had a lovely big room with a double and single bed and en-suite bathroom. Everything was immaculately clean, the breakfasts were first class and Adrian & Jo were friendly and hospitable. There is off street parking and everything in Worthing is within walking distance.1Thank Nicholas C Level Contributor“” via mobileOur second visit to The Beacons and just as good as the first. A very warm welcome from Adrian who remembered us from our last visit. The rooms are comfortable and have everything you need. The breakfasts are amazing and Jo and Adrian go to a lot of trouble to source the best products to make an outstanding English breakfast....
“” Enjoyed our stay, even though it was short. Arrived sat evening and jo very caring and welcoming to us. Both her and Adrian are great owners. The food at breakfast was delicious. Quiet area and so near to beach and town. Rooms clean, tidy and great coffee and tea. Lots to do ,if you have a car to drive to... Level Contributor“” Had a lovely few days in Worthing with the Beacons as a great base. Flat walking to shops, 5 mins and 7 mins to the promenade. Not too far from bus stops to take you further afield. Very clean and comfortable room on first floor, bath and shower over bath available. Breakfast very tasty and a wide choice. “” We have stayed here on several occasions for various reasons. We stumbled across what we can only describe as the most relaxing, welcoming and comfortable accommodation. Adrian and Jo made it feel like they had known you for years and nothing was ever too much trouble. We intend to visit Worthing in the future and will now not stay anywhere...
Level Contributor“” I stayed here for a few days during the Easter school holidays break. I couldn't have chosen a nicer place to stay. Adrian, the host was very charming, attentive and friendly. The room was lovely, with a very comfortable bed and an assortment of different teas, coffees and even complimentary biscuits. The breakfasts were excellent. The location also was perfect,... “” Its Yvonne Marks and I stayed in this lovely guest house for 3 days. I was so welcome Adrain and Jo are the sweetest couple and they go out of their way to make your stay welcome. I will go again and again and I would recommend it to everybody. Well done Jo and Adrian and thank you... Level Contributor“” I travelled with relatives to a family funeral and we booked two rooms in this well established B&B which is conveniently situated close to plenty of restaurants and the seafront. We were able to park off-road at the front of the property. Both our rooms were spotless and comfortable and we all slept well.
We relaxed in the lounge, and... Level Contributor“” via mobileWe stayed for 3 nights. Jo and Adrian made us feel very welcome. Our room had everything we needed and the bed was very comfortable. The breakfast was delicious. A selection of cereals and fresh fruits followed by a cooked breakfast of your choice. Jo and Adrian took time to speak to all of their guests and show... COLEMANDuraRest Raised Double Airbed EUROHIKEDeluxe Flocked Double Airbed with Pump EUROHIKEDeluxe Flocked Single Airbed with Pump OUTWELLDouble Flock Excellent Airbed THERMARESTNeoAir Camper Mattress Large EXPEDAirmat Lite 5m Inflatable Camping Mat THERMARESTBasecamp AF Mattress Large OUTWELLKing Flock Excellent AirbedStrict rules mean mortgage firms refuse to lend on small studios.With their own bathrooms, kitchen areas and lockable front doors, studio flats are suitable as bachelor pads, for first-timers and older people who are downsizing. They are easy and cheap to run and have their own title deeds and Land Registry entries.
But these days they are nearly impossible to sell, as I have found out to my cost. UNMORTGAGEABLE: Liz had to sell her studio flat for £32,000 In 1997, I acquired a derelict studio flat as part of a gorgeous seafront property in Worthing, West Sussex. It was not next to my flat but was in the same building and formed part of the same lease. Together, they cost me £60,000. I spent £13,000 on renovations and then, for many years, rented it to a single retired gentleman. His rent paid for the day-to-day running costs on my main flat. But last year I moved from Worthing to Oxford and put the flats on the market. Estate agents advised me to separate the leases and sell them individually. Not only would I get more money, but I would attract more buyers, they said. So that is what I did. Although very small at 215 sq ft, the studio was immaculate and in April 2009 it went on the market at £95,000. The separation of the lease plus the Home Information Pack, then a legal requirement, set me back about £1,400 and I had to have the flat rewired, which cost more than £1,000.
The main flat sold instantly for £202,000 to a cash buyer but the studio did not attract even one offer. Two months later, I dropped the price to £75,000 and quickly had an offer. But at the last minute it was withdrawn. More offers followed but all the potential buyers pulled out after talking to their lenders. Liz Hodkinson pictured at her home in Oxford A year later and the empty flat was costing me money – with council tax at £1,000 a year and service charges on top. So when I was offered £55,000, I agreed. But again the offer was withdrawn. No lender would lend against the property, even with a 50 per cent deposit. The flat was unmortgageable, which meant that it was all but unsaleable. I put it up for auction. It was valued at £55,000 – cash offers only – and it went into the catalogue last month. There was no real interest, so I withdrew it from sale rather than pay the upfront auction fee. I told the estate agents to sell it for what they could. An investor offered £32,000 cash.
We completed within a week. The agent's commission came to more than ten per cent of the sale. 'There was a lot of interest from first-time buyers but no one would advance any money,' says mortgage adviser Mark Coleman, of Fox's estate agents in Worthing. 'Two big lenders, Coventry and Northern Rock, said they did not lend on studios at all and six major lenders including Birmingham Midshires and Nationwide would not consider a property under 30 sq m [323 sq ft]. 'If a property is not mortgageable, it won't even attract cash buyers as they worry about resale. Even studios of more than 30 sq m are likely to be massively downvalued by surveyors in today's market. They are becoming very hard indeed to sell.' Northern Rock, one of the lenders that refused to grant a mortgage on the property, said: 'We have a prudent lending policy and while there are occasional exceptions, studio flats such as the one you describe would generally fall outside our current lending policy.' Sue Anderson, from the Council of Mortgage Lenders, says: 'There have recently been stories of banks making big profits but there is still very limited lending capacity.