Following a break during the long, wet summer, John Earle held the first of their autumn land and property sales last Tuesday 23rd September 2008 at their usual venue, Henley Golf and Country Club. Richard Abbey had 13 Lots in total being marketed for the auction; five upon the instructions of Estate Executors. 2 bungalows in Hollywood near Wythall, and Hampton near Evesham were sold prior as was 6.69 acres of pasture land near Balsall Common.

In the room Mr Abbey firstly offered 11 Fishers Drive, Dickens Heath and after a very cautious start and then many bids from all parts of the packed room, the gavel finally came down at £161,000. Lot 2 was The Haven near Sambourne and this sold for a very credible £145,000. The 28.23 acres of arable land with 1.5 acres of lake was then offered. The opening bid being only £80,000 but after spirited competition from a number of different parties, it was finally sold for £196,000 just under £7,000 per acre. Lot 4 was a 5 bedroom detached house in Whitehouse Green, Solihull that sold for £395,000. The star Lot was then offered being Hazelwood on the Stratford Road, Hockley Heath; a most attractive Grade II listed Queen Anne residence. Although in need of considerable improvement and renovation, this delightful house seemed to appeal to a broad church of bidders and after very spirited competition was finally sold for substantially in excess of the guide price at £460,000. Lot 6, Lower Farm West near Berkswell was withdrawn having not made the reserve. The 11.9 acres on the road from Knowle to Hampton-in-Arden sold for over £7,500 per acre at £90,000. Field Farm, known as Country Cattery near Ullenhall was withdrawn and is now on the market at £400,000 by private treaty and the cottage at Lower Binton failed to meet the reserve and is on the market at £275,000. The small pleck of land close by, being 0.44 acres sold for substantially in excess of the option price available to whoever bought the cottage, making £10,500.

Peter Cornford, after the auction, was exceedingly pleased with many of the results and was pleased that the realistic auction price guides had drawn in many interested parties helping to bring about, in the room, some very credible sale figures.

He did go on to say that overall the sale was a little like 'the curate's egg' - good in parts but generally speaking the firm managed to beat the general malaise in the property market prevailing at this time.