AN art deco style house in Blackwood has been snapped up at auction for £200,000 by a local couple who previously refurbished transit vans for both Madonna and Guy Ritchie.
Dayne and Julie Bartlett, from Ystrad Mynach, plan to invest a further £80,000 in Shangri La, a three-bed 1930s time warp property in Pontllanfraith that requires a complete refurbishment, in a bid to return it to its former glory.
The double fronted house, which had a guide price of £170,000, was the most popular property in Wales on Zoopla last October.
Listed with a price tag of £300,000 at the time, almost 19,000 prospective buyers viewed the property over a 30 day period.
The Bartletts, who run Touch of Class Upholstery, a Caerphilly-based business that converts iconic VW camper vans, bought the Grade II listed building for £200,000 at Paul Fosh Auctions on April 2.
Dayne Bartlett, 46, who is originally from Bournemouth, said: “We had never been to an auction before, but we had a budget and the adrenaline was flowing. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.
“I was nervous, but we wanted it so much and we feel we’ve gotten a bargain as we expected it to go for £240,000.
“It’s a stunning home and historic property, and we just love the whole art deco aspect.
“We’re already picking out retro tiles and my wife’s on the internet every night. We’ve planned out every room and hope to add another bedroom for our grandsons.”
The property includes a stunning stained glass picture window and balcony, while the master bedroom is on the first floor with two further bedrooms.
Described by Wales historic buildings body CADW as a very rare example of a modern suburban house in the South Wales valleys, the new owners will have to work closely with the organisation throughout the renovation work.
The couple have vast experience in refurbishing houses and vehicles. Their business, Touch of Class Upholstery, even featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride when they refurbished a transit van for the music video for Madonna’s 2006 number one hit, Sorry.
With the Queen of Pop delighted with the results, the Bartletts went on to refurbish another transit van for her then husband, Guy Ritchie.
Mr Bartlett said: “Madonna was filming her music video for Sorry and we were on set for it for seven days.
“We were not allowed to talk to her but if everyone was allowed she would not get anything done.
“We then went on to meet Guy Ritchie five or six times and it was a real honour.
“It was superb to work with both of them and I suppose it’s our claim to fame.”
The Bartletts hope to move into Shangri La before Christmas.