Sandbanks residents celebrate Storm Eleanor after it blows down a tree blocking views of the harbour and boosts their house prices ‘by £1million’
WEALTHY residents of an exclusive coastal community are celebrating Storm Eleanor’s destructive power today - after a tree it uprooted increased the value of their homes by £1MILLION.
Four luxury properties in Sandbanks, Dorset, now boast unobstructed views across the harbour, following the loss of the 50ft tall conifer.
And experts say it has seen each one shoot up by at least £250,000 overnight.
One of the lucky residents, who did not wish to be named, said when she opened the curtains on Wednesday and saw the fallen tree she thought “all my dreams have come true”.
Homeowners on the exclusive peninsula pay a premium for property that has uninterrupted views of Poole Harbour.
In the past some residents have been prosecuted for deliberately felling protected trees to improve what they can see from their homes.
The conifer was the only large tree in a triangle of parkland on Shore Road.
It had stood between the harbour's edge and four new homes there, that are worth about £1.8m each.
Adrian Dunford, of Tailor Made estate agents sold numbers 20 and 21 Shore Road recently.
The other two properties, at 22 and 23, have just been built by a developer who will live in one and has just sold the other.
He estimated the value of all four properties was now in excess of £2m each.
He said: "The tree was a large, significant conifer in an area of parkland gifted to the people of Poole.
"I would say there are four houses there that will see their value increase now.
"That's the view everyone wants - it's a frontline view straight out towards Brownsea Island and over Poole Harbour.
"There are two new houses being built on the site opposite that tree. The view would have been completely blocked by that tree but now they will gain a terrific view.
"They will definitely have gained in value and I think the two houses next to that would also have a much better view now.
It sparked major power cuts and floods — plus misery for road, rail and ferry users.
Sandbanks homeowners include former football managers Harry Redknapp and Graeme Souness, computer magnate Sir Peter Ogden and celebrity interior designer Celia Sawyer.
In 2012 homeowner Neil Davey was fined £75,000 for having a neighbour's tree felled because it blocked his view of Poole Harbour from his hot tub.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.