A long-established furniture and gift shop in Chorley has been put up for sale by its owners, who wish to retire.

They have instructed Blacks Business Brokers to find a new owner for Bluehouse, which houses a popular café alongside the retail element of the business.

Blacks Business Brokers is seeking offers over £425,000 for the freehold on the four-storey property in which Bluehouse is located. The property also includes three self-contained flats, a large room which is currently rented as a photography studio and two further office rooms which are available to rent.

Alternatively, the current owners are also willing to offer a lease on the 153 sq m ground floor retail and café unit, plus a 54 sq m cellar, for an up-front payment of £74,995 and annual rent of £19,500.

Bluehouse is located on Market Street in Chorley. There are four private car parking spaces at the rear and free two-hour parking is available for customers in front of, and to the side of, the premises.

The business is currently run by its owners, Gwen and Paul Barrow, with the support of five members of staff. In its most recent financial year Bluehouse turned over in excess of £175,000.

The business was established in 1995, and the property was acquired by Mr and Mrs Barrow in 1997.

Bluehouse sells a range of high-end cards, gifts and lifestyle products. It also has a fully functional ecommerce website, which the owners believe offers untapped potential.

The two residential flats and photography studio, which are included in the freehold sale, generate an annual income of £14,600. A third flat is currently being developed at the property, which will provide a further £5,000 annually when occupied.

There is also the potential to generate further rental income from the two first-floor office rooms.

Megan Sutherst, sales negotiator at Blacks Business Brokers, said, “Bluehouse has been a fixture of Chorley town centre for more than a quarter of a century, and caters to a real demand for high-quality items. It’s a beautiful shop in a beautiful building, and a great opportunity for an entrepreneur to build upon its reputation and trading history while applying their own stamp.

“The choice either to take over the freehold on the building or to lease the retail premises also widens buyers’ options, and means Bluehouse will appeal both to owner-managers who want to run the business and to investors who may want to employ a manager and add the property to their portfolio.”

In addition to Bluehouse in Chorley, Mr and Mrs Barrow have also put the freehold up for sale on a commercial property in Wigan which is occupied by a long-term tenant, Toppers Barbers. They have instructed Blacks to market 14 Wallgate for £229,950.