A Grade II listed care home in Seaton is set to be converted into five flats.

The owners of a Seaton care home have renewed a desperate bid to sell the property- or it could be converted into a block of flats in three years’ time.

Hutch and Suzanne Curry have run the small facility for 22 years, but say they are ready to hand over the business to like-minded new owners so they can enjoy their retirement.

Planning permission was recently granted to transform the Grade II listed care home into five flats, but Mr Curry explained the conversion could only realistically happen if a buyer was not found in the next three years.

“This is the last opportunity,” he said.

“If we do not find a buyer within three years, the care home will be turned into flats – but that’s not what we want to do.

“The new owners really need to be someone a bit like us, it needs to be a family situation.

“They should be someone willing to be caring and work hard.”

Mr Curry said the venture would be unsuitable for a larger firm, as the home only looks after 15 people.

He added: “It’s adequate for small, private owners like us who are dedicated and caring and wanting to raise a family in this fantastic area.”

Mr Curry maintained that the business is viable, despite the care home being marketed as a going concern for the last five years.

“Our very strong preference is for someone to buy the business as a going concern so neither the residents or staff will have their lives disrupted,” he said.

“The last thing we want to do is close the home, as the people we look after would all have to go somewhere else which would be tremendously traumatic.”

The planning permission for the conversion of the care home would see the ground floor consist of the largest flat - offering three double bedrooms - and a two-bed flat.

The first floor would house two two-bed flats, with the second floor comprising the last two-bed.

Anyone interested in purchasing Manor House should contact Mr Curry directly on 01297 22433.