Owners of Bristol house Banksy used for new 'achoo' art work delay sale of property
The owners of a house in Bristol where the latest Banksy has appeared have delayed the sale of the property just a week before exchanging.
On Friday (11 December) the family told ITV News West Country they had pulled out of the sale after the elusive street artist confirmed the work was his.
However speaking on local BBC radio this morning, Nicholas Makin said they were still going ahead with the sale but that they needed to take a moment to think about it.
He said: "We put the proceedings on hold for 48 hours to understand what was going on..."
The 'achoo' piece appeared on Thursday 10 December, with crowds quickly gathering around it before Banksy claimed credit for the piece just hours later on his Instagram page.
The piece of art has been created on the side of a property in Park Street. The work is visible from Vale Street, which is famous for being Britain's steepest road.
The work creates the illusion of a pensioner's sneeze knocking over houses.
Nicholas Makin's mother Aileen owns the property and was due to exchange contracts for its sale next week.
But the Banksy work could see the value of the family's home rocket. According to Zoopla, the average home on the street is worth £300,000 - but Banksy's work has sold for millions.
Mr Makin said people were climbing over the house while he slept last night (Thursday 10 December) to get the best look at the new work.
Mr Makin's stepbrother helped him to put perspex over the artwork to protect it, and he told ITV News West Country he will be speaking to security firms about how to keep it safe and what to do now.
He said his mother is quite distressed by all the attention and they will take time to consider what to do next.
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