IT ALREADY has a reputation as one of the world's most expensive places to live, but Sandbanks could soon be topping the list for the priciest parking spot, after a garage was snapped up for almost £100,000.

The semi-detached 7.6m by 4.5m lock-up in Salter Road was put on the market for a guide price of £50,000 last month with the public asked to submit bids in writing for consideration.

A total of 15 offers were put in, ranging from £5,000 right through to almost £100,000.

News of the sale comes just days after a beach hut between Branksome Chine and Sandbanks beaches was put on the market for £100,000 and a six-bedroom house in nearby Panorama Road is currently for sale for offers in excess of £11m.

Keith Fensom, associate director from Savills, which is co-ordinating the sale of the garage, said an offer of "almost double" the guide price had now been agreed, although the sale was yet to be completed.

He added: "It's not as much as £100,000 but it's closer to £100,000 than it is to £75,000. We said to our client we didn't know how much it was worth, so we just put a guide price of £50,000.

"We felt that, if people own a £5 million house then to buy a garage for £50,000 for storage is not that much money really.

"When you look through the offers that we had, most of them were local buyers 10 of the 15 were from people that live either on Sandbanks or very close to Sandbanks and eight of the 15 offers were £65,000 and above."

Mr Fensom said the garage was once part of a house two doors down, which has subsequently been demolished with two new houses, each with integral garages, built in its place.

He added: "The site drew interest for a wide variety of reasons from local residents want- ing to store their boats, to people looking for somewhere to keep their classic car or developers wanting to develop the site subject to planning.

"One of the guys buys garages for his grandson. He lives in Canford Cliffs and for some reason he's got a portfolio of garages he's got hundreds all over the south coast."