The owners of a Bristol home where a new Banksy mural has appeared insist they will still sell the property, following reports they had pulled out at the 11th hour.
Nick Makin denied claims his mother, Aileen, had decided against exchanging contracts for the £340,000 home, which has been valued at £5 million since the street artist confirmed the 'Aachoo!' painting was his.
Banksy’s new mural in Bristol.#StreetArt #Banksy #Bristol #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/uVIoCvJnXH
— Street Art Lover (@lovestreetart22) December 11, 2020
The family claims they wanted artwork to stay in place and be protected, insisting the sale had merely been put 'on hold for 48 hours'.
The comic artwork shows a woman wearing a headscarf and holding a handkerchief, bending over while sneezing.
The force of the sneezes causes her to release her walking stick and handbag.
Her dentures are also shown shooting out of her mouth.
Mr Makin admitted the family had to 'take a moment to think about it' after the headline-grabbing valuation was revealed, and that his mother has been left distressed by the recent attention.
He also claimed they are now actually worse off financially since it appeared earlier this week.
NEW BANSKY: "Aachoo!!"
Credit: Banksy pic.twitter.com/NymNNRESIt— Birmingham What's On (@WhatsOnBrum) December 10, 2020
A piece of clear acrylic has been placed over the mural and an alarm system has been installed to try and protect the artwork.
'Not only has it not earned us £5m, it's actually cost us money,' he told BBC Radio Bristol.
He added that the family was 'looking at getting a covenant put into the deeds of the house' to make sure the mural stays where it is.
'Or if it was to be removed, to be removed to Bristol City Council or the museum, so it can be kept in its condition and safe and in the right hands,' he said.
In an image released by Banksy, the woman's sneeze appears to have knocked over a wheelie bin at the next-door property, while a man holding an umbrella is being blown backwards.
Banksy confirmed on his website and Instagram page on Thursday afternoon that the piece is his work.
The piece was painted on the wall of a light blue house, which sits on the end of a row of terraced houses.
Vale Street is said to be the steepest in England, with its 22-degree gradient put to use during annual Easter Sunday egg-rolling competitions.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
