COULD this be the right time to launch a new business?

As the country moves towards life after lockdown, there are plenty of opportunities to find a new direction for your life - whether that be launching a restaurant or reviving an old clock repair business. It may not cost you as much as you think.

The commercial property offerings available in Cumbria currently include:

* A former trophy shop in Crosby Street Maryport, which comes with a flat, comprising a sitting room, shower room, dining kitchen, and two bedrooms. It's due to be sold at the forthcoming Auction House Cumbria sale on July 15, starting 12 noon. The guide price is £35,000.

* A Brampton town centre retail premises and office. Last used at the a therapy centre, it is being sold by Hyde Harrington and has a guide price of £50,000. The brochure says the ground-floor property, in High Cross Street has an annual rental value of £5,500, while the rateable value in 2017 was £3,850.

* A slightly quirkier property opportunity is available in the form of the Alston Clock Shop. Grade ll listed, it is built over three floors, with a single room at ground level while on the first floor there is a small kitchen and WC, liming room, or workshop and a double bedroom on the top floor. The property is being sold by the Pennine Ways estate agency. The guide price is £95,000.

* If you have an appetite for opening a restaurant, you might consider the property being sold by Pattinson-Commercial at Wilson Street, Workington. With an asking price of £110,000, this distinctive yellow and pink building currently provides a cocktail bar, with a seating area and a "large kitchen on the ground floor and an additional dining area on the first floor. The upper floor is used for storage. The brochure says the property is ideal for use as a restaurant.

* If you'd like to launch a business in Wigton, you might consider Number 15, King Street, Wigton. This distinctive Grade ll listed two-storey building has an attractive frontage and is suitable for a variety of uses, says Carigiet Cowan, who are selling it. The guide price is a reasonable £125,000.