Property description
With its 70ft frontage onto Ingatestone high street, this property is in a prime location. A journey time of a mere half an hour by rail to London Liverpool Street, and ease of access to the M25 and Stansted Airport give you excellent links both home and away, and at the same time, you have all the benefits of this quiet, rural yet well catered for village. “The village is a real discovery and you only need leave it for men’s clothing! You can buy everything else that you might need right on your doorstep,” says the owner. Moreover, the property is a stone’s throw from an excellent none fee-paying Anglo-European School. Set back from the road, it has an ‘in and out’ driveway, plenty of parking, and accommodation that has been brilliantly thought out to maximise the space. This covers three floors, and provides six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and with a superb kitchen, garden room and patio the width of the house, plenty of space for a party both inside and out.
All the best laid plans
Having moved into what was described the by owner as ‘a poorly planned property in a brilliant location’, after several years of making do, they owners decided to knock it down and start again! And thus, having learned from how a property shouldn’t be, they were able to focus on how best it might. Having considered the options, the owners came up with what they go on to describe as, “The ideal layout. We have a good-sized central hallway and all the rooms lead off from here. In this way, we’ve maximised the space on offer. Furthermore, the main rooms are all about 12ft in width, and well-proportioned.” The property was designed by an architect friend of the owner, with handmade facing bricks and roof tiles giving it the look that the owner was after, “I wanted a house with an air of tradition about it, a timeless feel, and one that should please everyone.” The study and the dining room sit either side of the hallway and look out on to the street, and as with nearly all the rooms, benefit from lovely windows, as we learn, “Most of the windows are double hung sash windows, and they let lots of light in. I particularly love the bay window in the dining room.
Rooms for all reasons
Stepping back into the hallway, to the rear of the house you enter the sitting room via one door and the kitchen by the other. The former is a lovely light room, as we hear, “With its bi-fold windows, this is a fantastic space,” says the owner, “And being double-aspect, the sun comes into this room almost from dawn until dusk.” You step straight out onto the patio from here, and you can step back in through the garden room, which is understandably the owner’s favourite room in the house. “You can easily seat twenty in this space; it’s a great place at Christmas and for a party too. We’ve had forty people come together in this room, the living room and the outdoor seating area, and the space feels really inclusive.” And catering for such in number in what is a most impressive kitchen doesn’t pose a problem, as we learn, “Everything in this kitchen is top end, and was really worth the spend. The cooking appliances are Gaggenhau, the dishwasher and fridge Miele, and we’ve a remote controlled downdraught air-filter and integrated freezer and full height fridge. It’s on a grand scale to cater for big numbers and the Teppanyaki hot plate really comes into its own then!”The first-floor accommodation is equally impressive, with similarly proportioned double bedrooms providing ample sleeping accommodation for a family, or visiting guests. The master suite has relatively new fitted wardrobes, and as with all the bathrooms, the fittings are Ideal Standard, in this case a bath and a shower. “Our bedroom is a really calm space and I do love its westerly aspect, with the evening sun streaming in.” The second bedroom is similar in layout, also with fitted wardrobes, and a shower in the en-suite, with a further two double bedrooms and the main bathroom completing the arrangements on this floor.
Boy’s Toys
On the top floor, you discover a further two good-sized bedrooms, bringing the total to six. As it stands, these rooms constitute what the owner describes as “a couple of boys’ rooms. My son has a great bolt hole, complete with TV, and I’ve got a lovely space to chill out in, a world away.” Throughout the house, you have the wiring for a multi-room music system ready in place, which would be operated via remote control if you did decide to install the speakers and all the necessary and the same goes for a hard-wired computer system, with thirty points available to plug in to. So much thought has gone into this place, and with good reason, as the owner explains, “I wanted this house to comfortably fit around the lifestyle of six people, without fear of them stepping on one another’s toes. There is space for everyone to get away or come together here. It’s the perfect formula for a great family life!
The Perfect Location
The garden extends back from the house and provides a lovely space to relax in. There is a block driveway, with ample parking for 8 cars, and a double garage that provides great storage options. A patio runs the length of the rear of the house and the width of the garage, and thus, this extends the living space dramatically from the moment that the sun decides to show. “We spend so much time out on the patio. There’s plenty of space and it’s perfect for a family BBQ.” The garden is lawned and gently tapers away and being planted with mature shrubs, and thus low maintenance, gives you the opportunity to explore what is a lovely village, as the owner enthuses, “Ingatestone is a fantastic place to live. The station is a short walk away, and it’s a half hour commute into London, with good road links to the M25, but once you’re home, you just don’t want to leave the village. There is a great community feel, plenty of pubs and restaurants, a huge park and cricket ground. This place is serene and provides for a very comfortable lifestyle. I shall really miss this somewhat undiscovered gem.”
Property Features :
- Attractive Detached Family Home
- Kitchen/Breakfast/Sun Room
- Double Aspect Sitting Room
- Dining Room & Study
- Master Bedroom with En-Suite